cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whispering Sweet Nothings: A Review of Verbal Behaviors That Undermine the Effectiveness of Government-Mandated Home-Loan Disclosures

Home loans are the largest financial transaction consumers typically enter and the consequences from entering overpriced or unaffordable home loans can devastate individuals and entire communities. This article reviews how insights from research in experimental psychology can be utilized to protect consumers. Current policy relies too much on disclosures, which—among other limitations—can be undermined by verbal behaviors on the part of salespeople. In particular, salespeople such as mortgage brokers and lenders can exploit the fact that consumers do not know where to look for information on disclosure forms by violating conversational norms, introducing confirmation biases, and using dual tasks such as talking to consumers while they are reviewing forms. They can also exploit the fact that even consumers who know where to look can forget by part-set cuing consumers. They can even cause consumers who discover problematic terms to ignore them by providing the consumers with explanations. Policymakers need to be aware of these findings to design effective consumer-protection policies. The authors suggest alternatives for policymakers to consider.
A 3-Year Perspective on the Impact of a Multicultural Counseling Specialist

Underrepresented and underserved college students encounter unique challenges and barriers influencing their mental health and treatment utilization. Responding to national and local student-led de...
In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of Marstacimab, an Anti-TFPI Antibody

Hemophilia A and B are X-linked genetic disorders resulting from functional deficiencies of the intrinsic coagulation plasma proteins Factor VIII (FVIII) or Factor IX (FIX), respectively. An approach to achieving hemostatic pharmacology in hemophilia is to augment the extrinsic cascade is to neutralize Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor (TFPI). TFPI is a multi-Kunitz (K) domain inhibitor which binds to and inhibits Factor Xa via the K2 domain and Factor VIIa/Tissue Factor activity (K1 domain). Marstacimab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes TPFI activity and is under development for treatment of hemophilia. To support lead identification during late discovery, five anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) antibodies (EC50 Disclosures Parng: Pfizer: Employment. Jin: Pfizer: Employment. Holsti: Pfizer: Employment. Benard: pfizer: Employment. Rakhe: Pfizer Inc.: Employment. Patel-Hett: Pfizer: Employment. Joyce: Pfizer: Employment. Webster: pfizer: Employment. Pittman: Pfizer Inc.: Employment.
Relief of Emotional Symptoms in Elderly Patients With Terminal Cancer

Effective palliative care is one of the most valuable skills a physician may acquire. It involves not only control of physical symptoms, but relief of emotional symptoms. Relief of emotional symptoms requires truth telling in a context of supportive, skillful communication. Important communication skills include empathy, legitimation, support, partnership, and respect. Using these skills and the development of a limited treatment plan, along with pharmacological intervention, when necessary, to treat anxiety, depression, and confusion, may provide a significant measure of relief for the suffering that often accompanies terminal cancer.
Current applications of gluten-free grains – a review

The population of Americans suffering from celiac, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy is 1 in every 14 people. Also, many are choosing gluten-free (GF) diets nowadays because of the perception that it is a healthier option for them. Therefore, in the last decade, the GF market in the US and all over the world has seen significant growth. Globally, GF product sales reached 4.63 billion USD in 2017, and are expected to reach 6.47 billion USD by 2023, a projected compound annual growth rate of 7.6%. Several grains like millet, corn, sorghum, and pseudocereals like amaranth, quinoa, and teff are the main ingredients for a gluten diet. Though most of them have a comparable nutrient profile as common grains, the main challenge to their acceptability is the quality departure from gluten-containing counterparts and imbalance nutrients that ensue when food processing aids like starch, gums, and enzymes are used. In this review, we profiled some of the common grains, their characteristics, functionality and the various food types they are used for. We also reviewed the impact of some of the current food processing aids like starch, hydrocolloids used for improving functionality, and processing techniques like extrusion suitable for making remarkable GF foods.
RP research in the era of precision medicine: discovery to translation

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) encompasses many different hereditary retinal degenerations that are caused by a vast array of different gene mutations and have highly variable disease presentations and severities.Work over the past 25 years has resulted in the identification of genes responsible for about 50% of the RP cases, and it's predicted that most of the remaining disease-causing genes will be identified by the year 2020 or most likelysooner.This marked acceleration is the result of dramatic improvements in DNA-sequencing technologies and the associated analysis.The advent of two recent innovations, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease-9 (Cas-9) mediated genome editing, are changing the landscape of RP research, with causative genes being identified at an accelerated rate withgreat potential to translate these discoveries into personalized therapeutic strategies. Key words: Retinitis pigmentosa/genetics; Individualized medicine/trends; Induced pluripotent stem cells/transplantation; Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/genetics
The Effect of Personality Traits on Risk of Incident Pre-dementia Syndromes

Objectives Personality traits have been shown to be associated with the risk of dementia; less is known about their association with pre-dementia syndromes. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of personality traits as predictors of incident pre-dementia, motoric cognitive risk (MCR), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) syndromes. Design We prospectively examined the association between five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness) and the risk of incident MCR or MCI. MCR builds on MCI operational definitions, substituting the cognitive impairment criterion with slow gait, and it is associated with increased risk for both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Setting Community based. Participants Nondemented participants (n = 524; 62% women) aged 65 years and older. Measurements Cox proportional hazard analysis, adjusted for demographics and disease burden, was used to evaluate the risk of each pre-dementia syndrome based on baseline personality traits, measured using the Big Five Inventory. Results Over a median follow-up of 3 years, 38 participants developed incident MCR, and 69 developed incident MCI (41 non-amnestic and 28 amnestic subtypes). Openness was associated with a reduced risk of developing incident MCR (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = .94; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .89-.99), whereas neuroticism was associated with an increased risk of incident non-amnestic MCI (aHR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.01-1.11). These associations remained significant even after considering the confounding effects of lifestyle or mood. None of the personality traits were associated with MCI overall or amnestic MCI. Conclusion These findings provide evidence of a distinct relationship between personality traits and development of specific pre-dementia syndromes. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1554-1559, 2020.
Biphasic Liquid Microjunction Extraction for Profiling Neuronal RNA Modifications by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

RNA modifications are emerging as critical players in the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression. Although liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) enables the simultaneous q...
Graphene memristive synapses for high precision neuromorphic computing.

Memristive crossbar architectures are evolving as powerful in-memory computing engines for artificial neural networks. However, the limited number of non-volatile conductance states offered by state-of-the-art memristors is a concern for their hardware implementation since trained weights must be rounded to the nearest conductance states, introducing error which can significantly limit inference accuracy. Moreover, the incapability of precise weight updates can lead to convergence problems and slowdown of on-chip training. In this article, we circumvent these challenges by introducing graphene-based multi-level (>16) and non-volatile memristive synapses with arbitrarily programmable conductance states. We also show desirable retention and programming endurance. Finally, we demonstrate that graphene memristors enable weight assignment based on k-means clustering, which offers greater computing accuracy when compared with uniform weight quantization for vector matrix multiplication, an essential component for any artificial neural network. Designing efficient and low power memristors-based neuromorphic systems remains a challenge. Here, the authors present graphene-based multi-level (>16) and non-volatile memristive synapses with arbitrarily programmable conductance states capable of weight assignment based on k-means clustering.
Improved motional Stark effect signal processing using fast Fourier transform spectral analysis.

A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based method has been developed, which improves the frequency response of the Motional Stark Effect (MSE) system by about a factor of 10 over the conventional analog lock-in method. The method uses fits to rigorously derived analytic expressions for the FFT spectral components of the MSE signal to accurately obtain the amplitudes and phases of the 2f1 and 2f2 photo-elastic modulator (PEM) frequencies that encode the polarization angle. Since no frequency filtering is used in the FFT method, the frequency response is limited by fundamental measurement properties: the frequency response of the detector, photon statistics, sample rate, and the ability to resolve the spectral components. In contrast, the frequency response of the analog lock-in is limited by a low pass filter with a cutoff of around 500 Hz. In the case of the DIII-D MSE system, the output of the photo-multiplier tube detector was sampled at 500 kHz and FFTs with as few as 100 points were used to obtain the amplitudes of the 2f1 and 2f2 PEM frequency components. This corresponds to a frequency response of 5 kHz, about ten times faster than the analog lock-in amplifier system. Details of the FFT method will be presented and compared to those of the analog lock-in system.
Transoral robotic surgery versus nonrobotic resection of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) compared to nonrobotic surgery (NRS) on overall survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). We performed a retrospective study of patients with HPV+ and HPV- OPSCC undergoing TORS or NRS with neck dissection using the National Cancer Database from the years 2010-2016. Among patients with OPSCC in our cohort, 3167 (58.1%) patients underwent NRS and 2288 (41.9%) underwent TORS. TORS patients demonstrated better overall survival than NRS patients (HPV+ patients: aHR 0.74, p = 0.02; HPV- patients: aHR 0.58, p < 0.01). Subsite analysis showed TORS was correlated with improved survival in base of tongue (BoT) primaries for both HPV+ (aHR 0.46, p = 0.01) and HPV- (aHR 0.42, p = 0.01) OPSCC. Compared to NRS, TORS is associated with improved overall survival for HPV+ and HPV- OPSCC, as well as greater overall survival for BoT primaries.
A finite deformation framework for mechanism-based constitutive models of the dynamic behavior of brittle materials

Abstract A finite deformation mechanism-based thermodynamically consistent constitutive framework is presented for describing the dynamic behaviors of brittle materials under impact loading. The framework is developed based upon a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient in terms of multiple mechanisms, including recoverable elasticity, crack-induced damage, and other inelastic mechanisms such as subgrain and granular plasticity. The finite deformation kinematics that captures the multiple mechanisms is structured within a thermodynamically consistent framework, and the consequent coupling of the various mechanisms is articulated. Specific constitutive equations are formulated for a Mie–Gruneisen equation of state, micromechanics-based dynamic-fracture-induced damage growth, subgrain or lattice plasticity for slip and other deformation modes, and granular plasticity for granular flow and pore collapse post-fragmentation. Using hot-pressed silicon carbide (SiC-N) as the model material, this integrative model is calibrated using available experiments that interrogate specific mechanisms. The effects of loading rate, the influence of confinement, and the path-dependent constitutive behaviors of the material predicted by the model are demonstrated. The model performance at the application scale is then evaluated by simulating previously performed sphere-on-cylinder impact experiments.
SU-E-J-240: Development of a Novel 4D MRI Sequence for Real-Time Liver Tumor Tracking During Radiotherapy

Purpose: To develop a Novel 4D MRI Technique that is feasible for realtime liver tumor tracking during radiotherapy. Methods: A volunteer underwent an abdominal 2D fast EPI coronal scan on a 3.0T MRI scanner (Siemens Inc., Germany). An optimal set of parameters was determined based on image quality and scan time. A total of 23 slices were scanned to cover the whole liver in the test scan. For each scan position, the 2D images were retrospectively sorted into multiple phases based on breathing signal extracted from the images. Consequently the 2D slices with same phase numbers were stacked to form one 3D image. Multiple phases of 3D images formed the 4D MRI sequence representing one breathing cycle. Results: The optimal set of scan parameters were: TR= 57ms, TE= 19ms, FOV read= 320mm and flip angle= 30°, which resulted in a total scan time of 14s for 200 frames (FMs) per slice and image resolution of (2.5mm,2.5mm,5.0mm) in three directions. Ten phases of 3D images were generated, each of which had 23 slices. Based on our test scan, only 100FMs were necessary for the phase sorting process which may lower the scan time to 7s/100FMs/slice. For example, only 5 slices/35s aremore » necessary for a 4D MRI scan to cover liver tumor size ≤ 2cm leading to the possibility of tumor trajectory tracking every 35s during treatment. Conclusion: The novel 4D MRI technique we developed can reconstruct a 4D liver MRI sequence representing one breathing cycle (7s/ slice) without an external monitor. This technique can potentially be used for real-time liver tumor tracking during radiotherapy.« less
Understanding the diverse needs of the Medicare population: implications for Medicare reform.

ABSTRACT Meeting the health care needs of millions of elderly and disabled Americans is central to the debate over Medicare's future. Using data from a nationally representative survey of 3,309 beneficiaries, Medicare's most vulnerable beneficiaries were profiled, examining variations in coverage, satisfaction, access, and financial difficulties. A substantial portion of the Medicare population-two thirds & were found to have health problems or low incomes. The analysis found that about 40% of beneficiaries with incomes below the poverty level, in fair or poor health, or with ADL limitations, have difficulties paying their medical bills or getting needed health care. Medicare's disabled, under-65 beneficiaries are at even higher risk: nearly half (47%) have health care access problems or deal with financial hardship due to medical bills. The diverse needs and experiences of the Medicare population are underscored, providing new insights into the challenge of maintaining or improving protection for those w...
Automatic Detection of Intoxicated Drivers

As the evidence of the contribution of intoxicated drivers to vehicular fatalities continues to mount, interest has grown in the development of novel countermeasures. One approach now being considered involves the use of a device installed in the automobile which automatically determines if the driver is intoxicated and prevents the driver from operating the vehicle when intoxication is determined. In this paper such devices are discussed with particular consideration given to the method of determining intoxication, the point in time when the determination is made and their applications. The paper also discusses the Transportation Systems Center's research program directed to dealing with this problem.
Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity, by Loïc Wacquant

The recent publication by Loic Wacquant, Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity, has been the subject of numerous review symposia. It has been covered by international m...
Validity of pulse oximetry during exercise in elite endurance athletes.

Eleven highly trained male cyclists [maximal aerobic power (VO2max) = 70.6 +/- 4.2 ml.kg-1.min-1] performed both high intensity constant load (90–95% VO2max) and incremental cycle exercise tests wi...
Isotone functions, dual cones, and networks

If the collection of all real-valued functions defined on a finite partially ordered set S of n elements is identified in the natural way with Rn, it is obvious that the subset of functions that are isotone or order preserving with respect to the given partial order constitutes a closed, convex, polyhedral cone K in Rn. The dual cone K* of K is the set of all linear functionals that are nonpositive of K. This article identifies the important geometric properties of K, and characterizes a nonredundant set of defining equations and inequalities for K* in terms of a special class of partitions of S into upper and lower sets. These defining constraints immediately imply a set of extreme rays spanning K and K*. One of the characterizations of K* involves feasibility conditions on flows in a network. These conditions are also used as a tool in analysis.
Pannexin 1 Channels Play Essential Roles in Urothelial Mechanotransduction and Intercellular Signaling

Urothelial cells respond to bladder distension with ATP release, and ATP signaling within the bladder and from the bladder to the CNS is essential for proper bladder function. In other cell types, pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels provide a pathway for mechanically-induced ATP efflux and for ATP-induced ATP release through interaction with P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs). We report that Panx1 and P2X7R are functionally expressed in the bladder mucosa and in immortalized human urothelial cells (TRT-HU1), and participate in urothelial ATP release and signaling. ATP release from isolated rat bladders induced by distention was reduced by the Panx1 channel blocker mefloquine (MFQ) and was blunted in mice lacking Panx1 or P2X7R expression. Hypoosmotic shock induced YoPro dye uptake was inhibited by MFQ and the P2X7R blocker A438079 in TRT-HU1 cells, and was also blunted in primary urothelial cells derived from mice lacking Panx1 or P2X7R expression. Rinsing-induced mechanical stimulation of TRT-HU1 cells triggered ATP release, which was reduced by MFQ and potentiated in low divalent cation solution (LDPBS), a condition known to enhance P2X7R activation. ATP signaling evaluated as intercellular Ca2+ wave radius was significantly larger in LDPBS, reduced by MFQ and by apyrase (ATP scavenger). These findings indicate that Panx1 participates in urothelial mechanotransduction and signaling by providing a direct pathway for mechanically-induced ATP release and by functionally interacting with P2X7Rs.
The partial dopamine D2-like receptor agonist terguride functions as an agonist in preweanling rats after a 5-day reserpine regimen

Rationale Treating children and adolescents with partial D2-like agonists is becoming increasingly common, although few developmental animal studies have assessed the psychopharmacology of this class of drug. Contrary to results from adult rat studies, it has been reported that partial D2-like agonists may not induce agonist-like behavioral effects in preweanling rats during states of low dopaminergic tone.
From the Last Frontier to the new Cosmopolitan: A history of casino public relations in Las Vegas

Abstract This research examines the use of public relations by the casino gaming industry in Las Vegas, NV. Many are familiar with Las Vegas's extraordinary growth into a tourist destination and cultural icon, but few realize that public relations played a significant part in promoting this growth. Based on archival research, this paper identifies ways in which public relations activities – even when not identified by that particular title – played a role in advancing Las Vegas's casinos into the modern era of corporate ownership and international prominence.
Challenging the advanced first-year student's learning process through student presentations

The decline in computing enrollments is a global concern that necessitates that every potentially successful computing student be targeted for support and development. The needs of technically experienced, highly capable first-term college students are unique, and no less challenging than the needs of their lesser-prepared peers. In order to attract advanced first-year students to further computing studies, we need to understand better how instruction can meet their needs. This paper reports the results of a study in which advanced first-term computing students were challenged to become in-depth researcher-learners and to teach the content they acquired to their peers. The results demonstrate that students and instructors alike perceive that the students made significant improvements in communication, presentation, and teaming skills and acquired deep content knowledge from their experience in the course. The data also show that students were extremely uncomfortable with the paradigm shift in their learning environment. These results suggest that anxiety-reducing changes are needed for the course, but that overall, the teacher-researcherlearner concept is very beneficial for increasing the understanding and learning of advanced first year computing students.
F-TES ADT Organic Integrated Circuits on Glass and Plastic Substrates

Using the small-molecule organic semiconductor fluorinated 5,11-bis(triethylsilylethynyl) anthradithiophene (F-TES ADT), we have fabricated spin cast organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) and integrated circuits on glass and plastic substrates. Our F-TES ADT spin cast films are deposited at room temperature from toluene or chlorobenzene solutions with no annealing steps. Film growth is considerably more ordered on pentafluorobenzenethiol (PFBT) treated Au electrodes surfaces than on oxide and on samples with patterned PFBT-Au structures grains appear to grow out from the PFBT-Au areas into the oxide areas. OTFTs fabricated on silicon wafers have mobility of 0.1 - 0.4 cm2/V·s and 0.2 - 1.0 cm2 / V·s spin cast from toluene and cholobenzene solutions respectively. Results for operational and environmental stability of spin cast F-TES ADT OTFTs and circuits on both glass and plastic substrates are also presented.
Intensity of Bud Dormancy in Douglas‐fir and Its Relation to Scale Removal and Rooting Ability

Uniform 1- or 2-year-old rooted cuttings of 3 Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, clones were grown under natural conditions in containers from July 1, 1971 to February 15, 1972. At 2-week intervals, plants from this natural temperature and daylength environment were moved into controlled, long day (LD-18 h) and short day (SD-9 h) environments to measure the intensity of bud dormancy from its inception to termination based on number of days to bud break and percentage of expanding buds on a given date. Growth responses to bud scale removal were also helpful in describing the degree and nature of bud dormancy. The cessation of initiatory activity at the bud apex, reflected in the needle number of the subsequent growth flush, corresponded to a September peak of bud dormancy based on the number of days to bud break in the LD environment. Similarly, the cold requirement for breaking bud dormancy was measurable in the SD environment. The use of such rest intensity indices is illustrated in the close relationship established between bud dormancy development and stem cutting rooting ability.
Purification of a low molecular weight non-histone chromosomal protein

Abstract A non-histone chromosomal protein was extracted from rat liver chromatin with 0.35 M NaCl and purified more than 2758 times to near homogeneity by hydroxyapatite, gel filtration, and phosphocellulose chromatography. The final fraction was greater than 95% pure as judged by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis. The protein, designated loosely bound non-histone chromosomal protein 1, had an observed molecular weight of 15 700. This protein was demonstrated to increase the amount of RNA synthesized in a heterologous (Escherichia coli RNA polymerase) transcription system and, therefore, this activity was also used to monitor its purification. The availability of highly purified loosely bound non-histone chromosomal protein 1 will make possible an examination of its structural and/or functional role in chromatin.
Pre‐appointment management of new patient referrals in rheumatology: a key strategy for improving health care delivery

Objective To analyze the impact of a rheumatologist reviewing each newly referred patient's medical records prior to scheduling an appointment (pre-appointment management). Methods All 279 new patients who were referred in the 6 months after initiating pre-appointment management were studied. The authors reviewed systemwide patient records, appointment intake information, visit schedules, physician comments, and patient complaint data. Results Only 59% of referred patients required a rheumatology consultation for appropriate care. Some problems were rapidly resolved without consultation. In some cases, other specialty consultation or continuing prior care was considered to be more appropriate. The latter alternative did not compromise these patients' outcomes. Practice access and efficiency were improved. Profitability was maintained. Referring physicians and patients were generally accepting and cooperative. Conclusion New patient pre-appointment management should be a key strategy for reducing health care costs, addressing personnel shortage, and improving access to and coordination of rheumatic disease care.
Inducing Maximal Versus Typical Learning Through the Provision of a Pretraining Goal Orientation

Goal setting has been used in a variety of contexts in an effort to induce maximal effort and to facilitate greater performance outcomes than would otherwise be achieved through an individual's more typical efforts. Do pretraining goals induce trainees to maximize learning efforts in training? Does the type of goal matter? We meta-analytically cumulated the results of 61 independent studies (N = 10,151) that examined the efficacy of pretraining goals. Results suggest pretraining goals (regardless of type) yield higher performance on posttraining cognitive, skill, and affective learning assessments than “no-goal” conditions. Performance-oriented goals facilitated better performance on measures of declarative knowledge, whereas mastery-oriented goals yielded greater learning on higher levels of cognitive learning and for all levels of skill-based learning. Further, mastery-oriented goals fostered greater posttraining self-efficacy, more positive attitudes toward training, and better intentions to transfer t...
Chemical Sympathectomy Alters Numbers of Splenic and Peritoneal Leukocytes

Sympathectomy of BALB/c mice that were injected with either Listeria monocytogenes or saline did not affect the total number of splenic leukocytes measured 1-3 days after injection, but sympathectomy did increase the percentages of neutrophils in the spleens of both infected and uninfected mice. By contrast, sympathectomy was associated with increased numbers of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and peritoneal macrophages in both groups of mice. Sympathectomy did not affect tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-12, or interferon-gamma production in cultured splenocytes or PEC in either infected or uninfected mice.
Feature-based rule induction in machining operation using rough set theory for quality assurance

Abstract There have been many studies, mainly by the use of statistical modeling techniques, as to predicting quality characteristics in machining operations where a large number of process variables need to be considered. In conventional metal removal processes, however, an exact prediction of surface roughness is not possible or very difficult to achieve, due to the stochastic nature of machining processes. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to solve the quality assurance problem in predicting the acceptance of computer numerical control (CNC) machined parts, rather than focusing on the prediction of precise surface roughness values. One of the data mining techniques, called rough set theory, is applied to derive rules for the process variables that contribute to the surface roughness. The proposed rule-composing algorithm and rule-validation procedure have been tested with the historical data the company has collected over the years. The results indicate a higher accuracy over the statistical approaches in terms of predicting acceptance level of surface roughness.
Computers and the classics

Since the last article in this series was prepared two years ago, the growth of applications of computers in classical studies has continued apace. Much of the work has been devoted to preparation of basic philological tools, but, as evidenced by reports to a variety of meetings, some attention has also been given to other aspects of literary criticism. With the increasing opportunities for direct or indirect cooperation between those using computers in classics, the possible variety of approaches in research and in teaching elementary languages is widening. This report is devoted primarily to a survey of representative examples of these activities.1 Concordances and indices in various formats continue to constitute
Calculation of the Sublattice Magnetization of Yttrium Iron Garnet by the Oguchi Method

An effective-field theory called the Oguchi method is used to describe the magnetization of yttrium iron garnet. The main feature of the model is that it includes spin correlation through a two-spin cluster. The theoretical magnetization is fitted by the method of least squares to the experimental data of Anderson. Three calculations are performed: The first is the so-called Ising model, for which the exchange parameters are $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{ad}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}45.20$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{dd}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}25.60$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{aa}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}15.90$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and the Landau-Lifschitz stiffness constant $A$ is $7.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ erg/cm. The second calculation treats the transverse components of the ${\mathrm{S}}_{a}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}_{d}$ interaction by second-order perturbation theory, yielding the values $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{ad}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}39.94$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{dd}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}18.80$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{aa}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}12.58$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and $A=1.49\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ erg/cm. The third calculation treats the transverse components of the ${\mathrm{S}}_{a}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}_{d}$ interaction by fourth-order perturbation theory, yielding the values $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{ad}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}38.36$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{dd}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}17.04$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, $\frac{{J}_{\mathrm{aa}}}{k}=\ensuremath{-}11.66$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and $A=1.65\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ erg/cm.
A Three-Point Sixth-Order Nonuniform Combined Compact Difference Scheme

A three-point nonuniform combined compact difference (NCCD) scheme with sixth-order accuracy is proposed for numerical models. The NCCD scheme is a generalization of the previously proposed combined compact difference (CCD) scheme with a global Hermitan polynomial spline and has major improved features such as error and computational (CPU) time reduction. For nonperiodic boundaries, additional sixth- or fifth-order nonuniform boundary conditions are proposed. The NCCD scheme with either sixth- or fifth-order additional boundary conditions can increase the accuracy and decrease the CPU time about 1?2 orders of magnitude, compared to the CCD scheme.
Emotions and team projects and processes

Purpose – To explore the relationships between emotions and overall team processes and task performance.Design/methodology/approach – The work begins with a literature review of the major studies performed on emotions and their affects on teams. This study then specifically surveys a group of information technology student teams at various stages of a term‐long project to determine their level of feelings in 15 separate emotions at each stage. Also measured are effects of emotions on attitudes towards team processes. Regression analysis was used to measure the significance of several hypotheses.Findings – Overall findings specifically measured the five hypotheses. It was found that team emotions at the start of the project are more positive than negative. Negative emotions grow more than positive over the life of the project. Emotions show increased intensity over the life of the project. Initial emotions did not significantly affect overall team processes. Final emotions somewhat affected overall team pr...
US Health System Reform in the Early 21st Century

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has listed its priorities: reducing federal expenditures for Medicare by $115 billion by 2002 and broadening the types of coverage available to Medicare enrollees, a bill of rights for members enrolled in managed care plans, larger expenditures for biomedical research and development, and multiyear funding to the states to speed health care coverage for large numbers of uninsured children. 1 The states, in turn, are looking closely at their future spending for health care services and are speeding the enrollment of Medicaid-eligible patients into Medicaid managed care plans in the hope and with the expectation that such action will moderate their future health care outlays, although there is no firm evidence from any of the larger states that such anticipated economies can be achieved. 2 In the nongovernmental sector, many voluntary (as well as for-profit) hospitals are joining networks; mergers continue apace among for-profit as well as not-for-profit managed care plans in the belief that more members are the precondition for more profits. On the academic front, affiliations and mergers among academic health centers (AHCs) have occurred and are occurring along the East and West Coast, specifically in Boston, Mass, New York, NY, and San Francisco, Calif. Further, the Health Care Financing Administration has entered into agreements with selected AHC hospitals for a staggered reduction for the next 5 years in the scale of their residency training programs by 20% to 25% to be facilitated by a lagged cutback in federal fundingfortheirreducedgraduatemedicaleducationprograms. 3 The foregoing references, however, do not address the growing numbers of the uninsured and the underinsured except for the special funding that the federal government has provided the states to provide coverage for many uninsured children. The low and declining capacity use of acute care hospitals, currently at the 60% level, indicates the need for accelerated capacity restrictions, mergers, and closures if future hospital costs are to be moderated. The current health system reform agendas also fail to take account of the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that by 2008 total national health care expenditures will top $2 trillion, with the governmental share approximating 60% of the total, once account is taken of the current $100 billion plus annual federal tax subsidy for those who provide or use private health insurance coverage. 4
Drainage Reduction under Land Retirement over Shallow Water Table

The retirement of land from agricultural production as a means of reducing the volume of subsurface drainage generated in the Western San Joaquin Valley, Calif., is under consideration. Reticence among local farmers and water managers renders only willing-seller land retirement feasible. There is an interest to acquire land that will generate the maximum possible drainage reduction relative to a “no retirement” baseline. An investigation was conducted to determine the drainage reduction potential of the retirement of (1) parcels that span land underlain by tile drains and land free of drainage infrastructure; (2) a “downgradient” parcel plagued by shallow ground water and equipped with subsurface tile drains; and (3) an “upgradient” parcel overlying well-aerated soil requiring no drainage. Long-term modeling with a deforming finite-element model suggests that the contiguous retirement yields the greatest drainage reduction. For single parcels, the 31% drainage reduction potential of downgradient retiremen...
Cancer prevention health services research: an emerging field.

In October 2009, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center hosted a symposium, “Future Directions in Cancer Prevention and Control: Workforce Implications for Training, Practice, and Policy.” This article summarizes discussions and an Internet and literature review by the symposium’s Health Services Infrastructure Working Group. We agree on the need for the recognition of Cancer Prevention Health Services Research (CP-HSR) as a unified research field. With advances in cancer screening and increased emphasis on preventive services under healthcare reform, there is a growing need for investigators with both cancer prevention and HSR expertise to consider the comparative effectiveness of cancer screening methods, the cost-effectiveness of early detection technologies, and the accessibility of preventive care for individuals at risk of cancer. Defining CP-HSR as a field will provide investigators with credibility and will serve to draw more researchers to the field. Increasing funding to train individuals in CP-HSR will be important to help meet the anticipated demand for investigators with this specialized multidisciplinary expertise.
DPA-substituted coumarins as chemosensors for zinc(II): modulation of the chemosensory characteristics by variation of the position of the chelate on the coumarin

The sensory capabilities of two novel di(2-picolyl)amine (DPA)-substituted coumarins are described and it is shown that the variation of the point of attachment of the DPA group to the coumarin framework controls their sensing behavior: the 4-substituted system is a CHEF-type sensor that shows a significant increase in fluorescence intensity upon Zn2+ binding, whereas the 3-substituted system is a ratiometric sensor.
A novel flow process for metal and ore solubilization by aqueous methyl iodide

Aqueous solutions of methyl iodide (CH3I) react with metal ores and with metals, causing them to dissolve in water. This dissolution has been investigated in both static extraction and flow systems. Aqueous concentrations of metals are enhanced anywhere from 3- to 242-fold. The proposed mechanism involves electrophilic attack on the solid surface, thereby breaking the linkages binding the metal to the solid lattice and causing dissolution. Because biogenic sources constitute a major component of global CH3I flux, prospects for related polyfunctional algal haloorganics as aqueous ore or metal solubilizers are noted.
Monitoring cystoid macular edema by Optical coherence tomography in patients with retinitis pigmentosa

Abstract Purpose To determine the value of optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging in the diagnosis and monitoring of cystoid macular edema (CME) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Design Prospective, noncomparative, small case series. Participants Three patients with RP and cystic-appearing spaces in the macula on OCT images. Intervention All 3 patients were treated with a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, and 1 also received topical and systemic steroids. Main outcome measures Changes in OCT images, fluorescein angiography, and best-corrected visual acuity (VA). Results Although foveal cysticlike spaces were evident on OCT images in all 3 patients, only 1 patient showed CME on fluorescein angiography at baseline. Two of the 3 patients showed funduscopic evidence of macular cystic lesions, whereas a third showed no clinically evident fundus changes in the macula. Optical coherence tomography images documented improvement in the cystic-appearing spaces after treatment with the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Changes on fluorescein angiography were either not apparent or considerably less apparent. An improvement of ≥1 line on a Snellen acuity chart was recorded in 2 patients, whereas a third showed no change of VA in either eye. Conclusions Optical coherence tomography is a potential method for the diagnosis and monitoring of CME in patients with RP. It was more sensitive in this regard than either fluorescein angiography or funduscopic examination.
Inertial Parameters for Collective Nuclear Oscillations

Inertial parameters for nuclear rotation and quadrupole shape oscillation are known to be several times as large as the values assuming irrotational flow. These parameters may be calculated by using a method due to Inglis and applied in recent work by Bohr and Mottelson. The nucleus is assumed to be mainly in the lowest possible intrinsic state, but slightly perturbed by the time-dependence of the nuclear shape. It is convenient to separate the nuclear Hamiltonian into interactions of the individual nucleons with an average potential of the anisotropic harmonic oscillator type and residual interactions independent of deformation. Then the intrinsic motions of the nucleons must satisfy, at least approximately, self-consistency conditions between the potential and nuclear density. The nucleons outside closed shells are seen to contribute about half of the nuclear deformation. The excess of the inertial parameters over the irrotational values is related directly to the spread in energy of admixed excited states of the intrinsic motion, an essential consequence of the approximately independent motions of the nucleons.The inertial parameters are determined mainly by excitation of nucleons outside closed shells and they are inversely proportional to the square of the average excitation energy within a major shell. In summary, the nuclear collective motion appears to resemble the shell model situation more than was thought previously, especially as regards the dominant role of the nucleons outside filled shells.Empirical values of the inertial parameters are discussed in the light of these results, and a comparison is made with the recent analysis of Bohr and Mottelson. Anomalies in the empirical gyromagnetic ratios of rotational motion for odd-$A$ nuclei result from the important role of the unpaired nucleon. With the aid of a simplified model in which the unfilled shell is assumed to be a $p$ shell, it is possible to account qualitatively for a number of the observed features.
Influence of processing variables on the optical properties of SiO2-TiO2 planar waveguides

The application of solution derived Si02-Ti02 thin films for use in integrated optics has been of considerable interest in recent years. Optical filters,waveguides and chemical sensors5 have been fabricated by a variety of researchers, using several different chemical routes to synthesize the deposition solution.
Three complexes of bis(N-methylbenzohydroxamato-O,O')copper(II)

The first single-crystal studies of three bis-transoid Cu–hydrox­amate salts, bis(3-methoxy-4,N-dimethyl­benzo­hydrox­amato-O,O′)copper(II), [Cu(C10H12NO3)2], bis(4-chloro-N-methyl­benzo­hydro­xamato-O,O′)copper(II), [Cu­(C8­H7­Cl­NO2)2], bis(N-methyl-3,5-di­nitro­benzo­hydro­xamato-O,O′)copper(II)–chloro­form (1/2), [Cu­(C8­H6­N3O6)2]·­2CHCl3, are presented. The Cu atom in each of the title compounds sits at a center of inversion and displays a nearly square-planar geometry with the hydro­xamate-O atoms connected to it in a syn configuration. The N atoms are in a transoid configuration. Each five-membered Cu–hydro­xamate ring is planar, thus providing evidence that a planar N atom is present in each ring. The phenyl groups are twisted with respect to the hydro­xamate group by ∼40–54°. The angular strain of the sp2 carbonyl oxy­gen is significant (∼10° from ideal).
Why is Choline Such a Low-Efficacy Agonist of the Neuromuscular Acetylcholine Receptor-Channel?

Acetylcholine receptor-channels (AChRs) mediate fast chemical transmission at the synapse. Agonist molecules, such as acetylcholine and nicotine, bind at two transmitter binding sites and trigger the channel to switch from a closed to an open conformation. At the synaptic cleft, acetylcholine is hydrolyzed by acetylcholinesterase to acetate and choline. Replacing an ester acetyl group by a hydroxyl group (from acetylcholine to choline) decreases the resting affinity by ∼50-fold and efficacy by ∼600-fold. To understand the action of these ligands and to design novel drugs, it is essential to measure both affinity and efficacy of agonist derivatives using wild type and binding-site mutated AChRs. A technical limitation is that agonists block the channel. Thus, experiments at high agonist concentrations, required due to a low affinity agonist or mutant, are difficult at −100 mV membrane potential. Using a background mutation and depolarization, we have developed an approach to measure AChR single-channel currents activated by various agonists without channel block even at concentrations >140 mM. Using this method, we have directly measured the efficacy of several derivatives of choline on the mouse neuromuscular AChR. Replacing the hydroxyl group of choline with different substituents, such as hydrogen, chloride, methyl, or amine, increases the relative efficacy by 2-9 fold. Extending the ethyl hydroxide tail of choline to propyl and butyl hydroxide also produces more efficacious agonists, by 4.8 and 25-fold, respectively. Perhaps the neuromuscular AChR has specifically evolved to be poorly activated by choline. Our findings reveal the amount of the energy available for AChR conformational change from different agonists. We are searching for the site(s) in the AChR that make choline such a low-efficacy agonist. Supported by NIH (NS-23513, NS-064969).