cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economics on the Internet: Electronic Mail in the Classroom

E-mail enables instructors to reach out to students privately. Shy students use it to ask questions and participate in discussion groups. The barriers created by time and distance are minimized with e-mail. Students respond warmly to the medium.
Needle from a haystack. Optimal signaling by a nonlinear synapse.

Commonly, a neuron must separate a small, rare event carried by one of its inputs from the noise carried by many others. In this issue of Neuron, Field and Rieke (2002) demonstrate that to solve this problem, the rod bipolar neuron in mouse retina selectively amplifies a rod's single-photon signal only when it is larger than average. This nonlinearity rejects nearly three-fourths of the single-photon signals. Yet, by also rejecting noise, it provides nearly optimal filtering near absolute visual threshold.
EFFECT OF I.V. LOW-DOSE ADRENALINE AND PHENYLEPHRINE INFUSIONS ON PLASMA CONCENTRATIONS OF BUPIVACAINE AFTER LUMBAR EXTRADURAL ANAESTHESIA IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Thirty patients undergoing primary total hip replacement under lumbar extradural anaesthesia with 0.75% bupivacaine 25 ml were allocated randomly to receive either low-dose adrenaline or phenylephrine infusions i.v. throughout surgery. Haemodynamic measurements and arterial blood samples were obtained before the extradural injection and at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 90 min thereafter. Peak arterial plasma concentrations of bupivacaine were observed 10 min after extradural anaesthesia and were significantly lower in patients receiving adrenaline infusions. Cardiac output was significantly greater in patients receiving adrenaline infusions (P
Hypothesis revision strategies in conducting analytical procedures

Abstract A number of accounting tasks require an evaluation of competing hypotheses. For instance, a management accountant considers alternative reasons for a significant standard cost variance while an auditor must determine whether an unexpected fluctuation in a client's account balance was caused by an error, irregularity or a change in economic conditions. In spite of the prevalence of hypothesis evaluation in practice, little is known about the process. In this paper we provide evidence on two issues that could compromise effective and efficient hypothesis evaluation: (1) the revision of beliefs over competing hypotheses given diagnostic evidence; and (2) whether an eliminated hypothesis is subsequently resuscitated (i.e. reconsidered as plausible). To address these issues, 55 auditors were provided audit test results and were asked to evaluate five potential hypotheses that may have caused a material fluctuation in the gross margin ratio of a client. The findings indicate that, when presented with diagnostic evidence about a target hypothesis, auditors were prone to adjusting the likelihood of the target hypothesis but not revising the likelihoods of the competing hypotheses. This non-Bayesian revision strategy, which we label the “one-hypothesis syndrome”, appears to represent a trade-off reflecting competing forces of cognitive strain, efficiency and accountability. While our preliminary results indicate high performance (in identifying the actual cause), additional research in less controlled settings is needed to fully evaluate the effect of this trade-off on efficiency and effectiveness. Finally, contrary to anecdotal evidence from an SEC release, auditors were reluctant to eliminate hypotheses and those who did, did not regard their eliminations as permanent.
Investigations of inner continental shelf waters off lower Chesapeake Bay. Part III. The phorozooid stage of the tunicate Doliolum nationalis

The phorozooid is an almost unknown stage in the asexual generation of the pelagic tunicateDoliolum nationalis Borgert. Heretofore, it has merely been reported but not described. Phorozooids were found in surface meter and half-meter net samples taken in the Atlantic Ocean within 50 miles of the Virginia coast, in December 1959 and July, August and September 1960. The mean length of the December specimens was 2.64±0.46 mm, that of the July specimens 1.86±0.21 mm. Except for a smaller average size, the absence of gonadal tissue and the presence of a ventral peduncle, a phorozooid resembles the gonozooid. the hermaphroditic stage.
Mutually unbiased bases and trinary operator sets for N qutrits

A compete orthonormal basis of $N$-qutrit unitary operators drawn from the Pauli group consists of the identity and ${9}^{N}\ensuremath{-}1$ traceless operators. The traceless ones partition into ${3}^{N}+1$ maximally commuting subsets (MCS's) of ${3}^{N}\ensuremath{-}1$ operators each, whose joint eigenbases are mutually unbiased. We prove that Pauli factor groups of order ${3}^{N}$ are isomorphic to all MCS's and show how this result applies in specific cases. For two qutrits, the 80 traceless operators partition into 10 MCS's. We prove that 4 of the corresponding basis sets must be separable, while 6 must be totally entangled (and Bell-like). For three qutrits, 728 operators partition into 28 MCS's with less rigid structure, allowing for the coexistence of separable, partially entangled, and totally entangled (GHZ-like) bases. However a minimum of $16\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GHZ}$-like bases must occur. Every basis state is described by an $N$-digit trinary number consisting of the eigenvalues of $N$ observables constructed from the corresponding MCS.
Blank comparison analysis of emergent symbolic mapping by young children

Abstract Eight typically developing children first learned to select pictures in response to dictated words in a three-choice matching-to-sample format. Next, the matching-to-sample baseline was transformed via a stimulus control shaping procedure: Matching trials displayed two pictures and a third stimulus (termed a “blank” comparison). The blank was to be selected if the dictated sample did not match either of the displayed pictures. The blank comparison baseline was then used to evaluate the children's response to matching displays that presented novel sample and comparison stimuli. The blank comparison method permitted the children to indicate whether the novel sample-comparison pair were related (by selecting the picture) or not related (by selecting the blank). The method was used to evaluate emergent symbolic mapping and learning of new word:picture matching relations by the children. This study illustrates new, potentially more informative methods for analyzing symbol mapping in young children. The methods were shown to have considerable promise for advancing theoretical analyses of emergent mapping in both behavior analytic and developmental language research.
History of Electrical Aerosol Measurements

ABSTRACT Early studies of atmospheric electricity suggested that the electrical conductivity of the atmosphere should be sufficient to dissipate the charge on the surface of the earth in a matter of minutes. Efforts to understand how substantial electric fields could be maintained globally in spite of the high dissipation rates were propelled into the forefront of physics research at the turn of the century when it was observed that the newly discovered X-rays produced ions that behaved much like those in the atmosphere. Many of the approaches that are now employed in electrical measurements of aerosols were first conceived during the first three decades of this century. Initially the focus was on gas ions, but they were found to consist of charged clusters of water molecules that exhibited a number of distinct mobilities that were substantially lower than those that resulted after long efforts to dry the gas. The coaxial condenser mobility analyzer, introduced by McClelland in 1898 and enhanced by Zeleny...
Electrochemical impedance study of graphite/electrolyte interface formed in LiBOB/PC electrolyte

Abstract Electrochemical impedance measurements were performed on graphitic anodes during their galvanostatic cycling in LiBOB/PC electrolyte, and the variation of each impedance component was studied as the function of the lithiation state. It was found that the charge-transfer component was closely related to the formation of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), characterized by a sharp drop in the corresponding resistances between OCV and 0.60 V, while the semi-circle in the medium frequency range might arise from contact impedance components within the electrode, because it varies reversibly during the lithiation/delithiation cycle. The irreversible reduction process at 1.70 V, which is characteristic of LiBOB salt, was confirmed to originate from the reductive decomposition of oxalate ester impurities, and this process is believed to be unrelated to the protective SEI formed by LiBOB electrolytes on graphitic anode. When compared with the corresponding LiPF 6 -based electrolytes, it was concluded that the alkyl carbonates are not appropriate solvents for LiBOB salt, both in terms of the power and low temperature performances in lithium ion cells.
Dose escalation for non-small cell lung cancer using conformal radiation therapy.

Purpose: Improved local control of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be possible with an increased dose of radiation. Three-dimensional radiation treatment planning (3D RTP) was used to design a radiation therapy (RT) dose escalation trial, where the dose was determined by (a) the effective volume of normal lung irradiated, and (b) the estimated risk of a complication. Preliminary results of this trial were reviewed. Methods and Materials: A graph of the iso-normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) levels associated with a dose and effective volume (V eπ ) was derived, using normal tissue parameters derived from the literature. This led to a dose escalation schema, where patients were sorted into 1 of 5 treatment bins, determined by the V eπ of the best possible treatment plan. The starting doses ranged from 63 to 84 Gy. Each treatment bin was then escalated separately, as in Phase I dose escalation fashion, with Grade ≥3 radiation pneumonitis defined as dose limiting. To allow for dose escalation, we required patient follow-up to be ≥ 6 months for at least three patients. 3D treatment planning was used to irradiate only the radiographically abnormal areas, with 2.1 Gy (corrected for lung inhomogeneity)/day. Clinically uninvolved lymph nodes were not treated prophylactically. Results: A total of 48 NSCLC patients have been treated (Stage I/II: 18 patients; Stage III: 28 patients; mediastinal recurrence postsurgery: 2 patients). No radiation pneumonitis has been observed in the 30 patients currently evaluable beyond the 6-month time point. All treatment bins have been escalated at least once. Current doses in the five treatment bins are 69.3, 69.3, 75.6, 84, and 92.4 Gy. None of the 15 evaluable patients in any bin with ≥30% NTCP experienced clinical radiation pneumonitis, implying that the actual risk is <20% (β error rate 5%). Despite the observation of the clinically negative lymph nodes at high risk, there has been no failure in the untreated mediastinum as the sole site of first failure. Three of 10 patients receiving ≥84 Gy have had biopsy proven residual or locally recurrent disease. Conclusion: Successful dose escalation in a volume-dependent organ can be performed using this technique. By incorporating the effective volume of irradiated tissue, some patients have been treated to a total dose of radiation over 50% higher than traditional doses. The literature-derived parameters appear to overestimate pneumonitis risk with higher volumes. There has been no obvious negative effect due to exclusion of elective lymph node radiation. When completed, this trial will have determined the maximum tolerable dose of RT as a single agent for NSCLC and the appropriate dose for Phase II investigation.
Bioluminescence reaction catalyzed by membrane-bound luciferase in the firefly squid, Watasenia scintillans

Abstract The small Japanese “firefly squid,” Watasenia scintillans, emits a bluish luminescence from dermal photogenic organs distributed along the ventral aspects of the head, mantle, funnel, arms and eyes. The brightest light is emitted by a cluster of three tiny organs located at the tip of each of the fourth pair of arms. Studies of extracts of the arm organs show that the light is due to a luciferin–luciferase reaction in which the luciferase is membrane-bound. The other components of the reaction are coelenterazine disulfate (luciferin), ATP, Mg2+, and molecular oxygen. Based on the results, a reaction scheme is proposed which involves a rapid base/luciferase-catalyzed enolization of the keto group of the C-3 carbon of luciferin, followed by an adenylation of the enol group by ATP. The AMP serves as a recognition moiety for docking the substrate molecule to a luciferase bound to membrane, after which AMP is cleaved and a four-membered dioxetanone intermediate is formed by the addition of molecular oxygen. The intermediate then spontaneously decomposes to yield CO2 and coelenteramide disulfate (oxyluciferin) in the excited state, which serves as the light emitter in the reaction.
Comparison of the state of deoxyhemoglobin s molecules in solution and in fibers by hydrogen exchange kinetics

Abstract Hydrogen exchange kinetics of deoxyhemoglobin S gel and deoxyhemoglobin A solution were compared at 4.8 m m tetramer concentration, 25 °C, and in sodium phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 with T 2 = 0.2 by means of microdialysis using tritium as a trace label. Cyanomethemoglobin A in solution and as crosslinked crystals were compared under the same conditions. The exchange values from 15 to 104 min were fitted to a power law, and the distribution function of exchange rates was calculated. There was no significant difference in the distribution for deoxyhemoglobin S gel and deoxyhemoglobin A. Exchange from crosslinked cyanomethemoglobin crystals was less in the early time region than for the solution state, but after 600 min the exchange curves were the same. This resulted in a larger area for the distribution function, although the predominate rates were nearly the same. The effect of polymerization on conformational fluctuations was very small, smaller than the effect of crosslinking hemoglobin crystals.
Bootstrapping in small firms: An empirical analysis of change over time

Abstract While bootstrapping is widely utilized as a strategic practice of small firms and has been regarded in the entrepreneurship literature as an important topic of study, little has been done to link bootstrapping to organizational theory. This paper presents hypotheses and an empirical study regarding bootstrapping and organizational development for small firms. The results of the study indicate that different types of bootstrapping are utilized at different periods in the life of a small firm, and that the methods utilized coincide to some extent with organizational theory predictions.
Effect of water absorption on pollen adhesion.

Abstract Pollens possess a thin liquid coating, pollenkitt, which plays a major role in adhesion by forming capillary menisci at interfaces. Unfortunately, the influence of humidity on pollenkitt properties and capillary adhesion is unknown. Because humidity varies widely in the environment, the answers have important implications for better understanding plant reproduction, allergy and asthma, and pollen as atmospheric condensation nuclei. Here, pollenkitt-mediated adhesion of sunflower pollen to hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces was measured as a function of humidity. The results quantify for the first time the significant water absorption of pollenkitt and the resulting complex dependence of adhesion on humidity. On hydrophilic Si, adhesion increased with increasing RH for pollens with or without pollenkitt, up to 200 nN at 70% RH. In contrast, on hydrophobic PS, adhesion of pollenkitt-free pollen is independent of RH. Surprisingly, when pollenkitt was present adhesion forces on hydrophobic PS first increased with RH up to a maximum value at 35% RH (∼160 nN), and then decreased with further increases in RH. Independent measurement of pollenkitt properties is used with models of capillary adhesion to show that humidity-dependent changes in pollenkitt wetting and viscosity are responsible for this complex adhesion behavior.
Ozone enhanced removal of natural organic matter from drinking water sources

Abstract The use of ozone as a pre-oxidant or intermediate oxidant in drinking-water treatment is becoming increasingly common. The ozonation of natural source waters containing natural organic matter produces biodegradable by-products such as organic acids, aldehydes, and ketoacids. These organic by-products serve as carbon source for bacteria, potentially causing regrowth problems in distribution systems. The measurement of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) provides quantitative insight into the amount of BDOC that is present. In drinking-water treatment, removal of BDOC can also reduce the formation potential of chlorination disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Removal of BDOC was optimal at an applied ozone:DOC ratio of 2:1 (mg/mg) for source waters containing DOC levels ranging from 3 to 6 mg/liter. The use of biotreatment resulted in a 40–50% decrease in DOC, a 90–100% reduction in aldehydes, and a 40–60% reduction in trihalomethane formation potential. No removal of bromate ion and dibromoacetic acid was observed. A positive correlation was obtained between BDOC and assimilable organic carbon; both parameters indicate a tendency to plateau at an applied ozone/DOC weight ratio of 2:1.
Measurement of Residual Hoop Stresses in Cylinders Using the Compliance Method

A method is proposed for measurement of the hoop stress in an axisymmetric residual stress field in cylinders in which the axial stress is independent of the axial coordinate. The method involves measuring strains at the outside surface while an axial crack is cut progressively from the outside. Experimental results are presented for two short cylindrical rings cut from a long quenched cylinder. Good general agreement is obtained with X-ray and hole drilling measurements of residual stresses.
Indirect reperfusion in the setting of symptomatic carotid occlusion by treatment of bilateral vertebral artery origin stenoses.

Background Patients with total carotid occlusions can develop ischemic stroke as a result to hemodynamic impairment. Flow augmentation can be provided through a variety of surgical and endovascular techniques. We describe a patient treated with vertebral artery stent placement to augment indirect flow to the territory of an occluded carotid artery. Methods A 52-year-old man presented with ST elevation myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke manifesting with right-sided hemiparesis and aphasia. A computed tomography (CT) angiogram confirmed the presence of a left internal carotid artery total occlusion with prolongation of the mean transit time and reduced estimated cerebral blood flow on CT perfusion maps. The patient was taken for angiography and found to have bilateral vertebral artery ostial stenosis and a posterior communicating artery supplying the left hemisphere. Results The patient underwent successful stenting and angioplasty of both lesions with stabilization of neurologic symptoms. A follow-up CT perfusion study showed marked improvement in the estimated cerebral blood flow, and reduction of the mean transit time. Conclusions Stenting and angioplasty of a stenosis of an artery providing indirect blood flow to the territory of an occluded ipsilateral vessel can stabilize neurologic decline and improve CT perfusion parameters.
Tossing the Rotten Thing Out: Eliminating Bad Reasons not to Solve the Problem of Moral Luck

* I have benefited greatly from the extensive feedback of Robert Myers, Wayne Sumner, Daniel Goldstick, and Henry Jackman, as well as from the many helpful comments of Todd Calder, Richmond Campbell, Alan Carter, Wayne Fenske, Philip Gosselin, Thomas Hurka, Matthew King, Sari Kisilevsky, Michael Levin, Roderick Long, David Macauley, Duncan MacIntosh, Joseph Millum, Alastair Norcross, Carolyn Richardson, Tim Schroeder, Michael Weber, and many (unforgivably) forgotten participants of the 2004 Canadian Philosophical Association and CUNY Graduate Philosophy Conferences. I For more on my solution, see D. Domsky, 'There Is No Door: Finally Solving the Problem of Moral Luck', The Journal of Philosophy 101, No. 9 (September 2004), 445-64. The punch line is that intuition 2 is actually the product of two independent, subconscious biases. We tend to be selfishly biased toward moral convictions that personally favour us, and we tend to be optimistically biased in assessing how lucky we will be compared to our peers. Without realizing it, we are selfishly drawn toward a moral intuition that allows the morally lucky to ride relatively blameless while the
Pediatric neuro-Behçet's disease responsive to adalimumab

Neurologic manifestations of Behcet's disease (neuro-Behcet's disease) are uncommon, but may cause patients significant morbidity and mortality. Neuro-Behcet's disease is chronic and may be refractory to treatment. We report on a 12-year-old girl with neuro-Behcet's disease that responded to standard doses of subcutaneous adalimumab.
Age susceptibility pattern of the rat to epidemic keratoconjunctivitis virus.

Summary1. A uniformly fatal encephalitis develops in 7-day-old rats following either intracerebral injection or intranasal instillation of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis virus. 2. Most of the 12-day-old rats tested were found to be susceptible to infection with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis virus but were not uniformly so since some animals in this age group survived. 3. Rats 3 to 4 weeks of age as well as rats 7 to 8 weeks of age apparently are refractory to epidemic keratoconjunctivitis virus since they did not develop a clinically apparent infection following intracerebral injection of the virus.
Albumin and mucin at the polarized mercury/water interface

Abstract The adsorption of bovine serum albumin and submaxillary mucin at a polarized mercury/water interface was studied using ac polarography. The two biopolymers saturated the surface at solute concentrations of about 0.2 mg/ml and remained adsorbed in 0.1 M salt solutions over a wide range of polarization. A large current at −1.7 V was observed at acidic pH's in the presence of acetate ions. Increasing ionic strength one order of magnitude led to a several-fold increase in the current. The effects of pH and ionic strength on the current can be explained in terms of the catalytic reduction of hydrogen ions due to the adsorbed biopolymers. The albumin and mucin, which are both proteinaceuous, show similar adsorption ranges and catalytic currents at the mercury/water interface. Extrinsic membrane proteins may have related properties that contribute to the observed changes in structure upon polarization.
A critical analysis of the modified equation technique of Warming and Hyett

The modified equation technique of Warming and Hyett (1974), which evaluates the behavior of a difference scheme by means of the coefficients of a certain modified equation, established a link between such coefficients and the multiplication factor obtained from the von Neumann analysis. It follows from this pioneering work that modified equations should be derived from the difference scheme, rather than from the original differential equation; a rigorous investigation is presently made of this link without resort to their original interpretation. Only partial validity is establishable for the case of multilevel schemes.
The Spatial Variation of the Weekday/Weekend Differences in the Baltimore Area

This study examined the spatial distribution of the weekday/weekend difference in Baltimore, MD, and vicinity. The difference in Baltimore was characterized by having ~39% more NOx , ~59% more CO, and ~27% more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the average weekday, but there was ~13% more O3 on the weekend day. Spatially, the difference was elongated in the northeast-southwest direction. It decreased from 13% more O3 in Baltimore to 6% at ~20 km west of Baltimore and to 4% at ~40 km south of Baltimore. It also appeared to decrease to the east, but the magnitude of the decrease could not be determined because of the lack of data east of the Chesapeake Bay. However, the difference increased to the north, reaching a value of almost 18% at a northern Delaware site.
The risks of a networked military

Lost in the welter of daily crises—Serbian atrocities, Chinese espionage, North Korean nuclear programs, and Iraqi intransigence—is the big story about American defense policy. Away from the headlines, as the United States designs a security policy for the twenty-first century, two basic facts of long-term consequence have emerged. The first is that present and foreseeable defense budgets are simply not large enough simultaneously to support the current tempo of military operations worldwide, the high level of training and readiness that makes American skill at warfare second to none, and the modernization of the current arsenal. The second fact is less widely recognized, but just as certain, and it has important implications for how we deal with the first. Notions of an information technology–driven “revolution in military affairs” (IT-RMA) are now deeply embedded in American defense planning. But despite their intuitive attractiveness, these ideas are dangerously misguided. American national security planners, informed by an influential group of academics and retired military officers, are pushing a dramatically new vision of conflict in the twenty-first century. These visionaries argue that the combination of advances in information computer processing, microelectronics, surveillance, and precision weapons technologies will permit a fundamentally new way of war. After reviewing the challenges for ensuring national security in the next century, the blue-ribbon National Defense Panel, for example, endorsed an aggressive transformation of the American military. The IT-RMA, it concluded, permits and demands a new force structure that “radically alter[s] the way in which we project power,” reducing reliance on
Specific ribonucleoprotein fragments from the 30-S ribosomal subunits of Halobacterium cutirubrum, Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Abstract Ribonucleoprotein sub-particles from the 30-S ribosomal subunits of Halobacterium cutirubrum, Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus have been prepared by exposing the ribosomal particles to 3.5 M LiCl in the presence of 0.01 M EDTA. The sub-particles formed contained only a few proteins. The two proteins present in the E. coli ribonucleoprotein subparticle were S8 and S15, both assembly proteins. When these ribonucleoprotein sub-particles were treated with ribonuclease (A or T 1 ) and then fractionated on Bio-Gel P-60, well defined fragments were obtained. In two of the Bio-Gel fractions (B and C) the fragments contained both RNA and protein and were stable in CsCl. The nucleotide composition of these two fractions showed an enriched C + G content. The four proteins found in the ribonucleoprotein sub-particle from B. stearothermophilus were present in either Bio-Gel fraction B or C, not in both, and their location was determined by the ribonuclease used to degrade the sub-particle. This would suggest the proteins are bound to specific sites on the ribonucleoprotein sub-particle.
STUDY OF PLANE UNDEREXPANDED AIR JETS IN WATER

An experimental and thcorctical invcstigation of thc structure of planc undcrcxpandcd air jcts in watcr was conducted. To charactcrizc the structurc and mixing propcrtics of thcse jets, thc following mcasurcmcnts wcrc madc: void fraction profilcs, static pressure distributions, and cntrainment rates. Tcst conditions varicd from adaptcd sonic jcts to sonic undcrexpanded flow with underexpansion ratios (exit to ambient static prcssurc) as high as four. Flow visualization was also used to investigate jct boundaries, dynamics of discharge, and comprcssiblc wavc ficlds. A locally-homogcncous flow modcl (implying negligible velocity and tcmpcraturc diffcrcnccs bctwcen thc phascs) was dcvclopcd, with the external expansion rcprcscntcd by a simplc cquivalcnt adaptcd jct exit condition. I Sratic prcssurc mcasurcmcnts conlirmcd the prcscncc of a shock-wavc-containing cxtcrnal-cxpansion rcgion for undcrexpaiidcd air jets in water, similar to rcsults obscrvcd lor undcrcxpandcd air jcts in air. Thc void lraction profilcs wcrc two to thrcc timcs widcr than singlc-phasc jct scalar widths. This is a result of the strong scnsitivity of void fraction to mixing lcvcls causcd by thc largc dcnsity ratio of the phascs. Prcdictions of void fraction profilcs, jet half-widths and mass cntrainmcnt wcre encouraging, but performancc was found to bc scnsitivc to initial conditions and clfccts of largc-scalc unstcadincss.
What's Wrong with Sociology?

I was asked to write on what's wrong. If I had been asked to write on what's right, I could have done that.2 But I will do what I was asked to do. Remember, however, I was not asked to be balanced, totally objective, or diplomatic. I did do some research. My first reaction had been, "What's wrong with sociology? It's all embarrassing, pretentious, painfully obvious, turgid, humbug." (I had just returned from the annual meetings.) To document this notion I flipped through recent issues of three or four of the leading journals and was surprised. By and large the published articles in the major journals can stand anyone's test of academic/scientific quality. They are sober, carefully researched, well documented, and contain very little overt ideology, back scratching, self-promotion, or name calling. They are poorly written and the reader often feels the topic is not very exciting, b-ut in terms of basic intellectual quality, mainstream academic sociology need not bow to any other social science.
A computer interview language: Programming the on-line interactive computer

Seven computer interview and two disk file commands are executed by a computer program to display multiple-choice questions on a CRT video screen, to record clients’ answers, and to branch to various sets of questions. The program interpreting these commands uses little computer memory and does not require change each time the interview is altered or expanded. It can be written in almost any general-purpose programming language.
Empowering Themselves: A Spiritual Path for Shame Bound Older Adults

ABSTRACT This article describes how older adults with life long deficiencies in self-esteem can draw upon their spiritual life as an ancillary source of self-empowerment in the counseling process. It explains how insight into the spiritual dimensions of five age related changes facilitates transcending shame as an older adult. It concludes by noting five stages through which older adults proceed as they find the source of their self-esteem first in God and gradually in themselves.
Efalizumab discontinuation: A practical strategy

Efalizumab is a recombinant, humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Efalizumab specifically targets T cells, leading to the subsequent inhibition of T-cell activation. The recent cases (three confirmed and one unconfirmed but suspected case) of the demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) have resulted in efalizumab being pulled from the market by European and Canadian regulatory agencies. Furthermore, manufacturer Genentech, Inc. has voluntarily withdrawn efalizumab from the United States market as of April 2009. In light of these events, this report is a practical guide to transitioning patients from efalizumab to alternative psoriasis therapies. The major consideration is the possibility for efalizumab-associated rebound of psoriasis. According to limited available literature and in the experience of the authors, the most effective agent for minimizing or preventing rebound is cyclosporine at the maximum dermatologic dose of 5 mg/kg per day.
Identification of an abundant latent 94-kDa gelatin-degrading metalloprotease in human saliva which is activated by acid exposure: implications for a role in digestion of collagenous proteins.

Abstract Human saliva was found to contain a latent neutral 94-kDa metalloprotease which degrades denatured collagens. Saliva samples from six normal resting individuals contained an average of 0.34 μg/ml of latent enzyme. The 94-kDa salivary metalloprotease was found to bind to gelatin and to be immunologically identical to a leukocyte-derived 94-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase proenzyme. Exposure of the latent enzyme to acidic conditions (pH 2) followed by neutralization resulted in activation of the proenzyme. The activated enzyme degrades denatured collagens such as gelatin. Since 1–2 liters of saliva is swallowed per day and exposed to gastric acidity, this enzyme could become activated in the gastric compartment and following neutralization in the small bowel, may contribute to the degradation of ingested collagenous proteins.
A grey transport acceleration method for time-dependent radiative transfer pro lems

A new iterative method for solving hte time-dependent multifrequency radiative transfer equations is described. The method is applicable to semi-implicit time discretizations that generate a linear steady-state multifrequency transport problem with pseudo-scattering within each time step. The standard ''lambda'' iteration method is shown to often converge slowly for such problems, and the new grey transport acceleration (GTA) method, based on accelerating the lambda method by employing a grey, or frequency-independent transport equation, is developed. The GTA method is shown, theoretically by an iterative Fourier analysis, and experimentally by numerical calculations, to converge significantly faster than the lambda method. In addition, the GTA method is conceptually simple to implement for general differencing schemes, on either Eulerian or Lagrangian meshes. copyright 1988 Academic Press, Inc.
Autophagy Shows Its Animal Side

Most autophagy genes have been discovered in the single-celled yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and little is known about autophagy genes that are specific to multicellular animals. In this issue, Tian et al. (2010) now identify four new autophagy genes: one specific to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and three conserved from worms to mammals.
Confidence limits for silicate perovskite equations of state

We examine thermoelastic equations of state for silicate perovskite based on data from recent static compression studies. We analyze trade-offs among the fitting parameters and examine data sets for possible effects of metastability and of Mg-Fe solid solution. Significant differences are found between equations of state based on low pressure measurements obtained for perovskite outside of its stability field. Increasingly consistent results are obtained when higher pressure data are used, despite differences in the zero-pressure parameters used to describe the equations of state. The results highlight the importance of measuring the thermoelastic properties of perovskite at high pressure, specifically within its stability field, and the potential problems associated with large extrapolations of equations of state in the analysis of seismic data.
Matchings in superpositions of (n, n)-bipartite trees

Pick two trees from among all “bipartite trees” with a fixed (n, n) two-coloring. We estimate the probability that the superposition of these two trees contains a perfect matching. As n ∞, this probability approaches 1. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Antibiotic Management of Urinary Tract Infection in the Chronic Renal Failure Patient

Preservation of renal function in patients with established renal failure is an important goal in overall management, even in patients who require maintenance dialysis. Although hypertension and obstruction have been identified as reversible causes of deterioration in renal function, urinary tract infection has received little attention. In patients undergoing renal transplantation, the native kidneys might serve as a source of sepsis for the immunosuppressed recipient. In addition, bacterial antigens in the renal parenchyma could trigger rejection episodes. These theoretic possibilities have led to pretrans-plant bilateral nephrectomy in patients known to have active or remote urinary tract infection. Therapy of such patients with antibiotics has not been examined critically especially in the context of recent knowledge concerning the renal handling of antibiotics in patients with normal and impaired renal function.
Optical and Dielectric Properties of Eu- and Y-Polytantalate Thin Films

Due to their highly efficient photo-luminescent (PL) characteristics, the physical properties of rare-earth polytantalates, RETa7O19 (RE=Eu and Y) were further studied. AFM, SEM, HRTEM, x-ray reflectometry, spectroscopic ellipsometry and standard dielectric testing were used to determine film thickness, roughness, index of refraction, band-gap, dielectric constant, leakage current and breakdown field for as-deposited (amorphous) and post-annealed (crystalline) films. Structural and morphological properties of the Film/SiO2/Si interfaces were also examined.
When choosing the traits of children is hurtful to others

Some commentators object to the use of embryonic and fetal diagnostic technologies by parents who wish to avoid disabilities in their children. In particular, they say this use is hurtful in the meaning it expresses, namely that the lives of people with disabilities are not valuable or are less valuable than the lives of others. Other commentators have tried to show that this meaning does not necessarily belong to parents' choices and is not therefore credible as a general moral objection. However, this analysis overlooks the way in which the use of these technologies can be legitimately interpreted as hurtful. Once we admit to these hurtful effects felt by people with disabilities and those who hold them dear, it becomes important to ask whether that hurt can justify limits on parents' choices. Because the use of these technologies does not hurt people with disabilities directly and because there is no requirement that people having children work to ensure the continued existence of people with disabilities, no justification for limiting parents' choices is to be found in the hurt some people experience in steps taken to avoid disabilities in children.
Childhood Cancer and Vulnerability for Significant Academic Underachievement

Learning difficulties related to childhood cancer with its intense physical and psychosocial stresses are examined by comparison of 22 oncology patients and 22 children referred for psychiatric/psychological evaluation. Findings demonstrate, among children undergoing treatment of cancer, some academic vulnerabilities for which psychosocial aspects may not fully account and which become prominent under comparisons of within-subject differences between normalized scores of the WISC-R Verbal IQ and the PIAT Reading (p < .05) or Spelling (p < .01) subtests. Moreover, when members of the oncology group, who had already been placed in learning disabilities programs, were added to those defined as significantly underachieving by McLeod's method, it appeared that nearly a third of the oncology sample were encountering marked academic inhibitions.
The General Gaussian Multiple-Access and Two-Way Wiretap Channels: Achievable Rates and Cooperative Jamming

The general Gaussian multiple-access wiretap channel (GGMAC-WT) and the Gaussian two-way wiretap channel (GTW-WT) are considered. In the GGMAC-WT, multiple users communicate with an intended receiver in the presence of an eavesdropper who receives their signals through another GMAC. In the GTW-WT, two users communicate with each other over a common Gaussian channel, with an eavesdropper listening through a GMAC. A secrecy measure that is suitable for this multiterminal environment is defined, and achievable secrecy rate regions are found for both channels. For both cases, the power allocations maximizing the achievable secrecy sum rate are determined. It is seen that the optimum policy may prevent some terminals from transmission in order to preserve the secrecy of the system. Inspired by this construct, a new scheme cooperative jamming is proposed, where users who are prevented from transmitting according to the secrecy sum rate maximizing power allocation policy ldquojamrdquo the eavesdropper, thereby helping the remaining users. This scheme is shown to increase the achievable secrecy sum rate. Overall, our results show that in multiple-access scenarios, users can help each other to collectively achieve positive secrecy rates. In other words, cooperation among users can be invaluable for achieving secrecy for the system.
A meta-analysis on efficacy and safety: single-balloon vs. double-balloon enteroscopy

Background and aim: Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) are new techniques capable of providing deep enteroscopy. Results of individual studies comparing these techniques have not been able to identify a superior strategy. Our aim was to systematically pool all available studies to compare the efficacy and safety of DBE with SBE for evaluation of the small bowel. Methods: Databases were searched, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The main outcome measures were complete small-bowel visualization, diagnostic yield, therapeutic yield, and complication rate. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan version 5.2). Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effect or random-effect methods, depending on the absence or presence of significant heterogeneity. We used the v 2 and I 2 test to assess heterogeneity between trials. Results were expressed as risk ratios (RR) or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Four prospective, randomized, controlled trials with a total of 375 patients were identified. DBE was superior to SBE for visualization of the entire small bowel [pooled RR ¼ 0.37 (95% CI: 0.19‐0.73; P ¼ 0.004)]. DBE and SBE were similar in ability to provide diagnosis [pooled RR ¼ 0.95 (95% CI: 0.77‐1.17; P ¼ 0.62)]. There was no significant difference between DBE and SBE in therapeutic yield [pooled RR ¼ 0.78 (95% CI: 0.59‐1.04; P ¼ 0.09)] and complication rate [pooled RR ¼ 1.08 (95% CI: 0.28‐4.22); P ¼ 0.91]. Conclusions: DBE was superior to SBE with regard to complete small bowel visualization. DBE was similar to SBE with regard to diagnostic yield, ability to provide treatment and complication rate, but these results should be interpreted with caution as they is based on very few studies and the overall quality of the evidence was rated as low to moderate, due to the small sample size.
A model of NO/O2 transport in capillary-perfused tissue containing an arteriole and venule pair.

The goal of this study was to investigate the complex co-transport of nitric oxide (NO) and oxygen (O2) in a paired arteriole–venule, surrounded by capillary-perfused tissue using a computer model. Blood flow was assumed to be steady in the arteriolar and venular lumens and to obey Darcy’s law in the tissue. NO consumption rate was assumed to be constant in the core of the arteriolar and venular lumen and to decrease linearly to the endothelium. Average NO consumption rate by capillary blood in a unit tissue volume was assumed proportional to the blood flux across the volume. Our results predict that: (1) the capillary bed, which connects the arteriole and venule, facilitates the release of O2 from the vessel pair to the surrounding tissue; (2) decreasing the distance between arteriole and venule can result in a higher NO concentration in the venular wall than in the arteriolar wall; (3) in the absence of capillaries in the surrounding tissue, diffusion of NO from venule to arteriole contributes little to NO concentration in the arteriolar wall; and (4) when capillaries are added to the simulation, a significant increase of NO in the arteriolar wall is observed.
RESPONSE TO METHOPYRAPONE (SU-4885) AND PYROGEN TEST IN IDIOPATHIC HYPOPITUITARY DWARFISM.

The oral methopyrapone (Su-4885) test and the pyrogen stimulation test have been carried out in 13 idiopathic hypopituitary dwarfs. In addition, the response to the pyrogen test was studied in 2 normal children. Ten of the hypopituitary dwarfs showed an abnormal response to the Su-4885 test. The normal children and 12 of the hypopituitary dwarfs showed a significant rise in the plasma concentration of unconjugated 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) 2 and 4 hr after the injection of the pyrogenic agent. In the majority of cases, the pyrogen injection was followed by a small but definite increase in the excretion of 17-OHCS. Nine of the hypopituitary dwarfs responded adequately to the pyrogen test subsequent to having an abnormal response to the Su-4885 test. The significance of the dichotomy in the response to these 2 tests is discussed. It is concluded that the idiopathic hypopituitary dwarfs have enough functioning pituitary tissue to respond normally to the stress induced by Piromen and possibly other ...
The fungus Trichophyton redellii sp. Nov. Causes skin infections that resemble white-nose syndrome of hibernating bats.

Abstract Before the discovery of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, there were no reports of fungal skin infections in bats during hibernation. In 2011, bats with grossly visible fungal skin infections similar in appearance to WNS were reported from multiple sites in Wisconsin, US, a state outside the known range of P. destructans and WNS at that time. Tape impressions or swab samples were collected from affected areas of skin from bats with these fungal infections in 2012 and analyzed by microscopy, culture, or direct DNA amplification and sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS). A psychrophilic species of Trichophyton was isolated in culture, detected by direct DNA amplification and sequencing, and observed on tape impressions. Deoxyribonucleic acid indicative of the same fungus was also detected on three of five bat carcasses collected in 2011 and 2012 from Wisconsin, Indiana, and Texas, US. Superficial fungal skin infections ca...
Phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity of Campylobacter coli within individual pigs at farm and slaughter in the US.

Summary The aim of this study was to determine the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of multiple Campylobacter isolates (n = 3 per sample) present within individual (heterogeneity) pig faecal and carcass samples at farm and slaughter, respectively. We isolated 1459 Campylobacter coli (1110 on farm and 349 from slaughter) from 908 pigs and 757 carcasses and characterized them for their antimicrobial susceptibility profile to a panel of six antimicrobials using the agar dilution method. Overall, we detected a significantly higher Campylobacter prevalence at the farm (54.7%) than at slaughter (19%) level (P < 0.05). C. coli isolates were resistant most commonly to tetracycline (66.2%) and erythromycin (53.6%) while fluoroquinolone resistance was detected in isolates (n = 17) only from the farm level. Phenotypic diversity of C. coli isolates at the 4-fold minimum inhibitory concentration levels within the same sample was detected in 38.6% (n = 192) pigs and 40.2% (n = 58) carcass swabs with no significant difference between the two sources (P = 0.72). Phenotypic heterogeneity based on the antimicrobial resistance patterns was observed in 32.5% (n = 162) of the farm samples and in 30.5% (n = 44) carcass swabs at slaughter (P = 0.64). A subset of 40 isolates representing ten pigs and eight carcass samples (originating from separate pigs) were further genotyped by multi locus sequence typing. The observation of phenotypic diversity was replicated at the genotypic level, as it was highlighted by the 22 sequence types which represented the 40 isolates. In conclusion, we detected multiple C. coli subtypes from individual pig or carcass samples indicating unprecedented level of heterogeneity. Our study clearly signifies the importance of testing multiple colonies to make appropriate and valid conclusions in epidemiological-based studies.