cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overview of Bismuth Nanowires for Thermoelectric Applications

The goal of this workshop on thermoelectric materials “Beyond Bismuth Telluride” was to inspire researchers in the thermoelectrics field to think boldly about the future of Thermoelectrics Science and Technology and to identify what it would take to make a big step forward in this research area. The field of thermoelectrics advanced rapidly in the 1950s when the basic science of thermoelectric materials became well established, the important role of heavily doped semiconductors as good thermoelectric materials became accepted, the thermoelectric material bismuth telluride was discovered and developed for commercialization, and the thermoelectrics industry was launched. At that time it was established that the effectiveness of a thermoelectric material could in an approximate way be described in terms of the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT= S 2σT/κ where S, σ Tand κ are the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductivity, the temperature and the thermal conductivity. Over the following 3 decades 1960–1990, only incremental gains were made in increasing ZT, with Bi2Te3remaining the best commercial material at ZT≈ 1. During that 3 decade period, the thermoelectrics field received little attention from the worldwide scientific research community.lNevertheless the thermoelectrics industry grew slowly but steadily, by finding niche applications for space missions, laboratory equipment, and medical applications, where cost and efficiency were not as important as energy availability, reliability, and predictability.
MELK inhibition targets cancer stem cells through downregulation of SOX2 expression in head and neck cancer cells

Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) has been reported to serve critical roles in the maintenance of stemness of cancer cells, although its mechanism remains unclear. Since SRY‑box 2 (SOX2) was demonstrated to be involved in self‑renewal and tumorigenicity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and is aberrantly expressed in HNSCC tumors, the association between MELK and SOX2 was examined. Firstly, MELK inhibition was performed by small interfering RNA or MELK inhibitor OTS167, and it was determined that MELK inhibition by these approaches could decrease the SOX2 expression in HNSCC cells and OTS167 could suppress the SOX2 expression in a dose‑dependent manner. The present results indicated that MELK inhibition may target cancer stem cells (CSCs) through downregulation of the SOX2 gene. To further confirm the transcriptional regulation of SOX2, the transcription factors (TFs) were screened for SOX2 using a promoter‑binding TF assay followed by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and a decrease of the majority of the SOX2 TFs following MELK knockdown was observed. The present results provide evidence that MELK serves a key role in CSCs through the regulation of SOX2 and further indicates that MELK inhibition may also be promising for clinical applications in the treatment of HNSCC.
Public Health Workforce Development Needs: A National Assessment of Executives' Perspectives.

Introduction Workforce development is one of the ten essential public health services. Recent studies have better characterized individual worker perceptions regarding workforce interests and needs, but gaps remain around workforce needs from program managers’ perspectives. This study characterized management perspectives regarding subordinate's abilities and training needs and perceived challenges to recruitment and retention. Methods In 2017, the Directors Assessment of Workforce Needs Survey was sent to 574 managers at state health agencies across the U.S. Respondents were invited based on the positions they held (i.e., to be included, respondents had to be employed as managers and oversee specific program areas). In 2018, descriptive statistics were calculated, including Fisher's exact for inferential comparisons and Tukey's test for multiple comparisons, as appropriate. Results Response rate was 49% after accounting for undeliverable e-mails; 226 respondents met the inclusion criteria. The largest perceived barriers to staff recruitment were wages or salaries (74%) and private sector competition (56%). Similarly, wages or salaries were identified as the main cause of turnover by 70% of respondents, followed by lack of opportunities for advancement (68%), and opportunities outside the agency (67%). Conclusions The Directors Assessment of Workforce Needs Survey fills important knowledge gaps and complements previously identified evidence to guide refinement of workforce development efforts. Although competition from the private sector remains challenging, these findings indicate that recruitment and retention must be top priorities in state health agencies nationwide. Prioritizing individual state health agency workforce gaps and committing to provide specific local-level interventions to those priorities is crucial for individual health agencies.
Parameter Estimation Using EM Algorithm For Lifetimes From Step-Stress and Constant-Stress Accelerated Life Tests With Interval Monitoring

Stochastic information about the reliability parameters of a test unit can be rapidly obtained via accelerated life tests by running the tests at higher stress levels than normal operating conditions. Using a regression model, the reliability parameter at the normal design stress can be estimated via extrapolation. Recently, the design optimization of accelerated life tests has been investigated by many researchers but the associated inference for the regression parameters has not been. In this article, the Expectation-maximization algorithm is used to determine the maximum likelihood estimates of the regression parameters for time constrained exponential failure data from the step-stress and constant-stress accelerated life tests with interval monitoring. It is demonstrated that the method is feasible as well as easy to implement. Using the principle of missing information, the asymptotic variances and covariances of the maximum likelihood estimates are also calculated. The proposed method is illustrated using a real engineering case study.
Dis-integration: Miko Revereza’s Video Letters and the Aesthetics of Counter-Assimilation

This essay focuses on the Filipino American filmmaker Miko Revereza, who is “out” about his undocumented status, in order to document the possibilities of counter-assimilationist expression by migr...
Nutritional Frameworks in Malaria

Malaria and malnutrition remain among the leading causes of death in the developing world, despite decades of large-scale research and control efforts. Epidemiologically, malaria and malnutrition are often endemic in the same areas of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and both children and pregnant women are most at risk for both conditions. As there are no universally accepted metrics or biomarkers for either condition, a standardized approach to study their interactions has been difficult. Public health interventions and surveillance methods remain imperfect, as the range, extent, and magnitude of interactions between the two conditions remain unclear. In this chapter, we aim to delineate nutritional frameworks that are useful in considering malaria, in terms of how nutritional status can influence the severity, susceptibility, and spread of malaria. While the causes of malaria and malnutrition are multivariate, they are interrelated; a systems biology approach that considers the causes and impacts of both simultaneously will allow us to move beyond a “single disease, single solution” strategy to design more effective, targeted, and integrated interventions in dually endemic areas.
Undergraduate students’ interpretations of expressions from calculus statements within the graphical register

The purpose of this study is to investigate how students interpret expressions from calculus statements in the graphical register. To this end, I conducted 150-minute clinical interviews with 13 un...
Interaction between particles and fluids

The interaction between particles and fluids is important in many industrial processes. The size distribution based on the sedimentation behavior of particles in fluids and the applicable size is the settling or Stokes diameter. The simplest case to consider is the settling of a single homogeneous sphere, under gravity, in a fluid of infinite extent. Experiments have been carried out to determine the relationship between settling velocity and particle size under these conditions and a unique relationship between drag factor (C D ) and Reynolds number ( Re ) has been found that reduces to a simple equation, known as the Stokes equation, at low Reynolds number. Settling behavior is extremely complex in the high concentration region and several equations may apply according to the range of porosity considered and the presence or absence of flocculation. The determined particle size decreases with the addition of dispersing agents and it is suggested that the size so determined is floc size. The technique is therefore a useful and simple one for determining floe size.
Second-harmonic generation in semiconductors: devices and diagnostics

This presentation will review recent efforts to understand the second-order nonlinearity in bulk semiconductors and quantum wells, and at semiconductor interfaces. Optical second-harmonic generation has found increasing application in semiconductor science and technology in 1980s/1990s. One of the reasons for this is the development of quasi-phase matching techniques, which have revolutionized the field of nonlinear optical frequency mixing. Periodically modulating the optical properties of a material, for example along a waveguide, results in a quasiphase matched (QPM) geometry with SH generation efficiencies approaching that of conventional phase matched geometries.
RecA protein reinitiates strand exchange on isolated protein-free DNA intermediates: An ADP-resistant process

Efficient homologous pairing de novo of linear duplex DNA with a circular single strand (plus strand) coated with RecA protein requires saturation and extension of the single strand by the protein. However, strand exchange, the transfer of a strand from duplex DNA to the nucleoprotein filament, which follows homologous pairing, does not require the stable binding of RecA protein to single-stranded DNA. When RecA protein was added back to isolated protein-free DNA intermediates in the presence of sufficient ADP to inhibit strongly the binding of RecA protein to single-stranded DNA, strand exchange nonetheless resumed at the original rate and went to completion. Characterization of the protein-free DNA intermediate suggested that it has a special site or region to which RecA protein binds. Part of the nascent displaced plus strand of the deproteinized intermediate was unavailable as a cofactor for the ATPase activity of RecA protein, and about 30% resisted digestion by P1 endonuclease, which acts preferentially on single-stranded DNA. At the completion of strand exchange, when the distal 5′ end of the linear minus strand had been fully incorporated into heteroduplex DNA, a nucleoprotein complex remained that contained all three strands of DNA from which the nascent displaced strand dissociated only over the next 50 to 60 minutes. Deproteinization of this intermediate yielded a complex that also contained three strands of DNA in which the nascent displaced strand was partially resistant to both Escherichia coli exonuclease I and P1 endonuclease. The deproteinized complex showed a broad melting transition between 37°C and temperatures high enough to melt duplex DNA. These results show that strand exchange can be subdivided into two stages: (1) the exchange of base-pairs, which creates a new heteroduplex pair in place of a parental pair; and (2) strand separation, which is the physical displacement of the unpaired strand from the nucleoprotein filament. Between the creation of new heteroduplex DNA and the eventual separation of a third strand, there exists an unusual DNA intermediate that may contain three-stranded regions of natural DNA that are several thousand bases in length.
Legitimacy and Revolution in a Society of Masses: Max Weber, Antonio Gramsci, and the Fin-de-Siècle Debate on Social Order

This volume will particularly interest readers of this journal because three of the six substantive chapters are on major Italian thinkers, Antonio Labriola, Vilfredo Pareto and Antonio Gramsci. An...
E-commerce payment systems: critical issues and management strategies

The advent of the Internet commerce has prompted the invention of several payment tools to help facilitate the completion of business transactions over the Internet. Most of these tools still fail to gain sufficient supports from online merchants. This paper reviews some intriguing features of several major online payment instruments, their potential problems, and proposes some practical strategies to reduce the possible frauds association with the use of those instruments on the Net.
Chemotherapy for Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Associated Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in Combination With Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

PURPOSE: This study investigated the efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetic interactions resulting from simultaneous combination chemotherapy and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). In addition, the effects on viral load, CD4 counts, and opportunistic infections were examined with the use of combination chemotherapy combined with HAART. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients with previously untreated and measurable disease at any stage of HIV-associated NHL of intermediate or high grade were entered onto this study at 17 different centers. The first 40 patients entered onto the study received reduced doses of cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin, combined with vincristine and prednisone (modified CHOP [mCHOP]), whereas the subsequent 25 patients entered onto the study received full doses of CHOP combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). All patients also received stavudine, lamivudine,...
Diagnosis and Treatment of Metabolic Alkalosis

1. Primary metabolic alkalosis should be distinguished from metabolic compensation to respiratory acidosis.
Formal methods and software reliability

In this position statement, the author briefly describes how the software reliability problem has changed over the years, and the primary reasons for the recent creation of the Laboratory for Reliable Software at JPL.
Algorithmic methods for bottom-up generation of system-level RF macromodels

During the design of electronic circuits and systems, particularly those for RF communications, the need to abstract a subsystem from a greater level of detail to one at a lower level of detail arises frequently. One important application is to generate simple, yet accurate, system-level macromodels that capture circuit-level non-idealities such as distortion. In recent years, computational ("algorithmic") techniques have been developed that are capable of automating this abstraction process for broad classes of differential-equation-based systems (including non-linear ones). In this paper, we review the main ideas and techniques behind such algorithmic macromodelling methods.
Determination of the electric field gradient and relaxation time measurements in scandium metal at very low temperature

Results are presented of measurements on a single crystal sample of scandium metal at temperatures down to 100 {mu}K using nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR). Two regimes are found in the relaxation curves; an initial fast relaxation, followed by a slower relaxation consistent with the three exponential recovery expected for an I = 7/2 system in zero external magnetic field. The Korringa constant for this longer time relaxation in the sample is 90 {plus minus} 9 msec K{sup {minus}1}. By observing deviations in the ratio of the intensities of adjacent nuclear spin transitions at the lowest attainable temperatures, the authors were able to make a determination of the sign of the total electric field gradient present in the crystal. Results show that the lowest energy state of the nuclear spin system corresponds to m{sub I} = {plus minus} 7/2. A combination of these deviations and pulse NQR allows this system to be used as an absolute thermometer in the {mu}Kelvin regime.
Saccadic oscillations - membrane, model, and medicine.

Saccadic oscillations are continuous back-to-back saccades that cause excessive image motion across fovea and threaten clear vision. Acquired processes, related to immune or metabolic mechanisms, are common culprits. Saccadic oscillations are also seen in degenerative cerebellar disease or as a part of a familial syndrome of saccadic oscillations and limb tremor. Some normal individuals have innate ability to voluntarily trigger saccadic oscillations (i.e., voluntary nystagmus). Contemporary theory for the pathogenesis for saccadic oscillations has emphasized a hyperexcitable or disinhibited state of the brainstem saccadic burst neuron membrane. This review discusses etiologies and treatment of saccadic oscillations in light of a novel cell membrane-based theory.
Dysrhythmia in Infancy: Common Diagnosis or Obscure Genetic Syndrome?

An 11-month-old White male infant was brought to an emergency department (ED) by emergency medical services after his mother noticed that he was ‘‘breathing heavy’’ and ‘‘not waking up.’’ The mother reports that the infant was in his usual state of health until he awoke at midnight; he was slightly irritable but was playful upon returning to bed. Three hours later, she heard noises coming from her son s room, where she found him ‘‘shaking, becoming limp, and having difficulty
Cancer education for home health care workers: a process evaluation.

Background. In this article, we evaluate adoption of cancer education into the mandatory in-service training of home health attendants (HHA) comprised predominantly of African American and Hispanic women. Methods. Three home health care training agencies in Bronx, NY, incorporated cancer prevention and outreach education into HHA training. Results. Across 3 years, 87% (n = 2513) of HHAs received the intervention and disseminated it to 1600 clients/family/friends. HHAs reported high program satisfaction (98%) and interest (82%) in cancer outreach. Agency staff reported more benefits than costs to implementation. Conclusions. The home health care training agency appears an accessible and effective bridge for disseminating cancer education to the underserved.
Anesthesia and pain management in pediatric burn patients

Patients with severe burn injury are a challenge for the pediatric anesthesiologist. Today with adequate care many children survive their trauma and have a good chance for complete functional and psychological rehabilitation. The anesthesiologist has to provide excellent care even for patients in suboptimal or unstable condition to enable wound debridement and grafting, because only rapid skin closure will stabilize the patient. Adequate pain treatment during all phases of burn treatment is mandatory.
HREELS study of the interaction of aniline with Cu(110)

Abstract The adsorption and reaction of aniline on Cu(110) was studied using a combination of high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). HREEL spectra with an energy resolution of ≈ 13 cm−1 were obtained for both multilayer and monolayer aniline-derived surface species permitting a comprehensive comparison with the infrared spectra of liquid and gaseous aniline. The experimental results indicate that aniline forms randomly-oriented multilayers upon adsorption at 100 K, while at 300 K aniline adsorbs dissociatively forming stable C6H5NH surface species. This species decomposes between 525 and 875 K producing gaseous H2 and N2 and adsorbed carbon.
Speckle averaging in wave-front conjugation.

On presente une methode de moyenne du speckle qui ameliore le rapport signal sur bruit et par suite la resolution lorsqu'on forme l'image d'un objet microscopique par conjugaison du front d'onde
Schottky Drain AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for mm-wave Applications

AIGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are some of the most promising devices for power amplification. Important efforts have been taken to expand the operating frequency of these devices to mm-waves. As shown by Tasker et al., the drain parasitic resistance is one of the main factors limiting the current gain cut-off frequency (fT) and the power gain cut-off frequency (fmax) in high performance devices. The drain parasitic resistance consists of two components: the contact resistance between the metal and the channel and the access resistance due to the distance between the gate edge and drain contact. In this paper, we demonstrate a new drain contact technology based on the use of a Schottky metallization in the drain contact. This new technology has the potential to significantly reduce the contact resistance and at the same time minimize the access resistance.
Size of a γ-ray burster optical emitting region

Measured limits on the quiescent optical and IR flux of the Nov. 19, 1978 gamma ray burster event are presented and used to establish a lower limit to the size of the optically emitting region. A total of 305 min of exposure was made, using a CCD with a UV cutoff at 3800 A. It was determined that the size of the optical emitting region is more than an order of magnitude larger than a neutron star. The size of the optical emitting region did not, however, coincide with that of the gamma ray emitting region, indicating that the optical emissions originate from a different area of the region, i.e., from a companion star or accretion disk rather than a neutron star.
Asian American History Forum: Introduction

This introduction considers the ways that the following articles by Erika Lee, Dorothy Fujita-Rony, Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, and Paul Spickard contribute to new directions in the study of Asian American history and transnationalism.
The grassroots nature of counterinsurgent tribal militia formation: the case of the Fertit in Southern Sudan, 1985–1989

Many counterinsurgent tribal militias emerged during the second civil war in Southern Sudan. Existing studies give the impression that formation of these groups was largely a top-down process. Focusing on the rise of the Fertit militia and relying on a series of in-depth interviews with tribal leaders, this article challenges that assumption. The article shows that the emergence of the Fertit militia was principally a grassroots phenomenon stemming from local tensions and conflicts. The article discusses the wider applicability of these insights and, generally, proposes a more nuanced approach to the study of counterinsurgent militia formation. The approach suggests simultaneous attention to state interventions and local interactions.
Molecular cloning and characterization of the canine prostaglandin E receptor EP2 subtype.

Abstract Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) binds to four G-protein coupled cell surface receptors (EP1–EP4) and has been implicated as a local mediator of bone anabolism via a cyclic AMP mediated pathway following activation of the EP2 and/or EP4 receptor subtype. A canine kidney cDNA library was screened using a human EP2 probe, and a clone with an open reading frame of 1083 bp, potentially encoding a protein of 361 amino acids, was characterized. This open reading frame has 89% identity to the human EP2 cDNA at the nucleotide level and 87% identity at the predicted protein level. Scatchard analysis of a CHO cell line stably transfected with canine EP2 yielded a dissociation constant of 22 nM for PGE2. Competition binding studies, using 3H-PGE2 as ligand, demonstrated specific displacement by PGE2, Prostaglandin E1, Prostaglandin A3, and butaprost (an EP2 selective ligand), but not by ligands with selectivity for the related DP, FP, IP, or TP receptors. Specific ligand binding also resulted in increased levels of cAMP in EP2 transfected cells with no evidence of short-term, ligand-induced desensitization. Northern blot analysis revealed two transcripts of 3300 and 2400 bp in canine lung, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction showed expression in all tissues examined. Southern blot analysis suggests the presence of a single-copy gene for EP2 in the dog.
Adaptive rectangular membranes actuated near boundaries

This paper discusses work relevant to small, low-cost, membrane-based lightweight adaptive fast steering mirrors. Small deformable membrane mirrors can in principle provide higher order modes such as defocus, coma, and astigmatism in addition to the frequently available tip and tilt modes. This work uses a small number of electrostatic actuators located very close to two opposite boundaries to avoid possible "print through" problems. A Green's function based formulation is used to obtain the analytical solution. The role of membrane tension on the available modes and stroke is examined in detail, and it is found that greater tension enables low-order correction modes, while small values of tension lead to higher order correction modes. Experimental work on an initial experimental model is also described.
The processivity factor complex of feline herpes virus-1 is a new drug target

Feline herpes virus-1 (FHV-1) is ubiquitous in the cat population and is a major cause of blindness for which antiviral drugs, including acyclovir, are not completely effective. Recurrent infections, due to reactivation of latent FHV-1 residing in the trigeminal ganglia, can lead to epithelial keratitis and stromal keratitis and eventually loss of sight. This has prompted the medical need for an antiviral drug that will specifically inhibit FHV-1 infection. A new antiviral target is the DNA polymerase and its associated processivity factor, which forms a complex that is essential for extended DNA strand synthesis. In this study we have cloned and expressed the FHV-1 DNA polymerase (f-UL30) and processivity factor (f-UL42) and demonstrated that both proteins are required to completely synthesize the 7249 nucleotide full-length DNA from the M13 primed-DNA template in vitro. Significantly, a known inhibitor of human herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) processivity complex was shown to inhibit FHV-1 processive DNA synthesis in vitro and block infection of cells. This validates using f-UL42/f-UL30 as a new antiviral drug target to treat feline ocular herpes infection.
10,12-Dimethyl-pteridino[6,7-f][1,10]phenanthroline-11,13(10H,12H)-dione-chloro-form (1/1).

In the title co-crystal, C18H12N6O2·CHCl3, intra­molecular Cl3C—H⋯N hydrogen-bonding inter­actions occur between a single CHCl3 and both N atoms at the 1,10-positions on the phenanthroline portion of the mol­ecule. The inter­planar distance between inversion-related mol­ecules is 3.241 (2) A.
Short-term trends in bastardy in Taiwan.

Bastardy in Taiwan during the Japanese occupation (1895-1945) was a fairly common occurrence. Anthropological work that has been done in Taiwan on demographic subjects is summarized. Numbers of legitimate and illegitimate births and sex ratios at birth are given for Taiwan for selected years between 1906 and 1940. The prevalence of bastardy is discussed. The problems involved in using statistics from household registers are examined. Types of unions allowed to be registered as full marriages are described. Reasons for differences in sex ratios of legitimate illegitimate and concubines children are explored. Differences in illegitimacy ratios in various areas of Taiwan are discussed. The need to go beyond illegitimacy ratios and to look at the fertility rates of unmarried women is noted. Coales Ih ("an illegitimate fertility rate which has been indirectly standardized for the age distribution of the unmarried women") is used for this study. Sex ratios illegitimacy ratios and Ih are compared for various parts of Taiwan. Differences in Ih are found to be smaller than those in illegitimacy ratios indicating that some areas with more bastardy simply have a larger number of unmarried women. Illegitimacy ratios of Hokkiens and Hakkas the 2 major Chinese cultural groups in Taiwan exhibit no systematic differences. Age-specific fertility rates are presented and discussed. Taiwanese mothers of illegitimate children tend to be somewhat older than those of legitimate children. 2 cultural models which would explain the high incidence of bastardy are proposed and Taiwanese bastardy is examined from an international perspective.
Probing the presence of hydrophobic sites in anionic polyelectrolytes with tris(polypyridine)chromium(III) complexes

Abstract The emission properties of tris(polypyridine)chromium(III) complexes, [Cr(LL) 3 ] 3+ (LL=2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 4,7-dimethylphenanthroline (dim), and 4,7-diphenylphenanthroline (dip)), in air-saturated aqueous solutions, are dramatically modified in the presence of anionic polyelectrolytes. Investigated polyions included poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA), and sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS). All four chromium complexes displayed tunable emission properties in the polyelectrolyte microenvironment, in a degree that depended on the hydrophobic character of both the macromolecule and the polyamine. The largest effect was observed for 2.5×10 −5 M aqueous solutions of [Cr(dip) 3 ] 3+ in 4×10 −3 M PMA at approximately pH 5 and t =15°C, where I PMA / I w =25.66 ( I PMA =emission intensity in aqueous solutions containing PMA; I w =emission intensity in water). Decay lifetimes revealed that [Cr(dip) 3 ] 3+ units are distributed in hydrophobic and hydrophilic sites of the PMA, giving rise to short and long-lived intermediates. Distribution of [Cr(dip) 3 ] 3+ units in PAA and PSS is homogeneous throughout the polyelectrolyte, and the excited-state intermediates decay following a first order exponential rate law. All other investigated chromium polypyridines showed a homogeneous distribution in solutions containing PMA, PAA or PSS.
An evaluation of the impact of corporate strategy and the role of information technology on IS functional outsourcing

Information systems (IS) outsourcing, or the turning over of IS functions to an external vendor, is proliferating among business firms. This study represents an early attempt at understanding motiv...
Practical aspects of using beta-adrenergic blockade in systolic heart failure

Heart failure exacts a severe human and public health toll. In the United States, heart failure afflicts approximately 5 million patients and is responsible for or contributes to 3 million hospitalizations and 300,000 deaths yearly. Physicians can have a major impact on this disease by using effective agents for the treatment of heart failure (particularly angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors and β blockers), yet the actual clinical use of these drugs (especially the use of β blockers by primary physicians) is disappointingly low. Many physicians appear to be reluctant to prescribe β blockers for two reasons. First, they are concerned about the potential interference of β blockers with important compensatory mechanisms that support the failing heart and fear that such interference may lead to clinical deterioration. Second, they fail to identify patients with heart failure (especially those with mild or moderate symptoms) or regard such patients as being too well to require additional treatment. These reasons should no longer be used as excuses to avoid the use of these drugs, given the persuasive evidence that β blockers can improve symptoms and prolong life in patients with heart failure. Instead, physicians must recognize that long-term activation of the sympathetic nervous system primarily exerts deleterious (rather than compensatory) effects in patients with heart failure and that these actions can be antagonized effectively and safely by the appropriate use of β-blocking drugs.
Reconstructing the Brothers Grimm: New Tales for Stepfamily Life

Step-families are situated within the sociopolitical context of family change and are examined as a prototype of the "post-modern" family. This essay looks at the cultural construction of step-family life and proposes a model for collaboratively reconstructing stories that liberate step-relationships from the legacy of the Brothers Grimm, deconstructing the stories of failure, insufficiency, and neglect. Building on narrative and social constructionist ways of thinking about families, the concept of side-shadowing (a hermeneutic approach from literary/historical criticism) is introduced to elucidate how therapists can help family members discover ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are both more personally satisfying and more congruent with the changed context of family life. Two therapeutic challenges are high-lighted: reconceptualizing what it means to be a step-family and coming to terms with differential attachment in relationships while working with step-families. The essay ends with a fairy tale for the 21st century.
Pulmonary Hyalinizing Granuloma Associated with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma (PHG) is a rare, benign lung disease of unknown etiology. It manifests as discrete, rounded nodules within the lung parenchyma. A 39-year-old woman presented for investigation after pulmonary nodules were found incidentally. Chest computed tomography showed multiple, discrete, non-enhancing pulmonary nodules bilaterally. Positron emission tomography (PET) was negative. Biopsy demonstrated a non-specific lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Open resection yielded two nodules consistent with hyalinizing granulomas. The differential for multiple pulmonary nodules is broad. PET scan can help rule out metastatic disease, although some cancers are not hypermetabolic on PET. Furthermore, some non-malignant conditions, including hyalinizing granuloma, can show increased activity on PET. PHG should be included in the differential of multiple pulmonary nodules, especially if nodule stability can be demonstrated and/or needle biopsies are non-diagnostic. Associated immune-mediated conditions, such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in our patient, may also favor HG. In this case report we find an association between PHG and ITP.
Interplay Between Effector Th17 and Regulatory T Cells

Over two decades ago, T helper cells were classified into its functional subsets. Soon after the classical observation of Mosmann et al., immunologists agreed to accept the Th1/Th2 paradigm of the T helper subsets. Each subset is not only characterized by its specific cytokines pattern and effector functions but also by their properties to counter regulate each other’s functions. This classification helped to understand the complex principles of T helper cell biology and allowed us to comprehend different immune reactions in context of Th1 and Th2 subsets. Although Th1 subsets thought to be the crucial player for most of the organ-specific autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes but the loss of Th1 dominant cytokine, IFN-γ did not prevent the development of autoimmunity which raised the possibility of involvement of other Th subsets, different from Th1 cells in the induction of autoimmunity. Recently, a new subset of Th cells that predominantly produce IL-17 and induce autoimmunity has been discovered, and it is believed that this subset may be the major cell type involved in orchestrating tissue inflammation and autoimmunity. Recent data propose that the differentiation factors of Th17 cells reveal a link with induction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. Here, we review the interplay between Th17 and Foxp3+ T-reg cells and Tr1 cells during autoimmune inflammatory reaction.
The direct measurement of temperature changes within freeze-fracture specimens during rapid quenching in liquid coolants.

SUMMARY We have evaluated the cooling rates of specimens mounted in a variety of freeze-fracture holders when plunged into a series of liquid coolants. These rates were measured using miniature thermocouples placed within the mounted specimens. The most rapid cooling rates were obtained using propane at 83 K as the coolant. When mounted on a newly devised ‘copper sandwich’ holder, specimen cooling rates in excess of 4500 K/s have been recorded. A simple guillotine-like device for quenching freeze-fracture specimens under reproducible conditions is presented.
ON THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ENGINE DRIVING THE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION

Abstract It is suggested that worthwhile results may be obtained by the use of a suitable form of the second law of thermodynamics for the calculation of the efficiency of the earth's surface and atmosphere, considered as the heat engine that is driving the large-scale atmospheric circulation. A relation is obtained connecting the rate at which the kinetic energy of the general circulation is dissipated by turbulence with the integral over the atmosphere of the net rate of absorption of radiation divided by the temperature at which it is absorbed. This is done on the apparently plausible assumption that any other terms in the atmosphere's entropy budget are relatively small. The method used is described, and its application is indicated with the aid of a sample calculation using illustrative data. It appears that the engine driving the atmospheric circulation is, from one point of view, more efficient than might be supposed.
Hereditary benign and malignant lesions of the large bowel

This paper presents a brief review of the clinical and genetic aspects of bowel diseases in the following three categories: the simple Mendelian disorders with malignant potential involving adenomatous polyps; the non-precancerous simple Mendelian disorders with hamartomatous polyps; and nonpolypous conditions. The diseases are discussed in terms of malignancy and malignant potential, histologic type, site distribution, and age at onset.
Inverse covariance estimation from data with missing values using the Concave-Convex Procedure

We study the problem of estimating sparse precision matrices from data with missing values. We show that the corresponding maximum likelihood problem is a Difference of Convex (DC) program by proving some new concavity results on the Schur complements. We propose a new algorithm to solve this problem based on the ConCave-Convex Procedure (CCCP), and we show that the standard EM procedure is a weaker CCCP for this problem. Numerical experiments show that our new algorithm, called m-CCCP, converges much faster than EM on both synthetic and biology datasets.
Second harmonic generation studies of anionic adsorption on polycrystalline and single crystal silver surfaces

Abstract Adsorption of anions on single crystal and polycrystalline silver surfaces has been monitored with optical second harmonic generation. Potentials inves
Monomeric Structure of the Human EphB2 Sterile α Motif Domain

The sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain is a protein module found in many diverse signaling proteins. SAM domains in some systems have been shown to self-associate. Previous crystal structures of an EphA4-SAM domain dimer (Stapleton, D., Balan, I., Pawson, T., and Sicheri, F. (1999) Nat. Struct. Biol. 6, 44-49) and a possible EphB2-SAM oligomer (Thanos, C. D., Goodwill, K. E., and Bowie, J. U. (1999) Science 283, 833-836) both revealed large interfaces comprising an exchange of N-terminal peptide arms. Within the arm, a conserved hydrophobic residue (Tyr-8 in the EphB2-SAM structure or Phe-910 in the EphA4-SAM structure) is anchored into a hydrophobic cleft on a neighboring molecule. Here we have solved a new crystal form of the human EphB2-SAM domain that has the same overall SAM domain fold yet has no substantial intermolecular contacts. In the new structure, the N-terminal peptide arm of the EphB2-SAM domain protrudes out from the core of the molecule, leaving both the arm (including Tyr-8) and the hydrophobic cleft solvent-exposed. To verify that Tyr-8 is solvent-exposed in solution, we made a Tyr-8 to Ala-8 mutation and found that the EphB2-SAM domain structure and stability were only slightly altered. These results suggest that Tyr-8 is not part of the hydrophobic core of the EphB2-SAM domain and is conserved for functional reasons. Cystallographic evidence suggests a possible role for the N-terminal arm in oligomerization. In the absence of a direct demonstration of biological relevance, however, the functional role of the N-terminal arm remains an open question.
What's wrong with self‐serving epistemic strategies?

Abstract This paper contrasts two views on the ethics of belief, the absolutist position that adopting self‐serving epistemic strategies is always morally wrong, and the holist position that non‐epistemic factors may legitimately be consulted whenever we adopt epistemic strategies. In the first section, the absolutist view is shown to be untenable because of the holistic nature of moral questions in general. In the second section, the nagging appeal of the absolutist position is explored. An account of our ambivalence regarding the absolutist view is suggested in terms of the conflict between our acceptance of our psychological needs and wants and a wish to overcome them. Five types of considerations that contribute to this conflict are given.
Autoignition, Flame Propagation, and Extinction of Binary Fuel Blends of n-Decane/Ethylene and n-Decane/Methane

An experimental and computational investigation is carried out to understand the combustion response of binary blends of n-decane/ethylene and n-decane/methane. The experiments cover the phenomena of autoignition, flame propagation, and flame extinction. The reported results, for the various combustion responses, cover a pressure range of 1-7 bar and a temperature span of 750 K to 2200 K. Ignition delay measurements for ndecane/ethylene/air and n-decane/methane/air mixtures, corresponding to an overall equivalence ratio of 0.8, are conducted for a fixed compression ratio and for a post compression pressure of 7 bar, using a rapid compression machine. A parametric study is conducted by changing the relative amounts of n-decane:ethylene and n-decane:methane in the binary fuel blend to observe the influence of blending ratio on ignition delays. A similar parametric study for atmospheric flame propagation and extinction of preheated fuel blend/oxidizer mixtures is also conducted.
Operating Experience with the Fermilab 500-GeV Accelerator

The Fermilab accelerator has been operating for more than four years. It has been improved so that it is now capable of operating at an energy of 500 GeV and an intensity in excess of 2.0 × 1013 protons per pulse. The accelerator is manned on a 24 hour a day basis by an operating team of five persons. This is possible in part, because almost all of the hardware systems have status monitoring and control through an advanced computer control system. It will be the purpose of this paper to discuss the operation of a large accelerator with emphasis on person to machine interface, operator training techniques used at Fermilab, and the keeping of records and reliability information.
Thermodynamics of Methacrylate Synthesis from Methanol and a Propionate

Methacrylate monomers can be formed by the reaction of methanol and a propionate, e.g., propionic acid, propionic anhydride, or methyl propionate. Formaldehyde, a necessary reaction intermediate, can be produced from methanol via either dehydrogenation or partial oxidation. The equilibrium compositions for several variations of this chemistry were calculated as a function of temperature, total pressure, and inlet composition using a free-energy minimization technique. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that the methanol dehydrogenation route gave higher propionate conversion and selectivity than the partial oxidation alternative. For the dehydrogenation route, both conversion and selectivity were favored by high temperature and high methanol/propionate feed ratio. The calculations also showed that a methyl propionate feed produces the least amount of water and diethyl ketone, two byproducts which can complicate any process design for this chemistry.
Aggressiveness of HNSCC tumors depends on expression levels of cortactin, a gene in the 11q13 amplicon

11q13 amplification is a late-stage event in several cancers that is often associated with poor prognosis. Among 11q13-amplified genes, the actin assembly protein cortactin/CTTN is considered a likely candidate for direct involvement in tumor progression because of its cell motility-enhancing functions. We modulated cortactin expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. Cortactin expression levels directly correlated with tumor size, vascularization and cell proliferation in an orthotopic HNSCC in vivo model. In contrast, under normal in vitro culture conditions, cortactin expression levels had no effect on cell proliferation. However, cell lines in which cortactin expression was reduced by knockdown (KD) grew poorly in vitro under harsh conditions of growth factor deprivation, anchorage independence and space constraint. In contrast, overexpression of cortactin enhanced in vitro growth under the same harsh conditions. Surprisingly, defects in growth factor-independent proliferation of cortactin-KD cells were rescued by coculture with cortactin-expressing cells. As the cocultured cells are separated by permeable filters, cortactin-expressing cells must secrete growth-supporting autocrine factors to rescue the cortactin-KD cells. Overall, cortactin expression modulates multiple cellular traits that may allow survival in a tumor environment, suggesting that the frequent overexpression of cortactin in tumors is not an epiphenomenon but rather promotes tumor aggressiveness.
Polychlorinated biphenyls concentration and cytochrome P-450E expression in winter flounder from contaminated environments

Abstract Reproductively mature winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) were collected from three Northeastern US sites with different degrees of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination. Liver PCB concentrations (measured by capillary electron-capture gas chromatography) in fish collected in 1987 and 1988 at New Bedford Harbor (NBH) ranged from 7·4 to 191 μg/g dry wt; at Gaspee Point 3·9–17·7 μg/g; and at Fox Island 1·6–15·1 μg/g. Levels of ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity were similar in fish of the same reproductive status from the three sites; however, immunoquantitated P-450E homolog (the EROD catalyst) content was significantly higher in NBH fish. This suggests that P-450E catalytic activity is being suppressed in the livers of the NBH animals. Recent studies in our laboratory indicate that competitive inhibition of P-450E catalytic activity by specific PCB congeners is one likely mechanism of this suppression. Hepatic EROD activity and P-450E content were significantly lower in gravid females (EROD, 0·10–0·69 units per nmol P-450; P-450E, 8·4–19% of spectral P-450) than in spent females (EROD, 1·94–3·49; P-450E, 48–109%), and ripe males (EROD, 1·86–3·41; P-450E, 48–84%) at all sites. This is consistent with a hormonal effect on P-450E expression, and thus EROD activity, in gravid females. The data indicate a complex relationship between levels of EROD activity, or P-450E, and tissue PCB concentrations in highly contaminated fish. How these variables are linked to altered endocrine or gonadal function is not yet known.