cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex and the Perception of Imaginary Individuals

The effect of the E's sex upon Ss' characterizations of an imaginary individual was investigated. Seventy-seven male and female undergraduates were divided into two groups, with a female E assigned to one group and a male E to the other. The experimental procedure was held constant for both groups, with the independent variable being the sex of the E. It was found that when the Ss were told to rate an imaginary individual, the sex of the E had a significant effect on the Ss' tendency to rate their imaginary individual as "humorous." Moreover, the extent to which the Ss rated their imaginary individuals as "honest," "warm," "good-natured," "strong," and "persistent" varied significantly when the sex of the Es and Ss were varied systematically. These findings indicate that the sex of an E influences in predictable ways the S's characterizations of individuals that they have not met and can only imagine. Such effects may be a hidden source of variance in certain experimental and clinical measurements.
Bayesian hierarchical modeling of cardiac response to particulate matter exposure.

Studies have linked increased levels of particulate air pollution to decreased autonomic control, as measured by heart rate variability (HRV), particularly in susceptible populations such as the elderly. In this study, we use data obtained from the 1998 USEPA epidemiology-exposure longitudinal panel study of elderly adults in a Baltimore retirement home to examine the relationship between HRV and PM2.5 personal exposure. We consider PM2.5 personal exposure in the aggregate and personal exposure to the components of PM2.5 as estimated in two ways using receptor models. We develop a Bayesian hierarchical model for HRV as a function of personal exposure to PM2.5, which integrates HRV measurements and data obtained from personal, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 monitoring and meteorological data. We found a strong relationship between decreased HRV (HF, LF, r-MSSD and SDNN) and total personal exposure to PM2.5 at a lag of 1 day. Using personal exposure monitoring (PEM) apportionment results, we examined the relative importance of ambient and non-ambient personal PM2.5 exposure to HRV and found the effect of internal non-ambient sources of PM2.5 on HRV to be minimal. Using the PEM apportionment data, a consistent effect of soil at short time scales (lag 0) was found across all five HRV measures, and an effect of sulfate on HRV was seen for HF and r-MSSD at the moving average of lags 0 and 1 days. Modeling of ambient site apportionment data indicated effects of nitrate on HRV at lags of 1 day, and moving averages of days 0 and 1 and days 0–2 for all but the ratio LF/HF. Sulfate had an effect on HRV at a lag of 1 day for four HRV measures (HF, LF, r-MSSD, SDNN) and for LF/HF at a moving average of days 0–2.
An analysis of the contribution of participative decision making and communication with supervisor as predictors of job satisfaction

This study examined the relationships of (1) perceived participation in decision making, (2) communication with supervisor, (3) employee characteristics, and (4) employee job satisfaction. Classified employees in three administrative units at a comprehensive eastern university in the United States served as subjects. Results of canonical correlation andt-ratio tests demonstrated that job satisfaction was most strongly and positively related to communication satisfaction with supervisor and supervisor's receptivity to information. Implications are discussed in reference to personnel decisions and training, employee productivity, and the possible adverse effects of initiating a participative program of decision making for nonprofessional university employees.
Antibacterial and immunostimulating casein-derived substances from milk : casecidin, isracidin peptides

Apart from immunoglobulin A and G antibodies and plasma cells, milk also contains antibiotic/host protective peptides that are of value not only for maintenance of its nutritional integrity but also for protection of the newborn and, possibly, protection of the lactating mother. Among the first such peptides identified with casecidin; following chymosin digestion of casein at pH 6 or 7, casecidin inhibited in vitro staphylococci, sarcina, Bacillus subtilis, Diplococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes. Inhibition occurred at high concentrations, in vitro, compared with commercial antibiotics, and thus interest in casecidin languished. Work with casecidin was followed by investigation of a related refined non-immunogenic product of chymosin digestion of alpha s1-casein. This product consisted of the N -terminal segment (1-23) of alpha s1-casein B, named "isracidin", and was significantly effective in vivo at concentrations that were competitive with known antibiotics, as seen in the protection of mice against lethal infection by Staphylococcus aureus strain Smith. Field trials showed that injection of isracidin into the udder gave protection against mastitis in sheep and cows. Isracidin was both therapeutic and prophylactic and responses to its therapeutic effect produced long-term immune resistance. Isracidin protected mice against Candida albicans, by stimulation of both phagocytosis and immune responses. However, like other recently described milk-derived peptides, despite its clinical value, isracidin was overlooked because of the lack of commercial interest in the 1970s and early 1980s, in host-mediated non-specific resistance as a therapeutic approach to infection. Another problem that impeded commercial interest was the isomeric variation in isracidin peptides seen on a large-scale batch production for commercial use. It is hoped that this review of previous studies of the activity of isracidin action will revive interest in milk as an antibiotic source.
Corporate responses to political costs: an examination of the relation between environmental disclosure and earnings management

Abstract This study examines the relation between the level of pre-event environmental disclosure and the extent of earnings management in response to regulatory threat. This issue is examined within the context of the earnings management response by intra-industry firms following the December, 1984 chemical leak at Union Carbide’s Bhopal, India plant. The analysis finds that a sample of 40 US chemical firms exhibited significant negative discretionary accruals for 1984. Furthermore, companies with higher levels of pre-event environmental disclosures in their 10-K reports tended to take less negative discretionary accruals. These results are consistent with the argument that corporate management believes environmental disclosure is an effective tool for reducing exposure to potential regulatory costs and that decisions to manipulate earnings are tied to a larger corporate strategy for dealing with political pressures.
Risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract One hundred patients admitted to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction who lived 10 days and agreed to enroll were studied. Data from the history, hospital course and a 24 hour Holter electrocardiographic recording were related to cardiac mortality in the 6 months after enrollment. Fifteen cardiac deaths occurred during this period; 12 of these were sudden. The univariates with the strongest association with mortality were (in descending order): blood urea nitrogen level, serum creatinine level, serum uric acid level, enlarged heart 2 weeks after infarction, ventricular tachycardia 2 weeks after infarction, peak creatine kinase level and left ventricular failure in the coronary care unit. The odds of dying if one of these factors was present rather than absent ranged from 3.6 to 11.5. Groups with two or three of these univariates had up to 20 times the odds of dying in 6 months. A period of greatly enhanced risk for cardiac death persists for about 6 months after acute myocardial infarction. Relatively simple clinical variables can identify the groups at highest and lowest risk. This information is useful for designing management strategies.
Human auditory evoked potentials. II - Effects of attention

Attention directed toward auditory stimuli, in order to detect an occasional fainter 'signal' stimulus, caused a substantial increase in the N1 (83 msec) and P2 (161 msec) components of the auditory evoked potential without any change in preceding components. This evidence shows that human auditory attention is not mediated by a peripheral gating mechanism. The evoked response to the detected signal stimulus also contained a large P3 (450 msec) wave that was topographically distinct from the preceding components. This late positive wave could also be recorded in response to a detected omitted stimulus in a regular train and therefore seemed to index a stimulus-independent perceptual decision process.
Physical Binding Pocket Induction for Affinity Prediction

Computational methods for predicting ligand affinity where no protein structure is known generally take the form of regression analysis based on molecular features that have only a tangential relationship to a protein/ligand binding event. Such methods have limited utility when structural variation moves beyond congeneric series. We present a novel approach based on the multiple-instance learning method of Compass, where a physical model of a binding site is induced from ligands and their corresponding activity data. The model consists of molecular fragments that can account for multiple positions of literal protein residues. We demonstrate the method on 5HT1a ligands by training on a series with limited scaffold variation and testing on numerous ligands with variant scaffolds. Predictive error was between 0.5 and 1.0 log units (0.7−1.4 kcal/mol), with statistically significant rank correlations. Accurate activity predictions of novel ligands were demonstrated using a validation approach where a small num...
Foam Fractionation Rates

Abstract An empirical model enables the relation of the batch foam fractionation rate as a power function of the air rate and of the instantaneous residual surfactant concentration, eliminating the bubble size which is difficult to control and to measure. For the cationic surfactant, ethylhexadecyl-dimethylarnmonium bromide, the batch foam fractionation rate is directly proportional to the residual surfactant concentration to the first power, except for dilute (>45 mg/liter) solutions, and including suspensions containing colloidal ferric oxide and polynucleated, complexed cyanider Constants obtained from batch data can be used in the analogue equation for continuous operation to predict accurately the continuous foam fractionation rate, for a single air rate but over a substantial range of feed rates and feed surfactant concentrations. Continuous data from an entirely different column can be fit by a power function equation of the same form, with the power on the effluent or bottoms surfactant concentrat...
Synthesis of hydroxypyrone- and hydroxythiopyrone-based matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors: Developing a structure–activity relationship

The zinc(II)-dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with a variety of diseases. Development of inhibitors to modulate MMP activity has been an active area of investigation for therapeutic development. Hydroxypyrones and hydroxythiopyrones are alternative zinc-binding groups (ZBGs) that, when combined with peptidomimetic backbones, comprise a novel class of MMP inhibitors (MMPi). In this report, a series of hydroxypyrone- and hydroxythiopyrone-based MMPi with aryl backbones at the 2-, 5-, and 6-positions of the hydroxypyrone ring have been synthesized. Synthetic routes for developing inhibitors with substituents at two of these positions (so-called double-handed inhibitors) are also explored. The MMP inhibition profiles and structure–activity relationship of synthesized hydroxypyrones and hydroxythiopyrones have been analyzed. The results here show that the ZBG, the position of the backbone on the ZBG, and the nature of the linker between the ZBG and backbone are critical for MMPi activities.
Elevated lactate as an early marker of brain injury in inflicted traumatic brain injury

Background: Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of disability and death in the pediatric population. The metabolic and neurochemical abnormalities that underlie traumatic brain injury remain poorly understood, but hypoxia-ischemic injury might play an important role. Objective: This study evaluated children with inflicted traumatic brain injury using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We postulated that children with hypoxic-ischemic injury indicated by elevated lactate in the acute phase of injury will have worse early neurological status and short-term clinical outcomes than those without lactate upon MRS. Materials and methods: This prospective study employed proton MRS to sample bilaterally the frontal lobes and the parasagittal cortex within the parietal and occipital lobes of 11 patients with inflicted traumatic brain injury who were undergoing a clinical MRI examination. Patients’ measured clinical course while hospitalized included initial neurological evaluation, presence of seizure activity, need for admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), number of days hospitalized, presence of retinal hemorrhages and presence of bone fractures. Measurement of outcome was determined using the Pediatric Overall Performance Category Scale (POPCS; 1 = good performance; 6 = death). Results: Four children demonstrated elevated lactate and diminished N-acetyl aspartate (a neuronal marker) within several regions, indicating global ischemic injury (lactate-positive global group). These four children all had seizure activity and abnormal initial neurological examinations and required admission to the PICU. The mean POPCS for this group was 3.25. In four other children, lactate was detected within at least one region, indicating a focal ischemic injury (lactate-positive focal group); two of these children had seizure activity, and two had an abnormal initial neurological examination. The mean POPCS score was 1.5 for this group. The remaining three children had no evidence of lactate upon MRS (lactate-negative group). These children did not have seizure activity, did not require admission to the PICU, nor did they have initial abnormal neurological examinations. The mean POPCS score was 1.3 for this group. Summary: Patients with inflicted traumatic brain injury and evidence of hypoxic-ischemic injury as indicated by elevated lactate on MRS tend to have worse early neurological status and early outcome scores. Lactate levels as sampled by MRS might predict early clinical outcome in inflicted traumatic brain injury.
Ethics and programmatic issues on the 2003 SARS epidemic: are any lessons transferable to the HIV pandemic?

The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to spread globally but much more so in the less industrialised countries of southern and eastern Africa. Despite the difference in aetiology and modes of spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), there are certainly some lessons that policy makers can reflect on regarding the global control of the SARS epidemic in 2003. The response to the SARS outbreak garnering the support of every stakeholder than could be mobilized is an example of how emerging infectious diseases could be dealt with. However, the programmatic and ethics issues, although resulting in an effective response were nonetheless controversial in many ways, as the potentially compromised people's rights and autonomy. These issues require further reflection and an assessment as to whether they could be used in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Presented in this paper, are selected HIV and SARS prevention and control activities that can be assessed for potential effectiveness, ethics rating and programmatic challenges. In this article, the similarities in prevention and control are presented, so will the differences. Keywords : ethics, lessons, SARS, HIV/AIDS Tanzania Health Research Bulletin Vol. 8 (2) 2006: pp. 109-114
Vortex-pair state in rotating superfluid 3He-A at low temperatures.

An earlier analysis of the vortex-pair state is extended to lower temperatures. It is shown that the circular-hyperbolic pair describes both the observed transverse satellite frequency and intensity quite well. However, it appears rather difficult to distinguish the radial-hyperbolic pair from the circular-hyperbolic pair. We also predict that the distance between vortices in a pair increases rapidly as the temperature decreases, which can be tested by ultrasonic attenuation.
First-rank symptoms, severity of illness, and treatment response in schizophrenia

Abstract We reviewed the case summaries of 71 hospitalized patients who received the discharge diagnosis of schizophrenia. A separate “blind” assessment was made of the presence of Schneider's First Rank Symptoms (FRS) of schizophrenia, and ratings of the severity of illness and the immediate response to treatment. No relation was found between the presence or absence of FRS and either severity of illness or treatment response. This finding supports previous studies ascribing diagnostic specificity to FRS independent of other illness variables.
A Comprehensive Approach to Preceptor Development

Objective. To assess the impact of a comprehensive preceptor development program. Design. A comprehensive preceptor development program was designed that included live and recorded online programming, a preceptor manual, a preceptor newsletter, live events (local and regional), and one-on-one practice site visits. Assessment. Over 5,000 evaluations (1,900 pre-implementation and 3,160 post-implementation) of preceptor performance were completed by students. Students rated preceptors higher in items related to providing helpful midpoint and final evaluations after program implementation. Over 1,000 Web-based preceptor development activities were completed by preceptors from 2007 to 2011. Preceptors felt activities enhanced their current knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, and more than 90% felt the core development activities would improve their current practice. Conclusion. A comprehensive approach to preceptor development that offered a variety of development and training opportunities received positive evaluations from preceptors and resulted in improved student evaluations of preceptors. A comprehensive development program should be made available to preceptors to foster their continuing professional development.
A Small-Scale Experiment in the Application of Creativity to the Teaching of Technical Communication

At Cornell University, a course in technical writing and speaking, required for fifth-year electrical engineers, was redesigned for the summer co-op session to encourage creative thinking, both as an aid to the students in their general engineering work and as a more efficient medium for conveying good technical communicating processes. Students were required to "invent" devices, find answers to imaginary problems, and convey the ideas derived from these projects to other people. Emphasis was also placed on fast, efficient methods for finding information, and coherent explanations of technical problems to many different types of audiences. No attempt has been made to evaluate the long-range effects of this course on the creativity of the individuals concerned. It is felt, however, that the major accomplishments along these lines were the introduction of techniques for ideational fluency and creative problem solving and the constant reinforcement of creative efforts. Included in this paper are the original assignments for the course and a proposal for an ideal, but wholly practical, new course in technical communications based upon the results of this course.
Testing the effects of educational strategies on comprehension of a genomic concept using virtual reality technology.

Objective Applying genetic susceptibility information to improve health will likely require educating patients about abstract concepts, for which there is little existing research. This experimental study examined the effect of learning mode on comprehension of a genomic concept.
Analysis of stable strontium in biological materials by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Abstract A method is described for the analysis of the trace levels of stable strontium in the diet and in biological materials using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. An additive standard technique was employed to compensate for ionic interference effects and matrix differences. Such a technique eliminates the need for chemical separation and so increases the speed with which samples can be analyzed. Recoveries of the added strontium averaged 100.7% for the metabolic low calcium diet containing 0.96 mg strontium/day, 98% for urine, and 96% for stool samples. The calculated difference of duplicate analyses of urine samples, which had the lowest stable strontium concentration, about 0.2 mg/24 h, should not exceed 0.05 mg. The method is equally applicable for the analysis of samples containing high levels of stable strontium. The main advantage of this method is the simplicity and therefore the speed with which samples can be handled.
A Method for Modeling System Driven Uncertainty During Probabilistic Part Life Analyses

40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, July 11-14, 2004.
Part and bipartial canonical correlation analysis

Extending the definitions of part and bipartial correlation to sets of variates, the notion of part and bipartial canonical correlation analysis are developed and illustrated.
Using the Megargee MMPI-based classification system with MMPI-2s of male prison inmates.

This study extends Megargee's Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-based classification system to female offenders. MMPI-2s of 400 women in state and federal prisons were rescored and reconfigured to estimate their original MMPI profiles. Their MMPIs and MMPI-2s were classified according to the rules devised for the original MMPI. Next, the MMPI-2s were reclassified using new rules for classifying the MMPI-2s of male offenders. Neither approach led to satisfactory agreement between MMPI and MMPI-2. A major problem was that Scale 5 was more prominent in the women's MMPI-2 profiles than on their MMPIs. Using revised rules for classifying the original MMPIs and the MMPI-2s of female offenders, 386 of the 400 women (97%) could be classified on both versions of the MMPI, of whom 336 (87%) were classified identically.
Region-specific expression of messenger RNAs encoding GABAa receptor subunits in the developing rat brain

Abstract The distribution and levels of messenger RNAs encoding the α1, β1, β2, β3, and γ2 subunits of the GABA A receptor in the developing and adult rat brain were investigated using quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry and subunit-specific probes. Regional localization of the subunit messenger RNAs was determined with film autoradiography and expression in identified neuronal cell populations was examined using higher resolution techniques. Each of the GABA A receptor subunit messenger RNAs exhibits a distinct pattern of localization in the developing and adult brain. Of the subunits examined, the α1, β2, and γ2 are the most abundant and are found in many brain regions, including the olfactory bulb, cortex, hippocampus, thalamic nuclei, and inferior colliculus. In addition, these subunit messenger RNAs are prominent in the cerebellum where virtually all cells of the deep cerebellar nuclei and Purkinje cell layer are labeled. The levels of most of the subunit messenger RNAs, with the exception of that encoding the β 1 subunit, increase during postnatal development. While the α1,β2, and γ2 subunit messenger RNAs rise in parallel in many regions and identified cell populations, different subsets of receptor subunit messenger RNAs are co-ordinately expressed at other sites. The greatest increases in subunit messenger RNA levels occur in the cerebellar cortex during the second postnatal week, a period coincident with cerebellar maturation. The co-distribution of different GABA A receptor subunit messenger RNAs in various regions of the developing and adult nervous systems supports the hypothesis that multiple receptor compositions exist. Moreover, that different subunit messenger RNAs exhibit coordinate changes in expression in different regions and cell populations suggests that receptor gene expression is modulated by cell type-specific signals. The temporal changes in subunit messenger RNA levels in the cerebellum raise the possibility that synaptogenesis may play a role in receptor gene regulation in this brain region.
Scaling symbolic execution using ranged analysis

This paper introduces a novel approach to scale symbolic execution --- a program analysis technique for systematic exploration of bounded execution paths---for test input generation. While the foundations of symbolic execution were developed over three decades ago, recent years have seen a real resurgence of the technique, specifically for systematic bug finding. However, scaling symbolic execution remains a primary technical challenge due to the inherent complexity of the path-based exploration that lies at core of the technique.Our key insight is that the state of the analysis can be represented highly compactly: a test input is all that is needed to effectively encode the state of a symbolic execution run. We present ranged symbolic execution, which embodies this insight and uses two test inputs to define a range, i.e., the beginning and end, for a symbolic execution run. As an application of our approach, we show how it enables scalability by distributing the path exploration---both in a sequential setting with a single worker node and in a parallel setting with multiple workers. As an enabling technology, we leverage the open-source, state-of-the-art symbolic execution tool KLEE. Experimental results using 71 programs chosen from the widely deployed GNU Coreutils set of Unix utilities show that our approach provides a significant speedup over KLEE. For example, using 10 worker cores, we achieve an average speed-up of 6.6X for the 71 programs.
Intramolecular Allylations of Carbonions

Abstract In the general centaxt of examining a variety of organic, reactions which probably proceed via cyclic transition stares, we predicted scme years ago2 that the aniens (II) produced by the action of appropriate bases on allylic esters(I) would undergo intramolecular rearrangement to form the iscmeric carboxylate anions (III).
Electrochemical Testing of Gas Tungsten Arc Welded and Reduced Pressure Electron Beam Welded Alloy 22

Alloy 22 (N06022) is the material selected for the fabrication of the outer shell of the nuclear waste containers for the Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository site. A key technical issue in the waste package program has been the integrity of the container weld joints. The currently selected welding process for fabricating and sealing the containers is the traditional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or TIC method. An appealing faster alternative technique is reduced pressure electron beam (RPEB) welding. It was of interest to compare the corrosion properties of specimens prepared using both types of welding techniques. Standard electrochemical tests were carried on GTAW and RPEB welds as well as on base metal (non-welded) to determine their relative corrosion behavior in simulated concentrated water (SCW) at 90 C (alkaline), 1 M HCI at 60 C (acidic) and 1 M NaCl at 90 C (neutral) solutions. Results show that for all practical purposes, the three tested materials had the same electrochemical behavior in the three tested electrolytes.
Trends in Stress Urinary Incontinence Inpatient Procedures in the United States, 1979–2004

Objective The purpose of this study was to describe national trends in surgery for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Study Design We used data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey, a federal dataset sampling patient discharges from US inpatient hospitals. We analyzed patient and hospital demographics and International Classification of Diseases , 9th revision , Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic and procedures codes for 1979-2004. Age-adjusted rates per 1000 women were calculated with 1990 US Census population data. Results The number of women who have undergone SUI surgery each year increased from 48,345 in 1979 to 103,467 in 2004. In women ≥ 52 years old, the age-adjusted rate more than doubled from 0.64-1.60 procedures per 1000 women; in women Conclusion The number of women who have undergone SUI surgery increased significantly from 1979-2004. Because the National Hospital Discharge Survey data do not include ambulatory procedures, accurate information on same-day surgeries is unavailable. Currently no ICD-9-CM procedure code exists specifically for midurethral sling procedures. Both missed sampling of same-day procedures and nonspecific or inaccurate coding may explain the surprising decline in suprapubic sling procedures and the rise in rates of other repair of SUI. A national ambulatory surgical database and a specific code for midurethral sling are needed to capture these important data.
Serum lipoprotein apoproteins as major protein constituents of the human erythrocyte membrane

Abstract Approximately half of the proteins of hemoglobin-free erythrocyte membranes react with antisera to human serum α- or β-lipoproteins. Approximately 50 percent of the NH 2 -terminal amino acids of the membrane proteins are glutamic and aspartic acids, the NH 2 -terminal amino acids of β-lipoprotein and α-lipoprotein, respectively. Threonine and serine, the NH 2 -terminal amino acids of apolipoprotein-Val, apolipoprotein-Glu, and apolipoprotein-Ala were also present as NH 2 -terminal amino acids in the erythrocyte membrane proteins. The COOH-terminal amino acids of the membrane proteins also correspond to those of the serum lipoproteins. Both the antigenic determinants for the serum lipoproteins and the characteristic NH 2 -terminal amino acids occurred throughout the range of membrane proteins separated on the basis of molecular size. Immunological evidence for the presence in the same membrane protein of the antigenic determinants for both serum α- and β-lipoproteins was obtained. It is suggested that the apoproteins of the serum lipoproteins are the major intrinsic lipophilic proteins of the erythrocyte membrane, and that in the membrane they are covalently cross-linked to each other and to other proteins which confer functional activity upon the membrane. It is also possible that the major immediate fates of the apoproteins of serum lipoproteins may be incorporation into plasma membranes with subsequent degradation to amino acids within the cell into whose membrane they have been inserted. The possible significance of this process in vascular disease is pointed out.
How to (Maybe) Measure Laser Beam Quality

The objectives of this tutorial are to introduce the most important concepts and define some of the common terms involved in laser beam quality; to review briefly some of the beam quality definitions and measurement schemes employed to date; to describe some of the problems associated with various approaches and with standardization efforts for beam quality measurement; and finally to express a few of the author’s personal prejuduces on this subject. The "Maybe" in the title of this tutorial is intended to convey that measuring, or even rigorously defining, any single all-inclusive measure of laser beam quality is still a controversial an unsettled topic—and may remain so for some time.
Work In Progress: Course, Interrupted!

The advent of information technology has created a plethora of media by which our students are amused and sometimes bemused! Television, Pod-casting, gaming, MP3s, and cell phones make demands on our students' attention, both inside and outside the classroom. How can educators compete when students are challenged and tempted from a multitude of directions? We fight fire with fire. Course, Interrupted is a method of delivering materials utilizing changes in pace, medium, and roles to keep students on their toes and intellectually engaged. Students watch, listen, read, act, and participate in other activities in order to more fully absorb the material. The benefits to students are obvious: faculty can incorporate relevant and current material, thus catching and maintaining the attention of the students. The continual interruptions ensure that students are engaged and attentive, and the varying media presentations accommodate visual, auditory or tactile/kinesthetic learners.
Autonomic management of distributed systems using online clustering

Distributed computational infrastructures, as well as the applications and services that they support, are increasingly becoming an integral part of society and affecting every aspect of life. As a result, ensuring their efficient and robust operation is critical. However, the scale and overall complexity of these systems is growing at an alarming rate (current data centers contain tens to hundreds of thousands of computing and storage devices running complex applications), making the management of these systems extremely challenging and rapidly exceeding human capability. Furthermore, these systems require simultaneous management along multiple dimensions, including performance, quality of service, power, and reliability.
Introduction and overview of the conceptual framework for a national quality measurement and reporting system.

Background Little systematic information is currently available on the level of quality of health care received in the United States. Most studies find significant deficits in quality, but without systematic information on quality at all levels in the health care system, substantial improvements in care delivery are unlikely. Objectives The Strategic Framework Board (SFB) was established in 1999 to (1) design a strategy for a national quality measurement and reporting system (NQMRS), (2) articulate the guiding principles and priorities for a national system, and (3) identify potential barriers to successful implementation and propose possible solutions. Research design The SFB consisted of nine members selected for their breadth of research and experience in quality. The work was conducted as an expert deliberation, including face-to-face meetings, regular conference calls, some literature reviews on specific topics, drafting and discussion of papers, and presentation of observations and recommendations to the Board of the National Forum for Health Care Quality Measurement and Reporting. Findings The SFB developed a conceptual framework to organize the design of the NQMRS. The major components include: statement of purpose, selection of national goals, establishment of the NQMRS on a scientific foundation, selection of a common set of measures and effective reporting strategies, facilitation of local adoption of the system, and development of the capacity for quality improvement. Conclusions An NQMRS is essential for the nation to make improvements in quality. The work here presents a first step in designing such a system. Considerable work on making these strategies operational remains to be undertaken.
The power of resilience.

![Figure][1] Disappointment can be crippling, but only if the individual allows himself or herself to be emotionally conquered by the defeat. This can be particularly devastating in the young. As an alternate path, I recommend finding refuge in the power of resilience. Psychiatric theorists
The La RNA-binding Protein Interacts with the Vault RNA and Is a Vault-associated Protein

Vaults are highly conserved ubiquitous ribonucleoprotein particles with an undefined function. Three protein species (p240/TEP1, p193/VPARP, and p100/MVP) and a small RNA comprise the 13-MDa vault particle. The expression of the unique 100-kDa major vault protein is sufficient to form the basic vault structure. Previously, we have shown that stable association of the vault RNA with the vault particle is dependent on its interaction with the p240/TEP1 protein. To identify other proteins that interact with the vault RNA, we used a UV-cross-linking assay. We find that a portion of the vault RNA is complexed with the La autoantigen in a separate smaller ribonucleoprotein particle. La interacts with the vault RNA (both in vivo and in vitro) presumably through binding to 3′-uridylates. Moreover, we also demonstrate that the La autoantigen is the 50-kDa protein that we have previously reported as a protein that co-purifies with vaults.
THE MORAL LIMITS OF A NUCLEAR RESPONSE TO NUCLEAR TERRORISM: A RESPONSE TO THOMAS E. DOYLE II

Abstract This article responds to issues raised in Ethics, Nuclear Terrorism, and Counter-Terrorist Nuclear Reprisals – A Response to John Mark Mattox's ‘Nuclear Terrorism: The Other Extreme of Irregular Warfare’ by Thomas E. Doyle II, also appearing in the pages of this issue.
Diffuse diffraction spots in RHEED patterns

Abstract The diffuse spots occuring in reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns and not lying on the circle in which the Ewald sphere intercepts a reciprocal lattice plane are confirmed to arise mostly from thermal diffuse scattering. Observations from near-perfect flat GaAs surfaces rule out effects of surface irregularities. The use of energy-filtered electrons show that the primary scattering process involves an energy loss of less than 2 eV. Application of the boundary conditions for reflection diffraction provides an explanation for the positions and relative sharpness of the diffuse spots.
Closed Mitral Commissurotomy Complications and Their Effect on Survival

The postoperative course of 145 patients with primary, closed mitral commissurotomy was analyzed with emphasis on the incidence and importance of various complications. For the entire series, 12-year cumulative mortality was 38.3 percent, ten-year 32 percent and five-year 18.6 percent. Satisfactory results were found in 43.3 percent of patients followed longer than ten years, in 53.9 percent at five to ten years and in 66.4 percent at one to five years after the first operation. Principal complicating factors were restenosis (32.3 percent incidence and 41.1 percent cumulative 12-year mortality), serious mitral regurgitation (15.9 percent and 56.5 percent), preoperative cardiomegaly (53.2 percent and 44.3 percent), progressive aortic regurgitation (4.1 percent and 50 percent), chronic atrial fibrillation (52.4 percent and 43.4 percent), preoperative right ventricular hypertrophy (43.7 percent and 41.1 percent) extensive mitral calcification at initial surgery (46.3 percent and 46.2 percent), postoperative embolism (22.1 percent and 52.6 percent) and obstructive pulmonary disease (4.1 percent and 50 percent). At all stages of follow-up, patients without these serious complications had a more favorable course. In optimally selected patients, closed mitral commissurotomy produces acceptable long-term results.
Steric effects on nascent vibrational distributions of the HCN product produced in CN radical reactions with ethane, propane and chloroform

Abstract Time-resolved IR emission spectroscopy (TRIES) has been used to study infrared emission in the 3400–3100 cm−1 region from HCN molecules produced when CN radicals abstract a hydrogen atom from ethane, propane, and chloroform. From these observations the nascent vibrational distributions of the HCN produced were derived. The nascent vibrational population distributions of the product HCN in all of the reactions are non-statistical and inverted in both the pure CH stretch (00p) and CH stretch—bend (0np) series.
A possible role of fluctuating clay-water systems in the production of ordered prebiotic oligomers

A model is proposed for the intermediate stages of prebiotic evolution, based on the characteristics of the adsorption and condensation of amino acids and nucleotides on the surface area of clay minerals in a fluctuating environment. Template replication and translation of adsorbed oligonucleotides and catalytic effects by peptide products on further condensation are proposed, due to specific properties of hypohydrous clay surfaces as well as the biomolecules themselves. Experimental evidence supports some of the proposed interactions, and all of them can be tested experimentally.
Activation of valvular interstitial cells is mediated by transforming growth factor-β1 interactions with matrix molecules

Abstract Strategies for the tissue-engineering of living cardiac valve replacements are limited by a lack of appropriate scaffold materials that both permit cell viability and actively contribute to the growth of functional tissues. Components of the extracellular matrix can localize and modify growth factor signals, and by doing so impart instructional stimuli for direction of cell phenotype. Fibronectin, collagen I, and heparin were explored as affinity matrices for sequestering and presenting soluble signaling molecules to control differentiation of valvular interstitial cells (VICs) to myofibroblasts. VIC differentiation is commonly characterized by expression of stress fibers containing alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a central mediator of this transition. Both fibronectin and heparin, which are known to possess TGF-β1 binding interactions, were found to increase VIC α-SMA expression (120% and 258% of expression in controls), while VICs cultured on collagen I-modified substrates had diminished α-SMA expression (66% of control). Heparin treatment significantly stimulated VIC production of TGF-β1 at all concentrations tested (50 to 400 μg/ml). Heparin-modified substrates were found to alter cell morphology through increased adsorption of serum proteins, specifically TGF-β1. In sum, heparin produced α-SMA-positive myofibroblasts through both the de novo production of TGF-β1, and its localization in the pericellular environment. The addition of heparin to fibronectin-modified substrates led to a synergistic increase in VIC α-SMA expression, produced by the reciprocal binding of fibronectin, heparin, cell-produced TGF-β1. The characterization of molecules, both soluble and insoluble, that control VIC activation will be important for the development of tailored 3D culture environments for tissue-engineering applications.
A monoclonal antibody to the T-cell receptor increases IGF-I receptor content in normal T-lymphocytes: comparison with phytohemagglutinin.

The biological effects of the IGFs are mediated through interaction with specific cell surface receptors. It has been previously reported that mitogenic activation of T-lymphocytes by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is associated with increased IGF-I receptor content. However, the mechanisms which regulate IGF-I receptor expression during T-lymphocyte activation are unknown. To explore further the regulation of IGF-I receptor expression in T-cells, we investigated IGF-I receptor content and mRNA abundance in T-lymphocytes after stimulation either by PHA or OKT-3, the latter being a monoclonal antibody directed against the CD-3 antigen of the T-cell receptor IGF-I binding in T-cells demonstrated increased IGF-I receptor content after stimulation by both PHA and OKT-3. Peak binding was induced after 72 h of treatment with PHA and 48 h of treatment with OKT-3. Affinity cross-linking of 125I-IGF-I to T-cell membranes demonstrated a single ∼ 130 kDa band which was increased after treatment with PHA or OKT-3. This band was inhibited by the addition of α-IR3, a monoclonal antibody to the IGF-I receptor. Both PHA and OKT-3 increased IGF-I receptor mRNA abundance with peak increases at 20 h and 60 h, respectively. Parallel increases in IGF-I receptor and β-actin mRNA abundance were observed, consistent with previous studies demonstrating increased actin gene expression after T-cell activation. Thus, the increase in IGF-I receptor mRNA abundance markedly preceded the increase in IGF-I receptor content after PHA stimulation, but the increase in IGF-I receptor mRNA abundance followed the increase in IGF-I receptor content after OKT-3. These studies suggest, therefore, that IGF-I receptor content in both of these activated cells is not regulated primarily at the level of steady state mRNA.
Behavior of Hydrogen Transfer in the Hydrogenation of Anthracene over Activated Carbon

The behavior of hydrogen transfer over activated carbon was examined through the hydrogenation of anthracene in the temperature range of 300−400 °C with three kinds of hydrogen sources: hydrogen gas, hydrogen-donor tetralin, and the combination of both. With hydrogen gas, the hydrogen transfer rate determined from the distribution of hydrogenated anthracene products increased with both hydrogen partial pressure and temperature, while in tetralin it depended on the concentration of hydrogen atoms formed on the surface of activated carbon by the dehydrogenation of tetralin and reached levels at temperatures of 350−400 °C comparable to those obtained in the same temperatures under 6.0 MPa of H2. When both hydrogen gas and tetralin were used together, the hydrogen transfer rate was higher than each one obtained separately with hydrogen gas alone or tetralin alone, but much lower than the simple sum of both rates in the range of 350−400 °C. Simultaneously, the hydrogen formation rate based on the conversion o...
Ectopic Expression of Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Differentially Regulates Nuclear Transcription Factors

The putative core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) regulates cellular growth and a number of cellular promoters. To further understand its effect, we investigated the role of the core protein in the endogenous regulation of two distinct transcription factors, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and activating protein-1 (AP-1), and the related mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Stable cell transfectants expressing the HCV core protein suppressed tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced NF-κB activation. Supershift analysis revealed that NF-κB consists of p50 and p65 subunits. This correlated with inhibition of the degradation of IκBα, the inhibitory subunit of NF-κB. The effect was not specific to TNF, as suppression in core protein-expressing cells was also observed in response to a number of other inflammatory agents known to activate NF-κB. In contrast to the effect on NF-κB, the HCV core protein constitutively activated AP-1, which correlated with the activation of JNK and MAPKK, which are known to regulate AP-1. These observations indicated that the core protein targets transcription factors known to be involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses and the immune system.
Visible light induced catalytic water reduction without an electron relay.

Protons from water are re- duced by a catalytic system composed of a heteroleptic iridiumAIII) photosen- sitizer (IrA2A + , platinum cata- lyst, and sacrificial reductant. The hy- drogen quantum yield reaches 0.26 in this study, which proceeds via reductive quenching of the excited photosensitiz- er by triethanolamine. This simplified approach allows the characterization of degradation products that are other- wise obscured in more complex sys- tems. A novel 16-well setup for parallel kinetic analysis of H2 evolution enables high-throughput screening of reaction conditions and quantization of the de- caying reaction rate. DFT calculations rationalize the differences between this and previous studies on tris-diimine ruthenium(II) photosensitizers.
Teaching Counselor Trainees a Divergent versus a Convergent Hypothesis-Formation Strategy.

Hypothesis-formation skills were assessed for 40 graduate counseling students randomly assigned to training in either a divergent or convergent hypothesis-formation strategy. Rating scales assessed skills in accounting for a comprehensive range of client information and for questions used in hypothesis testing. MANOVA results indicated that trainees in the divergent-training condition cited significantly more units of hypothesis information and more supportive information units and posed more hypothesis-testing questions than did trainees in the convergent training condition. Findings suggest that trainees using a divergent strategy were able to formulate more comprehensive and multidimensional clinical hypotheses. Implications for training and research are presented.