cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sample Size Determination for a 3-Treatment 3-Period Crossover Trial in Frequency Data.

Background:To reduce the number of patients needed or increase the power of hypothesis testing for the parallel groups design, the crossover design has been often employed when one is studying nonc...
ortho-Difunctionalization of arynes by LiZnEt2(TMP)-mediated deprotonative zincation/elimination of aryl triflates

Abstract Generation of arynes from aryl triflates has been achieved using lithium diethyl(tetramethylpiperidyl)-zincate base LiZnEt2(TMP), via a directed ortho-deprotonative zincation and subsequent elimination of the triflate group. The aryne formation has been demonstrated by the cycloaddition reaction with diene and insertion reactions with ureas. Furthermore, the nucleophilic addition of LiZnEt2(TMP) to arynes was observed in the absence of external aryne partners, offering a new cascade strategy for diverse difunctionalization of arynes.
Is there spatial release from listening effort in noise and reverberation

Spatial unmasking of speech in the presence of interfering sounds has been investigated mostly by assessing speech recognition performance (e.g, SRTs or percent correct). Typically, these experiments measure recognition under very difficult listening conditions in which optimal performance (i.e., obtained in quiet) is reduced. For normal-hearing listeners this usually means presenting the signal at low/negative SNRs to avoid ceiling effects. However, such conditions may not be representative of everyday listening and hence the generalization of the results to real-world environments is limited. However, several recent studies have concluded that listening effort may be more meaningful than intelligibility because it can vary across a wider range of SNRs including positive SNRs where intelligibility is at ceiling. Despite this advantage, relatively few studies have examined listening effort in realistic listening conditions. In particular, binaural effects in listening effort have not been systematically i...
Human Dimensions of Climate Change: Cultural Theory and Collective Action

Mobilizing collective action to cope with climate change is difficult at any level, but the larger the ‘community’ the more difficult the task. How to achieve cooperation in the common interest without imposing excessive governmental coercion is a fundamental political conundrum. Using the cultural typology suggested by Cultural Theory (CT), this paper explores diverse worldviews that inform individual and collective attitudes relevant to climate change. Responses from a sample of 441 individuals to statements drawn from the public discourse on environmental issues are used to classify respondents according to the cultural types posited by CT. Analysis indicates that most respondents mix elements of CT's egalitarianism, hierarchy, and individualism, though many individuals clearly lean toward one or another of the cultural types. There seems to be a melding of individualistic and hierarchic elements in opposition to egalitarian elements. Definitions of what is natural, fair and right – of equity – are fundamental issues between cultures, and non-coercive resolution of issues may be promoted by exploring cultural interstices, where cosmological boundaries are weakest. The cultural typology used in Cultural Theory, less spatially or temporally bound than some other typologies, promises to be a useful analytic tool in exploring cultural differences and overlaps.
A COMPUTERIZED GLAUCOMA CENTER DATA BASE RESEARCH RESOURCE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a computerized glaucoma center database research resource. The Glaucoma Center of Washington University is a clinical research facility whose many activities include long-term studies on the natural history of glaucoma-related eye disorders, the evaluation of new drugs and diagnostic techniques, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of various forms of treatment. The application of clinical rules or algorithms is important to the quality of medical care. However, this requires access to the data, a mechanism to uniformly apply the rules, and sometimes a feedback path so that the appropriate action is taken. The Glaucoma Center Registry currently has approximately 1500 records of subjects seen at the center. The Glaucoma Center Registry alone utilizes approximately 2.3 million characters, including overhead. The registries continue to grow quickly, both in the number of records and in the amount of data stored in each record.
Abundance Estimation in a Feedback Control System Applied to the Management of a Commercial Salmon Fishery

The economic benefits to the industry and the biological advantages to management from increasing the accuracy of yield estimates of commercial salmon fisheries were rigorously analyzed more than ten years ago (Mathews1). However, the means to achieve the requisite accuracy and precision in forecasting and harvest control have not been forthcoming. It is possible that the lack of progress is due to the nature of the methods pursued and not to a lack of effort.
Validity and Reliability of the School Counselor Attitude Inventory.

The investigations reported in this article serve a dual purpose. First, validity and reliability data relative to the School Counselor Attitude Inventory (SCAI) are presented for the users of that...
Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism in Women With Suspected Ischemia: A Report From the NHLBI-Sponsored WISE

Introduction:Association of serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms with adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in women with suspected ischemia has not yet been reported. We hypothesized a...
Case study of cognitive expressionism in Pakistani politics: The secret of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s wealth

Abstract. The case study explains the role of cognitive expressionism in Pakistani politics by discussing the example of one of the most popular and persistent political personality of the country. Keywords. Religion, Politics, Cognitive Synchronization. JEL. A10.
Measuring the involvement in family life of children with autism spectrum disorder: A DBPNet study.

Abstract Background Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have social and communication deficits that impair their involvement in family life. No measures of child involvement in the family have been validated for the ASD population. Aim To evaluate the validity of a measure of Family Involvement (FI) of children ages 5–12 with ASD. Method Parents of children ages 5–12 with ASD (n = 114) completed FI items from the PROMIS® pediatric Family Relationships item bank in computerized adaptive testing (CAT) format, as well as measures of ASD symptom burden, parenting stress, and parental depression. Medical record review provided child intelligence or developmental quotient. A reference sample (n = 236) closely matching the ASD sample in age and gender was created from the national standardization sample, and underwent a simulated CAT. Results The CAT precisely and efficiently measured parent-reported FI of children with ASD. Average FI scores were lower among children with ASD (M = 46.3, SD = 7.1) than children in the reference sample (M = 52.5, SD = 9.1). A "dose response" decrease in FI was observed as ASD severity increased. Increased parenting stress was associated with lower FI. No relationship between FI and child IQ was found. Conclusion The FI items captured FI among children ages 5–12 with ASD with acceptable precision. Reduced FI among children with ASD, particularly those with higher symptom severity, suggests validity of the items in this population.
Parent-Based Treatment as Efficacious as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety: A Randomized Noninferiority Study of Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions.

Objective Treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is insufficient in many cases. Parent involvement has been examined to augment child-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), but no studies have compared the efficacy of stand-alone parent-based treatment to CBT. Research implicates family accommodation in the maintenance and course of childhood anxiety. Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a parent-based treatment that reduces accommodation of childhood anxiety. This study compared SPACE to CBT in a noninferiority trial. Method Participants were children with primary anxiety disorders (N = 124; 7−14 years of age; 53% female participants; 83% white), randomly assigned to either SPACE (n = 64) with no direct child−therapist contact, or CBT (n = 60) with no parent treatment. A total of 97 participants (78%) completed all treatment sessions and assessments. Attrition did not differ significantly between groups. Primary anxiety outcomes included diagnostic interview and clinician-rated scales. Secondary outcomes included parent and child ratings of anxiety severity, family accommodation, and parenting stress. Noninferiority margins were determined based on statistical and clinical considerations. Change in family accommodation and parenting stress were examined using mixed models analyses. Results SPACE was noninferior, relative to CBT, on primary and secondary anxiety outcomes, and based on ratings provided by independent evaluators, parents, and children. Family accommodation and parenting stress were significantly reduced in both treatments, with significantly greater reduction in family accommodation following SPACE compared to CBT. Treatment credibility and satisfaction were high. Conclusion SPACE is an acceptable and efficacious treatment for childhood anxiety disorders, is noninferior to CBT, and provides an alternative strategy for treating anxiety in children. Clinical trial registration information Explanatory Clinical Trial of a Novel Parent Intervention for Childhood Anxiety (SPACE); https://clinicaltrials.gov ; NCT02310152 .
Coral Translocation as a Method to Restore Impacted Deep-Sea Coral Communities

Corals and sponges in rocky deep-sea environments are foundation species postulated to enhance local diversity by increasing biogenic habitat heterogeneity and enriching local carbon cycling. These key groups are highly vulnerable to disturbances (e.g., trawling, mining, and pollution) and are threatened by expansive changes in ocean conditions linked to climate change (acidification, warming, and deoxygenation). Once damaged by trawling or other disturbances, recolonization and regrowth may require centuries or longer, highlighting the need for stewardship of these deep-sea coral and sponge communities (DSCSCs). To this end, the sustainability of DSCSCs may be enhanced not only by protecting existing communities, but also repopulating disturbed areas using active restoration methods. Here, we report one of the first studies to explore methods to restore deep-sea coral populations by translocating coral fragments of multiple coral species. Branches of deep-sea corals were collected by ROV from 800–1300 m depth off central California and propagated into multiple fragments once at the surface. These fragments were then attached to “coral pots” using two different methods and placed in the same habitat to assess their survivorship (n=113 total fragments, n=7 taxa, n=7 deployment groups). Mean survivorship for all translocated coral fragments observed within the first 365 days was ~52%, with the highest mortality occurring in the first 3 months. In addition to an initial temporal sensitivity, survival of coral fragments varied by attachment method and among species. All coral fragments attached to coral pots using zip ties died, while those attached by cement resulted in differential survivorship over time. The latter method resulted in 80–100% fragment survivorship after one year for Corallium sp., Lillipathes sp., and Swiftia kofoidi, 12–50% for the bamboo corals Keratoisis sp. and Isidella tentaculum, and 0–50% for the bubblegum corals Paragorgia arborea and Sibogagorgia cauliflora. These initial results indicate differences in sensitivities to transplanting methods among coral species, but also suggest that repopulation efforts may accelerate the recovery of disturbed DSCSCs.
HIV Testing Among Adolescents With Acute Sexually Transmitted Infections.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased over the decade. Guidelines recommend HIV testing with incident STIs. Prevalence and factors associated with HIV testing in acute STIs are unknown in adolescents. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of completed HIV testing among adolescents with incident STIs and identify patient and health care factors associated with HIV testing. METHODS: Retrospective study of STI episodes (gonorrhea, Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or syphilis) of adolescents between 13 and 24 years old from July 2014 to December 2017 in 2 urban primary care clinics. We performed mixed effects logistic regression modeling to identify patient and health care factors associated with HIV testing within 90 days of STI diagnosis. RESULTS: The 1313 participants contributed 1816 acute STI episodes. Mean age at STI diagnosis was 17.2 years (SD = 1.7), 75% of episodes occurred in females, and 97% occurred in African Americans. Only half (55%) of acute STI episodes had a completed HIV test. In the adjusted model, female sex, previous STIs, uninsured status, and confidential sexual health encounters were associated with decreased odds of HIV testing. Patients enrolled in primary care at the clinics, compared with those receiving sexual health care alone, and those with multipathogen STI diagnoses were more likely to have HIV testing. CONCLUSIONS: HIV testing rates among adolescents with acute STIs are suboptimal. Patient and health care factors were found to be associated with receipt of testing and should be considered in clinical practice.
Data Science for Wind Energy

The world demand for energy is steadily increasing but the contributions of energy sources are continuously changing. There are several trends in energy development among the trends is change in en...
Model Based Predictive Control for the Tow-Placement Technique

Automated thermoplastic tow-placement is a non-autoclave, composite manufacturing technique developed for aerospace structures where processing of high temperature composites is required. It promises improved and reliable final part quality as well as cost reduction using an automated robot system. At the Center for Composite Materials a lab-scale workcell consists of an ABB robot, a tow-placement head and an AGEMA thermal camera where process models and control systems can be developed and validated.
Adaptation or Death? Bookstore Chains Meet Online Competition

E-commerce is the fastest growing subsector within retail trade, yet the exact nature of competition between physical stores and the online channel is thinly studied empirically. Following a period of rapid growth, national aggregate establishment counts for the bookstore industry declined by over 40% between 1994 to 2012. I measure the differential effect of online competition on brick-and-mortar bookstores, using unique establishment-level data between 1987 to 2012 combined with measures of e-commerce levels from Forrester Research’s Technographics Survey. To trace out the impact of e-commerce, I exploit geographic and temporal variation in the level of online activities. I find that online competition has a larger negative effect on large chain stores than on single-unit stores. Furthermore, bookstores that were the most insulated from online competition are precisely the stores that sell a wide array of products outside of books, such as food, gift cards, and clothing. In response to surging online competition, stores have expanded their non-book product offerings over time. However, the largest bookstores chains were still most negatively impacted given that they were relative inefficient at non-book retailing. I develop a dynamic oligopoly model of the bookstore industry to quantify the effect of online retail on equilibrium market structure. One implication of the model is that the rise of online competition has disproportionately reduced long-run profitability for the large chains by over 30 % in the last time period of study, despite their non-book presence increasing the most over time.
Referral of Pediatric Patients with Isolated Fractures to a Tertiary Children's Hospital Who Did Not Require Emergent Intervention

Background: Pediatric orthopedic injuries are a common reason to transfer a patient to a pediatric emergency department (ED) from another healthcare facility. Studies have shown that children with orthopedic injuries who are transferred to tertiary children’s hospitals are often managed without any acute interventions, resulting in additional costs and utilization of resources. No studies to date have looked at which injury patterns result in interfacility transfers in pediatric patients in which there is no acute intervention. The aim of this study was to identify pediatric injury patterns that result …
15.3 A 65nm 3T Dynamic Analog RAM-Based Computing-in-Memory Macro and CNN Accelerator with Retention Enhancement, Adaptive Analog Sparsity and 44TOPS/W System Energy Efficiency

Computing-In-Memory (CIM) techniques which incorporate analog computing inside memory macros have shown significant advantages in computing efficiency for deep learning applications. While earlier CIM macros were limited by lower bit precision, e.g. binary weights in [1], recent works have shown 4-to-8b precision for the weights/inputs and up to 20b for the output values [2], [3]. Sparsity and application features have also been exploited at the system level to further improve the computation efficiency [4], [5]. To enable higher precision, bit-wise operations were commonly utilized [3], [4]. However, there are limitations in existing solutions using the bit-wise operations with SRAM cells. Fig. 15.3.1 shows the summary of challenges and solutions in this work. First, all existing solutions utilize 6T/8T/10T SRAM as a CIM cell, which fundamentally limits the size of the CIM array. In this work, we replace the commonly used SRAM cell with a 3-transistor (3T) analog memory cell, referred as dynamic-analog-RAM (DARAM) which represents a 4b weight value as an analog voltage. This leads to $\sim 10 \times$ reduction in transistor count and achieves an effective CIM single-bit area smaller than the foundry-supplied 6T SRAM cell. Secondly, as no bit-wise calculation is needed in this work, only single-phase MAC operations are performed, removing the throughput degradation associated with previous multi-phase approaches and digital accumulation in [3], [4]. Furthermore, analog linearity issues are mitigated by highly linear time-based activation, removal of matching requirements for critical multi-bit caps [4], [6], and a special read current compensation technique. Thirdly, to mitigate the power bottleneck of ADC or SA, this work applies analog sparsity-based low-power methods, which include a compute-adaptive ADC skipping operation when the analog MAC value is small (or “sparse”) and a special weight-shifting technique, leading to an additional $\sim 2 \times$ reduction in CIM-macro power. We demonstrate the proposed techniques using a 65nm CIM-based CNN accelerator showing state-of-art energy efficiency.
Impact of Age on Consent in a Geriatric Orthopaedic Trauma Patient Population.

Introduction:Persistent misconceptions of frailty and dementia in geriatric patients impact physician-patient communication and leave patients vulnerable to disempowerment. Physicians may inappropr...
Priority-Aware Scheduling under Shared-Resource Contention on Chip Multicore Processors

In this paper, we present a priority-aware scheduling methodology for concurrent application execution on chip multi-core processors. Our methodology improves the performance of up to 4 high-priority applications while also preventing resource starvation for low-priority ones by means of progress-aware scheduling. We compare our results with Linux's completely fair scheduler and two state-of-the-art progress aware schedulers. Experimental results on an Intel Xeon Gold 6130 CPU demonstrate an average increase in high-priority application performance of 36.4% over Linux while also maintaining high throughput for low-priority applications. In addition, we show that our methodology achieves high-priority application performance comparable to a state-of-the-art hardware cache partitioning method (Intel's POCAT). Our method achieves average performance within 14.5% to 0.2% of POCAT without the need for hardware support.
Am I Ready to Get Feedback? A Taxonomy of Factors Creators Consider Before Seeking Feedback on In-Progress Creative Work

Receiving feedback on preliminary work allows content creators to gain insight and improve outcomes. However, many creators only share in-progress work at late stages of the creative process and lose opportunities to address conceptual issues in the work. To contribute to the base of knowledge of factors that shape one’s decision to seek feedback on their work, we conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with creators in product, interaction and graphic design domains. The results yielded a taxonomy of process-related, social, and cognitive factors that affected a creator’s choice to seek feedback. Next, we administered a survey to quantify the prevalence of these factors at different design stages and for different levels of expertise. Our results show feedback strategy varies by expertise—experts are more likely to create personal deadlines to seek feedback than novices—and by stage. At the early stage, creators sought feedback when testing multiple alternatives. At the late stage, creators are most likely to consider revision granularity prior to seeking feedback. We demonstrate future possibilities for new features in creativity tools through speculative design sketches motivated by our findings.
Improving Discharge Phone Call Compliance

Introduction The immediate period following a hospitalization is a vulnerable time for patients. Discharge phone calls are an outlet for post-operative patients to express concerns related to their hospitalization and care. Identification of the problem An area of opportunity was identified with discharge phone call compliance. A singular nurse had been designated to complete discharge phone calls but was often reassigned to provide patient care. Discharge phone call compliance was low and/or made several days following discharge. Post-operative patients were asking, “Why were they receiving a follow up call so many days later?” QI question/Purpose of the study To improve overall patient satisfaction and experience resulting in the ability to address immediate post-operative concerns. Methods Every nurse was asked to complete three discharge phone calls per shift. Daily broadcasts via inter-hospital communication were used as a reminder. Weekly data was posted for the team showing our unit compliance and individual's compliance in completing their three calls. During our daily huddles, shout outs were made for individuals who completed the most phone calls. Outcomes/Results Nurses were observed being proactive in completing discharge phone calls every shift. Team leaders were reminding staff to complete their discharge phone calls instead of reminders from management. The completion rate of discharge phone calls have increased following implementation resulting in a 100% attempt rate of calls to patients in comparison to the 64% attempt rate pre-intervention. Secondly, our patient experience was improved, evident by our Outpatient and Ambulatory Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) scores for “information regarding recovery”. Pre-intervention results were 78% and post intervention results were 87%. Discussion Providing staff with caller statistics during daily team huddles contributed to overall success. Limitations included the workflow of the PACU such as patient flow, number of cases per day, staffing, and unpredictable factors relating to patient care. Conclusion It was founded that by providing staff education and daily reminders, this greatly improved staff compliance. Ultimately, patient overall satisfaction and experience scores improved. Implications for perianesthesia nurses and future research The ability to address concerns is vital in overall patient care and well-being. Interacting with patients post-operatively is essential and should continue to be assessed and evaluated for areas of opportunity for improvement.
Ernst Rüdin's, 1911 vision of a Mendelian psychiatric genetics research program: His paper "Methods and goals of family research in psychiatry".

While working under Kraepelin in Munich, Ernst Rudin, a Swiss-born Psychiatrist, at the age of 26, outlined in a 1911 98-page article, a detailed plan for a future Mendelian-informed family research program for psychiatry. Rudin would go on to head the Department of Genealogical and Demographic Studies at Kraepelin's Research Institute which became one of the world's leading programs in psychiatric genetics. I here summarize this article, providing a complete translation online. Rudin's review outlined a paradigm shift in psychiatric genetics research moving from calculations of aggregate hereditary burden, as they applied to the proband, to examining patterns of transmission within family pedigrees which involved careful individual assessments of relatives. He references widely clinical and statistical genetic studies, many focusing on the newly discovered Mendelian laws. However, Rudin was no genetic reductionist but recognized the contribution of environmental risk factors to psychiatric illness arguing that they should be studied as part of a comprehensive research program. As a committed eugenicist, Rudin also explored the implications of such a program for "racial hygiene." Rudin's contributions should be viewed in the context of his extensive collaboration from 1933 to 1945 with the National Socialists and his support for their eugenics program, including involuntary sterilizations.
Bubble Behavior in a Vertically Vibrating Enclosed, Liquid-Filled Cylinder

When subjected to certain harmonic oscillations, the gas bubble in a partially liquid-filled, closed, vertical cylinder will break up. Under certain conditions, some of the gas will migrate to the ...
SU‐E‐T‐372: Evaluation and Comparison of Second‐Check Monitor Unit Calculation Software with Pinnacle Treatment Planning System

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of dose calculation algorithms in the second check software programs Radcalc, Diamond, IMSure, and MUcheck, against the Pinnacle3 treatment planning system (TPS). Methods: Baseline accuracy of the second check software was established by comparison against Pinnacle TPS data using open square fields of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40cm in a SAD setup. 18 previously treated patients’ files were exported from the Pinnacle3 TPS to each of the four second check softwares, consisting of 146 step and shoot intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) beams and 60 Smart Arcs. Monitor unit (MU) calculated in each of the software were compared with the TPS and the values were represented as a percent difference. Open fields were calculated as a baseline for each software’s accuracy using 5×5, 10×10, 20×20, 30×30, and 40×40 fields. Box plots, Pearson correlation, and Bland-Altman analysis were used for comparison of the results. Results: The baseline accuracy was established to within 0.6%, −1.4%, −0.2%, and −1.0% for Diamond, IMSure,MUcheck, and Radcalc, respectively. In the clinical data, the dose difference represented as mean ± 1 standard deviation were 0.7%±0.1%, −0.3%±0.1%, −1.5%±0.1%, and 0.4%±0.0% for Diamond, IMSure, MUcheck, and Radcalc, respectively Conclusion: The implementation of Clarkson algorithm for the dose calculation between each of the software in question can vary considerably. The currently used second check software, Radcalc has shown the best agreement on average, variance, and smallest percent range from Pinnacle3 TPS values. The closest in average percent difference from the TPS data was the IMSure software, but has significantly larger variance and percent range. The mean percent differences in Diamond and MUcheck were significantly larger than Radcalc and IMSure.
Poison prevention packaging: A retrospective view

The Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 introduced a new concept to the prevention of accidental poisonings among young children. Heretofore, programs were geared to educating adults to the necessity of taking certainprecautionary measures to make the child's environment safe. This was now supplemented by programs aimed at inhibiting the ability of the child from gaining access to the available substance by penetrating the package. Declines, particularly reflected in mortality figures, have been dramatic since the inception of the program. Standards promulgated for child resistance and adult effectiveness have required changes in technology and consumer acceptance. Producers, consumers, and the regulatory agency itself have had to make accommodations to the concept of promoting and accepting some inconvenience for a projected gain.
Navier-Stokes calculations with a coupled strongly implicit method—I: Finite-difference solutions

Abstract Stone's unconditionally stable, strongly implicit numerical method is extended to the 2 x 2 coupled vorticity-stream function form of the Navier-Stokes equations. The solution algorithm allows for complete coupling of the boundary conditions. Solution for arbitrary large time steps, and for cell Reynolds numbers much greater than two have been obtained. The method converges quite rapidly without adding artificial viscosity or the necessity for under-relaxation. This technique is used here to solve for a variety of internal and external flow problems. Moderate to large Reynolds numbers are considered for both separated and unseparated flows. The procedure is extended to higher-order splines in Part 2 of this study.
Ultra-compact preconditioned superprism-based photonic crystal demultiplexers

A preconditioned demultiplexing device is proposed. It based on modifying the behavior of beam during propagation inside the photonic crystal (PC) region. With proper design, the optical beams corresponding to different wavelength channels are spatially separated at their focal plane. Therefore, less area is occupied by each channel, and the total area of the device is considerably reduced. Also, the requirement for divergence angle of the incident beam is less restrictive compared to the conventional superprism-based PC demultiplexers.
Equilibrium banding of low-density lipoproteins. II. Analysis of banding patterns.

Abstract 1. 1. Lipoproteins, like other macromolecules, will band on a density gradient at a position which corresponds to their hydrated density. Analysis of such banding patterns can yield estimates of the number of components, their apparent molecular weight, and their density. Coupled with other information, estimates of density heterogeneity are possible. 2. 2. We present the theory and method of calculation to analyze equilibrium density gradient banding patterns. We also give an example of a low-density lipoprotein pattern containing two components. 3. 3. Determination of the compressibility of low-density lipoproteins showed a value close to that of the aqueous solvent system.
Breathe Pure Chile: Teaching about the Cultural Differences in International Business

In this article we present a brief case study entitled “Breathe Pure Chile” that illustrates some of the cultural issues that come up in international professional settings. The company exports fruits from Chile and uses new technologies to preserve the foods longer. More importantly, this case offers insights into the interaction between North American and Latin American professionals. The story is based on actual interviews that were conducted with employees of the company in Santiago, Chile; however, the names of the people and the company have been modifi ed. In order to analyze the various cultural issues, the contents of the case are reviewed using three different models of business communication: Victor’s LESCANT model; Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions; and Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars’s Cultural Dilemmas. Finally, this article also looks at analysis and comments that university students have made as they review the content of the case study. The pedagogical implication is that students are better able to analyze and interpret the cultural aspects of a case scenario when they have access to some model or framework to work from.
Long-Term Ecological Research Network

The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is the largest and longest-lived ecological network in the United States. Designed to provide long-term data from a broad range of key ecosystems, the LTER Network represents a unique national resource to address pressing environmental issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, and changes in patterns of land use. LTER is recognized internationally as one of the best organized and most successful large groups conducting research in ecology.
Performance and Reliability of Low-Temperature Processed SrBi2Ta2 O 9 Capacitors for FeRAM Applications

Low-temperature processed SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 (SBT) capacitors were tested as the ferroelectric memory cells of fully functional ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) devices. The 100 nm thick SBT films were deposited by the spin-on coating technique using a metallorganic decomposition source and crystallized by rapid thermal annealing at 700°C for 1 min followed by a furnace annealing at 650°C for I h under oxygen atmosphere, considered a low thermal budget process. The fabricated Pt/SBT/Pt capacitors showed reasonable ferroelectric performances with a AP (switching polarization-nonswitching polarization) of approximately 10 μC/cm 2 after the full process integration. The FeRAM chip-level reliability analysis showed that the major reason for the function failure was from the opposite state retention characteristics due mainly to the small AP values. A 10-year guaranteed lifetime can be achieved when the operation voltage is higher than approximately 4 V at the test condition of 85°C operation and 125°C storage.
The Geminga Pulsar: Soft X-Ray Variability and an EUVE Observation

We observed the Geminga pulsar with the EUVE satellite, detecting pulsed emission in the Deep Survey imager. Joint spectral fits of the EUVE flux with ROSAT PSPC data are consistent with thermal plus power-law models in which the thermal component makes the dominant contribution to the soft X-ray flux seen by EUVE and ROSAT. The data are consistent with blackbody emission of T = (4 - 6) x 10(exp 5) K over most of the surface of the star at the measured parallax distance of 160 pc. Although model atmospheres are more realistic, and can fit the data with effective temperatures a factor of 2 lower, current data would not discriminate between these and blackbody models. We also find evidence for variability of Geminga's soft X-ray pulse shape. Narrow dips in the light curve that were present in 1991 had largely disappeared in 1993/1994, causing the pulsed fraction to decline from 32% to 18%. If the dips are attributed to cyclotron resonance scattering by an e1 plasma on closed magnetic field lines, then the process that resupplies that plasma must be variable.
Colonic dysfunction in diabetes mellitus.

Colonic myoelectrical and motor activity were measured in 12 patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetic patients with severe constipation were compared to diabetics with mild or no constipation. Gastric emptying and peripheral nerve conduction studies were performed in all patients. Normal subjects had a rapid increase in colonic spike and motor activity (P 0.05) or peripheral nerve conduction (r = 0.36) (P > 0.05). Neostigmine (0.5 mg, intramuscularly) or metoclopramide (20 mg, intravenously) increased colonic spike (P < 0.005) and motor (P < 0.005) activity in all diabetic subjects regardless of their symptoms. These studies suggest that patients with diabetes mellitus and severe constipation may have an autonomic neuropathy which leads to an absent postprandial gastrocolonic response.
Cognitive Deficits in Alcoholics

The ability to gather, process, store, and respond intelligently to incoming information is obviously affected by alcohol ingestion. However, most investigators interested in this topic have, until recently, focused their attention almost exclusively on the relatively small number of detoxified alcoholics who developed the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The primary reason for this emphasis is that patients with this neuropsychiatric disorder manifest a set of circumscribed, clinically apparent cognitive impairments that can be dissected and delineated with a great degree of precision. Thus, it is now known that learning and memory skills are most affected, problem-solving and visuopercep-tual abilities are somewhat less disrupted, and intelligence—as assessed by standardized IQ tests—is essentially intact. Armed with the knowledge that chronic alcohol abuse can produce this distinctive pattern of impairment, clinicians active during the 1940s and early 1950s sought evidence of similar deficits in that much larger group of detoxified alcoholics who never show signs of Korsakoff’s syndrome or any other neuropsychiatric disorder. Administering their rather gross measures of cognitive competence to this group of neurologically intact alcoholics, they found few, if any, obvious cognitive deficits and concluded that beverage alcohol was a rather innocuous drug and that significant intellectual impairments would appear only if the heavy drinker were also malnourished.
Agency Costs, Net Worth, and Business Fluctuations.

This paper develops a simple neoclassical model of the business cycle in which the condition of borrowers' balance sheets is a source of output dynamics. The mechanism is that higher borrower net worth reduces the agency costs of financing real capital investments. Business upturns improve net worth, lower agency costs, and increase investment, which amplifies the upturn; vice versa, for downturns. Shocks that affect net worth (as in a debt-deflation) can initiate fluctuations. Copyright 1989 by American Economic Association.
The Hall of South American Peoples, at AMNH

The Hall of South American Peoples. Permanent installation at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.
Kidney transplantation in children with urinary diversion or bladder augmentation.

Purpose: Urinary tract anomalies or dysfunction leaves the bladder unsuitable for urine drainage in a significant proportion of children presenting for kidney transplantation. We reviewed a multi-institutional experience to determine the ramifications of kidney transplantation in children with bladder augmentation or urinary diversion.Materials and Methods: During a 28-year period 18 boys and 12 girls 1.7 to 18 years old (mean age 12.1) received 31 kidney transplants. Cause of end stage renal disease was renal dysplasia in 8 cases, posterior urethral valves in 5, obstructive uropathy in 5, neurogenic bladder/chronic pyelonephritis in 4, spina bifida/chronic pyelonephritis in 3, prune belly syndrome in 3 and reflux in 2.Results: Of the patients 17 had augmented bladder (ileum 9, ureter 5, sigmoid 2 and stomach 1), 12 had incontinent urinary conduits (8 ileum, 6 colon) and 1 had a continent urinary reservoir. Surgical complications included 1 case each of stomal stenosis, stomal prolapse, renal artery steno...
Serum modulates cyclic AMP-dependent morphological changes in cultured neurohypophysial astrocytes

The effects of serum on the morphological plasticity exhibited by pituicytes in explant cultures of the neurohypophysis of adult rats have been examined. Cultured pituicytes are normally nonstellate, protoplasmic, amorphous cells (< 25% are stellate with a distinct cell body and phase bright processes). After incubation (90 min) of pituicyte cultures in a HEPES buffered salt solution (HBSS) supplemented with isoproterenol or forskolin, the fraction of stellate pituicytes significantly increased. The increase in the fraction of stellate cells induced by isoproterenol was not reversed by subsequent incubation in isoproterenol-free HBSS for 90 min. In contrast, after stellation was induced in cultures by exposure to forskolin (90 min), the fraction of stellate cells was significantly reduced if these cultures were incubated in forskolin-free, serum (0.5%) supplemented HBSS for the same duration. Serum also blocked the increase in the fraction of stellate pituicytes induced by forskolin. These experiments suggest that serum components may have a significant role in controlling the plasticity of neuroglial relations in the neurohypophysis previously demonstrated in vivo.
The relation of multicultural experiences to moral judgment and mindsets.

Multicultural experience is considered to be beneficial, but it remains a difficult construct to measure. We tested the validity of a new assessment tool, the Multicultural Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ), using an undergraduate sample (N 164), and examined the relation of multicultural experience to moral judgment, closedmindedness, growth, and fixed mindsets. We expected that greater multicultural experience would be related to lower levels of closed-mindedness and higher levels of moral judgment and growth mindsets. Higher MEQ scores were correlated with decreased closed-mindedness and higher moral judgment scores. In regression analyses, controlling for age and sex, higher MEQ scores positively predicted participant scores on postconventional moral judgment and growth mindsets, but negatively predicted use of less developed moral judgment and fixed mindsets. Overall, these results support the validity of the MEQ and suggest that multicultural experiences are positively linked to measures of moral judgment and growth mindsets.
Development and in vitro characterization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) microspheres using a solid encapsulation/single emulsion/solvent extraction technique.

Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) microspheres are one modality of controlled delivery of biologically active molecules that would further the development of engineered tissues. As a possible mechanism to stimulate angiogenesis within an engineered tissue, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were coencapsulated into microspheres fabricated from PEG and 50/50 PLGA using a solid-encapsulation/single-emulsion/solvent extraction technique. Two VEGF/BSA ratios were studied: 1:2000 and 1:10,000. Analysis consisted of the loading efficiency, particle size distribution, bright-field microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, release kinetics, and an in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation assay to assess biological activity of the released VEGF. Results show the microspheres could be manufactured, stored, and degraded over 28 days. The burst release rates for 1:2000 and 1:10,000 VEGF/BSA microspheres were 71.87 +/- 8.11 and 27.91 +/- 1.71 ng/mL (mean +/- standard error of the mean), respectively; steady-state release rates were 6.56 +/- 1.10 and 2.21 +/- 0.47 ng/mL, respectively. The microspheres released biologically active VEGF, and the VEGF increased the proliferation of HUVECs in culture (p <.05). The successful development of a novel, cost-effective, scalable technique for producing microspheres loaded with biologically active proteins is presented. Using the data obtained from these studies, a defined concentration of microspheres will deliver a quantifiable level of VEGF at a known release rate.
Caregiver Stress: Does States’ Expenditure on Home- and Community-Based Services Matter?

This study examined how state expenditure on home- and community-based services (HCBS) and individual factors are associated with caregiver stress. A total of 1,849 cases from the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey were included. Gender, education, perceived physical strain, and economic hardship, as well as the number of limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) for the care recipient, were associated with caregiver stress. The cross-level interaction between service utilization and state expenditure on HCBS was significant, suggesting that living in states with a higher expenditure on HCBS is associated with reduced stress regardless of service utilization.
Temporal analysis of remotely sensed image sequences

Temporal analysis has been applied to a sequence of cloud top pressure (CTP) images and cloud optical thickness (TAU) images stored in the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) D1 database located at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Each pixel in the D1 data set has a resolution of 2.5 degrees or 280 kilometers. These images were collected in consecutive three-hour intervals for the entire month of April 1989. The primary objective of this project was to develop a sequence of storm tracks from the satellite images to follow the formation, progression and dissipation of storm systems over time. Composite images where created by projecting ahead in time and substituting the first available valid pixel for missing data and a variety of CTP and TAU cut-off values were used to identify regions of interest. Region correspondences were determined from one time frame to another yielding the coordinates of storm centers. These tracks were compared to storm tracks computed from sea level pressure data obtain from the National Meteorological Center (NMC) for the same time period. The location of sea level storm center provides insight as to whether storms have occurred anywhere in a region and can be helpful in determining the presence or absence of storms in a general geographic region.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The 1933 Los Angeles county farm workers strike

Abstract Although many historical accounts touch briefly upon the ubiquitous Mexican consulates, none to date have delved beyond superficial details of that presence, preferring instead to reconstruct Chicano political history as if it were an experience shaped by factors within the United States. This study reveals that the Mexican governments in the post‐1910 Revolutionary era implemented a strategy to influence the political culture and actions of the emigrant community in the US. An important part of that strategy contained measures to influence and develop an ethnic Mexican unionization movement along conservative lines. The compiled evidence leads to the conclusion that the Mexican community forged their experiences not only in terms of the conditions extant within the US, but that their home government followed them across the border seeking to assimilate them into the social relations and political culture of the emerging Mexican state. Mexico aimed at nothing less than developing a loyal and poli...
On dipolarization and its relation to the substorm current wedge

The near-earth properties of magnetospheric substorms are investigated using the Hesse and Birn (1991) self-consistent 3D MHD model of magnetotail activity. The simulation shows that an increase of Bz, a decrease of the cross-tail current, and an increase of region-1 field-aligned currents occurs roughly simultaneously, consistent with the empirical picture described by McPherron et al. (1973). It was also found that the region where the cross-tail current is reduced and diverted is located tailward from the dipolarization region. The results indicate that the apparent tailward propagation of the dipolarization effects does not support an earlier suggestion that the underlying process is initiated further earthward.