cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self‐assembly of polymer‐coated ferromagnetic nanoparticles into mesoscopic polymer chains

The self-assembly of dispersed polymer-coated ferromagnetic nanoparticles into micron-sized one-dimensional mesostructures at a liquid–liquid interface was reported. When polystyrene-coated Co nanoparticles (19 nm) are driven to an oil/water interface under zero-field conditions, long (≈ 5 μm) chain-like assemblies spontaneously form because of dipolar associations between the ferromagnetic nanoparticles. Direct imaging of the magnetic assembly process was achieved using a recently developed platform consisting of a biphasic oil/water system in which the oil phase was flash-cured within 1 s upon ultraviolet light exposure. The nanoparticle assemblies embedded in the crosslinked phase were then imaged using atomic force microscopy. The effects of time, temperature, and colloid concentration on the self-assembly process of dipolar nanoparticles were then investigated. Variation of either assembly time t or temperature T was found to be an interchangeable effect in the 1D organization process. Because of the dependence of chain length on the assembly conditions, we observed striking similarities between 1D nanoparticle self-assembly and polymerization of small molecule monomers. This is the first in-depth study of the parameters affecting the self-assembly of dispersed, dipolar nanoparticles into extended mesostructures in the absence of a magnetic field. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.* J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2267–2277, 2008
Very brief visual experience eliminates plasticity in the cat visual cortex

Rearing cats in the dark extends the critical period for development of visual cortical neurons, which indicates that the experience of visual input is necessary to begin the developmental process. A single brief pulse of visual input (6 hours) during a period of dark-rearing eliminates delayed development in the visual cortex. Light therefore seems to rapidly trigger the developmental process, and once triggered, that process runs to completion in the absence of further input.
Mixed Initiative Control of Autonomous Vehicles

While there is extensive work on motion planning and control for navigation tasks with guarantees, there is no systematic way for human operators to modify the resulting plans without losing the guarantees. In this paper we propose a systematic way of composing behaviors resulting from human inputs with behaviors derived from navigation functions. The proposed controller is based on a new class of navigation function based controllers that possess weak input-to-state stability properties. The resulting system has analytically guaranteed safety and convergence properties. The feasibility of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through simulation examples and hardware experiments
VIEs shift billions back to the bottom line

Variable interest entities (VIEs), recently established by the FASB, force companies to hit their balance sheets with huge amounts of assets and liabilities. Exactly what are VIEs, and why is the FASB doing this? Is it a bold move to spark investor confidence or an unwise shock to the market? And what will the effect be on corporate restructuring and mergers? © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hyperplastic and Inflammatory Nodules in the Canine Mammary Gland

An attempt was made to recognize by subgross morphology with dissecting microscope magnifications any abnormalities in the canine mammary glands and then to classify these structures by histopathologic criteria. Techniques developed for demonstrating hyperplastic lesions in mammary glands of rodents were applied to whole mammary glands of untreated female beagle dogs. 8 intact purebred female beagle dogs were obtained from the Radiation Biology Laboratory at the University of California in Davis where they had been maintained since birth. Any unusual structural change as compared to the normal lobularity of the mammary gland was considered an atypical nodule. Such nodules were classified histologically as normal inflammatory or proliferative. There were 763 atypical nodules studied histologically. Evaluation of the mammary gland of the dog by the techniques described could shorten considerably the time required and improve the accuracy of oncologic and drug evaluation studies. Recognition of preneoplastic changes in the canine mammary gland could have useful applications in the study of tumor biology and might have significant relationships to the current study of the human mammary gland. This might include development of a more reliable and consistent diagnostic technique for early mammary tumors.
An Engineered PAX3-KRAB Transcriptional Repressor Inhibits the Malignant Phenotype of Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells Harboring the Endogenous PAX3-FKHR Oncogene

The t(2;13) chromosomal translocation in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma tumors (ARMS) creates an oncogenic transcriptional activator by fusion of PAX3 DNA binding motifs to a COOH-terminal activation domain derived from the FKHR gene. The dominant oncogenic potential of the PAX3-FKHR fusion protein is dependent on the FKHR activation domain. We have fused the KRAB repression module to the PAX3 DNA binding domain as a strategy to suppress the activity of the PAX3-FKHR oncogene. The PAX3-KRAB protein bound PAX3 target DNA sequences and repressed PAX3-dependent reporter plasmids. Stable expression of the PAX3-KRAB protein in ARMS cell lines resulted in loss of the ability of the cells to grow in low-serum or soft agar and to form tumors in SCID mice. Stable expression of a PAX3-KRAB mutant, which lacks repression function, or a KRAB protein alone, lacking a PAX3 DNA binding domain, failed to suppress the ARMS malignant phenotype. These data suggest that the PAX3-KRAB repressor functions as a DNA-binding-dependent suppressor of the transformed phenotype of ARMS cells, probably via competition with the endogenous PAX3-FKHR oncogene and repression of target genes required for ARMS tumorigenesis. The engineered repressor approach that directs a transcriptional repression domain to target genes deregulated by the PAX3-FKHR oncogene may be a useful strategy to identify the target genes critical for ARMS tumorigenesis.
Second-order analysis of improper complex random vectors and processes

We present a comprehensive treatment of the second-order theory of complex random vectors and wide-sense stationary (WSS) signals. The main focus is on the improper case, in which the complementary covariance does not vanish. Accounting for the information present in the complementary covariance requires the use of widely linear transformations. Based on these, we present the eigenanalysis of complex vectors and apply it to the problem of rank reduction through principal components. We also investigate joint properties of two complex vectors by introducing canonical correlations, which paves the way for a discussion of the Wiener filter and its rank-reduced version. We link the concepts of propriety and joint propriety to eigenanalysis and canonical correlation analysis, respectively. Our treatment is extended to WSS signals. In particular, we give a result on the asymptotic distribution of eigenvalues and examine the connection between WSS, proper, and analytic signals.
Smooth multirate multicast congestion control

A significant impediment to deployment of multicast services is the daunting technical complexity of developing, testing and validating congestion control protocols fit for wide-area deployment. Protocols such as pgmcc and TFMCC have recently made considerable progress on the single rate case, i.e. where one dynamic reception rate is maintained for all receivers in the session. However, these protocols have limited applicability, since scaling to session sizes beyond tens of participants necessitates the use of multiple rate protocols. Unfortunately, while existing multiple rate protocols exhibit better scalability, they are both less mature than single rate protocols and suffer from high complexity. We propose a new approach to multiple rate congestion control that leverages proven single rate congestion control methods by orchestrating an ensemble of independently controlled single rate sessions. We describe SMCC, a new multiple rate equation-based congestion control algorithm for layered multicast sessions that employs TFMCC as the primary underlying control mechanism for each layer. SMCC combines the benefits of TFMCC (smooth rate control, equation-based TCP friendliness) with the scalability and flexibility of multiple rates to provide a sound multiple rate multicast congestion control policy.
Newly-Acquired Complex Performance Competence and Medical Errors

Increasingly, the acquisition of competence is defined using learning progressions [1]. For conceptual bodies of knowledge, such progressions are reasonably straightforward. They state stages of understanding and capability that people pass through on the path to expertise. Generally, once each stage is fully mastered, performance at that stage is relatively less demanding of cognitive processing resources, leaving some capacity free to notice cues for routine required actions. In mission critical areas, including many areas of medicine, competence includes not only knowing how to deal with situations but also being reliable, while exercising that expertise, in carrying out critical routines (e.g., hand washing) even when overloaded when complex problems that must be solved. This chapter considers the circumstances during the course of progressing to expertise under which there is a danger of routine but critical actions being omitted and then discusses possible ways to minimize the likelihood of critical omissions.
A paradigm for the production of practice-based knowledge.

Aim The aim of this paper was to explore trends, arguments and issues surrounding knowledge production and nursing practice, and to propose a paradigm of practice-based knowledge along with strategies to promote theory-based knowledge development in practice. Background Practice-based knowledge has been marginalized in the current practice and research paradigms. Several reasons for this are presented, some of which may be addressed to facilitate a more inclusive approach to knowledge that can potentially advance patient care and the discipline. Evaluation Classic and contemporary scholarly sources in nursing, philosophy, education, social sciences and other areas were critically reviewed and applied to support the argument and propose a paradigm of practice-based knowledge production. Key issues A key point identified in the paper is that theory, meaning conceptualizations at all levels of abstraction, is an important tool of knowledge development in nursing practice as it is in traditional research. Conclusions Various strategies exist that can be employed to promote development and use of practice-based knowledge in the clinical setting. The strategies are innovative yet practical, and require the support and encouragement of nursing management for their successful implementation. Implications for Nursing Management Nursing managers can influence if not facilitate all of the strategies to promote practice-based knowledge development identified in the paper. These efforts could give voice to the caregiver’s knowledge and, in turn, enhance patient care and the satisfaction and retention of nurses.
Quantifying Uncertainty for Climate Change and Long-Range Forecasting Scenarios with Model Errors. Part I: Gaussian Models

Information theory provides a concise systematic framework for measuring climate consistency and sensitivity for imperfect models. A suite of increasingly complex physically relevant linear Gaussian models with time periodic features mimicking the seasonal cycle is utilized to elucidate central issues that arise in contemporaryclimatescience.Theseincludetheroleofmodelerror,thememoryofinitialconditions, andeffects of coarse graining in producing short-, medium-, and long-range forecasts. In particular, this study demonstrates how relative entropy can be used to improve climate consistency of an overdamped imperfect model by inflating stochastic forcing. Moreover, the authors show that, in the considered models, by improving climate consistency, this simultaneously increases the predictive skill of an imperfect model in response to external perturbation, a property of crucial importance in the context of climate change. The three models range in complexity from a scalar time periodic model mimicking seasonal fluctuations in a mean jet to a spatially extended system of turbulent Rossby waves to, finally, the behavior of a turbulent tracer with a mean gradient with the background turbulent field velocity generated by the first two models. This last model mimics the global and regional behavior of turbulent passive tracers under various climate change scenarios. This detailed study provides important guidelines for extending these strategies to more complicated and non-Gaussian physical systems.
Vitamin D: A D-Lightful Vitamin for Health

Vitamin D is a sunshine vitamin that has been produced on this earth for more than 500 million years. Because foods contain so little vitamin D most humans have always depended on sun exposure for their vitamin D requirement. Vitamin D deficiency has been defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L); vitamin D insufficiency as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 21-29 ng/mL and vitamin D sufficiency as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 30-100 ng/mL whereas toxicity is usually not seen until blood levels are above 150 ng/mL. Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem that increases risk for metabolic bone diseases in children and adults as well as many chronic illnesses including autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, and cancer. The major causes of vitamin D deficiency are lack of adequate sensible exposure to sunlight, inadequate dietary intake and obesity. The United States Endocrine Society recommended that to prevent vitamin D deficiency in those at risk, children 1 year and older require 600-1,000 international unit (IU) of vitamin D daily and adults require 1,500-2,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Obese patients require 2-3 times more vitamin D to both treat and prevent vitamin D deficiency. (Endocrinol Metab 27:255-267, 2012)
Towards a Ge-based laser for CMOS applications

We report experimental observation of direct band gap photoluminescence (PL) and optical bleaching of band-engineered epitaxial Ge-on-Si at room temperature, confirming that this material is a promising candidate for efficient light emitting devices on Si.
The use of hydraulic‐laboratory methods in geophysical problems

This paper was an informal explanation of slides illustrative of geophysical problems attacked by laboratory methods. Illustrations were drawn from work at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley, and included periodic flow with free surface in porous media, wave-refraction around an island and over a submarine valley, waves moving over a sloping bottom, density-currents, electric analogy of flow to a slotted liner in petroleum-wells, tidal flow in a channel, models of ocean beaches and estuaries, transportation of bed-load and suspended material, seiches of finite amplitude, and friction in open channels.
Service Composition for Real-Time Assurance

Service oriented architecture (SOA) has become a popular paradigm for software development in many application domains, including real-time applications. Timing analysis is a critical issue which can guide service composition to best satisfy the real time requirements of the composed system. However, existing timing analysis works do not sufficiently address some important issues. For example, admission control is an important technique for real time assurance, but most of the timing analysis techniques do not take admission control into account and, hence, may result in unrealizable decisions. Also, communication time is an important factor in real-time assurance, but most of the works do not provide clear approaches in dealing with communication time analysis. In this paper, we propose a timing specification model and analysis techniques for real-time service-oriented systems. In the specification model, a thorough consideration of all information required for timing analysis is discussed. For timing analysis, we consider the service time softly guaranteed by the admission control policy as well as estimated communication cost to reach more accurate timing estimates. Also, to avoid the analysis overhead in large-scale SOA systems, we propose a three-phase approach. In this approach, we first use a highly efficient but moderately accurate algorithm to eliminate most of the candidate compositions. More accurate timing prediction is performed on a small number of selected compositions in the second phase. In the third phase, specific concrete services are selected and admissions are performed to finalize the composition and service grounding. The approach is scalable and can effectively achieve service composition for real time requirement satisfaction.
Affect and moral development

Empathy and guilt feelings, which develop naturally under ordinary conditions, may be significant affects underlying moral action.
Non-degenerate magnetic alignment of self-assembled mesophases

We present a method, which we call “rotational annealing”, for the production of uniquely defined (non-degenerate) magnetic alignments of self-assembled mesophases and demonstrate its effectiveness for realizing near single-crystal quality materials over relatively short timescales.
Asian Americans, Health of

Although Asian Americans may share common experiences in the United States, this rapidly growing population represents nearly 50 countries and ethnic groups with distinct cultures, histories, dialects, and languages. Additionally, due to variables in resources, knowledge, and power, health disparities continue to exist in these underserved communities. The diversity of this underserved population calls for an understanding of the social determinants of health that impact Asian Americans. Collaborations between communities, academia, government, and health professionals working to identify and address the most pressing health challenges facing Asian Americans today may further improve health care delivery, data collection and analysis, research and development, and public health practices. Keywords: Asian/Asian American studies; ethnicity and culture; immigration; minorities; socioeconomic status
A two year longitudinal study of poststroke mood disorders: prognostic factors related to one and two year outcome.

In a prospective study of mood disorders in 103 stroke patients, we examined the predictive value of affective, cognitive, social and neurologic variables obtained in-hospital and at six months poststroke in terms of outcome as determined by the same measures at one and two years follow-up. The following factors were found to have prognostic significance: 1) Lesion Location: proximity of the lesion on CT scan to the frontal pole in patients with left anterior infarcts showed a strong positive relationship with severity of depression at one year but not at two years poststroke. 2) Affective Status: depression (in-hospital and at 6 months) strongly predicted depression at one year but not at two years poststroke. Additionally, in-hospital depression significantly correlated with physical impairment at two years, while depression at six months bore a moderate relationship to physical impairment at one year. 3) Physical Impairment: impairment in activities of daily living in-hospital bore a modest relationshi...
Current status of peritoneal dialysis

It was in 1923 that Ganter performed the first peritoneal dialysis (PD) in a woman with renal failure [1]. However, the early experience with intermittent peritoneal dialysis was discouraging and led to the belief that PD was not an appropriate renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [2]. The introduction of the concept of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) by Popovich et al. [3] was initially met with scepticism but the successful clinical experience in nine patients at two centres in the United States [4] convinced sceptics about the potential of the technique as a viable alternative to haemodialysis. Over the last two decades PD has grown worldwide to become the third most common modality for renal replacement therapy.
Designing a distributed queue

A common paradigm for distributed computing is the producer-consumer model. One set of processes produce objects (data, resources, or tasks) that are consumed by another set of processes. We present a simple algorithm for implementing a distributed queue. This algorithm has several parameters that need to be tuned, such as the number of probes to find an object, the amount of buffering, and the connectivity between the producers and the consumers. We provide an analytical model that predicts performance and based on the analytical model we provide recommendations for setting the parameters. Our analytical model is validated by a comparison to simulation results.
Cerebral Ischemia and Reperfusion Increases the Heterogeneity of Local Oxygen Supply/Consumption Balance

Background and Purpose—After cerebral vessel blockage, local blood flow and O2 consumption becomes lower and oxygen extraction increases. With reperfusion, blood flow is partially restored. We examined the effects of ischemia-reperfusion on the heterogeneity of local venous oxygen saturation in rats in order to determine the pattern of microregional O2 supply/consumption balance in reperfusion. Methods—The middle cerebral artery was blocked for 1 hour using the internal carotid approach in 1 group (n=9) and was then reperfused for 2 hours in another group (n=9) of isoflurane-anesthetized rats. Regional cerebral blood flow was determined using a C14-iodoantipyrine autoradiographic technique. Regional small vessel arterial and venous oxygen saturations were determined microspectrophotometrically. Results—After 1 hour of ischemia, local cerebral blood flow (92±10 versus 50±10 mL/min per 100 g) and O2 consumption (4.5±0.6 versus 2.7±0.5 mL O2/min per 100 g) decreased compared with the contralateral cortex. Ox...
A theoretical and experimental study of the recombination coefficient in the lower ionosphere

The problem of recombination of electrons and ions in the lower ionosphere is studied both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental study involves analysis of new experimental data such as 150-kc radio wave absorption, polarization, and phase heights; absorption of short-wave galactic radiation; and E-region critical frequency, as well as recombination values already published. Then, by use of the theories of dissociative recombination and negative ions, a theoretical model is derived which is consistent with the experimental results. The values of the coefficient during night-time and during sudden ionospheric disturbances are discussed.
Transbronchial biopsy in the presence of profound elevation of the international normalized ratio.

Study objective To identify a level of coagulopathy, reported as the international normalized ratio (INR), that predicts hemorrhage following transbronchial forceps biopsy (TBBx) in an animal model. Design Crossover blinded study using Yucatan mini-swine ( Sus scrofa ). Setting Tertiary medical center with a dedicated animal research facility. Study design A two-stage study. In stage 1, flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy with TBBx was performed to establish the amount of bleeding in animals with normal coagulation systems. Animals then were administered escalating dosages of warfarin to obtain one of several increased INR levels. The endpoint of stage 1 was defined as the INR that resulted in a blood loss of≥ 100 mL in ≥ 50% of the study animals. In stage 2, all the animals were to be anticoagulated to the INR level determined in stage 1. Topical and systemic measures would then be administered in an attempt to decrease postprocedure hemorrhage, and the results were recorded. Results Eighteen animals were enrolled in the study. Despite INR levels > 10, no animals developed a hemorrhagic complication of the transbronchial forceps biopsy (TBBx). Eleven animals had INRs > 7. Four animal deaths were recorded, with three animal deaths attributed to nonpulmonary hemorrhage, each due to a ruptured ovarian cyst. One death was anesthesia related. Stage 2 of the study was not performed due to the extreme INR levels reached in the animals during stage 1 and to the lack of a procedure-related complication. Conclusions Our study suggests that INR elevation does not correlate with an increased risk of bleeding following TBBx in this animal model.
Same vendor, version-to-version upgrade decision support model for commercial off-the-shelf productivity applications

Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Productivity Applications have provided a reliable, convenient, and consistent productivity environment for commercial, government, and personal users for over two decades. Vendors today, such as Microsoft and Adobe, typically deliver new capabilities as follow-on versions or upgrades to existing product lines. Annually, corporations needlessly spend millions of dollars investing in follow-on versions of currently deployed applications without adequately evaluating upgrade decisions. Exacerbating the problem, vendors release new versions of their productivity applications with increasingly shorter intervals, advertising them as full of new and ‘‘must have’’ capabilities. The decision to upgrade is challenging. Unfortunately, there is a lack of ‘‘same vendor, version-to-version’’ upgrade decision support models to assist Information Technology (IT) decision-makers whether to upgrade or not. As a result, IT decision makers typically employ general strategies that are not based on clear, well-defined decision attributes, which, in turn, waste valuable IT resources. This research effort proposes an upgrade decision support model for COTS productivity applications based on a multivariable, scenario-based survey of IT professionals. Using logistic regression analysis, a model is developed using an iterative approach to isolate contributing survey attributes and to produce a statistically significant model. The proposed logistic regression model produces an output based on the probability of upgrading intended to assist an IT professional in productivity application upgrade decisions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 9: 296–312, 2006
Relative Dynamics and Control of Spacecraft Formations in Eccentric Orbits

Formation eying is a key technology for both deep-space and orbital applications that involve multiple spacecraft. Many future space applications will beneet from using formation e ying technologies to perform distributed observations (e.g., synthetic apertures for Earth mapping interferometry) and to provide improved coverage for communication and surveillance. Previous research has focused on designing passive apertures for these formation e ying missions assuming a circular reference orbit. Those design approaches are extended and a complete initialization procedure for a large e eet of vehicles with an eccentric reference orbit is presented. The main result is derived from the homogenous solutions of the linearized relative equations of motion for the spacecraft. These solutions are used to end the necessary conditions on the initial states that produce T-periodic solutions that have the vehicles returning to the initial relative states at the end of each orbit, that is, v(t0)=v(t0+T). This periodicity condition and the resulting initialization procedure are originally given (in compact form) at the reference orbit perigee, butthis is alsogeneralized to enable initialization atanypoint around thereference orbit. In particular, an algorithm is given that minimizes the fuel cost associated with initializingthe vehicle states (primarily the in-track and radial relative velocities) to values that are consistent with periodic relative motion. These algorithms extend and generalize previously published solutions for passive aperture forming with circular orbits. The periodicity condition and the homogenous solutions can also be used to estimate relative motion errors and the approximate fuel cost associated with neglecting the eccentricity in the reference orbit. The nonlinear simulations presented clearlyshowthatignoringthereferenceorbiteccentricitygeneratesanerrorthatiscomparabletothedisturbances caused by differential gravity accelerations.
Effects of compressive abdominal bandaging and transrectal palpation on intra-abdominal pressures in horses.

Objective To determine the effect of an abdominal support wrap and transrectal abdominal palpation on intra-abdominal pressures (IAPs) measured directly from the peritoneal space. Design Prospective, experimental study. Setting A university-based equine research facility. Animals Ten healthy adult horses, 5 males and 5 females. Interventions IAPs were measured through an intraperitoneal cannula zeroed at a height midway between the height of the tuber ishii and point of the shoulder. Triplicate measurements were obtained at rest, during transrectal palpation, after placement of an abdominal support wrap, and during transrectal palpation with the support wrap still in place. Simultaneous mean arterial pressures were obtained using a tail cuff and abdominal perfusion pressures were calculated using the measured IAP minus the measured mean arterial pressures. Measurements and Main Results Baseline direct pressure measurements were subatmospheric (−4.5 ± 3.0 cm H2O). IAPs were not significantly affected by transrectal palpation, but were significantly increased after placement of an abdominal support wrap (−1.19 ± 3.01 cm H2O; P = 0.01). Abdominal perfusion pressures were not significantly affected by either transrectal palpation or application of the support wrap. Conclusion IAPs were significantly increased after application of an abdominal support wrap commonly used after exploratory laparotomy. Further investigations are warranted to determine the clinical implications of abdominal bandaging on IAP and its implications on postoperative complications including intra-abdominal hypertension. However, transrectal abdominal palpation likely does not contribute to abdominal hypertension in normal horses.
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF SOLUTIONS ARISING FROM A NONEQUILIBRIUM TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

This paper analyzes the structural properties of the shock and rarefaction wave solutions of a nonequilibrium theory of vehicular traffic flow. It shows that this nonequilibrium theory has two families of characteristics: one is slower and the other is faster than vehicular speed. Corresponding to the slower characteristic arise 1-shock and 1-rarefaction waves, whose behavior is similar to that of the shock and rarefaction waves in the LWR theory; corresponding to the faster characteristic there are 2-shocks (and 2-rarefaction waves) that behave as bores in rivers. The latter behavior does not accord with the generally held view that traffic is an anisotropic fluid. It is shown, however, those 2-shocks and 2-rarefactions in the studied nonequilibrium theory are transitory and their influence on traffic flow decays exponentially. It is further argued that as long as the 2-shocks and 2-rarefactions do not persist, they can be allowed in a nonequilibrium theory. Apart from the behavioral aspects, the paper also derives the formulae for solving the Riemann problem associated with the nonequilibrium theory. Most of the results carry over directly to other nonequilibrium theories of the same kind, including the PW theory.
Techniques for Measuring Medication Adherence in Hypertensive Patients in Outpatient Settings Advantages and Limitations

Lack of adherence to prescribed antihypertensive regimens constitutes a barrier to adequate blood pressure control and prevention of cardiovascular events. Various means of measuring adherence to antihypertensive medications are currently available for use in clinical practice. The choice of the specific measure used in clinical practice depends on the intended use of the information, the resources available to the provider, as well as patient acceptance and convenience of the method. This article presents an overview of the advantages and limitations of the methods used to measure medication adherence that are currently available for use in outpatient settings, it also outlines provider strategies for addressing adherence issues related to antihypertensive medications.
Spaceflight engages heat shock protein and other molecular chaperone genes in tissue culture cells of Arabidopsis thaliana.

 Premise of the study: Gravity has been a major force throughout the evolution of terrestrial organisms, and plants have developed exquisitely sensitive, regulated tropisms and growth patterns that are based on the gravity vector. The nullifi ed gravity during spacefl ight allows direct assessment of gravity roles. The microgravity environments provided by the Space Shuttle and International Space Station have made it possible to seek novel insights into gravity perception at the organismal, tissue, and cellular levels. Cell cultures of Arabidopsis thaliana perceive and respond to spacefl ight, even though they lack the specialized cell structures normally associated with gravity perception in intact plants; in particular, genes for a specifi c subset of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and factors (HSFs) are induced. Here we ask if similar changes in HSP gene expression occur during nonspacefl ight changes in gravity stimulation.  Methods: Quantitative RT-qPCR was used to evaluate mRNA levels for Hsp17.6A and Hsp101 in cell cultures exposed to four conditions: spacefl ight (mission STS-131), hypergravity (centrifugation at 3 g or 16 g), sustained two-dimensional clinorotation, and transient milligravity achieved on parabolic fl ights.  Key results: We showed that HSP genes were induced in cells only in response to sustained clinorotation. Transient microgravity intervals in parabolic fl ight and various hypergravity conditions failed to induce HSP genes.  Conclusions: We conclude that nondifferentiated cells do indeed sense their gravity environment and HSP genes are induced only in response to prolonged microgravity or simulated microgravity conditions. We hypothesize that HSP induction upon microgravity indicates a role for HSP-related proteins in maintaining cytoskeletal architecture and cell shape signaling.
Post-Study Aspirin Intake and Factors Motivating Participation in a Colorectal Cancer Chemoprevention Trial

We conducted an exploratory, cross-sectional study examining motivators for study participation and post-study aspirin intake in a chemoprevention trial. The parent clinical trial aimed to determine the optimal aspirin dose for colorectal cancer chemoprevention using prostaglandin E2 as a mucosal biomarker. This trial was randomized and double-blinded in 60 subjects with prior sporadic colorectal adenoma(s) and evaluated three aspirin doses or placebo taken once daily for 4 weeks. A cross-section of 55 evaluable participants who completed the chemoprevention trial were mailed a 16-item, self-administered questionnaire evaluating subject demographics, motivational factors, and health-related behaviors within the framework of Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM). Forty-three (78%) of 55 participants returned the questionnaire. The most important motivators for study participation were altruistic, i.e. , a desire to help future generations at risk of colorectal cancer and personal factors including a desire to reduce one’s own risk. Nineteen (44%) of 43 respondents reported that they chose to take daily aspirin post-study without knowledge of study results. At a mean follow-up of 17.3 months, 18 of these 19 subjects continued to take aspirin regularly. Regular use of vitamin supplements pre-study was found to correlate with post-study aspirin use (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 154.0; P = 0.04). We demonstrate, for the first time, that participation in a chemoprevention study can influence the decision to continue the study drug, if available, to reduce perceived cancer risk. Continued post-study aspirin intake indicates an impact of study participation on a health-related behavior and underscores the importance of patient education to guide such decision-making.
Discontinued Operations Recognition, Initial Provisions, And Subsequent Adjustments

This study extends our understanding of why firms choose to take discretionary write-offs and identifies factors that influence the measurement of the charges taken. We focus on segment disposals, initial provisions recorded upon discontinuance of those segments, and adjustments to initial provisions that accompany the segment disposals. We partition our sample into those disposals that were substantially completed at the time of recognition (nondiscretionary disposals) and those that were recognized prior to disposal completion (discretionary disposals). With respect to motivations for taking discretionary rather than nondiscretionary disposals, we find that firms electing discretionary disposals discontinue segments that experience sharp declines in earnings and that require more negative initial provisions; the continuing portion of these firms are less profitable and are in weaker financial condition when compared to firms recognizing disposals upon completion. Further, they are more likely to announce the disposal in the fourth quarter, and they are more likely to underestimate the cost of disposal. With respect to measurement issues, we find that subsequent adjustments to initial provisions for discretionary disposals relate both to firms’ abilities to estimate losses on disposal at the plan date and to management incentives to manage disclosures. In contrast, subsequent adjustments accompanying nondiscretionary disposals relate primarily to uncertainties contained in the disposal agreement.
Zur Entwicklung Der Qualitativen Datenanalyse

Im Rahmen empirischer Studien steht man oft vor dem Problem, die zur Planung und Entscheidungsfindung wesentlichen Daten und Informationen deskriptiv aus grosen Datenmengen herauszufiltern. Zur Klassifikation, Reprasentation und Identifikation von Objekten sind die Methoden der Clusteranalyse, Faktorenanalyse, Varianz- und Diskriminanzanalyse wohl vertraut, deren Anwendung jedoch im wesentlichen auf quantitativen bzw. speziellen Kombinationen von quantitativen und qualitativen Daten beruht. Tatsachlich treten jedoch gerade bei wirtschafts- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Erhebungen Daten sehr unterschiedlichen Informationsniveaus auf. Unter der Bezeichnung Analyse des Donnees werden in der „franzosischen Schule“ (Barbut, Benzecri, Guigou, Jambu, Lerman, Marcotorchino, Michaud, Matalon) qualitative Ansatze seit ca. 10 Jahren behandelt. In der Bundesrepublik Deutschland haben sich u.a. Vogel, Schader, Ambrosi, Hansohm, Lauwerth und Tushaus mit dieser Problematik befast.
DBSR_HF: A B-spline Dirac–Hartree–Fock program ☆

Abstract A B-spline version of a general Dirac–Hartree–Fock program is described. The usual differential equations are replaced by a set of generalized eigenvalue problems of the form ( H a − e a B ) P a = 0 , where H a and B are the Hamiltonian and overlap matrices, respectively, and P a is the two-component relativistic orbit in the B-spline basis. A default universal grid allows for flexible adjustment to different nuclear models. When two orthogonal orbitals are both varied, the energy must also be stationary with respect to orthonormal transformations. At such a stationary point the off-diagonal Lagrange multipliers may be eliminated through projection operators. The self-consistent field procedure exhibits excellent convergence. Several atomic states can be considered simultaneously, including some configuration-interaction calculations. The program provides several options for the treatment of Breit interaction and QED corrections. The information about atoms up to Z = 104 is stored by the program. Along with a simple interface through command-line arguments, this information allows the user to run the program with minimal initial preparations. Program summary Program title: DBSR_HF Catalogue identifier: AEZK_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEZK_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 22643 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 354629 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Fortran 95. Computer: No specific requirements to the computer. Operating system: Any system with a Fortran 95 compiler. Classification: 2.1. External routines: LAPACK ( http://www.netlib.org/lapack/ ) Nature of problem: Relativistic Dirac–Hartree–Fock wavefunctions are determined for atoms in a bound state. These wavefunctions may be used to predict a variety of atomic properties. Solution method: The radial functions for large and small components of the one-electron spinor are expanded in B-spline bases. The variational principle applied to an energy functional that includes Lagrange multipliers for orthonormal constraints defines the Dirac–Hartree–Fock matrix for each orbital. Orthonormal transformations for a stationary solution were applied and Lagrange multipliers eliminated through projection operators. Restrictions: There is no restriction on calculations for the average or specific term energy of any atomic configuration with shells whose angular momenta are less than or equal to 9/2. Unusual features: The program allows the consideration of a few atomic states simultaneously. A simple interface through the command-line arguments allows the user to run the program with minimal initial preparations. Running time: From a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the atom under consideration.
Effects of estrogen on thermoregulatory evaporation in rats exposed to heat

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen (E2) replacement on thermoregulation in ovariectomized rats exposed to heat. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and splenectomized and implanted with a temperature-sensitive transmitter. Each rat was studied when E2 treated (after an E2 pellet implant) and untreated. Animals were divided into two groups with opposite order of treatment and were studied over a 9-wk period. Measurements of body core temperature (Tc) and evaporative water loss (EWL) were made on unrestrained animals resting at 38 degrees C air temperature. E2-treated animals increased EWL at all levels of Tc, reduced the threshold Tc for onset of saliva spreading, and regulated Tc at a lower level during heat exposure. E2 treatment elevated plasma E2 and reduced hematocrit but did not affect plasma osmolality. These effects of E2 on evaporative cooling and Tc in heat-stressed rats are similar to those that have been reported in human females. The mechanisms of the thermoregulatory effects of E2 remain to be studied.
Do We Need Early ACPA Testing in Inflammatory Arthritis

Testing is an integral part of the diagnosis and management of patients with rheumatic disease. However, in this era of increased focus on healthcare costs, it is important to understand exactly how tests affect the delivery and costs of care. Along these lines, the American Board of Internal Medicine has begun the Choosing Wisely program with the goal “of advancing a national dialogue on avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures”1. Multiple agencies in the United States and Canada are participating in this campaign, including the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), which has created a set “Five Things that Physicians and Patients Should Consider” in rheumatology-related testing2. These are important efforts, which hopefully will ultimately lead to improved clinical care, as well as improved costs of care, based on sound scientific investigations. Two tests that are used often in the evaluation of inflammatory arthritis (IA) are rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), with both of these tests being included in the 2010 ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)3. Notably, these autoantibody tests are not included in the Choosing Wisely campaign. However, in the Canadian healthcare system, ACPA testing is not uniformly paid for, and as such a subset of patients with IA and RA do not have this testing performed. This has led to an opportunity for Shu and colleagues, whose report is published in the November 2015 issue of The Journal4 , to catch the spirit of the Choosing Wisely campaign and to explore the relationship between ACPA testing and the short-term management … Address correspondence to Dr. K.D. Deane, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, 1775 Aurora Court, Mail Stop B-115, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA. E-mail: Kevin.Deane{at}UCDenver.edu
Bariatric surgery is associated with improved long-term survival in severely obese US veterans

Commentary on : Arterburn DE, Olsen MK, Smith VA, et al. Association between bariatric surgery and long-term survival. JAMA 2015;313:62–70.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Bariatric surgery is associated with improved health for severely obese individuals, including substantial weight loss and resolution of certain medical comorbidities. Some studies involving predominately young women with minor comorbid illnesses have also shown both short-term and medium-term mortality benefits of bariatric surgery. However, debate remains regarding the sustainability of health benefits and generalisability to select populations, including US veterans. This study compared all-cause mortality rates for severely obese US veterans undergoing bariatric surgery between 2000 and 2011 to propensity score matched controls. Matching was based on age, sex, race, body mass index, diabetes status and geographic region. The authors used survival models (Kaplan-Meier and Cox) to compare groups up to a maximum … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D313%26rft.spage%253D62%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2014.16968%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25562267%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2014.16968&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25562267&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F4%2F148.atom
Coming into the Anthropocene: Review of Jonathan Z. Cannon's Environment in the Balance: The Green Movement and the Supreme Court

This essay reviews Professor Jonathan Cannon’s Environment in the Balance. Cannon’s book admirably analyzes the Supreme Court’s uptake of, or refusal of, the key commitments of the environmental-law revolution of the early 1970s. In some areas the Court has adapted old doctrines, such as Standing and Commerce, to accommodate ecological insights; in other areas, such as Property, it has used older doctrines to restrain the transformative effects of environmental law. After surveying Cannon’s argument, this review diagnoses the historical moment that has made the ideological division that Cannon surveys especially salient: a time of stalled legislation, political deadlock, and highly contested regulatory and judicial interpretation. This analysis, however, does not limit the interest of Cannon’s analysis to this political moment. Rather, Cannon’s integration of legal and cultural analysis has great promise for the Anthropocene, the dawning era when human decisions and values will be among the most important forces shaping the planet. In the future, it will be necessary to think of environmental law as both reflecting and producing ideas of the value and meaning of the natural world. Cannon’s analysis is an excellent starting point for an Anthropocene approach.