cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 128: Network-based Approaches to Identify Novel Regulators of Heart Failure

Heart failure is a highly heterogeneous disorder characterized by the interactions of multiple environmental and genetic factors. While reductionistic approaches have made significant inroads into characterizing the pathophysiology of the syndrome, they are unable to properly dissect the complex interactions between sets of genes and pathways which result in the emergent phenotypes . Systems genetics offers a means by which these interactions may be identified and explored. We have developed a resource, the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel (HMDP) to perform systems-level analyses in mice. Nine week old female mice from 93 unique inbred lines of the HMDP were give 30 ug/g/day of isoproterenol through an abdominally implanted Alzet micropump. After three weeks, mice were sacrificed along with age-matched controls. A portion of the left ventricle was arrayed on an Illumina Mouse Ref 8.0 platform. Maximal Information Component Analysis was used to construct gene networks, and a module of 41 genes was identified which shows strong correlation to a number of important phenotypic traits, including heart weight and cardiac fibrosis. This module contains a number of genes of interest, including Lgals3, a diagnostic marker for heart failure. Through the use of structural equation modeling, we identified several key genes within the module for further analysis, the most important of which is the metalloprotease Adamts2. We have performed a series of in vitro analyses demonstrating the important role of Adamts2 in this module using neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Knockout of Adamts2 results in an amelioration of the hypertrophic response to catecholamine stimulation as well as a reduction of hypertrophic markers such as Nppa and Nppb. Furthermore, we observe that other genes in the module no longer respond to catecholamine stimulation after knockdown of Adamts2.
Trading Equality for Health? Evaluating the Trade-off and Institutional Hypotheses on Health Inequalities in the Global South:

It has been suggested that as medicine advances and mortality declines, socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes will grow. Yet, most research on this topic uses data from affluent Western democracies, where mortality is declining in small increments. We argue that the Global South represents the ideal setting to study this issue in a context of rapid mortality decline. We evaluate two competing hypotheses: (1) there is a trade-off between population health and health inequality such that reductions in under-five mortality are linked to higher levels of social inequality in health; and (2) institutional interventions that improve under-five mortality, like the expansion of educational systems and public health expenditure, are associated with reductions in inequalities. We test these hypotheses using data on 1,369,050 births in 34 low-income countries in the Demographic and Health Surveys from 1995 to 2012. The results show little evidence of a health-for-equality trade-off and instead support the ins...
(1 + 1 = 2) — A quantum model of neurobiology and cognition

Neural ensemble formation should be essential for cognition, but the neural basis of cognition is unclear in neuroscience or neurobiology. On the other hand, quantum mind and quantum cognition approaches find no logical unification due to the illogical nature of quantum theory. Based on a bipolar geometrical and logical unification of mind, light, and matter, quantum neurobiology is proposed for neural ensemble formation and cognition. It is shown that the new model can bridge the gap of quantum mind and cognition with logically definable quantum superposition and entanglement to form an equilibrium-based paradigm of information conservational neuroscience.
Risk factors involved in treatment delays and differences in treatment type for patients with prostate cancer by risk category in an academic safety net hospital.

Abstract Objectives Understanding the drivers of delays from diagnosis to treatment can elucidate how to reduce the time to treatment (TTT) in patients with prostate cancer. In addition, the available treatments depending on the stage of cancer can vary widely for many reasons. This study investigated the relationship of TTT and treatment choice with sociodemographic factors in patients with prostate cancer who underwent external beam radiation therapy (RT), radical prostatectomy (RP), androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), or active surveillance (AS) at a safety-net academic medical center. Methods and materials A retrospective review was performed on 1088 patients who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer between January 2005 and December 2013. Demographic data as well as data on TTT, initial treatment choice, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, and National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk categories were collected. Analyses of variance and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to analyze the relationship of these factors with treatment choice and TTT. Results Age, race, and marital status were significantly related to treatment choice. Patients who were nonwhite and older than 60 years were less likely to undergo RP. Black patients were 3.8 times more likely to undergo RT compared with white patients. The median TTT was 75 days. Longer time delays were significant in patients of older age, nonwhite race/ethnicity, non-English speakers, those with noncommercial insurance, and those with non-married status. The average TTT of high-risk patients was 25 days longer than that of low-risk patients. Patients who underwent RT had an average TTT that was 34 days longer than that of RP patients. Conclusions The treatment choice and TTT of patients with prostate cancer are affected by demographic factors such as age, race, marital status, and insurance, as well as clinical factors including stage and risk category of disease.
Censored, suspended, shadowbanned: User interpretations of content moderation on social media platforms:

Social media platforms play an increasingly important civic role as platforms for discourse, where we discuss, debate, and share information. This article explores how users make sense of the conte...
Public Good Theories of the Nonprofit Sector

Burton A. Weisbrod’s (1975) “Toward a theory of the voluntary nonprofit sector in a three-sector economy” is a cornerstone in the literature on the economics of nonprofit organizations. In the Weisbrod model nonprofit organizations satisfy a demand for public goods, which is left unfilled by government provision. The government satisfies the demand of the median voter and therefore provides a level of the public good less than some citizens’—with a level of demand greater than the median voter’s—desire. This unfilled demand for the public good is satisfied by nonprofit organizations. These nonprofit organizations are financed by the donations of citizens who want to increase the output of the public good.
Sampling: Polls and Surveys

In an article called “Samplingin a Nutshell,” Morris Slonim has us deal with a population of mixed nuts. [l] The mixture has one-half peanuts, one-third filberts, and one-sixth walnuts. The mean weight of the nuts in the mixture is 23 mg and the standard deviation is 17.2 mg.
Performance of Hepatic Artery Velocity in Evaluation of Causes of Markedly Elevated Liver Tests.

Abstract— The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of peak systolic proper hepatic artery velocity (HAV) in differentiating causes of severely elevated liver function tests. HAV, hepatic artery resistive index and portal vein velocity of 41 patients with severely elevated liver function tests were evaluated. In 19 patients (46%), the causes were structural (e.g., cholecystitis, cholangitis), whereas in 22 patients (54%) the causes were non-structural (e.g., rhabdomyolysis, drug-induced liver injury). The average HAV for structural causes was 138 ± 68cm/s, and for non-structural causes, 65 ± 29cm/s (p 100cm/s was correlated with structural causes (p = 0.0001). With respect to diagnostic performance, this threshold was 79% sensitive and 86% specific, with a high positive likelihood ratio (5.8) and low negative likelihood ratio (0.24). The resistive index and portal vein velocity were not statistically different. In patients with severely elevated liver function tests, an HAV >100cm/s can help distinguish structural from non-structural causes, which may guide management while awaiting definitive laboratory tests.
Freedom's Journal: The First African-American Newspaper by Jacqueline Bacon Lanham, N.J.: Lexington Books, 2007,336 Pp.

(2007). Freedom's Journal: The First African-American Newspaper by Jacqueline Bacon Lanham, N.J.: Lexington Books, 2007,336 Pp. American Journalism: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 194-196.
Double dissociation of HIV and substance use disorder effects on neurocognitive tasks dependent on striatal integrity.

Objective:Substance use is common among individuals infected with HIV, yet whether neurocognitive effects of HIV can be distinguished from more nonspecific effects of drug dependence and associated comorbidities is not known.Design:Cross-sectional observational study of neurocognitive function among
Influence Analysis of Voltage Stochastic Error on Similarity Calculation

The operation data, such as voltage data whose similarity has been analyzed to verify distribution network topology(DNT). However, many influence factors will affect voltage data, such as voltage stochastic error, clocks asynchrony and so on. This will result in the inaccuracy of similarity calculation and make trouble to verify DNT. This paper mainly focuses on the influence of voltage stochastic error on similarity calculation. Correlation analysis, morphology similarity distance(MSD) and dynamic time warping(DTW) are used to calculate similarity. The results of the three methods which used to calculate similarity have been analyzed and compared. Results show that in order to avoid obtaining wrong similarity calculation results, the correlation analysis should be recommended compared with MSD and DTW.
Morphological and genetic variation of Leptopelis brevirostris encompasses the little-known treefrogs Leptopelis crystallinoron from Gabon and Leptopelis brevipes from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

The Central African treefrog Leptopelis brevirostris has a characteristically short and vertically truncated snout, a tooth-like process at the centre of the mandible, and unlike most species of Le...
Low prevalence of organic pathology in a predominantly black population with premature adrenarche: need to stratify definitions and screening protocols.

Premature adrenarche has been described as clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism before the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys and absence of signs of true puberty. Adrenal pathology such as adrenal tumors or non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH) and exogenous androgen exposure need to be excluded prior to diagnosing (idiopathic) premature adrenarche. Premature adrenarche is more common among black girls compared to white girls and other racial groups. Adrenal pathology such as NCCAH is less common as a cause for premature adrenarche compared with idiopathic premature adrenarche. The evaluation guidelines for premature adrenarche however are not individualized based on racial/ethnic differences. Few studies have been done to evaluate a largely black population with premature adrenarche to assess the incidence of adrenal pathology. This cross-sectional retrospective study evaluated characteristics of prepubertal patients seen in an endocrine clinic for premature adrenarche. Two hundred and seventy three subjects had signs of early adrenarche. Three subjects were found to have CAH (2 with NCCAH and 1 with late diagnosis classical CAH). None were black. Exogenous androgen exposure was etiology in 4 additional subjects. These 7 patients were excluded from further analysis. The remaining subjects had idiopathic PA (n = 266); 76.7% were females. The mean age at initial visit was 6.42 +/− 1.97 years (with no racial difference) although black subjects were reported symptom onset at a significantly younger age compared to non-Hispanic white patients. Our study showed organic pathology was very uncommon in a predominantly black population with premature adrenarche. Patient factors that influence the probability of an underlying organic pathology including race/ ethnicity should be considered to individualize evaluation.
Automated co-adding and energy calibration of large array microcalorimeter data with zero sample knowledge

Abstract State-of-the-art microcalorimeter spectrometers now contain large detector arrays with hundreds of individual pixels. Each individual pixel outputs a unique and non-linear response with respect to deposited energy. This work describes a pattern-recognition algorithm to combine these responses into a single energy-calibrated histogram, referred to as co-adding pixels. Photo-peaks from different pixels are matched together based upon how well the match aligns the centroids and heights of neighboring peaks. This usually results in around 100 co-adding calibration points from 30 to 300 keV for a several day acquisition of plutonium items with masses between 0.5 and 10 grams. An additional algorithm energy-calibrates this co-added spectrum using the fluoresced K x-ray emissions from a tantalum absorber and inherent x-ray escape peaks from the tin absorbers. Both algorithms operate without knowledge of the source and are fully automated. This work presents results from the acquisitions of high and low burnup plutonium, 10% enriched uranium, a 153Gd calibration source, and a 57Co+166mHo calibration source. In all measurements, resolution defined as the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of photo-peaks is preserved between the individual pixel and co-added spectra at around 65 eV for incident photon energies between 60 and 208 keV. The energy calibration algorithm is approximate and yields a calibration curve off by an average of around 200 eV for incident photon energies between 60 and 208 keV.
An immunologically active, adipose-derived extracellular matrix biomaterial for soft tissue reconstruction: concept to clinical trial

ABSTRACT Soft tissue reconstruction remains an intractable clinical challenge as current surgical options and synthetic implants may produce inadequate outcomes. Soft tissue deficits may be surgically reconstructed using autologous adipose tissue, but these procedures can lead to donor site morbidity, require multiple trips to the operating room, and have highly variable outcomes. To address the clinical need for soft tissue reconstruction, we developed an “off-the-shelf” adipose matrix from allograft human adipose tissue (acellular adipose tissue, AAT). We applied physical and chemical processing methods to remove lipids and create an injectable matrix that mimicked the properties of fat grafting materials. Biological activity was assessed using cell migration and stem cell adipogenesis assays. Characterization of the regenerative immunology properties in a murine muscle injury model revealed allograft and xenograft AAT induced pro-regenerative CD4+ T cells and macrophages with xenograft AAT attracting additional eosinophils secreting interleukin 4 (Il4). In immunocompromised mice, AAT injections retained similar tissue volumes as human fat grafts but did not have the cysts and calcifications that formed in the human fat graft implants. Combination of AAT with human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) resulted in lower implant volumes. However, tissue remodeling and new adipose development increased significantly with the addition of cells. Larger injected volumes of porcine-derived AAT demonstrated biocompatibility and greater volume retention when applied allogeneicly in Yorkshire cross pigs. Under a biologic IND application, AAT was implanted in healthy volunteers in abdominal tissue that was later removed (panniculectomy or abdominoplasty). The AAT implants were well tolerated and biocompatible in all eight human subjects. Analysis of implants removed between 1 and 18 weeks demonstrated increasing cellular infiltration and immune populations, suggesting continued tissue remodeling and the potential for long term tissue replacement. SUMMARY An adipose-derived injectable biomaterial provides volume correction for soft tissue defects while promoting pro-healing immune responses.
Teaching empathy in an interprofessional setting with a focus on decategorization: Introducing I-Team

Abstract Background The Interprofessional Training in Empathy, Affect, & Mindfulness (I-TEAM) was designed to promote and cultivate collectivity and a sense of shared identity and values among health profession students. Purpose This study showcases the theoretical foundation, evaluation-based protocol, and findings of the pilot I-TEAM program. Method To evaluate the impact of the pilot offering of I-TEAM, we employed a rigorous multimethod protocol consisting of surveys (pre and post), observations, and interviews. Discussion Students significantly improved in empathy, and positively shifted their perceptions of other health professions. Moreover, student-oriented goals for the program and fundamental aspects of the IPEC competencies were shown to be addressed through the I-TEAM program. Conclusion Centralizing an interprofessional program on the principles of decategorization and shared experiences, may have a positive impact on students’ perceptions of other health professions as well as ability and willingness to connect with others on an emotional and cognitive level (i.e. empathy).
Food Education: Manuel Vázquez Montalbán and the Invention of Contemporary Spanish Cuisine / L’educazione alimentare: Manuel Vázquez Montalbán e l’invenzione della cucina spagnola contemporanea

Drawing on Manuel Vazquez Montalban’s perception of the cuisine as a metaphor for culture, this essay examines the inclusion of multiple food references and the discussion of dishes from many regions of Spain in the detective novels of the Pepe Carvalho series. Published at the time of the transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in the 1970s, these novels initiated a new understanding of Spanish cuisine as an intrinsic part of culture in the Spanish collective imaginary. Currently, multiple TV shows, a boost of gastronomical and wine tourism, an abundance of regional food fairs and inclusion of food and cuisine in the local and regional festivities are indebted to the culinary education that Manuel Vazquez Montalban started with the detective stories about Pepe Carvalho. Attingendo alla percezione della cucina di Manuel Vazquez Montalban come metafora della cultura, questo saggio esamina l'inclusione di molteplici riferimenti alimentari e la discussione di piatti di molte regioni della Spagna nei romanzi polizieschi della serie Pepe Carvalho. Pubblicati al momento della transizione verso la democrazia dopo la morte del dittatore Francisco Franco negli anni '70, questi romanzi iniziarono una nuova comprensione della cucina spagnola come parte intrinseca della cultura nell'immaginario collettivo spagnolo. Attualmente, numerosi programmi TV, una spinta del turismo enogastronomico, un'abbondanza di fiere alimentari regionali e l'inclusione di cibo e cucina nelle feste locali e regionali sono in debito con l'educazione culinaria che Manuel Vazquez Montalban ha iniziato con le storie poliziesche su Pepe Carvalho.
The relationship between the gut microbiome and host gene expression: a review

Despite the growing knowledge surrounding host-microbiome interactions, we are just beginning to understand how the gut microbiome influences-and is influenced by-host gene expression. Here, we review recent literature that intersects these two fields, summarizing themes across studies. Work in model organisms, human biopsies, and cell culture demonstrate that the gut microbiome is an important regulator of several host pathways relevant for disease, including immune development and energy metabolism, and vice versa. The gut microbiome remodels host chromatin, causes differential splicing, alters the epigenetic landscape, and directly interrupts host signaling cascades. Emerging techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and organoid generation have the potential to refine our understanding of the relationship between the gut microbiome and host gene expression in the future. By intersecting microbiome and host gene expression, we gain a window into the physiological processes important for fostering the extensive cross-kingdom interactions and ultimately our health.
Interaction mechanisms of polyphosphoric acid and nano clay in bituminous composites

Abstract It has been reported that adding polyphosphoric acid (PPA) to bitumen modified with Montmorillonite clay (MMT) makes the bituminous composite less prone to swelling and more resistant to moisture damage, thus improving two major causes of pavement distress. There has been no in-depth study on the underlying mechanism for such a synergistic effect between MMT and PPA. Here, we used laboratory experiments and computational modeling to study how PPA moderates the intermolecular interactions in bitumen modified with MMT. The results showed that PPA had notable interactions with both MMT and bitumen components (BCs); however, PPA's preferential adsorption to MMT was verified by a significantly higher binding energy (−127.3 kcal/mol) for PPA-sealed MMT than for PPA-BCs (−85.9 kcal/mol). The higher binding energy for PPA-sealed MMT caused PPA to be strongly adsorbed on the MMT surface in the first stage, causing partial intercalation into the clay gallery and blocking subsequent entry of water. PPA's affinity to interact with BCs then allowed PPA to be a bridge between MMT and BCs, leading to more intermolecular interactions and better sealing for MMT. The calculated binding energies for interactions of BC with pre-adsorbed PPA on MMT were higher than those for interactions of BC with PPA alone. In both dry and wet laboratory conditions, bitumen modified with PPA-sealed MMT had higher values of shear thinning and G*/sin(δ) than bitumen modified with MMT.
Alzheimer's Disease and Epilepsy: A Perspective on the Opportunities for Overlapping Therapeutic Innovation.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with variants in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin (PSEN) 1 and 2. It is increasingly recognized that patients with AD experience undiagnosed focal seizures. These AD patients with reported seizures may have worsened disease trajectory. Seizures in epilepsy can also lead to cognitive deficits, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. Epilepsy is roughly three times more common in individuals aged 65 and older. Due to the numerous available antiseizure drugs (ASDs), treatment of seizures has been proposed to reduce the burden of AD. More work is needed to establish the functional impact of seizures in AD to determine whether ASDs could be a rational therapeutic strategy. The efficacy of ASDs in aged animals is not routinely studied, despite the fact that the elderly represents the fastest growing demographic with epilepsy. This leaves a particular gap in understanding the discrete pathophysiological overlap between hyperexcitability and aging, and AD more specifically. Most of our preclinical knowledge of hyperexcitability in AD has come from mouse models that overexpress APP. While these studies have been invaluable, other drivers underlie AD, e.g. PSEN2. A diversity of animal models should be more frequently integrated into the study of hyperexcitability in AD, which could be particularly beneficial to identify novel therapies. Specifically, AD-associated risk genes, in particular PSENs, altogether represent underexplored contributors to hyperexcitability. This review assesses the available studies of ASDs administration in clinical AD populations and preclinical studies with AD-associated models and offers a perspective on the opportunities for further therapeutic innovation.
The ethics of informed consent and shared decision-making in pediatric surgery

Abstract Informed consent is a required feature in the practice of pediatric surgery. Surgeons cannot practice the trade without it and most of us learned to do it as part of our “apprenticeship” in surgical training. We were bystanders when the senior resident or attending spoke to the patient and family and we were silent witnesses to the signing of the document called a “consent.” Intentional instruction about informed consent is rudimentary in most residencies. By the time we become surgical fellows, it is assumed that we have the requisite skill set to perform this “task” so we can get on with what we like to do best; operating. For many, it is viewed as a perfunctory step which, if done properly, will comply with hospital policies, might someday be exhibited during medical litigation, and ultimately it will occupy a tiny bit of memory in the hospital EMR system. However, this “thing” called the informed consent is much more than an item on a pre-op check list. The re-branding of the term “informed consent” into “shared decision-making” underscores the “re-evolution” that has occurred in thought and practice from the act of obtaining an individual's permission for treatment toward the process leading up to that act. 1 It reflects some of our most important ethical values in healthcare and is still the source of scholarly inquiry and controversy. In this paper, the terms “informed consent” and “shared decision-making” will be used interchangeably but the intention is focused on the process of how physicians and their patients make choices together. If you have not thought about this topic recently, I encourage you to take a moment and explore some of the interesting and challenging questions which are still unanswered. Although the ethical principles underlying informed consent are shared by adult and pediatric medicine, there are many aspects which are unique to the medical care of children. This article highlights some of those challenges and controversies illustrated by two case studies and viewed through the lens of bioethics.
Designing a Radioisotope Experiment Using a Dymamic, Mechanistic Model of Protein Turnover

Many experiments require preliminary results in order to determine the best experimental design to fulfill the research objectives. Ranges of data values, sampling intervals and numbers of test subjects need to be determined before the experiment is conducted so that differences between treatments can be detected at the appropriate level of significance. Especially in radioisotope experiments where exposure and contamination need to be minimized, previous knowledge of experimental conditions can be invaluable in planning experiments. A model which represents current knowledge of the animal or system to be studied can be an important tool with which to identify appropriate experimental designs.
The Effects of Alpha (10-Hz) and Beta (22-Hz) “Entrainment” Stimulation on the Alpha and Beta EEG Bands: Individual Differences Are Critical to Prediction of Effects

Two different groups of normal college students were formed: One (the alpha group) received 10-Hz audiovisual (AV) stimulation for 8 minutes, and the other (beta) group received 22-Hz AV stimulation for 8 minutes. EEG power in the alpha (8-13 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) bands was FFT-extracted before, during, and for 24 minutes after stimulation. It was found that baseline (prestimulation) alpha and beta power predict the effects of stimulation, leading to individual differences in responsivity. High-baseline alpha participants showed either no entrainment or relatively prolonged entrainment with alpha stimulation. Low-baseline participants showed transient entrainment. Baseline alpha also predicted the direction of change in alpha with beta stimulation. Baseline beta and alpha predicted beta band response to beta stimulation, which was transient enhancement in some participants, inhibition in others. Some participants showed relatively prolonged beta enhancement with beta stimulation.
Subcutaneous implantation of compressed crystalline theelin pellets in the treatment of menopausal cases

Abstract 1. 1. A method of subcutaneous estrogenic pellet implantation is described. 2. 2. A preliminary series of 21 menopausal cases, in which the patients were treated by this method, is reported.
Static dominance inference

Dominance, the property that all paths to a given object must go through another object, is at the heart of ownership type disciplines. While ownership types have received abundant attention, ownership inference remains an open problem, and crucial questions about the practical impact of ownership remain unanswered. We argue that a static program analysis that infers dominance is a crucial first step to ownership types inference. This paper describes an algorithm for statically computing dominance relations and shows that it can be used as part of an ownership inference algorithm.
Progress with measurement, information and decision-making in critical care medicine: An intelligent way forward

Abstract This paper focuses upon the need to provide information to the clinician in the critical care unit in order to enhance the decision-making capability. The role of intelligent instrumentation is highlighted, indicating its function in converting data into information which is then interpreted in the clinical context. Examples drawn from the interpretation of blood gas results and the provision of ventilation management are presented. The role of intelligent instrumentation in the wider role of patient management is discussed.
A coupled discrete-event and motion planning methodology for automated safety assessment in construction projects

Collisions between moving machinery and human workers in construction job sites are one of the main sources of fatalities and accidents during the execution of construction projects. In this paper, we present a methodology to identify and assess construction project plan dangers before their execution. Our methodology has the following steps: 1) Plans are translated from a high-level activity graph to a discrete event simulation model; 2) Trajectories are simulated using sampling based and combinatorial motion planning algorithms; and 3) Safety scores and risk-based heatmaps are calculated based on the trajectories of moving equipment. Finally, we present an illustrative case study to demonstrate the usability of our model.
Improving Motivation and Productivity on Large Projects

Preliminary findings of a Department of Energy sponsored study employing questionnaires and interviews with over 600 craftsmen and foremen from five nuclear power plant construction projects indicated 20 to 25 lost manhours per week per man due to delays resulting from material and tool availability, overcrowded work areas, crew interfacing, inspection, and instructions. Questionnaire and interview information is compared with project characteristics like union versus open shop labor, geographical distribution, percent completion, and type of contract. Furthermore, survey data are compared to published work sampling figures and absenteeism and turnover percentages. If large projects are experiencing only one or a combination of the problems identified, management could consider the following recommendations to improve motivation and productivity: (1)Providing adequate design lead time; (2)improving planning and scheduling at the workface; and (3)improving project communications with an owner-contractor-labor committee.
Role of enzymes in metabolic homeostasis: I. Depletion and restoration of liver enzymes involved in glycolysis, glucogenesis and hexosemonophosphate shunt in normal and hypophysectomized rats

Abstract The depletion and restoration of liver enzymes involved in glycolysis, glucogenesis and hexosemonophosphate shunt were investigated in normal (control) and hypophysectomized rats. Enzymatic activities were depleted in control rats by 6-day, in hypophysectomized ones by 1-day fasting. Restoration of enzyme activities was induced by subjecting both groups to a 1-day refeeding period. 1. 1. Body and liver weight decreased markedly in starved control and hypophysectomized rats. On refeeding these values returned to normal range in the controls; however, the hypophysectomized animals were unable to restore liver weight although body weight was reestablished. Liver nitrogen content decreased to one-half in both control and hypophysectomized animals. On the other hand, whereas in the controls refeeding restored nitrogen to 75–85 per cent, in hypophysectomized animals it was restored only to 63–67 per cent. 2. 2. In control rats 6-day fasting decreased glucose-6-phosphatase activity to one-half, phosphoglucomutase, phosphohexoseisomerase, lactic dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities to about one-third and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity to 5 per cent of the fed normal values. In hypophysectomized animals all enzymatic activities decreased to 17–46 per cent as a result of a 1-day fasting period. On refeeding in control animals glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity increased to 212 and glucose-6-phosphatase activity increased to 107 per cent of the fed values. Phosphoglucomutase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase returned to 78, phosphohexoseisomerase to 66 and lactic dehydrogenase to 59 per cent of the normal fed values. In contrast, the hypophysectomized animals showed increases of 5–25 per cent. The liver enzymes involved in glycolysis, glucogenesis and hexosemonophosphate shunt showed diverse rates of depletion and restoration in normal rats, whereas in hypophysectomized animals all enzymes were depleted to the same extent and both the specificity and the extent of restoration of enzyme activities were impaired. It appears that an inverse relationship exists between the studied liver carbohydrate enzyme activities and restoration rates in normal rats.
Grass invasion of a hardwood forest is associated with declines in belowground carbon pools

Invasive plant species affect a range of ecosystem processes but their impact on belowground carbon (C) pools is relatively unexplored. This is particularly true for grass invasions of forested ecosystems. Such invasions may alter both the quantity and quality of forest floor inputs. Dependent on both, two theories, ‘priming’ and ‘preferential substrate utilization’, suggest these changes may decrease, increase, or leave unchanged native plant-derived soil C. Decreases are expected under ‘priming’ theory due to increased soil microbial activity. Under ‘preferential substrate utilization’, either an increase or no change is expected because the invasive plant’s inputs are used by the microbial community instead of soil C. Here, we examine how Microstegium vimineum affects belowground C-cycling in a southeastern US forest. Following predictions of priming theory, M. vimineum’s presence is associated with decreases in native-derived, C pools. For example, in September 2006 M. vimineum is associated with 24%, 34%, 36%, and 72% declines in total organic, particulate organic matter, mineralizable (a measure of microbially-available C), and microbial biomass C, respectively. Soil C derived from M. vimineum does not compensate for these decreases, meaning that the sum of native- plus invasive-derived C pools is smaller than native-derived pools in uninvaded plots. Supporting our inferences that C-cycling accelerates under invasion, the microbial community is more active per unit biomass: added 13 C-glucose is respired more rapidly in invaded plots. Our work suggests that this invader may accelerate C-cycling in forest soils and deplete C stocks. The paucity of studies investigating impacts of grass invasion on C-cycling in forests highlights the need to study further M. vimineum and other invasive grasses to assess their impacts on C sink strength and forest fertility.
Isolation and maintenance of monolayer hepatocytes from the livers of toxin-treated rats

Abstract Hepatocytes were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats 30 min after oral challenge with carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), or 1 hr after ip injection of d (+)-galactosamine (GAL). Cell preparations of comparable yield and initial viability were obtained from toxin-treated and respective control animals with equivalent 1-hr attachment efficiencies to tissue culture plastic. Cells from toxin-treated rats exhibited significant degeneration over 48 hr in culture. This degeneration included loss of viable cell density on the monolayer and increased lactate dehydrogenase activity in the culture media compared to controls. Toxicity expressed in culture was dose dependent for both CCl 4 (0.1–2.5 ml/kg) and GAL (100–400 mg/kg). Loss of cell viability in vitro and ultrastructural degeneration followed a time course consistent with hepatocellular necrosis produced by these agents in vivo . As a model for studying late occurring events in the progression from initiation of toxic cell injury to cell death, this methodology offers several potential advantages over strict in vivo or in vitro models. The analytical advantages of an in vitro cell model are incorporated with initiation of injury in vivo by physiologically relevant doses of hepatotoxins. Limited bioactivating potential of monolayer hepatocytes, and time course limitations of suspension hepatocytes for toxicity studies, are also circumvented in this model.
Dipole matrix elements of semiconductor intersubband quantum structures

Abstract A method for determining the dipole matrix element for an intersubband optical transition in multi-layered semiconductor quantum heterostructures is presented. The single-band effective-mass Schrodinger equation is solved by employing the argument principle method (APM) to extract the bound (B) and quasibound (QB) eigenenergies of the quantum heterostructure. The major types of optical transitions involving bound and QB states are defined and the corresponding dipole matrix elements are calculated for each type. The method presented incorporates the energy-dependent effective mass of electrons arising from conduction-band nonparabolicity. The performance and the accuracy of the method are evaluated for an asymmetric Fabry–Perot electron wave interference filter. The physical dimensions of the filter are varied to show their effect on the dipole matrix elements. Results with and without nonparabolic effects are presented and compared. Dipole matrix elements are also calculated for the filter with an applied electric field bias. In this case the eigenstate wavefunctions can be expanded as linear combinations of Airy and complementary Airy functions. In addition, results from the present method are compared to a Kronig–Penney and a multi-band model. The dipole matrix element values calculated by the present method are shown to be in excellent agreement with the values obtained from these models. Further, the present model is numerically efficient and easily implemented.
Freely suspended layer-by-layer nanomembranes: Testing micromechanical properties

Freely suspended nanocomposite layer-by-layer (LbL) nanomembranes composed of a central layer of gold nanoparticles sandwiched between polyelectrolyte multilayers are fabricated via spin-assisted LbL assembly. The diameter of the circular membranes is varied from 150 to 600 μm and the thickness is kept within the range of 25-70 nm. The micro- and nanomechanical properties of these membranes are studied using a combination of resonance-frequency and bulging tests, and point-load nano-deflection experiments. Our results suggest that these freely suspended nanomembranes, with a Young's modulus of 5-10 GPa are very robust and can sustain multiple significant deformations. They are very sensitive to minor variations in pressure, surpassing ordinary semiconductor and metal membranes by three to four orders of magnitude and therefore have potential applications as pressure and acoustic microsensors.
An iterative design methodology for user-friendly natural language office information applications

A six-step, iterative, empirical human factors design methodology was used to develop CAL, a natural language computer application to help computer-naive business professionals manage their personal calenders. Input language is processed by a simple, nonparsing algorithm with limited storage requirements and a quick response time. CAL allows unconstrained English inputs from users with no training (except for a five minute introduction to the keyboard and display) and no manual (except for a two-page overview of the system). In a controlled test of performance, CAL correctly responded to between 86 percent and 97 percent of the storage and retrieval requests it received, according to various criteria. This level of performance could never have been achieved with such a simple processing model were it not for the empirical approach used in the development of the program and its dictionaries. The tools of the engineering psychologist are clearly invaluable in the development of user-friendly software, if that software is to accommodate the unruly language of computer-naive, first-time users. The key is elicit the cooperation of such users as partners in an iterative, empirical development process. 15 references.
Relativistische Schwerionenforschung in Berkeley

Nach einem Uberblick uber die relativistische Schwerionenphysik wird eine Beschreibung des BEVALAC-Beschleunigers im Lawrence Berkeley Laboratorium gegeben, Spitzenenergie 2,1 GeV/amu. Wichtigste Reaktionstypen sind die peripheren Stose und die zentralen Stose, die mit Hilfe von Detektorexperimenten genau studiert wurden. Die wichtigsten daraus abgeleiteten Modellvorstellungen werden beschrieben. Es folgt noch ein Ausblick auf die Anwendung von relativistischen Schwerionen in der Nuklearmedizin und auf dem Weg zum Fusionsreaktor.
Taxation of externalities: Direct versus Indirect

Abstract First, a model with separable utilities in the externalities is presented to analyze the impact of direct and indirect taxes on the correction of externalities that are caused by the consumption of one good. It is shown that the sign of the indirect tax is based not on the complementarity (or lack thereof) between the two taxed goods, but on the link between complementarity of the two goods for each consumer and the size of the marginal impact on his consumption on the externality. Second, a model of externality aggregate is further developed along the previous lines and alternative definitions of complementarity are considered.
Central role for the insular cortex in mediating conditioned responses to anticipatory cues

Reward-related circuits are fundamental for initiating feeding on the basis of food-predicting cues, whereas gustatory circuits are believed to be involved in the evaluation of food during consumption. However, accumulating evidence challenges such a rigid separation. The insular cortex (IC), an area largely studied in rodents for its role in taste processing, is involved in representing anticipatory cues. Although IC responses to anticipatory cues are well established, the role of IC cue-related activity in mediating feeding behaviors is poorly understood. Here, we examined the involvement of the IC in the expression of cue-triggered food approach in mice trained with a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm. We observed a significant change in neuronal firing during presentation of the cue. Pharmacological silencing of the IC inhibited food port approach. Such a behavior could be recapitulated by temporally selective inactivation during the cue. These findings represent the first evidence, to our knowledge, that cue-evoked neuronal activity in the mouse IC modulates behavioral output, and demonstrate a causal link between cue responses and feeding behaviors.
Black asset ownership: Does ethnicity matter?

Abstract Research has shown that blacks are relatively disadvantaged when compared with whites on a host of sociological indicators including on income, education and occupational status. Recent research has shown blacks are not all equally disadvantaged. In some cases such as in the case of blacks in Queens County, New York, blacks surpass whites in terms of median income, especially foreign-born blacks. Yet, blacks fare worse when compared with whites on indicators of asset ownership. Despite that, some black ethnic groups including those with roots in the Caribbean or from Africa have been shown to have higher rates of home ownership and higher housing values than African-Americans. However, few studies include measures of asset ownership beyond these indicators when assessing the extent to which ethnicity matters for blacks. The present study examines the following research questions: (1) What factors explain variations in the likelihood of ownership and the levels of interest, dividends and rental income owned for blacks? (2) Is ethnicity a significant predictor for black respondents? (3) Does education and occupation matter more for some black ethnic groups than for others? The findings reveal that ethnicity plays a significant role in the acquisition and accumulation of interest, dividends and rental income, but it does not account for all of the variations observed for blacks. The findings shed further light on the complexities associated with understanding wealth inequality and racial and ethnic group variations.
The social dynamics of instrumental computer use

During the last three decades, computing has far surpassed its early role as a laboratory device for scientific computation. Computers are presently used for a wide array of purposes. In most of its uses it is portrayed as a problem-solving tool and as a material or intellectual object. Despite continuing technical advances, computer use is still costly in its demands for attention and special skills by people (instrumental users) who try to use it to further their own work, whether they program or not. These problems occur because much computer use is inextricably embedded in a complex set of problematic social relationships between groups of service providers and consumers. In particular, serious and continual use of computing forces users to attend to issues associated with:1. The work setting of computer use;2. Understanding the capabilities of computing;3. The scope and rate of technical change;4. Insuring that data is accurate, complete, and timely;5. Control over computing resources;6. The overall time that attention to these social and technical issues require.The opportunities and problems of instrumental computer use vary when users utilize different technologies and different organizational arrangements for supporting them. However, as software and hardware developments progress, the social arrangements of computer use will increasingly dominate the attention of users.
High-Energy Electromagnetic Conversion Processes in Intense Magnetic Fields

General characteristics of magnetic bremsstrahlung (synchrotron radiation) are derived on the basis of calculations utilizing exact relativistic matrix elements. The spectral and total energy losses may be described by compact expressions incorporating radiative and quantum corrections. Comparisons of the relative efficacy of matter and magnetic fields as bremsstrahlung radiators indicate that even under relatively conservative conditions the natural conversion rates associated with the magnetic process (i.e., 9.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{3}$ BeV/mm) tends to favor this type of conversion over ordinary bremsstrahlung.Discussions of a similar scope---including detailed calculations, and comparisons with the corresponding processes in material media---are also carried out for magnetic pair production, direct and indirect trident cascades, and magnetic photon splitting.Circumstances peculiar to a class of external field radiative processes involving cooperative vacuum polarization corrections are illustrated by a discussion of magnetic \ifmmode \check{C}\else \v{C}\fi{}erenkov radiation.