cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diaphragm Cell Measurement of Mutual Diffusion Coefficients for Potassium Hydroxide in Water from 1 °C to 25 °C

Integral diffusion coefficients were measured for potassium hydroxide over a concentration range of 0.1 M to 11 M at 1, 10, and 25 °C using the simplified diaphragm cell procedure of Mills, Woolf, and Watts. Differential diffusion coefficients were calculated using the iterative regression method of Stokes over the same concentration and temperature range. An empirical correlation relating the differential diffusion coefficients as a function of temperature and concentration was made with a standard error of 8 × 10-7 cm2·s-1 and an average deviation of 5 × 10-7 cm2·s-1.
Forbidden ordered subgraph vs. forbidden subgraph characterizations of graph classes

We show that the minimum set of unordered graphs that must be forbidden to get the same graph class characterized by forbidding a single ordered graph is infinite. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 30: 71–76, 1999 This work was done while the author was at Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN 37044.
Cholecystokinin octapeptide excites dorsal horn neurons both in vivo and in vitro

Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) applied microiontophoretically causes a moderate to strong excitation of about half of all tested dorsal horn neurons located in laminae I–VII of both the cat intact spinal cord and the rat in vitro spinal cord slice preparation. In the cat intact spinal cord the excitation is not limited to a single population of neurons but is observed in all categories of units recognized in spinal preparations of cats in this area on the basis of their excitability by different kinds of cutaneous afferent input. In the spinal cord slice preparation the excitatory action of CCK-8 persists even when the spinal cord slices are perfused with a Ca2+-free, Mg2+-high Krebs solution. The latter finding indicates that the action of CCK-8 might be a direct one exerted on the postsynaptic sites of dorsal horn units. These results are consistent with the possibility that CCK-8 acts on postsynaptic sites in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord as a neurotransmitter or modulator.
Optical Properties of Quantum Dots and Quantum Posts

Summary form only given. We discuss the growth and optical properties of InGaAs/GaAs self assembled quantum posts (QPs). The MBE grown QP is formed of a seed quantum dot (QD) connected to a short quantum wire and is capped by another QD. The QP length along the growth direction can be adjusted between 10 and 60 nm. We briefly discuss the QP structural and chemical composition. Their optical properties measured by micro-photoluminescence (micro-PL) are compared to an 8-bands strain-dependent k.p model incorporating the detailed structure and alloy composition. The calculations for QPs larger than 20 nm show full electron delocalization in the quantum wire part of the quantum post and the hole localization in the strain-induced quantum dots at the ends of the QP. By embedding the QPs inside an n-i-p structure, measurements of the bias dependent micro-PL spectra show strongly tunable exciton transitions due to the quantum confined Stark effect. In addition, we find anti-crossings, which are consistent with delocalized electron and localized holes states. Thus, QP offers the possibility of controlling the strength of the electric dipole moment and the oscillator strength in the structure. We have measured dipole moments 40 times larger than those of isolated QDs. This opens up new possibilities for the studies of light matter interactions in the strong coupling regime.
Ketamine selectively suppresses synchronized afterdischarges in immature hippocampus.

Abstract The role of excitatory amino acid neurotransmission in epileptogenesis was investigated in the developing hippocampus. Bath application of ketamine blocked penicillin-induced, synchronized afterdischarges in immature rat CA 3 hippocampal neurons. Ketamine also decreased the duration of the preceding intracellularly recorded depolarization shift but had no measurable effect on the resting membrane potential or input impedance of pyramidal cells. Concentrations of ketamine that blocked afterdischarge generation dramatically depressed intracellular depolarizations produced by iontophoretic application of N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) but not quisqualate. The effects of the NMDA antagonist 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid on epileptiform discharges were identical to those of ketamine. These results suggest that an endogenous excitatory amino acid acting on an NMDA receptor plays a key role in the pronounced capacity of immature hippocampus for seizures.
MR findings of primary bone lymphoma in a 15-year-old girl: emphasis on diffusion-weighted imaging

We report a case of primary bone lymphoma (PBL) in a 15-year-old girl assessed by MR imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). DWI has been shown to help characterize the cellularity of solid tumors and this case correlates well with previous data.
Quantitative autoradiographic analysis of somatostatin binding sites in discrete areas of rat forebrain

Abstract Somatostatin has been localized in several hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic brain regions where it may function as a classical neurotransmitter or as a modulator of nerual activity. In the present study, somatostatin binding sites were studied by incubation of coronal sections of rat forebrain with 125 I-Tyr 1 -somatostatin, Ultrofilm autoradiography, computerized microdensitometry and comparison with 125 standards. Highest concentrations of somatostatin binding sites (fmol/mg protein) were found in the claustrum (151), basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (90). deep layers of the cerebral cortex (61), lateral olfactory nuclei (58), CA1 and CA2 areas of hippocampus (57), medial and lateral septal nuclei (54), and the medial habenula (44). Scatchard analysis of individual forebrain areas with high densities of somatostatin binding sites was also performed. Regulation of brain somatostatin binding sites may be studied as one approach to examining the involvement of central somatostatin pathways in various physiological and behavioral states.
Categorical Shortcomings: Application, Adjudication, and Contextual Descriptions of Game Rules

In the final extra time minutes of the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal match between Uruguay and Ghana, Uruguay’s star striker Luis Suarez deliberately batted the ball with his hand off of his own team’s goal line. The referee quickly detected his action, penalizing Suarez with a red card for deliberately handling the ball and rewarding Ghana with a penalty kick. Given that he had no other way to stop the ball and with only seconds remaining, his decision appeared—despite the odds—to be a calculated one. Had Suarez not stopped the ball, Uruguay’s World Cup run was over. Even with the impending penalty kick, Uruguay’s chances of winning were slim but not impossible. Yet when Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the subsequent penalty kick, Suarez’s “deal with the devil” turned into either an act of strategic brilliance or the mischievous manipulation of a loophole in soccer rules. Suarez’s actions raise questions about games and their rules. He openly violated the rules and willingly accepted his punishment, yet he also broke the rules in order to deny Ghana a fair and earned victory. So his case indicates a larger problem—what to make of this type of egregious but strategic rule breaking. To better understand the appropriateness of Suarez’s actions, one needs to understand the more fundamental relationship between games and their rules. And it is here that, despite much effort, the field of sport philosophy is still without a satisfactory paradigm that explains game rules. The existing paradigm focuses mainly on a categorical distinction developed by John Searle between constitutive rules that make the convention possible by determining relationships where none existed before, and regulative rules that identify relevant existing relationships and regulate behavior. This constitutive/ regulative categorical distinction has a number of clear uses. It can help us understand the need for rules to define practices like sports. It also indicates that some connection exists between sports and potentially incompatible rule violations. But it still remains unclear whether the constitutive/regulative distinction adequately provides a rough account of game rules or even if it sufficiently explains the relationship between games and their rules. More importantly, can such an account of game rules actually help us to evaluate a player’s behavior in relation to a game’s
The Military as a Bridging Environment in Criminal Careers: Differential Outcomes of the Military Experience

Little research has examined the relationship between military service and criminal behavior, and what few studies exist have included a basic comparison of a group of men with military service and a group without service. This strategy fails to consider how the military experience may differ for different individuals. This study examines whether the relationship between military service and criminal behavior depends on sociodemographic characteristics. Results from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth suggest that, during the first few years of the all-volunteer force, some groups do appear to become involved in more violent offending after entering the military. On the other hand, military service may reduce the risk of violence for some groups, such as African Americans. Thus, the influence of military service on later offending does appear to depend on individual characteristics. In addition, this was a unique time in military history, and results may vary by historical period.
Borderline personality disorder and suicidal behavior.

In a sample of 24 chronically suicidal patients, a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder was associated with more recent self-mutilations.
Wage inflation and the post-1991 duration puzzle

Abstract We find that the unusually low wage inflation in the U.S. after 1991 can be traced to unusually high rates of mean unemployment duration, given the level of the unemployment rate. Further, the divergence of the duration and unemployment rate time series after 1991 can be partially explained by a rise in the fraction of the unemployed who were older job losers. This change in the composition of the unemployed is what we might expect from widespread corporate downsizing.
Genetic sources of pheromone variation inColias eurytheme butterflies

The courtship pheromone ofColias eurytheme butterflies varies greatly among males in both the quantities and relative proportions of its three chemical components [n-heptacosane (C27), 13-methylheptacosane (13MH),n-nonacosane (C29)]. Narrow-sense heritabilities were high for the blend of 13MH and C27 and for the component quantities in one population (Kansas) but were low for the other population tested (Arizona). Genetic correlations between the three components were high in both populations, indicating a substantial degree of additive genetic influence on the component blends. High variability among populations in phenotypic correlations suggests that much of the male-to-male variation in the courtship pheromone may be attributable to environmental or developmental sources. Pheromone phenotypes do not seem to be associated with alba genotype.
On the seasonal dependence of relativistic electron fluxes

Abstract. The nature of the seasonal dependence of relativistic electron fluxes in the Earth's outer zone is investigated using 11 years of data from sensors onboard the SAMPEX spacecraft. It is found that, the relativistic electron fluxes show a strong semiannual modulation. However, the highest electron fluxes occur at times well away from the nominal equinoxes, lagging them by about 30 days. The time lag also shows a solar cycle phase dependence for the peak fluxes. The electron peak fluxes lag the vernal equinox by almost 60 days during the ascending phase of the solar cycle while the time lag near the autumnal equinox remains unchanged. The observed times of the peak electron fluxes during the descending phase of the solar cycle agrees most closely with the Russel-Mcpherron effect and less so with the equinoctial effect even after including propagation effects for finite solar wind speed. The observed times of the electron peaks are in disagreement with the axial effect. The asymmetrical response of the relativistic electrons during the ascending part of the solar cycle remains a puzzle.
Assessing Undergraduate Interlibrary Loan Use

Abstract With the growth of full-text resources and OpenURL linking, Minnesota State University, Mankato has seen a significant increase in the use of interlibrary loan by undergraduates. Other institutions also face increasing interlibrary loan demand. This study's purpose is to assess undergraduate interlibrary loan use, satisfaction, reveal reasons for non-use and assess the impact of OpenURL. A survey of undergraduate users and non-users of interlibrary loan reveals four major factors: Most users learned about interlibrary loan from their professors Three out of four initiated interlibrary loan requests via an OpenURL citation Ninety-five percent were satisfied with the interlibrary loan service Non-users do not use interlibrary loan because they are unfamiliar with the service.
Finite wing aerodynamics with simulated glaze ice

The effect of a simulated glaze ice accretion on the aerodynamic performance of a three-dimensional wing is studied experimentally. The model used for these tests was a semi-span wing of effective aspect ratio five, mounted from the sidewall of the UIUC subsonic wind tunnel. The model has an NACA 0012 airfoil section on a rectangular, untwisted planform with interchangeable leading edges to allow for testing both the baseline and the iced wing geometry. A three-component sidewall balance was used to measure lift, drag and pitching moment on the clean and iced model. A four-beam two-color fiberoptic laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) was used to map the flowfield along several spanwise cuts on the model. Preliminary results from LDV scans, which will be the bulk of this paper, are presented following the force balance measurement results. Initial comparison of LDV surveys compare favorably with inviscid theory results and 2D split hot-film measurements near the model surface.
The Afro-Arabian rift system—an overview

Abstract The Afro-Arabian rift system is reviewed beginning with the Dead Sea transform and Gulf of Suez in the north, followed by the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea and ending with a brief mention of rifting through eastern and southern Africa. A consistent interpretation is obtained for geophysical data from the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea and geological data for the Dead Sea transform, Suez graben and Red Sea and Gulf of Aden margins. Geophysical data are used to estimate the locations of the ocean-continent boundaries in the northern Red Sea; these are found to coincide when the total 107 km shear along the Dead Sea is restored. The Red Sea is therefore reconstructed in stages beginning with the 45 km post-Miocene shear and 62 km early-Miocene shear along the Dead Sea transform followed by estimates for extension in the early Red Sea-Suez graben. When this is done, there is a remarkable alignment of various features revealed on Landsat TM imagery for both sides of the northern Red Sea. North-south differences in the Red Sea and west-east differences hi the Gulf of Aden are discussed and found to be best explained by a propagating rift model.
Polypeptides of photosystem II and their role in oxygen evolution

The linear, four-step oxidation of water to molecular oxygen by photosystem II requires cooperation between redox reactions driven by light and a set of redox reactions involving the S-states within the oxygen-evolving complex. The oxygenevolving complex is a highly ordered structure in which a number of polypeptides interact with one another to provide the appropriate environment for productive binding of cofactors such as manganese, chloride and calcium, as well as for productive electron transfer within the photoact. A number of recent advances in the knowledge of the polypeptide structure of photosystem II has revealed a correlation between primary photochemical events and a ‘core’ complex of five hydrophobic polypeptides which provide binding sites for chlorophyll a, pheophytin a, the reaction center chlorophyll (P680), and its immediate donor, denoted Z. Although the ‘core’ complex of photosystem II is photochemically active, it does not possess the capacity to evolve oxygen. A second set of polypeptides, which are water-soluble, have been discovered to be associated with photosystem II; these polypeptides are now proposed to be the structural elements of a special domain which promotes the activities of the loosely-bound cofactors (manganese, chloride, calcium) that participate in oxygen evolution activity. Two of these proteins (whose molecular weights are 23 and 17 kDa) can be released from photosystem II without concurrent loss of functional manganese; studies on these proteins and on the membranes from which they have been removed indicate that the 23 and 17 kDa species from part of the structure which promotes retention of chloride and calcium within the oxygen-evolving complex. A third water-soluble polypeptide of molecular weight 33 kDa is held to the photosystem II ‘core’ complex by a series of forces which in some circumstances may include ligation to manganese. The 33 kDa protein has been studied in some detail and appears to promote the formation of the environment which is required for optimal participation by manganese in the oxygen evolving reaction. This minireview describes the polypeptides of photosystem II, places an emphasis on the current state of knowledge concerning these species, and discusses current areas of uncertainty concerning these important polypeptides.
NFS sensitivity to high performance networks

This paper examines NFS sensitivity to performance characteristics of emerging networks. We adopt an unusual method of inserting controlled delays into live systems to measure sensitivity to basic network parameters. We develop a simple queuing model of an NFS server and show that it reasonably characterizes our two live systems running the SPECsfs benchmark. Using the techniques in this work, we can infer the structure of servers from published SPEC results. Our results show that NFS servers are most sensitive to processor overhead; it can be the limiting factor with even a modest number of disks. Continued reductions in processor overhead will be necessary to realize performance gains from future multigigabit networks. NFS can tolerate network latency in the regime of newer LANs and IP switches. Due to NFS’s historic high mix of small metadata operations, NFS is quite insensitive to network bandwidth. Finally, we find that the protocol enhancements in NFS version 3 tolerate high latencies better than version 2 of the protocol.
Quantum Mechanical Studies of Atomic, Bond, and Molecular Polarizabilities: Application to Some Metal Hexacarbonyls of Octahedral Symmetry

A brief survey on the vibrational and structural studies has been made for the hexacarbonyls of chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten possessing an octahedral symmetry. The delta-function potential model is developed and shown to be valuable in evaluating important quantities through the use of the vibrational method and the delta-function electronic wave functions. It is then applied to the calculations of atomic polarizabilities, bond polarizabilities, contribution by the nonbonding electrons, bond perpendicular components of the polarisability, and the average molecular polarisability of both diatomic and polyatomic molecules. The delta-function strengths, the values of the parameter c, and the atomic polaricabilities of all the atoms in the hexacarbonyls of chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten were calculated. The bond polaricabilities, contribution by the nonbonding electrons, bond perpendicular components, and average molecular polarisabilities were also calculated for these molecules. The results have been briefly discussed.
Photophysics and Relaxation Dynamics of Ru(4,4‘Dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine)2cis(NCS)2 in Solution

The relaxation and interligand electron-transfer dynamics of Ru(4,4‘dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine)2cis(NCS)2, the N3-dye, have been studied using femtosecond polarized transient absorption spectroscopy. These studies have been performed in room temperature acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol solutions. The results indicate that the dynamics are strongly dependent on the solvent and the excitation wavelength; results following 520 and 650 nm excitation are herein reported. These results may be semiquantitatively understood in terms of a model in which the MLCT π* electron is intrinsically localized on a single bipyridine ligand. In this model, the intersection of the MLCT states associated with each of the bipyridine ligands results in an avoided crossing on the MLCT surface, producing upper and lower MLCT states. 520 nm light primarily populates the upper surface, whereas 650 nm light primarily populates the lower surface. The rate of upper to lower surface relaxation is strongly solvent dependent, varying fr...
Carboxylic acid content of a fulvic acid determined by potentiometry and aqueous Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Abstract The carboxylic acid content of a fulvic acid is determined quantitatively using aqueous Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and potentiometry. The combined method minimizes interferences from other acidic or carbonyl functional groups in the fulvic acid mixture. Potentiometry alone provides only operational estimates of the acid content, which vary by up to 15% as the inert salt (sodium chloride) concentration increases from 1 to 500 mM. Quantitative IR spectra are collected in aqueous solutions fo varying pH using an attenuated total reflectance cell designed for liquids. Changes in the area ratio of IR peaks due to protonated and deprotonated carboxylic acid groups correlate strongly (r2 = 0.995) with base consumed in potentiometric titrations. The carboxylic acid content of this fulvic acid is 9.09 ± 0.28 (± 1 standard error) meq carboxylic acid per gram of carbon.
Evaluation of yeast-based selenium food supplements using high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Six different brands of yeast-based selenium food supplements were obtained from local stores. These samples were analyzed for total selenium content and content uniformity by microwave nitric acid digestion. These supplements were also treated with milder extraction and hydrolysis conditions to analyze for the expected selenomethionine, a natural product of yeast when inoculated with selenium. A C8 high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) column was used for the chromatographic determination of selenomethionine using a mobile phase of 89+10+1 (v/v/v) water–methanol–trifluoroacetic acid. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the total selenium content and tablet content uniformity determination, and ICP-MS was used as the detector coupled with HPLC for the selenomethionine determination. A number of extraction and hydrolysis sample treatment procedures were tried. The two most effective appeared to be microwave heating with hydrochloric acid and with a simple overnight treatment with the enzyme Proteinase K. The six different brands of selenium supplements were found to have near label values based on total selenium, and they had reasonable tablet to tablet content uniformity values, but each brand had dramatically different profiles for the actual chemical form of selenium within the supplement. Only two brands had high levels of selenomethionine; one brand appeared to contain all inorganic selenium, and one brand appeared to contain greater than half inorganic selenium despite label claims of content being only selenomethionine.
Towards the development of a global inventory for black carbon emissions

We have developed two global inventories for black carbon (BC) emissions using two distinct methods. The first method uses measured ambient concentration ratios of BC and SO{sub 2} at locations throughout the world. We demonstrate that BC to SO{sub 2} ratios are well correlated at most sites and that distinct ratios of BC to SO{sub 2} apply to source areas from economically distinct regions. However, within any one economic region, the ratio of BC to SO{sub 2} appears to be relatively constant. These facts are used to construct a global inventory of BC emissions by using previously published inventories for the emissions of sulfur. The derived inventory totals nearly 24 Tg C yr{sup {minus}1}. The second method uses estimated emission factors and published fuel production and use statistics for wood and bagasse burning, diesel fuel, and domestic and commercial coal use. The combined global emissions using the second method total 12.6 Tg C yr{sup {minus}1}. A comparison of the two inventories shows that the estimated emissions from the ratio method are within a factor of two of those derived from emission factors in regions where the data appear to be reliable. The BC inventory from the ratio method is usedmore » in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory global chemistry/climate model to simulate the world-wide distribution of BC. The predicted concentrations are compared with available measurements from throughout the world. This comparison also supports the magnitude of the inventory which we derived from the ratio method to within about a factor of two.« less
Hispanic immigrant women’s perspective on healthy foods and the New York City retail food environment: a mixed-method study

Abstract Much has been written about the role of dietary acculturation in the epidemic of obesity among Hispanic immigrants in the United States. Yet little is known about the role of beliefs and preferences in immigrants’ dietary practices and their relationship to the retail food environment in which the practices occur. We conducted a mixed-methods convergence study of these issues. Twenty-eight foreign-born Hispanic adult women, recruited from families enrolled in a childhood asthma study and mainly living in New York City took part in 60–90 min, semi-structured interviews regarding their dietary beliefs, preferences, and practices. The findings were then used to formulate hypotheses for analyses of food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data collected from the 345 New York Hispanic women enrolled in the asthma study. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine whether characteristics of the retail food environment within 0.5 km of the home predicted diet, adjusting for individual and neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics. In the interviews, healthy food was rarely discussed in terms of nutritional content. Instead, considerations of freshness, as indicated by time since harvest or slaughter and thus local sourcing; purity, as indicated by the absence of preservatives and processing; and naturalness, as indicated by chemical free farming practices, were the primary axes around which healthy food was defined. Quantitative results were consistent with the qualitative findings: 1) the presence of a farmers’ market within the home neighborhood was associated with consumption of more total servings per day of fruit, vegetables, and juice, and 2) the presence of a farmers’ market and/or a livestock market was associated with consumption of more servings per day of meat. Proximity to supermarkets or medium-sized grocery stores was not associated with consumption. The results suggest that the availability of fresh produce and meat from local farms may influence diet among Hispanic women in urban neighborhoods.
Introduction to Extracting and Mapping Census Data

The Census of Population and Housing is an important source of demographic information. Since its inception in 1790, the decennial census has been through several revisions, causing changes in its content, statistical methodology, and distribution. These alterations reflect changes in technology, society, and economy. One of the most exciting features of the 1990 census is its availability on CD‐ROM. Another important advance for the 1990 census is the creation of TIGER/Line files, which provide digital boundary maps to support the census features.
Leadership perspectives on the role of character development in higher education

The author examines why educational leaders are voicing increasing support for attending to the moral, ethical, and civic development of college students and what can be done to enhance these efforts.
The Correlation of Cavernous Systolic Occlusion Pressure With Peak Velocity Flow Using Color Duplex Doppler Ultrasound

This prospective study involved 27 patients who underwent dynamic infusion cavernosometry/cavernosography and color duplex Doppler ultrasound. Phase III dynamic infusion cavernosometry/cavernosography determination of cavernous artery systolic occlusion pressure and color duplex Doppler measurements of peak velocity flow were performed. Four subpopulations were defined: 1) normal cavernous artery systolic occlusion pressure and peak velocity flow, 2) abnormal systolic occlusion pressure and normal peak velocity flow, 3) normal systolic occlusion pressure and abnormal peak velocity flow, and 4) abnormal systolic occlusion pressure and peak velocity flow. Peak velocity flow significantly correlated with cavernous artery systolic occlusion pressure and, using a normal value of greater than 25 cm. per second, resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 95%. The positive predictive value of an abnormal peak velocity flow was calculated to be 95%. We conclude that peak velocity flow is an effective, reliable and noninvasive means of evaluating corporeal arterial function in an office setting.
Regulation of Endothelial Barrier Function

The vascular endothelium lining the inner surface of blood vessels serves as the first interface for circulating blood components to interact with cells of the vascular wall and surrounding extravascular tissues. In addition to regulating blood delivery and perfusion, a major function of vascular endothelia, especially those in exchange microvessels (capillaries and postcapillary venules), is to provide a semipermeable barrier that controls blood–tissue exchange of fluids, nutrients, and metabolic wastes while preventing pathogens or harmful materials in the circulation from entering into tissues. During host defense against infection or tissue injury, endothelial barrier dysfunction occurs as a consequence as well as cause of inflammatory responses. Plasma leakage disturbs fluid homeostasis and impairs tissue oxygenation, a pathophysiological process contributing to multiple organ dysfunction associated with trauma, infection, metabolic disorder, and other forms of disease. In this book, we provide an updated overview of microvascular endothelial barrier structure and function in health and disease. The discussion is initiated with the basic physiological principles of fluid and solute transport across microvascular endothelium, followed by detailed information on endothelial cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions and the experimental techniques that are employed to measure endothelial permeability. Further discussion focuses on the signaling and molecular mechanisms of endothelial barrier responses to various stimulations or drugs, as well as their relevance to several common clinical conditions. Taken together, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of microvascular endothelial cell and molecular pathophysiology. Such information will assist scientists and clinicians in advanced basic and clinical research for improved health care.
Prepaid Group Practice Effects on the Utilization of Medical Services and Health Outcomes for Children: Results From a Controlled Trial

A total of 693 children between the ages of 0 and 13 years were randomly assigned to either a staff model HMO or to one of several fee-for-service insurance plans in Seattle to evaluate differences in medical expenditures and health outcomes. Although the fee-for-service plans varied the amount of cost sharing (0% to 95%), all children were covered for the same medical services, for either 3 or 5 years. No differences in imputed total expenditures were observed for children assigned to the HMO or any of the fee-for-service plans. Children with cost-sharing fee-for-service plans, however, had fewer medical contacts and received fewer preventive services than those assigned to the HMO. Nonetheless, children with the cost-sharing fee-for-service plans were perceived (by their mothers) to be in better health overall than those assigned to the HMO. No significant differences regarding physiological outcomes (eg, visual acuity, hemoglobin level) were observed between the two groups. The results of this experiment neither strongly support nor indict fee-for-service or prepaid care for children.
Demographic Estimation from Face Images: Human vs. Machine Performance

Demographic estimation entails automatic estimation of age, gender and race of a person from his face image, which has many potential applications ranging from forensics to social media. Automatic demographic estimation, particularly age estimation, remains a challenging problem because persons belonging to the same demographic group can be vastly different in their facial appearances due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In this paper, we present a generic framework for automatic demographic (age, gender and race) estimation. Given a face image, we first extract demographic informative features via a boosting algorithm, and then employ a hierarchical approach consisting of between-group classification, and within-group regression. Quality assessment is also developed to identify low-quality face images that are difficult to obtain reliable demographic estimates. Experimental results on a diverse set of face image databases, FG-NET ( $1K$ images), FERET ( $3K$ images), MORPH II ( $75K$ images), PCSO ( $100K$ images), and a subset of LFW ( $4K$ images), show that the proposed approach has superior performance compared to the state of the art. Finally, we use crowdsourcing to study the human perception ability of estimating demographics from face images. A side-by-side comparison of the demographic estimates from crowdsourced data and the proposed algorithm provides a number of insights into this challenging problem.
SOCIAL INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE ANXIETY ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Studies of job attitudes have traditionally been conducted on the correspondence between individual needs and objective job characteristics. A recently developed theory, however, suggests that job attitudes may be a function of social information received (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978). This investigation used social information processing theory as the basis for a study of antecedents to employee anxiety about a move to an open office environment. The structural equation model developed from social information processing theory proved to be a good fit to the data, and a revised version of the model provided an even belter accounting for the variance in the data. Anxiety about organizational change was determined by social information, individual needs, and job characteristics, with need for privacy having the largest impact on anxiety. The model is discussed in terms of its support for information processing theory, its individual significant linkages, and the implications for need satisfaction models of job attitudes and other research on outcomes in organizations.
Fluoroquinolone Treatment of Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Meta-Analysis:

OBJECTIVE:To determine the role of newer fluoroquinolones (FQs) for adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) whose level of illness allows treatment with an oral antibiotic.METHODS:Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing a macrolide, β-lactam, or doxycycline antibiotic with a newer oral FQ for the treatment of CAP.RESULTS:Patients (5118), most of whom were <60 years of age and free of coexisting diseases, were enrolled in 13 studies comparing an oral macrolide or β-lactam antibiotic with an FQ for the treatment of CAP. No previous study compared doxycycline with an FQ. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, no trial demonstrated significant differences between FQs or alternative therapies. Summary estimates showed a statistically significant advantage in favor of the FQs in both the ITT (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.47; p = 0.03) and evaluable populations (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.68; p = 0.003). The number needed to treat for an FQ advantage was 33 (95% CI 17 to 362) in the ITT p...
Japan and Korea: A Critical Bibliography

A selected, annotated, and graded guide to the most authoritative works available on Japan and Korea for the student and non-specialist.
A New Algorithm for Estimating Scalp Laplacian EEG and Its Application to Visual-Evoked Potentials

This paper presents a new method to estimate the scalp Laplacian EEG from scalp potentials on a realistic geometry scalp surface. The mathematical potential distribution on the realistically shaped scalp is constructed using a three-dimensional spline, and the mathematical scalp geometry model is constructed using a two-dimensional spline. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by computer simulations using the three-concentric-sphere head model. The feasibility of the present method has also been tested in visual-evoked potentials recorded in a human subject. The present simulation and experimental data suggest that the proposed method provides an alternative to estimating the surface Laplacian from potentials over a realistic-geometry scalp.
Esophageal intubation with indirect clinical tests during emergency tracheal intubation: a report on patient morbidity.

Abstract Study Objective To determine the consequences of esophageal intubation (EI) when using standard indirect clinical tests to detect endotracheal tube (ETT) placement in the emergency setting outside the operating room (OR). Design An observationally based review of a quality improvement database for emergency intubation outside the OR. Setting Seven hundred sixty-five–bed tertiary care, level I trauma center in central Connecticut. Patients Critically ill patients (n = 2377) experiencing cardiopulmonary, traumatic, septic, metabolic, or neurologic-based deterioration and requiring emergency airway management. Tracheal intubation of patients with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and chest compressions were excluded. Measurements A quality improvement emergency intubation database from 1990 to 2001 was reviewed to determine the incidence of EI and its associated complications (mild and severe hypoxemia, regurgitation, aspiration, hemodynamic alteration, cardiac dysrhythmias, and cardiac arrest) when ETT position is determined by standard indirect clinical tests without the benefit of ETT-verifying devices. Results Patients who had EI, in contrast to those who did not, had significant rates of hypoxemia (64.7% vs 13.1%; P 2 P P P Conclusion These data suggest that EI during emergency intubation, when detected by standard indirect clinical tests based on physical examination, contributes significantly to mild and severe hypoxemia, regurgitation, aspiration, bradycardia, cardiac dysrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. Pursuing methods to hasten the detection of EI in the emergency setting appear warranted.
The Massacre of Refugees in Congo: A Case of UN Peacekeeping Failure and International Law

The massacre of refugees during the i996-7 war in Congo illustrates the gap between existing legal standards and their application, as the principle of sovereignty rationalises states' behaviour against helpless people. This paper assesses available information on the scale of the massacre, concluding that about 232,000 refugees were killed. It argues that firmness in demanding justice and protecting human rights does not require ignoring the objectives of stability and prosperity for any country, but rather that it is the best way of promoting those goals and strengthening state sovereignty within the international community. To implement international law related to refugees will require making states and non-state players responsible for their actions to the international community, since any outflow of refugees creates negative externalities or costs that are unequally borne by this community.
Indications of suppressed high pT hadron production in nucleus-nucleus collisions at CERN-SPS

Abstract Inclusive pion production at high transverse momenta ( p T ≳ 2 GeV / c ) in nucleus–nucleus ( A + A ) collisions at CERN-SPS ( s NN ≈ 20 GeV ) is revisited and systematically compared to all existing proton–proton data in the same range of center-of-mass energies. The ratio of A + A to p + p pion cross-sections (nuclear modification factor) for central Pb + Pb, Pb + Au and S + Au reactions does not show a strong enhancement as a function of p T as previously found, but is consistent with scaling with the number of nucleon–nucleon (NN) collisions. Neutral pion yields per NN collision in head-on Pb + Pb reactions are suppressed, whereas peripheral yields are enhanced. These results together indicate that some amount of “jet quenching” may already be present in central heavy-ion reactions at s NN ≈ 20 GeV .
The effect of experience on radiation therapy patients' desire for information

Abstract Information giving and seeking were explored among 160 cancer patients who were receiving or about to receive radiation therapy. Eighty-two new patients and 78 experienced patients completed a questionnaire designed to elicit their knowledge of diagnosis and radiation therapy, expectations about treatment, self-assessment of the adequacy of their knowledge, and desire for additional information. Detailed knowledge of diagnoses was reported by 92 percent. Patients were optimistic about treatment: only one person thought that radiation might not be helpful; one-third of patients who were receiving palliative therapy and 50 percent of those who were treated radically thought that radiation therapy might cure their disease. Although experience with radiation therapy increased patients' knowledge, it barely diminished desire for information. Most experienced patients had accurate information, but many did not feel well informed. The radiation oncologist was the preferred source of further information The desire among knowledgeable patients for more information may express patients' uncertainty and unmet needs for confirmation and support of their beliefs.
Mask Interface and CPAP Adherence

72-year-old retired nurse with family history of obstructive sleep apnea, loud snoring, witnessed apneas, excessive daytime sleepiness, and inability to concentrate underwent polysomnography. The patient has history of hypertension, multiple urogynecological procedures for genitourinary prolapse, and has history of atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. On examination, the patient had a body mass index of 31.8 kg/m, 2 well controlled blood pressure, normal nasal passageway, and no evidence for decompensated heart failure. Cardiovascular examination revealed normal heart sounds and no murmurs, while respiratory examination revealed bilateral normal breath sounds. Abdominal examination was normal, and skin examination was normal as well. Examination of fin gers revealed the following nail findings shown in image below (Fig. 1). Polysomnography revealed severe obstructive sleep apnea with an apnea-hypopnea index of 33.2 per hour, and lowest oxygen saturation of 82% by finger pulse oximetry. The patient underwent continuous positive airway pressure titration on a second night, which was marked by significant improvement in AHI to 3 per hour while on CPAP of 8 cm H 2 O with a silicone nasal mask. The patient complained of suffocation, and polysomnography revealed marked reduction in sleep efficiency despite improvement in sleep disordered breathing. The day following the CPAP titration, the patient called the lab coordinator to complain about a “skin rash” on her face, nasal burning, itching, and rhinorrhea. Examination during a followup clinic visit on the same day did not reveal any maculopapular rash, however skin impressions demarcating the areas of mask contact around the nose were identified. A “skin allergy patch” was constructed using a piece of the nasal mask material and affixed onto the ventral aspect of the patient’s forearm using adhesive tape to discern any evidence of skin contact allergies. On a follow-up visit 2 days later, there was no evidence of any skin change underneath the patch.
Cellular Response to Oncogenic Ras Involves Induction of the Cdk4 and Cdk6 Inhibitor p15 INK4b

The cell cycle inhibitor p15INK4b is frequently inactivated by homozygous deletion together with p16INK4a and p19ARF in some types of tumors. Although the tumor suppressor capability of p15INK4b is still questioned, it has been found to be specifically inactivated by hypermethylation in hematopoietic malignancies in the absence of p16INK4a alterations. Here we show that, in vitro, p15INK4b is a strong inhibitor of cellular transformation by Ras. Surprisingly, p15INK4b is induced in cultured cells by oncogenic Ras to an extent similar to that of p16INK4a, and their expression is associated with premature G1 arrest and senescence. Ras-dependent induction of these two INK4 genes is mediated mainly by the Raf-Mek-Erk pathway. Studies with activated and dominant negative forms of Ras effectors indicate that the Raf-Mek-Erk pathway is essential for induction of both the p15INK4b and p16INK4a promoters, although other Ras effector pathways can collaborate, giving rise to a stronger response. Our results indicate that p15INK4b, by itself, is able to stop cell transformation by Ras and other oncogenes such as Rgr (a new oncogene member of the Ral-GDS family, whose action is mediated through Ras). In fact, embryonic fibroblasts isolated from p15INK4b knockout mice are susceptible to transformation by the Ras or Rgr oncogene whereas wild-type embryonic fibroblasts are not. Similarly, p15INK4b-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts are more sensitive than wild-type cells to transformation by a combination of the Rgr and E1A oncogenes. The cell cycle inhibitor p15INK4b is therefore involved, at least in some cell types, in the tumor suppressor activity triggered after inappropriate oncogenic Ras activation in the cell.
Use of the Affinity/HPLC Method for Quantitative Estimation of Folic Acid in Enriched Cereal-Grain Products

In 1998, the United States introduced mandatory fortification of enriched cereal-grain products with folic acid to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects. As a consequence, substantial amounts of folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, were added to the American diet, and the ability to assess folic acid intake took on greater importance. The purpose of the current study was to separate and quantify folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the most prominent naturally occurring folate in fortified foods, with a reliable and robust method. Folates were heat-extracted from food samples. A trienzyme treatment (alpha-amylase, rat plasma conjugase, and protease) was applied to the extracts followed by purification by affinity chromatography. Folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate were separated and quantified by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorescence and UV detection. A gradient elution with phosphate buffer and acetonitrile was used to separate the different forms of folates. The method gave a linear response in a range of 0.1-3 mumol/L and 0.0125-0.25 mumol/L for folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, respectively. These ranges were similar to the expected levels in the samples. The CV of the peak areas of folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate for 5 commercial wheat flour samples extracted and run separately on the same day was 2.0 and 5.7% and, run over 5 consecutive days, was 7.2 and 7.3%, respectively. Total folate values in 45 samples of fortified food measured by HPLC and by the traditional microbiological assay demonstrated a high correlation (r(2) = 0.986).