cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is there an Association between Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Prediction and Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury

Objective This study aimed to estimate whether there is an association between the predicted probability of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) and the occurrence of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS). Study Design This was a single-site retrospective cohort study of all women with a singleton vaginal birth after a previous cesarean section between January 2011 and December 2016. Women were divided into four ordinal groupings by the predicted probability of achieving vaginal birth after cesarean using the Maternal–Fetal Medicine Units Network VBAC calculator (less than 41%, 40.1–60%, 60.1–80%, and greater than 80%). The primary outcome was OASIS, defined as a 3rd or 4th degree perineal laceration. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were used to examine the association between predicted VBAC probability and OASIS. Results In total, 1,411 women met inclusion criteria and 73 (5.2%) sustained OASIS. The median predicted probability of VBAC was lower in women with OASIS compared with those without OASIS (60% [interquartile range {IQR}: 48–70%] vs. 66% (IQR: 52–80%), p = 0.02]. On bivariable and multivariable logistic regression, predicted probability of VBAC was associated with increased odds of OASIS (less than 41% probability: adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90–11.21; 41–60% probability: aOR: 3.76, 95% CI: 1.34–10.57; 61–80% probability aOR: 3.47, 95% CI: 1.25–9.69) relative to women with a predicted probability of VBAC of greater than 80%. Conclusion Having a lower predicted probability of VBAC is associated with an increased risk of OASIS at the time of a VBAC relative to those with greater than 80% predicted probability. Incorporation of this aspect of maternal morbidity may inform risk-stratification at the time of trial of labor after cesarean, as well as the choice of performing an operative vaginal delivery. Key Points
Lateral Vestibular Approach to the Central Neck for Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery: A Cadaveric Study.

Background: The transoral endoscopic approach to the central neck has rapidly become one of the most widely utilized remote-access approaches for thyroid and parathyroid surgery in the world. The approach involves three small incisions inside the lower lip and has an optimal cosmetic outcome with no visible scar. However, the technique is quite difficult and poses several challenges that limit its widespread adoption. To overcome these issues, a novel lateral vestibular approach (LaVA) was explored in cadavers. Methods: Study using 7 fresh human cadavers that were dissected using open and endoscopic techniques to explore the feasibility of a transoral vestibular approach to the central neck without gas insufflation. Results: This novel approach resulted in wide access to the central neck and allowed for a total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection while preserving the marginal mandibular and mental nerves. Conclusions: LaVA permits excellent access to the central neck with a wide working space without the need for gas insufflation and overcomes many of the limitations of current transoral endoscopic approaches to the central neck.
Management and Cure of Gouty Arthritis.

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in the United States. Gouty arthritis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is caused by hyperuricemia. Gout is effectively managed and potentially cured by decreasing the overall urate burden with serum urate-lowering therapy. When serum urate is maintained at less than 6.0 mg/dL urate deposition is resolved and gout can be cured. Unfortunately, owing to a lack of physician monitoring and dose escalation the majority of patients do not achieve these urate levels.
Effects of micro-scale corrosion damage features and local microstructure on fatigue crack initiation location

Abstract The fatigue resistance of aerospace structures is degraded by the presence of corrosion damage. This work characterizes the micro-scale (
Altered cisplatin pharmacokinetics during nonalcoholic steatohepatitis contributes to reduced nephrotoxicity

Abstract Disease-mediated alterations to drug disposition constitute a significant source of adverse drug reactions. Cisplatin (CDDP) elicits nephrotoxicity due to exposure in proximal tubule cells during renal secretion. Alterations to renal drug transporter expression have been discovered during nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), however, associated changes to substrate toxicity is unknown. To test this, a methionine- and choline-deficient diet-induced rat model was used to evaluate NASH-associated changes to CDDP pharmacokinetics, transporter expression, and toxicity. NASH rats administered CDDP (6 mg/kg, i.p.) displayed 20% less nephrotoxicity than healthy rats. Likewise, CDDP renal clearance decreased in NASH rats from 7.39 to 3.83 mL/min, renal secretion decreased from 6.23 to 2.80 mL/min, and renal CDDP accumulation decreased by 15%, relative to healthy rats. Renal copper transporter-1 expression decreased, and organic cation transporter-2 and ATPase copper transporting protein-7b increased slightly, reducing CDDP secretion. Hepatic CDDP accumulation increased 250% in NASH rats relative to healthy rats. Hepatic organic cation transporter-1 induction and multidrug and toxin extrusion protein-1 and multidrug resistance-associated protein-4 reduction may contribute to hepatic CDDP sequestration in NASH rats, although no drug-related toxicity was observed. These data provide a link between NASH-induced hepatic and renal transporter expression changes and CDDP renal clearance, which may alter nephrotoxicity.
The Relationship of Anxiety with Alzheimer's Disease: A Narrative Review.

Background There is an increased effort to better understand neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as an important feature of symptomatic burden as well as potential modi- fiable factors of the disease process. Anxiety is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). A growing body of work has emerged that addresses the epidemiology and biological correlations of anxiety in AD. Objective and methods Here, we review human studies in research and clinical cohorts that examined anxiety in AD. We focused on work related to prevalence across AD stages, correlation with established biomarkers, relationship with AD neuropathology and genetic risk factors, and impact on progression. Results Anxiety is prominent in the early stages and increases across the spectrum of functional stages. Biomarker relationships are strongest at the level of FDG-PET and amyloid measured via PET or cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Neuropathologically, anxiety emerges with early Braak stage tau pathology. The presence of the apolipoprotein E e4 allele is associated with increased anxiety at all stages, most notably at mild cognitive impairment. Anxiety portended a faster progression at all pre-dementia stages. Conclusion This body of work suggests a close biological relationship between anxiety and AD that begins in early stages and influences functional decline. As such, we discuss future work that would improve our understanding of this relationship and test the validity of anxiolytic treatment as disease modifying therapy for AD.
Hippocampal 3H-CPP binding and spatial learning deficits in aged rats

Recent evidence has shown that either intraventricular or intrahippocampal injection of the NMDA antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP-5) produces a spatial learning deficit. This deficit is similar to that observed in aged animals. The spatial learning capacity of aged rats could, then, be related to changes in the status of hippocampal NMDA receptors. This study assessed hippocampal NMDA receptor binding in young and aged rats using the potent NMDA antagonist 3H [(±)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl]propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP). Initial characterization experiments indicated that 3H-CPP bound selectively to a class of receptors in hippocampal tissue with high affinity (39.5 nM). The 3H-CPP receptor binding capacity was significantly reduced in experimentally naive aged rats (24–25 months) as compared with young animals (5 months). A comparable reduction in 3H-CPP binding was found in a comparison of aged and young rats that had been trained on a spatial task in the Morris water maze. Furthermore, the reduction in 3H-CPP binding was correlated with the severity of the learning deficit present within the aged group. It was concluded that a reduction in hippocampal NMDA sites, as measured by 3H-CPP binding, may contribute to the emergence of cognitive deficits in aged animals.
Thinking of Civic Education in Korea: The Opposite Spillover Problem of Liberalism

INTRODUCTION Civic education has recently been a hot issue in educational thought. Indeed, our conception of an educated person is closely related with the conception of a good citizen. For ancient Greeks the good life could not be imagined without involving social relations and institutions. Aristotle’s definition of man as “an animal that is by nature political,” originally meant that “man is a creature by nature adapted for life in a polis, the city-state.” Likewise Yael Tamir points out,
Employment, not Microcredit, is the Solution

Most studies suggest that microcredit is beneficial but only to a limited extent. The problem lies not with microcredit but rather with microenterprises. With low skills, little capital and no scale economies, these businesses have low productivity and lead to meager earnings that cannot lift their owners out of poverty. Creating opportunities for steady employment at reasonable wages is the best way to take people out of poverty. The government is responsible for providing public services that are critical for increasing the productivity and the employability of the poor.
The fully programmable spacecraft: procedural sequencing for JPL deep space missions using VML (Virtual Machine Language)

VML (Virtual Machine Language) is an advanced procedural sequencing language which simplifies spacecraft operations, minimizes uplink product size, and allows autonomous operations aboard a mission without the development of autonomous flight software. The language is a mission-independent, high level, human readable script. It features a rich set of data types (including integers, doubles, and strings), named functions, parameters, IF and WHILE control structures, polymorphism, and on-the-fly creation of spacecraft commands from calculated values. VML has been used on six JPL deep space missions. It is currently in use on Mars Odyssey, Stardust, Genesis, and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). It is slated for use on the 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The language and associated flight code has allowed spacecraft operations teams to place autonomy aboard deep space missions, implemented as operations products (blocks and sequences). The flight component of VML is implemented in C. This paper lays out language constructs and capabilities, code features, and VML operations development concepts.
Coastal sand dune stabilization in the Pacific Northwest

Coastal dunes are stabilized in three stages: (1) The initial stage uses sand-stilling grasses established vegetatively. For this purpose, European beachgrass,Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link., is most used, followed by American beachgrass,A. breviligulata Fern., or American dunegrass,Elymus mollis Trin. Large solid plantings must be made with the spacing and number of plants per hill adjusted to the site conditions. Plantings, using Nitrogen fertilizer, are made during the dormant season. (2) Secondary permanent grasses and legumes are seeded 2 years later when sand movement slows and the initial grasses begin to lose their vigor. Most used are seaside lupine,Lupinus littoralis Dougl., purple beachpea,Lathyrus japonicus Willd., seashore bluegrass,Poa macrantha Vasey., and native red fescue,Festuca rubra L. (3) Final control is with woody plants that are well adapted to rough areas. Scotch broom,Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link. Hooker willow,Salix hookeriana Barratt, Nootka rose,Rosa nutkana Prese., and shore pine Pinus contorta Dougl., have been extensively used.
Comparison of models for defining nearshore flatfish nursery areas in Alaskan waters

Because it is unrealistic to assess fishes in all locations, models are needed to characterize the nursery habitats of flatfish species. Descriptive habitat models of species presence and categorical analysis regression tree (CART) models of species abundance have been developed in previous studies. Based on collections around Kodiak Island, Alaska in 1991 and 1992, these models have been developed for: age-0 flathead sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon); age-0 Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis); age-1 yellowfin sole (Pleuronectes asper); and age-0 rock sole (Pleuronectes bilineatus). In 1995, collections were made in bays along the Alaska Peninsula (an area never before sampled for juvenile flatfishes) and were compared with the previous models developed for Kodiak Island in 1991 and 1992. Very simple descriptive models for Kodiak Island ( Norcross et al., 1995 , Neth. J. Sea Res. 34: 161–175) accurately predicted the abundance along the Alaska Peninsula of flathead sole (78%), Pacific halibut (96%), yellowfin sole (75%) and rock sole (99%) in specific depth ranges and on specific substrate types. More complex CART models of species abundance ( Norcross et al., 1997 , Fish. Bull. (US) 95: 504–520) were more precise but not as accurate as the descriptive models because some parameters were not always available at the test locations. Flathead sole were found at temperatures ≤ 8.9°C on mud and mixed mud substrates in similar proportions in 1995 (66%) as in 1991–92 (71%). Similarly, Pacific halibut were ≤ 7.9 km inside bays and at depths ≤ 40 m in 93% of the sites of this study, compared with 89% previously. Seventy-five per cent of yellowfin sole were at depths ≤ 28 m on mixed substrates in both study periods. Rock sole were found on sand and muddy sand substrates at temperatures above 8.7°C in 52% of the sites in present and 69% of the sites in previous studies. This field test demonstrated that both descriptive and CART models were very useful at identifying juvenile habitat parameters, but are insufficient for areas not previously sampled. The resource-selection models verified the importance of a subset of parameters used in earlier models and provided a statistical means (78–87% correct) for prediction of fish distribution in similar areas of the eastern North Pacific.
A note on the penetration of poliomyelitis virus from the gastrointestinal tract in the chimpanzee

Summary Evidence is presented that in the chimpanzee poliomyelitis virus may reach the central nervous system from the gut via the abdominal sympathetic nerves.
Reproductive strategies in lichens

Lichens employ two divergent strategies of reproduction, a sexual method through spore propagation and a derivative asexual strategy based on systems perpetuating the symbiosis by the dissemination of specialized diaspores. The distribution of these pathways in 24 families in the order Lecanorales is presented. Fruticose and foliose life forms have a greater representation of vegetative diaspores than crustose forms. It is hypothesized that chemical evolution occurred prior to the development of secondary asexual reproductive mechanisms. The derived vegetative morphologies have apparently outlasted their sexual ancestors, although a number of closely related “species pairs” are known, indicating the joint survival of ancestral sexual lines with secondary asexual offspring. Species using a vegetative strategy often have a greater world distribution than their sexual counterparts in foliose and fruticose groups. No clear pattern is apparent in crustose groups. The advantages of vegetative strategies are a greater survival for propagules and rapid invasion of new habitats. The separation of these strategies and the evolution of soredia and isidia represents a gradient in the evolution of taxa.
A note on the geometry of reciprocal fuzzy relations

Abstract A proposed characterization of the set of reciprocal fuzzy relation matrices is shown to be incorrect, and the correct dimension of the set is computed.
Reconstructing the paleotopography of mountain belts from the isotopic composition of authigenic minerals

The paleorelief of mountain belts can be estimated from the δ 18 O value of authigenic minerals. Development of relief during mountain building often creates lee-side rain shadows in which precipitation is depleted in 18 O and D. The magnitude of this rain-shadow effect is strongly correlated to relief. A compilation of δ 18 O data from surface waters throughout the globe shows a linear relationship between net elevation change and Δδ 18 O ( R 2 = 0.79). Through the use of this relationship, we investigated the timing and magnitude of elevation change in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and the Sierra Nevada of California. The δ 18 O values of kaolinites from New Zealand show an ∼6‰ decrease in the early Pliocene that corresponds to an ∼2 km elevation change in the Southern Alps. The δ 18 O of smectites from the Sierra Nevada show little change since 16 Ma, suggesting that these mountains have been a long-standing topographic feature.
Multichromophoric energy sensitization of C60 for organic photovoltaics

In organic photovoltaics (OPVs), photocurrent generation is limited by absorption and exciton diffusion in the active layer. In this work, we describe the energy sensitization of C60 simultaneously by two chromophores at high volume concentrations (50%). This sensitization strategy takes advantage of the intense absorption of the sensitizers and the exceptional electron conduction and exciton diffusion length of C60 resulting in a 30% increase in photoresponse of the C60-based sensitized acceptor layer between λ = 450 nm and 670 nm and power conversion efficiency under simulated AM 1.5 G illumination. In (2,4-bis[4-(N,N-diphenylamino)-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl] squaraine)/C60 devices, sensitization results in an increase in JSC from 6.5 ± 0.2 mA/cm2 to 8.6 ± 0.2 mA/cm2 without compromising VOC or FF. These results demonstrate the robust nature of this sensitization scheme and its broad potential for application in OPVs.
Guide to references on III–V semiconductor chemical etching

Abstract The literature on chemical etching of III–V semiconductors is reviewed with the intent to organize citations in categories useful to device and materials investigators. Descriptive citations are grouped by the intended etch application and subgrouped by specific semiconductors for both wet and dry etching. A separate section groups citations by the various chemical compositions used as etchants so that a broad view of results and issues can be accessed. The final section lists references by author, with complete titles and notes of their relevance to etching.
Tourists, black markets and regional development in West Africa

Abstract Currency brought into West Africa by tourists is strong support for black market operations. The positive as well as the negative effects of illicit currency exchanges are evaluated for their social and economic significance for the region. The black market is not only an index of economic conditions, but is important for individual and group survival and the maintenance of social structure in countries having long term weakened economies. Anthroplogical data provides Third World planners a broadened base for decisions dealing with the role of tourism in regional development.
Insect midgut epithelium in vitro: an insect stem cell system

Abstract Mixed cell cultures and stem cell cultures were prepared from midguts of Manduca sexta pharate fourth instar and mid-wandering fifth instar larvae. An extract prepared from the fat body was able to promote stem cell proliferation and affect differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. DNA synthesis activity was confirmed by use of [3H]thymidine. Immunohistological localization of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analog, indicated that dividing stem cells incorporated the label. In many cases, one of the daughter cells incorporated the label while the other did not; often this daughter appeared morphologically different from its sister cell. These results implied that one of the sister stem cells remained as a proliferating stem cell while the other sister was committed to differentiate. Studies strongly suggest that these midgut cell cultures comprise a true stem cell system. Cell-free conditioned medium from cultures of differentiating pharate fourth instar midgut cells induced development of larval columnar cells from mid-wandering fifth instar midgut stem cells. Conversely, conditioned medium from differentiating cultures of mid-wandering fifth instar midgut induced development of mid-wandering fifth instar low columnar cells from midgut stem cells isolated from pharate fourth instar larvae. Therefore, it appears that differentiating cells produce soluble cytokines which direct specific modes of differentiation by M. sexta stem cells.
Gypsum mixtures for compensator construction

The characteristics and properties of a new material used for the fabrication of compensators are presented. This material is a special, refined gypsum. It requires a factor of 3 less water to prepare than ordinary gypsums and as a result the attenuation properties are stable over time. The material may be used by itself or mixed with fine metal particles to increase the attenuation per unit thickness. Gypsum, gypsum+steel, and gypsum+iron were investigated. The results of attenuation measurements in narrow‐ and broad‐beam geometries appropriate to design of clinical dose modifying compensators are presented. Practical and technical details associated with the use of these materials are given. These compounds are found to be easy to use, versatile, reliable, environmentally safe, and inexpensive. In addition, an example of their use for dose compensation is given.
Cultivating Your Enthusiasm

Are there days you aren’t eager to get to work? Do you feel like you have lost your enthusiasm for pharmacy? At work, do you find yourself thinking more about what you do in your personal life? Are you thinking about changing jobs or just waiting for your retirement?
Discounting of monetary rewards that are both delayed and probabilistic: delay and probability combine multiplicatively, not additively.

The value of an outcome is affected both by the delay until its receipt (delay discounting) and by the likelihood of its receipt (probability discounting). Despite being well-described by the same hyperboloid function, delay and probability discounting involve fundamentally different processes, as revealed, for example, by the differential effects of reward amount. Previous research has focused on the discounting of delayed and probabilistic rewards separately, with little research examining more complex situations in which rewards are both delayed and probabilistic. In two experiments, participants made choices between smaller rewards that were both immediate and certain and larger rewards that were both delayed and probabilistic. Analyses revealed significant interactions between delay and probability factors inconsistent with an additive model. In contrast, a hyperboloid discounting model in which delay and probability were combined multiplicatively provided an excellent fit to the data. These results suggest that the hyperboloid is a good descriptor of decision making in complicated monetary choice situations like those people encounter in everyday life.
Epitaxy growth kinetics of GaN films

Abstract Group III nitrides, such as GaN, AlN and InGaN, have attracted a lot of attention due to the development of blue–green and ultraviolet light emitting diodes and lasers. A GaN crystal can be grown from the vapor phase by either evaporation of Gallium (Ga) metal or sublimation of GaN powder in ammonia (NH 3 ) atmosphere at a temperature-controlled growth furnace. In this paper, an integrated GaN growth model using a sublimation growth model has been developed based on the conservation of momentum, mass, chemical species and energy together with necessary boundary conditions that account for heterogeneous chemical reactions both at the source and seed surfaces. For the growth rate, the effects of the gas-flow rate, source temperature, temperature difference, and the gap width of the growth cell on the growth process have been studied.
Can Intensive Care Staff See Their Patients? An Improved Visibility Analysis Methodology:

This is a study of the spatial properties of environments to which habitual users are attuned. The particular properties under consideration are those that affect visual fields. The authors tested the proposition that the impact of spatial organization becomes clearer when people focus on a prespecified set of visual targets. Empirical observations were performed to understand how medical staff members occupy space in an intensive care unit. The close correspondence between targeted visibility pattern and aggregated behavior patterns indicates that medical staff members are attentive to the relative visual information of environments. With the refinement of the targeted visibility analysis, the authors can better explain people’s spatial choices and routine behaviors. Furthermore, this study gives an opportunity and related measures for health care facility designers to specify the visual structures of important behavioral effects.
A combined finite element-boundary element formulation for solution of two-dimensional problems via CGFFT

A method for the computation of electromagnetic scattering from arbitrary two-dimensional bodies is presented. The method combines the finite element and boundary element methods leading to a system for solution via the conjugate gradient Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm. Two forms of boundaries aimed at reducing the storage requirement of the boundary integral are investigated. It is shown that the boundary integral becomes convolutional when a circular enclosure is chosen, resulting in reduced storage requirement when the system is solved via the conjugate gradient FFT method. The same holds for the ogival enclosure, except that some of the boundary integrals are not convolutional and must be carefully treated to maintain O(N) memory requirement. Results for several circular and ogival structures are presented and shown to be in excellent agreement with those obtained by traditional methods.
Initial phonemes are detected faster in spoken words than in spoken nonwords

In two experiments, subjects monitored sequences of spoken consonant-vowel-consonant words and nonwords for a specified initial phoneme. In Experiment I, the target-carrying monosyllables were embedded in sequences in which the monosyllables were all words or all nonwords. The possible contextual bias of Experiment I was minimized in Experiment II through a random mixing of target-carrying words and nonwords with foil words and nonwords. Target-carrying words were distinguished in both experiments from target-carrying nonwords only in the final consonant, e.g., /bit/ vs. /bip/. In both experiments, subjects detected the specified consonant /b/ significantly faster when it began a word than when it began a nonword. One interpretation of this result is that in speech perception lexical information is accessed before phonological information. This interpretation was questioned and preference was given to the view that the result reflected processes subsequent to perception: words become available to awareness faster than nonwords and therefore provide a basis for differential responding that much sooner.
Massive accretion disks in galactic nuclei

In the luminous infrared galaxies, very large masses of interstellar matter have been concentrated in the galactic nuclei at radii less than 300 pc as a result of galactic merging, while in lower luminosity systems, this material is probably concentrated by stellar bars and viscous accretion. In both cases, the nuclear region will be highly obscured by dust at visible wavelengths, forcing studies to longer wavelengths where the extinction is reduced. We review recent high resolution near infrared (HST-NICMOS) and mm-interferometric imaging of the dense gas and dust accretion disks in nearby luminous galactic nuclei. Since this nuclear ISM is the active ingredient for both starburst activity and a likely fuel for central AGNs, the nuclear accretion disks are critical to both the activity and the optical appearance of the nucleus. For a sample of 24 luminous galaxies imaged with NICMOS at 1–2μm, approximately 13 show nuclear point sources, indicating the existence of a central AGN or an intense starburst at ≤50 pc radius. Approximately 14 of the sample galaxies have apparent central dust disks. In the best studied ultraluminous IR galaxy, Arp 220, the 2μm imaging shows dust disks in both of the merging galactic nuclei and mm-CO line imaging indicates molecular gas masses ∼109M⊚ for each disk. The two gas disks in Arp 220 are counterrotating and their dynamical masses are ∼2×109M⊚, that is, only slightly larger than the gas masses. These disks have radii ∼100 pc and thickness 10–50 pc. The high brightness temperatures of the CO lines indicate that the gas in the disks has area filling factors ∼25–50% and mean densities of ≥104 cm−3. Within these nuclear disks, the rate of massive star formation is undoubtedly prodigious and, given the high viscosity of the gas, there will also be high radial accretion rates, perhaps ≥10 M⊚ yr−1. If this inflow persists to very small radii, it is enough to feed even the highest luminosity AGNs.
College health professionals and academic librarians: collaboration for student health.

College health professionals must find new ways of educating students on finding and evaluating consumer health information, specifically in the online environment. Librarians are trained as information professionals; however, librarians at general academic libraries are not taking a lead role in providing consumer health information. Objective: The authors' purpose in this research was to determine the health information resource needs of college and university students and provide a model for collaboration between college health professionals and academic librarians. Participants and Methods: The authors compared data from a national survey on college health (N = 54,111) with their own results from a survey of general academic librarians (N = 17) to create recommendations for synching students' reported health information needs with librarians' resources. Results: Although the Internet was students' second most-often consulted health information source, they ranked the believability of online health inf...
Individual investors¿ attitudes towards listing requirements for foreign entities on U.S. stock exchanges and the promulgation of international accounting standards

Abstract The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) currently requires foreign issuers of securities listed on U.S. securities exchanges to either employ U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) or include a statement of reconciliation to U.S. GAAP if they use their home country's accounting standards. With some exceptions, they are also required to comply with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOA). John Thain, CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, states that these requirements hamper U.S. investments, economic growth, and employment opportunities. The Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), Sir David Tweedie, echoed Thain's comments. An important stakeholder who is affected significantly by the U.S. listing requirements is the U.S. individual investor. Accordingly this study examines their attitudes involving the extant rules for foreign listings on U.S. exchanges and other aspects of the issue. The study also examines their perceptions regarding accounting standard promulgation authority and the use of a global set of accounting principles. The results indicate that although U.S. investors are very much in favor of the listing of foreign companies on U.S. exchanges, they also endorse the current rule requiring either employment of U.S. GAAP or reconciliation to it as well as mandatory adherence to the SOA. In the area of accounting standards, although a large majority believed that the U.S. should control the accounting standards for U.S. listings, a smaller majority also believed that there should be a universal set of accounting principles for all stock exchanges.
Long-Period Seismic Waves from Nuclear Explosions in Various Environments

Large nuclear explosions in the solid earth, the hydrosphere, and the lower and upper atmosphere have generated seismic waves of periods greater than about 5 seconds which have been detected at great distances from the source.
Against Ethical Criticism: Part Two

En reponse aux articles precedents de C. W. Booth et M. Nussbaum concernant la criticisme ethique, l'A. defend la these esthetique selon laquelle le contenu moral d'une oeuvre n'a rien a voir avec sa valeur ni avec le plaisir qu'elle procure a ses lecteurs. Se referant a la theorie d'O. Wilde affirmant qu'il n'y a pas de livres moraux et de livres immoraux; il n'y a que des livres bien ecrits ou mal ecrits (In «Le portrait de Dorian Gray»), l'A. etudie la question de la critique morale de la litterature et la question de la valeur litteraire a travers l'analyse du «Marchand de Venise» de Shakespeare
Oleander toxicity: an examination of human and animal toxic exposures

The oleander is an attractive and hardy shrub that thrives in tropical and subtropical regions. The common pink oleander, Nerium oleander, and the yellow oleander, Thevetia peruviana, are the principle oleander representatives of the family Apocynaceae. Oleanders contain within their tissues cardenolides that are capable of exerting positive inotropic effects on the hearts of animals and humans. The cardiotonic properties of oleanders have been exploited therapeutically and as an instrument of suicide since antiquity. The basis for the physiological action of the oleander cardenolides is similar to that of the classic digitalis glycosides, i.e. inhibition of plasmalemma Na+,K+ ATPase. Differences in toxicity and extracardiac effects exist between the oleander and digitalis cardenolides, however. Toxic exposures of humans and wildlife to oleander cardenolides occur with regularity throughout geographic regions where these plants grow. The human mortality associated with oleander ingestion is generally very low, even in cases of intentional consumption (suicide attempts). Experimental animal models have been successfully utilized to evaluate various treatment protocols designed to manage toxic oleander exposures. The data reviewed here indicate that small children and domestic livestock are at increased risk of oleander poisoning. Both experimental and established therapeutic measures involved in detoxification are discussed.
Applications of Homotopy for solving AC Power Flow and AC Optimal Power Flow

This paper introduces a new paradigm for solving AC Power Flow (ACPF) and AC Optimal Power Flow (ACOPF) with improved convergence robustness. This approach exploits the globally convergent properties of continuation methods. Continuation methods achieve robustness by generating a sequence of nonlinear problems and repeatedly and consistently providing good initial guesses for locally convergent nonlinear solvers such as Newton-Raphson. The Homotopy implemented in this paper, (referred to as Power Flow Homotopy, PFH), is formulated in a way that gradually transforms the “easy” DC into the “difficult” AC Power Flow. Successive changes of the homotopy parameter modify the system of equations from fully linear and convex DC into non-linear and non-convex AC (optimal) power flow. As a result, the AC solution is obtained with increased robustness and multiple AC power flow solutions can also be detected. Similarly, Optimal Power Flow Homotopy (OPFH) is defined for solving AC Optimal Power Flow, by gradually transforming the convex DC OPF problem. Simulation results provide a comparison between the simple Newton-Raphson method and PFH in terms of performance and quality of detected solution. Comparisons are also performed between the Interior-Point method and OPFH.
Nanoparticle Delivery of an SN38 Conjugate is More Effective Than Irinotecan in a Mouse Model of Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common and deadly solid tumor in children. The majority of NB patients have advanced stage disease with poor prognosis, so more effective, less toxic therapy is needed. We developed a novel nanocarrier-based strategy for tumor-targeted delivery of a prodrug of SN38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. We formulated ultrasmall-sized ( < 100 nm) biodegradable poly(lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol) based nanoparticles (NPs) containing SN38 conjugated to tocopherol succinate (SN38-TS). Alternative dosing schedules of SN38-TS NPs were compared to irinotecan. Comparison of SN38-TS NPs (2 doses) with irinotecan (20 doses) showed equivalent efficacy but no cures. Comparison of SN38-TS NPs (8, 8, and 16 doses, respectively) to irinotecan (40 doses) showed that all SN38-TS NP regimens were far superior to irinotecan, and “cures” were obtained in all NP arms. SN38-TS NP delivery resulted in 200x the amount of SN38 in NB tumors at 4 hr post-treatment, compared to SN38 detected for the irinotecan arm; no toxicity was seen with NPs. We conclude that this SN38-TS NP formulation improved delivery, retention, and efficacy, without causing systemic toxicity.
Varying effects of deoxynucleosides on the incorporation of thymidine into the DNA of monolayer and suspension cultures.

SummaryDeoxyuridine will normally suppress the incorporation of subsequently added tritiated thymidine into the DNA thy-mine of cells grown in suspension culture to less than 10%. Conversely, deoxyuridine appears to stimulate thymidine incorporation, at times approaching thousandfold excess, when the cells are maintained as mon-olayers. This stimulation is time, temperature, and, to a lesser extent, pH dependent, but is not directly related to the density of the monolayer. Disruption of the monolayer reverts the cells to normal deoxyuridine suppression of thymidine incorporation into DNA. This study extends earlier evidence of variations in de novo and salvage DNA synthesis between suspension and monolayer cell cultures. We caution the equating of data obtained with suspension cell systems to solid tumor analysis.
Generation of Kr(3P0) atoms in a flow reactor: Reactions with CO, N2, NF3, and F2

Abstract Optical pumping of atoms from the Kr(5s, 3 P 2 ) state to the Kr(5p′, 2p 3 ) state with a cw dye laser followed by subsequent radiative decay has been used to convert ≈23% of the concentration in the Kr( 3 P 2 ) state to the Kr( 3 P 0 ) state in a flow reactor. The CO (b 3 Σ + , ν′ = 0, 1-a 3 Π) emission can be used as a diagnostic test for Kr( 3 P 0 ) in the presence of Kr( 3 P 2 ). Quenching of Kr( 3 P 0 ) by N 2 apparently leads to dissociation. The degree of conservation of the Kr + ( 2 P 1 2 ) ion-core configuration in the reaction of Kr( 3 P 0 with NF 3 and F 2 was monitored by observing the propensity for KrF(D) formation.
Proteins of rat brain myelin in neonatal hypothyroidism.

Abstract The amount of myelin and its protein composition was studied in hypothyroid rats during the first 30 days after birth. Although the brain weight was 92% of that in the controls, the yield of myelin in hypothyroid animals was only 60% of that in controls. The protein and glycoprotein composition of the isolated myelin was similar in hypothyroid and control rats. The 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (CNP) activity in whole brain from hypothyroid animals was only 60% of the controls and reflected the decrease in myelin formation. In isolated myelin the specific activity of CNP was not different in hypothyroid and control animals with the exception of very immature animals (10 days). The major fucose-labeled glycoprotein in myelin of the hypothyroid rats had a slightly higher apparent molecular weight than that in myelin from age matched controls, probably reflecting a retardation of brain maturation and myelin formation.
The Role of Government Policy on Entrepreneurial Activity: Productive, Unproductive, or Destructive?

This paper serves as an introduction to the special issue of Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice on government policy and entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurship is an important engine of growth. Government policy, in turn, shapes the institutional environment in which entrepreneurial decisions are made. Thus, government policy is important for entrepreneurship. But what policies are more conducive to productive entrepreneurship? In spite of a significant amount of work on this and related topics, there is still much we do not know about this important relationship. After reviewing recent literature on entrepreneurship policy, this paper summarizes the contributions included in this volume and puts them in the context of the ongoing research debate. The goal of the special issue is to address important unanswered questions and trigger a constructive debate among diverging views.
Short arm deletions in group E and chromosomal "deletion" syndromes.

The karyotype of a 1-year-old infant with retardation of psychomotor development and physical growth, microcephaly, corneal opacity, dislocated hips, talipes equinovarus, and puffy extremities revealed a deletion of the short arm of a submetacentric E chromosome, one of the two late replicating chromosomes in this group. Review of reported instances of similar deletions suggests that the phenotype of growth retardation, mental retardation, and a constellation of minor congenital anomalies may be associated with gross chromosomal deletions, irrespective of the specific chromosome involved.
Diode lasers, DFG and Molecules

The development and characteristics of compact diode laser pumped mid-infrared difference frequency gas sensors are reported. One such tunable cw sensor operates in the 3.3 to 4.4 μm spectral region and uses a diode-seeded fiber amplifier. Results show that fiber coupled sensors are capable of real-time, highly selective and sensitive measurements of numerous trace gas species in ambient air, presently CH4, H2CO, HCl, CO2, N2O, and H2O
Database for temporal events and spatial object features in time-lapse images

We present an image database system with the capability to locate specified object-level merge and separation events in a sequence of time-lapse images. Specifically, the objects of interest are live cells in phase contrast images acquired by scanning cytometry. The system is named TERSIS and it resides on a workstation accessing time lapse images on CD- ROM. The cell objects are segmented and the resulting data are processed to extract a time series and its time derivative series for each spatial feature. Cell objects are tracked through the image sequence by applying similarity metrics to the cell object feature vectors, and cell merge and separation events are located using global image statistics. Multiple hypotheses are generated and scored to determine participating cell objects in merge/separation events. The cell association and time-varying spatial data re stored in a database. A graphical suer interface provides the user with tools to specify queries for specific cellular states and events for recall and display. Primary limitation include the need for an automatic front-end segmenter and increased cell tracking volume. The design of this system is extensible to other object types and forms of sequential image input, including video.
Health Monitoring and Control of Civil Infrastructures using Wireless Smart Sensors

This paper investigates health monitoring and control (HMC) of civil infrastructures using wireless smart sensor networks. Two important requirements are (i) energy efficiency, and (ii) effective control to prevent damage of civil infrastructures. Fuzzy control scheme is incorporated in the system model to provide capability for addressing problems of imprecision and uncertainty that can be associated with values of dynamic response. Moreover, operation of wireless smart sensor networks is characterised as discounted semi-Markov decision process (SMDP) consisting of four states, namely: sleep, sense, store, and transmit. The objective is to choose policy that offers optimal energy-efficient transmission of vibration-based dynamic response, and subsequently activate appropriate control. Relevant mathematical representations are formulated for this model and its efficacy tested via numerical analysis,which is implemented in MATLAB software. It is shown by the results obtained that this HMC model can provide effective control and increase energy efficiency.
Motivating Factors for Adult Learners in Higher Education.

All learners learn best when they are motivated; so do adults. Hence, the way to ensure success of students in higher education is first to know what motivates and sustains them in the learning process. Based on a study of 203 university students, this paper presents eight top most motivating factors for adult learners in higher education. These include quality of instruction; quality of curriculum; relevance and pragmatism; interactive classrooms and effective management practices; progressive assessment and timely feedback; self-directedness; conducive learning environment; and effective academic advising practices. The study concludes that these eight factors are critical to eliciting or enhancing the will power in students in higher education toward successful learning. The implications for practice and further research are also discussed.
Butterfly community composition and oak woodland vegetation response to rural residential development

Conservation of biodiversity on private lands has become increasingly important, particularly in regions where most of the land is privately owned. This study examined the effects of rural residential development on the oak woodland butterfly community in central California, U.S.A. We sampled butterflies on 26 8-ha sites that spanned a range in development intensity from sites containing small 0.4 ha (1 acre) parcels and highly modified vegetation, to sites contained within parcels greater than 81 ha (200 acres) that were characterized by substantial amounts of undeveloped oak woodland. The percent area of oak woodland vegetation was positively related to parcel size across the range of parcel sizes observed. The numbers of hostplant-specialist butterfly species and univoltine butterfly species were positively correlated with the percent area of oak woodland at a site, while the numbers of multivoltine and hostplant generalist species were higher at sites with smaller parcel sizes and lower percent area of oak woodland vegetation. These trends represent a shift in butterfly species composition from specialist to generalist with loss of historic vegetation and support the notion that zoning for larger parcel sizes may be useful for conserving oak woodland vegetation and its associated biotic diversity.
Escherichia coli LPS induces heat shock protein 25 in intestinal epithelial cells through MAP kinase activation

Protection of colonic epithelial integrity and function is critical, because compromises in mucosal functions can lead to adverse and potentially life-threatening effects. The gut flora may contrib...