cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dependence relations and the moderating role of trust: implications for behavioral intentions in marketing channels

This article was published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing [©1995 Published by Elsevier Inc.] and the definite version is available at: http://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8116(94)00020-O The Article's website is at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016781169400020O
The Quantification of Cardiac Performance An Overview of the Debate for the Cardiac Sonographer

A debate has arisen as to whether cardiac performance should be quantitatively or qualitatively analyzed in the modern cardiac ultrasound laboratory. In order to actively participate in this debate, the cardiac sonographer should have a basic understanding of the terms that describe cardiac performance. The following paper presents a description of these key terms and links them directly to the everyday practices of the echocardiography laboratory.
A control room metric for evaluating success and failure in high reliability crisis management

Abstract The focus of this article is specific: we propose a metric for evaluating crises that start in or require the response of control rooms of major critical infrastructures. Rather than addressing the vexed issue of how to evaluate crisis management in terms of success or failure, we focus on a subset of crises that carry with them a standard for evaluating how they are managed. We begin with a central focus in research on high reliability management, namely, critical control room processes. The skills of control operators do not disappear when crises beset critical infrastructures they manage and we discuss the role of control operators in crisis management. A “crisis cycle” is described for control operators and we conclude with its use as a proposed standard for describing high reliability in crisis performance and for evaluating the degree of success or failure of such crisis management. This metric has implications for evaluating the role of crisis leadership and evaluating the role of Incident Command Systems in crisis management. We do not argue that our proposed approach to evaluating crisis management in terms of control room performance is appropriate for all types of crises, all types of crisis management, all types of high reliability organizations, or even all types of critical infrastructures.
GENDER COMPARISON OF TEACHERS' SENSE OF EFFICACY

Sumtnaty.-An analysis of 30 university teachers' sense of efFicacy provided some evidence that teachers' belief in their abhty to effect change in students given external factors was weaker for the men than for the women. Teachers' gender may be an important determinant of their sense of efficacy. Bandura (1977, 1982) hypothesized that through life experiences, people develop a generalized expectancy about action-outcome contingencies as well as more specific belief in their own self-efficacy. The general outcome expectancy is a belief that behavior will lead to desirable outcomes, whereas self-efficacy is a belief that one has the requisite skrlls to bring about the outcome. The self-efficacy questionnaire constructed by DiBella-McCarchy, McDaniel, and Mder (1995) was given in the present study to estimate teachers' sense of efficacy. The questionnaire required teachers to indicate agreement with each of 32 statements. Teaching efficacy was interpreted by eight r but teachers' belief in their ability to effect change in students given external factors was significant (F,,,=4.85, p< .04). These results indicate that male university teachers believe their ability to effect change in students is limited by external factors such as family background and srudents' characteristics.
The Aluminum Content of Parenteral Solutions: Current Status

Aluminum contaminates several chemical compounds that are administered intravenously to patients. The most highly contaminated are calcium and phosphate salts, followed by albumin and heparin. Parenteral administration of aluminum bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, which serves as a protective barrier to aluminum entry into the blood. In the past, parenteral administration of aluminum as a contaminant of water used in hemodialysis and of casein hydrolysate, the former source of protein in parenteral nutrition solutions, was associated with a low-turnover osteomalacic bone disease and, in the case of uremic patients, encephalopathy. Groups currently at risk for aluminum accumulation in tissue resulting from parenteral administration include premature infants receiving long-term parenteral nutrition and patients receiving plasmapheresis therapy with albumin. Both groups may develop metabolic bone disease; the pathogenesis may involve aluminum. The Food and Drug Administration is currently considering regulation of aluminum in fluids used for parenteral nutrition. No changes are presently proposed with regard to albumin.
Variation in efficiency of parallel algorithms

The present study has the objective to investigate some iterative parallel-processor linear equation solving algorithms with respect to efficiency for analyses of typical linear engineering systems. Attention is given to a set of n linear equations, Ku = p, where K = an n x n positive definite, sparsely populated, symmetric matrix, u = an n x 1 vector of unknown responses, and p = an n x 1 vector of prescribed constants. This study is concerned with a hybrid method in which iteration is used to solve the problem, while a direct method is used on the local processor level. Variations in the efficiency of parallel algorithms are explored. Measures of the efficiency are based on computer experiments regarding the algorithms. For all the algorithms, the wall clock time is found to decrease as the number of processors increases.
High velocity zone beneath the Southern Tibetan Plateau from P‐wave differential travel‐time data

We analyzed P-wave travel-time data of earthquakes along a north-south vertical cross section in the central Tibetan plateau to search for high velocity zones related to downwellings in the upper mantle. Differential travel-time residuals of an event in southern Tibet vs. north central and Himalayan events show relatively fast arrivals at stations in the northwest - southeast direction. Results of numerical simulation with simple velocity anomaly models suggest that a narrow, nearly vertical, high velocity zone extending to at least 400 km beneath the southern plateau can account for the observed fast arrivals. This high velocity zone may result from cold downwellings predicted by the delamination model for continental convergence.
Migrant Housing in Urban China: Choices and Constraints

China’srecent waves of internal migration, primarily rural to urban, reflect a rapidly urbanizing society undergoing a transition from a planned to a market economy. The author addresses two key questions: what access migrants have to urban housing and how migrant housing conditions compare with those of the locals. The main findings are based on citywide housing surveys and interviews conducted in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as results from official surveys. Interpretations of migrant housing patternsin urban China need to be linked with the country’sunique institutional factors, particularly the circulating nature of migration, the existing household registration system, and the transitioning state of the urban housing market. Restricted access to urban housing, together with the temporary status for migrants, contributes to their poor housing conditions.
Computing in Civil Engineering—Lessons Learned from the 2005 ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering

On July 12–15, 2005, a group of approximately 170 researchers and practitioners met in Cancun, Mexico, for the 2005 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering to present and learn about current research and developments on information technology in civil engineering. The conference was geared toward professionals and researchers who are interested in computing in a wide range of civil engineering disciplines, such as infrastructure life-cycle management, construction engineering and management, structural engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering, sustainability, and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The six keynote speakers presented brilliant talks that introduced the major themes and topics of the conference. Ian F. C. Smith of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne EPFL talked about the opportunities and challenges in using sensors in structural engineering and strategies for appropriate interpretation of sensor data. He introduced innovations in the field of measurement science and devices that employ such technologies as global positioning, acoustic emission, electric potential drop, interferometry, holography, photogrammetry, MEMS, and optical fibers. He presented a new methodology for sensor placement by using entropy, and a model-based approach for structural diagnosis was used to illustrate the potential of multimodel reasoning. Amr S. Elnashai of the University of Illinois at Urbana– Champaign introduced a framework for the computational or hybrid computational-experimental investigation of complex structures, their foundations, and underlying soil when subject to strong earthquake motion. The presented framework comprises a central integrator and peripheral components where available geotechnical and structural analysis platforms commercial packages or research analysis tools were combined to represent the most salient features of the response. Elnashai presented an extremely interesting example of a complex bridge that was modeled in ZEUS-NL, the structural computational platform of the Mid-America Earthquake Center, and OpenSees, the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center product, which models the soil strata by using UCSD geotechnical models.
An application of agent-based simulation to knowledge sharing

This paper explores knowledge sharing using an agent-based simulation model. Built using Repast, our application allows managers to simulate employee knowledge-sharing behaviors by making parametric assumptions on employee decision strategies and organizational interventions that affect identifiability, benefits, and costs. Our results show that in the presence of non-linear and adaptive interaction, unintended and unpredictable outcomes might occur, and that knowledge sharing results from the complex interaction between employee behavior and organizational interventions.
Neurogenic pulmonary edema and other mechanisms of impaired oxygenation after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Introduction: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) affects 30,000 patients per year, causing neurologic morbidity and mortality. The etiology of hypoxemia and its role in comorbidity are controversial and unknown. Purpose: To identify the incidence and etiologies of oxygenation abnormalities following SAH and to determine its impact on length of hospital stay (LOS). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 70 consecutive SAH patients’ records, including review of computed tomography scans, chest X-rays, arterial blood gases, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, blood pressure, carbon monoxide, central venous pressure, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Fluid balance and chest X-ray interpretation on admission and at time of worst alveolar-arterial oxygen difference was assessed, as was length of hospital stay. Results: Fifty six (80%) patients had impaired oxygenation (alveolar-arterial oxygen difference >100 mmHg). Of these 56, 50% had normal chest X-rays. Patients were euvolemic and normodynamic with mean central venous pressure 8.8±4.1 mmHg and had normal cardiac output 6.8±2.4 L/min. The most frequent etiologies of hypoxemia based on composite data assessment were pneumonia 8/56 (14%), fulminant neurogenic pulmonary edema 9/56 (16%), atelectasis 5/56 (27%), and cryptogenic (57%). The mean length of stay was doubled in the impaired oxygenation group 19.3 days±14.6 compared with 7.1±4.3 days in the normal oxygenation group (p<0.001; df=36). Likewise, the patients with fulminant neurogenic pulmonary edema had a prolonged length of stay of 13.4±6.2 (p<0.002; df=27) compared with the normal oxygenation group. Neither the occurrence of vasospasm nor delayed neurologic deficit influenced the incidence of poor oxygenation (p<0.93). Conclusion: Oxygenation abnormalities after SAH occur more frequently than previously suspected. They are frequently the result of noncardiogenic and hydrostatic causes and contribute to an increased length of hospital stay.
Duloxetine hydrochloride: a new dual-acting medication for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Abstract Background: Duloxetine hydrochloride has recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Duloxetine is a potent inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, with weak effects on dopamine reuptake. Objective: This article reviews the literature on duloxetine with regard to its pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and tolerability. Methods: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE was performed using the terms duloxetine, Cymbalta , and major depressive disorder , with no restriction on year. The Eli Lilly and Company clinical trial registry, and abstracts and posters from recent American Psychiatric Association meetings were also reviewed. Results: Duloxetine exhibits linear, dose-dependent pharmacokinetics across the approved oral dosage range of 40 to 60 mg/d. No dose adjustment appears to be needed based on age. Duloxetine has shown efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms compared with placebo, and duloxetine recipients have shown significant improvements in global functioning compared with placebo (both, P Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, duloxetine is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for MDD in adults. Randomized head-to-head comparisons against established antidepressants are needed to determine the relative safety and efficacy of duloxetine.
Self-direction or social support? nonprofit empowerment and the tacit employment contract of organizational communication studies

In organizational communication studies, empowerment has come to connote flatter structures, participation programs, and other techniques thought to enhance member competence and control through increased self-direction. We contend that this model-and, arguably, organizational communication studies more broadly-presumes a particular employment contract. We report a study of a different contract: staff-volunteer relations at a nonprofit organization. Our results indicate that, while volunteers prioritized the role of social support in accomplishing empowerment, staff members treated volunteers as pseudo-employees to be empowered through enhanced authority and participation. Ironically, the staff's model impeded volunteer empowerment. We use the case to mark the contingent character of empowerment, and specifically, (a) its contextual and intersubjective nature, (b) its relational and emotional aspects, and (c) the importance of members' temporal investment in the organization. We conclude that attention to...
Expanding participation in problem solving in a diverse middle school mathematics classroom

In this paper, we discuss our experiences with an after-school program in which we engaged middle-school students with low socioeconomic status from an urban community in mathematical problem solving. We document that these students participated in many aspects of problem solving, including the posing of problems, constructing justifications, developing and implementing problem-solving heuristics and strategies, and understanding and evaluating the solutions of others. We then delineate what aspects of our environment encouraged the students to take part in these activities, particularly emphasising the proactive role of the teacher, the tasks the students completed, and the social norms of our after-school sessions. Finally, we discuss the relationship between our study and the literature on equity research in mathematics education.
The Research-Practice Gap: Bridging the Schism Between Eating Disorder Researchers and Practitioners

Objective: The field of eating disorders (EDs) treatment has been beset by a marked disjunction between scientific evidence and clinical application. We describe the nature and scope of the research‐practice gap in the ED field. Method: We draw on surveys and broader literature to better understand the research‐practice gap in ED treatment and reasons for resistance to evidence-based practice. Results: We identify three sources of the research‐practice gap: (1) attitudinal factors, (2) differences in the definition of ‘‘evidence,’’ and (3) cognitive factors,
Crude Fiber and Nutrients in the Diets of Preschoolers

Diet records of 169 preschool children were analyzed to determine the characteristics of diets with crude fiber values above 2.4 grams (upper quartile) and below 1.5 grams (lower quartile). Children whose diets contained 2.5 to 5.9 grams of crude fiber consumed a wider variety of foods, ate more servings of each food, and tended to have diets which met or exceeded two- thirds of the RDA for all nutrients except iron. The diets of the upper quartile group had higher energy values, but the proportion of energy contributed by fat, carbohydrate, and pro tein was similar for the total, upper, and lower quartiles. The diets of the upper quartile group were calculated to have proportionately more crude fiber and vitamins A and C, resulting from greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, while the reported diets of the lower quartile group had more calcium and riboflavin as a result of greater consumption of milk and milk products. At least 13 fiber-contributing foods (10 fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, dried cooked beans, and whole wheat bread and rolls) reported in the children's diets accounted for 9.6 percent of the total foods. It did not appear that children in the upper versus lower quartile in this study received a large percentage of crude fibers from phytate-rich foods, and the likelihood of this factor in hibiting iron utilization in the population would be doubtful.
Stress failure of pulmonary capillaries as a limiting factor for maximal exercise

The pulmonary blood-gas barrier has a basic physiological dilemma. On the one hand it needs to be extremely thin for efficient gas exchange. On the other hand it also needs to be immensely strong because the stresses on the pulmonary capillary wall become extremely high when the capillary pressure rises on exercise. Maximal hydrostatic pressures in human pulmonary capillaries during exercise are not accurately known but must exceed 30 mmHg. In some animals, for example thoroughbred horses, the capillary pressure rises to about 100 mmHg. These pressures cause stresses in the capillary wall of 5–10 × 104 N·M−2 (50–100 kPa) which approach the breaking strength of collagen. The strength of the capillary wall on the thin side of the blood-gas barrier can be attributed to the type IV collagen of the extracellular matrix. Raising the capillary pressure to similar levels in experimental preparations causes ultrastructural changes in the wall including disruption of the capillary endothelium, alveolar epithelium, and basement membrane in the interstitium. Essentially all thoroughbred racehorses bleed into their lungs during exercise because they break their capillaries, and some elite human athletes apparently do the same. Avoiding stress failure of pulmonary capillaries poses a challenging problem for some species. Stress failure is a hitherto overlooked factor limiting maximal exercise.
Effect of initial condition sensitivity and chaotic transients on predicting future outbreaks of gypsy moths

A previously validated, simple model of the population dynamics of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), is used to show that initial condition sensitivity in the cases of (a) chaotic dynamics, and (b) fractal basin boundaries associated with non-chaotic attractors both severely limit the ability to predict future behaviour even for short time scales. Also demonstrated is the fact that short-term transients can cause even small discrepancies in initial population densities to lead to erroneous conclusions about future behaviour over periods of the order of a decade. This work addresses the quality of data needed to make predictions based on population data from a single year. It is demonstrated that, even when it is assumed that the model perfectly reflects the population dynamics and that the parameters are known exactly, extremely small errors in the specification of initial conditions are required to obtain reliable predictions. The model also shows that the observed dynamical difference between populations in North America (chaotic dynamics) and Europe (periodic dynamics) could be explained by the presence of chaotic transients.
What Happens to the Whistleblowers

I am troubled by the comment of Irwin Goldman in the article “Truth and consequences” (J. Couzin, News Focus, 1 Sept., p. [1222][1]). The article states that Goldman “came to believe strongly that science needs individuals like [the student whistleblowers at the University of Wisconsin (UW)].” Yet most of the students involved scattered, leaving UW, leaving graduate school, leaving academia, even leaving science. I feel that Goldman and others showed commendable support for these students during the ordeal they suffered, but once it was over, the students were left high and dry. No wonder they left. The article mentions Goldman's plan for a policy to protect students in similar situations, but again, the policy he envisions seems designed to protect students during the investigation and makes no provisions for the aftermath. I agree that we cannot change our standards of what a Ph.D. means, even for a student who has studied for years in a lab that is suddenly discredited. She obviously cannot receive a degree until she has completed and defended a dissertation. And yet, surely some accommodation can be arranged for people in this situation. Did UW do everything in its power to find labs for these students? Or were they all too happy to see the last of them? I wonder if government funding agencies (e.g., NIH) are considering provisions for NIH-funded students and postdocs caught in such a situation. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.313.5791.1222
The laminar distribution and ultrastructure of fibers projecting from three thalamic nuclei to the somatic sensory‐motor cortex of the opossum

The projections of the ventrobasal complex (VB), the ventrolateral complex (VL), and the central intralaminar nucleus (CIN) to the somatic sensory-motor (SSM) cortex of the Virginia opossum were studied with light and electron microscopic autoradiographic methods. VB, VL, and CIN have overlapping projections to SSM cortex and each one also projects to an additional cortical area. Unit responses to somatic sensory stimulation and the areal and laminar distribution of axons in cortex is different for VB, VL, and CIN, but the axons from each form similar round asymmetrical synapses, predominantly with dendritic spines. As in other mammals, VB units in the opossum have discrete, contralateral cutaneous receptive fields. VB projects somatotopically to SSM cortex and also projects to the second somatic sensory representation. Within the cortex, VB axons terminate densely in layer IV and the adjacent part of layer III. A few axons also terminate in the outermost part of layer I and the upper part of layer VI. Most VB axon terminate upon dendritic spines (86.6%), but they also contact dendritic shafts (10%) and neuronal cell bodies (3%). Neurons in VL have no reliable response to somatic stimulation under our recording conditions. VL projects to the SSM cortex and to the posterior parietal area. Throughout this entire projection field VL fibers terminate in layers I, III, and IV most densely, and sparsely in the other cortical layers. The density of termination in the mid-cortical laminae is quite sparse compared to VB, but the projection to layer I is considerably greater. Nearly all (93%) of VL axons contact dendritic spines, the remainder (7%) end dendritic shafts. CIN is a thalamic target of ascending medial lemniscal, cerebellar, spinal, and reticular formation axons. Neurons in CIN respond to stimulation restricted to a particular body part, but typically responses may be evoked from larger areas and at longer latencies than neurons in VB that are related to the same body part. CIN neurons require a firm tap or electrical stimulation within their receptive field to elicit a response in the anesthetized preparation. CIN axons terminate throughout the entire parietal cortex, but unlike VB and VL, CIN fibers end almost exclusively in the outer part of layer I. Approximately 21% of CIN fibers contact dendritic shafts in layer I, which is twice the percentage of shafts contacted by VL or VB axons. All of the other CIN synapses are formed with dendritic spines. These experiments demonstrate three different pathways to SSM cortex. The results suggest that each projection has a unique role in controlling the patterns of activity of neurons within the SSM cortex.
Social research in health and the American sociopolitical context: The changing fortunes of medical sociology

Abstract The fortunes of medical sociology, like other public policy-relevant disciplines, are shaped by political dynamics and prevailing values and attitudes. In the 1990s the field, which views disease and disability as consequences to a substantial degree of material conditions, social stratification, and inequalities among varying strata, lost ground to economics as societal attention focused on cost containment issues. Sociological concern with social structures clashed with dominant conservative and individualistic perspectives and the increased focus on personal responsibility and market strategies. There was decreasing tolerance in policy circles for the view that health, and the problems affecting disenfranchised groups such as the poor, the homeless, the uninsured and people with disabilities, were more due to our politics and social arrangements that the personal characteristics of those affected. Thus, little attention has been given in public health discourse to how life imperatives and social opportunities and constraints shape behavior. The paper documents the important role of the social sciences in health services research with special attention to examining the social context of the RAND Health Insurance Experiment. Although many of the questions medical sociology address sit on the periphery of policy-makers' concerns, a strong case is made for the revitalization of a critical scholarly role in medical sociology. I conclude, given the short and longterm problems we face in medicine and health, that we would have to invent a vigorous critical medical sociological enterprise if we did not already have one.
Ventilatory Support: Preparing for Discharge

Discharge planning for children with SCI who require ventilator assistance is complex and requires a team approach that integrates the needs of the child and family and offers a transition to a home care routine and community re-entry. Elements needed for successful discharge are patient readiness, family readiness, availability of funding for home care, necessary equipment and environmental changes, and community readiness to integrate the child into the school and community. If these elements are not all in place, quality of life may suffer.
Galactose-induced Ethylene Evolution in Mung Bean Hypocotyls: A Possible Mechanism for Galactose Retardation of Plant Growth

Galactose has long been known to inhibit growth in certain plant systems and more recently to promote abscission. These same systems are similarly affected by ethylene. The mung bean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) hypocotyl system was employed to ascertain whether the inhibitory effects of galactose might be regulated through ethylene. Galactose alone (at 10 and 100 mM) of the many carbohydrates tested elicited high rates of ethylene evolution (1.5–4.0 nl/g fresh weight x h) as determined by gas chroma-tography. Hook opening, pigment formation, and hypocotyl elongation were inhibited by this resultant ethylene. Galactose and auxin were found to act synergistically with respect to ethylene induction. Use of an auxin antagonist and auxin transport inhibitor revealed that galactose-induced ethylene formation is auxin dependent. Time course studies indicate that this effect may be auxin-sparing. Methionine appears to be the substrate of galactose-induced ethylene. since a methionine antagonist [L-2-amino-4-(2′-amino ethoxy)-trans-3-butenoic acid] abolished the induction. Potential interrelationships between galactose and ethylene synthesis are discussed.
Resizing the Genomic Regulation of Restenosis

See related article, pages 1579–1588 With the introduction of drug eluting stents (DES) for percutaneous coronary interventions, restenosis appeared to be a problem of the past. However, the biology of arterial injury has returned to the limelight of clinical cardiology because of increased late-stent thrombosis associated with DES.1 As DES use initially increased, concerns were raised about altering the normal responses to arterial injury with antiproliferative drugs based on animal and human data.2 Since 2006, this concern has translated to dramatic decreases in DES deployment in catherization laboratories across the U.S. These events serve to underscore the importance of continuing to incorporate new clinical and basic experimental data for improving patient management. In a different realm, developmental biologists working on the primitive earthworm Caenorhabditis elegans discovered a novel regulatory mechanism involving short pieces of RNA (microRNA or miRNA) for which they were awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine. Over 500 different miRNAs have now been identified in the mouse and human genomes (miRBase: http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/); a schematic overview of miRNA biogenesis is provided in the Figure (A). miRNAs generally act on their target messenger RNAs (mRNA) by promoting RNA degradation or inhibiting protein translation. They are expressed in a tissue- and condition-specific manner indicating their potential role in normal development and disease pathogenesis.3 They appear to regulate diverse processes such as cell proliferation, cell death, metabolism, hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis.3–6 Emerging genetic evidence also suggests an essential role of miRNAs in normal cardiogenesis and abnormal stress responses such as hypertrophy and arrhythmogenesis.7–9 There are also reports of miRNA regulation of skeletal muscle, but there are no studies on miRNA expression in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells thought to …
Sucrose mimics the light induction of Arabidopsis nitrate reductase gene transcription.

Abstract Nitrate reductase, the first enzyme in nitrate assimilation, is located at the crossroad of two energy-consuming pathways: nitrate assimilation and carbon fixation. Light, which regulates the expression of many higher-plant carbon fixation genes, also regulates nitrate reductase gene expression. Located in the cytosol, nitrate reductase obtains its reductant not from photosynthesis but from carbohydrate catabolism. This relationship prompted us to investigate the indirect role that light might play, via photosynthesis, in the regulation of nitrate reductase gene expression. We show that sucrose can replace light in eliciting an increase of nitrate reductase mRNA accumulation in dark-adapted green Arabidopsis plants. We show further that sucrose alone is sufficient for the full expression of nitrate reductase genes in etiolated Arabidopsis plants. Finally, using a reporter gene, we show that a 2.7-kilobase region of 5' flanking sequence of the nitrate reductase gene is sufficient to confer the light or the sucrose response.
GPCR-mediated transactivation of RTKs in the CNS: mechanisms and consequences.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate cellular responses to a diverse array of extracellular messenger molecules. Recent studies have shown that GPCR-mediated signaling pathways include transactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), such as receptors for epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, neurotrophins and fibroblast growth factor. Cross-communication between GPCRs and RTKs is a complex process, and utilizes sets of signaling molecules that are primarily determined by cell context and the types of receptors activated. The differential involvement of RTKs and downstream signaling pathways activated in response to GPCR-mediated stimulation elicits a variety of cellular effects during development, proliferation, differentiation, survival, repair and synaptic transmission in the CNS.
Defense functions of granulocytes in the ridgeback prawn Sicyonia ingentis

Abstract Classification of crustacean hemocytes has usually been based on subtle morphological features. We use morphological, cytochemical, and functional criteria to classify these cells in the ridgeback prawn, Sicyonia ingentis . Two major categories of hemocytes are found, hyaline cells and granulocytes. We previously demonstrated that only hyaline cells initiate coagulation and that two types of granulocytes may be distinguished using morphology and cytochemistry. This study shows that only granulocytes are involved in in vitro phagocytosis and encapsulation of foreign materials. Phagocytosis of the Gram-negative marine bacterium ( Cytophaga sp.) was accomplished primarily by small granule hemocytes, rarely by large granule hemocytes, and never by hyaline cells. Phagocytosis was enhanced by prior opsonization of bacteria with cell-free shrimp hemolymph. These results support previous cytochemical observations in which lysosomal enzymes are more abundant in small granule hemocytes than in large granule hemocytes and absent in hyaline cells. In addition, both large and small granule hemocytes, but not hyaline cells, attach to and establish capsules around hyphae of the fungus Fusarium solani . This role for granulocytes is supported by our demonstration of prophenoloxidase in these cells. The results of this study allow us to present a classification of shrimp hemocytes combining morphological, cytochemical, and functional criteria.
Complementary Oligonucleotide Binding to the Anticodon Loop of fMet-transfer RNA

Exposed, unpaired areas of an RNA molecule will bind complementary tri and tetranucleotides. The binding can be measured by dialysis equilibrium methods and if the RNA sequence is known the conformation of the molecule can be mapped. The method is here applied to the anticodon loop of formylmethionine tRNA.
Inferential talk during teacher-child interactions in small-group play

Abstract This study examined teachers’ questions and children's responses during a play-based activity implemented in small groups within preschool classrooms. The first aim of this study was to describe teachers’ questions in terms of four levels of abstraction (i.e., a continuum of literal to inferential questions) and children's responses to these questions. The second aim was to examine the relations between teachers’ questions and children's responses using sequential analyses, to include children's level of abstraction and mean length of utterance (MLU). Participants were 39 teachers and up to six children from their preschool classroom. We found that teachers’ questions made up an average of 25% of their talk to children during play, and were relatively balanced between literal and inferential questions. Furthermore, significant sequential associations were found between the level of abstraction of teachers’ questions and the level of abstraction of children's responses (e.g., teachers’ inferential questions tended to elicit children's inferential responses). Finally, we found that teachers’ inferential questions were not related to children's MLU; that is, teachers’ more abstract questions did not elicit longer utterances from children. These findings suggest that play is a valuable context in which teachers may promote children's use of inferential language.
Generating a smooth voxel-based model from an irregular polygon mesh

A method for generating a smooth voxelbased model from an arbitrary polygon mesh is presented. It is based on a polygonal subdivision process which takes an irregular polygon mesh as input and creates a finer and smoother mesh. The mesh is recursively refined down to or close to the voxel level, and then voxelized (digitized) into a voxel-based representation. A local subdivision approach has been developed in order to ease the computationally expensive subdivision process. The voxelization of the mesh maintains topological and fidelity requirements which are pre-defined and application dependent.
Mesoscale simulations of a dart penetrating sand

Abstract Historically, hydrodynamic calculations have utilized continuum constitutive models to simulate the coupled dynamic response of a solid projectile penetrating a heterogeneous target system such as concrete, foam or a granular porous medium. Continuum models fail to capture the complicated grain level response within the heterogeneous target which can result in asymmetric loading of the projectile leading to variations in projectile performance. These grain level effects can be crucial to predicting the penetration depth or overall effectiveness of the projectile. In order to assess the possibility of using mesoscale simulations to resolve the grain level dynamics, hydrodynamic simulations were performed for an 11.4 cm long, 0.9 cm diameter dart penetrating a bed of porous granular dry sand with an initial velocity of 366 m/s. Simulations were performed using the Eulerian hydrocode CTH in a two-dimensional planar configuration. The goal of the mesoscale simulations is to determine the viability of using these techniques as an alternative to continuum models and to assess the effects of grain level variability such as anisotropic material distributions and variations in the dynamic yield and fracture strength. The results indicate that variations in the size distribution of aggregate added and the fracture strength of the sand system can have a significant effect on penetration performance of the dart; whereas variations in the dynamic strength of the sand had little effect on the dart penetration.
No-Slip Boundary Condition for Weak Solid−Liquid Interactions

Lubrication forces between hydrophobized glass surfaces in alkane liquids have been measured using the atomic force microscopy colloid probe technique and compared to Reynolds lubrication theory with the aim of understanding the nature of the solid−liquid boundary condition for flow. Forces in n-hexadecane are consistent with the no-slip boundary condition. Forces in n-pentane and n-hexane are better fit when a small slip length of about 5−20 nm is included in the model. The error estimating slip length is about 10 nm, which is much greater than the error in measuring the deflection of an AFM cantilever. We rationalize the finite slip length for n-pentane and n-hexane using an activation model for shear-driven molecular motion, which predicts that only molecules with an activation energy less than about 5 kT will have their diffusion affected by applied shear. The difference in slip length between short (pentane) and long (hexadecane) molecules is then explained by the fact that the short alkanes experien...
Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy: Underdiagnosed or Over Diagnosed?

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a morphologic description of the left ventricle that has genetic, phenotypic, and clinical heterogeneity. The clinical presentation varies from an incidental finding of LVNC in an asymptomatic patient to a patient with a cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The diagnosis of LVNC in asymptomatic patients is primarily made by an echocardiogram that is performed either for screening of a first-degree relative of a patient with LVNC. There are no clinical symptoms that are specific for noncompaction. The ECG is abnormal in 87 % of patients with LVNC but there are no pathognomonic findings. Echocardiography is the most frequently used method to diagnose LVNC. The echocardiographic diagnostic criteria for LVNC are well established and it includes the demonstration of a thickened myocardium exhibiting a noncompacted endocardial layer and a compacted epicardial layer. The ratio of the systolic thickness of noncompacted to compacted layer is >2. CMR is well suited to evaluate the layers of myocardium and distinguish the regional characteristic of this disease by the 3-dimensional nature of the technology. This promising imaging modality provides both a high spatial resolution and a good contrast between trabeculations and blood pool. CT similar to CMR possesses inherent high resolution imaging characteristics. It too is well suited to measure the disparity of noncompacted to compacted myocardium. To minimize underdiagnosing or over diagnosing LVNC it is essential to have a sound understanding of the genetics, clinical characteristics and strengths and weaknesses of the imaging modalities used for the evaluation and management of patients with known or suspected LVNC. In this review paper we detail the genetic and clinical background of LVNC, and the added value of echocardiography, CMR and CT for the diagnosis or exclusion of LVNC.
The entrepreneurial export orientation and performance of small firms in a developing economy

This exploratory research aims to fill a gap in the literature. There has been a great deal of research on the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and export performance of small firms; however, these studies have been primarily conducted in the West. Little research has been conducted on this in Nigeria. In fact, research on this topic is disappointingly scarce. Since very little research has been conducted on this topic in Nigeria, undeniably there is a knowledge gap in the understanding of this issue with regard to the Nigerian environment. This study is an attempt to bridge that gap. This research uses a quantitative research design using survey methods with statistical treatment. The study offers practical suggestions on how small firms can improve growth, performance and profitability by engaging in proactive export behaviours. The paper also stresses the importance developing export markets because they enhance growth, performance and profitability. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Okpara, J.O. and Kabongo, J.D. (2009) 'The entrepreneurial export orientation and performance of small firms in a developing economy', Int. J. Globalisation and Small Business, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp.288-305.
CD163-Mediated Hemoglobin-Heme Uptake Activates Macrophage HO-1, Providing an Antiinflammatory Function

See related article, pages 943–950 A study by Schaer et al,1 which appears in this issue of Circulation Research , provides evidence suggesting that CD163 acts as a hemoglobin (Hb) transporter and, via activation of macrophages, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) provides antiinflammatory activity, presumably by an increase in ferritin. Induction of HO-1 was observed to occur when the cultured macrophages, endothelial cells or tubular cells were exposed to heme or hemoglobin (for a review see Abraham and Kappas2). Heme and denatured hemoglobin toxicity play an important role in a broad spectrum of pathological circumstances such as myocardial ischemia, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, reperfusion, organ transplantation, pulmonary disorders, and inflammation among others.3 In the cell free system, hemoglobin is bound to haptoglobin before clearance by the macrophage hemoglobin scavenger receptor CD163. Schaer et al1 demonstrated that CD163-hemoglobin transport is regarded as a critical step in the hemoglobin clearance pathway in the macrophage, especially under conditions of extreme hemoglobin release resulting from hemolysis. Binding hemoglobin-haptoglobin to CD163 cells also elicits IL-10 secretion, which contributes to the induction of HO-1.4 Thus, CD163 has a functional role as an antioxidant by enhancing HO-1, the major cytoprotective response. This links heme transport directly to a known receptor with well characterized endocytic properties and signaling functions.5 Heme-hemopexin is also taken up by LRP/CD91 and, as such, may inhibit inflammatory functions in phagocytic and antiinflammatory macrophages; however, a link to functional HO-1 was not described. Schaer et al1 demonstrated that induction of HO-1 by Hb is functionally linked to CD163 and, using gene array analysis, were able to show that Hb elicits a noninflammatory transcriptional response in macrophages, presumably by the coordinated increase in ferritin synthesis following the activation of HO-1. This response was mediated by CD163 and did not involve the …
The Challenge of Educational Technology for Students with Multiple Impairments in the Classroom.

This article describes the instructional dilemma the first author (PM) presented when he enrolled in a university class, The Special Child, taught by the second (BB). Since exceptional children are...
Diatomic chromium (Cr2): application of the coupled cluster method including all single and double excitation (CCSD)

Abstract The Cr2 molecule has been investigated using ab initio quantum mechanical methods in conjunction with basis sets as large as (14s11p6d2flg/10s8p3d2flg), i.e. 144 contracted Gaussian functions. The CCSD method, which incorporates all single and double excitations and in addition disconnected higher excitations (i.e. unlinked clusters), was applied in addition to ordinary self-consistent-field (SCF) theory. Although CCSD represents a significant improvement over SCF, it is clear that connected triple excitations (excluded in the CCSD model) will play an important role in theoretical prediction of the Cr2 bond distance and vibrational frequency.
Temperature Controlled Growth Rates and Ribonucleic Acid Characteristics in Mimosa. Epicotyl Tissue.

Changes in RNA metabolismii during niormal growth have been reported (2. 6, 9,11, 15). Since RNA plays a vital role in enzyme synthesis, varving environmental conditions and growth rates should be reflected in the RNA metabolism through these enzyme systems. Environmental effects, which are correlated with growth rate (8), have been shown to affect some RNA characteristics (5, 13, 18, 19). Soluble RNA is the fraction believed to be responsible for transferring amino acids to the site of protein synthesis and would therefore be a logical RNA fraction to reflect growth differences (13). The sRNA fraction consists of many different types of molecules which are each capable of accepting certain types of amino acids. Further, the base comllpositions of these different sRNA molecules vary (10). The experimiients reported here attem)pt to correlate a ranlge of temnperature controlled growth rates in a higher plant with a range of sRNA base comipositions. Quantitative miieasures of sRNA as related to growth rates are also reported. The data provide evidence that sRNA base compositions are correlated with growth rates, while quantity of sRNA is not related.
Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Combined Convective Radiative Heat Transfer—A Finite Volume Method

Combined laminar forced convection and radiation heat transfer was numerically simulated in a three-dimensional channel flow. A finite volume method was used to solve the steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, energy equation, and radiative transfer equation. The effects of Reynolds number, conduction-radiation parameters, absorption coefficient, and scattering albedo on the Nusselt number and bulk temperature profiles along the channel are presented. Radiation was found to play a major impact on temperature field in the range of parameters considered in this study. It was found that the radiation effect is diminished, and thermal penetration is increased with increasing Reynolds number, conduction-radiation parameter, scattering albedo, and decreasing absorption coefficient.