cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phenomenology and therapeutic options for dermatotillomania.

Dermatotillomania (also called psychogenic excoriation, neurotic excoriation, acne excoriee, skin picking and pathological or compulsive skin picking) is characterized by excessive scratching or picking of normal skin or skin with minor surface irregularities. Until recently, there have been few therapeutic options for patients with this disorder, which causes substantial distress and functional impairment in many patients. Recent pharmacological studies have found that some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of this disorder. Furthermore, phenomenological studies have better characterized the heterogeneity of the behavior associated with dermatotillomania. Clinicians may now be able to develop more effective treatments for patients by targeting the specific behavioral symptoms of the disorder in individual patients.
REQUIREMENT FOR K+ AND ATP IN PROTEIN SYNTHESIS BY ESCHERICHIA COLI RIBOSOMES.

Abstract 1. 1. Protein synthesis is maximal in extracts of Escherichia coli in 0.009 M Mg2+, 0.005 M ATP, and 0.07 M K+. K+ is obligate for protein synthesis from charged soluble RNA; in these concentrations of ATP and K+, the customary requirement for an ATP-generating system is abolished. 2. 2. Most of the hydrolysis of ATP in extracts can be accounted for by an ATPase activity (ATP → ADP + P1) bound to 30-S ribosomes. This hydrolysis may be unrelated to protein synthesis, since it occurs even in presence of 50 μg chloramphenicol/ml or 2 μg RNAase (EC 2.7.7.16)/ml. Furthermore, the hydrolysis amounts to destruction of 10–20 μmoles of ATP/μmole of amino acid incorporated into protein, and it is generaly believed that only 1–2 gmmoles of nucleotide are required for polymerization of 1 μmole of amino acids.
The effect of paclobutrazol on mineral nutrition of apple seedlings 1

Abstract Greenhouse grown ‘Golden Delicious’ apple seedlings were treated with soil drenches of paclobutrazol (PP333) at rates equivalent to 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 kg of active ingredient (a.i.) ha.‐1 Eleven weeks after treatment initiation, seedlings were harvested, divided into leaves, stems, and roots, weighed and analyzed for the content of macro‐and microelements. Shoot growth rate, leaf area, and total dry weight showed a decreasing trend with increasing rates of PP333. In contrast, specific leaf weight increased in response to growth regulator treatments. The total amount of N, Zn, and Cu absorbed by seedlings was not affected and that of K, Ca, Mg, and Mn was decreased by PP333 treatments. Concentration of Ca and Mn in leaves, N in roots, and N, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Cu in stems increased in response to PP333 treatments. The magnitude of these increases were dependent on the rate of growth regulator applied. Potassium was the only element which declined in concentration in leaves and stems; thi...
Effects of soxhlet extraction on the surface oxide layer of silicon nitride powders

Abstract An aqueous soxhlet extraction procedure was used to surface-clean five commercial silicon nitride powders. The solid-solution interface properties were characterized before and after extraction by electrokinetic sonic amplitude measurements. The isoelectric point (pHiep) was found to increase significantly for some powders after treatment. The powder surface was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy before and after extraction. The surface oxygen content and oxide layer thickness decrease after treatment. A linear correlation was found between oxide thickness and (pHiep), which yields a pristine (pHiep) of about 9.7 for the unoxidized Si3N4 particle.
Analysis of trace volatile organic compounds in coffee by headspace concentration and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

An experimental method for the analysis of trace volatile organic compounds has been developed and standarized. This new technique involves headspace sampling, heart cutting, collection and concentration of the voltiles on a porous polymer (Tenax-GC), followed by sensory evaluation and two-dimensional gas chromatography. Using the modified Purge and Trap Sampler for on-line analysis, the loss of organic volatile compounds, which usually occurs during sample transfer, was prevented. A number of aroma-related organic volatile compounds in coffee have been separated and identified by this technique. The method was standardized for the general needs of other related areas of aroma research.
Taxonomic status and paleoecology of Rusingoryx atopocranion (Mammalia, Artiodactyla), an extinct Pleistocene bovid from Rusinga Island, Kenya

Rusingoryx atopocranion is a poorly known extinct alcelaphine bovid, documented in Pleistocene deposits associated with Middle Stone Age artifacts on Rusinga Island, Kenya. Following its initial description, Rusingoryx was subsumed into Megalotragus, which includes the extinct giant wildebeests, on the basis of its cranial architecture. Renewed investigations of the Pleistocene deposits on Rusinga Island recovered a large sample of Rusingoryx specimens that provide new taxonomic and paleoecological insight. This study (1) reviews the morphological and phylogenetic evidence concerning the taxonomic status of Rusingoryx and (2) evaluates its paleoecology and dietary habits. The morphology and phylogenetic data indicate that Rusingoryx is distinct from Megalotragus; they likely shared a common ancestor in the late Pliocene. Ecomorphology and mesowear analysis point to a specialized grazing adaptation, and its association with arid-adapted ungulates suggests a preference for arid grasslands. The confirmation of Rusingoryx as a valid taxonomic entity, together with the presence of other extinct taxa (including Megalotragus) on Rusinga Island, suggests an increasingly complex pattern of ungulate biogeography and extinctions in the late Quaternary of East Africa. Rusingoryx appears to have been part of an arid-adapted faunal community that potentially persisted in East Africa until the onset of the Holocene.
Changes in neighborhood characteristics and depression among sexual minority young adults.

Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examined the relationship between changes in neighborhood characteristics during the transition from adolescence to young adul...
Antibiotic use and the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria on turkey farms

BACKGROUND: A preliminary study was undertaken to compare the prevalence of antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) on turkey farms using either antibiotics sub-therapeutically (AU) or no antibiotics (NAU). Samples of manure, soil, and dog feces were collected from seven AU and six NAU farms. RESULTS: The prevalence of tetracycline resistant (TCr) bacteria was significantly higher (P≤0.05) in manure samples from AU farms while the prevalence of monensin resistant bacteria (MONr) was higher on the NAU farms. There was no difference in the prevalence of tylosin resistant bacteria (TYLr) between the two types of farm. The prevalence of TCr, TYLr and Monr bacteria in soil or the prevalence of TYLr and Monr bacteria in dog fecal samples from either type of farm was not significantly different. However, the prevalence of TCr in dog fecal samples was significantly higher (P≤0.05) from NAU farms than AU farms. Escherichia coli and Pasteurella isolated from manure samples on AU farms showed higher resistance to multiple antibiotics than those isolated from NAU farms. However, there was no difference in the antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas isolates in soil samples or E. coli isolates in dog fecal samples from the two types of farms. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that although the prevalence of ARB is higher in turkey manure from AU farms, its application on land does not appear to be spreading ARB to the terrestrial environment or to pets on the farm. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
A three-point minimal solution for panoramic stitching with lens distortion

We present a minimal solution for aligning two images taken by a rotating camera from point correspondences. The solution particularly addresses the case where there is lens distortion in the images. We assume to know the two camera centers but not the focal lengths and allow the latter to vary. Our solution uses a minimal number (three) of point correspondences and is well suited to be used in a hypothesis testing framework. It does not suffer from numerical instabilities observed in other algebraic minimal solvers and is also efficient. We validate our solution in multi-image panoramic stitching on real images with lens distortion.
ALIENS IN THE ASYLUM: IMMIGRATION AND MADNESS IN GOLD COAST*

This article examines the experiences of immigrants from British and French West African colonies in the Accra lunatic asylum in the first half of the twentieth century. Placing particular emphasis on how immigrants got into and out of the asylum, the article argues that immigrants were marginalized and manipulated by colonial psychiatric institutions to a greater extent than non-migrant colonial subjects in Gold Coast. In making this argument, the article argues for the value of adding colonial origin and subjecthood to the racial and gendered perspectives that have dominated the history of health and medicine in Africa to date.
VaROT: Methodology for Variation-Tolerant DSP Hardware Design Using Post-Silicon Truncation of Operand Width

With increasing parameter variations in nanoscale technologies, computational blocks in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) hardware become increasingly vulnerable to variation-induced delay failures. These failures can significantly affect the Quality of Service (QoS) for a DSP chip leading to degradation in parametric yield. Existing post-silicon calibration and repair approaches, which rely on adaptation of circuit operating parameters such as voltage, frequency or body bias, typically incur large delay or power overhead in order to maintain QoS. In this paper, we present a novel low overhead approach of healing DSP chips by commensurately truncating the operand width based on its process corner. The proposed approach exploits the fact that critical timing paths in DSP data paths typically originate from the least significant bits (LSBs). This condition can also be satisfied by skewing the path delay distribution during logic synthesis or gate sizing. Hence, truncation of the LSBs, realized by setting them at constant values, can effectively reduce the delay of a unit, thereby avoiding delay failures. We also note that truncation of LSBs typically has minimal impact on QoS. Besides, efficient choice of truncation bits and values can minimize the impact on QoS. We propose appropriate design time modifications including insertion of low-overhead truncation circuit and gate sizing to maximize the delay improvement with truncation. Simulation results for a Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) application at 45nm technology show large improvement in yield (41.6%) with up to 5X savings in power compared to existing healing approaches.
Nitrite activates protein kinase A in normoxia to mediate mitochondrial fusion and tolerance to ischaemia/reperfusion

Aims Nitrite (NO2–), a dietary constituent and nitric oxide (NO) oxidation product, mediates cardioprotection after ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) in a number of animal models when administered during ischaemia or as a pre-conditioning agent hours to days prior to the ischaemic episode. When present during ischaemia, the reduction of nitrite to bioactive NO by deoxygenated haem proteins accounts for its protective effects. However, the mechanism of nitrite-induced pre-conditioning, a normoxic response which does not appear to require reduction of nitrite to NO, remains unexplored. Methods and results Using a model of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in cultured rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes, we demonstrate that a transient (30 min) normoxic nitrite treatment significantly attenuates cell death after a hypoxic episode initiated 1 h later. Mechanistically, this protection depends on the activation of protein kinase A, which phosphorylates and inhibits dynamin-related protein 1, the predominant regulator of mitochondrial fission. This results morphologically, in the promotion of mitochondrial fusion and functionally in the augmentation of mitochondrial membrane potential and superoxide production. We identify AMP kinase (AMPK) as a downstream target of the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated and show that its oxidation and subsequent phosphorylation are essential for cytoprotection, as scavenging of ROS prevents AMPK activation and inhibits nitrite-mediated protection after H/R. The protein kinase A-dependent protection mediated by nitrite is reproduced in an intact isolated rat heart model of I/R. Conclusions These data are the first to demonstrate nitrite-dependent normoxic modulation of both mitochondrial morphology and function and reveal a novel signalling pathway responsible for nitrite-mediated cardioprotection.
Does Moving to Better Neighborhoods Lead to Better Schooling Opportunities? Parental School Choice in an Experimental Housing Voucher Program.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that children growing up in poor commu nities have limited access to high-performing schools, while more affluent neighborhoods tend to have higher-ranking schools and more opportunities for after-school programs and activities. Therefore, many researchers and policy makers expected not only that the families moving to low-poverty neighborhoods with the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) program would gain access to zone schools with more resources but also that mothers would be more likely to meet middle-class parents who could provide information about academic programs and teachers, leading them to choose some of these new higher-quality-zone schools. However, research evaluating the effects of the MTO program on child outcomes 4-7 years after pro gram moves found that while the schools attended by the MTO children were less poor and had higher average test scores than their original neighborhood schools, the differences were small: Before moving with the program, MTO children attended schools ranked at the 15th percentile statewide on average; 4-7 years after the move, they were attending schools that ranked at the 24th percentile on average. Purpose: The fact that the residential changes brought about by the MTO experiment did not translate into much larger gains in school academic quality provides the impetus for our study. In other words, we explore why the experiment did not lead to the school changes that researchers and policy makers expected. With survey, census, and school-level data, we exam ine where families moved with the MTO program and how these moves related to changes in school characteristics, and how parents considered schooling options. Setting: Although the MTO experiment took place in five cities (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore), we use data from the Baltimore site only.
Blunting Damocles' Sword: A Longitudinal Model of Healthcare IT Impact on Malpractice Insurance Premium and Quality of Patient Care

Prior studies on the business value of information technology IT mainly focus on the impact of IT investments on productivity and firm profitability. Few have considered its implication on expected and actual product or service quality. This paper fills this gap by investigating the impact of past healthcare IT HIT expenditure on the malpractice insurance premium MIP and the moderating effect of past HIT expenditure on the relationship between past MIP and current quality of patient care in a longitudinal model. Based on archival panel data on costs, operations, and patient care outcomes of 66 hospitals in the U.S. state of Washington from 1998 to 2007, we find that past HIT expenditure is negatively associated with MIP, supporting our argument that HIT provides value that is anticipated by insurers and is captured by a change in MIP. We find that past HIT is positively associated with quality of patient care. We also find that past MIP is positively associated with quality of patient care, supporting the premise that hospitals respond to MIP by making risk mitigation efforts. However, we find that past HIT moderates this relationship negatively, suggesting a reliance on HIT at the expense of risk mitigation.
AZT distribution in the fetal and postnatal rat central nervous system

Abstract The distribution of 3′‐azido‐3′‐deoxythymidine (AZT, zidovudine), an antiviral drug used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus, was investigated in gestation day‐20 (G‐20) fetuses and in postnatal day‐20 (PND‐20) rats. At both ages, a single dose of 150 mg/kg (1.78 mmol/kg) AZT was administered orally along with tracer amounts of 14 C‐AZT, and rats were randomly killed at 15, 30, 60, 120, or 240 min after dosing. The fetuses, brains, and spinal cords were processed for autoradiography. The peak concentrations of AZT in plasma of G‐20 and PND‐20 rats were 92.2 μg/mL (0.345 μmol/mL) and 56.6 μg/mL (0.21 μmol/mL) at 15 and 30 min after intubation, respectively. The peak concentration of fetal tissue occurred in the colon at 60 min and was 205.8 μg/g tissue. In the G‐20 rats, the brain showed higher levels of AZT than spinal cord only at the 30‐min sample time, whereas in the PND‐20 rats, greater radioactivity was found in the spinal cord up to the 240‐min sample time. This pattern of AZT distribution in the central nervous system may hypothetically be attributed to the postnatal development of an organic anion carrier system believed to be responsible for transporting AZT from the brain to the blood, resulting in relatively greater overall exposure of the spinal cord to AZT than observed in the brain. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 90:1964–1971, 2001
Genetics and Pathophysiology of Human Obesity

Obesity has become a leading public health concern. Over 1 billion people are now overweight or obese, and the prevalence of these conditions is rising rapidly. Remarkable new insights into the mechanisms that control body weight are providing an increasingly detailed framework for a better understanding of obesity pathogenesis. Key peripheral signals, such as leptin, insulin, and ghrelin, have been linked to hypothalamic neuropeptide systems, and the anatomic and functional networks that integrate these systems have begun to be elucidated. This article highlights some of these recent findings and their implications for the future of obesity treatment.
Mechanism and Site Requirements of Thiophene Hydrodesulfurization Catalyzed by Supported Pt Clusters

Kinetic, isotopic, and chemical analysis methods are used to examine the identity and kinetic relevance of elementary steps and the effects of Pt cluster size on thiophene hydrodesulfuri- zation (HDS) turnover rates. Quasi-equilibrated H2 and H2S het- erolytic dissociation steps lead to sulfur chemical potentials given by the prevalent H2S/H2 ratio and to cluster surfaces with a metallic bulk, but near-saturation sulfur coverages, during steady-state catalysis. Sulfur-vacancies on such surfaces are required for h 1 (S) or h 4 thiophene adsorption modes and for H2 and H2S dissociation steps. H-assisted CS bond cleav- age of h 1 (S) thiophene and H-addition to h 4 thiophene limits rates of direct desulfurization and hydrogenation sulfur remov- al pathways, respectively. These steps, their kinetic relevance, and the prevalent sulfur-saturated surfaces resemble those on Ru clusters; they are also consistent with the observed kinetic effects of reactants and products on rates, with the rapid iso- topic exchange in H2/D2/H2S mixtures during HDS catalysis, and with measured H2/D2 kinetic isotope effects. Small Pt clus- ters exhibit lower turnover rates, stronger inhibition by H2S, and a greater preference for desulfurization pathways than those of large clusters. These effects reflect the prevalence of coordinatively unsaturated corner and edge sites on small clus- ters, which bind sulfur atoms more strongly and lead to lower densities of vacancies and to a preference for h 1 (S)-bound thio- phene species. Sulfur binding energies and their concomitant effects on the number of available vacancies also account for the higher turnover rates measured on Pt clusters compared with Ru clusters of similar size. These data and their mechanis- tic interpretation suggest that the concepts and steps pro- posed here apply generally to hydrogenation and direct desul- furization of organosulfur compounds. Taken together with similar observed effects of oxygen binding strength, metal identity, and cluster size for oxidation reactions of NO, hydro- carbons, and oxygenates, which also require vacancies in their respective kinetically relevant steps, these data also indicate that low reactivity of small clusters may reflect in most instan- ces their coordinative unsaturation and the concomitant kinet- ic and thermodynamic preference for low vacancy concentra- tions on nearly saturated surfaces.
Influence of cholestasis on drug elimination: Pharmacokinetics

A two-compartment model representing the body and the GI tract, with elimination occurring in each compartment, was used to study, in theory, the influence of impaired biliary excretion on drug disposition. The results suggest that cholestasis can either increase or decrease a drug's half-life, depending upon the relative values of the two elimination rate constants, In all cases, however, impaired biliary excretion reduced the initial elimination of drug from the body and increased the half-life of the alpha-phase of drug disposition.
Genetic expression profiles during physiological and pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in rats

Cardiac hypertrophy is a complex and nonhomogenous response to various stimuli. In this study, we used high-density oligonucleotide microarray to examine gene expression profiles during physiological hypertrophy, pathological hypertrophy, and heart failure in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. There were changes in 404/3,160 and 874/3,160 genes between physiological and pathological hypertrophy and the transition from hypertrophy to heart failure, respectively. There were increases in stress response genes (e.g., heat shock proteins) and inflammation-related genes (e.g., pancreatitis-associated protein and arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase) in pathological processes but not in physiological hypertrophy. Furthermore, atrial natriuretic factor and brain natriuretic protein showed distinctive changes that are very specific to different conditions. In addition, we used a resampling-based gene score-calculating method to define significantly altered gene clusters, based on Gene Ontology classification. It revealed significant alterations in genes involved in the apoptosis pathway during pathological hypertrophy, suggesting that the apoptosis pathway may play a role during the transition to heart failure. In addition, there were significant changes in glucose/insulin signaling, protein biosynthesis, and epidermal growth factor signaling during physiological hypertrophy but not during pathological hypertrophy.
Determining a Firm's Optimal Outsourcing Rate: A Learning Model Perspective

We present a decision model of a firm’s optimal outsourcing rate as an extension of Cha et. al [1]’s previous work on the economic risk of knowledge loss and deskilling in the outsourcing context. Specifically, the model examines the impacts of two critical model parameters--the knowledge transfer rate and the coordination knowledge depreciation rate—on the firm’s cost minimizing outsourcing rate. When the knowledge transfer rate is low we find that the optimal decision is either total insourcing or total outsourcing, depending on the coordination knowledge depreciation rate. However, as the knowledge transfer rate increases, the firm’s optimal decision becomes a selective outsourcing strategy that creates an interesting bargaining problem.
Wear Behavior of a Composite Restorative and Various Styli in Sliding Contact

Using a pin-on-disc sliding-wear test apparatus, the wear behavior of a typical composite restorative vs. styli fashioned from human enamel, sintered alumina, and magnesium fluoride was examined. The rates of restorative wear were found to be identical, within the experimental error of the measurements, for tests using either human enamel pins or styli fabricated from sintered alumina. Moreover, these two pin materials generated morphologically similar wear-tracks in the restorative disc. Thus, styli of sintered alumina produce restorative wear that is both qualitatively and quantitatively analogous to that observed in tests using human enamel pins.
Cost-effectiveness of routine screening for critical congenital heart disease in US newborns.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical evidence indicates newborn critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening through pulse oximetry is lifesaving. In 2011, CCHD was added to the US Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborns. Several states have implemented or are considering screening mandates. This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of routine screening among US newborns unsuspected of having CCHD. METHODS: We developed a cohort model with a time horizon of infancy to estimate the inpatient medical costs and health benefits of CCHD screening. Model inputs were derived from new estimates of hospital screening costs and inpatient care for infants with late-detected CCHD, defined as no diagnosis at the birth hospital. We estimated the number of newborns with CCHD detected at birth hospitals and life-years saved with routine screening compared with no screening. RESULTS: Screening was estimated to incur an additional cost of $6.28 per newborn, with incremental costs of $20 862 per newborn with CCHD detected at birth hospitals and $40 385 per life-year gained (2011 US dollars). We estimated 1189 more newborns with CCHD would be identified at birth hospitals and 20 infant deaths averted annually with screening. Another 1975 false-positive results not associated with CCHD were estimated to occur, although these results had a minimal impact on total estimated costs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first US cost-effectiveness analysis of CCHD screening in the United States could be reasonably cost-effective. We anticipate data from states that have recently approved or initiated CCHD screening will become available over the next few years to refine these projections.
Testing lexicographic semiorders as models of decision making: Priority dominance, integration, interaction, and transitivity

Three new properties are devised to test a family of lexicographic semiorder models of risky decision making. Lexicographic semiorder models imply priority dominance, the principle that when an attribute with priority determines a choice, no variation of other attributes can overcome that preference. Attribute integration tests whether two changes in attributes that are too small, individually, to be decisive can combine to reverse a preference. Attribute interaction tests whether preference due to a given contrast can be reversed by changing an attribute that is the same in both alternatives. These three properties, combined with the property of transitivity, allow us to compare four classes of models. Four new studies show that priority dominance is systematically violated, that most people integrate attributes, and that most people show interactions between probability and consequences. In addition, very few people show the pattern of intransitivity predicted by the priority heuristic, which is a variant of a lexicographic semiorder model with additional features chosen to reproduce certain previous data. When individual data are analyzed in these three new tests, it is found that few people exhibit data compatible with any of the lexicographic semiorder models. The most frequent patterns of individual data are those implied by Birnbaum’s transfer of attention model with parameters used in previous research. These results show that the family of lexicographic semiorders is not a good description of how people make risky decisions.
Optimizing Instructional Policies

Psychologists are interested in developing instructional policies that boost student learning. An instructional policy specifies the manner and content of instruction. For example, in the domain of concept learning, a policy might specify the nature of exemplars chosen over a training sequence. Traditional psychological studies compare several hand-selected policies, e.g., contrasting a policy that selects only difficult-to-classify exemplars with a policy that gradually progresses over the training sequence from easy exemplars to more difficult (known as fading). We propose an alternative to the traditional methodology in which we define a parameterized space of policies and search this space to identify the optimal policy. For example, in concept learning, policies might be described by a fading function that specifies exemplar difficulty over time. We propose an experimental technique for searching policy spaces using Gaussian process surrogate-based optimization and a generative model of student performance. Instead of evaluating a few experimental conditions each with many human subjects, as the traditional methodology does, our technique evaluates many experimental conditions each with a few subjects. Even though individual subjects provide only a noisy estimate of the population mean, the optimization method allows us to determine the shape of the policy space and to identify the global optimum, and is as efficient in its subject budget as a traditional A-B comparison. We evaluate the method via two behavioral studies, and suggest that the method has broad applicability to optimization problems involving humans outside the educational arena.
A Theory of Production Competence Revisited

A recent article [3] proposed a definable relationship between production competence and business performance and presented empirical evidence to support the relationship. The purpose of this note is four-fold. First, it corrects the authors' numerical measure of production competence. The correction changes the nature of the relationship between competence and performance. Second, this note suggests an improved numerical measure of business performance (the dependent variable in the study). The authors of [3] defined performance in a manner which inadvertently captures elements used to measure production competence (the independent variable). The result is a deceptively close fit of the authors' model with the data. The third purpose of the note is to introduce a more appropriate theoretical framework for the production competence construct. It is shown that production competence is closely related to the formulation and implementation of manufacturing strategy and can best be understood within that context. Last, an alternative conceptual model of the relationship between business strategy, production competence, and business performance is presented. The new model includes a construct which measures the “fit” of a firm's business strategy to its external, competitive environment.
Meridional Atmospheric Teleconnections Over The North Pacific From 1950 to 1972

Abstract The meridional atmospheric teleconnections over the central North Pacific Ocean during winter are investigated by correlating the year-to-year fluctuations in the convective activity at the Equator, mid-latitude pressure/wind system, and subtropical pressure/wind system from 1950 to 1972. To establish fluctuations in these climatological systems, we consider the 23-yr time sequences of the maximum strength of the subtropical ridge, maximum intensity of the Aleutian Low, and strength of convective activity at the Equator, the latter inferred from the rainfall and sea-surface temperature at Canton Island (2°48′S, 171°43′W) observed by numerous authors to be representative of rainfall and sea-surface temperature over the entire central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Upon cross correlation of these time sequences, we find that, throughout the two decades from 1950 to 1972, the intensity of the subtropical ridge and of the Aleutian Low were significantly correlated with one another (−0.50) as w...
IMPLEMENTING HEADWAY-BASED RELIABILITY CONTROL ON TRANSIT ROUTES

This paper presents the operational issues and results of implementing real‐time headway‐based reliability control along candidate bus routes operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 1987. The procedure involves holding buses at a control point on the route until a prescribed minimum headway is achieved. Headway‐based control strategies apply to high‐frequency transit routes where headways are sufficiently short that travelers arrive randomly at bus stops without consulting a schedule. It is considered appropriate for correcting service disruptions that have already occurred, or for preventing propagation and further service degradation. The goal of this effort is to improve service reliability as perceived by travelers, as well as to allow for more effective utilization of operator resources. Failure by street supervisors to consistently follow holding instructions and data collection problems involving point checkers hampered the evaluation effort. Nevertheless, it appears that cert...
Legislative Research Reports

The papers abstracted below were presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, held in Washington, DC.
Caindo na rede

Matematico da Universidade de Notre Dame mostra – sem jargoes hermeticos e com muito humor – que para compreender a ciencia, os negocios e a vida moderna e preciso conhecer a extensa teia de conexoes que une tudo e todos.
Problem-driven innovations in drug discovery: Co-evolution of the patterns of radical innovation with the evolution of problems

Abstract A fundamental problem in the field of the product innovation management in biopharmaceutical industry is how to explain the general source of drug discovery and radical innovations that sustain the competitive advantage of firms and technological progress in medicine. The current study confronts this problem by developing a conceptual framework of problem-driven innovation . The inductive study, based on ground-breaking drugs for lung cancer treatment, shows that the perception and solution of problem is an invariant force that supports the source of radical innovation and evolution of new technology in medicine. In fact, the evolution of radical innovations, driven by the evolution of consequential problems, is one of main determinants that generates a technological change in biopharmaceutical and other industries. This finding, in a Schumpeterian world of innovation-based competition, is due to the organizational behavior of leading firms that have a strong incentive to find innovative solutions to unsolved problems in order to achieve the prospect of a (temporary) profit monopoly. The main aim of this article is therefore to clarify and to generalize whenever possible, the source and evolution of path-breaking innovations in medicine to explain the long-term technological change in society. The study here also shows the important role of data-sharing health policy in order to solve problems and promote innovation for better therapies and an efficient "healthcare ecosystem".
Pharmacogenetics: Using Genetic Information to Guide Drug Therapy

Clinical pharmacogenetics, the use of genetic data to guide drug therapy decisions, is beginning to be used for medications commonly prescribed by family physicians. However, clinicians are largely unfamiliar with principles supporting clinical use of this type of data. For example, genetic variability in the cytochrome P450 2D6 drug metabolizing enzyme can alter the clinical effects of some opioid analgesics (e.g., codeine, tramadol), whereas variability in the CYP2C19 enzyme affects the antiplatelet agent clopidogrel. If testing is performed, patients who are ultrarapid or poor metabolizers of CYP2D6 should avoid codeine use (and possibly tramadol, hydrocodone, and oxycodone) because of the potential for increased toxicity or lack of effectiveness. Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndromes who are known to be poor metabolizers of CYP2C19 should consider alternate antiplatelet therapy (e.g., ticagrelor, prasugrel). Some guidelines are available that address appropriate drug therapy changes, and others are in development. Additionally, a number of clinical resources are emerging to support family physicians in the use of pharmacogenetics. When used appropriately, pharmacogenetic testing can be a practical tool to optimize drug therapy and avoid medication adverse effects.
Management of the Abdominal Undescended Testicle

AbstractOf the orchiopexies performed for abdominal undescended testicles 85 per cent have resulted in satisfactory testicular growth and position. Three-fourths of these cases were in boys with the prune belly syndrome. We are satisfied with our recent experience using the Fowler-Stephens procedure to salvage intra-abdominal undescended testicles. An analysis of the failures in 5 testes early in this series, resulting in partial atrophy, has helped us to avoid technical errors through attention to the following details: 1) preservation of a broad pedicle of peritoneum overlying the mobilized vas, 2) avoidance of any dissection of the spermatic cord and 3) high ligation of the spermatic vessels well above the point of confluence of the vas and spermatic vessels. Although the Fowler-Stephens procedure has some risk of testicular ischemia and atrophy we believe it to be the preferred way to gain mobility on a short tethering gonadal vascular pedicle.
Tribute to the Honorable Rex E. Lee Solicitor General of the United States 1981-85

Rex E. Lee lived a distinguished life as an advocate and educator. He clerked for Justice Byron White and then went on to private practice. He became founding dean of Brigham Young Law School and moved the program flawlessly through the accreditation process. Lee then moved on to become an Assistant Attorney General before Solicitor General of the United States. Lee's respect for the tradition of the independence of the office of Solicitor General ultimately cost him his position as Solicitor. Lee went on to live an active and successful life before succumbing to cancer.
Chapter 10 – Oxidation in multiphase systems

Lipid oxidation in multi-component foods is an interfacial phenomenon affecting prooxidant or antioxidant constituents that is greatly influenced by the interactions between the lipid and water components and the interface between them. How the relative activities of lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants vary between bulk oil systems and oil-in-water emulsions has been discussed. The classical mechanism of inhibited lipid oxidation does not predict the changes in antioxidant effectiveness between solutions and emulsion systems. The same interfacial phenomena influence the effects of prooxidant metal catalysts, which can exist either in the free form or as complexes with proteins. Model systems have been used extensively to simulate foods or biological samples in research on lipid oxidation and its control. Although research on model systems is important for the development of chemical principles that would be applicable to many foods, working with a variety of model systems other than the “real” foods can be misleading by oversimplifying the interfacial interactions of multiple components. Knowledge on the sites of prooxidant and antioxidant action in multi-component systems is essential to better predict the oxidative stability of complex foods and biological systems. Foods of improved quality might be developed if the association and driving forces of prooxidants and antioxidants can be controlled in multi-phase systems.
Cotinine antagonizes the behavioral effects of nicotine exposure in the planarian Girardia tigrina

Abstract Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs abused by humans. Our laboratory and others have demonstrated that nicotine decreases motility and induces seizure-like behavior in planarians (pSLM, which are vigorous writhing and bending of the body) in a concentration-dependent manner. Nicotine also induces withdrawal-like behaviors in these worms. Cotinine is the major nicotine metabolite in humans, although it is not the final product of nicotine metabolism. Cotinine is mostly inactive in vertebrate nervous systems and is currently being explored as a molecule which possess most of nicotine’s beneficial effects and few of its undesirable ones. It is not known whether cotinine is a product of nicotine metabolism in planarians. We found that cotinine by itself does not seem to elicit any behavioral effects in planarians up to a concentration of 1 mM. We also show that cotinine antagonizes the aforementioned nicotine-induced motility decrease and also decreases the expression of nicotine-induced pSLMs in a concentration-dependent manner. Also cotinine prevents the manifestation of some of the withdrawal-like behaviors induced by nicotine in our experimental organism. Thus, we obtained evidence supporting that cotinine antagonizes nicotine in this planarian species. Possible explanations include competitive binding of both compounds at overlapping binding sites, at different nicotinic receptor subtypes, or maybe allosteric interactions.
Modeling Stand Growth and Management

Compatible forest management involves the simultaneous production of wood and other forest resources in a socially acceptable manner (Haynes and Monserud 2002). The goal is to expand information on the options that may increase the compatibility between wood production and other societal values derived from forestlands. In the opening chapter, we asked: How can the various forest management practices be related to an array of associated goods and services such as aquatic conservation, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, or social acceptance? This involves the quantitative modeling of the effects of different approaches to forest management. Recall that the silvicultural treatments that comprise a forest management regime are applied stand by stand, even when the management plan is for an entire watershed or landscape (e.g., Cissel et al. 1999, Greenough et al. 1999). Because management is usually implemented at the stand level, modeling of stand dynamics is necessary. This chapter will review stand simulation models and analysis tools for evaluating stand-level management options.
Computing a Minimum Public Health Sterilizing Value for Food with pH Values from 4.6 to 6.0 1.

A model was developed for adjusting the minimum public health sterilization F-value of foods with pH values from 4.6 to 6.0 based on the Clostridium botulinum spore heat resistance data of Xezones and Hutchings (6). Starting with the maximum pH of the product, this model was used to calculate the F250°F-value equivalent to an F250°F-value of 3.0 min. The model yielded an F250°F-value of 2.0 min when the pH was 5.3 and 1.2 min when the pH was 4.6.
Pre-implant modeling of depth lead placement in white matter for maximizing the extent of cortical activation during direct neurostimulation therapy.

AbstractIntroduction: The objective of this work was to predict preoperatively the maximum extent to which direct stimulation therapy can propagate through an epileptic circuit for stabilizing refractory focal-onset epilepsy. A pre-surgical workflow is presented which comprises a computationally intensive process for calculating the volume of cortical activation (VOCA) surrounding cylindrical depth contacts virtually placed in white matter. The process employs an activation function (AF) derived from cable modeling of an axon. The AF was extrapolated to describe the three-dimensional activation of axon bundles facilitated by patient-specific diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Methods: The modeling process consisted of the following steps: (1) acquisition of structural MRI and DTI; (2) computation of the electric potential using the finite element method; (3) analysis of the effect of the modeled electric field on depolarizing axon bundles using the AF; (4) predicting distant cortical activation by strategical...
Highly Articulated Robotic Needle Achieves Distributed Ablation of Liver Tissue

Robotic needle steering will improve percutaneous radio-frequency ablation (RFA) in the liver by performing distributed ablations without requiring multiple punctures of the liver capsule, thus enabling the treatment of large or multifocal tumors. However, state-of-the-art asymmetric-tip robotic needle steering systems do not yet achieve clinically relevant curvature. This work presents the design and development of a highly articulated needle that enables distributed RFA in liver tissue under ultrasound (US) image guidance. Our new needle design attains the target curvature required for liver procedures while meeting important clinical requirements, such as the use of fixed diameter needle introducers, presence of a free needle working channel, robustness for repeated insertions, and conductivity for the delivery of RF current for tissue ablation. The new needle tip includes two important design features: A tendon-actuated Nitinol asymmetric flexure joint, which allows for an active amplification of the needle steering force, and a steel back-bevel tip profile, which decreases the risk of needle jamming. The needle's resulting curvature was evaluated in both phantom and ex vivo liver tissues using segmented US images. The average radius of minimum curvature in ex vivo liver tissue was found to be 33.6 mm, the smallest reported to date. Furthermore, RFA in ex vivo porcine liver tissue tests were performed to demonstrate that distributed ablation with a single puncture of the liver capsule is possible via robotic needle steering.
Multimodal Imaging Evidence for a Frontoparietal Modulation of Visual Cortex during the Selective Processing of Conditioned Threat

Emotionally salient cues are detected more readily, remembered better, and evoke greater visual cortical responses compared with neutral stimuli. The current study used concurrent EEG-fMRI recordin...
Noninteracting Cooper pairs inside a pseudogap

I present a simple analytical model describing the normal state of a superconductor with a pseudogap in the density of states, such as in underdoped cuprates. In nearly-two-dimensional systems, where the superconducting transition temperature is reduced from the mean-field BCS value, Cooper pairs may be present as slow fluctuations of the BCS pairing field. Using the self-consistent T-matrix (fluctuation exchange) approach I find that the fermion spectral weight exhibits two BCS-like peaks, broadened by fluctuations of the pairing-field amplitude. The density of states becomes suppressed near the Fermi energy, which allows for long-lived low-energy Cooper pairs that propagate as a soundlike mode with a mass. A self-consistency requirement, linking the width of the pseudogap to the intensity of the pairing field, determines the pair condensation temperature. In nearly-two-dimensional systems, it is proportional to the degeneracy temperature of the fermions, with a small prefactor that vanishes in two dimensions. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Justifications and Questions in Detecting Deception

Truth-tellers and deceivers use justifications to bolster their credibility, but given their different motivations, truth-tellers and deceivers may use justifications differently. Participants were assigned the role of allocator or recipient in an ultimatum game. Allocators received money based on their performance on a task and made an offer. Recipients did not have information about allocator’s task performance or amount the allocator received, and therefore, allocators could deceive. Liars provided more plausible details to support their offer by stating the structure of their task; this strategy backfired and led to more detection of lies. Truth-tellers were more likely to disclose advantageous information about their endowment of money in their justifications, and this reduced suspicion in their offers. Deceivers used more wrap-up questions to end the interaction; this did not help reduce partner suspicion. Asking questions in general did not improve detection accuracy.