cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organization and Decision Making in MMT

This is the first chapter in the second part of this book—devoted to practice. This part describes four key dimensions of MMT. The first is the organization and decision making process. The second is the strategic management of medical technology. The third dimension is the management of medical technology. This part also deals with the fourth dimension: the outcomes from medical technology and their impacts on effectiveness of health care delivery and on patient value. Finally, this part looks at education and practice in MMT, and has a chapter that proposes some future directions.
Photobiomodulation for Stroke

Photobiomodulation (PBM) or low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) describes the use of red or near-infrared light from lasers or LEDs to heal, stimulate, and protect damaged tissues. It was first used for wound healing and pain relief but in recent years has been extensively investigated for brain disorders. One of the first applications of transcranial PBM in the brain was for acute stroke. The mechanisms of action of PBM are multifunctional. PBM applied to the head can increase cerebral blood flow by releasing nitric oxide and improve tissue oxygenation in the brain. It can stimulate mitochondrial metabolism and increase ATP production. Protective mechanisms are activated that can reduce neuronal cell death and oxidative stress occurring as a result of hypoxia, while neuroinflammation is also reduced. PBM can stimulate the formation of new neurons from neuroprogenitor cells in the hippocampus and subventricular zone. Finally, PBM can stimulate synaptogenesis and neuroplasticity (formation of new connections between existing neurons). This chapter will cover animal studies of PBM for acute stroke (caused by a variety of techniques) carried out in rats, rabbits, and dogs. The three major clinical trials for acute stroke in human patients (NEST-1, NEST-2, NEST-3) and the reasons for the eventual failure of NEST-3 will be discussed. Finally, the possibility of using PBM for rehabilitation of chronic stroke patients will be addressed.
Pathogen detection in the CRISPR–Cas era

CRISPR–Cas systems have provided revolutionary tools for genome editing. The discovery of Cas proteins with alternative activities has now enabled sensitive and robust tools for detecting nucleic acids. Recent reports harnessing these new CRISPR–Cas technologies display their potential for providing low-cost and practical diagnostic tools for pathogen and disease detection.
The Adjoint Sensitivity Guidance to Diagnosis and Tuning of Error Covariance Parameters

Adjoint techniques are effective tools for the analysis and optimization of the observation performance on reducing the errors in the forecasts produced by atmospheric data assimilation systems (DASs). This chapter provides a detailed exposure of the equations that allow the extension of the adjoint-DAS applications from observation sensitivity and forecast impact assessment to diagnosis and tuning of parameters in the observation and background error covariance representation. The error covariance sensitivity analysis allows the identification of those parameters of potentially large impact on the forecast error reduction and provides a first-order diagnostic to parameter specification. A proof-of-concept is presented together with comparative results of observation impact assessment and sensitivity analysis obtained with the adjoint versions of the Naval Research Laboratory Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System – Accelerated Representer (NAVDAS-AR) and the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS).
Engineered Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems: A Military Application

Tactical warfare is complex [1]. It requires agile, adaptive, forward-thinking, fast-thinking, and effective decision-making. Advancing threat technology, the tempo of warfare, and the uniqueness of each battlespace situation, coupled with increases in information that is often incomplete and sometimes egregious; are all factors that cause human decision-makers to become overwhelmed [2]. Automated battle management aids become part of a solution to address the tactical problem space—to simplify complexity, increase knowledge, and formulate quantitative analyses of decision options. The other part of the solution is engineering an adaptive architecture of distributed weapons and sensors that can act independently or as collaborative systems of systems. This paper proposes a systems approach to the complex tactical problem space. The approach is based on a complex systems engineering strategy that views the decision space holistically in the context of capability enablers for managing future distributed warfare assets as complex adaptive systems of systems.
An Optimized Running Window Entropy Algorithm

Running window entropy is a useful tool for malware analysis, network anomaly detection, and other cybersecurity topics. An optimized version of this algorithm would allow for inspection of more data in less time, thereby reducing wasted time and costs for an organization. This research presents a novel, non-trivial optimization of the running window entropy algorithm that, on average, requires less than 2% of the time of the original algorithm used in prior research. This savings can equate to days and months of computation time for average scenarios when applied to prior research.
Temporally and Spatially Resolved Visualization of Electrochemical Conversion: Monitoring Phase Distribution During Lithiation of Magnetite (Fe3O4) Electrodes

Fundamental understanding of transport properties across multiple size regimes is critical for the rational design of electrodes with conversion materials. While recent studies have effectively int...
The rare preference effect: Statistical information influences social affiliation judgments

Shared preferences-liking the same things-facilitate and strengthen bonds between individuals. However, not all shared preferences are equally meaningful; sharing a rare preference with someone is often more exciting and meaningful than sharing a common preference. Here we present evidence for the rare preference effect: Participants chose to interact with (Experiment 1), and endorsed interactions between (Experiment 2), individuals who shared a rare preference, rather than those who shared a common preference, and this tendency increased with the relative rarity of the preference. While having a preference usually implies knowing and liking something, the presence of shared knowledge alone was sufficient to give rise to the rare preference effect (Experiments 3 & 4). Further, we find that social affiliation judgments are modulated by the causal process by which individuals came to have shared knowledge: Participants preferred to interact with someone who acquired a shared preference deliberately rather than accidentally (Experiment 5). In addition to the many cultural and emotional factors that drive mutual attraction, these results suggest that people's decisions about with whom to interact are systematically influenced by the statistics of the social environment.
Le Statut Du Responsable Public Et La Réception De La Notion D' 'Accountability' (The Public Official's Status and the Reception of the Concept of 'Accountability')

This article examines the concept of public accountability in relation to public official of various status.
Theological educators and what it is like to be a minister: A qualitative study of five Protestant settings:

To increase the alignment between the lives of ministers serving congregations and what seminary professors think that congregational ministry is like, this study used qualitative methods to examin...
Simulation in Neuroanesthesia

Neurosurgical and neurological cases can encompass several complications and require care of patients with profound physiologic disturbances. Simulation-based learning in neuroanesthesia can be a powerful educational experience, fostering success in the operating room by offering a safe environment for learners to experience and manage complex and serious scenarios followed by a facilitator/peer-directed debriefing and didactic session. This chapter includes three simulation cases (venous air embolism (VAE), intracranial aneurysm, and autonomic hyperreflexia) that use a high-fidelity mannequin. Emergency situations often focus solely on patient care, not allowing significant teaching opportunities. Therefore, simulation is a valuable tool for teaching anesthesiologists to care for neurosurgical and neurological patients during critical events in a high-fidelity simulated environment. Simulation-based education allows learners to experience success and commit errors without putting patients in danger. The experience of managing cases with unique anesthetic concerns, difficult, and/or uncommon clinical situations combined with the constructive feedback that participants receive from their instructors can improve their ability to manage cases in real life.
Aluminum-Air Batteries with Solid Hydrogel Electrolytes: Effect of pH Upon Cell Performance

The incorporation of aluminum anodes in metal-air galvanic cells is very interesting due to its intrinsic physico-chemical properties that include a high theoretical specific capacity (2.98 Ah g−1)...
Four countries for science.

Abstract A personal retrospect is given on four decades in science in four countries - the UK, France, Germany and the USA. Some historical observations are made together with a time transect through scientific systems and institutions in the four countries.
Diffusion-MRI-based regional cortical microstructure at birth for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age

Brain cerebral cortical architecture encoding regionally differential dendritic arborization and synaptic formation at birth underlies human behavior emergence at 2 years of age. Brain changes in 0-2 years are most dynamic across lifespan. Effective prediction of future behavior with brain microstructure at birth will reveal structural basis of behavioral emergence in typical development, and identify biomarkers for early detection and tailored intervention in atypical development. Here, we aimed to evaluate the neonate whole-brain cortical microstructure quantified by diffusion MRI for predicting future behavior. We found that individual cognitive and language functions assessed at age of 2 years were robustly predicted by neonate cortical microstructure using support vector regression. Remarkably, cortical regions contributing heavily to the prediction models exhibited distinctive functional selectivity for cognition and language. These findings highlight regional cortical microstructure at birth as potential sensitive biomarker in predicting future neurodevelopmental outcomes and identifying individual risks of brain disorders.
Pediatric Posterior Fossa Medulloblastoma: The Role of Diffusion Imaging in Identifying Molecular Groups.

Background and purpose The molecular groups WNT activated (WNT), Sonic hedgehog activated (SHH), group 3, and group 4 are biologically and clinically distinct forms of medulloblastoma. We evaluated apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values' utility in differentiating/predicting medulloblastoma groups at the initial diagnostic imaging evaluation and prior to surgery. Methods We retrospectively measured the ADC values of the enhancing, solid portion of the tumor (EST) and of the whole tumor (WT) and performed Kruskal-Wallis testing to compare the absolute tumor ADC values and cerebellar and thalamic ratios of three medulloblastoma groups (WNT, SHH, and group 3/group 4 combined). Results Ninety-three children (65 males) were included. Fifty-seven children had group 3/group 4, 27 had SHH, and 9 had WNT medulloblastomas. The median absolute ADC values in the EST and WT were .719 × 10-3 and .864 × 10-3 mm2 /s for group 3/group 4; .660 × 10-3 and .965 × 10-3 mm2 /s for SHH; and .594 × 10-3 and .728 × 10-3 mm2 /s for WNT medulloblastomas (P = .02 and .13). The median ratio of ADC values in the EST or the WT to normal cerebellar tissue was highest for group 3/group 4 and lowest for WNT medulloblastomas (P = .03 and .09), with similar results in pairwise comparisons of the corresponding thalamic ADC values (P = .02 and .06). Conclusion ADC analysis of a tumor's contrast-enhancing solid portion may aid preoperative molecular classification/prediction of pediatric medulloblastomas and may facilitate optimal surgical treatment planning, reducing surgery-induced morbidity.
Extracting non-linear viscoelastic material properties from violently-collapsing cavitation bubbles

Abstract Determination of high strain-rate constitutive material parameters from highly compliant, non-linear materials including hydrogels and soft tissues remains a significant challenge. To address this challenge we recently developed a laser-based Inertial Microcavitation Rheometry (IMR) technique, capable of constitutively characterizing soft materials at ultra-high strain-rates ( O ( 1 0 3 ) ∼ O ( 1 0 8 ) s − 1 ). This technique utilizes spatially-focused, and temporally-resolved, single cavitation bubbles in conjunction with a theoretical framework for determining the non-linear viscoelastic material properties of the surrounding soft material. Here, by advancing our spatiotemporal imaging capability and tracking the motion of native material features close to the inertially cavitating bubble, we find significant deviation from the IMR predicted material displacements at a critical material Mach number of 0.08, marking the transition to violent collapse. Interestingly, this critical Mach number appears to be almost independent of the material properties of the surrounding hydrogel. We show that through proper temporal resolution of the cavitation dynamics, all of the highly nonlinear viscoelastic properties of the surrounding material can still be uniquely determined from just the first expansion and collapse cycle alone, as long as the local Mach number is below the critical threshold. Furthermore, we show that the inclusion of a higher order strain stiffening term on the rate-dependent non-linear spring can lead to better estimation of the material properties and full recovery of the equilibrium shear modulus, which was not possible with previous nonlinear neo-Hookean Kelvin–Voigt model formulations. Thus, the developments presented here significantly expand the applicability and robustness of IMR for accurately determining the rate-dependent, finite deformation constitutive behavior of soft materials.
Controlling P−C/C−H bond cleavage in Nickel Bis(diphosphine) Complexes: Reactivity scope, mechanism, and computations

The synthesis of heteroleptic [Ni(P2N2)(diphosphine)][BF4]2 complexes and the cleavage of P–C and C–H bonds of the P2N2 ligand in those complexes are reported. The products are five-coordinate comp...
Routine Early Antibiotic Use in SymptOmatic Preterm Neonates: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

We enrolled 98 infants (gestational age <33 weeks) in a pilot randomized trial of antibiotics vs no antibiotics; 55 were randomized (lower maternal infectious risk; symptoms expected for gestation). Adverse events did not differ significantly between the randomization arms. This trial establishes a framework for a larger multicentered trial.
Detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals in Danio rerio and Daphnia pulex: Step-one, behavioral screen

Abstract Anthropogenic surface and ground water contamination by chemicals is a global problem, and there is an urgent need to develop tools to identify and elucidate biological effects. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are not typically monitored or regulated and those with known or suspected endocrine disrupting potential have been termed endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Many CECs are known to be neurotoxic (e.g., insecticides) and many are incompletely characterized. Behavioral responses can identify chemicals with neuroactive properties, which can be relevant to EDC mechanisms (e.g., neuroendocrine disturbances). Two freshwater species, Daphnia pulex and Danio rerio, were evaluated for swimming behavior alterations resulting from 24-hr exposure to 9 CECs: triclosan, triclocarban, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol-A, atrazine, metformin, and estrone. This is the first step in the development of a bioassay for detecting estrogenic and/or anti-androgenic activity with the goal to evaluate complex mixtures of uncharacterized contaminants in water samples. The second step, described in a subsequent report, examines transcriptome alterations following chemical exposure. Significant differences in the swimming behavior response and sensitivity were found across chemicals within a species and across species for a given chemical in this unique optical bioassay system. In the concentration ranges studied, significant behavioral alterations were detected for 6 of 9 CECs for D. pulex and 4 of 9 CECs for D. rerio. These results underscore the utility of this bioassay to identify behavioral effects of sublethal concentrations of CECs before exploration of transcriptomic alterations for EDC detection.
Evolutionary perspective on decreases in grief intensity for deceased twin and non-twin relatives: An update

Abstract In a study of 175 participants, Segal and Ream (1998) found that monozygotic (MZ) twins reported less decline in grief intensity following the loss of a co-twin, and that twins reported more intense and lasting grief for deceased co-twins than for other relationships. The hypothesis that female twins would report less decline in grief intensity than male twins was not supported. We re-evaluated and expanded upon these results by analyzing a larger sample of twin survivors (n = 423), informed by concepts from evolutionary psychological theory. MZ twins reported significantly higher grief at both retrospective and current time points, but the difference in the slope of decrease in grief between these groups was not statistically significant. We found a similar result when comparing participant sex, with female respondents reporting significantly higher grief at retrospective and current time points; however, sex differences in grief decline over time were not statistically significant. The present findings support the previous authors' third hypothesis that twins grieve longer and more intensely for the death of a cotwin than for other relationships, evidence of the strong social bond that is variously unique to MZ and DZ twin pairs.
Urban Weather Generator: Physics-Based Microclimate Simulation for Performance-Oriented Urban Planning

Deciphering the urban microclimate is a long-standing research topic which has been lately consolidated as a major interest in the built energy and environment community. Research investigates at a fast pace the physical laws and simulation techniques to better understand the urban built environment and the ways of improving it. The snap increase in the amount and breadth has come at a price of little systematization and appreciation of knowledge. With that in mind, this chapter provides a gentle overview of the Urban Weather Generator (UWG), a physics-based microclimate simulation paradigm developed and maintained over the past decade to quantify the energy interactions between buildings and urban climate. This chapter favours a consistent and progressive introduction of the main concepts and architectural treatments in the UWG over an exposition of the most related literature. Knowledge of changes in the urban environment and their effect on building energy performances can potentially support a better decision-making framework for civil engineering systems, particularly at the planning and design stage. We present the initial motivations, theoretical models, case studies, and practical achievements of the UWG that have thus far been made as well as the many challenges that await us in this nascent field. This chapter aims to give an insight into the importance of considering the urban microclimate as well as to stimulate further research.
Processing single-cell RNA-seq data for dimension reduction-based analyses using open-source tools.

Summary Single-cell RNA sequencing data require several processing procedures to arrive at interpretable results. While commercial platforms can serve as “one-stop shops” for data analysis, they relinquish the flexibility required for customized analyses and are often inflexible between experimental systems. For instance, there is no universal solution for the discrimination of informative or uninformative encapsulated cellular material; thus, pipeline flexibility takes priority. Here, we demonstrate a full data analysis pipeline, constructed modularly from open-source software, including tools that we have contributed. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Petukhov et al. (2018) , Heiser et al. (2020) , and Heiser and Lau (2020) .
Cybersecurity Analytics for Virtual Power Plants

This article presents a framework to realize cybersecure virtual power plant (VPP). The foundation of this cybersecurity analytics is established on a developed normal operation region identification methodology. This normal operation region is exploited as a confirmation strategy to distinguish malicious set-points that are determined by VPP cyber-layer. These malicious set-points are spawned by a cyber-attacker influencing the VPP cyber-layer. The normal operation region is based on a derived one-to-one mapping between the network internal point of common coupling (PCC) bus voltages and the cyber-layer generated set-points. This derived mapping is compared with an inverse mapping through internal PCC bus voltage monitoring for anomalies. Once, an inconsistency is witnessed by the cybersecurity analytics between the one-to-one mapping and the inverse mapping, then the initial voltage anomaly detected by the monitoring system is due to an intrusion. The developed theory is validated through simulation of a cyber attacker gradually violating the network stability boundary through manipulating the operation set-points.
Seeking Nietzsche’s Great Tree of Humanity: The Overhuman and Powers’s The Overstory

This essay reconstructs Nietzsche’s ecological and environmental thought by focusing on his idea of the human-earth (Menschen-Erde) and his deep concern for the natural world. It then articulates these thoughts in a coordinate reading of Richard Powers’s environmentally focused novel The Overstory (2019). Nietzsche understands that the human position on the Earth is precarious and that we are in danger of injuring our fragile environmental surround. I attempt to clarify the contemporary relevance of this thought by showing how his diagnosis chimes with current ecological thinking. Nietzsche saw not only dangers but opportunities in the relation of humans to their environment. His writings as well as his daily life exhibit intense interest in trees and forests. He foresaw that too much forest clearing could endanger the climate, leading to excessive warming. Nietzsche also imagined that the humans might foster a “great tree of humanity” (WS 188-89), a green expansion of their environment, and Zarathustra anticipates living in the world as a garden (Z “The Convalescent”). Richard Powers’s The Overstory speaks to a time that is much more deeply informed about our precarious ecological situation. The novelist dramatizes this in a narrative that brings together a number of disparate individuals, drawn to defend an old-growth US West Coast forest from the state-supported depradations of industrial logging. These figures learn about “the secret life of trees,” their mutual dependence and communication, as they experiment with a new life high among the branches. Their different fates pose a variety of questions relevant to Nietzsche’s ideas for a transvalued Earth.
Cryptogenic Pediatric Ischemic Stroke: What’s the Hole Story?

Stroke is an underrecognized cause of morbidity and mortality in children. When the reason for stroke remains undetermined (cryptogenic), implementation of appropriate secondary prevention strategies is hindered, potentially leaving the child vulnerable to future ischemic events and related disability. Unfortunately, approximately one-third of childhood strokes are cryptogenic, a higher proportion than in young adults.1 The contribution of patent foramen ovale (PFO) to cryptogenic stroke, as well as the role of PFO closure in stroke secondary prevention, has long been a controversial topic, with a recent review summarizing key adult literature.2 Multiple randomized, open-label trials demonstrated that PFO closure reduces recurrent stroke risk in a subset of young adults with cryptogenic strokes compared with antiplatelet therapy alone.3-5 These trials underpin the 2020 American Academy of Neurology practice advisory stating that clinicians may recommend PFO closure for patients <60 years of age with a PFO and embolic-appearing infarct when no other mechanisms of stroke are identified.6 The Risk of Paradoxical Embolism score, validated in patients ≥18 years of age, can be used to identify patients whose cryptogenic strokes are likely causally linked to their PFO.7 The score is weighted to assign more points to younger patients, implicating PFO in stroke pathogenesis more often in the young, especially those without other vascular risk factors. These advances in our understanding of the role of PFO in cryptogenic stroke in adults, especially in younger adults, makes this area ripe for investigation in children and begs the question: does PFO play a pathogenic role in childhood stroke?
Approaches to opioid prescribing in cancer survivors: Lessons learned from the general literature.

LAY SUMMARY Guidance on how to approach opioid decisions for people beyond active cancer treatment is lacking. This editorial discusses strategies from the general literature that can be thoughtfully tailored to cancer survivors to provide patient-centered pain and opioid care.
What Yelp Fake Review Filter Might Be Doing

Online reviews have become a valuable resource for decision making. However, its usefulness brings forth a curse ‒ deceptive opinion spam. In recent years, fake review detection has attracted significant attention. However, most review sites still do not publicly filter fake reviews. Yelp is an exception which has been filtering reviews over the past few years. However, Yelp’s algorithm is trade secret. In this work, we attempt to find out what Yelp might be doing by analyzing its filtered reviews. The results will be useful to other review hosting sites in their filtering effort. There are two main approaches to filtering: supervised and unsupervised learning. In terms of features used, there are also roughly two types: linguistic features and behavioral features. In this work, we will take a supervised approach as we can make use of Yelp’s filtered reviews for training. Existing approaches based on supervised learning are all based on pseudo fake reviews rather than fake reviews filtered by a commercial Web site. Recently, supervised learning using linguistic n-gram features has been shown to perform extremely well (attaining around 90% accuracy) in detecting crowdsourced fake reviews generated using Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). We put these existing research methods to the test and evaluate performance on the real-life Yelp data. To our surprise, the behavioral features perform very well, but the linguistic features are not as effective. To investigate, a novel information theoretic analysis is proposed to uncover the precise psycholinguistic difference between AMT reviews and Yelp reviews (crowdsourced vs. commercial fake reviews). We find something quite interesting. This analysis and experimental results allow us to postulate that Yelp’s filtering is reasonable and its filtering algorithm seems to be correlated with abnormal spamming behaviors.
Image Processing Basics

This chapter contains sections titled: Digital Image Representation Image File Formats Basic Terminology Overview of Image Processing Operations ]]>
On the Use of Capital Efficiency Metrics

This note describes capital efficiency metrics including RONA, ROIC, and EVA. This note is intended to be used with the case "Boeing 737 Industrial Footprint: The Wichita Decision," HBS No. 612-036. Learning Objective: Examines the use of capital efficiency metrics used in a modular fashion in the aerospace industry.
Multivariate classification of smokers and nonsmokers using SVM‐RFE on structural MRI images

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies have revealed gray matter alterations in smokers, but this type of analysis has poor predictive value for individual cases, which limits its applicability in clinical diagnoses and treatment. A predictive model would essentially embody a complex biomarker that could be used to evaluate treatment efficacy. In this study, we applied VBM along with a multivariate classification method consisting of a support vector machine with recursive feature elimination to discriminate smokers from nonsmokers using their structural MRI data. Mean gray matter volumes in 1,024 cerebral cortical regions of interest created using a subparcellated version of the Automated Anatomical Labeling template were calculated from 60 smokers and 60 nonsmokers, and served as input features to the classification procedure. The classifier achieved the highest accuracy of 69.6% when taking the 139 highest ranked features via 10-fold cross-validation. Critically, these features were later validated on an independent testing set that consisted of 28 smokers and 28 nonsmokers, yielding a 64.04% accuracy level (binomial P = 0.01). Following classification, exploratory post hoc regression analyses were performed, which revealed that gray matter volumes in the putamen, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, caudate, thalamus, pre-/postcentral gyrus, precuneus, and the parahippocampal gyrus, were inversely related to smoking behavioral characteristics. These results not only indicate that smoking related gray matter alterations can provide predictive power for group membership, but also suggest that machine learning techniques can reveal underlying smoking-related neurobiology.
R.R. Wilson prize lecture: adventures with accelerators

In this paper I plan to cover 60 years of accelerator history in half an hour. In 60 years there are a little over a million half hours, so this will be a compression by a factor of 10/sup 6/. I can't be very complete-just a few glances at that history as seen from wherever I was at the time. >
Maya Resurgence in Guatemala: Q'eqchi' Experiences

Maya Resurgence in Guatemala: Q'eqchi' Experiences. Richard Wilson. Norman; University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.373 pp.
Compact high-accuracy wavemeter

A new fringe-counting wavemeter based on a compact spherical interferometer is described. We demonstrate a sub-Doppler accuracy of ±1 part in 107 by introducing a Vernierlike coincidence concept that takes advantage of the high finesse of the multiple-beam interferometer.
Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality with Aging Adults in Appalachia

This phenomenological study explored the meaning of spirituality in the lives of aging adults in Appalachia. Forty adult volunteers in varying states of health ranging in age from 59 to 94 years participated in focus groups. Through open-ended questions, respondents described their perceptions of spirituality, spirituality, and health, and the role of spirituality in helping them cope. Themes that emerged from the data were a conviction that God exists and acts in the lives of persons, calls them to action, and is a source of connection in times of loss. Spirituality positively affects attitude, particularly as health declines. Respondents expected respectful and empathic health care providers who would meet their physical needs and be concerned about their spiritual needs. Spirituality was of paramount importance in the lives of these elders; thus, health care providers must consciously include spirituality in assessments and interventions. Nursing curricula must prepare students to provide spiritual care.
Gating molecule interactions in K+ channels. A consistent explanation for cole-moore shifts and potential ramp experiments

The enhanced induction period of potassium channel currents in squid giant axon induced by hyperpolarizing prepulses (the Cole-Moore shift) is observed and analyzed for a range of depolarizing step potentials. The induction periods produced when the axon is voltage clamped with ascending potential ramps are also analyzed since both sets of experiments are incompatible with fourth-power dependence proposed by Hodgkin and Huxley for the squid K+ channels. When the Hodgkin-Huxley equations are modified to include the effects of interactions between gating molecules within individual channels, both the Cole-Moore and ascending potential ramp data are described with a fourth-power dependence. The constant interaction parameters which provide a consistent fit for all the data are based on the geometrical arrangement of gating molecules within the channel and the total interaction energy which stabilizes the four gating molecules in their closed configuration. A tetrahedral gating molecule geometry and an interaction energy of only 471 cal/mole provide optimal fits of all the data; the modified equations retain the ability to describe data presently described by the Hodgkin-Huxley equations in the depolarizing regime.
Skin-Associated Lymphoid Tissue in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1, Human Papillomavirus, and Herpes Simplex Virus Infections

The skin-associated lymphoid tissue is composed of keratinocytes, Langerhans cells, skin trophic T cells, and lymphatic endothelial cells of the skin. The epidermis, which is involved in many viral infections, contains all of the components needed for an effective immune response: antigen-presenting Langer-hans cells, T cells, and cytokines from leukocytes and keratinocytes. There have been some recent advances in the study of the cutaneous immunology involved in infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV). In general, viral diseases with cutaneous manifestations lead to a decline in epidermal Langerhans cell numbers, which probably reflects Langerhans cell emigration out of the epidermis and entry into regional lymph nodes, leading to Langer-hans cell activation and antigen presentation to T cells. In HSV, there is a subsequent T-cell infiltration of the epidermis, composed of CD4+ cells that have both immune modula tory action and direct cytotoxic action. In HIV, where there is a systemic depletion of CD4+ cells, the epidermis is left with reduced numbers of T cells. Intradermal injection of interleukin-2, however, leads to an epidermal cellular infiltration in HIV+ individuals. In HPV-induced condyloma, in-tralesional interferon increases Langerhans cells and CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the skin, as well as transforming growth factorβ1, tumor necrosis factor-α, pRB, and p53. Therefore, viral infections involving the epidermal immune system have certain similar characteristics, whereas other factors are unique to the infecting virus. J Invest Dermatol 105–99S-104S, 1995
Privatisation of the polish economy: Problems of transition

BECAUSE POLAND HAS BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT of the major privatisation1 efforts undertaken thus far in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (see Roucek, 1988; Schroeder, 1988), its experience is of particular value for studying the region's transition to a capitalist economy. The following analysis of Poland's privatisation efforts reveals that although the ownership reform seems very much a historical breakthrough, the past still weighs heavily on the present. Importantly, despite vigorous efforts by the post-communist government to privatise the economy, an overwhelming majority of capital assets remains state-owned, though under drastically curtailed central control. While aimed at creating efficient capital markets, the privatisation process also leads to broad reallocation of wealth and power. There are many interest groups which have been clashing over the final type of privatisation to be implemented. These inter-group conflicts have not yet been resolved, though there are some early indications that many of the privatised enterprises could be acquired through leveraged buyouts, i.e. by the employees. Another early emerging trend has been the formation of private spin-off companies by individuals who enjoy political influence within the state system. Post-communist privatisation has contributed to the further dissolution of property rights. For instance, there are serious doubts as to whether leveraged buyouts will offer a solution to the 'weak' ownership structure inherited from the communist past, for they appear to represent just another form of collectivism. For the bulk of enterprises which continue to be owned by the state, the privatisation programme has resulted, however, in even greater uncertainty over who is in control of assets. Indeed, it is very likely that this 'property vacuum' has undermined incentives for the effective use of capital, thus contributing to the post-1990 collapse of Poland's industrial output (Poznanski, 1991).
RAID: a robust and adaptable distributed system

There is a need to design distributed systems that are not rigid in their choice of algorithms and that are responsive to faults/failures and performance degradation. To meet this challenge, we formalize and experiment with design principles that allow the implementation of an adaptable distributed system. The strategies for dynamic reconfiguration of the subsystems and determining their impact are being studied via experiments on a prototype system called RAID under development at Purdue University. RAID provides system level support for transaction management in a reliable manner. Other transaction based systems are TABS [SBD*85], ARGUS [LS83], and System R* [LHM*84].The key contribution of RAID is the system level support provided for building transaction based applications. RAID provides support for atomic objects and atomic commitment across a set of sites. It also includes concurrency control mechanisms based on time-stamps that provide a variety of choices of methods spanning from two-phase locking to optimistic methods utilizing the semantics of transactions and the objects accessed by them. In addition RAID has site failure and network partition control algorithms integrated with the rest of concurrent transaction processing and a replicated copy control subsystem.
Further Reflections on Moral Education: A Response to Strike

While moral discourse is in need of much help, there is a solution which is not dependent on Kenneth Strike's remedy of understanding or building character, as such, and which teaches moral reasoning without promoting particular moral values or character traits. Further, contrary to Strike's claim, moral skepticism is not the main problem with moral debate today, which often features diametrically opposed, absolutely certain, dogmatic assertions by all sides. The author teaches ethics courses, and has found among students from a variety of ages and socio-economic backgrounds that the understanding of certain topics in ethics is necessary and often sufficient for promoting more reflective and responsible behavior, and for promoting discourse that has a greater chance to resolve differences.
Linkages in the construction sector

An important issue regarding the use of construction investment as a public policy tool is the magnitude of its contribution to growth and the nature of its interactions with the other sectors in the economy. Development planners have long used the concepts of backward and forward linkages to examine these interactions. None of the previous analysts, however, has concentrated on the construction sector. In this paper, we discuss the general nature of backward and forward linkages and their role in inducing economic development, present the most commonly used measures for quantifying and understanding the strength and nature of these linkages, and review estimates of backward linkages. In all countries for which estimates exist, we found that gross construction linkages are strong and that the economic impact of construction activities is relatively evenly dispersed over the sectors from which they obtain their inputs.
Peptide interactions with G‐protein coupled receptors

Peptide recognition by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is reviewed with an emphasis on the indirect approach used to determine the receptor-bound conformation of peptide ligands. This approach was developed in response to the lack of detailed structural information available for these receptors. Recent advances in the structural determination of rhodopsin (the GPCR of the visual system) by crystallography have provided a scaffold for homology modeling of the inactive state of a wide variety of GPCRs that interact with peptide messages. Additionally, the ability to mutate GPCRs and assay compounds of similar chemical structure to test a common binding site on the receptor provides a firm experimental basis for structure-activity studies. Recognition motifs, common in other well-studied systems such as proteolytic enzymes and major histocompatibility class receptors (MHC) are reviewed briefly to provide a basis of comparison. Finally, the development of true peptidomimetics is contrasted with nonpeptide ligands, discovered through combinatorial chemistry. In many systems, the evidence suggests that the peptide ligands bind at the interface between the transmembrane segments and the extracellular loops, while nonpeptide antagonists bind within the transmembrane segments. Plausible models of GPCRs and the mechanism by which they activate G-proteins on binding peptides are beginning to emerge.
Apparent life-threatening events and sudden infant death syndrome: comparison of risk factors.

Objective To compare the risk factors of 153 cases of apparent life-threatening event (ALTE) enrolled in the multicenter Collaborative Home Infant Monitoring Evaluation (CHIME) from 1994 to 1998 with the published risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Study design Trained CHIME interviewers gathered histories of infants with ALTE who met the criteria. The following risk factors were analyzed: male predominance, gestational age, low birth weight, very low birth weight, incidence of small for gestational age (SGA), age at the event, multiparity, maternal age, and smoking. Population-based SIDS studies with >100 deaths, focusing on 1 or more pertinent risk factors and carried out during the decade in which CHIME data were collected, were chosen for comparison. Results One of the 153 infants with ALTE in this study died during follow-up (0.6%). CHIME ALTE differed significantly from SIDS in 4 respects: fewer infants with low birth weight and SGA at birth, fewer teenage pregnancies, and a younger infant age at ALTE. Conclusions Although a number of risk factors for ALTE are similar to those for SIDS, the differences warrant a separate focus on ALTE beyond that on SIDS.
Positive aspects of fathering and mothering, and children's attachment in kindergarten

Past research suggests that maternal and paternal parenting processes differentially contribute to children's adjustment. However, the contribution of paternal warmth and responsiveness, to childhood attachment security is less understood, especially beyond the preschool years. The current study examined relations between parenting and attachment among 236 families with children in kindergarten. Parental warmth was virtually unrelated to attachment security and avoidance with mothers and fathers, while paternal and maternal responsiveness to children's emotional distress were uniquely predictive of father–child and mother–child attachments, respectively. Although less responsive parenting was related to insecure attachment for both mothers and fathers, the parenting mechanisms associated with insecure attachment differed. Low paternal responsiveness was linked with continuous and categorical assessments of insecure‐avoidant attachment, while low maternal responsiveness was associated with insecure‐ambival...
A measure of computer flexibility

Abstract Computer flexibility is defined as the ability of any major unit to be connected by a data path to any other major unit within a digital computer. Consequently, in the most flexible computer architecture, every major component, such as memory units, registers, and arithmetic and logic units, is connected to every other major component. A measure of computer flexibility is determined from a directed graph and matrix representation of the computer's data structure. As an example of its application, a method is described whereby computer flexibility information along with performance and cost information is shown to be useful either for improving flexibility on existing computers or allowing tradeoffs between cost and flexibility of new designs.
Thermodynamic properties of the gluon plasma

We calculate the energy density, pressure, and speed of sound in the deconfined phase of lattice SU(3) gauge theory at finite temperature for lattices of temporal size N/sub t/ = 4, 6, and 8. We compare our results with perturbative QCD at high temperature and with a simple phenomenological model. We also parametrize our results using the ''bag'' equation of state.
Service versus security concerns in contemporary jails: Testing general differences in training topic assessments

Abstract The evolving concept of the jail and the role of the correctional officers in that social institution dictates the need for some movement from security to service emphases in jail training. Moreover, some research suggests that female correctional staff may have more of a “service” orientation than males; however, the bulk of the criminal justice personnel literature indicates that job attitudes and assessments of correctional work tend to differ little by gender. In our analysis of a dataset drawn from a six-jail study, we investigate preferences for training (service vs. security) to see if they differ by gender. We find with these data that women correctional officers, in general, do not manifest a greater affinity for a service orientation in training types than their male counterparts.
Ensemble visual analysis architecture with high mobility for large-scale critical infrastructure simulations

Nowhere is the need to understand large heterogeneous datasets more important than in disaster monitoring and emergency response, where critical decisions have to be made in a timely fashion and the discovery of important events requires an understanding of a collection of complex simulations. To gain enough insights for actionable knowledge, the development of models and analysis of modeling results usually requires that models be run many times so that all possibilities can be covered. Central to the goal of our research is, therefore, the use of ensemble visualization of a large scale simulation space to appropriately aid decision makers in reasoning about infrastructure behaviors and vulnerabilities in support of critical infrastructure analysis. This requires the bringing together of computing-driven simulation results with the human decision-making process via interactive visual analysis. We have developed a general critical infrastructure simulation and analysis system for situationally aware emergency response during natural disasters. Our system demonstrates a scalable visual analytics infrastructure with mobile interface for analysis, visualization and interaction with large-scale simulation results in order to better understand their inherent structure and predictive capabilities. To generalize the mobile aspect, we introduce mobility as a design consideration for the system. The utility and efficacy of this research has been evaluated by domain practitioners and disaster response managers.