cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased Plasma Concentration of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) and MIF mRNA in Mononuclear Cells in the Obese and the Suppressive Action of Metformin

The objective of the study was to determine whether plasma migration inhibitor factor (MIF) concentration and mononuclear cell (MNC) mRNA are elevated in obesity and whether treatment with metformin reduces plasma MIF concentration. Forty obese subjects [body mass index (BMI), 37.5 +/- 4.9 kg/m(2)] and 40 nonobese healthy subjects (BMI, 22.6 +/- 3.4 kg/m(2)) had their plasma MIF, glucose, insulin, free fatty acids (FFAs) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations measured. Sixteen obese patients and 16 nonobese healthy subjects had RNA prepared from MNCs. Eight obese subjects with normal glucose concentration were treated with metformin 1 g (Glucophage XR; 1000 mg twice daily) twice daily for 6 wk. Eight obese subjects were used as controls. Plasma concentration of glucose, insulin, FFAs, and MIF was measured by appropriate assays. mRNA for MIF was measured by real-time PCR. Forty obese subjects had a fasting concentration of MIF of 2.8 +/- 2.0 ng/ml, whereas 40 nonobese subjects had a fasting MIF concentration of 1.2 +/- 0.6 ng/ml (P < 0.001). Plasma MIF concentrations were significantly related to BMI (r = 0.52; P < 0.001). mRNA for MIF was correlated to plasma FFAs (r = 0.40; P < 0.05) and plasma CRP (r = 0.42; P < 0.05) concentrations. Eight obese subjects had their fasting blood samples taken before and after taking a slow-release preparation of metformin at 1, 2, 4, and 6 wk. The mean plasma concentration fell from 2.3 +/- 1.4 to 1.6 +/- 1.2 ng/ml at 6 wk (P < 0.05). Obese subjects not on treatment with metformin showed no change. During the period of treatment with metformin, the body weight did not change and the plasma concentration of glucose, insulin, and FFAs did not alter. We conclude that: 1) plasma MIF concentrations and MIF mRNA expression in the MNCs are elevated in the obese, consistent with a proinflammatory state in obesity; 2) these increases in MIF are related to BMI, FFA concentrations, and CRP; 3) metformin suppresses plasma MIF concentrations in the obese, suggestive of an antiinflammatory effect of this drug; and 4) this action of metformin may contribute to a potential antiatherogenic effect, which may have implications for the reduced cardiovascular mortality observed with metformin therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
1663 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID DEFICIENCY (EFAD) IN THE RABBIT AS A MODEL OF NUTRITIONAL IMPAIRMENT IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF): EFFECTS ON ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES

EFAD is a frequent finding in patients with CF and has been associated in animal studies with an impaired ability to clear lung bacteria. To determine the specific deleterious effects of EFAD on lung defense mechanisms, a rabbit animal model for EFAD has been developed, and aspects of alveolar macrophage morphology, activation, and response to bacterial stimuli were studied. Results demonstrate that alveolar macrophages from EFAD animals have (1) normal light and ultrastructural morphology, (2) normal stimulated and background production of superoxide anion and the granular enzyme, β-glucosaminidase, and (3) normal phagocytosis of S. aureus (bacteria per macrophage after 1 hr incubation - control 6.7, EFAD 7.9), and a non-mucoid strain of Ps. aeruginosa (bacteria per macrophage after 1 hr incubation - control 4.6, EFAD 4.3). However, impairment of macrophage lysozyme production, both zymosan-stimulated (EFAD 72% of control) and background (EFAD 70% of control) was noted. Likewise, impaired intracellular killing of S. aureus (percent of initial intracellular organisms viable after 3 hrs - control 34%, EFAD 54%) and Ps. aeruginosa (control 18%, EFAD 32%) was observed. Thus, EFAD was associated with decreased alveolar macrophage lysozyme production and impaired macrophage bactericidal activity. These results may implicate essential fatty acid deficiency as contributing to impairment of antibacterial lung defense mechanisms in cystic fibrosis.
Ideals and Quotients in Crossed Products of Hopf Algebras

Let H be a Hopf algebra over a field k, acting on the k-algebra R with action twisted by a cocycle (T such that the crossed product algebra R #, H can be constructed. This paper is concerned with the relationship between the ideals of R #, Hand those of R, and with computing the extended cen- ter and symmetric quotient ring of R #, H in terms of the extended center C and symmetric quotient ring Q of R. Our best results are obtained when H is an irreducible Hopf algebra, or more generally when H is of the form K # kG, where K is irreducible and kG is the group algebra of a group G. Some examples of irreducible Hopf algebras are enveloping algebras of Lie algebras U(L) along with their restricted counterparts u(L) in characteristic
ACHIEVEMENT PREDICTION OF 'HIGH-RISK' CHILDREN

Of 300 kindergarten children in a suburban school system, 62 were identified as possible learning problems on the basis of teachers' ratings and comprehensive test batteries. In considering the different scales in terms of their ability to predict first grade achievement for these children, the best predictors were (a) teachers' ratings, (b) the various number pretests (e.g., Digit Span, Arithmetic), (c) the reading readiness rating derived from the Metropolitan Readiness Tests, and (d) knowledge of letter names. Although many of the tests showed poor predictive value for ‘high risk’ children, this is in no way a comment on their usefulness as diagnostic or clinical instruments for other purposes.
The effect of high vacuum on the low cycle fatigue law

Push-pull fatigue tests have been conducted on several materials at various frequencies and temperatures in air and high vacuum (10−8 torr) and the fatigue life determined in terms of the cyclic plastic strain. In contrast to a changing exponent of the Coffin-Manson law with increasing temperature in air, in high vacuum this exponent is found to remain nearly constant at a value of about 0.5. Further, the temperature sensitivity of this exponent and of life at a specific plastic strain range in high vacuum is slight. Pronounced plastic instability (specimen shortening and fattening) was observed for the ductile metals investigated and crack nucleation was retarded. In all cases crack propagation was transgranular in vacuum. It is concluded that for the materials, temperature, and frequencies investigated, the degradation of fatigue life at elevated temperature is due to environmental enhancement of intergranular fracture. Materials investigated include A286 at room temperature and 593°C, nickel A at 550°C, 304 stainless steel at 816°C and 7075T6 aluminum alloy.
Sputtering rates under solar-wind bombardment☆

Sputtering rates for bodies in earth orbit around the sun estimated from mariner ii solar-wind data
A Competency‐Based Program in Counselor Education

This article describes the evaluation of a competency-based, criterion-referenced, master's degree counselor education program. It discusses the program's philosophy, the procedures for establishing the exit competencies, the assessment of student's competencies, and the decisions based on context, input, process, and output evaluations of the program.
Dexamethasone acts as a negative regulator of epidermal growth factor receptor synthesis in fetal rat lung cells.

125I-Epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding capacity in fetal rat lung cells is decreased by approximately 50% following 24-h dexamethasone treatment. Ligand binding assays identified an average of 30,000 receptors per cell in untreated FRL cells, while analysis of dexamethasone treated cells showed a decrease to about 16,000 receptors per cell. No substantial changes in receptor affinities were detected. Immunoprecipitation of 35S-methionine-labeled EGF receptor protein demonstrated a 50% decrease in total EGF receptor protein after 24-h dexamethasone treatment. Brief pulse labeling with 35S-methionine showed that the reduction in total EGF receptor protein content was due to a decrease in EGF receptor synthesis. Receptor synthesis declined about 25% after 1 h of dexamethasone treatment and at 3 h, EGF receptor synthesis was maximally decreased to nearly 50% that of cells not exposed to dexamethasone. Dexamethasone treatment was also effective in reducing EGF receptor synthesis in cells pretreated with re...
Impact of surface enhancements upon boiling heat transfer in a liquid immersion cooled high performance small form factor server model

The impact of increasing power consumption trends on a global economy with limited resources to sustain them cannot be understated. As worldwide communication requirements expand, data centers will need to be designed more efficiently to not only keep operation costs down for a business' bottom line, but also to be mindful of the world's power availability and resource supply. Therefore, the importance of designing data centers efficiently, but also compactly grows in step with society's power demands. To integrate into this new smarter data center, work has been completed on a small form factor, modular, high performance liquid immersion cooled server model with heat dissipations of over 700 Watts. These high power dissipations were achieved by the integration of enhanced surfaces affixed to the bare silicon die to promote increased boiling performance. The two surfaces tested were a sintered copper microporous heat sink and one that contained a dense array of microscale fins.
A power, packaging, and cooling overview of the IBM eServer z900

This paper provides an overview of the power, packaging, and cooling aspects of the IBM eServer z900 design. The semiconductor processor chips must be supported and protected in a mechanical structure that has to provide electrical interconnects while maintaining the chip junction temperature within specified limits. The mechanical structure should be able to withstand shock and vibrations during transportation or events such as earthquakes. The processor chips require electrical power at well-regulated voltages, unaffected by the ac-line voltage and load current fluctuations. The acoustical and electromagnetic noise produced by the hardware must be within the limits set by national regulatory agencies, and the electronic operations must be adequately protected from disruption caused by electromagnetic radiation. For high availability, the power, packaging, and cooling hardware must have redundancy and the ability to be maintained while the system is operating. This paper first overviews the packaging hardware, followed by a description of the first- and second-level packaging, which includes the mother board and the multichip module. Thermal management is discussed from the point of view of both the multichip module and the overall system. Power conversion, management, and distribution are presented next. Finally, the design aspects involved with meeting the requirements of electromagnetic compatibility, acoustics, and immunity to shock, vibration, and earthquakes are discussed.
Green photoluminescence from platinum(II) complexes bearing silylacetylide ligands.

The synthesis, structural characterization, photoluminescence properties, and density functional theory analysis of three Pt(II) diimine complexes, Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮CR)2 [dbbpy = 4,4‘-di(tert-butyl-2,2‘-bipyridine; R = SiMe3, C⋮CSiMe3, or t-Bu], are presented. The Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮C-tBu)2 complex serves as a carbon-based ligand structure for which the photophysical properties of the two silicon-bearing complexes are compared in dichloromethane. Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮CSiMe3)2 and Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮CC⋮CSiMe3)2 display visible absorptions with strong green emission (λemmax = 526 and 524 nm, respectively) while Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮Ct-Bu)2 displays efficient, long-lived yellow emission (λemmax = 557 nm). Direct side by side comparisons of Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮CSiMe3)2 and Pt(dbbpy)(C⋮Ct-Bu)2 suggest that the difference in excited state energy results from the relative σ-donor strength of the acetylide ligands.
Failure of unitarity for interacting fields on spacetimes with closed timelike curves.

The scattering of free quantum fields is well defined on a class of asymptotically flat spacetimes with closed timelike curves (CTC's), and, at least on these spacetimes, the $S$ matrix is unitary as well. For interacting fields, however, the preceding paper has obtained a set of unitarity relations that must be satisfied by the Feynman propagator if the scattering is to be unitary to each order in perturbation theory. In a globally hyperbolic spacetime, the causal form of the propagator guarantees that the relations are satisfied, but for spacetimes with CTC's, the form of the propagator is altered, and we show that the unitarity relations are not satisfied for interacting fields. We consider the $\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ theory in detail, but the results appear to hold for a wide class of fields. Although a conventional interpretation of quantum mechanics leads to inconsistency, a path-integral interpretation appears to allow a consistent assignment of probabilities to histories.
The effects of dining atmospherics: An extended Mehrabian–Russell model

Abstract This study examined the relationships among dining atmospherics, emotional responses, perceived value, and behavioral intentions, using Chinese restaurants as its research setting. Results of the study revealed that dining atmospherics had significant effects on customers’ positive emotions, negative emotions, and perceived value. Further, both positive and negative emotions and perceived value also influenced customers’ post-dining behavioral intentions. Perceived value not only functioned as the greatest contributor to behavioral intentions but also mediated the relationship between emotional responses and behavioral intentions. Positive emotions and negative emotions had asymmetric effects on perceived value. Positive emotions showed a stronger capability in predicting perceived value. Chinese restaurant managers must utilize the effects of restaurant atmospherics to improve customers’ perceived value of the restaurant and their revisit intentions. Other practical implications are discussed as well.
Development of ceramic hot section components for AGT 100 gas turbine

The development of the AGT 100 gasifier turbine components in structural ceramic materials is described. Development is defined as the complete and iterative cycle from design, analysis, test, and design refinement culminating in successful demonstration of the design requirements. The components are analyzed by a linear elastic probabilistic approach, which involves finite element (3D and/or 2D) simulation of the component combined with a Weibull characterization of the brittle ceramic material strength distribution to calculate a probability of survival for the component in the operating environment. Component test failure investigation has resulted in design modifications, and an improvement in component reliability has been demonstrated. Engine testing (five hundred plus hr to date) continues to assess design/development of structural ceramics.
Simultaneous measurements of permeability and capillary pressure of thermosetting matrices in woven fabric reinforcements

A simple apparatus was designed and constructed capable of measuring the unsteady-state permeability and the capillary pressure simultaneously in a simulated composite impregnation experiment. It was found that the Kozeny-Carman equation used to describe the permeability of composites during impregnation adequately described experimental results for woven fabric preform up to porosity values of 0.5. Above this value, observed deviations were attributed to interfacial effects between adjacent woven fabric layers. For woven fabric preforms made of T-300 carbon fibers, a maximum capillary pressure of 3.7 × 104 Pa (=5.4 psi) was observed at low porosity values. Thus, the capillary pressure may compete with other pressure sources in low pressure processes, such as the prepregging process. The woven fabric preform used in this study is observed to have a permeability similar to a unidirectional fibrous preform along the transverse direction. Furthermore, an existing modeling methodology capable of predicting permeability and capillary pressure through different preforms was found to be valid for fibrous preforms of complex orientation.
Sleep problems in early childhood and early onset of alcohol and other drug use in adolescence.

Background: No prospective studies exist on the relationship between sleep problems early in life and subsequent alcohol use. Stimulated by the adult literature linking sleep problems to the subsequent onset of alcohol use disorders in some adults, we examined whether sleep problems in early childhood predicted the onset of alcohol and other drug use in adolescence and whether such a relationship was mediated by other known predictors of this relationship, namely, attention problems, anxiety/depression, and aggression in late childhood. Methods: This study is part of an ongoing longitudinal study of the development of risk for alcohol and other substance use disorders. Study participants were 257 boys from a community-recruited sample of high-risk families. Results: Mothers’ ratings of their children’s sleep problems at ages 3 to 5 years significantly predicted an early onset of any use of alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drugs, as well as an early onset of occasional or regular use of cigarettes by age 12 to 14. Additionally, although sleep problems in early childhood also predicted attention problems and anxiety/depression in later childhood, these problems did not mediate the relationship between sleep problems and onset of alcohol and other drug use. Conclusions: This is, to our knowledge, the first study that prospectively examines the relationship between sleep problems and early onset of alcohol use, a marker of increased risk for later alcohol problems and alcohol use disorders. Moreover, early childhood sleep problems seem to be a robust marker for use of drugs other than alcohol. Implications for the prevention of early alcohol and other drug use are discussed.
Visual-Semantic Modeling in Content-Based Geospatial Information Retrieval Using Associative Mining Techniques

Automatic learning of geospatial intelligence is challenging due to the complexity of articulating knowledge from visual patterns and to the ever-increasing quantities of image data generated on a daily basis. In this setting, human inspection and annotation is subjective and, more importantly, impractical. In this letter, we propose a knowledge-discovery algorithm that uses content-based methods to link low-level image features with high-level visual semantics in an effort to automate the process of retrieving semantically similar images. Our algorithm represents geospatial images by using a high-dimensional feature vector and generates a set of association rules that correlate semantic terms with visual patterns represented by discrete feature intervals. We also provide a mathematical model to customize the relevance of feature measurements to semantic assignments as well as methods of querying by semantics and by example.
What Teens Want: Barriers to Seeking Care for Depression

This study examined the experiences of teenagers seeking and receiving care for depression from primary care providers. We investigated teens’ perceived barriers in obtaining care to determine how primary care can effectively address depressed teens’ stated needs. In-depth individual (n = 15) and focus group (n = 7) interviews with adolescents were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory and prominent themes were identified. Teenagers reported faring best when providers actively considered and reflected upon the teenagers’ developmentally appropriate desires to be normal, to feel connected, and to be autous. These goals are achieved by providers establishing rapport, exchanging information about depression etiology and treatment, and helping teens make decisions about their treatment. To the extent that providers improve efforts to help teens feel normal, autonomous, and connected, the teens report they are more likely to accept treatment for depression and report success in treatment.
The effects of mycophenolate mofetil on cardiac allograft survival and cardiac allograft vasculopathy in miniature swine.

Background. Chronic rejection, as manifested by cardiac allograft vasculopathy, remains the leading cause of late graft failure in heart transplant recipients. Despite recent clinical trials, the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil in preventing human cardiac allograft vasculopathy remains controversial. We investigated whether mycophenolate mofetil would prevent cardiac allograft vasculopathy and prolong cardiac allograft survival in our well-established miniature swine model of heart transplantation. Methods. Hearts disparate at the major histocompatibility complex class I locus were heterotopically transplanted into miniature swine recipients treated with a 12-day course of mycophenolate mofetil (n 3) or cyclosporine A (n 3). Allograft survival, acute rejection, and chronic rejection were monitored in the two groups. Results. Hearts transplanted with 12 days of cyclosporine were rejected between 46 and 61 days, whereas two of the three hearts transplanted with mycophenolate mofetil remained beating beyond 120 days (p 0.02). At necropsy, there was a 4.9% mean prevalence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in the mycophenolate mofetil group as compared with 16.6% in the cyclosporine group (p 0.03). Cardiac allograft rejection and vasculopathy in the cyclosporine-treated group was associated with prominent myocardial interferon- gene expression, a finding absent in two thirds of the mycophenolate mofetil-treated swine. Moreover, the mycophenolate mofetil-treated swine failed to develop IgM or IgG alloantibodies. Conclusions. A short course of mycophenolate mofetil resulted in a longer allograft survival than a similar course of cyclosporine. Moreover, mycophenolate mofetil reduced the prevalence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy as compared with cyclosporine-treated controls. The salutary effect of mycophenolate mofetil may be related to its ability to decrease interferon- expression in the myocardium and prevent the generation of alloantibodies. (Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:1787‐93) © 2005 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Population-based study of police-reported sexual assault in Baltimore, Maryland.

Abstract Objective To document the population-based incidence of sexual assault in Baltimore, Md, victims' alcohol/drug use, and pre-event circumstances. Methods Between 1997 and 1999, the city's sexual assault treatment center treated 1,038 victims (age ≥ 13 years). Data were extracted from forensic narratives. Analysis was restricted to frequency tables and bar graphs. Incidence was calculated based on 1998 population figures. Results The incidence of sexual assault among females aged 13 years or older was 117 per 100 000. Seventy percent of patients were less than 30 years old. Fifty-three percent tested positive for alcohol/drugs. Two thirds sustained physical or genital injury; 30% sustained both. The most common pre-event circumstances were walking/being followed (27%) and visiting a friend's home (24%). Conclusion This study revealed a high prevalence of physical/genital injury, supporting the call for an injury severity scale for sexual assault and for increased substance abuse counseling and educational/health resources to mitigate sexual assault and offer meaningful response when such crimes occur.
Measuring empathy in healthcare profession students using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy: Health provider - student version

While empathy is commonly accepted as a mutually beneficial aspect of the health provider–patient relationship, evidence exists that many health profession students are unable to demonstrate this important skill. This study, the initial phase of a 2-year longitudinal series, examined measurement properties of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) adapted for administration to health profession students (JSE-HPS version), and investigated group differences of empathy scores in the baccalaureate nursing (BSN) program within the College of Health Professions at a public university in the southeastern part of the USA. The 20-item survey and a demographic questionnaire were completed by 265 BSN students. Correlational analyses, t-test, and analysis of variance were used to examine internal relationships and group differences. Results showed the median item-total score correlation was statistically significant (0.42). The internal consistency of the scale (Cronbach’s coefficient α) was 0.78, falling w...
AXR2 Encodes a Member of the Aux/IAA Protein Family

The dominant gain-of-function axr2-1 mutation of Arabidopsis causes agravitropic root and shoot growth, a short hypocotyl and stem, and auxin-resistant root growth. We have cloned the AXR2 gene using a map-based approach, and find that it is the same as IAA7, a member of the IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) family of auxin-inducible genes. The axr2-1 mutation changes a single amino acid in conserved domain II of AXR2/IAA7. We isolated loss-of-function mutations in AXR2/IAA7 as intragenic suppressors of axr2-1 or in a screen for insertion mutations in IAA genes. A null mutant has a slightly longer hypocotyl than wild-type plants, indicating that AXR2/IAA7 controls development in light-grown seedlings, perhaps in concert with other gene products. Dark-grown axr2-1 mutant plants have short hypocotyls and make leaves, suggesting that activation of AXR2/IAA7 is sufficient to induce morphological responses normally elicited by light. Previously described semidominant mutations in two other Arabidopsis IAA genes cause some of the same phenotypes as axr2-1, but also cause distinct phenotypes. These results illustrate functional differences among members of the Arabidopsis IAA gene family.
Life, Death, and Parents' Opinions in the Intensive Care Unit

To The Editor.— I would like to congratulate Shoo K. Lee et al for their thought-provoking article on the parental attitudes toward very low birth weight infants who have been cared for in their neonatal intensive care unit.1 The authors recognize several limitations of their study: (a) small sample size; (b) exclusion of parents of infants who died in the neonatal intensive care unit; (c) exclusion of single parents. Despite recognizing these limitations, the authors conclude, "Our results indicate that more cognizance must be taken of parental desires in the discussion of whether active treatment should be offered to VLBW infants."
Regional redistribution of myocardial perfusion by UL-FS 49, a selective bradycardic agent

The effects of UL-FS 49, a specific bradycardic agent, on systemic hemodynamics, regional myocardial function (sonomicrometry, percentage of segment shortening), and regional coronary blood flow (radioactive microspheres) were studied in open-chest, anesthetized dogs with severe left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) stenosis. UL-FS 49 was administered as two sequential bolus injections of 0.25 mg/kg. Heart rate decreased from 149 +/- 13 beats/min to 102 +/- 6 and 77 +/- 4 beats/min after 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg cumulative doses of UL-FS 49, respectively. The reduction in heart rate was not associated with any significant change in left ventricular pressure or mean arterial pressure, left ventricular dp/dt, or coronary vascular resistance. Similarly no hemodynamic changes occurred with atrial pacing to the initial heart rate. Application of an LCX stenosis of sufficient severity to produce a 50% reduction in mean LCX blood flow (44 +/- 4 to 22 +/- 2 ml/min) resulted in a significant reduction in the percentage of segment shortening in the ischemic zone (9.8 +/- 1.6% to 6.5 +/- 1.1%). The percentage of segment shortening in the ischemic zone progressively improved to 8.4 +/- 1.2% and 9.4 +/- 0.5% after 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg UL-FS 49, respectively. Subepicardial perfusion in the ischemic zone was decreased and subendocardial perfusion was increased after administration of UL-FS 49. Consequently the ischemic zone endocardial/epicardial ratio increased from 0.43 +/- 0.08 to 1.12 +/- 0.22 and 1.48 +/- 0.32 with low and high doses of UL-FS 49.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Does Transparency Improve Governance

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the potential of transparency—the provision of information to the public—to improve governance in both developed and developing societies. In this article, we characterize and assess the evolution of transparency from an end in itself to a tool for resolving increasingly practical concerns of governance and government performance. After delineating four distinct varieties of transparency, we focus on the type that has received the most rigorous empirical scrutiny from social scientists—so-called “transparency and accountability” (T/A) interventions intended to improve the quality of public services and governance in developing countries. T/A interventions have yielded mixed results: some are highly successful; others appear to have little impact. We develop a rubric of five ideal-typical “worlds” facing transparency that helps to account for this variation in outcomes. Reform based on transparency can face obstacles of collective action, political res...
A Monetary Economist on Power Politics

m HE economist is blessed among social scientists in his possession of a single, simple, and central instrument of analytical equipment, the price system. Ringing the logical changes on demand and supply, and examining the course of prices in the real world for separate commodities and as a whole, he has been able to adduce a string of useful theorems and explain a few of the historical facts of economic life. It is true, as a physicist once explained, that "everything is more complicated than most people think"; but the price system has provided an organizing system of great usefulness, if not a pregnant hypothesis, with which the economist can attack reality. As he views his sister social sciences, the economist continuously finds himself suspecting that there must be similar analytical tools, capable of organization into logical systems deductively, and fitting the data for inductive work. If only there were, for example, a decent measure of "social cohesion" at the family, local, class, national, or world level! It may be his methodological advantage which encourages the economist to wander into neighboring fields. The present essays, by R. G. Hawtrey, are essentially an exercise in international power politics. Jurisdictionally speaking, it was perhaps presumptuous of him first to write them in 1929, when they were given as Lowell Lectures in Boston, and second to bring them up to date. It is clearly presumptuous for an economist to undertake to discuss them, a fortiori outside his own precinct. The first part of the book consists of the essays as they were written in 1929. They remain fresh and pointed in all but a very few respects. Hawtrey's intended emphasis was on imperialism and the struggles between major powers for economic
Evaluation of High-Power Endurance of Bend-Insensitive Fibers

We examined high power endurance of single-mode fibers including bend-insensitive fibers. The bend-insensitive fibers have effective suppression of fiber-temperature increase under tight bending. Trench index profile does not influence on threshold powers for fiber fuse propagation.
Cooperative multi-target tracking via hybrid modeling and geometric optimization

In this paper, we present a stochastic hybrid model of mobile networks able to encompass a large variety of multi-agent problems and phenomena. The model is applied to a case study where a heterogeneous mobile sensor network cooperatively detects and tracks mobile targets in the plane based on intermittent observations. When these observations form a satisfactory target trajectory, a mobile sensor is switched to pursuit mode and deployed to capture the target in minimum time. The mobile sensor network consists of a set of robotic sensors modeled as hybrid systems with processing capabilities. Since the sensors are installed on robotic platforms and have limited range, the geometry of the mobile sensors' field-of-view plays a critical role in motion planning and obstacle avoidance. The cost of operating the sensors is determined from the geometric properties of the network, its workspace and the probability of target detection. Simulation results verify the validity of the developed model and tracking methodology.
Acoustic-to-phonetic mapping using recurrent neural networks

This paper describes the application of artificial neural networks to acoustic-to-phonetic mapping. The experiments described are typical of problems in speech recognition in which the temporal nature of the input sequence is critical. The specific task considered is that of mapping formant contours to the corresponding CVC' syllable. We performed experiments on formant data extracted from the acoustic speech signal spoken at two different tempos (slow and normal) using networks based on the Elman simple recurrent network model. Our results show that the Elman networks used in these experiments were successful in performing the acoustic-to-phonetic mapping from formant contours. Consequently, we demonstrate that relatively simple networks, readily trained using standard backpropagation techniques, are capable of initial and final consonant discrimination and vowel identification for variable speech rates. >
The Delivery of Prostate Cancer Care in the United States: Implications for Delivery System Reform

Purpose: Since health care in the United States is fragmented and expensive, 1 reform option focuses on improving care coordination as in the medical home model. To better understand care coordination in the context of prostate cancer we examined how the delivery of prostate cancer care is partitioned across primary care providers and specialists.Materials and Methods: We identified 105,961 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1992 and 2005 using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data. We assigned all health care for prostate cancer and nonprostate cancer diagnoses by provider specialty across 3 distinct phases of care, including initial, continuing care and end of life. We then identified service types and proportions of care across specialties.Results: Urologists provided most prostate cancer care (45.2%). Radiation oncologist involvement decreased from 27.4% of claims in the initial phase to 5.5% and 5.7% in the continuing care and end of life phases, respectively. Converse...
The pharmacokinetic properties of bifenthrin in the rat following multiple routes of exposure.

BACKGROUND Pyrethroids generally have relatively low oral toxicity but variable inhalation toxicity. The pharmacokinetics of bifenthrin in the rat after oral, inhalation and intravenous administration is described. Pyrethroid acute toxicity via oral and inhalation routes is also presented. RESULTS Groups of male rats were dosed by oral gavage at 3.1 mg kg−1 in 1 mL kg−1 of corn oil (the critical, acute, oral benchmark dose lower limit, BMDL) and at an equivalent dose by inhalation (0.018 mg L−1) for 4 h. At 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 h after dosing initiation, blood plasma and brain bifenthrin concentrations were measured. The maximum concentrations of bifenthrin in plasma were 361 ng mL−1 or 0.853 μM (oral) and 232 ng mL−1 or 0.548 μM (inhalation), and in brain they were 83 and 73 ng g−1. The area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) values were 1969 h ng mL−1 (plasma) and 763 h ng mL−1 (brain) following oral gavage dosing, and 1584 h ng mL−1 (plasma) and 619 h ng mL−1 (brain) after inhalation. Intravenous dosing resulted in apparent terminal half-life (t1/2) values of 13.4 h (plasma) and 11.1 h (brain) and in AUC0–∞ values of 454 and 1566 h ng mL−1 for plasma and brain. Clearance from plasma was 37 mL min−1 kg−1. CONCLUSION Peak plasma and brain concentrations were generally a little higher after oral dosing (by ca 14%). Inhalation administration of bifenthrin did not cause increases in exposure in plasma or brain by avoiding first-pass effects in the liver. The elimination t1/2 was comparable with other pyrethroids and indicated little bioaccumulation potential. These pharmokinetics data allow risks following inhalation exposure to be modeled using oral toxicity data. © 2014 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
ELECTRONIC STATES AND POTENTIAL ENERGY SURFACES OF GOLD AND SILVER TRIMERS

Abstract Multiconfiguration SCF (MCSCF) followed by second-order configuration interaction calculations, MCSCF/POLCI and MCSCF/MRSDCI calculations which included the d shells in the active space (33 electrons) are carried out on both Ag 3 and Au 3 . The MRSDCI calculations included about 400000 configurations. In addition the effects of higher-order excitations and spin-orbit coupling are calculated using Davidson's correction and relativistic CI calculations. Three low-lying electronic states were found for both the clusters namely 2 B 2 (isosceles triangle), 2 A 1 (isosceles triangle) and 2 Σ u + (linear). The geometry of the 2 B 2 (isosceles triangle) was found to be very sensitive to the d-correlation corrections since the 2 B 2 surface is quite shallow near the bent minimum. The apex angles of the isosceles triangles of 2 B 2 and 2 A 1 were both acute. The 2 A 1 and 2 B 2 bent minima were found to be nearly degenerate for both Ag 3 and Au 3 . The final MRSDCI 2 B 2 - 2 A 1 separation which included spin-orbit effects is 0.16 kcal/mole for Au 3 and 0.69 kcal/mole for Ag 3 , the 2 B 2 state being the ground state of both the clusters. The equilibrium geometries predicted by POLCI calculations agree well with more accurate MRSDCI calculations. The spin-orbit coupling lowered the 2 B 2 - 2 A 1 separation by 0.38 kcal/mole for Au 3 and 0.05 kcal/mole for Ag 3 . The Mulliken population analyses and the dipole moments for the two clusters reveal that both the clusters are ionic (Au 3 being more ionic) and the apex atom of the isosceles triangle carries the positive charge for the 2 B 2 state and negative charge for the 2 A 1 state. The gross d and p populations of the metal atom are larger for silver in comparison to gold, while the s populations are larger for gold in comparison to silver.
Using Thesauri in Cross-Language Retrieval of German and French Indexed Collections

For CLEF 2002, Berkeley’s Group One experimented with Russian, French and English as query languages, and investigated thesaurus-aided retrieval for the special CLEF collections GIRT and Amaryllis. Two techniques were used to locate source language topic terms within the controlled vocabulary and replace them with the document language thesaurus terms to form the query sent against the collection index. This form of controlled vocabulary-aided translation is called thesaurus matching. Results show that thesaurus-aided cross-language retrieval performs slightly worse than machine translation retrieval on average, but can yield decidedly better results for particular queries. In addition, Berkeley submitted runs to the monolingual and bilingual (French and German) CLEF main tasks. We found that bilingual retrieval sometimes outperforms monolingual retrieval and postulate reasons to explain this phenomenon.
Vertical structure of convective heating and the three-dimensional structure of the forced circulation on an equatorial beta plane

In this paper, the three-dimensional structure of the thermally forced atmosphere on an equatorial b plane is investigated. Special emphasis is placed on the relations between the vertical structure of heating and the horizontal structure of the forced response. By solving the vertical eigenvalue‐eigenfunction problem in a vertically semi-infinite domain, the authors obtain a complete set of vertical eigenfunctions that includes a single barotropic (external) mode and a continuous spectrum of baroclinic (internal) modes. These eigenfunctions are used to decompose vertical heating profiles for two types of tropical heating: 1) deep heating representing the convective plume (CP) heating and 2) shallow heating representing mature cloud (MC) cluster heating. By examining the spectral energy density of the heating profile, the contributions of each vertical mode (spectral interval) to the overall structure are explored for each case, and the difference between the responses to these two profiles of heating is discussed. A dry spectral primitive equation model of the atmosphere is employed to verify the analytical results. The results from both the analytical approach and the numerical simulations are consistent in showing that the vertical structure of the heating is fundamental to the structure of the forced response. The CP is deep relative to the MC. Thus, the CP projects onto the vertical eigenfunctions of relatively larger equivalent depth more so than does the MC. As a result, the CP-forced signals propagate away from the heat source much faster than those forced by the MC. Hence, when the atmosphere is subjected to the same linear dampings (Rayleigh friction and Newtonain cooling), the spatial (mainly in the horizontal) decay rate of the CP-forced signals is significantly smaller than that of the MC-forced signals, and the CP-forced signals extend farther. To what extent a shallow-water system of a specified vertical mode (e.g., the Gill model) can approximate the three-dimensional response is also examined. Results show that the effective gravity wave speed of the multimode system varies greatly with location. Hence, it is extremely difficult to select a globally suitable equivalent depth so that a one-mode shallow-water system can approximate the spatially three-dimensional structure of the response to a given heating.
Selective Ignorance and Agricultural Research

Scholars working in science and technology studies (STS) have recently argued that we could learn much about the nature of scientific knowledge by paying closer attention to scientific ignorance. Building on the work of Robert Proctor, this paper shows how ignorance can stem from a wide range of selective research choices that incline researchers toward partial, limited understandings of complex phenomena. A recent report produced by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (IAASTD) serves as the paper’s central case study. After arguing that the forms of selective ignorance illustrated in cases like this one are both socially important and difficult to address, I suggest several strategies for responding to them in a socially responsible manner.
A 3D object model for wireless camera networks with network constraints

A new general 3D object model is required in the literature of smart camera networks to facilitate future research. This paper presents a novel hierarchical and structural 3D model description which is well-suited for both events detection and real-time free view-point surveillance. With this 3D model, sparse points are used to reconstruct objects. In addition, the state of the model is easy to track and estimate, which can be used to reduce time and computation when reconstructing the model. Further, data flow in the network is reduced to the level where smart cameras can afford. Concrete data structure of the model is described in this paper and its reconstruction method, fusion method are provided. Finally, experiment results show its feasibility, efficiency and effectiveness.
A Communication Scheme for Defect Tolerant Arrays

In the past several years, the switching time of logic circuits has markedly decreased (Ko et al., 1983). Consequently, long interconnection paths have become a major concern and in many cases the main factor limiting the speed of processors. This is particularly true in the case of array architectures which exploit parallelism to achieve higher performance but require good, often nearest neighbor, communication between the processors.
The McMaster Approach to Families: theory, assessment, treatment and research

The McMaster Approach to Families is a comprehensive model of family assessment and treatment. This paper provides an overview of the McMaster Approach and consists of five major sections. First, the under-lying theoretical model (McMaster Model of Family Functioning) is described. Second, the three assessment instruments of the approach (Family Assessment Device, McMaster Clinical Rating Scale, McMaster Structured Interview of Family Functioning) and their psychometric properties are summarized. Third, the family treatment model (Problem Centered Systems Therapy of the Family) is presented. Fourth, the research conducted using the McMaster Approach is reviewed. Finally, the clinical uses and advantages of the McMaster Approach are discussed.
Mixing it up: more experiments in hybrid learning

This paper is a follow-up to our initial study on offering a hybrid instructional format that combined students from the traditional face-to-face and online environments. During a second term, we were able to draw on our experiences from our previous pilot [1] and refine our mixed format approach. We report both on the setup and the logistics of our hybrid classroom environment, and our experiences and impressions with regard to teaching effectiveness of this approach within the e3-learning framework [7]. Our results this term continue to reinforce our belief that this approach holds much promise as an alternative to the two more traditional instructional modes, online and face-to-face, and that it offers the "best of both worlds."
Evidence that KARRIKIN-INSENSITIVE2 (KAI2) Receptors may Perceive an Unknown Signal that is not Karrikin or Strigolactone

The α/β-hydrolases KAI2 and D14 are paralogous receptors for karrikins and strigolactones, two classes of plant growth regulators with butenolide moieties. KAI2 and D14 act in parallel signaling pathways that share a requirement for the F-box protein MAX2, but produce distinct growth responses by regulating different members of the SMAX1-LIKE/D53 family. kai2 and max2 mutants share seed germination, seedling growth, leaf shape, and petiole orientation phenotypes that are not found in d14 or SL-deficient mutants. This implies that KAI2 recognizes an unknown, endogenous signal, herein termed KAI2 ligand (KL). Recent studies of ligand-specificity among KAI2 paralogs in basal land plants and root parasitic plants suggest that karrikin and strigolactone perception may be evolutionary adaptations of KL receptors. Here we demonstrate that evolutionarily conserved KAI2c genes from two parasite species rescue multiple phenotypes of the Arabidopsis kai2 mutant, unlike karrikin-, and strigolactone-specific KAI2 paralogs. We hypothesize that KAI2c proteins recognize KL, which could be an undiscovered hormone.
Ordering Kinetics and Magnetic Properties in the Pt1co1–xNix Alloy System

Ordering kinetics were measured of various alloys in the order-disorder Pt1Co1–xNix (0 ≤ x<0.5) magnetic alloy system.The kinetics of all the investigated alloys were found to be characterized by an Arrhenius temperature dependence. The associated activation energy as a parametric representation of the kinetics was evaluated as a function of the nickel content. This result was correlated with measured values of the saturation magnetization and Curie temperature of these alloys in both the atomically ordered and disordered states. A strong correlation was discovered between the activation energy and the saturation magnetization of the disordered ternary alloys.