cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality and financial outcomes from gainsharing for inpatient admissions: a three-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Gainsharing is a way to provide incentives to physicians to decrease hospital costs without compromising quality. METHODS: A pay-for-performance program was instituted over a three-year period from July 2006 to June 2009. Baseline length of stay (LOS) and case costs were developed during the year prior to the inception of the program. Best practice norms (BPNs) were established at the top 25th percentile of physicians for each all patient refined (APR)-diagnosis related group (DRG). Hospital costs were analyzed in several areas, including operating room charge (OR), supplies and implants, nursing and per-diem room costs. Payments were based upon case level performance compared to BPN's and the physician's historic performance. Eligible cases included commercial insurance only for the first 2 years but Medicare cases were included after October 2008 resulting from a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved demonstration project. Payments to physicians required meeting quality thresholds, including chart completion, and compliance with core measures. RESULTS: A total of 184 (54%) physicians enrolled into the program. There was a $25.1 million reduction in hospital costs during the 3 years ($16 million from participating and $9.1 million from non-participating physicians, P < 0.01). Most cost reductions were attributed to reduced LOS and reductions in medical supply costs. Total physician payouts were over $2 million (average $1,866 per quarter). Delinquent medical records decreased from an average of 43% in the second quarter 2006 to 30% (P < 0.0001) in the second quarter 2009. Quality measures improved during the study period but not by a statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Gainsharing provided an incentive for physicians to reduce hospital costs while maintaining hospital quality. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.
A Phase II trial of aprinocarsen, an antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of protein kinase C α, administered as a 21‐day infusion to patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND It has been postulated that protein kinase C α (PKC-α) plays a pivotal role in signal transduction in tumor cancer cells. Aprinocarsen, a 20-base antisense oligonucleotide, has shown ability to inhibit PKC-α protein expression and inhibit tumor growth in human xenograft models. In a previous Phase I trial, the authors demonstrated the safety and some evidence of activity in ovarian carcinoma of aprinocarsen administered as a 21-day, continuous, intravenous infusion. METHODS In this Phase II trial, 36 patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma were treated with aprinocarsen at a dose of 2 mg/kg per day delivered as a 21-day, continuous, intravenous infusion. The primary objective was to determine the antitumor response, and the secondary objectives were to evaluate toxicity and to evaluate effects on quality of life (QOL). RESULTS Between September 1997 and December 1999, 36 patients (median age, 58 years) were enrolled in this trial. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: a platinum-sensitive group (n = 12 patients) and a platinum-resistant group (n = 24 patients). All 36 patients were evaluable for toxicity, and 27 patients were fully assessable for antitumor response after 2 cycles of therapy. All patients had received prior treatments. No objective responses were noted in the platinum-sensitive group. In the platinum-resistant group, 1 patient had some evidence of antitumor activity indicated by a decrease in serum CA 125 and stable disease on imaging studies for 8 months. No changes were noted in overall patient ratings for any of the five QOL domains. CONCLUSIONS When it was administered as a single agent, aprinocarsen did not have significant clinical activity in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma. Further study may be warranted in combination with platinum-based regimens. Cancer 2004;100:321–6. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Gladstone's role in the development of stump oratory

Stump oratory, it has been suggested, originated in Gladstone's 1879–80 Midlothian campaign. However, by examining the history of political speaking, both by Prime Ministers and other Members of Parliament, as well as the oratory techniques employed by radicals, one can demonstrate that there was a long history of political and campaign speaking in Great Britain and that Gladstone simply employed extensively oration techniques which had become established earlier in the century.
Quantum search heuristics

An alternative quantum algorithm for combinatorial search, adjusting amplitudes based on number of conflicts in search states, performs well, on average, for hard random satisfiability problems near a phase transition in search difficulty. The algorithm exploits correlations among problem properties more effectively than some current heuristics, and improves on prior quantum algorithms that ignore these correlations.
The Management of Distributed Projects Across Cultures

A model of cross-cultural distributed project management is proposed. The model is based on recent theoretical developments regarding trust and team processes, and suggests that trust relates to cultural differences between distributed members. Trust affects project performance in two key ways: through the traditional view of main effects on performance, and via moderating effects on other determinants of performance in distributed projects. We also use a task characteristics categorization, together with several mini-case studies, to create a set of guidelines for best practices for management of cross-cultural distributed projects.
End Magnets for the NBS-LOS Alamos Racetrack Microtron

Two end magnets have been designed and constructed for the 185 MeV NBS-Los Alamos racetrack microtron. The field has been measured in the first magnet and is uniform over a 0.62 m2 area to within ±2×10-4 at 1 T. The magnet meets all performance specifications. Field measurements are underway on the second magnet. In this paper, design and construction details which play an important role in magnetic performance are described, and the measured fields are compared with calculations.
First person representations need a methodology based on simulation or theory

Although their thesis is generally sound, Barresi & Moore give insufficient attention to the need for a methodology, whether simulation based or theory-based, for choosing among alternative possible matches of first person and third person information. This choice must be sensitive to contextual information, including past behavior. Moreover, apart from simulation or theory, first person information would not help predict future behavior.
THE STRUCTURE OF ORTHODOX UNIONS OF GROUPS

By an "orthodox union of groups", or "orthogroup", we mean a semigroup S such that (i) S is a union of groups, and (it) the set E of idempotent elements of S is a subsemigroup of S. A~y band (idempotent semigroup) is an orthogroup. Every orthogroup S is a semilattice Y of simple orthogroups S (~ e Y), and every simple o.mthogroup is a rectangula~ group", by which we mean the direct product of a group and a rectangular band. But the manner in which the elements of different components S can multiply is extremely complicated. Part of this E is a complexity can be by-passed by assuming that SH. Fantham given band. This is the point of view of P. H [3], who gave an ingenious structure theorem for orthogroups in 1960. An alternative structure theorem was given by G. B. Preston in 1961, but was never published.
Performance comparison of microphone and reflector array structures for real-time and outdoor photoacoustic chemical sensing

Standoff chemical sensing using QCL and photoacoustic techniques recently have been demonstrated at a distance of more than 40 feet. [1]. To operate such a system outdoor, the system needs to be capable of rejecting other acoustic sources in the field. In this work, we experimentally compare two different implementations of acoustic beam forming array systems. One structure uses 4 microphones placing at the 4 foci of 4 parabolic reflectors. The other structure uses an array of 16 (4x4) microphones placing at the focal point of one parabolic reflector. Two acoustic sources were used to represent the signal (at 3kHz) and noise (at 4kHz). By adjusting delays to make sure signals from each phone were added in phase, we can enhance the signal and at the same time suppress the noise source. The measured results are processed in Fourier domain. The signal and noise spectra of the 4 microphone/4 reflector have a combined SNR of 11.48 dB, while the results of 16-microphones/1-reflector have a combined SNR of 17.82 dB. The worse SNR result of the 4-phone/4-reflector system may not simply due to the other system has more microphones. It also because of the average effect of the full reflector area, which can blur the phase of each element and the noise, cannot be cancelled more exactly.
Macrophage expression of active MMP-9 induces acute plaque disruption in apoE-deficient mice

The majority of acute clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis are due to the physical rupture of advanced atherosclerotic plaques. It has been hypothesized that macrophages play a key role in inducing plaque rupture by secreting proteases that destroy the extracellular matrix that provides physical strength to the fibrous cap. Despite reports detailing the expression of multiple proteases by macrophages in rupture-prone regions, there is no direct proof that macrophage-mediated matrix degradation can induce plaque rupture. We aimed to test this hypothesis by retrovirally overexpressing the candidate enzyme MMP-9 in macrophages of advanced atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-/- mice. Despite a greater than 10-fold increase in the expression of MMP-9 by macrophages, there was only a minor increase in the incidence of plaque fissuring. Subsequent analysis revealed that macrophages secrete MMP-9 predominantly as a proform, and this form is unable to degrade the matrix component elastin. Expression of an autoactivating form of MMP-9 in macrophages in vitro greatly enhances elastin degradation and induces significant plaque disruption when overexpressed by macrophages in advanced atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-/- mice in vivo. These data show that enhanced macrophage proteolytic activity can induce acute plaque disruption and highlight MMP-9 as a potential therapeutic target for stabilizing rupture-prone plaques.
The relative importance of plaque and occlusion in periodontal disease

A series of studies has investigated interactions between periodontal trauma and marginal periodontitis in relation to the initiation, progression and treatment of periodontal disease. Lesions of trauma in the periodontal ligament do not initiate the loss of connective tissue attachment characteristic of marginal periodontitis. Studies conducted in squirrel monkeys and beagle dogs in which jiggling forces were superimposed upon an established marginal periodontitis reported increased loss of alveolar bone, but the accelerated loss of attachment which occurred in the dog model did not occur in the monkey model. In order to clarify the relative importance of inflammation and tooth mobility in the treatment of advanced periodontal disease, periodontal responses were evaluated after removing combinations of traumatic and inflammatory components. Elimination of trauma in the presence of existing marginal inflammation did not reduce tooth mobility or increase bone volume. Osseous regeneration and decreased tooth mobility occurred after resolving both components; however, similar findings occurred after resolving inflammation in the presence of continued tooth mobility. After resolution of inflammation, remaining tooth mobility does not result in increased loss of connective tissue attachment. On a clinical level for periodontal disease treatment, the findings place decreased emphasis upon management of tooth mobility and increased emphasis upon resolution of marginal inflammation.
Ketoacidosis occurring in newly diagnosed and established diabetic children.

A 6-y retrospective case note review was performed to determine the causes of ketoacidosis. 135 patients and 463 diabetic years were involved. Fifty-two ketoacidosis episodes occurred: 19 episodes in new patients and 33 episodes in 19 patients with established diabetes. 27% of newly diagnosed patients presented in ketoacidosis. They were similar in terms of age, sex and proportion living in single parent families to those presenting without ketoacidosis. The 33 ketoacidosis episodes occurring in established patients included 12 episodes in 3 children who were transferred to our care because of uncontrolled diabetes. Insulin omission was the cause of ketoacidosis in 9/19 (47%) patients, and was suspected in a further 5/19 (26%). Family and school problems were common and 14/19 patients came from single parent families. Established patients aged > or = 11 y were predominantly female (10F, 2M), whereas patients aged or = 11 y and 6 were female. Families with > or = 2 diabetic children appeared vulnerable, 4 cases coming from 3/7 such families.
The Decentralization of Management Science and the Birth of Self-Starters

In this paper, the authors provide a commentary on current trends in management science. This commentary is based largely on US experience gleaned from published material. This material indicates that the environment of management science is rapidly changing. Personal computers, end-user computing, the information centre, other information system elements and the general competitive state of many US organizations provide significant changes. Opportunities for interdisciplinary activity, through decision support systems, expert systems, strategic planning and material requirements planning, exist even more than in the past. This opportunity for growth may occur through ‘self-starters’. Self-starters are line managers who develop their own management science projects without direction from above or the direct assistance of management science staff. The current environment, the decentralization of management science and the birth of self-starters are discussed, as well as implications of this trend.
Optical Detection of Vacancies Created by High-Energy Radiation in Sodium Chloride

The presence of vacancies created by high-energy radiation in sodium chloride single crystals has been detected by comparing the $F$-center coloration produced by ultraviolet light after irradiation and optical bleaching to that obtained before irradiation. The behavior of the $F$-center coloration as a function of time of irradiation under ultraviolet light after exposure of the crystals to high-energy radiation is different for synthetic and natural sodium chloride. This difference is attributed to the presence of hydroxyl ions in the synthetic crystals which are inadvertently introduced into the lattice during the growth of the crystals in air. The results obtained are the same whether 40-kvp x-rays, 2-Mev electrons, or ${\mathrm{Co}}^{60}$ $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays are used to create the $F$ centers.
Random sampling of skewed distributions implies Taylor's power law of fluctuation scaling

Taylor’s law (TL), a widely verified quantitative pattern in ecology and other sciences, describes the variance in a species’ population density (or other nonnegative quantity) as a power-law function of the mean density (or other nonnegative quantity): Approximately, variance = a(mean)b, a > 0. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed to explain and interpret TL. Here, we show analytically that observations randomly sampled in blocks from any skewed frequency distribution with four finite moments give rise to TL. We do not claim this is the only way TL arises. We give approximate formulae for the TL parameters and their uncertainty. In computer simulations and an empirical example using basal area densities of red oak trees from Black Rock Forest, our formulae agree with the estimates obtained by least-squares regression. Our results show that the correlated sampling variation of the mean and variance of skewed distributions is statistically sufficient to explain TL under random sampling, without the intervention of any biological or behavioral mechanisms. This finding connects TL with the underlying distribution of population density (or other nonnegative quantity) and provides a baseline against which more complex mechanisms of TL can be compared.
On the Relational Perspective

This article describes a new synthesis of social science theory, the “relational perspective,” which is a holistic, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary approach focusing on the phenomenology of personal and relationships as key factors influencing the development of culture and identity in folk and urban societies. Four ideal types (the tribe, peasantbased society, early modern society, and the bureaucratic planning system) are briefly described. Futher, it attempts to illuminate the “urban bias” of modern social science.
Interatomic potentials for atomistic studies of defects in binary alloys

Abstract A description of interatomic forces in pure metals and disordered, substitutional binary alloy systems is developed on an empirical basis. The description is formulated for use in atomistic studies of lattice defects. In both pure metals and alloys the total internal energy is expressed as the sum of two terms: a pair potential term and a term that depends only on the average density of the material. It is assumed that in pure metals all of the cohesive energy is provided by the second term. The empirical parameters employed in the construction of potentials for pure metals are the cohesive energy and elastic constants. For alloys the different atomic sizes and electronegativities of the alloying elements are taken into account, and the potentials are self-consistently adjusted to the enthalpy of mixing for corresponding alloy concentrations. In addition all potentials are required to satisfy the equilibrium conditions governing mechanical stability of the corresponding crystal structures. Reasonable agreement is obtained between calculated dependences of elastic constants on alloy concentration and available experimental data. Several derived potentials for pure metals and alloys are presented, in particular those employed in a subsequent atomistic study of grain boundary segregation. The scheme can be used to construct approximate descriptions of atomic interactions in specific binary systems, or for the construction of model systems in which the required empirical data are taken as variables.
Age-Related Differences in Piracy Behaviour of Four Species of Gulls, Larus

The authors studied the piracy behavior of four species of Larus gulls in New Jersey and Mexico to learn more about the effects of age on piracy behavior. Piracy refers to the stealing of food from another individual and usually involves aerial chasing. For the four species observed feeding at a garbage dump: adults engaged in piracy more often than young gulls, there were no differences in piracy success rates, adult herring and ring-billed gulls were chased less than young of these species but there were no age-related differences for the other two species, and only herring gulls showed an age difference in victim rates with adults being victimized less often than young. Herring gulls were the most frequent pirates although all species were both pirates and victims. There were few piracy attempts on great black-backed gulls. Several measures of piracy behavior improved from September to February in herring gulls: the percentage of food dropped decreased, the victim rate decreased, and victim losses decreased. Ring-billed gulls pirating from starlings foraging on the ground near a dump showed age differences in piracy success for different methods. When provisioned with pre-cut pieces of liver in Mexico, laughing gull adults were more successful than subadults and young. Young were unable to obtain and keep larger pieces. Similarly, young gulls pirated from young rather than from adults. Taken altogether, this study indicates differences in piracy rates, piracy success rates, victim rates and victim losses as a function of age and methods used by some species. Improvement occurred with age and experience.
Reporting Delays and the Incidence of AIDS

Abstract It can take several months, and often years, for case reports of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to be received by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). As a result, the cumulative number of AIDS cases reported by the CDC at a given date may fall considerably below the actual number thus far diagnosed. Methods are described for estimating both the probability distribution of reporting delays and the actual incidence of AIDS. An estimated 62% of AIDS cases are reported more than 2 months after diagnosis, and 17% are reported with a delay of 3 years or more. An estimated 130,000 AIDS cases were actually diagnosed through March 1989, compared to about 91,000 cases reported by that time. There has been an increase in reporting delays during 1982–1989, as well as significant geographic variation in reporting delays. The actual incidence of AIDS is found to be rising most rapidly in nonurban regions and metropolitan areas with less than one million population. A model of AIDS incidence based...
Social and self-perceptions of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized juveniles

The present study assessed the social- and self-perceptions of 71 institutionalized delinquents and 210 noninstitutionalized high school students in an attempt to identify possible differences in these perceptions and address the issue of labeling. Subjects were administered a semantic differential instrument containing scales measuring self-perceptions and the social perceptions of six status groups. The data were analyzed utilizing confinement status (institutionalized vs. noninstitutionalized) and gender as control variables. Results revealed no difference between institutionalized and noninstitutionalized groups in self-perceptions; both were relatively positive. The self-perceptions of institutionalized subjects were significantly higher than their perceptions of problem teenagers and criminals. A variety of additional significant effects are also presented. Possible interpretations of the findings, as well as implications for treatment methodology, recidivism rate analyses, and future research are discussed.
Principles and Techniques of Anesthesia and Analgesia for Exotic Practice

Principles and techniques of anesthesia and analgesia for small animal exotic practice are described. The use of regimens based around inhalation anesthesia are recommended over injectable anesthetics. Techniques of perianesthetic monitoring and support are described and emphasized. The article concludes with a discussion of anesthesia for specific exotic animals likely to be encountered in small animal practice.
Analysis of bauxite by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

Abstract Methods are described for the analysis of bauxite by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy. Bauxite samples were dissolved either in HCl, HNO 3 , and HF at 160°C in all-PTFE bomb or fused with NaOH. Spectral lines were selected after examination of experimental wavelength scans at each potential analyte wavelength. Limits of detection, background equivalent concentration, and analytical figures of merit were established. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by determining 17 elements in NBS-SRM bauxite samples. Silicon in HF solutions was analyzed using a modified ICP torch with a graphite injector tube, an inert nebulizer using PTFE capillary tubes, and a PTFE spray chamber.
Are Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies Associated With Less Off-Label Use of Medications? The Case of Immune Thrombocytopenia

Using data from a large commercial health insurer, we studied prescribing of romiplostim (Nplate) and eltrombopag (Promacta), two drugs for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) for which risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) with elements to assure safe use were initially imposed and then removed. We identified 103 and 117 new users of romiplostim and eltrombopag, respectively. Use was almost exclusively for FDA-approved indications ("on-label") while the REMS with elements to assure safe use were in place. After these elements were lifted, off-label use of eltrombopag among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), a subsequently approved indication, increased. The ratio of incidence rate ratios of off-label/HCV to on-label initiation of eltrombopag between the two time periods was significant (13.41; P < 0.001). Our finding of an association with reduced off-label prescribing suggests that REMS with elements to assure safe use can help promote patient safety but may also prevent promising off-label drug uses.
Unique genome-wide transcriptome profiles of chicken macrophages exposed to Salmonella-derived endotoxin

Macrophages play essential roles in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Bacteria require endotoxin, a complex lipopolysaccharide, for outer membrane permeability and the host interprets endotoxin as a signal to initiate an innate immune response. The focus of this study is kinetic and global transcriptional analysis of the chicken macrophage response to in vitro stimulation with endotoxin from Salmonella typhimurium-798. The 38535-probeset Affymetrix GeneChip Chicken Genome array was used to profile transcriptional response to endotoxin 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours post stimulation (hps). Using a maximum FDR (False Discovery Rate) of 0.05 to declare genes as differentially expressed (DE), we found 13, 33, 1761 and 61 DE genes between endotoxin-stimulated versus non-stimulated cells at 1, 2, 4 and 8 hps, respectively. QPCR demonstrated that endotoxin exposure significantly affected the mRNA expression of IL1B, IL6, IL8, and TLR15, but not IL10 and IFNG in HD 11 cells. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed that 10% of the total DE genes were involved in inflammatory response. Three, 9.7, 96.8, and 11.8% of the total DE inflammatory response genes were significantly differentially expressed with endotoxin stimulation at 1, 2, 4 and 8 hps, respectively. The NFKBIA, IL1B, IL8 and CCL4 genes were consistently induced at all times after endotoxin treatment. NLRC5 (CARD domain containing, NOD-like receptor family, RCJMB04_18i2), an intracellular receptor, was induced in HD11 cells treated with endotoxin. As above using an in vitro model of chicken response to endotoxin, our data revealed the kinetics of gene networks involved in host response to endotoxin and extend the known complexity of networks in chicken immune response to Gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella. The induction of NFKBIA, IL1B, IL8, CCL4 genes is a consistent signature of host response to endotoxin over time. We make the first report of induction of a NOD-like receptor family member in response to Salmonella endotoxin in chicken macrophages.
THE EGGS AND OVIPOSITION SITES OF DIAPHNIDIA CAPITATA (HEMIPTERA: MIRIDAE) ON APPLE TREES

Nymphal and adult Diaphnidia capitata (Van Duzee) have long been recognized as predators of Panonychus ulmi (Koch) and Tetranychus urticae Koch. The eggs and oviposition sites preferred by this species are described herein to supplement available descriptions of the eggs of mirid predators of spider mites.
Phasic excitation of ventral tegmental dopamine neurons potentiates the initiation of conditioned approach behavior: parametric and reinforcement-schedule analyses.

Midbrain dopamine neurons are implicated in motivation and learning. However, it is unclear how phasic excitation of dopamine neurons, which is implicated in learning, is involved in motivation. Here we used a self-stimulation procedure to examine how mice seek for optogenetically-induced phasic excitation of dopamine neurons, with an emphasis on the temporal dimension. TH-Cre transgenic mice received adeno-associated viral vectors encoding channelrhodopsin-2 into the ventral tegmental area, resulting in selective expression of the opsin in dopamine neurons. These mice were trained to press on a lever for photo-pulse trains that phasically excited dopamine neurons. They learned to self-stimulate in a fast, constant manner, and rapidly reduced pressing during extinction. We first determined effective parameters of photo-pulse trains in self-stimulation. Lever-press rates changed as a function of the manipulation of pulse number, duration, intensity and frequency. We then examined effects of interval and ratio schedules of reinforcement on photo-pulse train reinforcement, which was contrasted with food reinforcement. Reinforcement with food inhibited lever pressing for a few seconds, after which pressing was robustly regulated in a goal-directed manner. In contrast, phasic excitation of dopamine neurons robustly potentiated the initiation of lever pressing; however, this effect did not last more than 1 s and quickly diminished. Indeed, response rates markedly decreased when lever pressing was reinforced with inter-reinforcement interval schedules of 3 or 10 s or ratio schedules requiring multiple responses per reinforcement. Thus, phasic excitation of dopamine neurons briefly potentiates the initiation of approach behavior with apparent lack of long-term motivational regulation.
Adult Eucelatoria sp.: response to volatiles from cotton and okra plants and from larvae of Heliothis virescens, Spodoptera eridania, and Estigmene acrea.

The response of Eucelatoria sp. females in olfactometers to test materials was: okra leaves (1.00)> cotton leaves (0.52)> Heliothis virescens (F.) larvae fed okra leaves (0.32)> H. Virescens larvae fed artificial diet and no okra leaves (0.0) = Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) fed cotton leaves (0.0) = Estigmene acrea (Drury) fed cotton leaves (0.0). Direct comparisons revealed that H. Virescens larvae fed okra leaves were about half as attractive as an equal weight of okra leaves and H. Virescens larvae fed okra leaves and artificial diet were 1:6 times more attractive than an equal weight of larvae of the same species fed only artificial diet. This is the first report that a volatile attractant, obtained when the host feeds on an attractive plant, causes an otherwise unattractive host to become attractive to its parasite.
Insight and Interpretation of Illness in Recovery From Psychosis

The concept of insight as it applies to patients suffering from psychotic illness is reviewed. An exploratory study using structured interviews with patients recovering from psychotic illness indicated that the characteristics of insight fell into five main dimensions: (1) views about symptoms, (2) views about the existence of an illness, (3) speculations about etiology, (4) views about vulnerability to recurrence, and (5) opinions about the value of treatment. Some preliminary findings regarding the association of patterns of insight with diagnosis and chronicity of illness, and the implications of these findings for clinical work and for future research, are presented.
STRESS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND HEALTH IN MARRIED PROFESSIONAL WOMEN WITH SMALL CHILDREN

Two hundred married professional women with small children were surveyed to investigate what types of occupational and role-conflict stresses are associated with physical and depressive symptoms, and whether social support could protect individuals from the negative health effects of stress. Six stress indices predicted physical and depressive symptoms, both concurrently and 1 year later. These stresses reflected perceptions of lack of authority and influence on the job, sex discrimination, a heavy work load, work imposing on relaxation, family imposing on relaxation, and overall suffering from role conflict. Social support yielded no stress-buffering effects.
Designing the design process: applying performance evaluation to verification technologies

Verification times for electronic system designs typically require more than half the over-all design effort. With the substantial costs and increasing importance of system verification technologies, determining the best verification strategy, is critical to complex systems design. As a tool to improve the design process, we apply a model to perform tradeoffs between the different types of emulation, hardware acceleration, and simulation verification tools available. The predictive power of the modeling approach is applied to usage scenarios to determine the most appropriate mix of verification technologies to employ in development efforts.
An Analysis of Methods for Quantifying Crappie Recruitment Variability

Abstract We used catch-at-age data from 122 populations of crappies Pomoxis spp. from across the midwestern and southeastern United States to compare two methods for defining recruitment variability: (1) the recruitment coefficient of determination (RCD), calculated from the weighted linear regression of loge(catch at age + 1) on age, and (2) the recruitment variability index (RVI). Ranked values of the RCD and RVI were significantly correlated, which suggests that both indices measured variability in catch-at-age data in a similar manner. The recruitment categories of RCD and RVI agreed 52% of the time or were within one category of each other 89% of the time. Modeling indicated that the RCD and RVI provided theoretically valid measures of recent recruitment variability but were not suitable for assessing long-term recruitment patterns. Ranked values of RCD and RVI were not significantly associated with ranked coefficients of variation (100·SD/mean) in catch per unit effort (catch per trap-net night) of ...
Chiral-Selective Protection of Single-walled Carbon Nanotube Photoluminescence by Surfactant Selection†

We study the effects of adding H2O2 to acid-purified and unpurified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in aqueous suspensions using photoluminescence (PL) and optical absorption spectroscopies. The addition of H2O2 to suspensions of unpurified SWNTs results in a rapid (1−2 h) quenching of the photoluminescence from all tubes, whereas H2O2 addition to acid-purified SWNTs causes the nanotube PL to grow in intensity over a period of several days before decaying in a tube-specific manner that depends on the binding strength of the surfactant sheath. With the appropriate choice of surfactants, the PL for specific acid-purified SWNTs can be protected such that novel mid-gap and phonon-assisted absorption and emission transitions can be observed without the obscuring effects associated with emission from other nanotubes. The H2O2 treatment also results in a reduction of the high-energy absorption background that has been associated with either carbonaceous impurities or the SWNT π-plasmon oscillation. An und...
Deployment of maternal template during early amphibian embryogenesis.

The electrophoretic characteristics of the proteins synthesized during the early stages of Rana pipiens embryogenesis were determined. Very minor quantitative changes were observed in the spectrum of proteins synthesized during development from the unfertilized egg through the 32-cell stage. At the mid- and late cleavage stages, however, a pronounced increase was observed in the rate of synthesis of some proteins which very previously synthesized at relatively low rates. The qualitative features of protein synthesis in early cleavage stage embryos which lacked functional chromosomes resembled control nucleated embryos at similar morphological stages; therefore the translation of maternal template appears to specify the types of proteins synthesized during those early stages of development. In partial blastulae derived from enucleated eggs, the increased rate of synthesis of specific proteins observed in control embryos was not detected. The deployment of specific maternal templates at the blastula stage seems to require the presence of functional chromosomes.
Hepatitis Delta Virus RNA Encoding the Large Delta Antigen Cannot Sustain Replication due to Rapid Accumulation of Mutations Associated with RNA Editing

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains two RNA species (HDV-S and HDV-L), which encode the small and large forms of hepatitis delta antigens (S- and L-HDAg), respectively. HDV-L RNA is a result of an RNA editing event occurring at an amber/W site of HDV-S RNA. RNA editing must be regulated to prevent premature and excessive accumulation of HDV-L RNA in the viral life cycle. In this study, we used an RNA transfection procedure to study the replication abilities of HDV-L and HDV-S RNA. While HDV-S led to robust RNA replication, HDV-L could not replicate even after 6 days following transfection. The failure of HDV-L to replicate was not due to insufficient amounts of S-HDAg, as identical results were obtained in a cell line that stably overexpresses S-HDAg. Also, it was not due to possible inhibition by L-HDAg, as HDV-S RNA replication was not affected when both HDV-L and HDV-S RNA were cotransfected. Further, when L-HDAg expression from HDV-L RNA was abolished by site-directed mutagenesis, the mutant HDV-L RNA also failed to replicate. Unexpectedly, when the kinetics of RNA replication was examined daily, HDV-L was found to replicate at a low level at the early time points (1 to 2 days posttransfection) but then lose this capability at later time points. Sequence analysis of the replicated HDV-L RNA at day 1 posttransfection showed that it had undergone multiple nucleotide changes, particularly in the region near the putative promoter region of HDV RNA replication. In contrast, very few mutations were found in HDV-S RNA. These results suggest that the editing at the amber/W site triggers a series of additional mutations which rapidly reduce the replication efficiency of the resultant HDV genome and thus help regulate the amount of HDV-L RNA in infected cells. They also explain why L-HDAg is not produced early in HDV infection, despite the fact that HDV-L RNA is present in the virion.
Sizing Up The Market For Assisted Living

Assisted living has emerged as an important housing and long-term care option for older Americans. To date, development of this sector has occurred largely without government financing or regulation. In this study we used primary data that we collected on county-level assisted living supply to gain a fuller understanding of this sector nationally. Reflecting their reliance on private resources, assisted living facilities are located disproportionately in areas with higher educational attainment, income, and housing wealth. As this sector evolves, policymakers will have to contend with issues related to access to services, public financing, quality of care, and regulatory oversight.
On cores and indivisibility

Abstract An economic model of trading in commodities that are inherently indivisible, like houses, is investigated from a game-theoretic point of view. The concepts of balanced game and core are developed, and a general theorem of Scarf's is applied to prove that the market in question has a nonempty core, that is, at least one outcome that no subset of traders can improve upon. A number of examples are discussed, and the final section reviews a series of other models involving indivisible commodities, with references to the literature.
Radiation exposure to patients from image guidance procedures and techniques to reduce the imaging dose

Abstract Purpose To compare imaging doses from MV images, kV radiographs, and kV-CBCT and describe methods to reduce the dose to patient's organs using existing on-board imaging devices. Method and materials Monte Carlo techniques were used to simulate kV X-ray sources. The kV image doses to a variety of patient anatomies were calculated by using the simulated realistic sources to deposit dose in patient CT images. For MV imaging, the doses for the same patients were calculated using a commercial treatment planning system. Results Portal imaging results in the largest dose to anatomic structures, followed by Varian OBI CBCT, Varian TrueBeam CBCT and then kV radiographs. The imaging doses for the 50% volume from the DVHs, D 50, to the eyes for representative head images are 4.3–4.8cGy; 0.05–0.06cGy; 0.04–0.05cGy; and, 0.12cGy; D 50 to the bladder for representative pelvis images are 3.3cGy; 1.6cGy; 1.0cGy; and, 0.07cGy; while D 50 to the heart for representative thorax images are 3.5cGy; 0.42cGy; 0.2cGy; and, 0.07cGy; when using portal imaging, OBI kV-CBCT scans, TrueBeam kV-CBCT scans and kV radiographs, respectively. The orientation of the kV beam can affect organ dose. For example, D 50 to the eyes can be reduced from 0.12cGy using AP and right lateral radiographs to 0.008–0.017cGy when using PA and right lateral radiographs. In addition, organ exposures can be further reduced to 15–70% of their original values with the use of a full-fan, bow-tie filter for kV radiographs. In contrast, organ doses increase by a factor of ∼2–4 if bow-tie filters are not used during kV-CBCT acquisitions. Conclusion Current on-board kV imaging devices result in much lower imaging doses compared to MV imagers even taking into account of higher bone dose from kV X-rays. And a variety of approaches are available to significantly reduce the image doses.
Jurors' Evaluations of Expert Testimony: Judging the Messenger and the Message

Jurors are laypersons with no specific expert knowledge, yet they are routinely placed in situations in which they need to critically evaluate complex expert testimony. This paper examines jurors’reactions to experts who testify in civil trials and the factors jurors identify as important to expert credibility. Based on in-depth qualitative analyses of interviews with 55 jurors in 7 civil trials, we develop a comprehensive model of the key factors jurors incorporate into the process of evaluating expert witnesses and their testimony. Contrary to the frequent criticism that jurors primarily evaluate expert evidence in terms of its subjective characteristics, the results of our study indicate that jurors consider both the messenger and the message in the course of evaluating the expert's credibility.
Visual saliency with side information

We propose novel algorithms for organizing large image and video datasets using both the visual content and the associated side-information, such as time, location, authorship, and so on. Earlier research have used side-information as pre-filter before visual analysis is performed, and we design a machine learning algorithm to model the join statistics of the content and the side information. Our algorithm, Diverse-Density Contextual Clustering (D 2 C 2 ), starts by finding unique patterns for each sub-collection sharing the same side-info, e.g., scenes from winter. It then finds the common patterns that are shared among all subsets, e.g., persistent scenes across all seasons. These unique and common prototypes are found with Multiple Instance Learning and subsequent clustering steps. We evaluate D 2 C 2 on two web photo collections from Flickr and one news video collection from TRECVID. Results show that not only the visual patterns found by D 2 C 2 are intuitively salient across different seasons, locations and events, classifiers constructed from the unique and common patterns also outperform state-of-the-art bag-of-features classifiers.
Developmental Association of the Synaptic Activity-Regulated Protein Arc with the Mouse Acrosomal Organelle and the Sperm Tail

In neurons, arc (activity regulated, cytoskeleton associated) is an immediate early gene (IEG) that is rapidly and transiently induced by excitatory stimulation. It is believed to mediate rapid strengthening of signaling structures at activated synaptic sites. Unlike most IEGs, arc does not encode nuclear transcription factor, but an effector molecule that associates with the actin cytoskeleton. Cytoskeletal rearrangements of microtubule- and actin-based networks that occur at activated synapses also take place in similar fashion during the formation of the acrosome, the site of regulated exocytosis at fertilization. In this paper, arc is reported to be highly expressed both at the RNA and protein levels in postmeiotic germ cells in the testis of adult mice. Immunofluorescence studies reveal that arc is first present in the perinuclear region of round, elongating, and elongate spermatids, where it colocalizes with the developing acrosome. In isolated mature sperm, arc is present in the acrosomal region of the sperm head, the centriole region of the neck, and the principal piece of the tail. Arc is lost to varying degrees during sperm capacitation and in acrosome-reacted sperm. Phalloidin staining of mature sperm cells reveals an overlapping pattern of filamentous-actin and arc expression. These results support a role for arc and the actin cytoskeleton in the acrosome formation, the sperm acrosome reaction, and in sperm cell motility.
Mise en abyme et engagement littéraire chez Jean-Jacques Pelletier

Alors que le roman policier (ou d’espionnage), souvent associe a une forme de critique sociale, cherche generalement a maintenir l’illusion referentielle sur laquelle il repose, La Faim de la Terre, de Jean-Jacques Pelletier, offre au contraire une mise en abyme de son fond et de sa forme, par l’entremise d’un personnage d’ecrivain — le bien nomme Victor Prose —, qui reflechit aux possibles manieres de narrer les evenements de la diegese. Ce procede peut etre vu comme la manifestation d’une nouvelle forme d’engagement litteraire, propre a une epoque ou, paradoxalement, le roman se mefie du recit alors meme que la societe, en general, se comprend de plus en plus selon une logique narrative (ou « storytelling »).AbstractWhile the detective (or espionage) novel, often associated with a form of social criticism, generally seeks to maintain the willing suspension of disbelief on which it rests, La Faim de la Terre, by Jean-Jacques Pelletier, offers instead a mise en abyme of its substance and form, through the character of a writer — aptly named Victor Prose — who reflects on possible ways to narrate the events of the diegesis. This process can be understood as the manifestation of a new form of literary engagement, specific to a time when, paradoxically, the novel is suspicious of narration all the while society, as a whole, can be more and more understood according to a narrative logic (aka “storytelling”).
Abortive infection of human cell cultures by a canine adenovirus.

SummaryThe abortive infection of human amnion cells by infectious canine hepatitis virus (ICHV) was studied. Within 48 hr after inoculation, large quantities of complement fixing (CF) antigen were produced, although infectious virus yields were small. Serial passage of ICHV in human cells, with harvests every 48 hr, resulted in a rapid decrease in infectious virus, but a relatively slow decrease in CF antigen production. If the amount of input infectious virus is taken as a reference, calculations indicate that the ratio of CF antigen per infectious unit increased with each serial passage. This phenomenon was most noticeable after the first serial passage in human cells, or when low multiplicities of infection with ICHV were used. Viral antigens and infectious virus recovered from human cell cultures were found to be the result of de novo synthesis. The mechanism of the phenomenon of the nonparallel production of viral antigens and infectious virus in human cells is unknown, but possible explanations are ...
Dermatitis on a Synthetic Ration Adequate for Growth and Reproduction in the Rat

SummaryA specific tail dermatitis is described distinct from that observed in pantothenic acid, pyridoxine or essential fatty acid deficiency. It is suggested that some dietary factor or factors other than the above is involved in the maintenance of normal tail epithelium.