cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation of Coherent Radiation at 53.2 nm by Fifth-Harmonic Conversion

The generation of coherent radiation of 53.2 nm by fifth-harmonic conversion of laser pulses at 266.1 nm in both Ne and He is reported.
Supramolecular chemistry: Molecular crystal balls.

Sorcerers have long gazed into crystal balls to conjure up information. Chemists are also getting in on the act, using porous crystals to trap unstable reaction intermediates and to reveal their structures.
External potassium and baby hamster kidney cells: intracellular ions, ATP, growth, DNA synthesis and membrane potential.

Abstract The relationship between cell multiplication, DNA synthesis and external potassium concentration has been investigated in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. Alterations in the rate of 3 H-thymidine incorporation were paralleled by changes in the rate of growth. The optimal external potassium concentration was 64 m M and either an increase or decrease from this level was inhibitory. Changes in 3 H-thymidine incorporation with the various potassium media appeared to be immediate (5 min pulse). Intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations measured at 5 min, 2 hr, and 24 hr at various external potassium concentrations indicated that the changes in 3 H-thymidine incorporation were not related to changing intracellular ion levels. The ATP content of potassium-inhibited cells was not significantly different than control cells. The membrane potential was primarily dependent on the potassium distribution and could be manipulated by changing the ratio of external to internal potassium. The relationship between membrane potential and 3 H-thymidine was explored by varying the external potassium concentration from 1.75 to 121 m M . To distinguish between the effects of external potassium per se and the membrane potential, 3 H-thymidine incorporation was measured at 5 or 93 m M external potassium in normal and potassium-depleted cells. The results raise the possibility that the cell membrane potential may influence DNA synthesis.
A study of cerebral glucose metabolism and hemodynamic response in schizophrenia

This research investigated the relationship between regional cerebral glucose metabolism rate (rGMR) of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and hemodynamic response of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI in schizophrenia. An auditory prepulse-to-attention task was performed during the FDG uptake and the fMRI scan, and PET and fMRI images were obtained for 10 unmedicated schizophrenia patients and 7 healthy controls. Hemodynamic response curves were extracted from several brain regions and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated and correlated with corresponding rGMR. The results indicated that (1) The rGMR and hemodynamic responses were significantly correlated in the frontal and temporal cortices, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), caudate and thalamus for all subjects; (2) The patterns of the correlations are different between patients and controls. These results suggest that schizophrenia patients may have altered blood flow-metabolic processes during neuronal activities underlying attention deficits, which may be useful for early diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Individual differences in stored digram frequencies and the immediate serial recall of letter and number strings

This study examined the immediate serial recall of letter and number strings as a joint function of (a) the single-letter and sequential digram frequencies of the letter strings and (b) individual differences in the degree to which Ss already have in “store” information concerning the relative frequency of digrams as they occur in the language. The results clearly showed that high digram storage Ss show superior recall to low digram storage Ss for letter strings that vary both with respect to their single-letter frequencies and sequential digram frequencies, but that no differences in recall occur between the high and low digram storage Ss for the number strings.
Preventive Diplomacy by Intergovernmental Organizations: Learning from Practice

Abstract Conflict prevention is enjoying a renaissance in international policy circles. However, the official machinery of the international community presently offers few institutions with a specific mandate to address the causes of political violence at an early stage. One such multilateral mechanism dedicated solely to the prevention of conflict is the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Over two decades, the office has developed a significant track record of effectiveness against which to examine the preventive efforts of other intergovernmental organizations. In this article, we examine the prevention efforts of the HCNM in Georgia, Macedonia, and Ukraine and compare these with the preventive diplomacy of three other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): the Organization of American States (OAS) in Guyana, the Commonwealth in Fiji, and the UN in Afghanistan, Burundi, and Macedonia. Our findings offer some useful and surprising insights into effective prevention practice, with implications for how IGOs might improve preventive diplomacy in the future.
Region-specific DNA synthesis in brains of F344 rats following a six-day bromodeoxyuridine infusion.

Prolonged exposure to certain alkylating chemicals induces glial and meningeal tumours in rats, probably resulting from DNA damage to dividing neural cells. The present work evaluated DNA synthesis in the brains of untreated, young adult male F344 rats in order to define a BrdUrd infusion protocol to more adequately assess proliferation in slowly dividing neural cell populations. BrdUrd (2.5 to 160 mg/ml) was administered for 6 days via subcutaneous osmotic pumps. Clinical toxicity was not observed at any dose. The labelling index (LI; % of cells per brain area that incorporated BrdUrd) and unit length labelling index (ULLI; % of cells per meningeal length that incorporated BrdUrd) were calculated for selected regions by counting labelled neural cells in defined areas of the right hemisphere in coronal brain sections. Intensely stained cells were numerous in the cerebral subependymal layer (LI = 35.8%); scattered in cerebral white matter tracts (e.g. corpus callosum and internal capsule; LI = 6.2%) as well as cerebral (ULLI = 4.2%) and cerebellar (ULLI = 3.6%) meninges; and rare in the hippocampus (LI > 0.1%). Mildy stained cells were dispersed in the pons (LI = 2.1%), deep cerebral (LI = 1.8%) and cerebellar (LI = 1.0%) grey matter, and thalamus (LI = 0.3%). Phenotypically, BrdUrd-positive cells in neuropil were glial cell precursors and their progeny, while those associated with meninges were usually located in the superficial subarachnoid space and appeared to be fibrocytes. Using BrdUrd infusion, LI for glial precursors at these sites ranged from two- to 10-fold higher than those reported previously after a brief parenteral pulse dose. These data indicate that continuous BrdUrd infusion for 6 days by subcutaneous osmotic pump is an efficient means of labelling neural cells throughout the brain.
Building better bioorthogonal reactions

Over the past two decades, there has been intense interest in designing and implementing selective (bioorthogonal) reactions for biomolecule tracking. Here we review the most widely used bioorthogonal chemistries in live cells and animals, drawing particular attention to the unique functional groups underlying these transformations. We also describe recent efforts to tune functional group reactivities and stabilities to access even more rapid and selective chemistries. Last, we highlight ongoing challenges in identifying new bioorthogonal reagents and combinations of reactions that can be used concurrently to tag multiple biomolecules.
Postnatal changes in hematology of the bat Antrozous pallidus

Abstract 1. 1. Blood oxygen capacity increases with growth as the result of increasing hemoglobin concentration, which is accompanied by increasing red blood cell count and hematocrit. 2. 2. Hematological profile of the postnatal bat approaches that of the adult by 42 days of age when the animal begins to fly. 3. 3. Hematological development in the bat is similar to that in other altricial small mammals.
Quantitation of peroxidase-antibody binding to membrane fragments using column chromatography.

Abstract A method which can be used to measure the amount of peroxidase antibody which is specifically bound to placental alkaline phosphatase in membrane fragments is described. The technique uses Sepharose 4B chromatography to separate membrane fragments containing bound peroxidase-antibody from unbound peroxidase-antibody. Specificity is demonstrated by nonbinding to rabbit placental membranes, by a strict correlation between membrane-associated phosphatase and bound peroxidase-antibody, and by preventing binding using pure enzyme. The general utility of this method for membrane antigens is discussed.
Effects of pregnancy hormones on maternal responsiveness, responsiveness to estrogen stimulation of maternal behavior, and the lordosis response to estrogen stimulation.

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine whether there is an increase in responsiveness to estrogen stimulation of maternal behavior and lordosis responsiveness during pregnancy. Using separate groups of pregnancy-terminated females, we measured the initial maternal responsiveness of hysterectomized–ovariectomized (HO) females and their responsiveness to estrogen stimulation. Maternal behavior latencies were studied in females HO on the 8th, 10th, 13th, 16th, or 19th day of pregnancy (8HO–19HO) and in nonpregnant HO (NPHO) females. Groups were injected sc with estradiol benzoate (EB) in doses ranging from 0 to 200 μg/kg and tested for maternal behavior (retrieving, crouching, and licking pups). In addition, we investigated whether there is an increase during pregnancy (following HO) in lordosis responsiveness to estrogen stimulation. Lordosis behavior was studied in pregnant HO females (days 8, 16, and 22) and NPHO females given 0 to 200 μg/kg EB. There was an increase in maternal responsiveness in oil-treated HO females starting around midpregnancy. From early pregnancy on there was also an increase in maternal responsiveness to 20 μg/kg EB. In late pregnant females (16HO) there was a further increase with 50 μg/kg EB. There was no increase in lordosis responsiveness to EB stimulation during pregnancy; pregnant and nonpregnant HO females had the same EB threshold for stimulating lordosis behavior. The results of both studies were related to increases during the latter half of pregnancy in nuclear estrogen receptor concentrations in the MPOA, an area that mediates estrogen stimulation of maternal behavior, and the absence of such increases during pregnancy in the VMH, an area that mediates estrogen stimulation of lordosis behavior.
Selective vulnerability of white matter during spinal cord ischemia.

The long-term effects of spinal cord ischemia were studied in 21 rats by lesion scores (LS, n = 21), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP, n = 16), electromyographic measurements (EMG, n = 12) and histology of the spinal cord (n = 21) 48.5 ± 57.2 days after 10- to 12-min occlusion of the thoracic aorta and subclavian arteries. All the animals were initially paraplegic with a spastic presentation but seven recovered within 2 days (group A), demonstrating low LS (3.4 ± 1.05) normal EMGs (n = 3) and unremarkable histology. The 14 paraplegic animals presented relevant findings of the lumbar cord consisting of white matter lesions only (group B, n = 7) or white and gray matter lesions (group C, n = 7). Group B animals showed severe deficit (LS = 11.8 ± 2.93) without denervation on EMG (n = 5) or muscle atrophy on histology. Group C animals displayed equal impairment (LS = 14.4 ± 0.71), denervation on EMG (n = 4), and muscle atrophy. Resting motor unit activity of groups B and C were significantly different fro...
The Emerging Role of Valproate in Bipolar Disorder and Other Psychiatric Disorders

Although valproate, a simple branched-chain fatty acid, is generally considered to be an antiepileptic agent, a large literature dating back to 1966 describes its use in primary psychiatric disorders. The significant role that gamma-aminobutyric acid plays in mood provided the rationale to examine valproate in this regard. Numerous uncontrolled as well as placebo- and lithium-controlled studies verified the drug's efficacy in the short-term management of bipolar and schizoaffective disorders. The response appears to be independent of response to traditional therapies such as lithium, neuroleptics, and carbamazepine, and may be maintained for extended periods of time. Valproate should be considered not only in patients with mood disorders who are intolerant of or nonresponsive to traditional therapies, but also in those with rapid cycling, electroencephalographic abnormalities, head trauma antedating the onset of psychiatric illness, or any other factor suggesting an organic component. Preliminary uncontrolled studies suggest that the drug may also eventually play a role in the management of panic disorder and behavioral dyscontrol (agitation, aggression, temper outbursts). Its adverse event profile is well known from years of experience in the management of epilepsy and does not appear to be altered in the presence of psychiatric disorders. Similarly, the drug-drug interaction potential of valproate is reasonably well known, although further research into interactions with psychotropic agents is warranted.
Civic Engagement and Sustainable Cities in the United States

Over the last decade, at least 42 U.S. cities have elected to pursue sustainable cities programs to improve their livability. Some programs are broad, involving smart growth efforts, and others are narrowly targeted, including bicycle ridership and pesticide-reduction programs. A recurring theme in these cities is the role of public participation in shaping and implementing these programs. In cities where the sustainable cities idea first emerged in local grassroots organizations, such as Seattle, these programs owe their existence to public involvement. Other cities have taken a top-down approach, treating sustainability as a matter for experts rather than ordinary citizens. Civic engagement is manifest both in the development of the sustainability program and as an explicit goal of the sustainability program. This article examines the role of civic engagement in these programs and defines a research agenda by identifying hypotheses about the importance of public involvement in sustainable cities programs.
Optimizing chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Focus on docetaxel

Systemic chemotherapy with platinum-based combinations provides modest improvements in both survival and quality of life for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC patients with a good performance status, the accepted standard of care is a platinum agent combined with docetaxel, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, vinorelbine or irinotecan. Several studies have attempted to identify an optimal platin-based regimen, however, all regimens offer some combination of clinical benefit with characteristic toxicities and no regimen appears clearly superior. Non-platinum regimens have also shown equivalent efficacy compared to platinum combinations, but again, none are clearly superior. Most recently, the existing standard of care is being amended to reflect the survival advantage gained from adding a new targeted agent, bevacizumab, to traditional platinum-doublet therapy for patients with non-squamous NSCLC. Docetaxel is the only agent currently approved for both first- and second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Multiple randomized clinical trials have established the efficacy of platin-docetaxel regimens for first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Improvements in various lung cancer related symptoms and global quality of life indices have also been noted with docetaxel-based regimens. Based on the efficacy of platin-docetaxel regimens in advanced disease, they are now being incorporated into the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of early-stage disease.
Stability of self-assembled monolayer coated Pt/Al2O3 catalysts for liquid phase hydrogenation

Abstract Thiolate self-assembled monolayers have recently been demonstrated to be effective catalyst modifiers for selectivity control, but these studies have not extensively explored the long term stability of these modifiers or the effects of specific reaction conditions. Here we investigate how the performance of thiolate-modified Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalysts is affected by recycling and regeneration, using the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol as a probe reaction. Although modification of Pt catalysts with 3-phenyl-1-propanethiol results in high selectivity due to a ligand-specific interaction between modifier and reactant during the first use of a given catalyst, repeated recycling was shown to decrease the efficacy of this mechanism due to increasing disorder in the monolayer. However, selectivity and order could be stabilized using a thiol regeneration step or by feeding dilute concentrations of thiols in the reaction mixture. Similarly, aging in air was shown to decrease the order of the thiol and reduced the selectivity improvement of both a 3-phenyl-1-propanethiol and an octadecanethiol (C18) modified Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. These studies show that the ligand-specific interactions between the SAM and the reactant are particularly sensitive to conditions that can degrade the monolayer.
Answering the big questions about differential response in Colorado: safety and cost outcomes from a randomized controlled trial.

Over the past 20 years, jurisdictions across the United States have implemented differential response (DR), which provides child protective services with the flexibility to tailor their response to reports of child abuse or neglect based on the level of risk. Given the widespread adoption of DR, there has been an increasing demand from policymakers, practitioners, and community stakeholders to build the evidence base for this innovative child welfare approach. This study was designed to answer the big questions regarding the effect of differential response on child welfare outcomes and costs using a randomized controlled trial in five Colorado counties. Specifically, the study examined the safety outcomes and costs of families who were randomly assigned to either a family assessment response (FAR) or an investigation response (IR). According to the regression results, there were no differences between the tracks on measures of system re-involvement. However, survival analysis findings indicate that FAR families were 18% less likely, over time, to have a high risk assessment after their initial accepted referral than were IR families. The cost study revealed no differences between the tracks on initial costs for caseworker contacts, services, and out-of-home placements. However, the results suggest that follow-up costs for IR cases were significantly higher (p Language: en
Quality of life in the actinic neoplasia syndrome: The VA Topical Tretinoin Chemoprevention (VATTC) Trial

Background Keratinocyte carcinomas (KCs) are the most common malignancies of the skin. As lesions have a low mortality rate, understanding quality-of-life (QoL) factors is necessary in their management. Objective To assess QoL and associated patient characteristics in those with a history of keratinocyte carcinomas. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of veterans with a history of KCs enrolled in a randomized controlled trial for chemoprevention of keratinocyte carcinomas. Study dermatologists counted actinic keratoses (AKs) and assessed for skin photodamage. QoL was assessed using Skindex-29 and KC-specific questions. Demographics were self-reported. Results Participants (n = 931) enrolled at 5 clinical sites had worse QoL on all subscales (emotions, functioning, and symptoms) compared to a reference group of patients without skin disease. Univariate analysis demonstrated worse QoL associated with higher AK count, past 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) use, and greater sun sensitivity. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher AK count and past 5-FU use were independently related to diminished QoL. Higher comorbidities showed modest associations on the symptoms and functioning subscales. Number of previous KCs was not independently associated with any QoL differences. Limitations Study population may not be generalizable to the general population. Counting of AKs is of limited reliability. Previous 5-FU use is self reported. Conclusions A history of ever use of 5-FU and present AKs was strongly associated with worse QoL. We find it more useful to consider these patients as having the chronic condition "actinic neoplasia syndrome," whose burden may be best measured by factors other than their history of KCs.
Support for Third Parties in California

Support for minor parties is increasing in some state elections. In this article we use survey data to model support for contemporary third party candidates in California. Our analysis indicates that voters choose minor party candidates when they are dissatisfied with major candidates and when they perceive no difference between the major parties. We also find that these minor party candidates receive support from voters who have loyalties to the minor party, a finding that contrasts with some of the existing literature on minor party voting in U.S. national elections.
Columnar mesophases from half-discoid platinum cyclometalated metallomesogens

A series of liquid crystals have been synthesized and studied based upon mononuclear ortho-platinated rod-like heteroaromatic and 1,3-diketonate ligands. The liquid crystalline properties of these molecules were investigated using polarized light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and powder X-ray diffraction. Increasing the number of alkyl chains attached to the 1,3-diketonate units resulted in a transition from lamellar (SmA) to hexagonal columnar phases (Colh). The 2-thienylpyridine units were previously unexplored in metallomesogenic complexes and these studies extend the utility of ortho-platinated 2-phenylpyridines and 2-thienylpyridines to produce columnar liquid crystalline phases. The platinum complexes all display photoluminescence and are of interest for electrooptical applications.
On Supersymmetry Breaking in Intersecting Brane Models

We discuss a framework to analyze the transmission of supersymmetry breaking in models of intersecting D-branes. Generically, different intersections preserve different fractions of an extended bulk supersymmetry, thus breaking supersymmetry completely but in a nonlocal way. We analyze this mechanism in a 5D toy model where two brane intersections, which are separated in the fifth dimension, break different halves of an extended $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry. The sector of the theory on one brane intersection feels the breakdown of the residual $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetry only through two-loop interactions involving a coupling to fields from the other intersection. We compute the diagrams that contribute to scalar masses on one intersection and find that the masses are proportional to the compactification scale up to logarithmic corrections. We also compute the three-loop diagrams relevant to the Casimir energy between the two intersections and find a repulsive Casimir force.
Interaction Between Strong Electrical Stimulation and Reentrant Wavefronts in Canine Ventricular Fibrillation

Abstract This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the effects of a strong electrical stimulus on reentrant wavefronts in ventricular fibrillation (VF) are dependent on the timing of the stimulus. We studied six open-chest dogs by computerized mapping techniques. A plaque electrode array with up to 509 bipolar electrodes was placed on the right ventricular epicardium. The interelectrode distance was 1.6 mm, and the interpolar distance was 0.5 mm. After eight baseline pacing stimuli (S1) with cycle lengths of 300 ms, a strong premature stimulus (S2) (73±10 mA) was given to induce VF. In subsequent episodes, a second strong premature stimulus (S3) was given at progressively longer S2-S3 intervals in 20-ms increments. The results showed that, at baseline, the S2 consistently induced figure-eight reentry and VF. The VF cycle length immediately after the S2 averaged 108±17 ms. The S3 resulted in one of the following responses: (1) termination of reentry and VF; (2) induction of different reentrant wa...
Thermodynamics of Charge Separation of Photosystem I in the menA and menB Null Mutants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Determined by Pulsed Photoacoustics

When the biosynthesis of phylloquinone is inhibited in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by interrupting the menA or the menB gene, photosystem I (PS I) recruits plastoquinone-9 (AP) to occupy the A1 sites. In PS I from the menA and menB null mutants, forward electron transfer from the quinone to the FeS clusters occurs approximately 1000 times slower than in wild-type PS I [Semenov, A. Yu., Vassiliev, I. R., van der Est, A., Mamedov, M. D., Zybailov, B., Shen, G., Stehlik, D., Diner, B. A., Chitnis, P. R., and Golbeck, J. H. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 23429−23438]. To investigate the effect on thermodynamics, the enthalpy and volume changes of charge separation in PS I in the menA and menB mutants were measured using pulsed time-resolved photoacoustics on the nanosecond and microsecond time scales. The observed thermodynamic data are the same for the menA and menB mutants. This is expected because the recruited quinone (AP) is the same in both mutants. The volume change of PS I from the mutants following charge...
Weakening of one more alcohol control pillar: a review of the effects of the alcohol tax cuts in Finland in 2004

Aims To review the consequences of the changes in Finnish alcohol policy in 2004, when quotas for travellers' tax‐free imports of alcoholic beverages from other European Union (EU) countries were abolished, Estonia joined the EU and excise duties on alcoholic beverages were reduced in Finland by one‐third, on average. Design A review of published research and routinely available data. Setting Finland. Measurements Prices of alcoholic beverages, recorded and unrecorded alcohol consumption, data on criminality and other police statistics, alcohol‐related deaths and hospitalizations, service use. Findings Alcohol consumption increased 10% in 2004, clearly more than in the early 2000s. With few exceptions, alcohol‐related harms increased. Alcohol‐induced liver disease deaths increased the most, by 46% in 2004–06 compared to 2001–03, which indicates a strong effect on pre‐2004 heavy drinkers. Consumption and harms increased most among middle‐aged and older segments of the population, and harms in the worst‐off parts of the population in particular. Conclusions Alcohol taxation and alcohol prices affect consumption and related harms, and heavy drinkers are responsive to price. In Finland in 2004, the worst‐off parts of the population paid the highest price in terms of health for cuts in alcohol prices. The removal of travellers' import quotas, which was an inherent part of creating the single European market, had serious public health consequences in Finland.
Egg jelly layers of Xenopus laevis are unique in ultrastructure and sugar distribution.

Jelly coats surrounding the eggs of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, consist of three transparent, gelatinous layers: the innermost layer (J1), the middle layer (J2), and the outer layer (J3). The distribution of N-acetylglucosamine within these jelly coats, as probed with FITC-conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-FITC), and the matrix ultrastructure of each layer, as visualized in platinum replicas produced by the quick-freeze, deep-etch, and rotary-shadowing technique, suggests that each layer has a unique fiber and glycoprotein composition. J1 extends nearly 200 μm from the egg surface and exhibits no WGA-FITC staining. Stereo images of platinum replicas indicates that J1 consists of a tightly knit network of 5–10 nm fibers decorated with 10–20 nm particulate components. In contrast, J2 is a relatively thin layer, extending only 25–40 μm from the outer aspect of J1. When visualized by confocal microscopy, J2 displays a multilayered WGA-FITC staining pattern. The ultrastructure of J2 consists of sheets of fine fibers that run parallel to one another and that can be identified by their ability to bind WGA-colloidal gold. The fibers of each sheet run at an oblique angle to fibers in neighboring layers. J3 extends 100 μm or more from J2. The WGA-FITC staining pattern shows high intensity in its outer region and less intensity in regions closer to J2. Like J1, the J3 ultrastructure consists of a network of 5–10 nm fibers, decorated with 10–20 nm particulate components. The results of these studies add to a growing body of information that suggests the jelly coats surrounding the eggs of many animals consist of a fibrous glycoprotein superstructure that acts as a scaffold to which globular glycoproteins are bound. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Risk analysis methodology used by several small and medium enterprises in the Czech Republic

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present risk analysis procedures which have been successfully applied by Czech small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The methodology, which is based on the modification and combination of two standard methods, aims to accelerate (and make more affordable) the risk analysis process, as compared to other risk analysis methods used for public organizations and major corporations in the Czech Republic.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents in detail the individual steps the authors used in risk analysis of SMEs in the Czech Republic. The method is based on the facilitated risk analysis process (FRAP) methodology and the BITS recommendation. Modifications of both methodologies are described in detail.Findings – To perform risk analysis in the SME sector in the Czech Republic, it is necessary to have a broad portfolio of instruments. Besides using the CRAMM methodology, the authors have created a new method based on combining the BITS and FRAP methods. The advantag...
Childhood immunizations and chronic illness.

A hundred thousand persons, upon the smallest computation, have been inoculated in these realms. The number who have partaken of its benefits throughout Europe and other parts of the globe are inca...
Comparison of four basic models of indirect pharmacodynamic responses

Four basic models for characterizing indirect pharmacodynamic responses after drug administration have been developed and compared. The models are based on drug effects (inhibition or stimulation) on the factors controlling either the input or the dissipation of drug response. Pharmacokinetic parameters of methylprednisolone were used to generate plasma concentration and response-time profiles using computer simulations. It was found that the responses produced showed a slow onset and a slow return to baseline. The time of maximal response was dependent on the model and dose. In each case, hysteresis plots showed that drug concentrations preceded the response. When the responses were fitted with pharmacodynamic models based on distribution to a hypothetical effect compartment, the resulting parameters were dose-dependent and inferred biological implausibility. Indirect response models must be treated as distinct from conventional pharmacodynamic models which assume direct action of drugs. The assumptions, equations, and data patterns for the four basic indirect response models provide a starting point for evaluation of pharmacologic effects where the site of action precedes or follows the measured response variable.
Inverse-scattering view of modal structures in inhomogeneous optical waveguides

To understand the physical meaning of rational reflection coefficients in inverse-scattering theory for optical waveguide design [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A6, 1206 ( 1989)], we studied the relationship between the poles of the transverse reflection coefficient and the modes in inhomogeneous dielectrics. By using a stratified-medium formulation we showed that these poles of the spectral reflection coefficient satisfy the same equation as the guidance condition in inhomogeneous waveguides. Therefore, in terms of wave numbers, the poles are the same as the discrete modes in the waveguide. The radiation modes have continuous real values of transverse wave numbers and are represented by the branch cut on the complex plane. Based on these results, applications of the Gel’fand–Levitan–Marchenko theory to optical waveguide synthesis with the rational function representation of the transverse reflection coefficient are discussed.
The compression model: a re-examination.

Abstract The compression model is constructed by applying the additive hypothesis to the saturating power function (with exponent n). The increment criterion functions of the compression model have plateaus at low adapting intensities and saturate at high intensities. If the criterion level is small, the functions approach a slope of1 − n at low-intermediate intensities and a slope of1 + n at high-intermediate intensities. The compression model can describe response behavior under conditions which do not strongly activate the adaptive processes. Two such conditions are (1) steady adapting backgrounds of low to low-intermediate intensities and (2) flashed backgrounds of all intensities.
Heme oxygenase 1 protects against hepatic hypoxia and injury from hemorrhage via regulation of cellular respiration.

ABSTRACTHeme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is an important regulator of the cellular response to stress and inflammation. These investigations test the hypothesis that HO-1 overexpression protects against hemorrhage-induced hypoxia by regulating cellular respiration and oxygen availability. Male C57BL/6 mice o
Efference, perceived movement, and illusory displacement.

Abstract Implications of the efferent signal associated with voluntary eye movements as a mechanism of perceived motion are reviewed. This signal normally subserves motion perception during pursuit eye movements and is also present when the pursuit is activated to prevent loss of fixation. Such efferent signals are the basis of a number of illusory motion and displacement phenomena. The contribution of efferent motion mechanisms to the oculogyral and apparent concomitant motion illusions is discussed. The phenomenon of roll-induced tilt is analysed in terms of illusory motion and displacement associated with voluntary cyclotorsional eye movements.
A structured population model and a related functional differential equation: Global attractors and uniform persistence

A structured population model of a single population having two distinct life stages is considered. The model equations, consisting of a hyperbolic partial differential equation coupled to an ordinary differential equation, can be reduced to a single, scalar functional differential equation. This allows us to use the well-developed dynamical systems theory for functional differential equations in order to study the dynamical system generated by the more complicated coupled system. A precise relation is established between the dynamical systems generated by each system of equations and a correspondence between their respective global attractors is made. The two systems are topologically equivalent on their respective attractors. These relationships are used to determine sharp sufficient conditions for the uniform persistence of the population.
Language input and acquisition in a Mayan village: how important is directed speech?

Theories of language acquisition have highlighted the importance of adult speakers as active participants in children’s language learning. However, in many communities children are reported to be directly engaged by their caregivers only rarely (Lieven, 1994). This observation raises the possibility that these children learn language from observing, rather than participating in, communicative exchanges. In this paper, we quantify naturally occurring language input in one community where directed interaction with children has been reported to be rare (Yucatec Mayan). We compare this input to the input heard by children growing up in large families in the United States, and we consider how directed and overheard input relate to Mayan children’s later vocabulary. In Study 1, we demonstrate that 1-year-old Mayan children do indeed hear a smaller proportion of total input in directed speech than children from the US. In Study 2, we show that for Mayan (but not US) children, there are great increases in the proportion of directed input that children receive between 13 and 35 months. In Study 3, we explore the validity of using videotaped data in a Mayan village. In Study 4, we demonstrate that word types directed to Mayan children from adults at 24 months (but not word types overheard by children or word types directed from other children) predict later vocabulary. These findings suggest that adult talk directed to children is important for early word learning, even in communities where much of children’s early language input comes from overheard speech.
Recent Advances in the Design of Photodetectors Based on Thin-Film and Nanostructured ZnO

This chapter provides a synopsis of the most recent developments in the field of research and design of optoelectronic sensors and related devices based on nano- and microscale ZnO. It is well understood that in addition to advantages of ZnO as a versatile material, its various nanomorphologies introduce additional benefits for sensor applications in optical communications, chemical and biological analysis, and energy conversion materials. Different types of photodetector device structures and architectures are discussed herein, with a brief review of the growth/synthesis processes to generate them, especially those methods that can be scaled up for mass production and be performed at relatively low temperatures and/or low cost. Most essential device properties and figures of merit—responsivity, spectral selectivity, speed, etc.—are reviewed in relation to physical and chemical phenomena, particularly those occurring at nanoscale surfaces and interfaces. The role of native and extrinsic defects in such processes is discussed in detail. Potential solutions for design challenges and functionality roadblocks are also analyzed in the chapter.
THE CARE AND HANDLING OF MONETARY AUTHORITIES

Sometimes a group of people want to hire some agent (a monetary authority, for instance) to force them to cooperate with one another. This can cause problems, not only of the standard principal-agent type, but also of inconsistency, which appears here as renegotiation. The group faces a conflict between controlling the agent – the agency problem – and controlling themselves – the inconsistency problem. Terms of office are a good way to resolve this problem, and in fact, for people patient enough, the renegotiation problem disappears. This model provides insights into why the public dislikes inflation, why the market for presidents does not clear in Walrasian fashion, and why the controversy about “rules versus discretion” provides no policy guidance.
Digital SCR control box for educational laboratory

A "blue box" has been designed to introduce the silicone controlled rectifier (SCR) to power electronics students. SCRs are useful in many real-world applications, and are conceptually important in a student's understanding of power converters. The box is highly flexible in application, and its internal design is simple enough to explain to students. Experiments are shown, both of the type commonly used in the laboratory and of the type used for demonstrations. The box has also been designed to be suitable for research purposes and line voltage applications.
Effect of Customer-Centric Structure on Long-Term Financial Performance

Firms with a customer-centric structure-an organizational design that aligns each business unit with a distinct customer group-are expected to exhibit superior performance compared to firms that are internally structured. Top executives invoke these customer-centric beliefs when initiating corporate reorganizations. However, a lack of empirical evidence linking these customer-centric structures to better long-term financial performance raises doubts if corporate structure can truly foster customer centricity and better position a firm to satisfy customers and hence exhibit superior performance. The current research addresses this question by using longitudinal data 1998-2010 that links Fortune 500 firms' corporate-level structure to performance. Utilizing a dueling mediator model with allowance for endogeneity in a firm's organizational structure choice, the study reveals that a corporate-level customer-centric structure translates to greater customer satisfaction, but simultaneously adds coordinating costs. Further explaining customer-centric structure's record of mixed success, the benefits of increased customer satisfaction diminish 1 as competitors have already adopted customer-centric structures, 2 in fragmented markets where competitors leave few unique customer needs unaddressed, and 3 in less profitable industries. Ultimately, we show that aligning corporate structure around customers pays off only in specific competitive environments. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2014.0878 .
Quantity of parental language in the home environments of hard-of-hearing 2-year-olds.

Automated analyses of full-day recordings were used to determine whether young children who are hard-of-hearing (HH) received similar levels of exposure to adult words and conversational interactions as age-matched peers with normal-hearing (NH). Differences in adult input between children in this study and in a normative database were considered. Finally, factors were examined that may have contributed to individual differences in the input characteristics of families. Results indicated that the NH and HH groups were exposed to similar numbers of adult words and conversational turns. However, both the NH and HH groups were exposed to more adult words and engaged in more conversational turns than the NH children in the normative sample. Considering only the HH group, both quantity of adult words and conversational exchanges were correlated with children’s auditory characteristics. Children’s receptive language ability was correlated with conversational exchanges but not with adult word counts. Children’s exposure to language during the early language-learning period plays a critical role in shaping their linguistic development. Most children spend the majority of this period being cared for by their family members (Belsky et al., 2007), and parents are key con
Eliminate the Interface

The design of an interface between two systems depends upon the way in which the systems are understood and characterized by the designer. Digital computation and the concomitant understanding of cognition as a computational process allowed the interface to be developed as a surface of contact between two symbol-processing systems. This paper suggests that as embodied, situated and to an increasing degree autonomous artifacts are developed and as cognition becomes understood as a dynamical process that new forms of interface will be required. It is suggested that direct actions in the world are the most robust means of means of communication. This eliminates the interface as an object or artifact of design and concentrates efforts on crafting the interaction that takes place between autonomous agents. Our theories of computation have evolved and interacted with and informed our understanding of cognition. There is a strong tendency to see each in terms of the other. This reciprocal relationship has had a profound impact on the kinds of interfaces that have been developed to mediate between them. Transformations in this relationship will have corresponding implications for the kinds of interfaces that need to be developed and the way in which they are implemented. The shift from computational to dynamical models of cognition has tended to emphasize both the embodiment and situatedness of the agent and to bring the environment into an active role in the cognitive process. Simultaneously, the widespread distribution of embedded processors has allowed a measure of responsiveness and interactivity to be generated from within the environment itself. This condition requires that notions of interface be reconsidered.
Natural selection drives clinal life history patterns in the perennial sunflower species, Helianthus maximiliani

In plants, ecologically important life history traits often display clinal patterns of population divergence. Such patterns can provide strong evidence for spatially varying selection across environmental gradients but also may result from nonselective processes, such as genetic drift, population bottlenecks and spatially restricted gene flow. Comparison of population differentiation in quantitative traits (measured as QST) with neutral molecular markers (measured as FST) provides a useful tool for understanding the relative importance of adaptive and nonadaptive processes in the formation and maintenance of clinal variation. Here, we demonstrate the existence of geographic variation in key life history traits in the diploid perennial sunflower species Helianthus maximiliani across a broad latitudinal transect in North America. Strong population differentiation was found for days to flowering, growth rate and multiple size-related traits. Differentiation in these traits greatly exceeds neutral predictions, as determined both by partial Mantel tests and by comparisons of global QST values with theoretical FST distributions. These findings indicate that clinal variation in these life history traits likely results from local adaptation driven by spatially heterogeneous environments.
Garbage modeling with decoys for a sequential recognition scenario

This paper is concerned with a speech recognition scenario where two unequal ASR systems, one fast with constrained resources, the other significantly slower but also much more powerful, work together in a sequential manner. In particular, we focus on decisions when to accept the results of the first recognizer and when the second recognizer needs to be consulted. As a kind of application-dependent garbage modeling, we suggest an algorithm that augments the grammar of the first recognizer with those valid paths through the language model of the second recognizer that are confusable with the phrases from this grammar. We show how this algorithm outperforms a system that only looks at recognition confidences by about 20% relative.
Using Multiple Measures in the Interpretation of Student Ratings of Instruction.

This study investigated a multiple measurement approach to validating the inter pretation of student ratings of a medical school course. Concerns of priority to students were isolated from the ratings and data on student opinion collected by an open-ended question and student faculty documents. An interpretation consonant with all data was derived. Influences on student opinion, including demographic, academic, and personal characteristics of students, teaching practices, and the instructional context were explored through a comparison of the present class with a previous class. Ratings of the course by the two classes differed in the absence of significant differences in the students or teaching practices. Divergences in the ratings were attributed to changes in the instruc tional context reported in the multiple measures of student opinion. It was concluded that a multiple measurement approach allows greater precision in the interpretation of student opinion than is afforded by ratings alone.