cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of therapeutic harp sounds for quality of life among hospitalized patients.

Abstract Context Hospitalized patients experience symptoms including pain and anxiety that may negatively affect their well-being and overall quality of life (QOL), even when medical interventions are deemed successful. Objectives The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of prescriptive live therapeutic harp sounds on patient symptoms and QOL. Methods The study was a two-period, two-treatment arm crossover, randomized clinical trial. Individuals were randomized to harp music and standard care for the first 24 hours of the hospital stay, followed by 24 hours of only standard care, or vice versa. The harp intervention was 30–40 minutes of prescriptive live therapeutic harp sounds in the form of solo harp pieces and improvisations. Patients recorded well-being and symptom scores on linear analogue scales. Entry criteria included at least 18 years and a score of 3 or below on a 1–5 linear analogue scale indicating compromised overall QOL. Results Ninety-two eligible patients participated in the clinical trial. All the QOL variables had significantly higher percentages of patients with improvements during the harp treatment than during standard care. Five symptoms—fatigue, anxiety, sadness, relaxation, and pain—were significantly improved following therapeutic harp treatment. Approximately 30% to 50% of patients showed a significant increase in the QOL measures after harp treatment. Conclusion There is evidence of strong positive effects on the QOL of hospitalized patients who received therapeutic harp sound treatment along with standard care.
Tunable columnar mesophases utilizing C2 symmetric aromatic donor-acceptor complexes.

Derivatives of relatively electron rich 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (Dan) donors and relatively electron deficient 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (Ndi) acceptors have been exploited in the folding and self-assembly of a variety of complex molecular systems in solution. Here, we report the use of Dan and Ndi derivatives to direct assembly of extended columns with alternating face-centered stacked structure in the solid state. A variety of 1:1 Dan:Ndi mixtures produced mesophases that were found to be stable over temperature ranges extending up to 110 °C. Analysis of these mesophases indicates mixtures with soft/plastic crystal phases and a few mixtures with the thermodynamic properties of true liquid crystals, all composed of alternating donor−acceptor columns within. Importantly, a correspondence was found between the clearing and crystallization points of the mesophase mixtures and the melting/clearing points of the component Ndi and Dan units, respectively. This correspondence enables the predic...
Digital Radiography (SV 8800) And Film Screen Radiography: Evaluation Of Nodule Detection Using An Anthropomorphic Chest Phantom

Using the standard format of an observer detection study, the comparative performance of digital radiography using a CT localization device and film screen radiography in the detection of pulmonary nodules was evaluated. The experiment was designed to test the operation of these systems in a simulated clinical environment by using an anthropomorphic chest phantom.
The Development and Evaluation of a Gottman-Based Premarital Education Program: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a marriage preparation program based on Gottman's theory of the Sound Marital House. Premarital activities were developed to correspond to each level of the Sound Marital House theory. A program involved five 2-hour sessions with six engaged couples. Each session was composed of activities for each individual couple and for the entire group. At the end of the educational intervention, the couples provided feedback on the program through semistructured interviews. The results of the summative evaluation indicated that the program provided participants with new perspectives, skills, and knowledge regarding their relationships.
An astatic magnetometer for measuring the susceptibility of materials for magnetic instruments

It is well recognized that one serious source of error in the absolute measurement of the Earth's magnetic field lies in the use of materials of high magnetic susceptibility in the construction of magnetometers and other magnetic instruments. A rugged instrument has been developed which allows a rapid and accurate measurement of the absolute susceptibility of any material having a susceptibility of 1×10−8 electromagnetic cgs unit or greater for a wide range of geometrical shapes. The instrument consists of an astatic magnetometer in which the magnets are accurately balanced against each other; the magnets are suspended by a 7-micron diameter fiber of quartz. The material under test is brought close to one end of the magnet-system and the deflection noted. The magnetometer is then calibrated by bringing a hollow full-scale model of the specimen—the model being filled with a chemical of known susceptibility—to the same position with respect to the magnet-system. Since it has been determined that the deflection of the magnetometer is proportional to susceptibility of the specimen, the two deflections depend only on the respective susceptibilities. A small Helmholtz coil is provided around one magnet in order that a null-method may be used if the susceptibility is high enough to cause greater than full-scale deflection. For small cylindrical specimens the sensitivity is as high as 1 × 10−9 electromagnetic cgs unit, while for other shapes it is 1 × 10−8 electromagnetic cgs unit, and can be made as insensitive as may be desired. A single measurement requires only a few seconds, apart from the time required to prepare the model used in calibration.
Effect of subband splitting on Si inversion layers

Abstract The subband structure of (100)Si inversion layers can be altered by either uniaxial stress or substrate bias due to deformation potential and quantizing surface field, respectively. The reduced splitting between E0 and E0 caused by compressive stress is shown to be exactly compensated by the additional surface field via substrate bias at high compressive stress. At low compressive stress (≲ 109 dyn cm−2) and low carrier concentration (
Application-independent defect tolerance of reconfigurable nanoarchitectures

Self-assembled nanofabrication processes yield regular and reconfigurable devices. However, defect densities in this emerging nanotechnology are higher than those in conventional lithography-based VLSI. In this article, we present an application-independent defect tolerant design flow to minimize customized postfabrication design efforts to be performed per chip. In this flow, higher level design steps are not needed to be aware of the existence and the location of defects in the chip. Only a final mapping step is required to be defect aware. Application independence of this flow minimizes the number of per-chip design steps, making it appropriate for high volume production. We also present two mapping algorithms, recursive and greedy, which make the connection between defect-unaware design steps and the final defect-aware mapping step. Experiments show that the results obtained by the greedy algorithm are very close to the exact solutions. Using these algorithms, we analyze the manufacturing yield of molecular crossbars under different defect distribution models. We report on the size of the minimum crossbar to be fabricated such that a defect-free crossbar of the desirable size can be found with a guaranteed manufacturing yield.
Stability of solution of some nonautonomous delay-differential systems

The present result uses the Lyapunov functionals to study the stability of some nonlinear delay-differential systems.
Effects of 3-methylcholanthrene on oxidized nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphatedependent dehydrogenases and selected metabolites in perfused rat liver.

Abstract Treatment of adult rats with 3-methylcholanthrene over a 3-day period produced significant decreases in hepatic ATP concentrations and elevated the activities of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme. The decline in ATP was accompanied by a decrease in total adenine nucleotides; however, ATP/ADP ratios were essentially the same in livers of normal and 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats, and no significant changes were noted in glycolytic and citric acid cycle intermediates. Thus, hepatic energy metabolism does not appear to be altered grossly after 3-methylcholanthrene treatment. NADP + /NADPH ratios calculated from substrates assumed to be in near equilibrium with malic enzyme, isocitrate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase increased after 3-methylcholanthrene treatment; these changes were accompanied by significant increases in the activity of malic enzyme and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Oxidation of hepatic NADPH and elevation of activities of several NADPH-generating enzymes by 3-methylcholanthrene indicates that this agent which induces components of the mixed-function oxidase system also elevates the capacity of the liver to form NADPH.
Experimental investigation of non-linear, non-isothermal viscoelasticity

Abstract The viscoelastic behavior of a Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) under finite uniaxial and equal biaxial deformations is investigated for the non-isothermal case. It is found that the material is ‘thermorheologically simple’ in that variable temperature fields can be accounted for through the so-called ‘time-temperature superposition principle’ familiar to infinitesimal viscoelasticity. Constitutive equations of the same form as in isothermal viscoelasticity are used with real time replaced by reduced time. A close agreement between the theoretically predicted and experimentally measured stress was found.
Graduate Student Teacher Training Still Relevant (and Missing?) 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, Pescosolido and Milkie (1995) reported that 50 percent of U.S. and Canadian sociology graduate programs offered formal teacher training. Despite pronouncements that offerings have...
A newTrichoplusia ni antennal receptor neuron that responds to attomolar concentrations of a minor pheromone component

A newly discovered third class of sensillum trichodea on the antenna ofTrichoplusia ni contains an olfactory receptor neuron that responds to (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol acetate at 1×10−18 M. The threshold of this neuron is 100–1000 times lower than the thresholds of two previously described pheromone-sensitive neurons that detect (Z)-7-dodecen-1-ol acetate and (Z)-7-tetradecen-1-ol acetate. The sensitivity and selectivity of this receptor neuron is evidence that (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol acetate may be important for sexual behavior.
Dopamine D1 and D2 antagonists reduce the acquisition and expression of flavor-preferences conditioned by fructose in rats

Abstract The effects of dopamine (DA) D 1 and D 2 receptor antagonists on the acquisition and expression of flavor-preferences conditioned by the sweet taste of fructose were examined. Food-restricted rats were trained over eight alternating one-bottle sessions to drink an 8% fructose solution containing one novel flavor (CS+) and a less preferred 0.2% saccharin solution containing a different flavor (CS−). Three groups of rats were treated daily with either vehicle (control group), SCH23390 (200 nmol/kg; D 1 group), or raclopride (200 nmol/kg; D 2 group) during training. Additional groups of vehicle-treated rats had their daily training intakes matched to that of the D 1 and D 2 groups. Preferences were assessed in two-bottle tests with the CS+ and CS− flavors presented in 0.2% saccharin solutions following doses of 0, 50, 200, 400, or 800 nmol/kg of either D 1 or D 2 antagonists. The D 1 and D 2 groups, unlike the control and yoked-control groups, failed to display a significant CS+ preference in the two-bottle tests following vehicle treatment. In addition, treatment with SCH23390 prior to the two-bottle tests blocked the expression of the CS+ preference in the control groups. Pretest raclopride treatment attenuated the CS+ preference at some dose levels. Raclopride also attenuated the preference for fructose in rats given two-bottle training with the CS+/fructose (CS+/F) and CS−/saccharin (CS−/S) solutions. These findings indicate that D 1 and D 2 antagonists block flavor-preference conditioning by sweet taste and that D 1 , and to a lesser extent D 2 , receptor antagonists attenuate the expression of a previously acquired preference.
A multiple-application conversational agent

In this paper, we describe the rationale behind and architecture of a conversational agent capable of speech enabling multiple applications.
Democracias liberal e iliberal na América Latina

This paper examines the incidence of liberal and "illiberal" democracy in Latin America from 1978 through 2004. It demonstrates, first, that illiberal democracy - which combines free and fair elections with systematic constraints on civil liberties - has become the norm throughout the region. Second, it shows that regime transitions have most often ended not in liberal democracy, but in illiberal democracy. Third, rare events logit analysis reveals that three variables - hyperinflation, general strikes, and presidential elections - have had significant impact on transitions toward fuller democracy. As a form of short-term economic shock, hyperinflation generates widespread discontent which sometimes results in general strikes; given the opportunity to vote, citizens elect reformist opposition candidates who, once in office, remove controls on civil liberties. This scenario substantially increases the likelihood of transition from illiberal to liberal democracy.
Researching employees’ perceptions of benefits communication: A communication inquiry on channel preferences, understanding, decision‐making, and benefits satisfaction

Benefits are important to organizations in recruiting, retaining and motivating quality employees. As choices of benefits increase, the field of benefits communication has become commensurately complex. Complicating this trend is the lack of involvement in the process by professional communication specialists equipped to take advantage of extant and emerging media channels to design effective benefits communication programs. Most of the literature regarding benefits communication involves tips and descriptive anecdotes explaining how one organization or another is approaching the challenge. It was the aim of this project to broaden understanding of the benefits communication process. This paper, part of a larger research effort, reports results from a Web‐based survey of employees of one organization to examine their perceptions of benefits communication effectiveness. The survey addressed categories of benefits provided, benefits satisfaction, employees’ level of understanding, the decision‐making factor...
Bacterial meningitis in infants and children: A review

Emergency physicians are often required to evaluate febrile infants and children with no obvious source of infection. Most have uncomplicated viral illnesses. It is imperative, however, to identify the child with potentially life-threatening bacterial meningitis. The clinical presentation of meningitis is variable and depends on many factors. These variables are discussed as well as the indications for lumbar puncture and guidelines for laboratory evaluation. Recommendations for antibiotic selection and dosages are provided. The clinical trials regarding the use of dexamethasone are also reviewed.
Bevacizumab fails to treat temporal paraganglioma: discussion and case illustration

Temporal paragangliomas are highly vascular tumors treated primarily by surgical resection. However, surgery to remove these tumors is associated with significant morbidity, including cranial nerve dysfunction. Interestingly, these tumors have been shown to express vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). A variety of tumors expressing VEGF and the VEGF receptor have been shown to reduce in size and vascularity when treated with the VEGF-specific antibody, bevacizumab (Avastin®). We hypothesized that paragangliomas may be treated noninvasively with bevacizumab, either as a primary treatment or as a useful adjuvant to surgical resection or radiation. Thus, our aim was to evaluate the effects of bevacizumab on this patient’s paraganglioma. A 36-year-old female presented to us with a 3 month history of positional dizziness, light-headedness, and left ear pulsatile tinnitus and hearing loss. She was found to have a temporal paraganglioma (glomus jugulare tumor) on imaging. Histopathology confirmed significant staining for VEGF. This patient was treated with bevacizumab prior to surgical treatment; radiographic imaging at 3 months, however, showed no significant response. We discuss possible reasons for treatment failure.
Views from atop the fence: neutrality in games

Games are play with conflict. However, players rarely get the chance to explore gameplay besides open conflict. Neutrality in the real world allows actors to avoid conflict and is also used to describe how mediators should act when they negotiate a conflict resolution. Reviewing different definitions of what it means to be neutral this paper investigates how game mechanics that simulate neutrality act as neutral mediators between players. The neutrality of each of the seven game mechanics discussed is related to how impartial they act towards players. This paper concludes that current games have not explored all of the possible neutral mechanics and suggests ways for game developers to incorporate these missing mechanics into games.
Regulation of BK Currents by the β2 Subunit in Mouse Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Daily regulation of BK currents in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the brain's internal clock, is necessary for proper circadian timekeeping. BK current magnitude is larger in night SCN neurons (87 ±15 pA/pF) compared to day (36 ±7 pA/pF). We found that BK current size was inversely correlated with the number of BK currents showing inactivation, which increased during the day (70%) compared to the night (20%). Knockout of β2, the major inactivating β subunit found in the brain, resulted in a complete loss of BK current inactivation in SCN neurons as well as a reduced daytime action potential (AP) frequency (2.2 ± 0.3 Hz for WT; 0.3±0.1 Hz for β2 KO) and diminished SCN circuit rhythmicity. Inactivation could be restored by delivery of a soluble 45 amino acid peptide derived from the N-terminus of β2. The β2 peptide also reduced the daytime BK current magnitude (42 ±9 pA/pF) and increased daytime AP firing in β2 KO neurons to levels comparable to WT (2.1 ± 0.4 Hz). Furthermore, in a heterologous expression system, co-expression of the β2 with the α subunit reduced the BK current elicited via an action potential command, compared to the α subunit expressed alone. These data suggest that β2-mediated inactivation plays a novel role in generating circadian patterning of BK currents and AP activity in the SCN.
5'-terminal nucleotide sequence of reovirus mRNA synthesized in vitro.

THE reovirus genome consists of ten segments of double stranded RNA1–3 that are transcribed in vivo into ten species of single stranded RNA4–6. Eight of these are translated into polypeptides as monocistronic mRNAs7–9. The frequencies of transcription as well as of translation of the individual species of RNA vary considerably6,8, indicating that both transcriptional and translational events are controlled. Since the reovirus genome contains little genetic information not devoted to coding structural polypeptides, the elements of control seem to reside in the nucleotide sequences of the genome RNA segments and mRNA molecules. We have therefore started to examine the nucleotide sequences at the 5′-termini of reovirus mRNA molecules, taking advantage of the fact that reovirus cores transcribe in vitro all ten segments of double stranded RNA into intact mRNA molecules10–14. We report here the sequence of twenty-five nucleotides at the 5′-termini of one or more s mRNA molecules.
Intensification of the Gulf Stream after the winter of 1976-77

THE eastward volume transport of the Gulf Stream south of New England varies within a wide range. Within a triangle whose apex is at Bermuda and whose base extends from Cape Hatteras to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, there have been 32 reliable oceanographic sections made across the Stream between 1932 and 1968. Geostrophic volume transports for these sections, computed relative to 2,000 m, are shown in Fig. 1. This 2,000 m surface is necessary if any seasonal change in transport is to be detected; only 10 of these sections reach to the ocean bottom (∼4,500 m), and these were all made between April and August. These results tend to confirm an earlier suggestion1 that the Gulf Stream is strongest in late winter and weakest in late autumn; this was attributed to the strengthening of the zonal winds in the winter. More recently, I have postulated a different mechanism for this annual variation in transport. The two most intense ocean currents, the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio, are found on the western side of northern hemisphere oceans. These oceanic regions are visited throughout the winter by frequent outbreaks of frigid polar continental air. As a result of these outbreaks, very deep mixed layers are formed immediately south of these currents in late winter. The greatest thermocline depths are always found directly beneath the most deeply mixed layers, and it is primarily the variations in thermocline depth which account for the variations in computed transport shown in Fig. 1; the deeper the thermocline south of the Stream, the larger the transport. I suggest that the Gulf Stream receives a new charge of energy at the end of each winter due to this deepening of the thermocline. Here I discuss how the cold winter of 1976–77 influenced the Gulf Stream transport.
Addressing missing data in clinical trials

The reliability and interpretability of results from clinical trials can be substantially reduced by missing data. Frequently used approaches to address these concerns, such as upward adjustments in sample sizes or simplistic methods for handling missing data, including last-observation-carried-forward, complete-case, or worst-case analyses, are usually inadequate. Although rational imputation methods may be useful to treat missingness after it has occurred, these methods depend on untestable assumptions. Thus, the preferred and often only satisfactory approach to addressing missing data is to prevent it. Procedures should be in place to maximize the likelihood that outcome data will be obtained at scheduled times of evaluation for all surviving patients who have not withdrawn consent. To meaningfully reduce missing data, it is important to recognize and address many factors that commonly lead to higher levels of missingness.
Influence of Benzyladenine, Leaf Darkening, and Ringing on Movement of 14C-labeled Assimilates Into Expanded Leaves of Vitis vinifera L

Leaves of Vitis vinifera L., nearly fully expanded, imported only trace amounts of (14)C following assimilation of (14)CO(2) by a lower leaf on the same shoot, but benzyladenine (BA) application at 4.4 x 10(-3)m caused a marked increase in the movement of (14)C into these leaves. Older leaves near the shoot base were less responsive; BA treatment alone had little effect on import of labeled assimilates from adjacent leaves but when the BA-treated leaves were darkened there was an increased import of labeled materials. When these 2 treatments were combined and applied to leaves on shoots with ringed bases, relatively high levels of radioactivity were detected in the BA-treated leaves but under these conditions darkening, without the application of BA, also resulted in an increased import of (14)C. Accumulation of imported (14)C was found to be restricted to the area of the leaf blade treated with BA. Separation of labeled compounds in ethanol extracts of treated leaves showed a lower percentage of radioactivity present in the sugar fraction from BA-treated leaves and an increased percentage present in the amino acid fraction.
Oxidative phosphorylation in Thiobacillus novellus

Abstract A soluble cell-free fraction (144,000xg supernatent) catalyzed phosphorylation coupled to the oxidation of thiosulfate, succinate and ascorbate yielding P O ratios of 0.96, 1.9, and 0.76 respectively. However with NADH as the electron donor, the P O ratios were very low and ranged between 0.2 – 0.3. In all cases the phosphate esterification was completely uncoupled by 2,4-dinitrophenol, m-chlorocarbonyl cyanide phenylhydrazone, 2,6-dibromophenol or pentachlorophenol. The non-particulate nature of the cell-free preparations catalyzing oxidative phosphorylation was established by electron microscopic examination.
The directional characteristics of lunar infrared radiation

Lunar IR directional characteristics theory, noting agreement with observations at all observational and phase angles
Amide proton transfer imaging of human brain tumors at 3T

Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a technique in which the nuclear magnetization of water-exchangeable amide protons of endogenous mobile proteins and peptides in tissue is saturated, resulting in a signal intensity decrease of the free water. In this work, the first human APT data were acquired from 10 patients with brain tumors on a 3T whole-body clinical scanner and compared with T-1- (T(1)w) and T-2-weighted (T(2)w), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and diffusion images (fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)). The APT-weighted images provided good contrast between tumor and edema. The effect of APT was enhanced by an approximate 4% change in the water signal intensity in tumor regions compared to edema and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). These preliminary data from patients with brain tumors show that the APT is a unique contrast that can provide complementary information to standard clinical MRI measures.
MD Simulations and Experimental Study of Structure, Dynamics, and Thermodynamics of Poly(ethylene oxide) and Its Oligomers

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and its oligomers, using quantum chemistry-based force fields with and without many-body polarizable interactions. Inclusion of the many-body polarization in the model resulted in increased populations of the tgt and tgg conformations of 1,2-dimethoxyethane and slightly slower dynamics. Increasing the PEO dipole moment also led to increased populations of the tgt and ttg conformers and slower dynamics. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering, dielectric relaxation, and 13C spin−lattice relaxation experiments have been performed on PEO and its oligomers. New 13C NMR experiments yielded spin−lattice relaxation times that were ∼2−3 times larger than those in the previous experiments, which is in good agreement with the current simulation results. Good agreement between the MD simulation results using many-body polarizable and two-body nonpolarizable potentials was found with experiments for thermodynamic, transport, structural, an...
Breaking the asymptomatic phase of HIV‐1 infection

AIDS typically consists of three phases: (1) an acute, infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome followed by (2) a prolonged asymptomatic stage ending in (3) the appearance of frank AIDS. The asymptomatic phase may last for years and its presence suggests a persistent conflagration between the virus and the host's immune response. There is considerable evidence that an immune response develops but the response is ultimately inadequate. From the work of others as well as our own, we have constructed a hypothesis which attempts to explain some aspects of the immune response. We propose that HIV-1 preferentially infects a subset of CD4+ lymphocytes which are then either destroyed or altered in their biological functions. Further, we suggest that this subset represents the CD4+ TH1 lymphocyte population. By decreasing the quantity of IL-2 and interferon-gamma produced by TH1 lymphocytes, the production of cytokines by TH2 cells is increased. One of the cytokines produced by TH2 lymphocytes is IL-10, a polypeptide with significant inhibitory properties towards lymphocytes. Sera from patients with frank AIDS have significant lymphocyte inhibitory activities some of which operate through IL-10. Thus, a gradual shift to a TH2-type response and release of increasing amounts of inhibitors eventually prevents the host from replacing destroyed cells or mounting new and appropriate immune responses. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Abrogation by a potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist of the estrogen/progesterone-stimulated surge-like release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone in postmenopausal women.

In both the rodent and primate, administration of progesterone elicits an acute surge-like release of LH in the setting of prior estrogen treatment. Whether these facilitative effects of estrogen and progesterone on gonadotropin secretion reside at pituitary or hypothalamic loci is not known. To further investigate the mechanisms by which estrogen combined with progesterone amplifies gonadotropin secretion, we studied the responses of seven estrogen-primed postmenopausal women to progesterone administration with or without cotreatment with a potent GnRH antagonist, [Ac-D2Nal1,D4ClPhe2,D3Pal3,Arg5,DGlu6(AA), DAla10]GnRH. Repetitive blood sampling for the later measurement of serum concentrations of LH, FSH, and PRL was begun 4 h before the administration of progesterone and continued for 36 h. We observed that progesterone administration after 72 h of priming with ethinyl estradiol resulted in a surge-like release of LH and FSH in all subjects. Concomitant administration of the GnRH antagonist abolished th...
On the Theory of Reactions in Continuous Mixtures

A mixture with a very large number of components approaches the condition of a continuous mixture in which the components are not distinguished by a discrete index but by a continuous variable. Such a mixture can be described by distributions of concentration and is capable of sustaining an infinite number of reactions. Polymerization and cracking reactions can be treated in this way and there may be applications to the very complex processes of biology. The aim of this paper is to lay the foundations for the stoicheiometry, thermodynamics and kinetics of such reactions and to outline several techniques for solving the resulting integro-differential equations. Attention is also paid to the problem of fitting the parameters of such a model to experimental data.
Theorizing Diffusion: Tarde and Sorokin Revisited

This article is a call for volunteers to stand on the shoulders of Gabriel Tarde and Pitirim Sorokin, who dared to theorize the process of diffusion over a wide variety of disciplines. While all of the social sciences and humanities regularly produce case studies of diffusion, theorizing seems paralyzed. This paralysis stems from the ostensible incommensurability of diffusing items; their refusal to hold still in transit; the complexity of their interactions with the cultures, social structures, and media systems in which potential adopters are embedded; the difficulty of reconciling voluntary action and external imposition; and the lack of a disciplinary home.
A Mechanism for Inducing Cooperation in Noncooperative Environments: Theory and Applications

We construct a market based mechanism that induces players in a non-cooperative game to make the same choices as characterize cooperation. We then argue that this mechanism is applicable to a wide range of economic questions and illustrate this claim using the problems of ”The Tragedy of the Commons” and ”R&D Spillovers in Duopoly”.
The effect of gastrin-releasing peptide on growth hormone secretion in the rat.

Several investigators have reported gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP)-like immunostaining in several regions of the rat brain. The objective of this study was to determine the possible effects of this peptide on GH release. Porcine GRP was injected intraventricularly (third ventricular) in a volume of 2 nl into ovariectomized female rats. A significant decrease in basal GH release, as evidenced by decreased plasma GH levels, was observed within 10 min which lasted for 90 min after the injection of 2 μg (0.7 nmol) GRP (P < 0.001). In addition, all GH pulses were abolished during this time. In subsequent experiments, varying doses of GRP were administered, and human pancreatic GH-releasing factor (GRF) was injected iv at a dose of 0.1 MgAg 20 min later to determine the responsiveness of the pituitary. The minimal effective dose of GRP to lower plasma GH was approximately 10 μg (3.6 pmol); however, the GHreleasing action of GRF was blocked by even the lowest dose of the peptide tested (5 ng; 1.8 pmol). To dete...
A fast and adaptive test of static equilibrium for legged robots

A legged robot walking on uneven terrain can avoid falling only by applying contact forces with its feet on the ground that compensate for gravity without causing slip. To plan safe motions, it is necessary to test this constraint at every posture explored at each set of foot placements. Since a huge number of postures may be explored, this test must be as fast as possible. Existing approaches either search explicitly for contact forces at each posture, or precompute the support polygon and check that the robot's center of mass lies above it. This paper presents a new algorithm that is faster than either existing approach. This algorithm is an incremental method of projection, that computes only enough of the support polygon to decide whether static equilibrium is possible at each posture. It takes advantage of information gained testing previous postures in order to test subsequent postures more quickly
The UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project: transdisciplinary health professional education.

In the face of the serious problem of lack of access to health care in the United States, with over 45 million uninsured, 1 there exist many models of collaborative local programs serving the uninsured. One such approach is the student-run free clinic, small projects managed by health professional students, supervised by licensed health professionals, offering free health services to those without health access. The purpose of this article is to describe the UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project, its history, mission, partners, clinical services, curriculum, funding, replicability, outcomes, elements of success, transdisciplinary nature, and hopes for the future.
Love's Labor Paid for: Gift and Commodity at the Threshold of Death

This article reflects on the status of professional care as both gift and commodity and its role in mediating the relationship between life and death in hospice settings. Based on research in San Francisco AIDS hospices in the mid-1990s, it examines how a discourse about restraint and about the need to set limits to compassion took hold among paid caregivers at that time. It explores also how hospice staff sometimes transgressed those limits in an effort to maintain and perceive the value of their care. Considering gift and commodity as phenomenological and ethical categories, the article contributes to theories of exchange that have emphasized reciprocity and return by focusing instead on the centrality—even the desirability—of loss in human transactions.
Physiologic responses to maximal treadmill and deep water running in men and women.

Maximal physiologic responses to treadmill running and deep water running using a flotation device were com pared in 12 trained men and 12 trained women. Al though the men had significantly higher ventilation vol umes, VO2max (liters of oxygen per minute and milli liters of oxygen per kilogram per minute), there were no significant differences in maximal heart rates or respiratory exchange ratios between the sexes. Signif icantly lower ventilation volumes, VO2max (LO2:min-1 and mlO2·kg -1·min-1), and heart rates were obtained in response to maximal water running compared to treadmill running, regardless of gender. Neither the men's nor the women's maximal respiratory exchange ratios were significantly different between modes. The analysis of variance indicated that there were no signif icant interactions for any of the maximal responses to the tests between the sexes. The magnitude of these differences is similar to that found between treadmill running and cycling ergometry and should not preclude deep wa...
Refeeding after fasting in rats: effects of duration of starvation and refeeding on food efficiency in diet-induced obesity.

Rats with diet-induced obesity starved for 8, 15, and 25 d lost liver and muscle glycogen, excess protein, and fat in proportion to duration of starvation. Fat-cell size decreased but fat-cell number did not. Upon refeeding, body fat was only partly restored, with further increase in adipocyte hyperplasia occurring in the starved obese rats. In contrast, fat- cell size was restored to near that of the prefasting value in the starved controls (dry-food-fed, fasted 4 d) after refeeding. With refeeding, food efficiency increased only if starvation had caused a reduction of adipocyte size below normal. Change in food efficiency was not associated with decreases in total car- cass protein, specific tissue proteins, or glycogen stores but was correlated with degree of adipocyte filling. It is possible that adipose tissue status somehow modulates energy-dissipating mechanisms. Am J C/in Nutr 1990;5 1:970-8.
Methods to improve international comparability of census and survey measures of disability.

Purpose: To describe the methods used by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG) to develop internationally comparable questions on disability that can be used worldwide.Method: The WG approach to developing disability measures included careful consideration of the theoretical and conceptual issues associated with disability, translating disability concepts into measurement tools, and mixed-method evaluations of the proposed questions using both cognitive and field interviewing methodologies.Results: Disability is a complex construct the measurement of which presents considerable challenges for survey methodologists. The Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG), a UN Statistical Commission sponsored city group, was established to address the methodological and measurement challenges that have characterized disability statistics and to develop questions for use worldwide that will provide comparable, valid and reliable disability statistics. The WG used a variety of methods to meet these o...
Automated discovery of 3D motifs for protein function annotation

Motivation: Function inference from structure is facilitated by the use of patterns of residues (3D motifs), normally identified by expert knowledge, that correlate with function. As an alternative to often limited expert knowledge, we use machine-learning techniques to identify patterns of 3--10 residues that maximize function prediction. This approach allows us to test the assumption that residues that provide function are the most informative for predicting function. Results: We apply our method, GASPS, to the haloacid dehalogenase, enolase, amidohydrolase and crotonase superfamilies and to the serine proteases. The motifs found by GASPS are as good at function prediction as 3D motifs based on expert knowledge. The GASPS motifs with the greatest ability to predict protein function consist mainly of known functional residues. However, several residues with no known functional role are equally predictive. For four groups, we show that the predictive power of our 3D motifs is comparable with or better than approaches that use the entire fold (Combinatorial-Extension) or sequence profiles (PSI-BLAST). Availability: Source code is freely available for academic use by contacting the authors. Contact: babbitt@cgl.ucsf.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ultrafast Measurements of Energy Flow, Geminate Recombination, and Fast Structural Rearrangements in Photoexcited Heme Proteins

Transient picosecond Raman spectroscopy is capable of differentiating vibrational relaxation from conformational changes by comparing the Stokes and anti-Stokes dynamics. We have accomplished pump-probe picosecond Raman experiments on deoxy- and oxyhemoglobin (deoxyHb and oxyHb, respectively) using 8 ps 532 nm pump pulses and 8 ps 355 nm probe pulses. Heme-to-protein vibrational cooling has been directly observed in deoxyHb for the first time, and the deconvolved cooling time constant is measured to be 2–5 ps.[1–2] By applying our mode-specific Stokes and anti-Stokes technique to oxyHb, we find that any geminate recombination of photodeligated O2 must occur in either less than two picoseconds or longer than a nanosecond. The relative resonant enhancements for the initial oxyHb bands and the transient deoxyHb bands must be carefully considered in order to correctly interpret the picosecond dynamics data.
Direct evidence for a basolateral membrane Cl- conductance in toad retinal pigment epithelium

There is now evidence that a Cl- conductance on the basal membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is involved in the generation of both the fast oscillation and the light peak of the direc...
Cytologic diagnosis of metastatic epithelioid sarcoma : a cytologic mimic of squamous cell carcinoma

A case of epithelioid sarcoma in a 39-year-old woman who had metastatic lesions in her lung from a primary arm tumor is presented. A review of the literature and analysis of this case did not identify any specific light microscopic or immunohistochemical way to separate definitively the lung cytologic smear in this case from squamous cell carcinoma. The authors believe cytologic smears from epithelioid sarcoma can closely mimic smears from squamous cell carcinoma. Pathologists should be alert to these similarities.
Wave Optics Modeling and Laboratory Generation of “Exotic” Partial Coherent Beams

A wave optics-based design method is described for random screens to produce a partial spatial coherent beam with an arbitrary far-field intensity pattern. The approach is demonstrated with computer simulations and laboratory results.
Effects of Decision Permanence on Managerial Willingness to use Participation

The article focuses on a study in which the effects of participative management on employee performance and satisfaction is addressed. The study attempts to develop a decision model for participati...
Generating Graph Snapshots from Streaming Edge Data

We study the problem of determining the proper aggregation granularity for a stream of time-stamped edges. Such streams are used to build time-evolving networks, which are subsequently used to study topics such as network growth. Currently, aggregation lengths are chosen arbitrarily, based on intuition or convenience. We describe ADAGE, which detects the appropriate aggregation intervals from streaming edges and outputs a sequence of structurally mature graphs. We demonstrate the value of ADAGE in automatically finding the appropriate aggregation intervals on edge streams for belief propagation to detect malicious files and machines.
Applications of color flow mapping in pediatric cardiology

Our approach to the application of flow mapping in pediatric cardiology has been to attempt to define, in technical terms, the relationship between the nature of the imaging technology and the nature of the questions to be asked about flow. The late William Rashkind, to whom this issue of Cardiology Clinics is dedicated, set an important example to me in the early stages of my training about the understanding of defined clinical problems and the development of technologies to adapt to those specific problems. In this way, using his ingenuity, his energy, and his love both of good times and difficult problems, he pioneered new and unexplored areas of our field and set an important example for us to follow. The applications of color flow mapping, a new and rapidly evolving technology, are still in their infancy, and it behooves the pediatric cardiologist to evolve in his expertise along with the evolution of the instrumentation toward new and important impacts which these imaging methods will have in the health care of children with heart disease.
Antigenic markers on fragment DD, a unique plasmic derivative of human crosslinked fibrin.

Abstract Plasmic degradation of crosslinked human fibrin produces unique degradation products, (DD)E complex and fragment DD, in which the DD moiety contains two fragment D molecules joined together by cova-lent bonds. In this study, fragment DD antigenic markers were studied using two different antisera: one against intact (DD)E complex, and the other against fragment DD that has been exposed to 3 M urea at pH 5.5. Antisera were absorbed with fibrinogen and purified fibrinogen degradation products. Direct binding and inhibition of binding of labeled antigens with the antiserum against (DD)E complex showed a 50-fold greater reactivity with fragment DD, as compared with fragment D from fibrinogen or noncrosslinked fibrin. Fibrinogen did not inhibit such binding. In this system, 50% inhibition of binding was achieved with 9 μg/ml of fragment DD. Using the antiserum against fragment DD exposed to acid urea, this antigen was 100-fold and 20-fold more reactive than were acid-urea-treated fragments D prepared from fibrinogen and noncrosslinked fibrin, respectively. Acid-urea-treated fibrinogen was 2000-fold less reactive on a molar basis than was acid-urea-treated fragment DD, and unmodified fibrinogen and fragment D moieties were even less reactive. The sensitivity of this system was greater than that using the antiserum against (DD)E complex, with 50% inhibition achieved using only 300 ng/ml of fragment DD exposed to acid urea. Thus, the difference in antibody reaction with crosslinked and noncrosslinked fragment D moieties demonstrated fragment DD antigenic markers that probably result from unique structural features in this degradation product. However, these crosslink-related markers represented only a small proportion of the total antigenicity of fragment DD, which bears striking similarity to that of other fragment D derivatives.
Scintillator phosphors for medical imaging

cintillators are high density luminescent materials that convert Xrays to visible light. These materials have been used since the turn of the century to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of film cartridges used in medical diagnostics. Coupling scintillators to photodiodes, charge coupled devices (CCDs), and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) is an efficient way to convert X-rays to electrical signals. This has ushered in an era of diagnostic imaging which requires advanced scintillators with enhanced properties, such as increased X-ray conversion efficiency, faster luminescence decay times, lower afterglow, and greater stability in the radiation field. In addition to medical diagnostics, scintillators are used in X-ray security apparatus, industrial inspection, and in high-energy physics calorimetry. Therefore, the field of scintillator materials is quite extensive, and for more complete discussions the reader is directed to reviews by Weber (1), Blasse, et al. (2), and Lempicki, et al. (3). The present review is restricted to inorganic scintillator materials that are currently used in the field of medical