cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fraud victimization and confidence in Florida's legal authorities

Purpose – This study seeks to identify personal characteristics that help to explain variation in consumer confidence in legal authorities' ability to effectively deal with fraud victimization in the State of Florida.Design/methodology/approach – The study uses cross‐sectional survey data from 918 adults who participated in a telephone interview in 2004 and 2005. Univariate statistics are used to describe the distribution of the dependent variable (i.e. consumer confidence in legal authorities). Hypotheses are tested using bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques.Findings – Results show that less than one‐half of respondents (48.2 percent) report that they have either “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence in the ability of legal authorities to respond to consumer fraud victimization. Bivariate correlations show that younger respondents, those with more formal education, recent fraud victims, and individuals inclined to take risks with their financial assets report lower levels of confiden...
Application of dynamic programming to optimizing the orbital control process of a 24 hour communication satellite

Application of dynamic programming to optimizing the orbital control process of a 24-hour communications satellite
Improving the efficiency of protein structure determination from NMR

Abstract Comprehensive computational experiments were performed to evaluate efficiency of the newly proposed combine procedure on protein structure calculations from NMR data. This procedure is intended to combine merits of the previously developed FiSiNOE method with the diana program, widely used for NMR structure calculations. The new version of the FiSiNOE program, FiSiNOE-3 , was developed to determine local conformations of proteins consistent with short-range NMR data (intraresidue and sequential distance constraints and coupling constants). For each residue, the program determines the allowed ranges of φ , ψ and χ 1 torsion angles consistent with the NMR data. The benchmark calculations were carried out on three proteins: bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, crambin and avian pancreatic polypeptide. The results of the calculations obtained by the combine protocol were compared with the results obtained by the standard run of the diana program. The combine procedure allowed one to significantly narrow ranges of the dihedral angle constraints before the structure calculations that, in turn, resulted in more stereospecific assignments. The numbers of βCH 2 groups unambiguously assigned using the combine procedure were significantly greater in comparison with those assigned by the standard protocol. For all three proteins, the use of the combine procedure almost doubled the numbers of unambiguously assigned βCH 2 groups in comparison with standard . The computational experiments clearly showed that the use of allowed ranges for torsion angles obtained by the combine procedure as input data for the diana program provides a higher precision and accuracy of 3D protein structures reproduced from NMR constraints. The combine procedure may be incorporated into any protocol using as input data the allowed ranges of torsion angles consistent with a given set of NMR constraints. Since the combine procedure proved to be effective, reliable and robust, it may be recommended for general use in 3D structure determination of proteins and peptides from NMR data.
Step-Mountain Technique Applied to an Atmospheric C-Grid Model, or How to Improve Precipitation near Mountains

Abstract Starting with Arakawa and Lamb’s second-order C-grid scheme, this paper describes the modifications made to the dynamics to create a C-grid atmospheric model with a variable number of cells for each vertical column. Where mountains exist, grid cells are discarded at the bottom of the column so that the mass per square meter of retained cells is more nearly equal to that of horizontally adjacent cells. This leads to the following chain of causes and effects: decreased mass variations reduce the numerically induced alternating patterns in the horizontal velocity components, which reduce erroneous vertical mass fluxes, which reduce erroneous precipitation. In addition, horizontal flows above mountains are smoother, the Ferrel cell is stronger, and the polar cell is better organized. The C-grid performs geostrophic adjustment best among the gridpoint schemes, being the most sensitive to condensation-released heating perturbations. It also overreacts more egregiously to numerical errors, particularly ...
Validation of placental vascular sonobiopsy for obtaining representative placental vascular indices by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography.

Abstract Objective Placental vascular sonobiopsy has been proposed for obtaining a representative sample of the placental vascular tree when evaluation of the whole placenta is not feasible. We tested the hypothesis that placental vascular indices from sonobiopsy correlate well with those from the entire placenta. Methods Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound examinations were performed in 120 singleton pregnancies at 11–14 weeks' gestation. The VOCAL™ program was used to calculate placental vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI) from stored images of each placenta by whole placenta evaluation and placenta vascular sonobiopsy. The mean of each index from four spherical sonobiopsies were compared to those from evaluation of the entire placenta for their degree of correlation and agreement. Results The mean VI and VFI from the two techniques were similar (13.9 [95% CI 12.3–15.8] versus 14.3 [95% CI 12.1–17.0], p = 0.62 and 6.1 [95% CI 5.2–7.1] versus 6.1 [95% CI 5.0–7.4], p = 0.93, respectively) and significantly correlated (Pearson's r = 0.70 [95% CI 0.60–0.78, p Conclusion Our findings suggest that placenta vascular indices from sonobiopsy have a good correlation with those from evaluation of the entire placenta. Sonobiopsy may be a valid alternative for evaluation of the placental vascular tree when visualization of the entire placenta is not feasible. Measurements of VI and VFI appear to be more reliable than FI in sonobiopsy specimen.
Effects on Palate Development of Mechanical Interference with the Fetal Environment

Operations employing various combinations of amniotic fluid withdrawal and release of the embryo from enveloping membranes were performed just prior to the time of normal palate closure. Observations on subsequent palate development led to the hypothesis that fetal membranes can compress the fetus and cause cleft palate when pressure in the amniotic sac is reduced.
Hypertensive nephrosclerosis: pathogenesis and prevalence. Essential hypertension is an important cause of end-stage renal disease.

On October 14, 1995, Professor A. Raine (St The case for a Guytonian approach to the nephrogenesis of essential hypertension is strong [1–3]. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London) died at the young age of 46 years. He was a fascinating man who combined a Hypertension is not maintained in the presence of normal kidney function untrammelled by inappropririgorous scientific approach with clinical acumen. He excelled in the fields of hypertension research and ate renal vasoconstriction or by non-physiological sodium acquisitiveness. All monogenic disorders disnephrological research. He was an inspiring investigator whose untimely death is mourned by many colleagues in covered to date which cause hypertension lead to inappropriate sodium retention [4,5]. Doubts, howEuropean nephrology. NDT commemorates the outstanding contributions of ever, continue to be expressed about the accuracy of the observation that hypertensive nephrosclerosis our former subject editor in the field of hypertension by a contribution bearing on the major research topic of causes 25% of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the US and 8% in Europe; in this view, at the very least, the late Professor Raine, i.e. the interrelation of kidney and blood pressure. the diagnosis is much over-utilized [6–9].
Computerized lateral endoscopic approach to spinal pathologies

Abstract Spinal surgery is often necessary to ease back pain symptoms. Neuronavigation (NN) allows the surgeon to localize the position of his instruments in 3D using pre-operative CT scans registered to intra-operative marker positions in cranial surgeries. However, this tool is unavailable in spinal surgeries for a variety of reasons. For example, because of the spine's many degrees of freedom and flexibility, the geometric relationship of the skin to the internal spinal anatomy is not fixed. Guided by the currently available imperfect 2D images, it is difficult for the surgeon to correct a patient's spinal anomaly; thus, surgical relief of back pain is sometimes only temporary. The Image Guidance Laboratory's (IGL) goal is to combine the direct optical control of traditional endoscopy with the 3D orientation of NN. This powerful tool requires registration of the patient's anatomy to the surgical navigation system using internal landmarks rather than skin markers. Pre-operative CT scans matched with intraoperative fluoroscopic images can overcome the problem of spinal movement in NN registration. The combination of endoscopy with fluoroscopic registration of vertebral bodies in a NN system provides a 3D intra-operative navigational system for spinal neurosurgery to visualize the internal surgical environment from any orientation in real time. The accuracy of this system integration is being evaluated by assessing the success of nucleotomies and marker implantations guided by NN-guided endoscopy.
Trajectories of premorbid childhood and adolescent functioning in schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses: A first-episode study

Evidence of social and behavioral problems preceding the onset of schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses is consistent with a neurodevelopmental model of these disorders. Here we predict that individuals with a first episode of schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses will evidence one of three patterns of premorbid adjustment: an early deficit, a deteriorating pattern, or adequate or good social adjustment. Participants were 164 (38% female; 31% black) individuals ages 15–50 with a first episode of schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses. Premorbid adjustment was assessed using the Cannon-Spoor Premorbid Adjustment Scale. We compared the fit of a series of growth mixture models to examine premorbid adjustment trajectories, and found the following 3-class model provided the best fit with: a “stable-poor” adjustment class (54%), a “stable-good” adjustment class (39%), and a “deteriorating” adjustment class (7%). Relative to the “stable-good” class, the “stable-poor” class experienced worse negative symptoms at 1-year follow-up, particularly in the social amotivation domain. This represents the first known growth mixture modeling study to examine premorbid functioning patterns in first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses. Given that the stable-poor adjustment pattern was most prevalent, detection of social and academic maladjustment as early as childhood may help identify people at increased risk for schizophrenia-spectrum psychoses, potentially increasing feasibility of early interventions.
Controlled prehension and release in the C5 quadriplegic elicited by functional electrical stimulation of the paralyzed forearm musculature

Functional palmar prehension and release and lateral prehension and release were developed in C5 quadriplegic patients by electrical stimulation applied chronically to the forearm muscles. Percutaneous electrodes were used for stimulation. Graded contraction strength was achieved by both recruitment and temporal summation which the patient controlled voluntarily. generally, the position of either the head or the shoulder was sensed and used as the proportional control source, with on/off and automatic control functions provided by a myoelectric signal. Miniaturized electronic hardware has been developed and is the subject of ongoing clinical evaluation.
Influences of hunting on the behavior of white-tailed deer: implications for conservation of the Florida panther

The effects of deer hunting by humans on deer population dynamics and behavior may indirectly affect the population dynamics and behavior of deer predators. We present data on the effects of hunting on the behavior of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) on the Osceola National Forest, a potential reintro- duction site for the endangered Florida panther ( Felis concolor coryi ). We then use this information to formu- late and recommend testable hypotheses to investigate whether these changes in deer behavior influence pan- ther movements, mortality, and hunting success. We monitored 14 radio-collared deer from June 1990 through July 1991 to compare movement, activity, and habitat-use patterns between the hunting and non- hunting seasons. Mean distance of deer to the nearest road, mean distance of activity centers of diel home ranges to the nearest road, and mean nocturnal rate of activity were greater during the hunting than the nonhunting seasons. During the hunting season, deer avoided clearcuts, young pine plantations (4-10 years old), and other open habitats and preferred swamp and mature pine forests, both of which provided cover. These results suggest that deer responded to hunter disturbance by moving away from roads and increasing nocturnal activity. Although recreational deer hunting may reduce the prey base for panthers, the changes we observed in deer behavior during the hunting season may benefit panthers in the following ways: (1) an in- crease in nocturnal activity and movement away from roads by deer into areas frequented by panthers may increase prey availability for panthers; (2) the movement of deer away from roads may in turn draw pan- thers away from roads, which may decrease the chance of panthers being killed by vehicular traffic or poachers.
Use of the 2.0-mm Locking Reconstruction Plate in Primary Oromandibular Reconstruction after Composite Resection:

OBJECTIVE: To review our experience with 2.0-mm locking reconstruction plate (LRP) system for patients requiring oromandibular reconstruction.STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review of 43 consecuti...
Juvenile hormone regulation of vitellogenin synthesis in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum.

To elucidate the endocrine regulation of vitellogenin (Vg) synthesis in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, the titers of juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids in the whole body of female beetles were measured and compared with Vg mRNA levels. Juvenile hormone levels remained high while the ecdysteroid levels declined steadily during 1–5 days post adult emergence (PAE). The Vg mRNA levels began to increase by the end of 3rd day PAE and peaked by the 4th–5th day PAE. Gene expression profiling by microarray and quantitative real-time PCR analyses of RNA isolated from 1 to 5 days PAE beetles revealed that the genes coding for proteins involved in JH biosynthesis and action, but not those involved in 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) biosynthesis and action had similar expression patterns as the genes coding for Vg. RNA interference (RNAi)-aided knock-down in the expression of these genes showed that both JH and 20E were required for Vg gene expression. However, Vg mRNA was induced by the application of JH III but not by the injection of 20E into the previtellogenic females. These data suggest that JH is required for Vg synthesis in the fat body and 20E influences Vg synthesis through its action on oocyte maturation.
Effects of number of CS-US pairings on the strength of conditioned frustration in rats

Following 45 placements to a wet-mash reward, groups of rats received 0, 10, 20, or 40 frustration-conditioning trials during which primary frustration was paired with the apparatus cues plus a distinctive CS. Other groups received 0, 10, or 20 pairings of primary frustration and apparatus cues alone. In the CS condition, learning of a hurdle-jumping response which terminated the CS was nonmonotonically related to the number of frustration-conditioning trials on the first of 2 test days. Performance increased with the number of conditioning trials up to 20, then decreased following 40 such trials. Among groups which did not receive the CS during conditioning or testing, only subjects in the zero-pairing condition showed evidence of learning. The results were interpreted as supporting the conclusion that conditioned frustration had acquired aversive motivational properties since its effectiveness was found to vary systematically with the number of conditioning trials. It was further concluded that the superiority of hurdle-jumping performance by CS groups relative to NCS groups was the result of both a higher level of frustrative motivation and greater frustration reduction following the response for the former groups.
Grassmann products, cumulants, and two-electron reduced density matrices

Some properties of Grassmann products of one-electron operators and of cumulants and related quantities for two-electron reduced density matrices (2-RDMs) are reported. The results suggest that any physical significance of the Grassmann product plus cumulant decomposition must be based on the physics of the system described, not just on the mathematical structure. The Grassmann product plus cumulant decomposition of the 2-RDM is resolved into components based on unitary invariants. Simple examples using mathematically acceptable but physically unlikely wave functions show that a Grassmann product differing from the usual one may better approximate the 2-RDM, and that the usual Grassmann product, cumulant, and 2-RDM can be mutually proportional.
Emotions, norms, and the genealogy of fairness:

In The Grammar of Society, Bicchieri maintains that behavior in the Ultimatum game (and related economic games) depends on people’s allegiance to ‘social norms’. In this article, I follow Bicchieri in maintaining that an adequate account of people’s behavior in such games must make appeal to norms, including a norm of equal division; I depart from Bicchieri in maintaining that at least part of the population desires to follow such norms even when they do not expect others to follow them. This generates a puzzle, however: why do norms of equal division have such cultural resilience? One possibility is that our natural emotional propensity for envy makes norms of equal division emotionally appealing. An alternative (but complementary) possibility is that deviations from a norm of equal division would naturally be interpreted as threats to status, which would facilitate the moralization of such norms.
Punctal plugs in the management of dry eyes.

Abstract Punctal plugs appear to be a relatively safe, effective, and reversible method of preserving aqueous and artificial tears on the ocular surface to reduce the signs and symptoms of dry eye. An absorbable plug may be used temporarily to assess the effectiveness of this therapy prior to insertion of a longterm nonabsorbable plug (Freeman-type, Herrick Lacrimal Plug®, or Smart Plug®) or cautery. Indications and contraindications for use of punctal plugs are discussed, as are features of various plugs, techniques of insertion and removal, complications, and outcomes.
HALF-LIFE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI POLYADENYLATED LIPOPROTEIN MRNA

In the light of recent evidence that the half-life of bacterial mRNA may be modulated by polyadenylation at the 3' end, we determined the half-life of polyadenylated lpp mRNA, which is an abundant and comparatively stable message encoding a major lipoprotein of the outer membrane. Messenger RNAs were pulse-labeled with [3H] adenosine and poly(A) RNA was isolated at various times after pulse-labeling by affinity chromatography on oligo(dT) cellulose. The amount of lpp mRNA remaining was quantitated by hybridization with the antisense strand of the lpp gene cloned in M13mp18. The observed half-life for polyadenylated lpp mRNA was 12 min. This represents the first half-life measurement for a specific polyadenylated mRNA in E. coli, and is slightly longer than the half-life of total lpp RNA reported earlier. It coincides with the functional half-life for lpp mRNA determined by Inouye and coworkers by measuring the rate of lipoprotein synthesis at various times after rifampicin addition. This suggest that polyadenylated lpp RNA is the predominant and translationally active form of lpp mRNA within the cell.
Determining suspended sediment loads from turbidity records / La détermination des charges en suspension des rapports sur la turbidité

Abstract The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the US Geological Survey are cooperating in several field studies to evaluate sediment control measures used during highway construction. Among the parameters being monitored are suspended sediment concentration and turbidity. Sediment loads are calculated from suspended sediment and water discharge data, but some sediment loads must be determined indirectly because it is virtually impossible to obtain sufficient suspended sediment samples to define all runoff conditions adequately. Sediment discharge-water discharge correlation curves have proved unreliable for streams affected by highway construction, so an alternative method using the turbidity record was developed during these studies. The field data reveal a good correlation between daily mean discharge-weighted turbidity and daily mean discharge-weighted suspended sediment concentration. Turbidity is monitored and recorded continuously, and the daily mean discharge-weighted turbidity is calc...
Personnel scheduling: a systematic approach

In today's society one finds computers being quickly assimilated into every aspect of life. This rise in computer use is reflected in the growth of university computing facilities. User education and assistance as well as site surveillance and maintenance can no longer be provided by a small group of people. At the University of Delaware there are two main sites for the computing community. Consulting services are provided at two locations for more than one hundred and fifty hours each week. About the same number of hours per week are scheduled for site-related services. Employing students has been found essential in providing these services. However, since students' schedules vary greatly and change frequently, scheduling these services becomes a tedious and time-consuming task.
Material hardship and child socioemotional behaviors: Differences by types of hardship, timing, and duration

Child behavior problems are associated with long-term detrimental effects. A large body of literature looks at the association between income and child behavior but few studies examine this association with material hardship, an alternative economic indicator. We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the following questions: (a) Is material hardship associated with child socioemotional behavior and are there differences by developmental timing, (b) Are particular hardships (bills, utilities, food, housing, medical) more strongly associated with child behavior, and (c) Are there differences in the association between short-term and long-term material hardship and child behavior? We find that children in households experiencing material hardship score significantly higher on externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Additionally, we find that a mother's inability to pay bills, experience of utility interruption, and housing instability are adversely related to child behavior. We also find that the association between material hardship and child behaviors is stronger at age 5 and that chronic aggregate hardship has a stronger association with child behavior.
Fiber-optic acoustic-emission sensors and detection

Optical fiber sensors are rapidly emerging as viable alternatives to piezoelectric devices as effective means of detecting and quantifying acoustic emission (AE). Compared to traditional piezoelectric-based sensors, optical fiber sensors offer much smaller size, reduced weight, ability to operate at temperatures up to 2000 degrees Celsius, immunity to electromagnetic interference, resistance to corrosive environments, inherent safety within flammable environments, and the ability to multiplex multiple sensors on a single fiber. The authors have investigated low-profile fiber optic- based AE sensors for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) systems. In particular, broadband optical fiber sensors were developed for monitoring acoustic emission for NDE of pressurized composite vessels. The authors conducted experiments by surface attaching sensors to aluminum compact tension specimens using a piezoelectric transducer as a reference sensor. Both the fiber optic and piezoelectric sensors accurately measured a representative acoustic event. The response of the fiber optic AE sensors were also compared to existing piezoelectric sensors during pencil lead break tests on an aluminum panel. The results indicate that optical fiber AE sensors can be used as highly sensitive transducers in many applications where conventional piezoelectric transducers are not suited.
Disentangling the Effects of Social Network Density on Electronic Word‐of‐Mouth (eWOM) Intention

A widely accepted notion in diffusion literature is that individuals’ word-of-mouth behavior is constrained by the properties of social structures (e.g., tie strength, positions in a network) they belong to. Although many studies have indeed confirmed the existence of such social influence, little is known about how the social structural effects are produced and work at a psychological level. This study attempts to present how one's electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention is shaped by 2 key factors—the valence of product-related information and the social coherence of the communication network in which s/he belongs. To understand the process through which the network structures moderate the impact of information valence on eWOM intention, 2 different moderation processes—a) mediated moderation and b) moderated mediation—were tested in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. The experimental results supported the moderated mediation model, and the implications of the results were discussed.
Health plan effects on inpatient resource use: Some contrary evidence about IPAs

Abstract Individual practice arrangements (IPAs) are a growing source of prepaid capitation health insurance coverage around the United States. Research has shown that network Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) can significantly reduce the intensity of hospital services utilized by patients. The same is not true for IPAs when HMOs are present. The research here provides evidence for equivalent intensity of hospital resource use for patients under fee for service and IPA coverage in a market where IPAs are the dominant form of capitation plan. The analysis is expanded to compare patients covered by government funded service under Medicare and Medicaid as well.
Survey of central line-associated bloodstream infection prevention practices across american burn association-certified adult burn units.

Central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) have a considerable impact on morbidity, length of stay, and potential mortality. The estimated per-case cost of CLABSIs is 56,167, and there is consensus that most are preventable. Publicly reported CLABSI data are also now used as a metric to compare hospitals.There are published guidelines for the prevention of central line–associated infections, but these practices have not been studied in burn patients. Patients with severe burns pose unique and specific challenges and differ substantially from the typical medical or surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patient. Our objective was to assess CLABSI prevention practices in burn units.We identified all American Burn Association (ABA)–certified adult burn centers through the ABA website (http://www.ameriburn.org) and contacted nursing leadership of each burn intensive care unit to conduct a telephone survey of CLABSI prevention practices in March 2012. The survey project was approved by the Johns Hopkins institutional review board.We had 100% survey participation. There was substantial variation among burn units in the number of beds, the mix of patients, and the acuity of patients' illness. Bed size varied from 4 to 38. Eight units stated that their burn unit incorporated a step-down unit or floor-status beds in their bed count. Thirty (58.8%) of the 51 units defined themselves as mixed burn/surgical or trauma units. The percentage of burned patients seen in the burn units varied from 10% to 100%, with 8 (15.4%) of 51 units stating that their census consisted of fewer than 30% burned patients in their burn ICU.
Early and long-term prognostic value of Troponin-I after cardiac surgery in newborns and children

Background: Troponin-I (Tn-I) is a well-recognized early postoperative marker for myocardial damage in adults and children. The present prospectivestudywas undertakento investigatewhether a postoperative Tn-Ivalue higherthan 35 mg/lis ableto predict long-termoutcomeas it does in early postoperative course, after surgery for congenital heart defects (CHD). Materials and methods: Five hundred and twenty patients (median age 11 months; male 54.7%: 284 patients) undergoing congenital heart defect repair on cardiopulmonary by-pass were prospectively updated in our database including postoperative Tn-I values. Seventy of them (13.4%) (mean age 2.6 5.8 months) (70/520) experienced low output syndrome in the early postoperative period. According to the complexity of their malformations, we have arbitrarily divided these patients into two groups: group A included atrial and ventricular septal defects (13 patients), while group B included hypoplastic left heart syndrome, atrio-ventricular canal, transposition of great vessels, tetralogy of Fallot, double outlet right ventricle, truncus arteriosus, total
A new method for the comparison of bone loss measurements on nonstandardized radiographs

A mathematical algorithm was derived which allows comparison of measurements of bone loss from sequential non-standardized radiographs. The same three anatomical landmarks were defined on both a reference and an alternate radiograph. These coordinates were used to compute a transformation matrix which mathematically “bent” the alternate radiograph to fit the reference radiograph in 44 pairs of non-standardized radiographs. Comparison of direct measurements of bone loss in reference and alternate radiographs revealed a mean error of 0.55 mm. This error was significantly reduced to 0.15 mm when direct measurements in reference films were compared to transformed measurements on the alternate radiograph. These data indicate the transformation method may be of value in comparing non-standardized radiographs.
Comparison of 2 models for managing tracheotomized patients in a subacute medical intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To compare 2 models for managing patients admitted to a subacute medical intensive care unit (MICU) who required prolonged mechanical ventilation (≥7 d). METHODS: The subjects were 192 consecutive patients (mean ± SD age 61.5 ± 16.1 y, 52% male, 86% white) managed during alternating 7-month blocks of time by an attending physician in collaboration with an acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) ( n = 98 patients) or by an attending physician in collaboration with critical care/pulmonary fellows ( n = 94 patients). The total observation time was 28 months (14 mo per team). RESULTS: At unit entry, there were no significant differences in age, sex, race, comorbidity, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score, or time of tracheostomy between the patients managed by the 2 teams. Patients managed by the ACNP team were more likely to have required mechanical ventilation due to an acute pulmonary problem (p = 0.005). At subacute MICU discharge, the groups were not significantly different in regard to subacute MICU length of stay, days on mechanical ventilation, or discharge weaning status (p > 0.05). The number of readmissions to the MICU was similar for the ACNP team ( n = 7) and fellows team ( n = 8), as were readmissions to the subacute MICU ≤ 72 h after discharge (ACNP = 2, fellows = 1). Each team had 2 deaths without treatment limitation. CONCLUSION: As hypothesized, management of patients who required prolonged mechanical ventilation with tracheostomy had equivalent outcomes with the ACNP team or the fellows team.
Surface Passivation of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

We developed a model to explain the mechanism of surface state dispersion and passivation for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs and verified it by investigating large signal operation as a function of SiNx thicknesses at different drain biases. The low dielectric constant helps to reduce the parasitic capacitance, and therefore increase gain. We showed that the use of a SiNx/SiO2 stack could provide lower parasitic capacitance and help remove DC-RF dispersion. Such designs will be critical to achieving excellent power performance for scaled AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.
Beyond biomass: measuring the effects of community‐level nitrogen enrichment on floral traits, pollinator visitation and plant reproduction

Summary 1. Nitrogen (N) limits primary productivity in many systems and can have dramatic effects on plant–herbivore interactions, but its effects on mutualistic interactions at the community level are not well-understood. The reproduction of many plants depends on both soil N and pollination, and N may affect floral traits, such as flower number or size, which are important for pollinator attraction to plant individuals and communities. 2. Thus, N may influence plant biomass and reproduction directly as well as indirectly via changes in pollination. The degree to which the effects of N enrichment scale from plant individuals to assemblages through emerging community-level changes in species interactions, like pollination, is relatively unknown. 3. For 4 years, we tested how N addition to subalpine plant assemblages in Colorado, USA, affected primary productivity and species diversity, floral traits and plant–pollinator interactions, and components of female and male plant reproduction. 4. At the community level, we found that high-N addition favoured the biomass and seed production of grasses, whereas low-N addition promoted forb growth, flower production and pollinator visitation. However, using a pollen supplementation experiment, we found no evidence that N addition altered patterns of pollen limitation of seed production. Pollinators distributed themselves evenly across floral resources such that per-flower visitation rate did not differ among N treatments. Thus, individual plants did not incur any extra benefit or cost from community-level changes in plant–pollinator interactions that resulted from N enrichment, and the effects of N on forb reproduction were direct. 5. Synthesis. Understanding how mutualistic and antagonistic species interactions influence individual and community responses to abiotic resources may provide insight to the dominant forces structuring communities and is especially important in the context of predicting the effects of environmental change. In this case, the direct effects of N addition on plants were stronger than the indirect effects mediated through plant–pollinator interactions, thus supporting the concept of bottom-up resource limitation controlling plant response.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTINGENCY MODEL TRAINING: A REVIEW OF THE VALIDATION OF LEADER MATCH

Twelve studies testing the effectiveness of LEADER MATCH, a new approach to leadership training, are reviewed. The training program is presented in a self-paced, programmed instruction manual based on Fiedler's Contingency Model (1964, 1967). Five studies were conducted in civilian organizations and seven were conducted in military settings. The performance evaluations were collected from two to six months after training and in some studies included pre and post measures. The performance evaluations of 423 trained leaders were compared with those of 484 leaders who have been randomly assigned to control groups. All 12 studies yielded statistically significant results supporting LEADER MATCH training.
An Updated Look at Trends in Content and Web Page Design in News Web Sites

This research examined the similarities and differences in format and content on traditional media Web sites. A content analysis of 282 Web newspapers, 112 radio station Web sites, and 128 televisi...
Awakening as a Change Process among Women at Risk for HIV Who Engage in Survival Sex

Women who exchange sex for survival requirements risk exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This grounded theory study was conducted to better understand these women’s concerns, attitudes, and behaviors related to HIV, with the goal of informing prevention research. Interviews with 11 women engaged in survival sex were analyzed. Women described sliding into survival sex as a result of economic crises. Survival sex exposed women to violence, drug use, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV. Mitigating these risks is a process of awakening in which women reconstruct risk and survival and make changes in their behavior. These findings highlight the complexity of the problem of survival sex and suggest interventions to help women protect themselves against HIV.
Urban, Suburban, and Rural: Adolescents’ Use and Preferences for Fitness Promotion Technologies across Communities

Introduction. An understanding of adolescents' use of technology across ages and communities could allow for future targeted obesity intervention strategies. Methods. Focus groups of adolescents from rural, suburban, and urban cities in three states were conducted. Focus groups were led by a trained facilitator to explore how participants used technologies and whether they applied them for fitness purposes. All focus groups were audio recorded and manually transcribed. Analysis was conducted by three investigators using an iterative process. Results. Five focus groups included adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years (20 females and 8 males.) Three themes were derived from our data. First, we found age differences regarding technology applied to fitness. Younger participants described technology as a complement to fitness; older participants viewed technology as a motivator for fitness. Second, differences in fitness approaches existed between rural and urban adolescents. Adolescents in rural communities reported focusing on the outdoors for fitness, while urban adolescents relied on fitness-oriented video games. Both rural and urban teens related having a lack of fitness-focused resources in their communities. Conclusions. Our findings indicate differences in adolescents' application of technology for fitness. Despite adolescents' differing uses of technology across communities, a common need exists to expand their resources.
Biophysical estimation in tropical forests using JERS-1 SAR and VNIR imagery. II. Aboveground woody biomass

Accurate estimates of aboveground biomass in tropical forests are important in carbon sequestration and global change studies. Tropical forest biomass estimation with microwave remote sensing is limited because of the strong scattering and attenuation properties of the green canopy. In this study a microwave/optical synergistic model was developed to quantify these effects to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) signals and to better estimate woody structures, which are closely related to aboveground biomass. With a Leaf Area Index (LAI) retrieved from Japan Earth Resources Satellite (JERS)-1 Very Near Infrared Radiometer (VNIR) imagery, leaf scattering and attenuation to woody scattering were quantified and removed from the total backscatter in a modified canopy scattering model. Woody scattering showed high sensitivity to biomass >100 tonnes/ha in tropical forests. Tree height and stand density were derived from the JERS-1 SAR image with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4 m and 161 trees/ha, respectively. Aboveground biomass was calculated using a general allometric equation. Biomass in secondary dry dipterocarps (Dipterocarpaceae family of tropical lowland deciduous trees) was overestimated. The modelled biomass in mixed deciduous and dry evergreen forests fit better with ground measurements. In mountainous areas with steep slopes, the topographic effects in the SAR image could not be properly corrected and therefore the results are unreliable.
Use of Palliative Radiotherapy Among Patients With Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: Radiotherapy (RT) is known to effectively palliate many symptoms of patients with metastatic non– small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Anecdotally, RT is believed to be commonly used in this setting, but limited population-based data are available. The objective of this study was to examine the utilization patterns of palliative RT among elderly patients with Stage IV NSCLC and, in particular, to identify factors associated with its use. Methods and Materials: A retrospective population-based cohort study was performed using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data to identify 11,084 Medicare beneficiaries aged $65 years who presented with Stage IV NSCLC in the 11 SEER regions between 1991 and 1996. The primary outcome was receipt of RT. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with receipt of RT. Results: A total of 58% of these patients received RT, with its use decreasing over time (p = 0.01). Increasing age was negatively associated with receipt of treatment (p <0.001), as was increasing comorbidities (p <0.001). Factors positively associated with the receipt of RT included income (p = 0.001), hospitalization (p <0.001), and treatment with chemotherapy (p <0.001). Although the use varied across the SEER regions (p = 0.001), gender, race/ethnicity, and distance to the nearest RT facility were not associated with treatment. Conclusions: Elderly patients with metastatic NSCLC frequently receive palliative RT, but its use varies, especially with age and receipt of chemotherapy. Additional research is needed to determine whether this variability reflects good quality care. 2007 Elsevier Inc. Non–small-cell lung cancer, Palliation, Radiotherapy, Utilization.
The Impact of Government Spending on Private Spending in a Two-Sector Economy:

Based on evidence that the dynamics of private spending on durables seem to differ from that of nondurables and services, this article disaggregates the impact of an exogenous government shock into...
Point defect survival and clustering fractions obtained from molecular dynamics simulations of high energy cascades

Evolution of high-energy displacement cascades in iron has been investigated for times up to 200 ps using molecular dynamics simulation. The simulations were carried out using the MOLDY code and a modified version of the many-body interatomic potential developed by Finnis and Sinclair. Previously reported results have been supplemented by a series of 10 keV simulations at 900 K and 20 keV simulations at 100K. Results indicate that the fraction of the Frenkel pairs escaping in-cascade recombination is somewhat higher and the fraction of the surviving point defects that cluster is lower in iron than in materials such as copper. In particular, vacancy clustering appears to be inhibited in iron. Many of the larger interstitial clusters were observed to exhibit a complex, three-dimensional morphology. Apparent mobility of the crowdion and clusters of crowdions was very high.
An investigation of online expert system on neurological diseases

In this paper, we investigate the development of an online expert system on diseases for the benefit of our society using today state of the art technology such as the Internet. We demonstrate an expert system of a medical information database particularly for some neurological diseases. We also plan to present for other diseases with more examples in the near future as well.
Putting the Brakes on Cardiac Hypertrophy Exploiting the NO–cGMP Counter-Regulatory System

We know a great deal about the receptors and signaling pathways in cardiomyocytes that contribute to hypertrophic growth. Although drugs that target them have proven effective in substantially reducing left ventricular hypertrophy and associated mortality, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the West. Another approach may rest with exploiting naturally occurring regulators of maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy that have been identified in the past few years. These endogenous negative regulators can be grouped, for the most part, into those constitutively active but whose activity is decreased by hypertrophic stimulation, and those with little or no baseline activity that are activated by hypertrophic stimulation. Spanning both groups are 4 systems that converge on cyclic guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cGMP) generation, namely natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP), kinins, nitric oxide (NO), and the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2). Although holding promise as a means for restricting hypertrophy, each of these signaling molecules has certain limitations that need to be overcome. What follows is an overview of research over the past 2 years, much of it published in Hypertension, which has dealt with the antihypertrophic action of this particular group of endogenous signaling molecules. Understanding the function and regulation of the antihypertrophic NO-cGMP system offers the promise of novel therapeutic strategies for treating cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
Using Magneto-Inductive Sensors to Detect Tongue Position in a Wireless Assistive Technology for People with Severe Disabilities

We have developed a wireless assistive technology, called Tongue Drive, to enable people with sever disabilities control their environment using their tongue movements. A small permanent magnet is attached to the tongue as a tracer. The magnetic field variations due to the tongue movements are detected by an array of magneto-inductive sensors mounted inside the mouth on a dental retainer or outside on a headset, similar to a head-worn microphone. The sensor outputs are wirelessly transmitted to a PC/PDA, worn by the user on his/her body or wheelchair, to be processed. The PC/PDA classifies the signals and converts them into control commands, which are then communicated to target devices in the user's environment. We have built a prototype Tongue Drive system on a baseball helmet using off-shelf components. Preliminary results showed that our sensor signal processing algorithm can effectively minimize external magnetic interference, and translate different tongue movements into six individual mouse control commands for computer access.
Exploring new opportunities with sum-frequency nonlinear optical spectroscopy

Over the last decade, infrared-visible sum-frequency generation has been devel- oped into a powerful vibrational spectroscopic technique, especially for surface studies. We give here a brief review of the technique and a few recent applications of the technique to liq- uid and polymer surfaces. We also describe how the technique has found unique applications in our studies of surface melting of ice, ferroelectric ice films, and molecular chirality in chi- ral liquids. Doubly resonant sum-frequency generation as surface-specific two-dimensional spectroscopy is discussed.
Strategizing and Planning Recruitment: New Issues for Organizational Decision Makers

This symposium aims to remain at the forefront of innovation in recruitment research by highlighting emerging trends and overlooked concepts in such research. These discussions adopt the perspective of organizational decision makers by addressing issues that impact the planning and designing of recruitment programs. Contributions include discussions on topics of strategic recruitment, the relevance of “Best places to work” certifications, corporate social performance, organizational impression management during recruitment, and the role of hiring managers in the recruitment process. Research on Corporate Social Performance and Employee Recruitment Presenter: David A. Jones; U. of Vermont Presenter: Chelsea Willness; U. of Saskatchewan "Recruitment Research through a Strategic Lens: Where Have We Been, Where Can We Go from Here?" Presenter: Jean Phillips; Pennsylvania State U. Presenter: Stanley M Gully; Pennsylvania State U. Development of an Empirical Measure of Organizational Impression Management durin...