cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do switching barriers in the retail banking industry influence bank customers in different age groups differently

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether switching barriers in the retail banking industry affect different age groups differently.Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were administered to 188 bank customers of different age groups, measuring their perception of variables related to relational benefits, switching costs, availability and attractiveness of alternatives, service recovery and retention.Findings – Results from independent two‐sample t‐tests and logistic regression support all five hypotheses, confirming that young and older bank customers differ significantly in their perception of switching barriers: relational benefits, switching costs, availability and attractiveness of alternatives, service recovery and the duration of time they intend to end their relationship with their banks.Research limitations/implications – This study was conducted among employees of two higher education institutions. Thus, further research needs to test the research results in a diverse popu...
The Awakening of Global Reason The Logical and Ontological Foundation of Integral Science

This article suggests that we are in the midst of a profound dimensional shift in our rational capacity to process reality, and seeks to articulate the implications of this evolutionary shift to global reason for our scientific enterprise. As we enter the 21st century it is unmistakably clear that we are in the midst of an unprecedented shift in the human condition—a global renaissance that affects every aspect of our cultural lives, our self-understanding, and, of course, our rational enterprise. This evolutionary transformation, when seen through the expanded global lens, has been emerging through the ages on a global scale. In this brief reflection I suggest that this advance in our technology of mind is of an order of magnitude that is so radical and comprehensive that the very concept of a person, of what it means to be human, of our encounter with Reality and all our hermeneutical arts, including the sciences, are likewise taken to a higher global dimension. I suggest that the diverse voices include...
Thoracic situs as an indicator of atrial appendage morphology: a postmortem study of 306 specimens with situs solitus in 250 and heterotaxy in 56 cases.

Symmetry of bronchi, lung lobation, and atrial appendages is frequently found in patients with heterotaxy syndromes. To evaluate the reliability of thoracic situs as an indicator of atrial appendage morphology, thoracic situs was assessed in 306 postmortem cases: 250 with atrial situs solitus and 56 with heterotaxy syndromes. Five features that indicate thoracic situs were assessed: (1) lung lobation, (2) lengths of main bronchi, (3) ratio of left to right (L/R) bronchial lengths, (4) relationship of bronchi to ipsilateral pulmonary artery, and (5) number of cartilage rings in each main bronchus. In the group with heterotaxy, the expected symmetrical lung lobation, lengths of bronchi, number of cartilage rings, and relations to pulmonary arteries were found in 77, 77, 77, and 95% of cases, respectively. The ratios of L/R bronchial lengths were ≤1.5 in 90% of cases. The relations of the bronchi to the pulmonary arteries were the best predictors of symmetrical atrial appendages or splenic syndromes. Bronchial–atrial discordance occurred in ten cases: in situs solitus in one case and in heterotaxy in nine cases. Detection of heterotaxy syndromes is important because of the associated severe congenital cardiac defects. No single feature of thoracic situs is completely reliable. All available data should be used to make the diagnosis.
The perception of color with achromatic stimulation.

Abstract A series of experiments demonstrated that the flicker colors can be produced by appropriate changes in the intensity of a stationary light source. If the intensity changes resemble those produced by a Benham Top, then lateral inhibitory effects from a flickering background must be present to produce the colors. Patterns of temporal intensity changes were discovered by means of which the flicker colors were produced with a constant background.
Asymptotic sampling distribution of inverse coe?cient of variation and its applications: revisited

Sharma and Krishna [16] derived mathematically an appealing asymptotic confidence interval for the population Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). In this paper, an evaluation of the performance of this interval using Monte Carlo simulations using randomly generated data from normal, log-normal, χ2, Gamma, and Weibull distributions three of which are discussed in Sharma and Krishna [16]. Simulations revealed that its performance, as measured by coverage probability, is totally dependent on the amount of noise introduced. A proposal for using ranked set sampling (RSS) instead of simple random sampling (SRS) improved its performance. It is recommended against using this confidence interval for data from a log-normal distribution. Moreover, this interval performs poorly in all other distributions unless the SNR is around one.
An Accurate, Cost‐Effective Approach for Diagnosing Retrocochlear Lesions Utilizing the T2‐Weighted, Fast‐Spin Echo Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan

Recent data indicate that the auditory brainstem response (ABR) fails to identify a significant number of retrocochlear lesions. Although the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with paramagnetic enhancement is highly accurate at detecting these lesions, it is time consuming and expensive. We report on our prospective evaluation of a cohort of 155 patients who underwent T2-weighted, fast-spin echo MRI scans designed to screen for retrocochlear lesions. This imaging technique is rapidly performed and provides superb visualization of the relevant anatomic structures at a global cost of $475. Four tumors were identified with this technique. Cost analysis indicates that supplanting ABR with this limited MRI may well represent a cost-effective approach for evaluating patients with suspected retrocochlear lesions.
Relationships of personality and job characteristics with organization‐based self‐esteem

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical relationships between core self‐evaluations, perceived job characteristics, and organization‐based self‐esteem.Design/methodology/approach – A total 236 employees of a large US‐based mining company were surveyed using well‐established measures of core self‐evaluations, perceived job characteristics, and organization‐based self‐esteem.Findings – Correlation and regression analyses support the hypotheses that core self‐evaluations and perceived job characteristics jointly relate to organization‐based self‐esteem.Research limitations/implications – This is a non‐experimental field study and as such inferences about causality are limited.Practical implications – The development of organization‐based self‐esteem is beneficial to both employers and employees. Managers need to consider both the personality of employees and employees' work experiences in trying to enhance organization‐based self‐esteem.Originality/value – This is the first study to...
Design and preliminary results from soil/litter microcosms

Soil/litter microcosms with “life support” systems were designed to maintain and monitor oxygen consumption, and community carbon dioxide and heat generation over extended time intervals. Mean coefficient of variation for oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide generation rates of replicate processed systems was 6.5 percent. An initial adjustment period of rapid respiratory rates and bacterial growth was observed for 10–14 days after microcosm preparation and incubation at 20°C. Soil and litter moisture had marked and expected effects on community respiration. Conditions of high moisture favored bacteria; fungi were more prevalent under low moisture conditions. Cadmium treatment of microcosms effected initial stimulation of respiration at 0.01 ppm CdCl2 and a delayed reduction (40 percent) of respiration at 10 ppm CdCI2 The combination of selenium plus cadmium caused more than an additive inhibition of respiration. Numbers of bacteria and fungi showed no detectable cadmium treatment effects.
Lawyers, Liberalism, and Procedure: The German Imperial Justice Laws of 1877–79

Although Franz Schnabel described the nineteenth century as the “century of the formal Rechtsstaat,” most political and social historians of the German Kaiserreich have paid surprisingly little attention to the legal aspect of the development of society and polity. Textbooks in German history contain only brief mention of the enactment of legal reforms, either naming them without comment or subsuming them under administrative initiatives of the National Liberal party. More importantly, even standard works on the history of liberalism give precious little space to the important legislative reforms that are the focus of this essay; James J. Sheehan devotes only a paragraph to the adoption of the Imperial Justice Laws of 1877–79, and Dieter Langewiesche stresses the importance of legal unity and these reforms to liberals, but also in only one paragraph. In general, historians of German liberalism have left efforts to examine the development and unification of the German legal system after 1848 to legal historians, who are housed in Germany in the separate legal faculties and focus their work primarily on the history of legal doctrine. By failing to examine law as a historical artifact, however, political and social historians have also overlooked the Weberian message that law is a crucial analytical entry point into any understanding of modem society. Contemporary legal scholars stress that legal and social systems are inextricably intertwined, and that neither can be understood without a grasp of the other. Understanding legal discourse helps historians understand broader social discourse.
Proposed endophenotypes of dysthymia: Evolutionary, clinical and pharmacogenomic considerations.

Dysthymia is highly prevalent--though underdiagnosed--occurring in at least 3% of the population. We conceptualize it as the clinical extension of adaptive traits that have developed during evolution to cope with stress and failure. A classification of dysthymias into anxious and anergic subtypes--and their putative association to bipolarity--is proposed. We further posit neurochemical and neurophysiological substrates for the two subtypes. A better recognition and understanding of dysthymic subtypes and their respective place in the affective spectrum will increase the proportion of people that may benefit from targeted treatments. It would also expand the pool of subjects that may be enrolled in genetic and pharmacogenomic research studies.
Fast folding of cytochrome c

Native iso-2 cytochrome c contains two residues (His 18, Met 80) coordinated to the covalently attached heme. On unfolding of iso-2, the His I8 ligand remains coordinated to the heme iron, whereas Met 80 is displaced by a non-native heme ligand, His 33 or His 39. To test whether non-native His-heme ligation slows folding, we have constructed a double mutant protein in which the non-native ligands are replaced by asparagine and lysine, respectively (H33N,H39K iso-2). The double mutant protein, which cannot form non-native histidine-heme coordinate bonds, folds significantly faster than normal iso-2 cytochrome c: T = 14-26 ms for H33N,H39K iso-2 versus T = 200-1,100 ms for iso-2. These results with iso-2 cytochrome c strongly support the hypothesis that non-native His-heme ligation results in a kinetic barrier to fast folding of cytochrome c. Assuming that the maximum rate of a conformational search is about 10” s”, the results imply that the direct folding pathway of iso-2 involves passage through on the order of lo9 or fewer partially folded conformers.
Evidence-based practice: collaboration between education and nursing management

Aim To examine practicing nurses’ attitudes and knowledge of evidence-based practice. Background Health care providers acknowledge that health care decisions should be grounded in current evidence. Limited evidence documents practicing nurses’ attitudes and knowledge regarding evidence-based practice. Methods A descriptive survey was administered to 286 practicing nurses. Demographics of educational preparation, area of practice, years in practice, age and gender were collected. Results The largest number of respondents held an associate degree (30.6%) or baccalaureate degree (29.5%). Thirty-seven per cent reported over 15 years experience in nursing. Forty-three percent reported 61–100% of their practice was evidence based. Fifty percent reported an ability to determine the validity of evidence, and 58% rated an ability to apply findings to individual cases positively. Administrative support of evidence-based practice was reported by only 5.5%. Conclusions Nurses voiced agreement that their practice was evidence-based; however, they reported only an average ability to retrieve or critically analyse evidence. Implications for nursing management The findings support the need for an educational intervention for practicing nurses regarding evidence-based practice. Role modelling and collaboration of nurse managers and educators will promote transition of evidence into clinical practice.
Cooling heat flux, COP, and cost optimization of integrated thermoelectric microcoolers with variation of thermoelectric properties

Thermoelectric (TE) microcoolers are solid state devices widely considered as strong candidates for precise temperature control and spot cooling in microelectronic circuits, especially for temperature sensitive devices such as laser diodes. Despite the excellent scalability and process compatibility of TE microcoolers for microelectronics, their utilization has been limited by their relatively moderate performance compared to vapor compression cycles due to the relatively small material figure-of-merit (ZT). In addition to crucial advantage of TE for a hotspot cooling, improving the ZT value of thermoelectric material has been the focus of research interest over the past few decades. Yet the independent impacts of three components of the ZT value have not been very clear. In this paper, we report the material cost impact of TE microcooler integration and coefficient-ofperformance (COP) change relative to modifications of the electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the thermal conductivity. This study is mostly focused on high heat-flux spot cooling based on the analysis of a practical TE microcooler integrated with a microchannel heat sink. Based on a one-dimensional analytic model, including the system thermal resistances, we maximize the cooling COP as functions of the drive current and the design thickness of a TE element. An example demonstrates the cooling performance for a 500 μm x 500 μm size integrated circuit with a temperature constraint of 65 °C maximum and an operating temperature of 74 °C for the heat sink. Increasing the ZT value linearly increases the maximum COP for a given temperature constraint and the maximum COP changes equally by varying any of the thermoelectric properties as expected. For the same ZT value, however, a lower thermal conductivity requires a thinner TE element for a design optimized for COP, e.g. changing the thermal conductivity from 1.5 W/mK to 0.75 W/mK reduces the optimum thickness from approximately 9 μm to 5 μm for 100 W/cm2 of heat flux. This result is encouraging for the utilization of TE for spot cooling since the TE cost directly relates to the mass usage of the material.
A rational approach to sternal wound complications.

Abstract A large prospective study of over 350 sternal wound problems is used to help establish evaluation and treatment options to successfully treat this complication. The initial evaluation includes history, physical examination, CT scans, and intraoperative evaluations. Reconstructive options include conservative local therapies (125 patients), rewiring (30 patients), and muscle flap reconstructions (205 patients). The patients were collected over a 9-year period (1990–1999) and treated by a single reconstructive surgeon. Follow-ups for all patients has been at least 2 years (range 2–11 years), and greater than 90% obtained a healed wound at 3 months. Of the patients treated with muscle flap reconstructions, 95% are alive and healed at a 2-year follow-up.
Family Systems and Family Therapy of Substance Abuse: An Overview of Two Decades of Research and Clinical Experience

Substantial recent progress has been made in the study of family systems and in the field of family therapy. The gradual application of these new technologies to the field of substance abuse is discussed. A shift has occurred toward quantitative assessment of the three generational systems of the substance abuser as well as inclusion of that entire system in the family therapy. Family therapy treatment methods have been developed to motivate substance abusers, detoxify them, and work with the family when the identified patient is not involved in treatment and to restructure the entire family. The field of family therapy evaluation is in its infancy but plans are underway for elaborate scientific investigation of efficacy.
Spatial variations in a.c. susceptibility and microstructure for the YBa2Cu3O7−x superconductor and their correlation with room-temperature ultrasonic measurements

The spatial (within-sample) uniformity of superconducting behavior and microstructure in YBa2Cu30(7-x) specimens over the pore fraction range of 0.10 to 0.25 was examined. The viability of using a room-temperature, nondestructive characterization method (ultrasonic velocity imaging) to predict spatial variability was determined. Spatial variations in superconductor properties were observed for specimens containing 0.10 pore fraction. An ultrasonic velocity image constructed from measurements at 1 mm increments across one such specimen revealed microstructural variation between edge and center locations that correlated with variations in alternating-current shielding and loss behavior. Optical quantitative image analysis on sample cross-sections revealed pore fraction to be the varying microstructural feature.
Detection of Genotoxicity of Water and Air Pollutants Using Tradescantia (Spiderwort) Plants

Gene mutation and chromosome breakage are the biomarkers of the damage inflicted by environmental pollutants in Tradescantia (spiderwort) plants. Gaseous or liquid agents in the environment can be easily absorbed by this plant through gaseous diffusion or liquid translocation via its vascular system to reach the target cells in the young flower buds. The special spiderwort clone 4430 which is a hybrid and heterozygous (Pr/pr) for purplish blue (Pr) and pink (pr) in its stamen hair cells. Mutation from Pr to pr induced by mutagens will yield pink colored cells among the dominant purplish blue colored cells in the stamen hair. Based upon this principle, the Tradescantia-Stamen-Hair-Mutation (Trad-SHM) bioassay was developed41,42,57. In this clone of plants, broken pieces of chromosomes in the meiotic microspore mother cells induced by clastogens will form micronuclei (MCN) in the tetrads, the end products of meiosis. Formation of MCNs which are visible under a microscope (400X magnification) serves as the marker of the genetic damage. This was the foundation for the development of the Tradescantia-Micronucleus (Trad-MCN) bioassay24. Since the late 70s, the Trade scantia clone 4430 has been used as a dual test system for in aitu monitoring or in laboratory screening of environmental mutagens and clastogens.
Near-infrared spectroscopy to monitor cerebral oxygen saturation in single-ventricle physiology.

Objectives Near-infrared spectroscopy monitors cerebral oxygen saturation. This parameter parallels jugular venous oxygen saturation and reflects the balance between cerebral oxygen supply and demand. Experience with near-infrared spectroscopy in univentricular physiology is limited. This study explores the relationship between cerebral oxygen saturation, jugular venous oxygen saturation, and other variables of cerebral perfusion in a model of univentricular physiology. Methods Univentricular physiology was created in newborn piglets by means of an aortopulmonary shunt, echocardiography-guided atrial septostomy, tricuspid valve avulsion, and pulmonary artery occlusion. Intra-aortic balloon inflation was used to increase afterload. Cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring (INVOS 5100; Somanetics Corp, Troy, Mich), physiologic recordings, and stable-isotope microsphere determination of cerebral blood flow were performed at baseline and after conversion to univentricular physiology (30 minutes, 120 minutes, and during afterload augmentation). Results Univentricular physiology resulted in lower cerebral oxygen saturation, arterial oxygen content, jugular venous oxygen saturation, and cerebral oxygen delivery. Afterload augmentation increased cerebral oxygen saturation, arterial oxygen content, and jugular venous oxygen saturation, whereas cerebral oxygen delivery was unaffected because of lower cerebral blood flow. Cerebral oxygen saturation predicted jugular venous oxygen saturation, arterial oxygen saturation, and arterial oxygen content. No association was found with cerebral oxygen delivery, which decreased in parallel with cerebral oxygen saturation when the single-ventricle physiology model was established but failed to increase during afterload augmentation. Conclusions This study shows that in univentricular physiology cerebral oxygen saturation correlates well with jugular venous oxygen saturation, arterial oxygen saturation, and arterial oxygen content. However, our findings suggest that in singe-ventricle physiology changes in cerebral oxygen saturation need to be interpreted in the context of changes in arterial oxygenation.
Memory distortions for pre-Y2K expectancies: a demonstration of the hindsight bias.

Abstract THE HINDSIGHT BIAS is a tendency to exaggerate, after learning an outcome, one's ability to have foreseen that outcome (i.e., “I-knew-it-all-along”; Fischhoff & Beyth, 1975). It has been documented in a variety of domains, including memory for election outcomes (Powell, 1988), legal judgments (Casper, Benedict, & Kelly, 1988), and sporting events (Roese & Maniar, 1997; see Hawkins & Hastie, 1990, for a review). It is generally assumed to be a cognitive phenomenon resulting from simple memory errors (Christensen-Szalnanski & Willham, 1991).
Diphenylhydantoin and an insulin-secreting islet adenoma.

The diagnosis of an insulin-secreting islet cell adenoma was obscured in a patient treated with diphenylhydantoin sodium. Comparison of insulin responses to glucagon, tolbutamide, and leucine before and after drug withdrawal indicated that the diphenylhydantoin was inhibiting "stimulated" insulin release from the tumor. Another clue to hyperinsulinism was the restraint of hepatic ketogenesis and urinary nitrogen excretion during fasting. Diphenylhydantoin, or an analogue, may deserve further trial as adjunctive therapy in the control of insulinoma-induced hypoglycemia.
Electrode erosion from high current moving arcs

The results of experiments designed to investigate various aspects of the electrode erosion produced by high-current moving arc discharges are described. A simple model for electrode erosion based upon fundamental heat transfer principles is examined and extended to the moving arc regime. This model is used to explain some of the features observed experimentally. Erosion measurements using several state-of-the-art materials (composite materials and materials with admixtures to improve their performance) are reported for both moving arc and stationary arc conditions. The jet plasma effect is shown to influence moving arc electrode erosion in a manner similar to that observed under stationary arc conditions over the range of electrode separations for which it is the dominant influence. In high-current, high-energy switching applications, arc motion results in a substantial decrease in electrode erosion as compared to a conventional spark gap. >
Forecasting ICP Elevation Based on Prescient Changes of Intracranial Pressure Waveform Morphology

Interventions of intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation in neurocritical care is currently delivered only after healthcare professionals notice sustained and significant mean ICP elevation. This paper uses the morphological clustering and analysis of ICP (MOCAIP) algorithm to derive 24 metrics characterizing morphology of ICP pulses and test the hypothesis that preintracranial hypertension (Pre-IH) segments of ICP can be differentiated, using these morphological metrics, from control segments that were not associated with any ICP elevation or at least 1 h prior to ICP elevation. Furthermore, we investigate whether a global optimization algorithm could effectively find the optimal subset of these morphological metrics to achieve better classification performance as compared to using full set of MOCAIP metrics. The results showed that Pre-IH segments, using the optimal subset of metrics found by the differential evolution algorithm, can be differentiated from control segments at a specificity of 99% and sensitivity of 37% for these Pre-IH segments 5 min prior to the ICP elevation. While the sensitivity decreased to 21% for Pre-IH segments, 20 min prior to ICP elevation, the high specificity of 99% was retained. The performance using the full set of MOCAIP metrics was shown inferior to results achieved using the optimal subset of metrics. This paper demonstrated that advanced ICP pulse analysis combined with machine learning could potentially leads to the forecasting of ICP elevation so that a proactive ICP management could be realized based on these accurate forecasts.
THE DEEP SPACE 1 EXTENDED MISSION

The primary mission of Deep Space 1 (DS1), the first flight of the New Millennium program, completed successfully in September 1999, having exceeded its objectives of testing new, high-risk technologies important for future space and Earth science missions. DS1 is now in its extended mission, with plans to take advantage of the advanced technologies, including solar electric propulsion, to conduct an encounter with comet 19P/Borrelly in September 2001. During the extended mission, the spacecraft's commercial star tracker failed; this critical loss prevented the spacecraft from achieving three-axis attitude control or knowledge. A two-phase approach to recovering the mission was undertaken. The first involved devising a new method of pointing the high-gain antenna to Earth using the radio signal received at the Deep Space Network as an indicator of spacecraft attitude. The second was the development of new flight software that allowed the spacecraft to return to three-axis operation without substantial ground assistance. The principal new feature of this software is the use of the science camera as an attitude sensor. The differences between the science camera and the star tracker have important implications not only for the design of the new software but also for the methods of operating the spacecraft and conducting the mission. The ambitious rescue was fully successful, and the extended mission is back on track.
Intact autocrine activation and cytokine production by PMNs from injured adults with elevated Candida antigen titres

Injured patients with Candida antigen titres have increased mortality due to sepsis. Polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) from injured patients with elevated Candida antigen titres demonstrate impaired function against Candida albicans growth when compared with PMNs from injury matched controls. To determine if PMN dysfunction is global, PMNs from patients with positive Candida antigen titres were evaluated for their ability to activate the anticandidal function of normal PMNs (autocrine activation) and to produce tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 8 (IL8), known activators of PMN anticandidal function, this study demonstrates that the PMN dysfunction is not global, as PMN cytokine production and autocrine activation remain intact.
Structures Do Not Come with an Instruction Sheet: Interests, Ideas, and Progress in Political Science

This article questions the centrality of interest-based explanation in political science. Through an examination of the “turn to ideas” undertaken in the past decade by rationalist and nonrationalist scholars in both comparative politics and international relations, it seeks to make three points. First, interests are far from the unproblematic and ever-ready explanatory instruments we assume them to be. Second, the ideational turn of historical institutionalism and constructivist international relations theory marks a substantive theoretical shift in the field precisely because it problematizes notions of action that take interest as given. Third, such scholarship emerged from, and in reaction to, the inherent limits of rationalist treatments of interests and ideas. That it did so suggests that progress in the discipline may be more dialectic—rather than linear or paradigmatic—than we realize.
Rapid simulated hydrologic response within the variably saturated near surface

Column and field experiments have shown that the hydrologic response to increases in rainfall rates can be more rapid than expected from simple estimates. Physics-based hydrologic response simulation, with the Integrated Hydrology Model (InHM), is used here to investigate rapid hydrologic response, within the variably saturated near surface, to temporal variations in applied flux at the surface boundary. The factors controlling the speed of wetting front propagation are discussed within the Darcy-Buckingham conceptual framework, including kinematic wave approximations. The Coos Bay boundary-value problem is employed to examine simulated discharge, pressure head, and saturation responses to a large increase in applied surface flux. The results presented here suggest that physics-based simulations are capable of representing rapid hydrologic response within the variably saturated near surface. The new InHM simulations indicate that the temporal discretization and measurement precision needed to capture the rapid subsurface response to a spike increase in surface flux, necessary for both data-based analyses and evaluation of physics-based models, are smaller than the capabilities of the instrumentation deployed at the Coos Bay experimental catchment.
Serum Testosterone Concentrations in Embryonic and Fetal Pigs During Sexual Differentiation

Testosterone concentration in serum of the umbilical artery was greater for male than female fetuses at all stages sampled from Day 30 to Day 112 of gestation. For male fetuses testosterone concentrations increased from Day 30 to a maximum on Day 35 and decreased thereafter. The pattern of testosteroneconcentrations in amniotic fluidmimicked that observed in serum of the umbilical artery. The concentration of testosterone on Days 40 and 50 of gestation was three to four times greater in the umbilical artery than in the umbilical vein. These data indicate that fetal testes are secreting testosterone in vivo during differentiation of the internal and external genitalia. Serum testosterone concentrations are greater during the stage of sexual differentiation than at later stages.
Finite element analysis of heel pad with insoles

To design optimal insoles for reduction of pedal tissue trauma, experimental measurements and computational analyses were performed. To characterize the mechanical properties of the tissues, indentation tests were performed. Pedal tissue geometry and morphology were obtained from magnetic resonance scan of the subject’s foot. Axisymmetrical finite element models of the heel of the foot were created with 1/4 of body weight load applied. The stress, strain and strain energy density (SED) fields produced in the pedal tissues were computed. The effects of various insole designs and materials on the resulting stress, strain, and SED in the soft pedal tissues were analyzed. The results showed: (a) Flat insoles made of soft material provide some reductions in the maximum stress, strain and SED produced in the pedal tissues. These maximum values were computed near the calcaneus. (b) Flat insoles, with conical/cylindrical reliefs, provided more reductions in these maximum values than without reliefs. (c) Custom insoles, contoured to match the pedal geometry provide most reductions in the maximum stress, strain and SED. Also note, the maximum stress, strain and SED computed near the calcaneus were found to be about 10 times the corresponding peak values computed on the skin surface. Based on the FEA analysis, it can be concluded that changing insole design and using different material can significantly redistribute the stress/strain inside the heel pad as well as on the skin surface.
Service morphing: integrated system- and application-level service adaptation in autonomic systems

Service morphing is a set of techniques used to continuously meet an application's quality of service (QoS) needs, in the presence of run-time variations in service locations, platform capabilities, or end-user needs. These techniques provide high levels of flexibility in how, when, and where necessary processing and communication actions are performed. Lightweight middleware supports flexibility by permitting end-users to subscribe to information channels of interest to them whenever they desire, and then apply exactly the processing to such information they require. New compiler and binary code generation techniques dynamically generate, deploy, and specialize code in order to match current user needs to available platform resources. Finally, to deal with run-time changes in resource availability, kernel-level resource management mechanisms are associated with user-level middleware. Such associations range from loosely coupled, where kernel-level resource management monitors and occasionally responds to userlevel events, to tightly coupled, where kernel-level mechanisms import, export, and use performance and control attributes in conjunction with each resource-relevant userlevel event.
Ampholytic polystyrene ionomers from cationic-anionic monomer pairs

The preparation of a new form of ionomer is described. This class of material is based on the polymerization of a neutral monomer with a small amount of a cationic–anionic monomer pair. The resulting ionomers are ampholytic in character and contain no inorganic ions. In this investigation, the polymerization of styrene with 3-methacrylamidopropyldimethylammonium and trimethylammonium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate in a variety of solvents is described.
Protean Lure for the Working Poor: Party Competition and the Earned Income Tax Credit

The development of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has been extraordinary. What started in 1975 as a minor amendment to a forget-table tax bill became in the 1980s one of the most popular programs in Washington. The national media and policymakers from both parties repeatedly praised the program. The New York Times, for example, hailed the EITC as “a wonderful but little-known anti-poverty weapon…the best means available for lifting the working poor out of poverty.” Republicans embraced the program as a superior alternative to welfare (meaning Aid to Families with Dependent Children), to a higher minimum wage, and to government-run day-care centers. President Bill Clinton made expanding the EITC central to his plans for reforming welfare, increasing the progressivity of the tax system, and improving the economic security of low-wage workers. One would be hard-pressed to find any government program that received such universal acclaim among political elites. By the early 1990s, it had become the policy equivalent of penicillin. Only in the spring of 1995, as congressional Republicans sought to balance the budget within seven years, did some policymakers seriously consider cutting this program.
The Air–Sea Momentum Flux in Conditions of Wind Sea and Swell

Abstract During the Surface Wave Dynamics Experiment, direct measurements of momentum, heat, and water vapor fluxes were obtained from a mast on the foredeck of a SWATH (small water-plane area, twin hull) ship in deep water off the state of Virginia. Directional wave spectra were obtained simultaneously from a 6- or 3-wire wave-staff array mounted at the bow of the ship. One hundred and twenty-six 17-minute runs of flux and wave data obtained with the ship steaming slowly into the wind are examined for the effects of the relative direction of the wind sea and background swell on the momentum transfer. The adequacy of the inertial dissipation method, which depends on the high-frequency turbulent fluctuations for evaluating the wind stress, is also examined for any effects of swell. The results show that the presence of counter- and cross-swells can result in drag coefficients that are much larger than the value for a pure wind sea. The eddy correlation and inertial dissipation methods for measuring wind st...
DETECTING POPULATION‐LEVEL CONSEQUENCES OF ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE WITHOUT LONG‐TERM MONITORING

The frequent lack of correspondence between measured population stage structures and those predicted from demographic models has usually been seen as an embarrassment, resulting from poor data, or a testimony to the failings of overly simplistic models. However, such mismatches can also arise due to natural or anthropogenic changes in the environment, thus providing the data needed to test hypotheses about the ecological effects of local or global environmental change. Here, we present a method that allows this type of comparison to rigorously test for the population-level effects of past and ongoing environmental change in situations where no long-term monitoring data exist. Our approach hinges on the fact that changing environmental conditions will cause population size structure to lag behind that predicted by current demographic rates. We first develop the methods needed to calculate the likelihood of an observed population structure, given different stochastic models of demography responding to environmental changes. We next use simulated data to explore the method’s power in the face of estimation errors in current vital rates, environmental noise, and other complications. We conclude that this method holds promise when applied to slowly growing, long-lived species and when model structures are used that allow for realistic time lags in population structure. Researchers using this approach should also be careful to assess the importance of other phenomena (rare catastrophes, recent founding of populations, genetic changes, and density dependence) that may compromise the method’s accuracy. Although large data sets are required for the method to be accurate and powerful, the data required will be readily obtainable for abundant and easily sampled species. While most ecological efforts to detect global environmental changes have focused on long-term monitoring, or indicators such as tree rings that are unique to organisms not present in all biomes, this method allows tests for past and ongoing changes in situations where neither past monitoring data nor unique indicator species are available.
Pediatric Appropriate Use Criteria for Echocardiography: Implications for Clinical Practice

The first pediatric Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) were recently published by the American College of Cardiology.1 This document consists of common clinical scenarios for which a transthoracic echocardiogram is ordered in outpatient settings. Echocardiography is the most common imaging modality used in the outpatient setting to assess children with suspected heart disease. However, it is known that echocardiography is not cost-effective or high yield for some common indications such as chest pain, syncope, or murmurs.2–4 The AUC have been developed to guide physician decision-making for appropriate testing and to improve resource utilization. In addition to pediatric cardiologists, a wide variety of providers including pediatricians, family practitioners, and other pediatric subspecialists order this imaging test. Therefore, this document has a very broad audience. Although appropriateness criteria may be a new concept in the pediatric world, adult cardiologists have been using these standards for various invasive and noninvasive procedures for almost a decade.5 In the first half of 2000, because of the dramatic augmentation of cardiac imaging, concerns were raised about excessive spending on these tests compared with other areas of health care. Consequently, health plans started adopting a variety of strategies to manage utilization, such as preauthorization. Concurrently, the American College of Cardiology Foundation established an AUC Task Force to guide appropriate testing. The purpose of the AUC was to guide physicians about “when and how often” to order a given procedure in an individual patient on the basis of current scientific evidence and health care resources. The overall goals of the AUC are to … Address correspondence to Ritu Sachdeva, MBBS, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1405 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322-1062. E-mail: sachdevar{at}kidsheart.com
Application of Neural Network Principal Components to Climate Data

Abstract Principal component analysis (PCA) is one of the most widely used methods in the examination of climate data. However, PCA of a dataset is handicapped if the data size is large. PCA of a large dataset would require huge computer resources in terms of memory and CPU time. Neural network principal component analysis (NNPCA), which has been used mainly in the signal-processing field, can be a useful tool in the analysis of large climate datasets. NNPCA requirements of computer memory and CPU time are far less than what are needed by conventional methods of PCA, such as singular value decomposition of the data matrix. In this paper, an NNPCA application to climate data is introduced. NNPCA is applied to reanalysis data of monthly and daily global maps of the 850-hPa geopotential height from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data. These data, covering the period from 1948 to 2003, are composed of 648 monthly maps and 20 117 daily ones...
Degree and Direction of Change of Body Weight in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Impact on Exercise Capacity and Cardiac Risk Factors.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves functional capacity and reduces mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. It also improves cardiovascular risk factors and aids in weight reduction. Because of the increase in morbidly obese patients with cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of obesity and patterns of weight change in those undergoing CR merit fresh study. We studied 1,320 participants in a 12-week CR program at our academic medical center. We compared 5 categories: 69 class III obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥40) patients, 128 class II obese patients (BMI 35.0 to 39.9), 318 class I obese patients (BMI 30.0 to 34.9), 487 overweight patients (BMI 25.0 to 29.9), and 318 normal weight patients (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Exercise capacity in METs, weight, blood pressure, and fasting lipid profile were measured before and after CR. Overall, 131 patients gained weight, 827 had no significant weight change, and 363 lost weight (176 lost 3% to 5% of their baseline weight, 161 lost 5% to 10%, and 26 lost >10%). Exercise capacity, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol improved in all patients. Class III obese patients had the smallest improvement in peak METs (p 10% of their baseline weight had the greatest improvements in exercise capacity, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. In conclusion, after CR, a minority of patients lost weight. Most patients had no significant weight change and some even gained weight. The greatest loss was seen in class III obese patients. All patient groups showed improvements in exercise capacity and risk factors, regardless of the direction or degree of weight change.
The MR appearance of gray and white matter in the cervical spinal cord

Artifacts that can distort the appearance of the cervical spinal cord are caused by data truncation during MR image reconstruction. We used a phantom and then correlated anatomic sections with MR images in cadavers and normal volunteers to evaluate the effect of truncation artifacts on the MR appearance of the spinal cord. When truncation artifacts are minimized, the gray matter and major white-matter columns in the cervical cord can be recognized. T2-weighted gradient-echo MR techniques can best differentiate gray from white matter.
A randomised test of printed educational materials about melanoma detection: Varying skin self-examination technique and visual image dose:

Objective:Melanoma incidence and mortality rates continue to rise globally, making it essential for researchers to identify effective approaches to disseminating information to the public that impr...
Selenium: dietary threshold for urinary excretion in the rat.

SummaryRadioselenium studies in rats utilizing whole-body counting and determination of urinary and fecal 75Se indicate the existence of a threshold dietary level of selenium above which urinary excretion of selenium is directly related to its dietary level and below which it is not. The threshold lies between 0.054 and 0.084 ppm for the forms of selenium used here. Tissue distribution of 75Se was markedly different in all groups and exhibited no threshold under the conditions of this experiment.
Abstract IA07: The phenome and pleiotropy: Dissecting the architecture of complex traits.

The efforts of the human genome project are beginning to provide important findings for human health. Technological advances in the laboratory, particularly in characterizing human genomic variation, have created new approaches for studying the human genome. However, current statistical and computational strategies are taking only partial advantage of this wealth of information. In the quest for disease susceptibility genes for common, complex disease, we are faced with many challenges. Selecting genetic, clinical, and environmental factors important for the trait of interest is increasingly more difficult as high throughput data generation technologies are developed. We know that genes do not act in isolation, thus numerous other factors are likely important in complex disease phenotypes. Ultimately, we want to know what factors are important to provide superior prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease. Unfortunately, interpretation of statistical models in a meaningful way for biomedical research has been lacking due to the inherent difficulty in making such connections. One of the emerging areas for exploring the architecture of complex traits includes phenome-wide association studies, or PheWAS. It is conceivable that be exploiting the interrelationships between traits, we can uncover novel mechanistic insights and identify evidence for pleiotropy. A number of strategies are being explored to capitalize on the network of phenotypes to then test for association with genotypes. In this presentation, a number of PheWAS examples will be provided as well as next steps in the quest for understanding the architecture of complex traits. Citation Format: Marylyn D. Ritchie, Pendergrass A. Sarah. The phenome and pleiotropy: Dissecting the architecture of complex traits. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Post-GWAS Horizons in Molecular Epidemiology: Digging Deeper into the Environment; 2012 Nov 11-14; Hollywood, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA07.