cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-walled carbon nanohorns decorated with semiconductor quantum dots to evaluate intracellular transport

Single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) have great potential to enhance thermal and chemotherapeutic drug efficiencies for cancer therapies. Despite their diverse capabilities, minimal research has been conducted so far to study nanoparticle intracellular transport, which is an important step in designing efficient therapies. SWNHs, like many other carbon nanomaterials, do not have inherent fluorescence properties making intracellular transport information difficult to obtain. The goals of this project were to (1) develop a simple reaction scheme to decorate the exohedral surface of SWNHs with fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) and improve conjugate stability, and (2) evaluate SWNH–QD conjugate cellular uptake kinetics and localization in various cancer cell lines of differing origins and morphologies. In this study, SWNHs were conjugated to CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs using a unique approach to carbodiimide chemistry. Transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy verified the conjugation of SWNHs and QDs. Cellular uptake kinetics and efficiency were characterized in three malignant cell lines: U-87 MG (glioblastoma), MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer), and AY-27 (bladder transitional cell carcinoma) using flow cytometry. Cellular distribution was verified by confocal microscopy, and cytotoxicity was also evaluated using an alamarBlue assay. Results indicate that cellular uptake kinetics and efficiency are highly dependent on cell type, highlighting the significance of studying nanoparticle transport at the cellular level. Nanoparticle intracellular transport investigations may provide information to optimize treatment parameters (e.g., SWNH concentration, treatment time, etc.) depending on tumor etiology.
Effective Social Interaction Strategies for Inclusive Settings

Many strategies and interventions exist in the education of young children with disabilities. One area of intervention is that of social interaction, including social skills instruction, peer interaction strategies, and play skills. Interaction and social skill strategies for use with children with and without disabilities for the purpose of increasing social interactions between children with and without disabilities in educational settings is an area many educators of early childhood special education strive to find in an effective and easy to implement format. Several strategies from research are presented in this article. Only strategies that were demonstrated to be successful through reported research are discussed. Strategies are identified according to their ease of implementation and effectiveness.
Access to medical care and service utilization among injection drug users with HIV/AIDS

Access to care and optimal service utilization among 287 low income African American former and current drug injectors was examined. Results indicated suboptimal outpatient care, and no evidence of alternative use of hospital services. Participation in drug treatment and case management were associated with greater access to care and use of outpatient services, even after controlling for current drug use, gender, and insurance. AIDS and physical functioning limitation were associated with emergency room (ER) use and hospitalization. Participation in drug treatment and case management and an AIDS diagnosis were associated with optimal outpatient service use. Daily alcohol use was associated with ER as the usual facility for care. Integration of substance abuse treatment, case management, and medical services delivery may contribute to improved HIV care for this population.
Marginal Checking as an Aid to Computer Reliability

Deteriorating components, particularly crystals and vacuum tubes, cause reduction of safety margins and are a prncipal source of error in digital computing and pulse communication. Marginal checking varies voltages in logical circuit groups, inducing inferior parts to cause failure, while a test program or pulse transmission detects and localizes potential failure. In a digital computer, this can be automatically accomplished with the computer itself acting as the detector. In one trial on a 400-tube prototype system the application of this type of preventive maintenance for half an hour per day improved reliability 50 to 1. Results of preliminary tests on a full computer are discussed.
In vitro selection of non-cross-hybridized DNA sequences.

Duplex formation between DNA oligonucleotides is an important technique for assembly of nanostructures [1,2]. In addition, matching of sequence templates during Watson-Crick duplex formation can implement a search among a large number of possibilities for information or potential solutions to computational problems. In a typical application, DNA oligonucleotide sequences are designed to form specific configurations of duplexes through hydrogen bonding and base stacking. With no explicit external control, this process is referred to as self-assembly according to a specific design. However, the control of DNA reactions and structures is a difficult task [3]. In
Cloning vectors for the synthesis of epitope-tagged, truncated and chimeric proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A series of cloning vectors, designated YCpIF, was constructed to facilitate the conditional synthesis of epitope-tagged, truncated and chimeric proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These vectors contain a translation start codon upstream from a multiple cloning site (MCS) in each of the three reading frames. Protein synthesis is under the control of the GAL1 promoter, which drives transcription when cells are grown on galactose-containing medium, but not when they are grown on glucose-containing medium. Different versions of the vectors contain four different commonly used selectable markers. In addition, YCpIF15, YCpIF16 and YCpIF17 contain a sequence encoding an epitope from influenza virus hemagglutinin upstream from the MCS. These vectors facilitate the addition of this epitope tag to the N terminus of any protein. The epitope is recognized by a commercially available monoclonal antibody.
The Utility of PreparingCU Plots Prior to DLTS Scans

Current practice recommends that a preliminary C versus U plot be made before beginning a DLTS scan of a semiconductor junction to select the required bias for the junction and the temperature range for the scan. We feel that it is more appropriate and meaningful to perform a CU study at a later time near or at the temperature of the trap emission. This fact is demonstrated by making a series of CU measurements in GaAs (Si-implanted) Schottky diodes and displaying appropriate three-dimensional representation of concentration—depth—temperature profiles. Ublicherweise wird vor einer DLTS-Untersuchung an einem Halbleiter-Ubergang eine CU-Messung durchgefuhrt, um die erforderliche Spannung und den Temperaturbereich zu fixieren. Es scheint jedoch gunstiger und sinnvoller zu sein, die CU-Messung spater nahe oder bei der Temperatur der Trap-Emission vorzunehmen. Dies wird anhand einer Serie von CU-Messungen an (Si-implantierten) GaAs-Schottky-Dioden und einer dreidimensionalen Darstellung von Konzentrations—Tiefen—Temperatur-Profilen demonstriert.
Comparison of the Curative Antimalarial Activities and Toxicities of Primaquine and Its d and l Isomers

This investigation was undertaken to determine whether either d-primaquine or l-primaquine has sufficient advantage over primaquine to warrant evaluation for curative activity in human volunteers infected with Plasmodium vivax. It was found: (i) that the capacities of the isomers and the racemate to cure infections with Plasmodium cynomolgi in rhesus monkeys were essentially identical; (ii) that the subacute toxicities of the isomers and racemate for this monkey were qualitatively the same, but that l-primaquine was three to five times as toxic as d-primaquine and at least twice as toxic as primaquine; and (iii) that the acute single-dose toxicities of the isomers for mice were not only qualitatively different, but that the d isomer was at least four times as toxic as l-primaquine. Since previous appraisals of curative activity and tolerability of 8-aminoquinolines in rhesus monkeys have correlated well with appraisals in human volunteers, attention was focused on results acquired with these test subjects. The relevant evaluations showed that d-primaquine had a therapeutic index at least twice that of primaquine. If this advantage carries over to man, problems that now complicate routine use of primaquine might be obviated. Therefore, a critical comparison of d-primaquine and primaquine in human volunteers seems indicated.
An observational study of cardiovascular characteristics of long-term end-stage renal disease survivors.

Long-term survival with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis is uncommon, mainly because of the high mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. To define the clinical characteristics of long-term ESRD survivors, especially their cardiovascular risk profile, patients were identified with > or = 15 years of ESRD having at least 10 years on dialysis. Seventeen patients were identified with a duration of ESRD of 21.0 +/- 4.3 years (mean +/- SD). The age of the patients at the initiation of dialysis was 38.4 +/- 14.5 years. Eighty-eight percent of the survivors were white, and 12% were African-American. The primary causes of ESRD were glomerulonephritis, 65%; polycystic kidney disease, 18%; tubulointerstitial/obstructive disorders, 12%; and hypertension, 6%. At the initiation of dialysis, these long-term survivors presented with a low prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, 53%; diabetes mellitus, 0%; active smoking, 11.8%; family history, 25%) and cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, 5.9%; congestive heart failure, 5.9%; arrhythmias, 0%; peripheral vascular disease, 0%; and cerebrovascular disease, 5.9%). In addition, only 6.6% of the long-term ESRD survivors presented with systolic blood pressures or = 15 years of dialysis, these long-term survivors remained with a low prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease. These results suggest that the low cardiovascular risk profile and morbidity experienced by these patients may contribute to their prolonged survival on dialysis.
Cyclic dissociation into stable subunits and re-formation of ribosomes during bacterial growth.

Abstract Studies of the distribution of isotopic labels among ribosomes and ribosomal subunits following transfer of a growing bacterial culture from a heavy- to a light-isotopes medium show that: (1) During growth ribosomes frequently undergo subunit exchange, presumably by dissociation into their 30 s and 50 s subunits and re-formation from a pool of free subunits. (2) Bibosomal subunits are stable: they remain intact during growth and are continuously, recycled through ribosomes. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that ribosomes must dissociate into their subunits between successive rounds of translation.
Can neurons in the nucleus ambiguus selectively regulate cardiac rate and atrio-ventricular conduction?

Abstract Previous anatomic data have described the distribution of presumptive negative chronotropic and negative dromotropic neurons in the ventro-lateral nucleus ambiguus (NA-VL) following injections of retrograde tracers into physiologically selective parasympathetic intracardiac ganglia. Negative dromotropic neurons were preferentially distributed in the rostral NA-VL (rNA-VL). Negative chronotropic neurons were preferentially distributed in the caudal NA-VL (cNA-VL). Significant numbers of both types of cardio-inhibitory neurons were observed to overlap in an intermediate level of the NA-VL (iNA-VL). In the present report, we have examined the effects of microinjections of the excitatory amino-acid glutamate (GLU) into the cNA-VL and iNA-VL on cardiac rate and AV conduction while recording the electrocardiogram in paced and non-paced cat hearts. The data indicate that: (i) excitation of neurons in the cNA-VL causes a 58 ± 17% reduction in cardiac rate, without influencing AV conduction; and (ii) excitation of neurons in the iNA-VL causes both a reduction in heart rate (68 ± 12%) and a decrease in the rate of AV conduction (38 ± 7%). These physiological results support the anatomical inference that neurons in the cNA-VL that are retrogradely labeled from physiologically selective parasympathetic intracardiac ganglia selectively exhibit negative chronotropic properties. Furthermore, the data indicate that there is a longitudinal cardiotopic organization of both negative chronotropic and negative dromotropic neurons in the NA-VL. This CNS organization mirrors the peripheral organization of functionally selective cardiac components of the vagus nerve. Finally, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that anatomically separated and functionally selective parasympathetic preganglionic vagal motoneurons in the NA independently control cardiac rate and AV conduction.
Ultrasound confirmation of endotracheal tube position in neonates.

Background: The placement of the endotracheal tube (ETT) in neonates is a challenging procedure that currently requires timely confirmation of tip placement by radiographic imaging. Objective: We sought to determine if bedside ultrasound (US) could demonstrate ETT tip location in preterm and term newborns and offer a quick alternative method of ETT positioning. Methods: We conducted a prospective pilot study of 30 newborns admitted to the UC San Diego Medical Center who had their ETT placement confirmed by chest radiographs. After a radiograph, each infant had a US exam with a 13-MHz linear transducer on a portable US machine. To assist localization, gentle longitudinal movement of the ETT of less than 0.5 cm was performed. Measurements from the tip of the ETT tip to the carina were made on chest radiograph and midsagittal US images. Results: Study infants had a mean gestational age of 30.2 ± 4.9 (SD) weeks and mean birth weight of 1,595.2 ± 862 g. US images were taken a mean 2.9 ± 2.2 h after radiographs. Data from 2 infants were excluded for poor radiograph image quality and extreme outlier values. The ETT was visualized by US in all newborns examined. We observed a good correlation between ETT tip-to-carina distance on US and radiograph (r2 = 0.68) with minimal bias. Each study took less than 5 min to obtain without any clinical deterioration. Conclusions: Bedside US can visualize the anatomic position of the ETT position in preterm and term infants but further validation is required before routine clinical implementation.
Quantum speed limit for perfect state transfer in one dimension

The basic idea of spin-chain engineering for perfect quantum state transfer (QST) is to find a set of coupling constants in the Hamiltonian such that a particular state initially encoded on one site will evolve freely to the opposite site without any dynamical controls. The minimal possible evolution time represents a speed limit for QST. We prove that the optimal solution is the one simulating the precession of a spin in a static magnetic field. We also argue that, at least for solid-state systems where interactions are local, it is more realistic to characterize the computation power by the couplings than the initial energy.
Infrared reflectance measurements of the insulator-metal transition in solid hydrogen.

Reflectance measurements on solid hydrogen to 177 GPa (1.77 Mbar) have been performed from near-infrared to ultraviolet wavelengths (0.5 to 3 eV). Above 150 GPa characteristic free-electron behavior in the infrared region is observed to increase sharply with increasing pressure. Analysis of volume dependence of the plasma frequency obtained from Drude-model fits to the spectra indicates that the pressure of the insulator-metal transition is 149 (+ or - 10) GPa at 295 K. The measurements are consistent with metallization by closure of an indirect gap in the molecular solid.
A seven-point scale and a decision-maker's simplifying choice strategy: An operationalized satisficing-plus model

Abstract The present study investigated how the decision-maker (DM) copes with his bounded rationality in making a specific choice. Specifically, this study proposed the operationally simplified satisficing-plus model as the one which the DM would employ in coping with the bounded rationality problem. Results revealed strong support for the newly proposed model as a cognitive representation of the DM's choice process.
The intracellular location of the glycosylation of hydroxylysine of collagen.

Abstract The subcellular location at which hydroxylysine residues of collagen are glycosylated was studied in chick embryo fibroblasts. Ribosomes were isolated from 14C-lysine pulse-labeled cells in tissue culture. Alkaline hydrolysis followed by amino acid analysis and scintillation counting of the effluent showed that glucosylgalactosyl hydroxylysine and galactosyl hydroxylysine as well as hydroxylysine and lysine were the major 14C-labeled components. Acid hydrolysis destroyed the glycoconjugates and yielded only free 14C-hydroxylysine and 14C-lysine. These data indicate that glycosylation of peptide-bound hydroxylysine is initiated while the polypeptide chain is still in the stages of assembly on the ribosome.
WE‐C‐AUD B‐08: Biologically Based Corrections for Interfraction Variations During Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Purpose: The linear‐quadratic (LQ) survival model is used to calculate the doses required to correct for interfraction deviations from the planned doses arising from patient setup errors, organ deformation and organ movement after multiple daily fractions. Corrected dose distributions derived from isosurvival (biological) and isodose (physical) methods are compared to planned dose distributions for a representative prostate cancer case. Method and Materials: Voxel‐by‐voxel interfraction deviations from a planned prostate cancertreatmentdelivered using image‐guidedintensity modulated radiation therapy (IG‐IMRT) with a linac and CT‐on‐Rails combination (CTVision, Siemens) are determined using the XiO treatment planning system by CMS and an in‐house image deformable registration tool based on the CT‐of‐the‐day for multiple days. Dose distributions needed on the nth treatment day to correct for the accumulated interfraction variations in previous fractions are determined using methods expected to produce the same surviving fraction in all regions of diseased and normal tissue as the planned treatment.Results: After completing a series of 5 planned fractions of 1.76 Gy, dose corrections derived from the biological modeling ranged from a low of 1.391 Gy (reduced by 27%) to a high of 2.652 Gy (increased by 51%) in some regions of tissue.Dose corrections derived from isosurvival modeling always yields smaller corrected doses than isodose methods, although the differences in the two methods are nearly indistinguishable for planned doses ∼ 2 Gy per day. Conclusion:Doses required to correct for interfraction variations accumulated on multiple treatment days are smaller for isosurvival (biological) methods than for isodose (physical) methods. In the limit when the planned fraction size is small compared to α/β, interfraction corrections to dose distributions derived from the physical and biological methods are indistinguishable. For hypofractionated treatments,dose corrections derived from isosurvival modeling may be substantially smaller than the ones derived from isodose methods.
Introduction: Some problems relating to fluctuations of ground-water level

When the program for the meeting of the Section of Hydrology a year ago was in preparation, it was suggested that a symposium be presented on the subject of the effects of the recent drought on ground-water levels. The proposal was not carried out largely because at that time not enough accurate information on the subject was yet available. It has, however, seemed that this year a worth-while group of papers could be developed on the broader subject of fluctuations of ground-water levels.
Chlorobium Vesicles: the Photosynthetic Organelles of Green Bacteria

AMONG photosynthetic organisms, green and purple bacteria are distinguished by their failure to evolve oxygen, a reflexion of their inability to use water as a photosynthetic electron donor. Although the mechanism of photosynthesis is grossly similar in these two groups of bacteria, its machinery is not. The photopigment systems of green and purple bacteria are group-specific; and their intracellular locations differ1,2.
Natural History and Current Therapy for Complete Heart Block in Children and Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

Complete heart block, either congenital or acquired, in children and patients with congenital heart disease is a relatively frequent occurrence requiring therapy. The natural history of this condition has been distorted by the advent of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. The therapy of complete heart block is evolving with new data suggesting that traditional treatment strategies utilizing right ventricular apical pacing may have inadvertent deleterious effects on cardiac function. In the following manuscript, the natural history of complete heart block is reviewed and the current therapy examined.
Simplified determination of the normal paraffin content of petroleum fractions

A greatly simplified method for the determination of the total normal paraffin content in petroleum fractions is described where the use of open-tubular columns and up-to-date data handling contribute to the criterion of “separation before quantitation”.
Wage differentials in the lodging industry: A case study.

Salary compensation programs are widely used as a tool to attract, retain, and motivate employees in the hotel industry. The development of a sound compensation plan is a critical component of any successful business. This study investigated the pay differential from different perspectives by using the data collected by the California Hotel and Lodging Association (CHLA), the largest state level hotel association in the United States. The results indicated that full service hotels offer higher base pay in positions such as General Manager, Resident Manager, and Executive Housekeeper as compared with limited service hotels. When accounting for hotel size only, hotels with more than 300 rooms offered higher base pay than their counterparts in several but not all managerial positions. The findings serve as a reference for human resources administrators in the state of California to develop their pay system. Pay differential rates were calculated to see the wage gap between different managerial positions. The results also provide a base salary reference to those looking for a job in the lodging industry.
SEGMENTAL RESPONSE OF THE MACROPHAGE PLASMA MEMBRANE TO A PHAGOCYTIC STIMULUS

for the segments of macrophage membrane to which they are attached, we have studied the effect of phagocytosis of latex particles and opsonized pneumococci on these membrane associated RBCs. Our data show that these RBCs are attached to functionally active membrane segments since they are ingested when rabbit anti-mouse RBC IgG is added to the medium and that phagocytosis of latex and of opsonized pneumococci does not stimulate the ingestion of membrane-attached RBCs. Thus, ingestion of one particle does not trigger generalized phagocytosis of all particles attached to the cell's plasma membrane. These findings suggest that the phagocytic stimulus is confined to the segment of the cell's plasma membrane immediately adjacent to the particle being ingested.
Simulating transient-state system effectiveness for human-machine systems

System effectiveness is a combined measure of readiness and reliability at each task-arrival time, when transient (human) operator behavior is considered in conjunction with the machine operating state. The authors derive effectiveness evaluation models for human-machine systems that have several machines. Each machine has an operator and contains several components (hardware and/or software). The system is modeled as a series system where all components and operators must be ready and reliable for every task in a mission. The probabilistic model for system effectiveness is quite complex in computation and provides solutions only for the steady state of the system. Simulation is used to estimate the effectiveness of the human-machine system and to obtain the transient performance. The modeling and simulation techniques can also be used for large human-machine systems that consist of computers, processors, and software. This study extends Abbas and Kuo (1990) that assumed one machine with multiple components in the human-machine system. Even one more machine and one more operator can make the probabilistic model much more complex. The authors have learned that computer simulation is necessary to analyze such multiple human-machine systems. >
Almonds and Almond Oil Have Similar Effects on Plasma Lipids and LDL Oxidation in Healthy Men and Women

Epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown that nut consumption is associated with favorable plasma lipid profiles and reduced cardiovascular risk. These effects may result from their high monounsaturated fat (MUFA) content but nuts contain constituents other than fatty acids that might be cardioprotective. We conducted a study to compare the effects of whole-almond vs. almond oil consumption on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in healthy men and women. Using a randomized crossover trial design, 22 normolipemic men and women replaced half of their habitual fat (approximately 14% of approximately 29% energy) with either whole almonds (WA) or almond oil (AO) for 6-wk periods. Compliance was ascertained by monitoring dietary intake via biweekly 5-d food records, return of empty almond product packages and weekly meetings with a registered dietitian. Fat replacement with either WA and AO resulted in a 54% increase in percentage of energy as MUFA with declines in both saturated fat and cholesterol intake and no significant changes in total energy, total or polyunsaturated fat intake. The effects of WA and AO on plasma lipids did not differ compared with baseline; plasma triglyceride, total and LDL cholesterol significantly decreased, 14, 4 and 6% respectively, whereas HDL cholesterol increased 6%. Neither treatment affected in vitro LDL oxidizability. We conclude that WA and AO do not differ in their beneficial effects on the plasma lipid variables measured and that this suggests that the favorable effect of almonds is mediated by components in the oil fraction of these nuts.
An extensible application for assembling annotation for genomic data.

SUMMARY AnnBuilder is an R package for assembling genomic annotation data. The system currently provides parsers to process annotation data from LocusLink, Gene Ontology Consortium, and Human Gene Project and can be extended to new data sources via user defined parsers. AnnBuilder differs from other existing systems in that it provides users with unlimited ability to assemble data from user selected sources. The products of AnnBuilder are files in XML format that can be easily used by different systems. AVAILABILITY (http://www.bioconductor.org). Open source.
Flight Data Analysis and Simulation of Attitude Control Thruster Plumes

Pressure measurements taken onboard a suborbital spacecraft exhibit non-periodic pulses during attitude control thruster firings. The attitude control system located at the bottom of the conical spacecraft included eight thrusters for pitch, yaw and roll control. The pitch and yaw thrusters delivered 1.245 N thrust while the roll thrusters delivered 3.278 N with impulses that lasted up to 0.03 s. The pressure sensor was housed inside the spacecraft and was connected to the outside with a 0.1-ni long, 0.022-m diameter tube. Pressure pulses appear instantaneously with the firings even for thrusters without a direct line-of-sight with the sensor entrance. Pressure data are superimposed on a background pressure that can be attributed to internal outgassing. Plumes from thrusters with the same level of thrust result in large differences in pressure depending on their orientation with respect to the pressure sensor. Navier Stokes simulations of the thruster nozzle and plume flow are also presented. Data analysis and simulations demonstrate plume wrap-around and free surface/plume interaction phenomena.
Corn yield response to polymer and non-coated urea placement and timings

Poorly drained claypan soils can increase the importance of tillage and N management for corn (Zea mays L.) production. Field research in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (high rainfall years) near Novelty, MO (40° 1' N, 92° 11' W) sought to determine the effect of polymer-coated urea (PCU) placement [strip-tillage (ST) deep banded and no-till (NT) broadcast] and application timing (fall, early preplant and preplant) on red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) biomass and corn response compared to non-coated urea (NCU) and anhydrous ammonia (AA) in the presence and absence of nitrapyrin a nitrification inhibitor. Strip-tillage reduced clover dry weights 20% in 2008 and 2009 and early preplant ST reduced dry weights 40 to 45% in 2010 compared to NT. Corn plant population was 8,100 to 8,400 plants ha -1 greater with ST compared to NT. Preplant applications of AA plus nitrapyrin, AA, ST placement of PCU and NCU increased grain yields 1 to 1.2 Mg ha -1 compared to fall applications of these fertilizer sources. Fall and preplant ST placement of PCU increased grain yields 1.2 Mg ha -1 compared to NCU. Strip-till placement of PCU and NCU increased yields 2.1 to 3.2 Mg ha -1 over broadcast applications of these fertilizer sources. Strip-till placement of PCU synergistically increased yield over NCU and broadcast applications of PCU or NCU due to increased stands and possibly due to better plant utilization of the banded N fertilizer utility.
Measurement and comparison of nursing faculty members' critical thinking skills.

Nursing faculty members strive to teach students to think critically. It has long been assumed that nursing faculty members are good at critical thinking because they are expected to teach these skills to students, but this assumption has not been well supported empirically. Faculty members question their ability to think critically and are unsure of their skills. The purpose of this study was to address this assumption by measuring nursing faculty members’ critical thinking skills and compare the faculty mean score to that of a student norming group, and to the mean scores of other nursing faculty studies. Findings can be used to increase nursing faculty members’ understanding of their critical thinking skills, prompt discussion about critical thinking skills, and to help faculty members address concerns and uncertainty about the concept of critical thinking. This study also helps establish an empirical basis for future research.
Methods For Assessing Reliability Growth Potential

The reliability growth potential for a system design is defined as the maximum system reliability that can be achieved for a particular management strategy. The management strategy determines which failure modes will or will not be fixed and the effectiveness of the fixes that are incorporated. In this paper we develop a practical methodology for estimating the growth potential for a system based on limited development testing data. In addition, confidence interval procedures associated with the realism of the requirement relative to the growth potential are discussed. These procedures are useful for evaluating the management strategy for a system and assessing the likelihood of attain ing the reliability objectives. In addition, the methods are useful for trade-off studies establishing a management strategy early in a development program. Numerical examples are given in the paper illustrating the application of these procedures.
Open standards: A call for action

Digital communications is both pervasive and vital across society. This creates a growing public interest in the technical standards that proscribe public communications. The public is demanding, "open standards. " The rallying cry, "open standards," means different things to different groups. This paper reviews the different needs of specific groups of society and develops ten different requirements of Open standards. To implement these requirements, actions by standardization organizations, international bodies (e.g., WIPO, WTO) and national patent office rules are proposed. Interestingly, technical changes, in the form of new standards, rather than legal or policy changes, appear to be the most important mechanism to meet the requirements of open standards.
The Theory of Purposeful Work Behavior: The Role of Personality, Higher-Order Goals, and Job Characteristics

The theory of purposeful work behavior integrates higher-order implicit goals with principles derived from the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality and the expanded job characteristics model to explain how traits and job characteristics jointly and interactively influence work outcomes. The core principle of the theory is that personality traits initiate purposeful goal strivings, and when the motivational forces associated with job characteristics act in concert with these purposeful motivational strivings, individuals experience the psychological state of experienced meaningfulness. In turn, experienced meaningfulness triggers task-specific motivation processes that influence the attainment of work outcomes. We describe testable propositions derived from the theory and discuss directions for future research.
Bacteriological aspects of a mountain watershed

Numbers of fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci increased during the winter in a stream near a ski area. These numbers returned to background levels within a month after the ski area closed for the year. As the pollution events continued with time, the day of the week on which maximal numbers were obtained changed. Maximum numbers of these bacteria were seen in the afternoons when pollution was occurring. Minimum numbers were found in the morning. Fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci were enumerated in a stream above and below the ski area for three summers. Statistically significant differences in the numbers of these organisms occurred between the months studied, depending upon whether the statistics were run upon numbers per 100 mL or upon numbers passing a point per second.
On Monte Carlo Simulation of the Bit Error Rate

Simulation, point estimation, and interval estimation of the bit error rate are rigorously examined. Exact confidence intervals based on the F-distribution approximation for the binomial and negative binomial distributions are derived. Simulations demonstrate 1) that the analysis gives accurate confidence intervals for bit error rate estimators and 2) that the performance of the binomial and negative binomial estimators give similar performance. The negative binomial estimator has the advantage that an a priori estimate or guess of the true bit error probability is not required.
Photoelectron angular distributions from resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization of xenon via the 6s[3/2]1∘ and 6s ′ [1/2]1∘ states: experiment and theory

Photoelectron energy and angular distributions are reported for resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) through the three-photon-allowed 6s[3/2]1∘ and 6s′[1/2]1∘ states of xenon at laser-power densities of ~109–1011 W/cm2. Ionization from three-photon resonance with the 6s[3/2]1∘ state gives two photoelectron peaks corresponding to leaving the ion in either the 2P3/2 or the 2P1/2 state. It is found that the two groups of photoelectrons have distinctly different angular distributions. Calculations indicate that configuration mixing in the 6s manifold is important in describing the observed angular distributions. REMPI via the 6s′[1/2]1∘ state gives one main photoelectron peak resulting from autoionization to the 2P3/2 state of the ion. Two additional peaks of higher-energy photoelectrons are seen, which are due to the absorption of an additional photon before ionization. Strong core-changing processes are evident in the spectra.
Meta-Analysis of Revascularization Versus Medical Therapy for Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of revascularization versus medical therapy in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS). ARAS is the most common cause of secondary hypertension and is associated with several complications, such as renal failure, coronary artery disease, cardiac destabilization, and stroke. Medical therapy is the cornerstone for management of ARAS; however, numerous trials have compared medical therapy with revascularization in the form of percutaneous renal artery angioplasty (PTRA) or percutaneous renal artery angioplasty with stent placement (PTRAS). Medline (PubMed and Ovid SP), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials (CENTRAL), and Cochrane Database of Systematic Review (CDSR) were searched till present (November 2013) to identify clinical trials where medical therapy was compared with revascularization (PTRA or PTRAS). We performed a meta-analysis using a random effects model. The heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 values. The initial database search identified 540 studies and 7 randomized controlled trials, and 2,139 patients were included in the final analysis. Angioplasty with or without stenting was not superior to medical therapy with respect to any outcome. The incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction was 6.74% in both the stenting and medical therapy group (odds ratio = 0.998, 95% confidence interval 0.698 to 1.427, p = 0.992), and incidence of renal events in stenting population was found to be 19.58% versus 20.53% in medical therapy (odds ratio = 0.945, 95% confidence interval 0.755 to 1.182, p = 0.620). In conclusion, PTRA or PTRAS does not improve outcomes compared with medical therapy in patients with ARAS. Future studies should investigate to identify patient subgroups that may benefit from such an intervention.
Do wood‐grazing fishes partition their niche?: morphological and isotopic evidence for trophic segregation in Neotropical Loricariidae

Summary 1. Morphic detritus, including coarse particulate organic matter such as terrestrial tree leaves and wood, is consumed by few fishes in temperate stream systems but is ingested by abundant and diverse groups of specialized fishes in tropical rivers; physiological assimilation and partitioning of morphic detritus by fishes remain poorly understood. 2. This study examines seven species of Neotropical suckermouth-armored catfishes (Loricariidae) that live among and feed on coarse woody debris. Five species represent two unrelated evolutionary lineages showing convergent morphological specializations for gouging into and eating wood, small particles of which fill their guts. Two morphologically distinct species unrelated to wood-eaters and to each other forage along the surface of wood. 3. We examined six jaw functional morphological characteristics of each loricariid species as well as C and N stable isotope ratios of blood plasma, red blood cells and fin tissue of three wood-eating species and muscle tissues of all seven species. Consumer isotopic signatures were compared among species and with isotopic signatures of potential food resources, including biofilm, seston and both bulk wood and holocellulose extracted from bulk wood. 4. Wood-eating species had robust jaws specialized for gouging wood, d 13 C signatures consistent with assimilation of cellulosic wood carbon (not bulk wood carbon or lignin) and elevated d 15 N values (>5AE8&) relative to wood that were consistent with assimilation of N from intermediate microbial decomposers in the environment rather than direct assimilation of N from wood or from endosymbiotic N-fixers. Two non-wood-eating species occupied divergent regions of jaw functional morphospace, and isotopic signatures were consistent with assimilation of C from biofilm and seston, respectively, and N from enriched sources such as microbes, macroinvertebrates or seston. 5. Food resources associated with the surfaces of coarse woody debris in Neotropical rivers are partitioned among at least three guilds of loricariid consumers with divergent jaw morphologies specialized for wood gouging, surface grazing and macroinvertebrate probing. Direct consumption of morphic detritus by specialized Neotropical fishes constitutes a potentially important but poorly understood component of detritus processing and nutrient cycling in tropical rivers.
“The Empire Will Compensate You”: The Structural Dynamics of the U.S. Overseas Basing Network

Many commentators refer to the U.S. overseas network of military installations as an “empire,” yet very few have examined the theoretical and practical significance of such an analogy. This article explores the similarities and differences between the basing network and imperial systems. We argue that American basing practices and relations combine elements of liberal multilateralism with “neo-imperial” hegemony. Much, but far from all, of the network shares with ideal-typical empires a hub-and-spoke system of unequal relations among the United States and its base-host country “peripheries.” But Washington rarely exercises rule over host-country leaders and their constituents. Historical examples suggest that this combination of imperial and non-imperial elements has rendered the United States vulnerable to political cross-pressures, intermediary exits, and periodic bargaining failures when dealing with overseas base hosts. Moreover, globalizing processes, especially increasing information flows and the transnational networking of anti-base movements, further erode U.S. capacity to maintain multivocal legitimation strategies and keep the terms of its individual basing bargains isolated from one another. Case studies of the rapid contestation of the terms of the U.S. basing presence in post-Soviet Central Asia and post-2003 Iraq illustrate some of these dynamics.
The Economics of Tail Events with an Application to Climate Change

AbstractFrom time to time, something occurs that is outside the range of what is normally expected. This is called a tail event in the sense that it is way out the tail of a probability distributio...
Primitive Os and 2316 Ma age for marine shale: implications for Paleoproterozoic glacial events and the rise of atmospheric oxygen

Abstract Re–Os dating of synsedimentary to early diagenetic pyrite from carbonaceous shale that straddles the boundary between the Rooihoogte and Timeball Hill formations, Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa, provides a precise isochron age of 2316±7 Ma (±4 statistical uncertainty if error on decay constant is excluded) and a chondritic initial 187Os/188Os ratio of 0.1121±0.0012. These units were deposited between what are interpreted as the second and third of three Paleoproterozoic global glacial events, and thus provide minimum and maximum ages, respectively, for these events. The Rooihoogte Formation is correlative with the Duitschland Formation, which records previously undated carbon isotope excursions. Because the pyrite samples show no evidence of mass independent fractionation of sulfur and have highly negative δ34S values, the rise of atmospheric oxygen most likely began prior to 2.32 Ga. The chondritic initial 187Os/188Os ratio requires that primitive hydrothermal sources of Os dominated the Os budget of seawater at 2.32 Ga. Os is mobile only under oxidizing conditions. Therefore, the chondritic initial 187Os/188Os ratio may reflect atmospheric oxygen levels too low to introduce sufficient riverine flux of dissolved radiogenic Os to offset the primitive hydrothermal/magmatic flux. Even if atmospheric oxygen levels had increased significantly by 2.32 Ga, anoxic conditions throughout the Archean most likely limited Os enrichment in Archean marine shales, so that their subsequent exposure and weathering was unable to provide a significant amount of radiogenic Os to Paleoproterozoic seawater.
Toothache Caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia Secondary to Vestibular Schwannoma: A Case Report

Abstract Introduction Vestibular schwannoma, also called acoustic neuroma, is a tumor composed of Schwann cells that most commonly involves the vestibular division of the 8th cranial nerve. A thorough medical and dental history and properly conducted diagnostic testing and radiographic evaluation are essential in differentiating odontogenic tooth pain from tooth pain of a nonodontogenic origin. Methods This report discusses a case of acoustic neuroma mimicking odontogenic pain. A 61-year-old man presented with pain in the lower left quadrant. Medical history revealed peripheral neuropathy and prior exposure to Agent Orange. Diagnostic testing on teeth #19, #20, and #21 ruled out an odontogenic cause for the pain. Brushing of a specific region of the face elicited pain that resembled the patient's chief concern. The patient was referred to a craniofacial pain center with the tentative diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. Treatment for trigeminal neuralgia was not successful, prompting referral to the neurosurgery department where magnetic resonance imaging was performed. Results Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a moderate-size, lobular, left cerebellopontine angle mass lesion consistent with acoustic neuroma with compression of the left trigeminal nerve secondary to the lesion. Conclusions Acoustic neuroma can cause tooth pain secondary to compression of the trigeminal nerve.
Analysis of DS/CDMA: Use of Moments and Gaussian Approximations

For digital cellular, there are many inter-related design choices. Multiple access is significant for performance, frequency and channel assignment, complexity, etc. Direct sequence code division multiple access (DS/CDMA) is a candidate which needs to be understood better for this application for comparison with other methods (in particular, TDMA).
158-P: HLA DR4 WITHOUT DR53

Aim We recently identified a patient carrying an HLA DR4 allele without having any allele of the DR53-expressed group or the common null allele DRB4∗01:03NDR53. The type was obtained using our routine typing method of SSP with Invitrogen reagents and software. It was then confirmed using the Olerup SSP typing tray and software. We then referred the specimen to the HLA laboratory at Stanford University, where the typing was repeated using several SSOP and SSP tests with a variety of reagents. The compound interpretation of all tests showed the DRB genotype would be DRB1∗13:01, DRB1∗04:01, DRB3∗01:01, DRB4∗03:01N. The allele DRB4∗03:01N lacks exon-2(full deletion)of DRB and carries an intact exon-3. This gene does not encode any functional histocompatibility antigen. The finding intriguing in itself since DRB4∗03:01N has been described previously in a haplotype carrying DRB1∗07:01-DRB4∗03:01N-DQB1∗02:02. In this case, the haplotype has DRB1∗04:01. Therefore this is a new independent mechanism for the generation of DRB4∗03:01N. It is not surprising since it is only the loss of an exon. We do not have all the details that both alleles would be the same since intron sequencing would be required to show similarities or differences. Methods SSP and SSOP typing. Results See body of abstract. Conclusions The case illustrates the point that DR53 needs to be typed for and not assumed because of the presence of DR4.