cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whistleblowing and the Control of Organizational Misconduct

The current study reviews the literature on whistleblowing and examines its role in detecting and controlling organizational misconduct. We begin with a definition of this concept, show how micro-level theories of “deviance” explain whistleblowing, summarize evidence on its prevalence and correlates, and examine the legal protection of whistleblowers against organizational retaliation. The effectiveness of whistleblowing legislation in encouraging the reporting of organizational misconduct is also discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the relative costs and benefits of whistleblowing as a method of social control of organizational misconduct.
Photoelectron spectrum and ground state electronic structure of chromyl chloride vapor

Abstract The electronic structure of chromyl chloride CrO2Cl2 has been investigated by ultraviolet (HeI) photoelectron spectroscopy. Mulliken-Wolfsberg-Helmholtz molecular orbital calculations have been performed in order to provide a model for interpretation of the photoelectron spectra and to assist in assigning the low-energy optical absorption and emission transitions. The first ionization potential of CrO2Cl2 at 11.8 eV is due to ionization of the near-degenerate oxygen and chlorine nonbonding 2a2, 4b1, and 4b2 MO's. The first unoccupied orbital is basically a chromium dπ* orbital. The excitations (2a2, 4b1, 4b2)→ 7a1* correlate well with the three low energy absorption transitions observed.
MP-14.05: A retrospective review of solid epididymal masses evaluated by scrotal sonography with pathologic and clinical correlation

INTRODUCTION: Purpose was to determine the incidence of benign and malignant etiologies of solid epididymal masses evaluated with sonography. In addition, we explored sonographic features that may allow for a prospective diagnosis of benign or malignant. Finally, we reviewed sonographic and historical factors that may have played a role in the decision to pursue surgical or conservative management at our institution.
HOW INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION INFLUENCE CONTEMPORARY INVASION DYNAMICS

The literature on biological invasions has principally focused on understand- ing the ecological controls and consequences of invasions. Invading populations, however, often experience rapid evolutionary changes associated with or soon after their introduction. Ecological and evolutionary processes can, therefore, potentially interact over relatively short timescales. A number of recent studies have begun to document these interactions and their effect on short-term invasion dynamics: (1) The degree to which founder effects, drift, and in- breeding alter the genetic composition of introduced populations is mediated by migration and dispersal patterns, the population dynamics of founding populations, and life history. The genetic changes associated with founding can themselves feed back on population dynamics and life history. (2) Patterns of human-mediated dispersal and landscape change can influence the frequency and pattern of hybridization, which in turn can alter invasion dynamics. These altered invasion dynamics can influence the frequency and pattern of subsequent hybridization and introgression. (3) Strong selection can rapidly generate eco- typic specialization. Dispersal patterns, founder effects, genetic system, and life history influence the rate of local adaptation, its persistence, and its distribution in a landscape. (4) Introduced populations are subject to selection on life history traits and can serve as selective pressure on the life history traits of native populations. Life history evolution in both natives and aliens can influence ecological interactions and population dynamics, which in turn can influence the evolution of life history. Too few studies have investigated these interactions to definitively assess their overall generality or to determine how the relative interaction strength of ecology and evolution varies across taxa or ecosystems. However, the studies that do exist report interactions from a wide breadth of taxa and from all stages in the invasion process. This suggests that ecological-evolutionary interactions may have a more pervasive influence on contemporary invasion dynamics than previously appreciated, and that at least in some situations an explicit understanding of the contemporary co-influence of ecology and evolution can produce more effective and predictive control strategies.
ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: Dispensing and administration—2014

Purpose The results of the 2014 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings that pertain to dispensing and administration are described. Methods A stratified random sample of pharmacy directors at 1435 general and children’s medical–surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed by mail. Results In this national probability sample survey, the response rate was 29.7%. Ninety-seven percent of hospitals used automated dispensing cabinets in their medication distribution systems, 65.7% of which used individually secured lidded pockets as the predominant configuration. Overall, 44.8% of hospitals used some form of machine-readable coding to verify doses before dispensing in the pharmacy. Overall, 65% of hospital pharmacy departments reported having a cleanroom compliant with United States Pharmacopeia chapter 797. Pharmacists reviewed and approved all medication orders before the first dose was administered, either onsite or by remote order view, except in procedure areas and emergency situations, in 81.2% of hospitals. Adoption rates of electronic health information have rapidly increased, with the widespread use of electronic health records, computer prescriber order entry, barcodes, and smart pumps. Overall, 31.4% of hospitals had pharmacists practicing in ambulatory or primary care clinics. Transitions-of-care services offered by the pharmacy department have generally increased since 2012. Discharge prescription services increased from 11.8% of hospitals in 2012 to 21.5% in 2014. Approximately 15% of hospitals outsourced pharmacy management operations to a contract pharmacy services provider, an increase from 8% in 2011. Conclusion Health-system pharmacists continue to have a positive impact on improving healthcare through programs that improve the efficiency, safety, and clinical outcomes of medication use in health systems.
Localizing DNA and RNA Within Nuclei and Chromosomes by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization

The enormous potential of in situ hybridization derives from the unique ability of this approach to directly couple cytological and molecular information. In recent years, there has been a surge of success in powerful new applications, resulting from methodologic advances that bring the practical capabilities of this technology closer to its theoretical potential. A major advance has been improvements that enable, with a high degree of reproducibility and efficiency, precise visualization of single sequences within individual metaphase and interphase cells. This has implications for gene mapping, the analysis of nuclear organization, clinical cytogenetics, virology, and studies of gene expression. This article discusses the current state of the art of fluorescence in situ hybridization, with emphasis on applications to human genetics, but including brief discussions on studies of nuclear DNA and RNA organization, and on applications to clinical genetics and virology. Although a review of all of the literature in this field is not possible here, many of the major contributions are summarized along with recent work from our laboratory.
Simulation of the Impact of Fishing on Reproduction of a Protogynous Grouper, the Graysby

Abstract To determine if protogynous species are, as a result of fishing, more likely to suffer reproductive failure than are gonochoristic species, we modeled the production of fertilized eggs in simulated populations of graysby Epinephelus cruentatus. Additionally, we examined the effect of various compensatory mechanisms on maintaining fertilized-egg production despite increasing fishing mortality. These mechanisms included accelerated maturation, accelerated transition to malehood, accelerated growth, and combinations thereof. Protogynous stocks may be far more vulnerable to fishing than are comparable gonochoristic stocks. Stocks exhibiting uncompensated protogyny lost reproductive capacity as fishing mortality increased and failed reproductively (egg production less than 1% of that under natural mortality alone) at a lower fishing mortality rate than did gonochoristic stocks. Compensation through conservation of the numerical sex ratio somewhat reduced the impact of protogyny, and compensation throu...
Professional Psychotherapy and Its Relationship to Compliance in Treatment

Compliance rates over a 21-month period for 57 drug-abusing patients receiving individual professional psychotherapy in addition to parapro-fessional counseling were compared to compliance rates for patients not receiving individual professional psychotherapy. Compliance was defined as remaining in the treatment environment for an agreed upon time and neither leaving the hospital against medical advice nor being given a disciplinary discharge for illegal drug use, stealing, or fighting. Patients receiving professional psychotherapy had been assessed as having either higher levels of psychiatric symptoms or a history of a psychiatric diagnosis, or being potential management problems. Patients who received psychotherapy more likely remained stabilized in the treatment environment and in their role as patient. An additional finding was that clarity of the therapist's role in the ward environment affected the patient's stabilization. This study supports recent findings
Parallel ALLSPD-3D: Speeding Up Combustor Analysis Via Parallel Processing

The ALLSPD-3D Computational Fluid Dynamics code for reacting flow simulation was run on a set of benchmark test cases to determine its parallel efficiency. These test cases included non-reacting and reacting flow simulations with varying numbers of processors. Also, the tests explored the effects of scaling the simulation with the number of processors in addition to distributing a constant size problem over an increasing number of processors. The test cases were run on a cluster of IBM RS/6000 Model 590 workstations with ethernet and ATM networking plus a shared memory SGI Power Challenge L workstation. The results indicate that the network capabilities significantly influence the parallel efficiency, i.e., a shared memory machine is fastest and ATM networking provides acceptable performance. The limitations of ethernet greatly hamper the rapid calculation of flows using ALLSPD-3D.
Bis[2-(benzyl-amino)-pyridine-κN]bis-(2-formyl-phenolato-κO,O')nickel(II).

In the title complex, [Ni(C7H5O2)2(C12H12N2)2], the NiII atom lies on a center of inversion and is coordinated in an octa­hedral geometry by two 2-(benzyl­amino)­pyridine (2-BAP) and two 2-formyl­phenolate ligands with the O-atom donors in the equatorial plane and the pyridine N atoms in axial positions. There are hydrogen-bonding inter­actions between the secondary amine H atom and the phenolate O atom, as well as C—H⋯O inter­actions, which result in the dihedral angle between the aromatic phenyl ring of the 2-formyl­phenolate moiety and the pyridine ring being 80.23 (4)°. In the packing, there are both C—H⋯π inter­actions, which link the mol­ecules into chains along the b axis, and offset π–π inter­actions involving both the pyridine and phenyl rings of the 2-BAP ligands [centroid–centroid distances = 4.0100 (8) A for the pyridine rings and 3.6601 (8) and 4.8561 (8) A for the phenyl rings].
Reducing register ports using delayed write-back queues and operand pre-fetch

In high-performance wide-issue microprocessors the access time, energy and area of the register file are often critical to overall performance. This is because these pararmeters grow superlinearly as read and write ports are added to support wide-issue. This paper presents techniques to reduce the number of ports of a register file intended for a wide-issue microprocessor without noticeably impacting its IPC. Our results show that it is possible to replace the 16 read/8 write port file of an eight-issue processor with an 8 read/8 write port file so that the impact on IPC is insignificant. This is accomplished with the addition of some small auxiliary memory structures. Furthermore, the access time of the smaller file plus the auxiliary structures is such that if it were the critical path a 45-50% increase in clock speed would be possible. Finally, there is an energy per access savings of about 20% and an area savings of 40%, which has the potential for further savings by shortening global interconnect in the layout. An extension to the scheme that reduces the number of write ports from 8 to 6 is also presented. It suffers modest penalty in terms of IPC, but shows further reduction in energy and area. Depending on implementation characteristics it could yield a further increase in performance.
Pharmacodynamics of Aqueous Leuprolide Acetate Stimulation Testing in Girls: Correlation between Clinical Diagnosis and Time of Peak Luteinizing Hormone Level

We assessed the pharmacodynamics of a 3-hour leuprolide stimulation test in 11 girls with precocious puberty to determine an optimal single sampling time. Luteinizing hormone level following leuprolide stimulation was near maximum by 30 minutes in girls with central precocious puberty, whereas it continued to rise slowly in girls with nonprogressive puberty.
Midcrustal emplacement of the Sausfjellet pluton, central Norway: Ductile flow, stoping, and in situ assimilation

Midcrustal (25–30 km) emplacement of the dioritic Sausfjellet pluton into rocks of the Helgeland Nappe Complex, central Norway, occurred in two stages. Stage 1 consists of two-pyroxene hornblende gabbro and diorite. Stage 2 is asymmetrically zoned, with a modally layered central zone of diorite and anorthosite and a western/annular zone of quartz-bearing monzodioritic rocks. Igneous layering was locally attenuated, folded, and boudinaged in the hyper-solidus state. The magmatic foliation trajectory pattern in the pluton defi nes a shallowly southwest-plunging synform that crosscuts compositional zones. Mineral lineations plunge shallowly to moderately to the southwest. The pluton intruded a major lithologic boundary within the nappe; migmatitic pelitic gneisses are the main host rocks to the western part of the pluton, whereas the eastern and central parts are hosted predominantly by metacarbonate rocks. Calc-silicate, marble, quartzo-feldspathic, and dioritic xenoliths (up to 200 m in length) are present throughout the pluton; they are most common in Stage 1 and the central zone of Stage 2. Metapelitic xenoliths are conspicuously absent. Ductile fl ow during emplacement produced an ~1-kmwide structural aureole in which host-rock structures were defl ected into subparallelism with the steeply inward-dipping margin of the pluton. Tight antiforms developed along the northeastern, southeastern, and southwestern margins. Amphibolite-grade shear zones in the host rocks preserve plutonside-up kinematic indicators. In addition to the abundance of dioritic, calc-silicate, and quartzo-feldspathic gneiss xenoliths and geochemical evidence for assimilation in the western/annular zone, regional discordance of the pluton–host-rock contacts indicates that stoping was also an important emplacement process at midcrustal depths. Following magma emplacement, foundering of the central portion of the chamber combined with possible ca. 445 Ma regional contraction produced the map-scale synform defi ned by magmatic foliations and igneous layers. This study demonstrates that stoping and assimilation may occur simultaneously with host-rock ductile fl ow during magma chamber evolution at midcrustal levels and offers an explanation of why xenolith preservation may be compositionally dependent.
Blogs as an Alternative Public Sphere: The Role of Blogs, Mainstream Media, and TV in Russia’s Media Ecology

Applying a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, we investigate whether Russian blogs represent an alternative public sphere distinct from web-based Russian government information sources and the mainstream media. Based on data collected over a one-year period (December 2010 through December 2011) from thousands of Russian political blogs and other media sources, we compare the cosine similarity of the text from blogs, mainstream media, major TV channels, and official government websites. We find that, when discussing a selected set of major political and news topics popular during the year, blogs are consistently the least similar to government sources compared to TV and the mainstream media. We also find that the text of mainstream media outlets in Russia (primarily traditional and web-native newspapers) are more similar to government sources than one would expect given the greater editorial and financial independence of those media outlets, at least compared to largely state-controlled national TV stations. We conclude that blogs provide an alternative public sphere: a space for civic discussion and organization that differs significantly from that provided by the mainstream media, TV, and government.
Fractal system as represented by singularity function

A fractional slope on the log log Bode plot has been observed in characterizing a certain type of physical phenomenon and has been called the fractal system or the fractional power pole. In order to represent and study its dynamical behavior, a singularity function method is presented which consists of cascaded branches of a number of pole-zero (negative real) pairs or simple RC section. The distribution spectrum of the system can also be easily calculated, and its accuracy depends on a prescribed error specified in the beginning. The method is then extended to a multiple-fractal system which consists of a number of fractional power poles. The result can be simulated by a combination of singularity functions, each representing a single-fractal system. >
Digenic inheritance of deafness caused by 8J allele of myosin-VIIA and mutations in other Usher I genes

double heterozygous mice alsoshowed elevated hearing loss, suggestingPcdh15–Ush1g epistasis. While we readily detected MYO7A,USH1C, CDH23 and PCDH15 using mass spectrometry of puriﬁed chick utricle hair bundles, we did notdetect USH1G. Consistent with that observation, Ush1g microarray signals were much lower in chick cochleathan those of Myo7a, Ush1c, Cdh23 and Pcdh15 and were not detected in the chick utricle. These experimentsconﬁrm the importance of MYO7A for the development and maintenance of bundle function and support thesuggestion that MYO7A, USH1G (Sans) and CDH23 form the upper tip-link complex in adult mice, likely incombination with USH1C (harmonin). MYO7A, USH1G and PCDH15 may form another complex in stereocilia.USH1G may be a limiting factor in both complexes.
Is Paraoxonase-3 Another HDL-Associated Protein Protective Against Atherosclerosis?

The article by Reddy et al1 in the present issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is the first report of expression of human paraoxonase-3 (PON3) and its ability to prevent the formation of mildly oxidized LDL and also to inactivate preformed mildly oxidized LDL. Investigations on mammalian serum paraoxonase (PON), now called PON1, started nearly 50 years ago by Aldridge2 3 with the study of its hydrolytic activity with paraoxon and other organophosphates. More recently, ≈5 years ago, it was established that PON1 is a member multigene family in mammals.4 There are 3 PON genes closely aligned on human chromosome 7 and mouse chromosome 6. Research efforts on possible physiological functions of the PON family of enzymes have probably been hindered to some degree by their inappropriate designation as PONs (PON1, PON2, and PON3) and by the fact that most …
Treatment of Periodontitis by Local Administration of Minocycline Microspheres: A Controlled Trial

Background: Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition of toothsupporting tissues that is usually treated by mechanical removal of plaque and microorganisms that adhere to teeth. This treatment, known as scaling and root planing, is not optimally effective. Adjunctive therapy with locally delivered antimicrobials has resulted in improved clinical outcomes such as probing depth reduction. This article reports on the efficacy and safety of locally administered microencapsulated minocycline. Methods: Seven hundred forty-eight (748) patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis were enrolled in a multi-center trial and randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms: 1) scaling and root planing (SRP) alone; 2) SRP plus vehicle; or 3) SRP plus minocycline microspheres. The primary outcome measure was probing depth reduction at 9 months. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 9 months. Results: Minocycline microspheres plus scaling and root planing provided substantially more probing depth reduction than either SRP alone or SRP plus vehicle. The difference reached statistical significance after the first month and was maintained throughout the trial. The improved outcome was observed to be independent of patients’ smoking status, age, gender, or baseline disease level. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse effects among treatment groups. Conclusions: Scaling and root planing plus minocycline microspheres is more effective than scaling and root planing alone in reducing probing depths in periodontitis patients. J Periodontol 2001;72:1535-1544.
Explaining the t\bar{t} forward-backward asymmetry from a GUT-inspired model

We consider a model that includes light colored scalars from the 45 and 50 representations of SU(5) in order to explain the CDF- and DO-reported $ t\bar{t} $ forward-backward asymmetry, $ A_{{FB}}^{{t\bar{t}}} $ . These light scalars are, labeled by their charges under the Standard Model gauge groups, the (6, 1)4/3 and $ {{\left( {\overline {6}, {3}} \right)}_{{ - {1}/{3}}}} $ from the 50 and the (8, 2)1/2 from the 45. When the Yukawa coupling of the 50 is reasonably chosen and that of the 45 kept negligible at the scale of M Z , the model yields phenomenologically viable results in agreement with the total $ A_{{FB}}^{{t\bar{t}}} $ reported by CDF at the 0.7σ level and with $ A_{{FB}}^{{t\bar{t}}}\left( {{{M}_{{t\bar{t}}}} \geqslant 450\,\,{\text{GeV}}} \right) $ at the 2.2σ level. Additionally, the Yukawa coupling of the 50 remains perturbative to the GUT scale (which defines a “reasonably chosen” value at M Z ), and the presence of the light scalar from the 45 allows for gauge coupling unification at a scale of M GUT ~ 1017 GeV.
Design and fabrication of low-loss horizontal and vertical interconnect links using air-clad transmission lines and through silicon vias

In this paper we present the design and fabrication of air-clad planar transmission lines and TSVs that can be used as horizontal and vertical chip-chip interconnects. Performance improvement by using heterogeneous air-clad dielectric is presented for these two types of interconnect structures that establishes the basic motivation for fabricating these structures. The design data is verified by performing simulation using 3D full-wave solver HFSS. We outline the process flow for air-clad transmission lines and TSVs in detail. Several challenges in the fabrication of air-clad structures are also discussed.
Brightness and polarization of the zodiacal light - Results of fixed-position observations from Skylab

A method is outlined for evaluating discrete and background starlight at the Skylab wavelengths so as to derive the total brightness of zodiacal light at five sky positions. These sky positions are north celestial pole, south ecliptic pole, vernal equinox and two places near the north galactic pole. Pioneer 10/11 imaging photopolarimeters were used to periodically measure sky brightness and polarization in the blue and red at heliocentric distances beyond 1.002 AU. Mean zodiacal light, which is assumed to be also solar color in total light, is then estimated by applying the method to all fixed-point observations.
Leveraging the New Infrastructure: How Market Leaders Capitalize on Information Technology

The article reviews the book “Leveraging the New Infrastructure: How Market Leaders Capitalize on Information Technology,” by Peter Weill and Marianne Broadbent.
Exercise in Pregnancy: A Clinical Review

Context:Health professionals who care for pregnant women should discuss potential health benefits and harms of exercise. Although most pregnant women do not meet minimal exercise recommendations, there are a growing number of physically active women who wish to continue training throughout pregnancy.Evidence Acquisition:A search of the Web of Science database of articles and reviews available in English through 2014. The search terms exercise pregnancy, strenuous exercise pregnancy, and vigorous exercise pregnancy were used.Study Design:Clinical review.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Results:With proper attention to risk stratification and surveillance, exercise is safe for the mother and fetus. Benefits of exercise in pregnancy include reduction in Cesarean section rates, appropriate maternal and fetal weight gain, and managing gestational diabetes. Exercise as a means of preventing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or perinatal depression cannot be reliably supported. Overall, the current evidence suffers f...
Fertilizer Demand in the South Atlantic and East North Central Regions

The chief objective of the North Carolina study was the derivation of equations for predicting fertilizer consumption in the year ahead for two regions of the United States.l It was expected that such prediction equations could be used, with the judgment of fertilizer producers, to arrive at more accurate forecasts of fertilizer consumption than previously could be made. The South Atlantic2 and East North Central regions were chosen because of differences in their historical pattern of increase in consumption and because they are the two regions of greatest fertilizer consumption in the United States. Predictive variables considered in this study fall into five general classes: (1) the price of output, (2) the price of the input specifically being considered, (3) the prices of associated (substitutable or complementary) inputs, (4) the units of the fixed input to which the variable input is applied, and (5) factors which limit the farm firm in attaining the equilibrium conditions.
Legal Pageantry and Derogation of Due Process Norms in the Trial of Saddam Hussein

Law's engagement with evil is nowhere as evident as in the trials of unquestionably evil men. The imaginative range of law's response to evil may be ably captured by reviewing the major international atrocity trials of the last half-century. From Nuremberg to Eichmann, Milosovic to Akeyasu, Tojo to Barbie, these trials represent the many problems of mastering judgment, memory, justice, and vengeance inherent in conflicts where the guilt of the defendant seems far less important than the desire to expose atrocities, heal a people, and transition from old to new regimes. The recent capture and inevitable trial of Saddam Hussein raises these same questions - and an important new one. While acknowledging the wealth of thought and response arising out of the major atrocity trials of the last fifty years, this paper asks whether Hussein and other defendants like him, may be morally, legally, or wisely denied "basic" human rights such as the right to a fair trial or due process. The paper explores this question and wonders whether, despite theorists' concerns for slippery-slopes, a "legal pageant" that emphasizes symbolic and discursive ends may be morally and legally justified and may be substantively constructed to avoid the political excesses, and concomitant domestic legal instability, that many fear will occur. This book chapter is an adapted version of a talk delivered at the Evil, Law & the State Conference at Oxford University (July 2004). The transcribed nature of the talk explains, in part, the at times strident and at other times overly glib analysis within. Despite these reservations, the underlying issue, whether some individuals are less deserving of due process than others, continues to be important.
Biological studies on Entamoeba histolytica. III. Induced encystation in several mediums, including an account of a new procedure.

The biology of Entamoeba histolytica still presents several fundamental enigmas. Investigation of nutritional requirements has been seriously handicapped by inability to cultivate trophozoites free of other organisms. Understanding of the other important stage of the life cycle, the cyst, is hampered by ignorance of the causes of encystation in vivo and in vitro, as well as by the often cited practical difficulty of obtaining large numbers of mature cysts. Cysts have found use in many experiments dealing with epidemiological factors, and owing to their relatively greater resistance, have been used more frequently than trophozoites to initiate cultures with changed bacterial associ-
Methodological Issues & Statistical Help the ‘how' and ‘why' of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Care Pathways:

Health service improvement interventions such as care pathways should be evaluated for cost-effectiveness the same way other health interventions are. I describe what cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) for care pathways are, how they are conducted and how their results are interpreted. CEAs should clearly state what perspective they are taking, what time frame is being considered and what research question is being addressed. Effectiveness measured by tangible patient outcomes (deaths averted, bed-days saved or QALYs [quality-adjusted life-years] gained) are preferable to process measures because they are easier for non-specialists to understand. Having a control group is highly desirable to enhance the case for attributability. Costs include explicit and opportunity costs of implementing the care pathway. Cost consequences include the change in expenditures attributable to changes associated with the care pathway. Dividing incremental cost by incremental effects gives an incremental cost-effectiveness ra...
On the preparation of bovine alpha-thrombin.

An improved method for the preparation of bovine alpha-thrombin is described. The procedure involves that activation of partially purified prothrombin with tissue thromboplastin followed by chromatography on Sulfopropyl-Sephadex C-50. The purified enzyme is homogeneous on polyacrylamide discontinuous gel electrophoresis and has a specific activity toward fibrinogen of 2.200-2,700 N.I.H. U/mg. Its stability on storage in liquid media is dependent on both ionic strength and temperature. Increasing ionic strength and decreasing temperature result in optimal stability. The denaturation of alpha-thrombin by guanidine hydrochloride was found to be a partially reversible process with the renatured species possessing properties similar to "aged" thrombin. In addition, the catalytic properties of alpha-thrombin covalently attached to agarose gel beads were also examined. The activity of the immobilized enzyme toward fibrinogen was affected to a much greater extent than was the hydrolysis of low molecular weight, synthetic substrates.
Radiative cooling for thermophotovoltaic systems

Radiative cooling has recently garnered a great deal of attention for its potential as an alternative method for photovoltaic thermal management. Here, we will consider the limits of radiative cooling for thermal management of electronics broadly, as well as a specific application to thermal power generation. We show that radiative cooling power can increase rapidly with temperature, and is particularly beneficial in systems lacking standard convective cooling. This finding indicates that systems previously operating at elevated temperatures (e.g., 80°C) can be passively cooled close to ambient under appropriate conditions with a reasonable cooling area. To examine these general principles for a previously unexplored application, we consider the problem of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) conversion of heat to electricity via thermal radiation illuminating a photovoltaic diode. Since TPV systems generally operate in vacuum, convective cooling is sharply limited, but radiative cooling can be implemented with proper choice of materials and structures. In this work, realistic simulations of system performance are performed using the rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) techniques to capture thermal emitter radiation, PV diode absorption, and radiative cooling. We subsequently optimize the structural geometry within realistic design constraints to find the best configurations to minimize operating temperature. It is found that low-iron soda-lime glass can potentially cool the PV diode by a substantial amount, even to below ambient temperatures. The cooling effect can be further improved by adding 2D-periodic photonic crystal structures. We find that the improvement of efficiency can be as much as an 18% relative increase, relative to the non-radiatively cooled baseline, as well as a potentially significant improvement in PV diode lifetime.
A method to achieve spatial linearity and uniform resolution at the edges of monolithic scintillation crystal detectors for PET

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of the scintillation light transport between two adjacent 27.2 mm × 26.7 mm × 20 mm LYSO crystals, optically coupled together using MeItmount coupling medium with a refractive index of 1.7. Each crystal was read out by 4 Hamamatsu S118283344M monolithic SiPM arrays from one crystal side. Event positioning reconstruction results show that this optical coupling technique can substantially reduce the edge-artifacts in these crystals. With realistic values for the multiplication noise of the SiPMs and electronic readout noise, we obtain intrinsic spatial resolutions of ~3.1 mm FWHM at the center and ~3.0 mm FWHM at 0.6 mm from the optical coupling edge of the 20 mm thick monolithic crystals. When reducing the number of readout channels by applying a 4 : 1 multiplexing ratio, a ~4.1 and ~4.3 mm FWHM resolution, respectively, at the center and 0.6 mm from the optical coupling edge was obtained. The simulations further show that a coincidence timing resolution of 350 ps FWHM can be obtained with this crystal geometry, with a 30% SiPM photon detection efficiency (PDE).
An optically levitated dielectric nanosphere in vacuum as a force sensor

We present our progress towards using an optically levitated and cooled dielectric nanosphere in vacuum as a precision sensor. Such a system is well decoupled from the external environment and can have sub-attoNewton force sensitivity.
Machine Learning for Computational Psychology

Advances in sensing and imaging have provided psychology researchers new tools to understand how the brain creates the mind and simultaneously revealed the need for a new paradigm of mind-brain correspondence-- a set of basic theoretical tenets and an overhauled methodology. I develop machine learning methods to overcome three initial technical barriers to application of the new paradigm. I assess candidate solutions to these problems using two test datasets representing different areas of psychology: the first aiming to build more objective Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) diagnostic tools using virtual reality and peripheral physiology, the second aiming to verify theoretical tenets of the new paradigm in a study of basic affect using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging(fMRI). Specifically I address three technical challenges: assessing performance in small, real datasets through stability; learning from labels of varying quality; and probabilistic representations of dynamical systems.
Tariff-Based Commodity Price Stabilization Schemes in Venezuela

A revised version was published as The Political Economy of Expenditures by the Peruvian Social Fund (FONCODES), 1991-95. American Political Science Review 94 (2, June): 289-304, 2000. As the literature on political influences on the allocation of discretionary funds predicts, spending by the Peruvian Social Fund, FONCODES, increased significantly before elections. FONCODES projects were also directed at provinces where the marginal political impact of expenditures was likely to be greatest. President Alberto Fujimori created the Peruvian Social Fund (FONCODES) in 1991 with the stated objectives of generating employment, helping to alleviate poverty, and improving access to social services. Schady uses province-level data on monthly expenditures, socioeconomic indicators, and electoral outcomes to analyze political influences on the timing and geographic distribution of FONCODES expenditures between 1991 and 1995. He finds that: ° FONCODES expenditures increased significantly before elections. ° FONCODES projects were directed at poor provinces, as well as provinces in which the marginal political impact of expenditures was likely to be greatest. The results are robust to many specifications and controls. The Peruvian data thus support predictions made in the literature on political business cycles as well as the literature on political influences on the allocation of discretionary funds. This paper - a product of the Poverty Division, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network - is part of a larger effort in the network to understand the functioning and impact of social funds.
Evaluating Fidelity to a Modified NIATx Process Improvement Strategy for Improving HIV Services in Correctional Facilities

In a study aimed at improving the quality of HIV services for inmates, an organizational process improvement strategy using change teams was tested in 14 correctional facilities in 8 US states and Puerto Rico. Data to examine fidelity to the process improvement strategy consisted of quantitative ratings of the structural and process components of the strategy and qualitative notes that explicate challenges in maintaining fidelity to the strategy. Fidelity challenges included (1) lack of communication and leadership within change teams, (2) instability in team membership, and (3) issues with data utilization in decision-making to implement improvements to services delivery.
The impact of oil prices on bioenergy, emissions and land use

We evaluate how alternative future oil prices will influence the penetration of biofuels, energy production, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land use and other outcomes. Our analysis employs a global economy wide model and simulates alternative oil prices out to 2050 with and without a price on GHG emissions. In one case considered, based on estimates of available resources, technological progress and energy demand, the reference oil price rises to $124 by 2050. Other cases separately consider constant reference oil prices of $50, $75 and $100, which are targeted by adjusting the quantity of oil resources. In our simulations, higher oil prices lead to more biofuel production, more land being used for bioenergy crops, and fewer GHG emissions. Reducing oil resources to simulate higher oil prices has a strong income effect, so decreased food demand under higher oil prices results in an increase in land allocated to natural forests. We also find that introducing a carbon price reduces the differences in oil use and GHG emissions across oil price cases.
(U–Th)/He thermochronometry reveals Pleistocene punctuated deformation and synkinematic hematite mineralization in the Mecca Hills, southernmost San Andreas Fault zone

Abstract The timing, tempo, and processes of punctuated deformation in strike-slip fault systems are challenging to resolve in the rock record. Faults in the Mecca Hills, adjacent to the southernmost San Andreas Fault, California, accommodate active deformation and exhumation in the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary rocks and underlying crystalline basement. We document the spatiotemporal patterns of San Andreas Fault-related deformation as recorded in crystalline basement rocks of the Mecca Hills using fault microstructural observations, geochemical data, and hematite ( n = 24 ) and apatite ( n = 44 ) (U–Th)/He (hematite He, apatite He) thermochronometry data. Reproducible mean hematite He dates from minor hematite-coated fault surfaces in the Painted Canyon Fault damage zone range from ∼0.7–0.4 Ma and are younger than ∼1.2 Ma apatite He dates from adjacent crystalline basement host rock. These data reveal concomitant Pleistocene pulses of fault slip, fluid flow, and synkinematic hematite mineralization. Hematite textures, crystal morphology, and hematite He data patterns imply some damage zone deformation occurred via cyclic crack-seal and creep processes. Apatite He data from crystalline basement define distinct date-eU patterns and indicate cooling across discrete fault blocks in the Mecca Hills. Uniform ∼1.2 Ma apatite He dates regardless of eU are located exclusively between the Painted Canyon and Platform faults. Outside of this fault block, samples yield individual apatite He dates from ∼30–1 Ma that define a positive apatite He date-eU correlation. These patterns reveal focused exhumation away from the main trace of the San Andreas Fault at ∼1.2 Ma. Low-temperature thermochronometry of fault-related rocks provides an unprecedented window into the 10 5 – 10 6 -yr record of San Andreas Fault-related deformation in the Mecca Hills and documents hematite deformation mechanisms that may be operative in other strike-slip faults world-wide.
Mitral valve prosthesis implanted in the atrial position in a patient with extensive calcification extending from epicardium to mitral annulus.

A 72-year-old woman with progressive dyspnoea underwent transoesophageal echocardiography demonstrating mixed mitral stenosis and regurgitation, extensive mitral annular calcification (MAC), left atrial appendage clot and mass on aortic valve. Laboratory work-up revealed normal serum calcium. Left heart catheterisation did not reveal any significant coronary artery disease. Right heart catheterisation demonstrated severe pulmonary artery hypertension. Chest CT scan showed extensive calcification extending from left ventricular epicardium to mitral annulus (see online supplementary video 1). …
Interaction of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with soil components and plants: current knowledge and future research needs – a critical review

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2), one of the most produced engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), are used in pigments, photocatalysis, food additives, and personal care products. This broad variety of applications has led to the unusual and widespread distribution of nano-TiO2 in several environmental sectors, with different effects on living organisms. In the last decade, several publications have shown fragments of information about the interaction, detection, uptake, and translocation of nano-TiO2 in plants. This review includes a discussion of the current knowledge about factors affecting the interaction of nano-TiO2 with soil and plants. We also discuss the role of particle size, crystal phase, surface coating, and techniques employed to study the interaction of these nanoparticles with plants. Concluding results from synchrotron based, microscopic, physiological, and biochemical analyses of plants exposed to nano-TiO2 are presented. However, the current information leaves no doubt that there are still many aspects in need of additional investigations to fully understand the effects of nano-TiO2 in plants. For instance, little is known about the transgenerational effects of nano-TiO2 exposure and the changes at agronomical and physiological levels. The effects of such ENPs in proteins and other metabolites are also not well understood. In addition, more information is needed about the interaction of nano-TiO2 with other ENPs-and-organic co-contaminates and the effects of plants. Since nano-TiO2 have been found in edible tissues, it is expected that they will be in the food chain; thus, studies on their trophic transfer are required. The authors hope that, besides contributing to a better understanding of current data about the effects of nano-TiO2 in soil and plants, this review will help to drive future investigations and will contribute to the general knowledge on the environmental interactions of engineered nanomaterials.
Taguchi Methods: A Hands-On Approach

(1994). Taguchi Methods: A Hands-On Approach. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 77-78.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Evaluation and Management of Pain in the Outpatient Setting, 2006-2015.

OBJECTIVE Much is known about racial and ethnic disparities in receipt of opioids for pain in emergency departments. Less is known about such disparities in the evaluation and management of pain in the outpatient setting. METHODS Using the nationally representative National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), we estimated disparities in visit time with physicians and opioid receipt in the outpatient setting. We focused on patients whose reason for visiting was abdominal pain or back pain. Our sample included 4,764 white patients, 692 black patients, and 682 Hispanic patients. RESULTS Back pain visits of Hispanic patients lasted 1.6 fewer minutes than those of white non-Hispanic patients (P = 0.04 for the difference). Black patients were 6.0% less likely than white patients to receive opioids for abdominal pain (P = 0.04 for the difference) and 7.1% less likely than white patients to receive opioids for back pain (P = 0.046 for the difference). Hispanic patients were 6.3% less likely than white patients to receive opioids for abdominal pain (P = 0.003 for the difference) and 14.8% less likely than white patients to receive opioids for back pain (P < 0.001 for the difference). Hispanic patients were more likely than white patients to receive nonopioids instead of opioids for both abdominal pain and back pain. Differences in opioid receipt did not narrow during the examined time period. CONCLUSIONS Identifying causes of racial and ethnic disparities in the evaluation and treatment of pain in the outpatient setting is important to improving the health and function of patients.
The Pregnancy Recovery Center: A women-centered treatment program for pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact of women-centered substance abuse treatment programming on outcomes among pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD). Methods We compared two retrospective cohorts of pregnant women with OUD on buprenorphine maintenance therapy who delivered an infant at the University of Pittsburgh from 2014 to 2016. Cohort 1 was composed of pregnant women who received women-centered OUD treatment services through the Pregnancy Recovery Program (PRC) and Cohort 2 was composed of pregnant women who received buprenorphine at OUD programs without women-centered services (non-PRC). Women-centered outcomes were defined as a) pregnancy-specific buprenorphine dosing, b) prenatal and postpartum care attendance, c) breastfeeding and d) highly effective contraception utilization. Chi-square and t-tests were used to compare outcomes between PRC and non-PRC patients. Results Among 248 pregnant women with OUD, 71 (28.6%) were PRC and 177 (71.4%) were non-PRC patients. PRC patients were significantly more likely to initiate buprenorphine during vs. prior to their pregnancy (81.4% vs. 44.2%; p Conclusions Incorporating women-centered services into OUD treatment programming may improve gender-specific outcomes among women with OUD.