cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of cognitive behavior therapy on smokers' compensatory coping skills

Cognitive behavior therapy for depression has been adapted for use in cigarette smoking cessation groups. CBT appears to be an effective treatment, though results are mixed as to whether it is especially helpful for smokers vulnerable to depression, and little is known about what mediates its effects. Based on the hypothesis that CBT works by way of teaching compensatory skills for coping with negative thinking and emotions, this study compared CBT with a time-matched comparison condition incorporating health education and scheduled, reduced smoking. There was a nonsignificant trend favoring CBT in achieving abstinence, but CBT did not enhance smokers' compensatory coping skills. Discussion focuses on the need to examine a wide range of possible mediating variables in future research on CBT for smoking cessation.
Sexy Dolls, Sexy Grade-Schoolers? Media & Maternal Influences on Young Girls’ Self-Sexualization

Concern is often expressed that mass media contribute to the early sexualization of young girls; however, few empirical studies have explored the topic. Using paper dolls, we examined self-sexualization among sixty 6–9 year-old girls from the Midwestern United States; specifically self-identification, preference, and attributions regarding sexualized dress. Based on simultaneous maternal reports, we also investigated potential risk factors (media consumption hours, maternal self-objectification) and potential protective factors (maternal television mediation, maternal religiosity) for young girls’ sexualization. Findings support social cognitive theory/social learning theory and reveal nuanced moderated effects in addition to linear main effects. Girls overwhelmingly chose the sexualized doll over the non-sexualized doll for their ideal self and as popular; however, dance studio enrollment, maternal instructive TV mediation, and maternal religiosity reduced those odds. Surprisingly, the mere quantity of girls’ media consumption (tv and movies) was unrelated to their self-sexualization for the most part; rather, maternal self-objectification and maternal personal religiosity moderated its effects.
Markov availability models on neural networks

Abstract Neural networks are employed to realize an availability model of the TMR hardware with fault-coverage and repair. The failure rate and repair rate of the system that satisfy a target pointwise availability are extracted from the weights of the neural network. The structure and results of the simulation algorithm are presented.
Modified LTR robust control for flexible structures

A procedure is developed for dealing with performance and robustness issues in the design of multi-input multi-output compensators for lightly damped flexible structures. The procedure is based upon representing errors in the plant design model as structured uncertainties, and applying a modified version of the Loop Transfer Recovery (LTR) design method. Real parameter errors, such as frequency errors, damping errors or modal displacement errors can be treated. The approach involves adjusting the cost function in the regulator problem and the process noise model in the estimator problem in a particular manner which reflects the assumed structure of the modeling errors. Numerical examples dealing with the control of a large flexible space antenna with uncertain frequencies demonstrate a considerable improvement over standard LTR methods. Convenient design parameters can be varied until a satisfactory compromise is achieved between performance and robustness.
Neglect of the target Hamiltonian in corrections to the Glauber approximation

Systematic corrections to the Glauber approximation for the scattering of charged particles by atoms in general include not only the Wallace correction for potential scattering, but also the effect of target-particle motion and energy change.
On the existence of delay-insensitive fair arbiters: Trace theory and its limitations

This paper considers the existence and formal specification of delay-insensitive fair arbiters. We show that the exact notion of fairness used is of critical importance because certain common notions are not delay-insensitive when used across independent interfaces. We further show that for the relevant notions of fairness, the existing trace theory of finite traces lacks the expressive power to specify a delay-insensitive fair arbiter (i.e. the specification of such a fair arbiter is also satisfied by an unfair arbiter). Based on this we extend trace theory to include infinite traces, and show by example the importance of including liveness in such a theory. The extended theory is sufficiently expressive to distinguish fair arbiters from unfair ones, and we use it to exhibit a delay-insensitive fair arbiter, thus establishing their existence. In addition our extended theory generalizes the existing trace theory by introducing a composition operator (C) that at once generalizes the existing operators and obviates the composability restrictions used by previous authors. Finally our extended theory introduces wire modules as an abstraction to capture the important role that transmission media properties play in circuit behavior.
Comparing Regression Discontinuity and Multivariate Analyses of Variance: Examining the Effects of a Vocabulary Intervention for Students at Risk for Reading Disability.

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of a regression discontinuity design (RDD) with those of an experimental design of a tiered vocabulary intervention for children at risk for rea...
Action Learning in a Nutshell

There can be few tasks so daunting as to describe action learning in an abbreviated and concentrated way. Those who have experienced action learning know the wide variety of forms it can take. There can be vast differences of interpretation and application. The lack of a tightly defined framework can be a distraction, especially to those accustomed to curriculum design. On the other hand, the flexibility of action learning in promoting learning and elevating organizational performance can be highly attractive. This article covers action learning in a contextual way, first, by relating it to two societal trends. Three examples are then provided that leave the reader free to interpret their significance and how they differ from traditional approaches to problem resolution. The remainder of the article then outlines action learning principles. The goal is an integrated view of action learning in application, including some contrasting beliefs.
Modeling Nonlinear Structural Equation Models: A Comparison of the Two-Stage Generalized Additive Models and the Finite Mixture Structural Equation Model

Researchers have devoted some time and effort to developing methods for fitting nonlinear relationships among latent variables. In particular, most of these have focused on correctly modeling interactions between 2 exogenous latent variables, and quadratic relationships between exogenous and endogenous variables. All of these approaches require prespecification of the nonlinearity by the researcher, and are limited to fairly simple nonlinear relationships. Other work has been done using mixture structural equation models (SEMM) in an attempt to fit more complex nonlinear relationships. This study expands on this earlier work by introducing the 2-stage generalized additive model (2SGAM) approach for fitting regression splines in the context of structural equation models. The model is first described and then investigated through the use of simulated data, in which it was compared with the SEMM approach. Results demonstrate that the 2SGAM is an effective tool for fitting a variety of nonlinear relationships...
Design and implementation of a distributed database system

Abstract This article describes the design, implementation and testing of a set of software modules that are used for remote database access in a heterogeneous computer system. Such remote access of databases enables cost-effective use of resources, because it becomes possible to use specialized database engines for data storage and user-friendly interfaces (typically graphical) for data manipulation and database navigation. The goal of this research was to implement a client-server model using Structured Query Language functions using the sockets application programming interface. The database functions were implemented on an IBM AS/400, while the transmission control protocol/Internet protocol provided the communications support with graphical user interfaces acting as clients.
Effect of anti-NGF antibodies in a rat tibia fracture model of complex regional pain syndrome type I

Tibia fracture in rats evokes chronic hindpaw warmth, edema, allodynia, and regional osteopenia resembling the clinical characteristics of patients with complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I). Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to support nociceptive and other types of changes found in neuropathic pain models. We hypothesized that anti-NGF antibodies might reduce one or more of the CRPS I-like features of the rat fracture model. For our studies one distal tibia of each experimental rat was fractured and casted for 4 weeks. The rats were injected with anti-NGF or vehicle at days 17 and 24 post-fracture. Nociceptive testing as well as assessment of edema and hindpaw warmth were followed during this period. Molecular and biochemical techniques were used to follow cytokine, NGF and neuropeptide levels in hindpaw skin and sciatic nerves. Lumbar spinal cord Fos immunostaining was performed. Bone microarchitecture was measured using microcomputed tomography (microCT). We found that tibia fracture upregulated NGF expression in hindpaw skin and tibia bone along with sciatic nerve neuropeptide content. We also found nociceptive sensitization, enhanced spinal cord Fos expression, osteopenia and enhanced cytokine content of hindpaw skin on the side of the fracture. Anti-NGF treatment reduced neuropeptide levels in sciatic nerve and reduced nociceptive sensitization. There was less spinal cord Fos expression and bone loss in the anti-NGF treated animals. Conversely, anti-NGF did not decrease hindpaw edema, warmth or cytokine production. Collectively, anti-NGF reduced some but not all signs characteristic of CRPS illustrating the complexity of CRPS pathogenesis and NGF signaling.
Considerations in Design of Transition Behaviors for Dynamic Thematic Maps

Maps provide a means for visual communication of spatial information. The success of this communication process largely rests on the design and symbolization choices made by the cartographer. For static mapmaking we have seen substantial research in how our design decisions can influence the legibility of the map’s message, however, we have limited knowledge about how dynamic maps communicate most effectively. Commonly, dynamic maps communicate spatiotemporal information by 1) displaying known data at discrete points in time and 2) employing cartographic transitions that depict changes that occur between these points. Since these transitions are a part of the communication process, we investigate how three common principles of static map design (visual variables, level of measurement, and classed vs. unclassed data representations) relate to cartographic transitions and their abilities to congruently and coherently represent temporal change in dynamic phenomena. In this review we find that many principles for static map design are less than reliable in a dynamic environment; the principles of static map symbolization and design do not always appear to be effective or congruent graphical representations of change. Through the review it becomes apparent that we are in need of additional research in the communication effectiveness of dynamic thematic maps. We conclude by identifying several research areas that we believe are key to developing research-based best practices for communicating about dynamic geographic processes.
Back to the future Islamic Spain as a model for marketing efflorescence

Spain during the time period 711 to 1492 was one of the most brilliantly creative and affluent nations in the Western Europe. During this epoch, Spain was populated by Muslims, Christians, and Jews...
Rotational relaxation in supercritical CO2

Though there are numerous studies of solute molecule rotational dynamics in ordinary liquids and supercritical fluids, few such studies have focused on the molecules of a neat supercritical fluid. In the present study, weinvestigate the structure and rotational dynamics of supercritical carbon dioxide at a temperature 1% above its critical temperature and over a 20-fold range of densities about the critical density. Our simulations reveal the presence of density inhomogeneities and thus regions of modest local density enhancement in this fluid over a significant range of bulk densities. Although these inhomogeneities account for the weak bulk density dependence of the CO 2 orientational correlation times in the near-critical regime, they are not reflected in a concomitant variation in the observed total rotational friction. Caution is warranted, however, in interpreting the usual diffusive dynamics parameters in this system because only at densities in excess of the critical density may the dynamics be characterized as diffusive; only at lower densities are orientational correlations found to decay on a time scale equal to or shorter than that characterizing the angular velocity correlations.
Bosak, Dauphas, Fiore, Maloof, and Schoof receive 2011 James B. Macelwane medals: Response from Nicolas Dauphas

Tanja Bosak, Nicolas Dauphas, Arlene M. Fiore, Adam C. Maloof, and Christian Schoof were awarded the 2011 James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist.”
Quality of life in multiple sclerosis: determinants, measurement, and use in clinical practice.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex demyelinating disease with a relatively unpredictable course. It is well established that MS has a significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL) for individuals at all stages of the disease. It is argued that clinicians offer treatment to their patients for three reasons: 1) to increase longevity, 2) to prevent future morbidity, and 3) to make patients feel better. To assess how well they are accomplishing the third of these goals, clinicians have come to depend on the direct measurement of patients’ HRQL. We review the many physical and emotional symptoms and other consequences of MS that negatively influence HRQL, how HRQL is measured, the unique information these measures provide compared with clinical parameters, the benefit of treatment interventions, and how to include HRQL assessment and data from other sources in clinical encounters and suggest measures to consider for clinical use.
The Role of Perceived Similarity in Supportive Responses to Victims of Negative Life Events

The authors examined whether participants' perceived similarity to an ostensible victim of a negative life event influenced their supportiveness during a live interaction. Two competing models were considered: (a) increased similarity would be associated with increased supportiveness through attraction to the target and (b) increased similarity would be associated with decreased supportiveness through anxiety (due to heightened vulnerability). Participants (N = 241) met individually with a confederate posing as a cancer patient. Reactions were assessed, including verbal and nonverbal behaviors, both before and after the interaction, by participants themselves and by observers of the interaction. Results supported a model based on the classic similarity/attraction paradigm: Perceived similarity indirectly predicted participant-reported supportiveness/warmth and smiling through its relationship to attraction. Results extend the literature on similarity and attraction to the stress and coping arena and suggest that emphasizing perceived similarities to victims would be beneficial.
Clinical Decision-Making for Stroke and Aphasia in the Older Adult

Abstract A patient with aphasia that is uncomplicated by other cognitive abilities will usually show a primary impairment of language. The frequency of additional cognitive impairments associated with cerebrovascular disease, multiple (silent or diagnosed) infarcts, or dementia increases with age and can complicate a single focal lesion that produces aphasia. The typical cognitive profiles of vascular dementia or dementia due to cerebrovascular disease may differ from the cognitive profile of patients with Alzheimer's dementia. In order to complete effective treatment selection, clinicians must know the cognitive profile of the patient and choose treatments accordingly. When attention, memory, and executive function are relatively preserved, strategy-based and conversation-based interventions provide the best choices to target personally relevant communication abilities. Examples of treatments in this category include PACE and Response Elaboration Training. When patients with aphasia have co-occurring epi...
Brief Seizures Cause Dendritic Injury

Seizures may directly cause brain injury by disrupting the structure and function of synapses. Previous studies using in vivo time-lapse imaging have demonstrated an acute beading of dendrites and loss of dendritic spines immediately following status epilepticus, but the effects of brief seizures and the long-term evolution of this dendritic injury are unknown. Here, we examined the effects of seizures of varying durations on dendritic structure over several weeks using in vivo multiphoton imaging with kainate-induced seizures in mice. The degree of dendritic injury was directly dependent on the duration of the seizures, with seizures lasting more than 30 minutes (status epilepticus) resulting in a greater than 75% spine loss. However, even brief seizures (<5 minutes) induced moderate dendritic beading and spine loss. The dendritic injury from brief seizures usually recovered within two weeks, whereas status epilepticus-induced injury only partially reversed. These studies demonstrate that seizures of all durations may trigger at least transient neuronal injury.
Image Enhancement by Partially Coherent Imaging

Abstract A partially coherent Koehler -illuminationimaging system equipped with complementary masksin source and pupil planes can be used to performimage enhancement operations such as directionalor non -directional edge enhancement and emphasisof spatial bandpass features. With many objectsthe use of complementary masks results in high -contrast images. Underlying principles areexplained and preliminary experimental results presented. IntroductionConventional imaging systems, particularlymicroscopes, are often modified in one way oranother to improve their ability to image specificclasses of objects. Two examples are Zernikephase contrast microscopy and dark field micro- scopy. Most modification schemes are basedon coherent optical imaging principles,' andillumination is usually provided by a point -likesource or its equivalent. In this paper a schemeis described that has much in ccommon withspatially incoherent imaging2'j and that offersadvantages characteristic of both coherent andincoherent imaging: high contrast for the outputyet the absence of coherent artifacts such as areintroduced by dust on lenses. The scheme isillustrated by way of example in the followingsection, then certain general aspects arediscussed and additional examples presented.An Example - Bandpass ImagingFigure 1 shows an imaging system of theKoehler illumination type, where the source isimaged into the pupil. The source is assumed tobe spatially incoherent and uniform in intensity.
Open access to scholarly indexing/abstracting information

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to discuss open access to scholarly indexing/abstracting information.Design/methodology/approach – Discusses open access to scholarly indexing/abstracting information.Findings – Open access versions of the traditional ready reference tools cannot always substitute for the commercial, subscription‐based indexing/abstracting databases, but they can complement them.Originality/value – The paper offers insights into scholarly indexing/abstracting.
Temperature Dependent Photoluminescence of MBE Grown Gallium Nitride Quantum Dots

We report on the growth and optical properties of gallium nitride quantum dots (QDs) grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. We have observed strong photoluminescence (PL) from the QDs from 8 to 750 K. Atomic force microscopy studies demonstrate that the QDs have diameters of (30 ± 5) nm and heights of (3 ± 1) nm. PL from the quantum dots was compared to that of a gallium nitride growth template film to unambiguously demonstrate the contribution of the QDs to the spectra. Integrated PL intensity was observed to remain strong well above 300 K, and we attribute the decrease in the quantum dot PL at higher temperatures to phonon-mediated carrier ionization of deep level.
Fluid therapy with artificial colloids: complications and controversies.

Objectives To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of colloidal therapy in veterinary medicine. Databases used MEDLINE (1966-present), Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau Abstracts (1973-present), personal files.
Dietary selenium effects on milk eicosanoid concentration in dairy cows during coliform mastitis.

Abstract The effect of selenium deficiency on the product profile of arachidonic acid oxidation by enzymatic pathways in Holstein cows with experimentally-induced coliform mastitis was investigated. The animals were fed dairy rations containing 0.05 mg Se/kg dry matter, with the supplemented group receiving additional Se to increase the dietary concentration to approximately 0.35 mg Se/kg dry matter. Cows were inoculated intracisternally with 30 colony-forming-units of Escherichia coli at 14–16 weeks of lactation. Eicosanoids and bacteria numbers were recorded at various intervals of time for 60 h postinoculation. Milk from cows fed the Se-depleted diet had significantly higher (p
Oral manifestations in patients with aplastic anemia

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to characterize the prevalence and risks of oral complications in aplastic anemia (AA). Study Design: Approximately 79 patients with AA (age, 37 ± 17 years) and 66 control patients with schizophrenia (age, 33 ± 12 years) were examined. Records were reviewed for demographic, clinical, and radiographic information. Prior medical therapy, laboratory values, disease duration, and medical treatment response were noted for patients with AA. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were calculated for oral manifestations in cases and in control subjects. Univariate analysis identified important variables for logistic regression. Results: Patients with AA presented more frequently with oral petechiae (OR = 49; 95% CI, 2.9-825), gingival hyperplasia (OR = 27; 95% CI, 1.6-463.5), spontaneous gingival bleeding (OR = 27; 95% CI, 1.6-463.5), and herpetic lesions (OR = 27; 95% CI, 1.6-463.5). Prior cyclosporine use was associated with gingival hyperplasia ( P =.0001). No other predictors for oral manifestations or treatment outcomes were found. Conclusions: Oral soft tissue changes and infections were more common in patients with AA. Prior cyclosporine use was predictive of the presence of gingival hyperplasia. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2001;92:503-8)
ORGANIZATION THEORY AND RESEARCH: Some Implications for Guidance Programs

The “common sense approach” to organizing and administering guidance services needs to be buttressed by sound theoretical principles and the results of meaningful research. In view of the absence of such support, the contributions of the science of organizations are examined for relevant concepts and conclusions. Commonly held assumptions regarding the value of democratic supervision and participative problem-solving need to be qualified. In addition, effective social interactions are viewed as a function of a complex of behaviors and events involving the initiator, the recipient and their situational circumstances. The concepts of communication, organization fiction, power, and decision-making were seen as providing the administrator with additional cues for appraising and revitalizing his program and service.
Rapid fabrication of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic capillary gel electrophoresis system utilizing high precision machining

In this work, we demonstrate a rapid protocol to address one of the major barriers that exists in the fabrication of chip devices, creating the micron-sized structures in the substrate material. This approach makes it possible to design, produce, and fabricate a microfluidic system with channel features >10 µm in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) in under 8 hours utilizing instrumentation common to most machine shops. The procedure involves the creation of a master template with negative features, using high precision machining. This master is then employed to create an acrylic mold that is used in the final fabrication step to cast channel structures into the PDMS substrate. The performance of the microfluidic system prepared using this fabrication procedure is evaluated by constructing a miniaturized capillary gel electrophoresis (micro-CGE) system for the analysis of DNA fragments. Agarose is utilized as the sieving medium in the micro-CGE device and is shown to give reproducible (RSD (n = 34) ∼ 5.0%) results for about 34 individual separations without replenishing the gel. To demonstrate the functionality of the micro-CGE device, a DNA restriction ladder (spanning 26–700 base pairs) and DNA fragments generated by PCR are separated and detected with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The microchip is shown to achieve a separation efficiency of 2.53 × 105 plates m−1.
Similarity- versus rule-based categorization.

An influential study by Rips (1989) provides the strongest evidence available that categorization cannot be reduced to similarity. In Rips's study, subjects were presented a sparse description of an object that mentioned only a value on a single dimension (e.g., "an object 3 inches in diameter"), followed by two categories (e.g., pizza and quarter), where one allowed more variability on the relevant dimension than did the other (the diameter of pizzas is more variable than that of quarters). Subjects judged the described object to be more likely to be a member of the variable category (pizza), but more similar to the nonvariable category (quarter). This dissociation between categorization and similarity strongly implies that categorization was not based on similarity. In our first experiment, we used sparse descriptions like Rips's, as well as rich descriptions that contained features characteristic of the nonvariable category. We found that categorization tracked similarity with both kinds of descriptions. In a second experiment, we modified our procedure to be more like that of Rips's by requiring subjects to think aloud while making their decisions. Now, like Rips, we found a dissociation between similarity and categorization with sparse items; with rich descriptions, categorization again tracked similarity. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that categorization can be done in two ways, by similarity and by rule. An exclusive reliance on rule-based categorization seems to occur only when the description of the to-be-categorized object does not contain any features characteristic of any relevant category.
More efficient bottom-up multi-pattern matching in trees

Abstract Pattern matching in trees is fundamental to a variety of programming language systems. However, progress has been slow in satisfying a pressing need for general-purpose pattern-matching algorithms that are efficient in both time and space. We offer asymptotic improvements in both time and space to Chase's bottom-up algorithm for pattern preprocessing. A preliminary implementation of our algorithm runs ten times faster than Chase's (1987) implementation on the hardest problem instances. Our preprocessing algorithm has the advantage of being on-line with respect to pattern additions and deletions. It also adapts to favorable input instances, and on Hoffmann and O'Donnell's (1982) class of simple patterns, it performs better than their special-purpose algorithm tailored to this class. We show how to modify our algorithm using a new decomposition method to obtain a space/time tradeoff. Finally, we trade a log factor in time for a linear space bottom-up pattern-matching algorithm that handles a wide subclass of Hoffmann and O'Donnell's (1982) simple patterns.
The pattern of inheritance of X‐linked traits is not dominant or recessive, just X‐linked

UNLABELLED Our modern concepts of genetic inheritance originated nearly a century ago. Early concepts of dominant and recessive inheritance were developed in insects and were subsequently applied to sex-linked inheritance in mammals. Years of clinical experience, however, suggest that the modern-day rules for X-linked dominant and recessive diseases do not explain why so many female carriers of X-linked 'recessive' disorders have an abnormal phenotype. In a review of 32 X-linked diseases we revealed an unexpectedly high degree of intermediate disease penetrance in females that cannot be explained by existing concepts. We recommend that the terms 'dominant' and recessive' be abandoned and that these disorders be referred to as X-linked. In this review we will present modified rules for X-linked inheritance and propose hypotheses related to the potential mechanisms that may explain differences in disease expression in females. CONCLUSION Past assumptions regarding factors that may affect phenotype in heterozygous females do not capture the extraordinarily variable expressivity of X-linked disorders in females and need to be revisited.
Endopyelotomy for treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction caused by torsion of a renal allograft.

Ureteral obstruction is the most common urological complication following renal transplantation. The obstruction most often occurs distal, secondary to ureteral ischemia and fibrosis or extrinsic compression. Rarely the level of obstruction occurs at the ureteropelvic junction. We report a case of torsion of a renal allograft causing ureteropelvic junction obstruction that was successfully treated endourologically.
Visualization and Exploration of Temporal Trend Relationships in Multivariate Time-Varying Data

We present a new algorithm to explore and visualize multivariate time-varying data sets. We identify important trend relationships among the variables based on how the values of the variables change over time and how those changes are related to each other in different spatial regions and time intervals. The trend relationships can be used to describe the correlation and causal effects among the different variables. To identify the temporal trends from a local region, we design a new algorithm called SUBDTW to estimate when a trend appears and vanishes in a given time series. Based on the beginning and ending times of the trends, their temporal relationships can be modeled as a state machine representing the trend sequence. Since a scientific data set usually contains millions of data points, we propose an algorithm to extract important trend relationships in linear time complexity. We design novel user interfaces to explore the trend relationships, to visualize their temporal characteristics, and to display their spatial distributions. We use several scientific data sets to test our algorithm and demonstrate its utilities.
Conditions for liposome adsorption and bilayer formation on BSA passivated solid supports

Planar solid supported lipid membranes that include an intervening bovine serum albumen (BSA) cushion can greatly reduce undesirable interactions between reconstituted membrane proteins and the underlying substrate. These hetero-self-assemblies reduce frictional coupling by shielding reconstituted membrane proteins from the strong surface charge of the underlying substrate, thereby preventing them from strongly sticking to the substrate themselves. The motivation for this work is to describe the conditions necessary for liposome adsorption and bilayer formation on these hetero-self-assemblies. Described here are experiments that show that the state of BSA is critically important to whether a lipid bilayer is formed or intact liposomes are adsorbed to the BSA passivated surface. It is shown that a smooth layer of native BSA will readily promote lipid bilayer formation while BSA that has been denatured either chemically or by heat will not. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy was used to characterize the surfaces of native, heat denatured, and chemically reduced BSA. The mobility of several zwitterionic and negatively charged lipid combinations has been measured using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). From these measurements diffusion constants and percent recoveries have been determined and tabulated. The effect of high concentrations of beta-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) on liposome formation as well as bilayer formation was also explored.
Sequence based polymorphic (SBP) marker technology for targeted genomic regions: its application in generating a molecular map of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome

Molecular markers facilitate both genotype identification, essential for modern animal and plant breeding, and the isolation of genes based on their map positions. Advancements in sequencing technology have made possible the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for any genomic regions. Here a sequence based polymorphic (SBP) marker technology for generating molecular markers for targeted genomic regions in Arabidopsis is described. A ~3X genome coverage sequence of the Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype, Niederzenz (Nd-0) was obtained by applying Illumina's sequencing by synthesis (Solexa) technology. Comparison of the Nd-0 genome sequence with the assembled Columbia-0 (Col-0) genome sequence identified putative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the entire genome. Multiple 75 base pair Nd-0 sequence reads containing SNPs and originating from individual genomic DNA molecules were the basis for developing co-dominant SBP markers. SNPs containing Col-0 sequences, supported by transcript sequences or sequences from multiple BAC clones, were compared to the respective Nd-0 sequences to identify possible restriction endonuclease enzyme site variations. Small amplicons, PCR amplified from both ecotypes, were digested with suitable restriction enzymes and resolved on a gel to reveal the sequence based polymorphisms. By applying this technology, 21 SBP markers for the marker poor regions of the Arabidopsis map representing polymorphisms between Col-0 and Nd-0 ecotypes were generated. The SBP marker technology described here allowed the development of molecular markers for targeted genomic regions of Arabidopsis. It should facilitate isolation of co-dominant molecular markers for targeted genomic regions of any animal or plant species, whose genomic sequences have been assembled. This technology will particularly facilitate the development of high density molecular marker maps, essential for cloning genes based on their genetic map positions and identifying tightly linked molecular markers for selecting desirable genotypes in animal and plant breeding experiments.
Coming back normal: the process of self-recovery in those with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Researchers have identified the reestablishment of self-identity as a key part of recovery in individuals with schizophrenia. Previous studies have increased scholars’ understanding abo...
Detection of sharp absorption lines in thin NdF 3 films

We report the use of a sensitive spectrometer system for studying sharp optical absorption lines that are due to transitions between 4f3 crystal-field levels of Nd3+ in epitaxial NdF3 films. Films as thin as 50 A on GaAs substrates displayed absorption lines with asymmetric line shapes. Samples with an antireflecting LaF3 buffer between the NdF3 layer and the substrate permitted observation of absorption lines in thinner films.
The work environment justice fund: five years of funding work environment justice in Massachusetts.

This article provides an assessment of the impact of five years of funding on work environment justice in Massachusetts. It first outlines the economic, historical, and political context in the 1990s in Massachusetts. Next, it describes the distribution of the Work Environment Justice Fund grants in detail by amounts presented, types of organizations and grants funded, and geographic representation of grantees. A discussion of the lessons learned from the work funded by the WEJF introduces a summary of major accomplishments of the grantees. The report concludes with recommendations for continuation and expansion of funding for grassroots work environment justice in Massachusetts.This is a “wake-up” call to all [Massachusetts] businesses to ensure they are exercising reasonable care in providing for their employees' health and safety.—Scott Harshbarger, former Massachusetts Attorney General, 1994
Data and safety monitoring in social behavioral intervention trials: the REACH II experience:

Background Psychosocial and behavioral interventions trials targeting a broad range of complex social and behavioral problems such as smoking, obesity and family caregiving have proliferated in the past 30 years. At the same time the use of Data and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMBs) to monitor the progress and quality of intervention trials and the safety of study participants has increased substantially. Most of the existing literature and guidelines for safety monitoring and reporting of adverse events focuses on medical interventions. Consequently, there is little guidance for investigators conducting social and behavior trials.Purpose This paper summarizes how issues associated with safety monitoring and adverse event reporting were handled in the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH II) program, a multi-site randomized clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes on Aging (NIA) and the National Institutes of Nursing Research (NINR), that tested the efficacy of a multicompon...
Change-oriented aircraft fuel burn and emissions assessment methodologies

Advancing the National Airspace System (NAS) generally requires research to project the costs and benefits of proposed operational changes that improve system efficiency and environmental performance. Aviation regulatory agencies increasingly rely on aircraft fuel consumption and emissions assessments to support investment decisions needed to adopt new technologies that ensure the best value to the public. The varying scopes of such assessments and often limited availability of data to support evaluations of future change scenarios pose analytic challenges. This paper describes a methodological framework for standardizing benefit estimations. The framework is centered on the concept of operational change, identifies key benefit mechanisms, defines applicable metrics, and presents quantitative fuel burn and emission benefit estimation examples. It aims to support assessments that are based on on-board flight data, surveillance data, and model evaluations in a manner independent of specific implementations of simulation capabilities and software tools. The examples characterize and compare typical operational change scenarios on a parametric basis and rank associated benefit pools of actual changes observed in recent operational improvements including implementations of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures at major airports in the NAS.
Team dynamics and team empowerment in health care organizations.

Background Despite the growing pervasiveness of team-based job designs in health care organizations, there is a degree of uncertainty and ambiguity about the process through which teams affect outcomes. Purpose This research adds to our understanding of the process by which team dynamics affects team member attitudes. It investigates the role of team empowerment as a mediator in the relationships between team context, team atmosphere, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Methodology Multiple regression analysis is used to test for the mediating effect of team empowerment in the relationships that team context and team atmosphere have with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Findings Team empowerment mediates the relationships of team context and team atmosphere with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Practice implications Although adopting team-based job designs is an important first step, attention must also be paid to the context and atmosphere of such teams. Better outcomes will be achieved when team members perceive a supportive team atmosphere and an empowering team context with clear and jointly developed goals, an appropriate mix of skills and expertise, and rewards linked to team performance.
In Situ TEM Study of Reversible and Irreversible Electroforming in Pt/Ti:NiO/Pt Heterostructures

Experimental verification of the microscopic origin of resistance switching in metal/oxide/metal heterostructures is needed for applications in non-volatile memory and neuromorphic computing. Numerous reports suggest that resistance switching in NiO is caused by local reduction of the oxide layer into nanoscale conducting filaments, but few reports have shown experimental evidence correlating electroforming with site-specific changes in composition. We have investigated the mechanisms of reversible and irreversible electroforming in 250–500 nm wide pillars patterned from a single Ta/Ti/Pt/Ti-doped NiO/Pt/Ta heterostructure and have shown that these can coexist within a single sample. We performed in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) electroform- ing and switching on each pillar to correlate the local electron transport behavior with microstructure and composition in each pillar. DFT calculations fitted to electron energy loss spectroscopy data showed that the Ti-doped NiO layer is partially reduced after reversible electroforming, with the formation of oxygen vacancies ordered into lines in the direction. However, under the same probing conditions, adjacent pillars show irreversible electroforming caused by electromigration of metallic Ta to form a single bridge across the oxide layer. We propose that the different electroforming behaviors are related to microstructural variations across the sample and may lead to switching variability.
Microbotryozyma collariae gen. nov., sp. nov., a basidiomycetous yeast isolated from a plant bug Collaria oleosa (Miridae)

Two strains of a basidiomycetous yeast were derived from an insect trypanosomatid culture isolated from the intestine of a plant bug, Collaria oleosa (Heteroptera: Miridae), collected in Costa Rica. The yeast did not form ballistoconidia but reproduced only by budding. Teliospores were not observed in individual and crossed cultures of each strain. Morphological and other taxonomic characteristics of the yeast were similar to those of the species in the polyphyletic genus Rhodotorula. However, molecular phylogeny inferred from the internal transcribed spacers and D1/D2 region of the large subunit rRNA gene showed that the strains represent a new species placed among the smut fungi in the family Ustilentylomataceae, which includes Aurantiosporium subnitens, Fulvisporium restifaciens, Ustilentyloma fluitans, and Rhodotorula hordea. Given the well distinguished phylogenetic position of this novel species within the Ustilentylomataceae, we propose Microbotryozyma collariae gen. nov., sp. nov. to accommodate the yeast isolated from C. oleosa, with strain American Type Culture Collection MYA-4666T (= PRA303-1S = CBS 12537) designated as the type strain.
Ulysses observations of the irregularly structured mid‐latitude solar wind during the approach to solar maximum

The Ulysses spacecraft reached 45°S heliolatitude in its second polar orbit on 5 February 2000. Solar wind observations over the first portion of Ulysses' second orbit have been remarkably different from those taken at mid-latitudes throughout its first orbit. During these portions of its first orbit, Ulysses crossed back and forth between the fast and slow solar wind and encountered a persistent corotating interaction region (CIR) on each solar rotation. In contrast, as Ulysses climbed to mid-latitudes in its second orbit, it observed highly irregular solar wind with much less periodic CIRs, and no entries thus far into the fast solar wind. In addition, the recent data include a higher frequency of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) than observed in Ulysses' previous orbit, as well as numerous interplanetary shocks associated with both the CMEs and CIRs. These observations demonstrate that the mid-latitude solar wind structure becomes increasingly complex as solar activity increases and coronal streamers, small-scale coronal holes, and CMEs arise at increasingly high latitudes.
GROWTH CONTROL OF DIFFERENTIATED FETAL RAT HEPATOCYTES IN PRIMARY MONOLAYER CULTURE VII. Hormonal Control of DNA Synthesis and Its Possible Significance to the Problem of Liver Regeneration

The initiation of DNA synthesis has been studied in quiescent primary cultures of fetal rat hepatocytes using defined hormones and chemically defined medium. Preparations of crystalline insulin (0.01-10 microg/ml) or 20,000-fold purified somatomedin (0.01-1 microg/ml) are stimulatory. Growth hormone (0.025 microg/ml) and hydroxycortisone (0.025 microg/ml), 3':5'-GMP! (10(-5) M) fail by themselves to initiate DNA synthesis but added together with insulin, enhance the stimulatory response by 50-100%. Thyroid hormones (L-T(3), L-T(4), 7.5-30 ng/ml) are by themselves without effect, but when they are added to thyroid hormone-depleted serum, the reconstituted mixtures show an enhanced capacity to initiate DNA synthesis. In contrast, glucagon (0.01 microg/ml) inhibits the insulin-stimulated response by about 50% without reducing basal DNA synthesis rates. The results described here and in the accompanying two reports indicate that environmental control over the initiation of DNA synthesis is complex, and can involve the participation of many factors. The in vitro findings are consistent with the concept that liver regeneration is hormonally controlled and raise the possibility that alterations of the intrahepatic ratio of insulin to glucagon are growth regulatory.
Sufficient conditions used in admittance selection for planar force-guided assembly

Admittance control approaches show significant promise in providing reliable force-guided assembly. An important issue in the development of these approaches is the specification of an appropriate admittance control law. This paper identifies procedures for selecting the appropriate admittance to achieve reliable planar force-guided assembly for single-point contact cases. A set of conditions that are imposed on the admittance matrix is presented. These conditions ensure that the motion that results from contact reduces part misalignment. We show that for bounded misalignment, if the conditions are satisfied for a finite number of contact configurations, the system ensures that force guidance is achieved for all intermediate configurations.
Opening Pandora's Box: Clinical Data and the Study of Complex Diseases

Complex diseases have complex phenotypes, and proper diagnosis requires that the analysis take into account the patient's history and exposure to environmental factors, as well as genetic information. Signaling information is one aspect of a grander "biomedical informatics" approach advocated for a better understanding of a patient's medically relevant disease phenotype.