cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can hospital rankings measure clinical and educational quality

Background A relative dearth of relevant data hampers efforts to demonstrate a link between educational and clinical quality and may preclude residency applicants from identifying programs with the best clinical outcomes. Existing clinical rankings could fill this gap if they are based on sound judgments about quality. Method To explore the potential of the U.S. News & World Report "America's Best Hospitals" clinical rankings in measuring the quality of clinical and learning environments, the author systematically reviewed the U.S. and Canadian literature for 1975 through 2007 regarding quality indicators and teaching hospitals. Individual data elements of the rankings were examined to assess the extent to which they included accepted measures of clinical performance. Results A total of 187 articles met the inclusion criteria of addressing clinical quality criteria relevant to the rankings and quality assessment in teaching hospitals. Statistical examination of the data underlying the rankings and their relationship with measures of educational and clinical quality showed the rankings are largely based on institutional "prestige." Ranked clinical programs and institutions consistently outperform counterparts on available indices, suggesting that the data elements underlying the rankings may provide valid assessments about the quality of care in educational settings. Conclusions Data elements in the rankings can be used to assess clinical and, to a lesser extent, educational quality, but the number of specialties and ranked institutions is too small to have a significant effect on widespread clinical or educational quality, unless ranked institutions serve as sites for the development, study, and dissemination of best practices.
Neurogenesis, neurocontrol and neurochips

Neural engineering is an emerging discipline to understand the organizational principles and underlying mechanisms of the biology of neural systems and to study the behavior dynamics and complexity of neural systems in nature. In this presentation, we will briefly overview the recent developments in this emerging field, Neural Engineering from neurogenesis to neurochips. Then we will discuss the ongoing research activities at the Neural Engineering and Informatics Lab at ASU. We focus on our recent finding about the relative contributions of maturation to the dynamical behavior of respiration during ontogeny in the neonate and the underlying mechanisms of the respiratory network.
12(S)-hete promotes tumor-cell adhesion by increasing surface expression of αVβ3 integrins on endothelial cells

The present work was undertaken to investigate the regulatory role of 12(S)-HETE, a lipoxygenase metabolite of arachidonic acid, in the surface expression of alpha v beta 3 integrin receptors in endothelial cells (rat aortic endothelial cells, or RAEC). Several monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies localized alpha v beta 3 in focal adhesions in both subconfluent and post-confluent RAEC. RAEC alpha v beta 3 integrins were further characterized by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. 12(S)-HETE, but not 12(R)-HETE or other lipoxygenase-derived hydroxy fatty acids, induced a dose-dependent increase in alpha v beta 3 surface expression in RAEC, which was antagonized by prostacyclin or its analog iloprost as well as by 13-HODE, a 15-lipoxygenase product of linoleic acid. 12(S)-HETE promoted RAEC adhesion to vitronectin, an effect inhibited by antibodies against alpha v beta 3. 12(S)-HETE also promoted tumor-cell (W256 carcinosarcoma) adhesion to vitronectin, which was inhibited by various antibodies against alpha IIb beta 3 but not by an antibody against alpha v. W256 adhesion to 12(S)-HETE-treated RAEC demonstrated a significant increase, which was inhibited by anti-alpha v, -beta 3, or -alpha v beta 3 antibodies and by 13-HODE. Western blotting, immunoprecipitation and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction indicated that W256 carcinosarcoma cells expressed alpha IIb beta 3 integrins but not alpha v beta 3. The results suggest that the lipoxygenase metabolites [i.e., 12(S)-HETE and 13-HODE] play a significant role in modulating tumor-cell interactions with endothelium by enhancing endothelial cell integrin (e.g., alpha v beta 3) expression.
Tailored amorphous silicon carbide barrier dielectrics by nitrogen and oxygen doping

Abstract The effects of N or O doping into hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) films on molecular structure and resulting material properties with particular attention to elastic constant, cohesive fracture energy, and moisture-assisted cracking were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations demonstrated that doped N primarily formed Si N and N H bonds, and doped O formed Si O suboxide bonds. The elastic constant of both N-doped a-SiC:H (a-SiCN:H) and O-doped a-SiC:H (a-SiCO:H) films increased with increasing N and O atomic concentrations (at.%). The cohesive fracture energy, G c , of the a-SiCN:H and a-SiCO:H films also increased with increasing N and O at.%. These increases in the mechanical properties of the films were attributed to film densification with increasing N and O at.%. The a-SiCN:H films exhibited a greater increase in G c than the a-SiCO:H films, which was due to the moisture-insensitivity of the a-SiCN:H films as opposed to the a-SiCO:H films. The a-SiCN:H films exhibited no moisture-assisted fracture behavior, which was attributed to moisture-insensitivity of Si N bonds due to their less polar nature.
Chromosomal assignment of 20 cDNAs using flow-sorted spot-blot stamps

Using a high-speed flow cytometer/sorter, we constructed spot-blot "stamps" measuring 3.5 × 2.0 cm containing 21 separate human chromosome fractions. Through hybridization to these stamps, 20 randomly selected cDNAs were assigned to specific chromosomes. Sequencing and BLAST database screening confirmed the location of one gene (UCHL1) and allowed the assignment of two other previously identified genes (LRP130 and cDNA IB871.)
Strain-dependent gonadal effects upon adrenal cholesterol ester concentration and composition in C57BL/10J and DBA/2J mice.

The effects of gonadectomy and sex hormone administration on the concentrations of the individual cholesterol esters in the adrenals of C57BL/10J and DBA/2J mice are described. The methyl esters of the fatty acids derived from the cholesterol ester fraction have been analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. In both strains the females have a higher total adrenal cholesterol ester concentration than the males. However, different gonadal effects operate in the two strains. In the C57 strain the presence of the ovary or the administration of estradiol benzoate to the ovariectomized female increases the concentrations of all adrenal cholesterol esters. This effect does not occur in the DBA strain. In the DBA strain the presence of the testes or the administration of testosterone propionate to the castrate male lowers the concentration of all adrenal cholesterol esters. This effect does not occur in the C57 strain. The response to testosterone propionate in the castrate male of the DBA strain is significantly gr...
Progressive failure analysis of 2 × 2 braided composites exhibiting multiscale heterogeneity

Abstract Periodic analysis is generally used in the modeling of textile composites, which are usually idealized to possess perfectly uniform periodic microstructures. However, the as-manufactured textile composites generally do not have perfectly uniform microstructures due to variations in tow geometric properties such as waviness, cross-section shape, and fiber volume fractions. Therefore, their behavior cannot be fully characterized by conducting periodic analysis on a single unit cell model. This paper focuses on the effect of variation in braid parameters on the progressive failure behavior of a 2 × 2 braided composite laminate. The laminate consists of stacked 2 × 2 braid mats. Each mat is made of interlaced tows and matrix pockets, and the tow contains fibers and matrix. A bottom-up multi-scale finite element modeling approach was employed that sequentially considered the fiber/matrix scale, the tow architecture scale and the laminate scale. The details of the analysis approach, the multiscale finite element models, and the numerical results are described and the analysis results are presented and discussed.
Endothelium dependent vascular relaxation by arginine containing polypeptides.

Summary The vascular endothelium appears obligatory for the expression of the vasodilating property of most polypeptides. A number of polypeptides were studied on the rat aortic ring preparation which was pre-contracted with phenylephrine and only basic polypeptides containing one or more arginine residues elicited relaxation which was endothleium dependent. These peptides included melittin and poly-L-Arg. The basic polypeptide poly-L-Lys also elicited endothelium dependent relaxation, but to a lesser extent than arginine containing polypeptides. Two basic polypeptides, apamin and mastoparan do not promote endothelium dependent relaxation. The former contains arginine between disulfide bonds and in the latter arginine is absent. Basic amino acids and dipeptides which contain arginine, and also polyamines did not elicit relaxation even at high concentrations (10 −3 M). The relaxation elicited by melittin, poly-L-Arg and poly-L-Lys was inhibited by ETYA, NDGA, p-bromophenacyl bromide and not by indomethacin. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, also abolished the relaxation. We suggest that arginine containing peptides may relax vascular smooth muscle by acting directly on the vascular smooth muscle (eg: atriopeptins) and/or or by eliciting release of a relaxing factor(s) from the endothelium.
The need for expanded monitoring of adverse events in behavioral health clinical trials.

Abstract Monitoring for possible adverse events is ethically required by Institutional Review Boards and Good Clinical Practice guidelines for all human research involving the delivery of treatment interventions in a clinical trial. The monitoring of adverse events is a well-established and routine practice for contemporary clinical trials involving medications and medical devices. However, these same guidelines have not been fully integrated into clinical trials involving the use of behavioral health interventions and psychotherapy. Most behavioral health clinical trials limit adverse event monitoring to serious adverse events such as suicide attempts, completed suicides, and psychiatric hospitalizations. Other possible “side effects” of psychotherapy, such as temporary increases in anxiety, are often considered a normal part of therapy and are therefore not documented as possible adverse events. This manuscript reviews a variety of reasons for the limited adverse event monitoring in behavioral health clinical trials and highlights the importance of incorporating expanded adverse event monitoring into future behavioral health clinical trials. Without understanding the nature and prevalence of adverse events, patients cannot be informed adequately of the possible risks and benefits of behavioral interventions prior to engaging in treatment.
TOXICITY OF A MALE CONTRACEPTIVE, GOSSYPOL, IN MAMMALIAN CELL CULTURES

Gossypol, a substance extracted from cotton plants, is a potential male contraceptive. Although human users reported only mild or no side effects, our study found gossypol to be cytotoxic to cultured mammalian cells. A dose dependent decrease in the number of viable cells and mitotic index was demonstrated with both Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and human lymphocytes after the cultures received treatment of gossypol for various durations. Cellular DNA, RNA, and protein synthetic activities were reduced in the presence of gossypol. However, gossypol did not seem to induce chromosome breakage or polyploidy.
Some fractal sets determined by stable processes

LetY i be independent stable subordinators in (ω, ℱ,P) with indices 0<β i <1 andR i are the ranges ofY i ,i=1, 2. We are able to find the exact Hausdorff measure and packing measure results for the product setsR1×R2, and whenever β 1 +β 2 ≦1/2, we deduce results for the vector sumR1⊕R2={x+y:x∈R1,y∈R2}.
Hydrogen enhanced diffusional creep

Abstract Measurements of the dependence of the creep strain of polycrystalline Pd wires in the temperature range 736–1200 K at differing stress levels have been carried out both in inert gas (Ar) and H 2 atmospheres. The effect of the presence of H atoms in the Pd samples is to enhance the creep rate by approximately six times. The activation energy deduced from the creep data is consistent with a Coble mechanism in which the grain boundary diffusion of lattice atoms is the predominant mode of deformation.
A year of internal Poincaré waves in southern Lake Michigan

[1] A unique set of full year, deep water observations from the middle of Lake Michigan's southern basin are analyzed to quantify the seasonal variability of the dominant near-inertial internal Poincare wave. At this mid-lake location, the Poincare wave is seen to describe more than 80% of the observed surface current variability for much of the year, with characteristic near-inertial frequency and clockwise-rotating velocities. The dominance of the near-inertial seiche on the flow decreases with depth. The wave persists during the “stratified period,” roughly May through late December, and is supported by as few as 1–2 degrees of thermal stratification over 150 m; only after complete water column mixing does the wave go dormant for January through April. The strongest Poincare wave activity is seen to correspond to the period of strongest summer thermal stratification (August), in spite of the relatively weak winds at this time. A simple inertial slab model optimized with linear friction is shown to capture the seasonal variability of the near-inertial energy at this location reasonably well. The vertical structure of the wave shows good agreement with that calculated with a standard normal modes formulation, which is in turn used to characterize the potential shear and mixing caused by the wave. Late-spring and summer events of elevated Poincare wave activity are shown to generate sufficiently strong shear with persistent periods of sub-1 Richardson numbers within the thermocline, suggesting that the near-inertial seiche is likely generating thermocline instabilities in the lake's interior.
Genetic Studies of the Cystathionine Beta-Synthase Gene and Myelomeningocele

BACKGROUND: Among infants born with spina bifida, the most common defect is myelomeningocele (MM). The prevention of MM by maternal periconceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation has been studied extensively. The protective effect provided by FA suggests that the genes involved in folate metabolism, such as cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS), warrant further investigation. METHODS: This study sequenced the DNA from 96 patients with MM to identify novel potential disease-causing variants across the 17 exons of the CBS gene. The frequencies of known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, and sequences that differed from the reference sequences were considered novel variants. Statistical analysis was performed using two-sided Fisher's exact test to compare frequencies of SNPs between groups of patients and the known population frequencies. RESULTS: We found a new variant in exon 3 in one patient that results in a G/A change subsequently encoding a stop codon. In addition, we found a new variant in the 3′-UTR of exon 17. Allele frequencies for 10 known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined: rs234706, rs72058776, rs1801181, rs6582281, rs71872941, rs12613, rs706208, rs706209, rs73906420, and rs9982921. Of the remaining 48 known SNPs, all tested DNAs were homozygous for the major allele. CONCLUSION: We identified a previously undescribed variant in exon 3 that encodes a stop codon, thus halting downstream translation of the CBS protein. According to the Human Splicing Finder, the 3′-UTR variant found in exon 17 is predicted to abolish the recognition sites for two splice binding factors, SRp40 and SF2/ASF. The functional significance of the 3′-UTR mutation needs to be investigated. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling high-voltage DC breakdown for single- and multi-stack insulators

This work reports on 2D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations of DC breakdown in high-voltage systems with monolithic or multi-stack dielectric insulation. The focus of this work is to characterize and order the various contributions to breakdown, starting with multipactor in DC applied fields. Simulations use a simple Bergeron geometry similar to that in Ref. [1]. A modified form of the PIC model developed by Taverniers, et al. [2], is used, adding parameters for increased spatial resolution to study near-surface phenomena while maintaining reduced grid errors. Models for space charge, dielectric charging, and secondary-emission [3] are included. Parameters include insulator angle, gap width, applied voltage, and various parameters for secondary-emission [3].
A Review of Sexuality Education Curricula: Meeting the Sexuality Education Needs of Individuals with Moderate and Severe Intellectual Disabilities

The importance of sexuality education for students with moderate and severe disabilities has received increasing attention as these people have moved into community settings and as the idea of thei...
Physicochemical aspects of drug delivery and release from polymer-based colloids

Abstract Recent advances in the preparation/loading, surface properties, and applications of polymer-based colloidal drug delivery and release systems, such as block copolymer micelles, polymer nano- and microparticles, polymer-modified liposomes, and chemical and physical hydrogels are presented. Drug release from polymer-based systems is affected by the drug–polymer interactions as well as the polymer microstructure and dissociation/erosion properties. Surface modification with poly(ethylene oxide) has become common in improving the biocompatibility and biodistribution of drug delivery carriers. Site-specific drug delivery can be achieved by polymer-based colloidal drug carriers when ligands of targeting information are attached on the carrier surface or when a phase transition is induced by an external stimulus. While significant progress in being made, many challenges remain in preserving the biological activity and attaining the desired drug release properties, especially for protein and DNA drugs.
On-board optical navigation data from Mariner '71.'

Satellite-star optical navigation, a new spacecraft navigation technique has been successfully demonstrated during Mariner 9's approach to Mars in mid-November. As Mariner 9 approached Mars, 21 TV pictures of its satellites, Phobos and Deimos, were taken and transmitted to earth. On earth, these pictures were carefully processed in order to locate the positions of the bright satellites against the relatively faint star background. The objectives and performance of the preflight and real time activities leading to the successful demonstration of satellite-star navigation data are described.
Probe for the measurement of ion velocity distributions in low density plasma beams.

Diagnostic probe for low density plasma beam ion velocity distribution measurement in steady state and pulsed plasma exhausts
The pathogenesis and prevention of aortocoronary vein bypass graft occlusion and restenosis after arterial angioplasty: Role of vascular injury and platelet thrombus deposition

Vascular injury during aortocoronary vein bypass graft surgery and arterial angioplasty initiates platelet thrombus deposition and mandates antithrombotic therapy, starting before the procedures to maximize protection against occlusion. This has been shown in studies in animals and in patients undergoing aortocoronary vein bypass graft operation where dipyridamole therapy was started before the operation, heparin was given intraoperatively and combined dipyridamole and aspirin therapy was started 7 hours after operation and markedly reduced vein graft occlusion in patients with grafts at both high and low risk for occlusion without increasing bleeding. Other alternative regimens, particularly preoperative dipyridamole followed postoperatively with aspirin alone, offer a promising future. Therapy should be continued for at least I year and perhaps indefinitely. Control of coronary risk factors appears important for long-term therapy to try to retard the atherosclerotic and occlusive process that leads to approximately 50% vein graft attrition by 10 years after operation. The possible role of cod liver oil and internal mammary artery bypass is discussed. Arterial angioplasty appears to cause deep arterial injury that activates both platelets and the coagulation system. These potentiate each other to form macroscopic mural thrombus within 1 hour in more than 90% of arteries that manifested deep arterial injury in pigs. Acute platelet thrombus deposition was retarded but not eliminated by only certain platelet-inhibitor agents. Implications for ongoing trials, current empiric therapy and future therapy are discussed.
Production Frontiers and Panel Data

This article considers estimation of a stochastic frontier production function-the type introduced by Aigner, Lovell, and Schmidt (1977) and Meeusen and van den Broeck (1977). Such a production frontier model consists of a production function of the usual regression type but with an error term equal to the sum of two parts. The first part is typically assumed to be normally distributed and represents the usual statistical noise, such as luck, weather, machine breakdown, and other events beyond the control of the firm. The second part is nonpositive and represents technical inefficiencythat is, failure to produce maximal output, given the set of inputs used. Realized output is bounded from above by a frontier that includes the deterministic part of the regression, plus the part of the error representing noise; so the frontier is stochastic. There also exist socalled deterministic frontier models, whose error term contains only the nonpositive component, but we will not consider them here (e.g., see Greene 1980). Frontier models arise naturally in the problem of efficiency measurement, since one needs a bound on output to measure efficiency. A good survey of such production functions and their relationship to the measurement of productive efficiency was given by F0rsund, Lovell, and Schmidt (1980).
Effect of 6-benzylaminopurine on ATP levels and Me−14C incorporation into neutral and polar lipids during the release of dormant buds of Nicotiana tabacum

Abstract 1. 1. This work was ddne to correlate changes in ATP levels with lipid metabolism during the breaking of vegetative dormancy of Nicotiana tabacum var. Maryland Catterton. 2. 2. 6-Benzylaminopurine-treated axillary buds contained higher levels of free ATP than the controls during the release of buds from dormancy. 3. 3. The rate of Me − 14 C incorporation from methionine into polar and neutral lipids is enhanced by cytokinin between 6 and 18 h after bud treatment.
Synthetic coloring of fractal terrains and triangular automata

Simple coloring schemes for fractal terrains can easily be generated. They include false coloring schemes that give information about the landscape and realistic coloring schemes. Triangular automata are introduced and used to simulated rock texture and vegetation.
Comparison of oxygen consumption by Terebratalia transversa (Brachiopoda) and two species of pteriomorph bivalve molluscs: implications for surviving mass extinctions

Abstract The Permian/Triassic mass extinction marks a permanent phylogenetic shift in the composition of the sessile benthos, from one largely dominated by articulate brachiopods to one dominated by mollusks. Widespread evidence of oceanic hypoxia and anoxia at this time provides a possible selective kill mechanism that could help explain the large taxonomic losses in brachiopods compared to the morphologically and ecologically similar bivalve molluscs. Our study compared the oxygen consumption of an articulate brachiopod, Terebratalia transversa, with that of two pteriomorph bivalves, Glycymeris septentrionalis and Mytilus trossulus, under normoxia and hypoxia, as well as their tolerance to anoxia, to gain insight into the relative metabolic characteristics of each group. We found no significant difference in the oxygen consumption of the three species when normalized to the same dry-tissue mass. However, when calculated for animals of the same external linear dimensions, bivalve oxygen consumption was t...
Methods of galactic heavy ion transport.

Two methods of calculating the transition of galactic heavy ions in the earth's atmosphere are compared with respect to accuracy, generality, and computer efficiency. The most general method is shown to have the highest accuracy and is a simple numerical procedure.
Nearing Retirement? A Call for Tutorial and Review Papers

This PDF file contains the editorial “Nearing Retirement? A Call for Tutorial and Review Papers” for OE Vol. 49 Issue 09
The presence of a hyperglycemic factor in the suprapharyngeal ganglia of Lumbricus terrestris.

Abstract Blood glucose levels of Lumbricus terrestris , which averaged 5.7 mg/100 ml in control animals, fell to zero 24 hr after removal of the suprapharyngeal ganglia. Anesthetization and/or trauma alone did not result in a fall in blood glucose levels. Injection of brain homogenates into 24-hr debrained animals produced a blood glucose level of 21.6 mg/100 ml which was 65% higher than that produced by saline injections. Similar results were obtained when bovine albumin and homogenates of other tissues were injected and compared to the results of brain homogenate injections. It was concluded that a hyperglycemic factor was present in the suprapharyngeal ganglia of this earthworm.
Pulse-chase studies of the synthesis of acetyl-CoA by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/acetyl-CoA synthase: evidence for a random mechanism of methyl and carbonyl addition.

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/acetyl-CoA synthase catalyzes acetyl-CoA synthesis from CO, CoA, and a methylated corrinoid iron-sulfur protein, which acts as a methyl donor. This reaction is the last step in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of anaerobic carbon fixation. The binding sequence for the three substrates has been debated for over a decade. Different binding orders imply different mechanisms (i.e. paramagnetic versus diamagnetic mechanisms). Ambiguity arises because CO and CoA can each undergo isotopic exchange with acetyl-CoA, suggesting that either of these two substrates could be the last to bind to the acetyl-CoA synthase active site. Furthermore, carbonylation, CoA binding, and methyl transfer can all occur in the absence of the other two substrates. Here, we report pulse-chase studies, which unambiguously establish the order in which the three substrates bind. Although a CoA pulse is substantially diluted by excess CoA in the chase, isotope recovery of a pulse of labeled CO or methyl group is unaffected by the presence of excess unlabeled CO or methyl group in the chase. These results demonstrate that CoA is the last substrate to bind and that CO and the methyl group bind randomly as the first substrate in acetyl-CoA synthesis. Up to 100% of the methyl groups and CoA and up to 60–70% of the CO employed in the pulse phase can be trapped in the product acetyl-CoA.
A theory of vocational development.

This chapter discusses a theory of vocational development, a theory inherent in and emergent from the research and philosophy of psychologists and counselors. Occupational choice is a developmental process, which takes place over a period of some 10 years. The process is irreversible. The process of occupational choice ends in a compromise between interests, capacities, values, and opportunities. There are three periods of occupational choice. A theory of vocational choice and adjustment would synthesize the results of research because they lend themselves to synthesis; it would take into account the continuity of the development of preferences and of the differences in the stages, choices, entry, and adjustment; it would explain the process through which interest, capacities. Values and opportunities are compromised. The chapter discusses the elements of the theory of vocational development. The term “development” is used rather than “choice,” because it comprehends the concepts of preference, choice, entry, and adjustment. There are many elements to a theory of vocational development.
Experiment Research on Impact of Total Rolling Reduction Ratio on the Properties of Vacuum Rolling-Bonding Ultra-Thick Steel Plate

Method of vacuum rolling-bonding can be used to produce ultra-thick steel plate over 100mm with continuous casting slab. In this paper, four groups steel plates have been rolled with 10%, 30%, 50% and 70% total reduction ratio respectively. The microstructure of the interface has been analyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The reaction products formed at the interface have been identified by EDAX. It has been observed that the size and the amount of the reaction products decreased with the increase of the total reduction ratio. The tensile property of the thickness direction has been tested by the universal testing machine. The results indicated that, with the increase of the total reduction ratio, the strength had been increasing from 532MPa to 564MPa, and the plate plasticity became well.
Interrelations of Behavioral, Emotional, and Cognitive School Engagement in High School Students

School engagement, or the extent to which students are involved in, attached and committed to the academic and social activities in school, plays a prominent role in preventing academic failure, promoting competence, and influencing a wide range of adolescent outcomes. Although the multidimensional nature of school engagement is well-recognized, how the three purported parts of the construct work together is largely unknown. By using data from the longitudinal, 4-H study of Positive Youth Development, involving a sample of 1,029 adolescents (67.7 % female; mean age at Grade 9 = 14.92 years; 74.4 % of participants were European American, 5.2 % were Latino/a, 7.3 % were African American), the current study examined the interrelationships of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive aspects of school engagement over three years in adolescence (Grades 9–11). We used autoregressive lagged effects models to assess the relationships among the three engagement constructs. Results indicated that behavioral and emotional engagement were related bidirectionally (each variable was a basis and an outcome of the other). In addition, behavioral engagement influenced cognitive engagement (but the reverse of this relation was not found). Implications for future research are discussed.
Involving Islamic banks in central bank open market operations

A variety of existing and proposed alternative government papers are acceptable to some Islamic Banks and not to others, dut to differences of oinion among Islamic jurists on the admissibility of various contracts. This overview contracts. This overview article discusses: (i) the relevant aspects of Islamic law which govern the sale and resale of government papers; (ii) various government papers that are accepted in practice by some Islamic banks in Islamic countries, and their effectiveness in carrying out open market operations ( OMOs). The policy presecription arising from the paper is the need for Central Banks to engage in reverese financial engineering, i.e to issue government papers which target banks would accept.
Two-dimensional filter-diagonalization: spectral inversion of 2D NMR time-correlation signals including degeneracies

Abstract Several years ago we introduced a new approach for signal extraction, Filter-Diagonalization, which is capable of handling signals containing millions of points or more. The method was recently extended to handle multidimensional signals, as appear in NMR, by us and separately by Mandelshtam and Taylor. We further extend the original formulation by showing that the method is capable of handling degenerate eigenvalues and eigenstates through the use of a simultaneous diagonalization algorithm. We apply the method to simple two-dimensional NMR signals. Comparisons to a standard FFT treatment show that FDG recovers the salient spectral features using a quarter of the signal required by FFT.
Workshop On Computer Image Processing

WORKSHOP ON COMPUTER IMAGE PROCESSINGRoger E. Andersen,Lawrence Livermore LaboratoryThe primary fact that separatesimage processing from other digitalcomputer processing is the sheer bulkof the data base. This has effectsat every stage of the processing:acquisition, digitization, storage,computation, regeneration, and inter-action. The workshop was designed toexpose new users to the problems en-countered in each of these areas andgive relevant examples. Thus theuser should have a concept of themagnitude of his problem prior to itsimplementation. The workshop is nottrying to describe how to do imageprocessing, but to expose the facetsto be considered in the design stages.The primary difference betweenimage processing and other experimen-tal types of data processing is thesheer bulk of data involved.
Trailblazing healthcare: institutionalizing and integrating complementary medicine.

Abstract Objectives This study examines three integrative health centers to understand their (1) historical development, organizational goals, and modalities, (2) the processes and challenges of integrating complementary and allopathic medicine, while encouraging staff collaboration, and (3) how each center becomes institutionalized within their community. Methods We focus on three organizational case studies that reflect varying forms of integrative health care practices in three U.S. cities. Participant-observation and in-depth interviews with center directors were analyzed qualitatively. Results Important patterns found within the three cases are (1) the critical role of visionary biomedical practitioners who bridge complementary and allopathic practices, (2) communicating integration internally through team interaction, and (3) communicating integration externally through spatial location, naming, and community outreach. Conclusion IM centers continue to blaze new trails toward mainstream access and acceptance by gathering evidence for IM, encouraging team collaboration within organizational contexts, constructing organizational identity, and negotiating insurance reimbursements. Practice implications IM is not the enactment of specific modalities, but rather a philosophy of healing. Though scheduling conflicts, skepticism, and insurance coverage may be obstacles toward IM, collaboration among specialists and with patients should be the ultimate goal.
Thermalization of magnetized electrons from black body radiation

We describe an interesting mechanism whereby an electron in a strong magnetic field can have both the parallel and perpendicular motions come into thermal equilibrium with black body radiation. The mechanism does not include any collisions with other particles and can overcome the extreme slowing of thermalization of highly magnetized particles at low temperatures. The mechanism depends upon the magnetic field strength having a spatial variation. We provide results from two example cases. This mechanism could affect the temperatures that can be achieved in experiments devoted to trapping antihydrogen.
Is Institutional Ownership Associated with Earnings Management and the Extent to which Stock Prices Reflect Future Earnings

Articles in the financial press suggest that institutional investors are overly focused on short-term profitability leading mangers to manipulate earnings fearing that a short-term profit disappointment will lead institutions to liquidate their holdings. This paper shows, however, that the absolute value of discretionary accruals declines with institutional ownership. The result is consistent with managers recognizing that institutional owners are better informed than individual investors, which reduces the perceived benefit of managing accruals. We also find that as institutional ownership increases, stock prices tend to reflect a greater proportion of the information in future earnings relative to current earnings. This result is consistent with institutional investors looking beyond current earnings compared to individual investors. Collectively, the results offer strong evidence that managers do not manipulate earnings due to pressure from institutional investors who are overly focused on short-term profitability.
Renal Organic Anion Transporters (SLC22 Family): Expression, Regulation, Roles in Toxicity, and Impact on Injury and Disease

Organic solute flux across the basolateral and apical membranes of renal proximal tubule cells is a key process for maintaining systemic homeostasis. It represents an important route for the elimination of metabolic waste products and xenobiotics, as well as for the reclamation of essential compounds. Members of the organic anion transporter (OAT, SLC22) family expressed in proximal tubules comprise one pathway mediating the active renal secretion and reabsorption of organic anions. Many drugs, pesticides, hormones, heavy metal conjugates, components of phytomedicines, and toxins are OAT substrates. Thus, through transporter activity, the kidney can be a target organ for their beneficial or detrimental effects. Detailed knowledge of the OATs expressed in the kidney, their membrane targeting, substrate specificity, and mechanisms of action is essential to understanding organ function and dysfunction. The intracellular processes controlling OAT expression and function, and that can thus modulate kidney transport capacity, are also critical to this understanding. Such knowledge is also providing insight to new areas such as renal transplant research. This review will provide an overview of the OATs for which transport activity has been demonstrated and expression/function in the kidney observed. Examples establishing a role for renal OATs in drug clearance, food/drug–drug interactions, and renal injury and pathology are presented. An update of the current information regarding the regulation of OAT expression is also provided.
Power supply for A-C arc welding

THE rapid growth of a-c arc welding in the last ten years has resulted in a-c welding becoming a large fraction of all arc welding rather than a negligible proportion. As power loads due to a-c arc welding become larger, questions arise in the minds of users and power-supply authorities about power requirements of a-c welders and the effect of a-c welders on power circuits. In some instances arc welding has been confused with resistance welding, although the two are entirely different from the standpoint of power supply. This paper presents data useful for determining the effects of a-c arc-welding loads on electric power circuits.
On-chip inductance modeling

With operating frequencies approaching the gigahertz range, inductance is becoming an increasingly important consideration in the design and analysis of on-chip interconnect. We present an accurate technique for modeling and analyzing the effects of parasitic inductance on power grid noise, signal delay and crosstalk. We propose a detailed circuit model composed of interconnect resistance, inductance and distributed capacitance, device decoupling capacitances, quiescent activity in the grid, pad locations, and pad/package inductance which accurately determines current distribution and, hence, on-chip inductive effects, and proves superior to the traditional simplified loop inductance approach. The model uses partial inductances, computed using an analytical formula for a pair of parallel rectangular conductors spaced in any relative position. We present experimental results, obtained from simulations of industrial circuits, that show the importance of various model components while analyzing on-chip inductance.
Reactivity of free thiol groups in type-i inositol trisphosphate receptors

The IP3R (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor) Ca2+-release channel is known to be sensitive to thiol redox state. The present study was undertaken to characterize the number and location of reactive thiol groups in the type-I IP3R. Using the fluorescent thiol-reactive compound monobromobimane we found that approx. 70% of the 60 cysteine residues in the type-I IP3R are maintained in the reduced state. The accessibility of these residues was assessed by covalently tagging the IP3R in membranes with a 5 kDa or 20 kDa MPEG [methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) maleimide]. MPEG reaction caused a shift in the mobility of IP3R on SDS/PAGE that was blocked by pretreatment of the membranes with dithiothreitol, N-ethylmaleimide, mersalyl or thimerosal, indicating that MPEG reactivity was specific to thiol groups on the IP3R. Trypsin cleavage of the type-I IP3R generates five defined domains. In cerebellum membranes, MPEG reacted over a 5 min interval with tryptic fragment I and fragment III, but not fragments II, IV or V. Fragment I appears as a doublet in cerebellum membranes, corresponding to the presence and absence of the SI splice site in this region (SI is a spliced domain corresponding to amino acids 318–332). Only the fragment I band corresponding to the SI(+) splice form shifted after reaction with MPEG. Expression of SI(+) and SI(−) spliced forms in COS cell microsomes confirmed this result. The MPEG-induced shift was not prevented when the cysteine residue present in the SI splice domain (C326A) or the remaining seven cysteine residues in fragment I were individually mutated. Of the combination mutations screened, only the mutation of C206/214/326A blocked MPEG reactivity in fragment I. We conclude that a set of highly reactive cysteine residues in fragment I are differentially accessible in the SI(+) and SI(−) splice variants of the type-I IP3R.
Reel Piracy: The Effect of Online Film Piracy on International Box Office Sales

Hollywood films are generally released first in the United States and then later abroad, with some variation in lags across films and countries. With the growth in movie piracy since the appearance of BitTorrent in 2003, films have become available through illegal piracy immediately after release in the US, while they are not available for legal viewing abroad until their foreign premieres in each country. We make use of this variation in international release lags to ask whether longer lags – which facilitate more local pre-release piracy – depress theatrical box office receipts, particularly after the widespread adoption of BitTorrent. We find that longer release windows are associated with decreased box office returns, even after controlling for film and country fixed effects. This relationship is much stronger in contexts where piracy is more prevalent: after BitTorrent’s adoption and in heavily-pirated genres. Our findings indicate that, as a lower bound, international box office returns in our sample were at least 7% lower than they would have been in the absence of pre-release piracy. By contrast, we do not see evidence of elevated sales displacement in US box office revenue following the adoption of BitTorrent, and we suggest that delayed legal availability of the content abroad may drive the losses to piracy.
Reinforcement learning design for cancer clinical trials

There has been significant recent research activity in developing therapies that are tailored to each individual. Finding such therapies in treatment settings involving multiple decision times is a major challenge. In this dissertation, we develop reinforcement learning trials for discovering these optimal regimens for life-threatening diseases such as cancer. A temporal-difference learning method called Q-learning is utilized which involves learning an optimal policy from a single training set of finite longitudinal patient trajectories. Approximating the Q-function with time-indexed parameters can be achieved by using support vector regression or extremely randomized trees. Within this framework, we demonstrate that the procedure can extract optimal strategies directly from clinical data without relying on the identification of any accurate mathematical models, unlike approaches based on adaptive design. We show that reinforcement learning has tremendous potential in clinical research because it can select actions that improve outcomes by taking into account delayed effects even when the relationship between actions and outcomes is not fully known. To support our claims, the methodology's practical utility is firstly illustrated in a virtual simulated clinical trial. We then apply this general strategy with significant refinements to studying and discovering optimal treatments for advanced metastatic stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition to the complexity of the NSCLC problem of selecting optimal compounds for first and second-line treatments based on prognostic factors, another primary scientific goal is to determine the optimal time to initiate second-line therapy, either immediately or delayed after induction therapy, yielding the longest overall survival time. We show that reinforcement learning not only successfully identifies optimal strategies for two lines of treatment from clinical data, but also reliably selects the best initial time for second-line therapy while taking into account heterogeneities of NSCLC across patients.
PKC Defends Crown Against Munc13

Protein kinase C has long been thought to mediate DAG signaling at the synapse. Recently PKC has been supplanted by members of the Unc13 family as the predominant effectors of DAG signaling. Thanks to a study by Wierda and colleagues in this issue of Neuron, PKC returns to reclaim part of the kingdom: both pathways must be active to activate presynaptic potentiation.
The Ovarian Androgen Producing Cells: A Review of Structure/Function Relationships,

INTRODUCTION UNDERSTANDING the nature of the primary events leading to ovarian androgen production is one of the major goals of reproductive research. The physiological importance of this research is emphasized by the fact that ovarian androgens are obligatory precursors for estrogen biosynthesis (1, 2) and they induce follicle atresia (3, 4). Obviously, any disturbance in ovarian androgen metabolism will profoundly affect the reproductive state of the female. Indeed, many kinds of reproductive abnormalities in women are caused by disturbances of ovarian androgens (5–7), and therefore, knowledge and understanding of androgen processes in the ovary are important to human welfare. Over the past several years, a series of studies in our laboratory has provided important new information about the underlying controlling mechanisms governing ovarian androgen biosynthesis. The most important event that led to these new observations was the development of a primary cell culture model in which the processes of hor...
Dependable connection setup for network capabilities

Network-layer capabilities offer strong protection against link flooding by authorizing individual flows with unforgeable credentials (i.e., capabilities). However, the capability-setup channel is vulnerable to flooding attacks that prevent legitimate clients from acquiring capabilities; i.e., in Denial of Capability (DoC) attacks. Based on the observation that the distribution of attack sources in the current Internet is highly non-uniform, we provide a router-level scheme that confines the effects of DoC attacks to specified locales or neighborhoods (e.g., one or more administrative domains of the Internet). Our scheme provides precise access guarantees for capability schemes, even in the face of flooding attacks. The effectiveness of our scheme is evaluated by ns2 simulations under different attack scenarios.