cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective Avoidance on Health Topics A Field Test

As in previous selective exposure (avoidance) research, the purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals shy away from information which could be dissonance-arousing. However, in contrast to previous laboratory-type studies, this was carried out in a field setting in conjunction with an ongoing health education program at a large urban hospital serving low-income groups. The key dependent variables were actual attention to the health film and stated preferences for further information on two potentially dissonance-arousing topics: the risks of cigarette smoking and of untreated hypertension. The data show only negligible evidence of selective exposure on either topic for either indicator. To the very limited extent selective exposure was found to occur, the tendency was greater, in terms of actual attention among people thirty and above than among those younger, and greater, in terms of stated preferences for further information, among dogmatic than among less dogmatic individuals.
Oxygen leakage during respirometric measurements: A caution on the use of PTFE tape

Abstract Oxygen leakage occurred during studies using respirometers that were supposed to be sealed. The leakage occurred around rubber stoppers inserted through the wall of the respirometric vessel and was caused by PTFE tape that was wrapped around the stoppers. Rewrapping the stoppers so that the tape did not extend between the stopper and the glass of the vessel eliminated the problem.
The Vegetation Outlook (VegOut): A New Method for Predicting Vegetation Seasonal Greenness

The vegetation outlook (VegOut) is a geospatial tool for predicting general vegetation condition patterns across large areas. VegOut predicts a standardized seasonal greenness (SSG) measure, which represents a general indicator of relative vegetation health. VegOut predicts SSG values at multiple time steps (two to six weeks into the future) based on the analysis of "historical patterns" (i.e., patterns at each 1 km grid cell and time of the year) of satellite, climate, and oceanic data over an 18-year period (1989 to 2006). The model underlying VegOut capitalizes on historical climate-vegetation interactions and ocean-climate teleconnections (such as El Nino and the Southern Oscillation, ENSO) expressed over the 18-year data record and also considers several environmental characteristics (e.g., land use/cover type and soils) that influence vegetation's response to weather conditions to produce 1 km maps that depict future general vegetation conditions. VegOut provides regionallevel vegetation monitoring ...
An optimal power flow with a quadratic environmental constraint using partial least squares technique

Power plants contribute substantially to fine particulate pollution which results in hazardous environmental effects. Air quality can be improved by relocation of real power output between power plants. However, this relocation should include spatial, temporal and chemical effects that contribute towards formation of particulate matter. This paper presents a novel air quality constrained optimal power flow which implicitly includes locational, temporal and chemical aspects. A quadratic response surface of an air quality model is included as an environmental constraint in a DC optimal power flow (OPF). Simulation results on an equivalent model of North Eastern Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) demonstrates the successful implementation of the model to reduce particulate matter at an arbitrary location and time period (NY state) on 14th July 2005.
The formation and molecular structures of (η5-C5H5)3Y · OC4H8 and (η5-C5H5)3La · OC4H8

Abstract A reaction between YCl3 and excess sodium cyclopentadienide in THF solution followed by crystallization from this solvent affords (η5-C5H5)3 Y · OC4H8 in 68% yield. The corresponding lanthanum complex (η5-C5H5)3La · OC4H8 can be obtained from LaCl3 and C5H5Na in 76% yield via a similar procedure. The products have been characterized by their proton NMR and mass spectra, and by single crystal X-ray diffraction investigations. (η5-C5H5)3Y · OC4H8[η5-C5H5)3 La · OC4H8] crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n[P21/n] with unit cell parameters a  8.170(3) [8.371(4)], b  24.594(5) [24.636(5)], c  8.260(3) [8.454(3)] A, β  101.32(3) [101.84(3)]°, Dc  1.45 [1.58] g cm-3 for Z  4 [4]. Least-squares refinement has led to a final R value of 0.041 [0.088] based on 1992 [2193] independent observed reflections. The THF molecule is coordinated to the yttrium [lanthanum] atom at a YO(LaO) bond length of 2.451(4) [2.57(1)] A. The YC(Cp)[LaC(Cp)] bond distances average 2.71(3) [2.82(4)] A. The title compounds are isostructural with (η5-C5H5)3Gd · OC4H8.
The Impact of E-Commerce Customer Relationship Management in Business-to-Consumer E-Commerce

The growth of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce has gained a lot of attention among SMEs. Most B2C firms are turning their attention on how to retain new customers and are left in a situation to compete with larger firms. This paper aims to examine the impact of E-Commerce Customer Relationship Management (ECCRM) in a small business firm that engages in B2C e-commerce. Drawing upon the theories of customer relationship management, e-commerce, trust and loyalty, we develop an integrated framework of ECCRM model to illustrate the impact of the hard and soft factors that reflect the level of transactional and relational components of communication thereby impacting the customers shopping time lifecycle experiences. We develop a number of hypotheses to facilitate testing of the framework via an exploratory case study. We then discuss the findings of the integrated framework leading to theoretical and practical implications of this study and directions for future research.
Stop-flow studies of alkaline urines

Bei Hunden, die wegen Infusion von NaHCO3, Na-Laktat oder NaOH alkalischen Harn produzierten, wurden «stop-flow»-Versuche durchgefuhrt. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass unter diesen Umstanden distal eine Ansauerung des Tubulusharns stattfindet, so dass die Alkalisierung in den proximalen Abschnitten stattfinden muss.
Toward Creation of a Universal NMR Database for Stereochemical Assignment: The Case of 1,3,5-Trisubstituted Acyclic Systems

Using the diastereoisomeric triols 1a – d (Fig. 1) and examples summarized in Fig. 2, the central C-atom of acyclic 1,3,5-triols is demonstrated to exhibit a distinctive chemical shift that is dependent on the 1,3- and 3,5-relative configuration, but is independent of the functionalities present outside of this structural motif. These NMR characteristics are then used to predict the relative configuration of several natural products (Fig. 7). In addition, an example is given to show the possibility of assembling an NMR database for a larger array of functional groups from NMR databases of smaller arrays of functional groups.
Thermochromism in a polydiacetylene crystal

Specular reflection spectra are reported for a thermochromic polydiacetylene crystal, ETCD [substituent group – (CH2)4OCONHC2H5] over the temperature range 23–130°C. A reversible thermochromic phase change occurs at ∼120°C and is accompanied by a 2750 cm−1 blue shift in the reflection spectra. Evidence is presented which strongly suggests that the dramatic change in optical properties of ETCD at the phase transition is due to an acetylene to butatriene transformation in the bonding sequence of the polydiacetylene backbone.
CO2 laser myringoplasty: a minimally invasive technique for treating tympanic membrane atelectasis.

Objective1) To describe a cost-effective, minimally invasive technique for treating tympanic membrane atelectasis, and 2) to present data on hearing improvement in patients receiving this as the basis for a future prospective study.Study DesignReport of hearing and clinical outcome over a 4-year per
THE BRITISH PETROLEUM STOCK OFFERING: AN APPLICATION OF OPTION PRICING

With the world's economic health said to be banging in the balance, Britain announced that it would proceed with its offering of British Petroleum Co. shares…. Never has a single stock offering so galvanized the attention of Wall Street, world capital markets and investors. -Wall Street Journal, October 30, 1987
Sine-Gordon kinks on a discrete lattice. II. Static properties.

The differences in the static properties between the discrete and continuum kink solutions of the one-dimensional sine-Gordon equation are found with use of a discretized Hamiltonian formalism which we have developed previously. The difference in the kink profile is treated as a static dressing of the continuum soliton. We point out some of the salient features of the static dressing and their dependence on the kink-size parameter ${l}_{0}$. We find that the dressing has important effects on dynamical quantities such as the kink pinning frequency and the depth of the Peierls-Nabarro potential. When the static dressing is included, the actual depth and curvature of the potential are found to be approximately twice the value obtained using the continuum approximation. Hence, the square of the pinning frequency is doubled. We also find that for short kinks (small ${l}_{0}$) the static dressing develops some spatial structure which we believe will have important consequences in the dynamics, namely in the spontaneous radiation of phonons by the moving kink. We show that our analytic results agree closely with results obtained from molecular-dynamics simulations. The agreement with the simulations provides strong evidence for the reliability of our formalism to predict manifestations of discreteness and their ramifications.
USE OF RAPID ROTAVIRUS (RV) TESTING TO CONTROL NOSOCOMIAL ROTAVIRUS INFECTION (RVI) ON AN INFANT WARD

USE OF RAPID ROTAVIRUS (RV) TESTING TO CONTROL NOSOCOMIAL ROTAVIRUS INFECTION (RVI) ON AN INFANT WARD
Synovectomy in rheumatoid arthritis

The consensus of three physicians regarding the results of 84 synovectomies performed in the joints of 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis was obtained; 43 joints were considered better, 17 unchanged, and 24 worse than they were before surgery. At an average of 2.5 years after surgery, synovial swelling recurred in 70% of the joints; in 67%, there was evidence of radiographic progression in the operated joint. These data suggest that synovectomy temporarily slows the disease in the operated joint but that the rheumatoid process probably will recur eventually.
Measuring the direct costs of graduate medical education training in Minnesota.

ABSTRACTPurposeTo demonstrate the usefulness of self-reported cost-accounting data from the sponsors of training programs for estimating the direct costs of graduate medical education (GME). The study also assesses the relative contributions of resident, faculty, and administrative costs to primary
RBCs as targets of infection

RBCs can be targets of infection directly or indirectly. When the microorganism enters the RBC directly, RBC damage becomes a fundamental aspect of the disease process. Malaria is the best example of an organism that directly targets the RBC, but others are Babesia and Bartonella. RBCs can also be indirect targets of infectious agents. This can occur when molecules are bound to the surface of the RBC, leading to immunologic clearance; when microorganism-produced toxins damage the RBC membrane, leading to hemolysis; when previous crypt-antigens are exposed, leading to accelerated removal; when microorganism-produced toxins alter RBC antigens to a different phenotype, or when microorganism suppression of erythropoiesis occurs due to specific binding to RBC precursors.
UK and US adolescents perceived internet health information to be salient but of questionable credibility.

Gray NJ, Klein JD, Noyce PR, et al . Health information-seeking behaviour in adolescence: the place of the internet. Soc Sci Med 2005;60:1467–78. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Q How do adolescents in the US and UK use and perceive the internet as a source of health information? Qualitative study using single sex focus groups. 7 secondary schools and sixth form colleges in the UK and 3 public and 2 private middle/high schools in the US. 157 English speaking students (11–19 y) in 26 focus groups (15 in the UK and 11 in the US). Data were collected from 30–60 minute focus group discussions that explored perceptions of accessing and using online health information. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Emergent themes regarding previous experience, saliency, and credibility of the information and source were identified iteratively. Experience using the internet. Most adolescents had actively sought health information online and said that the internet gave them access to information beyond their normal life experience. Students said that the internet was an important source of information that fit comfortably into the context of their lives (eg, “My computer’s right next to my TV so I just do both at the same time!”). Use of the internet as a combined communication, entertainment, and information medium was reflected in a range of comments relating to typical use. Many students reported searching for information about personal health … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DSocial%2Bscience%2B%2526%2Bmedicine%26rft.stitle%253DSoc%2BSci%2BMed%26rft.aulast%253DGray%26rft.auinit1%253DN.%2BJ.%26rft.volume%253D60%26rft.issue%253D7%26rft.spage%253D1467%26rft.epage%253D1478%26rft.atitle%253DHealth%2Binformation-seeking%2Bbehaviour%2Bin%2Badolescence%253A%2Bthe%2Bplace%2Bof%2Bthe%2Binternet.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.socscimed.2004.08.010%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F15652680%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.08.010&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=15652680&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F9%2F1%2F28.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000226714200006&link_type=ISI
Self-assembly from the gas-phase: design and implementation of small-molecule chromophore precursors with large nonlinear optical responses.

Efficiently organizing molecular nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores having large first-order hyperpolarizabilities (β) into acentric microstructures for electro-optic (EO) applications represents a significant materials synthesis and processing challenge, in part due to interchromophore dipolar interactions that promote centrosymmetric organization. Here we report the computational modeling, synthesis, and characterization of a series of eight heteroaromatic organic chromophores, designed to self-organize from the vapor phase via directed hydrogen-bond networks, into acentric thin films. Introduction of α,ω-donor−acceptor hydrogen-bonding substituents along the molecular long axes tunes properties such as hyperpolarizability, volatility, thermal stability, film-forming properties, and macroscopic NLO response (χ(2)). DFT-level molecular modeling, INDO/S optical property analysis, and sum-overstates computation indicate that molecular-core fluorination and hydrogen-bond donor incorporation can increase β...
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome presenting as esophageal stricture.

A case of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in an elderly man who presented with dysphagia and subseuently developed esophageal stricture is described. This is an infrequent concomitant of the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, especially as a presenting complaint. The literature on esophageal involvement in the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is briefly reviewed.
What if computers could think

The question whether or not computers can think was first asked in print by Alan Turing in his seminal 1950 article. In order to avoid defining what a computer is or what thinking is, Turing resorts to “the imitation game” which is a test that allows us to determine whether or not a machine can think. That is, if an interrogator is unable to tell whether responses to his questions come from a human being or from a machine, the machine is imitating a human being so well that it has to be acknowledged that these responses result from its thinking. However, then as now, it is not an indisputable claim that machines could think, and an unceasing stream of papers discussing the validity of the test proves this point. There are many arguments in favour of, as well as against, the claims borne by the test, and Turing himself discusses some of them. In his view, there are mice possible objections to the concept of a thinking machine, which he eventually dismisses as weak, irrelevant, or plain false. However, as he admits, he can present “no very convincing arguments of a positive nature to support my views. If I had I should not have taken such pains to point out the fallacies in contrary views”.
Bushwhacking the Ethical High Road: Conflict of Interest in the Practice of Law and Real Life

A long-standing scholarly tradition regards professions, in general, and ethics rules, in particular, as “projects” of market control. It is no surprise, critics charge, that in the latest assault on the monopoly of the American legal profession–waged by multidisciplinary professional service firms–lawyers are hiding behind their ethics rules to protect their turf. In this article, I report on an extensive empirical study of conflict of interest in private legal practice and look comparatively at other fiduciaries, among them, accountants, psychotherapists, physicians, journalists, and academics. I investigate the role of ethics rules that seek to insure fiduciary loyalty in structuring the delivery of services. How does social and institutional change, roiling the fiduciary world, threaten disinterestedness and loyalty and how, if at all, do fiduciaries respond? How is the regulation of conflict of interest accomplished? Where are the conflicts rules most likely to be honored or ignored? What incentive structures encourage compliance? What are the costs and unexpected consequences of compliance? What is foregone? And is it all worth it? In what might come as a surprise to many, I find that the legal profession takes conflict of interest more seriously than many of the rest of us. As the title implies, legal practitioners largely travel alone, bushwhacking through the underbrush snarling the ethical high road. As critical scholarship predicted, lawyers do enjoy a monopoly at the end of the road. But this monopoly is achieved, not by restraint of trade or some other artifice or stratagem of market control, but by lack of competition. It seems that no one else is trudging alongside the lawyers. Lawyers are not necessarily more ethical than the others; they just behave more ethically–at least with respect to conflict of interest. The question is why. And what difference does it make?
A hands-on laboratory for teaching microfabrication

A set of laboratory activities has been developed to simulate multiple steps in the integrated circuit fabrication process. The Microfabrication Teaching Laboratory offers tools and procedures for a comprehensive simulation of the device fabrication process, with the goal of producing working devices such as a p-n diode, a solar cell and a MOSFET on a silicon wafer substrate. The lab includes activities aimed at wafer oxidation, patterning the oxide layer via optical lithography, etching, selective doping to achieve a p-n junction, and device characterization. Portions of the laboratory have been tested in undergraduate teaching labs with successful results.
Novel Design Technique for A Low Noise Receiver Front End With Integrated Circularly Polarized Patch Antenna

A novel method for the design and testing of a low noise receiver is presented. This procedure utilizes the receiver's unmatched antenna characteristics to serve as the tuning element to achieve a low noise figure match. A microwave circuit simulator is employed to use these characteristics in the design of a 5.75 GHz integrated receiver. The receiver has a measured minimum noise figure of 0.4 dB and 11 dB of gain. Excellent agreement between simulation and measurement exists demonstrating the viability of the design technique.
Steroids: breakfast of champions.

Anabolic steroids (called "steroids" hereafter) have been used to enhance performance by athletes for almost three decades. Initially, they were used because of their ability to increase muscle size ("bulk-up") and were popular with football players who needed to increase their size and weight to compete successfully for line positions on a football team. Despite early scientific reports that steroids increased neither strength nor athletic performance, their use became widespread among nationally competitive athletes. Competition fosters all sorts of practices designed to enhance athletic performance. Many of them are valueless, including the widespread practice of taking amino acid supplements to build muscle size and strength. At least, however, amino acid supplements are harmless; the side effects of steroids can be fatal. The initial reports indicating that steroids were not performance-enhancing were controlled studies using average athletes in whom continuing weight-training during the period of study caused an increase in strength regardless of whether or not steroids were being taken.1 These studies were then repeated on elite athletes, who were already at their peak strength and in whom further weight-training merely kept their strength performance stable; these athletes did increase their muscle strength in response to steroids.2 There is no evidence that steroids increase aerobic capacity or endurance, however.
‘Schrödinger's cat and her laboratory cousins’ (1984) by A.J. Leggett

Quantum mechanics as we know it is by now nearly 60 years old. In that time it has shown itself able to predict with striking accuracy the behaviour of a vast variety of physical systems, from nucl...
A comprehensive measure of the energy resource: Wind power potential (WPP)

Currently, the quality of available wind energy at a site is assessed using wind power density (WPD). This paper proposes to use a more comprehensive metric: the wind power potential (WPP). While the former accounts for only wind speed information, the latter exploits the joint distribution of wind speed and wind direction and yields more credible estimates. The WPP investigates the effect of wind velocity distribution on the optimal net power generation of a farm. A joint distribution of wind speed and direction is used to characterize the stochastic variation of wind conditions. Two joint distribution methods are adopted in this paper: bivariate normal distribution and anisotropic lognormal method. The net power generation for a particular farmland size and installed capacity is maximized for different distributions of wind speed and wind direction, using the Unrestricted Wind Farm Layout Optimization (UWFLO) framework. A response surface is constructed to represent the computed maximum wind farm capacity factor as a function of the parameters of the wind distribution. Two different response surface methods are adopted in this paper: (i) the adaptive hybrid functions (AHF), and (ii) the quadratic response surface method (QRSM). Toward this end, for any farm site, we can (i) estimate the parameters of the joint distribution using recorded wind data (for bivariate normal or anisotropic lognormal distributions) and (ii) predict the maximum capacity factor for a specified farm size and capacity using this response surface. The WPP metric is illustrated using recorded wind data at four differing stations in the state of North Dakota. The results illustrate the variation of wind conditions and, subsequently, its influence on the quality of wind resources. A comparison of four sites in North Dakota shows that WPD and WPP follow different trends, and the ranking of candidate sites in terms of a realistic resource potential measure is not captured by WPD.
Active U-turn electrooptic switch formed in patterned holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

We have developed an active U-turn device by spatially patterning two identical holographic polymer dispersed liquid-crystal gratings. In the field-OFF state, the holographic planes of both gratings are slanted such that the angle of the diffraction beam is beyond the total internal reflection angle of the air-glass interface. The diffraction beam is "trapped" in the device until diffracted by the second slanted grating. In the field-ON state, the holographic grating is "erased" and the incident beam propagates directly through the sample. The index modulation is determined to be 0.059 /spl plusmn/ 0.006 at 1.55 /spl mu/m. Low switching voltage and sub-millisecond response times are reported.
Incorporation of advanced aerosol activation treatments into CESM/CAM5: model evaluation and impacts on aerosol indirect effects

Abstract. One of the greatest sources of uncertainty in the science of anthropogenic climate change is from aerosol–cloud interactions. The activation of aerosols into cloud droplets is a direct microphysical linkage between aerosols and clouds; parameterizations of this process link aerosol with cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and the resulting indirect effects. Small differences between parameterizations can have a large impact on the spatiotemporal distributions of activated aerosols and the resulting cloud properties. In this work, we incorporate a series of aerosol activation schemes into the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1.1 within the Community Earth System Model version 1.0.5 (CESM/CAM5) which include factors such as insoluble aerosol adsorption and giant cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation kinetics to understand their individual impacts on global-scale cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC). Compared to the existing activation scheme in CESM/CAM5, this series of activation schemes increase the computation time by ~10% but leads to predicted CDNC in better agreement with satellite-derived/in situ values in many regions with high CDNC but in worse agreement for some regions with low CDNC. Large percentage changes in predicted CDNC occur over desert and oceanic regions, owing to the enhanced activation of dust from insoluble aerosol adsorption and reduced activation of sea spray aerosol after accounting for giant CCN activation kinetics. Comparison of CESM/CAM5 predictions against satellite-derived cloud optical thickness and liquid water path shows that the updated activation schemes generally improve the low biases. Globally, the incorporation of all updated schemes leads to an average increase in column CDNC of 150% and an increase (more negative) in shortwave cloud forcing of 12%. With the improvement of model-predicted CDNCs and better agreement with most satellite-derived cloud properties in many regions, the inclusion of these aerosol activation processes should result in better predictions of radiative forcing from aerosol–cloud interactions.
Status Inconsistency and Product Valuation in the California Wine Market

This study develops a theoretical model on the role of multidimensional status and status inconsistency in market evaluation processes. A product or an organization may acquire multiple status indicators in association with a multitude of market institutions. We argue that when status indicators are consistently positive, each exerts a greater positive effect on the valuation of a product or an organization; conversely, inconsistency among multiple indicators undermines the status claim. We test this theoretical proposition by examining patterns of product valuation in the California premium wine market. Our findings show that when an individual wine's tasting score rated by critics and another more general status indicator---classified appellation affiliation, extra designation on the label, or a winery's organizational status---are consistently positive, each makes a greater contribution to wine price. In contrast, when status indicators are inconsistent, the value of the positive status indicator is reduced. Our study explicates the scope conditions under which market status may yield different outcomes and sheds light on the interplay among status indicators in market valuation.
Is It Worth Saving?: The Condition of Archaeological Documentary Record and Strategies for Preservation

"[Historical] objects are events which have finished happening, and conditions [are] no longer in existence. Only when they are no longer perceptible do they become objects of historical thought" (Collingwood 1946:233). Scholars engaged in research in the history of anthropology and archaeology have long been aware of the deplorable conditions in which records as to anthropology's development in time are found and stored. All too often the researcher finds records in individual and institutional hands that are physically degrading because of the lack of proper storage facilities, the fiscal inability to hire professional archivists, the usage of improper methods of acquisition and curation, and dwindling financial resources to properly care for materials. It is now the time to ask if anthropological records are worth saving, and if they are, what are the best strategies to be employed to ensure their survival and protection now and into the future. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that the records of the subdiscipline of archaeology are worth saving and that there is a great sense of urgency to get about the business of identification and preservation before archaeological documentary records are further destroyed due to neglect and the lack of means to ensure their future existence. This paper will define the problems of identification and preservation of archaeological records as they exist now and suggest strategies to rectify those problems.
Role of with-no-lysine [K] kinases in the pathogenesis of Gordon's syndrome

Gordon’s syndrome, also known as pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHA II) or familial hypertension with hyperkalemia, is an autosomal-dominant disease characterized by hypertension, hyperkalemia, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, and normal glomerular filtration rate. Recent positional cloning has linked mutations of WNK1 and WNK4 to Gordon’s syndrome. With-no-lysine [K] (WNK) kinases are a new family of large serine–threonine protein kinases with an atypical placement of the catalytic lysine. Here, we review the pathogenesis of PHA II based on current understanding of the actions of WNK1 and WNK4 on Na+ and K+ handling in the renal distal tubule.
Evidence for a genetic component for substance dependence in Native Americans.

ObjectiveAlthough tribes differ with regard to the use of alcohol and drugs, substance dependence is one of the primary sources of health problems facing Native Americans. General population studies have demonstrated that substance dependence has a substantially heritable component (approximately 50% of the risk resulting from genetic influences); however, fewer studies have investigated the role of genetics in the risk for substance dependence in Native Americans.MethodThe authors present a literature review of the evidence for a genetic component in the etiology of substance dependence in Native Americans, including studies of heritability, linkage analyses, and candidate genes.ResultsEvidence for the heritability of alcohol and drug dependence was found. Linkage analyses revealed that genes influencing risk for substance dependence and related phenotypes, such as body mass index (BMI), drug tolerance, EEG patterns, and externalizing traits, reside on several chromosome regions identified in other popul...
Long time tails in a Lorentz gas

To investigate the approach to the asymptotic long time behaviour in a d-dimensional Lorentz gas, we have calculated the б(t-2-d2) correction to the long time tail t-1-d2 in the velocity autocorrelation function, using low density kinetic theory. The results are compared with existing computer simulations.
Inbreeding depression in two highly inbreeding populations of Leavenworthia

The effects of self-fertilization and outcrossing on progeny characteristics at several stages of the life cycle were compared in greenhouse experiments on two Leavenworthia populations with high levels of natural self-fertilization. Both the L. uniflora and L. crassa populations appear to have considerable genetic load, as progeny from selfing had lowered survival and fertility than outcrossed progeny. These data were used to estimate the mutation rate to deleterious alleles per diploid genome per generation, and the estimates are very high, consistent with the few other data available.
From the City to the Suburbs: Characteristics of Suburban Neighborhoods Where Chicago Housing Choice Voucher Households Relocated

The Housing Choice Voucher program (HCV) is a federally supported demand-side housing subsidy. According to HCV, eligible households are encouraged to secure affordable housing in favorable neighborhoods, including suburban neighborhoods. To what extent, however, is the supply of affordable rental housing located in suburban communities that offer favorable amenities meeting the increased demand? Using the Geography of Opportunity as a framework, this study examines the mobility results of traditional HCV households who moved from the city of Chicago to surrounding suburban neighborhoods to reveal characteristics of destination communities. Findings indicate that HCV households tend to move into suburban renter neighborhoods that have high poor, African American, and female-headed household populations. Policy makers are encouraged to consider findings to improve life outcomes of suburban HCV program participants.
A New Quaternary Alphabet Signal Constellation for Differential Unitary Space-Time Modulation

In this letter, a new constellation design for differential unitary space-time modulation is proposed. We generate a set of unitary matrices from the multiplication of a simple unitary matrix with entries of ± 1 by diagonal matrices made from quaternary alphabets. Then, the constellation is formed from the product of the optimum matrix chosen from this set and the optimized diagonal matrix first used for the cyclic codes. We show that, without deteriorating the transmission rate, the proposed constellation yields a larger diversity product as well as a lower union bound for pairwise error probability with the same or a lower complexity compared to other previously proposed constellations.
Expression of the type 1 pneumococcal pilus is bistable and negatively regulated by the structural component RrgA

The pneumococcal type 1 pilus, which is present in 25 to 30% of clinical isolates, has been associated with increased adherence and inflammatory responses and is being evaluated as a potential vaccine candidate. Here we show that expression of the pilus is bistable as a result of the molecular interaction between the transcription activator RrlA and a structural component of the pilus called RrgA. Sampling various clinical pneumococcal isolates that harbor the type 1 pilus-encoding islet, we show that distinct populations of cells can be identified with either undetectable or prominent pilus expression. When these two populations are separated and regrown in liquid medium, they are phenotypically different: the nonexpressing population reverts to the previous bimodal distribution, whereas the expressing population retains the same high level of pilus expression. Controlled exogenous expression of the regulatory pilus gene rlrA in a strain from which the endogenous version has been deleted increases pilus expression steadily, suggesting that the bistable expression of the pilus observed in wild-type cells is dependent on the native rlrA promoter. Finally, we demonstrate that RrgA is a negative regulator of pilus expression and that this repression is likely mediated through direct interaction with RlrA. We conclude that type 1 pilus expression in pneumococcus exhibits a bistable phenotype, which is dependent upon the molecular interplay between the RlrA and RrgA proteins. We suggest that this flexibility in expression may assist adaptation to a range of immune conditions, such as evasion of antipilus antibodies, within potential hosts.
Comparative teratogenic effects of methyl salicylate applied orally or topically to hamsters

Methyl salicylate was administered topically to pregnant hamsters at 7d9h and the teratogenic results were compared with those obtained following oral treatment with the same compound. Both treatments produced the same defect in embryos recovered at day 9: failure of fusion of the neural tube, especially in the area of the developing brain. Analysis of serum salicylate levels following both treatments produced similar curves and indicated that teratogenic levels of salicylate can reach the maternal circulation after topical exposure.
Constitutive Spinal Cyclooxygenase-2 Participates in the Initiation of Tissue Injury-Induced Hyperalgesia

Inhibitors of the isozyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) represent an important advance in pain management, although where and when these inhibitors can exert their antihyperalgesic actions are not completely understood. Here we show that unlike many peripheral tissues in which COX-2 is only expressed in physiologically significant levels after tissue injury, in the normal rat lumbar spinal cord, the majority of neurons and radial glia constitutively express high levels of COX-2 protein. Immediately after peripheral tissue injury and before any measurable upregulation of COX-2 protein in peripheral tissue or spinal cord, inhibition of constitutively expressed spinal COX-2 reduced injury-induced activation of primary afferent neurons, activation of spinal neurons, and the mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia that normally occurs after peripheral tissue injury. The present data demonstrate that constitutively expressed spinal COX-2 plays an important role in the initial hyperalgesia that follows peripheral tissue injury. These results suggest that blocking constitutive spinal COX-2 before tissue injury may reduce the initial peripheral and central sensitization that occurs after tissue injury.
Fixing US Fiscal Policy

The U.S. current account deficit has grown from about 1 percent of GDP in the 1990s to about 6 percent of GDP today. Simply decreasing the budget deficit has not directly translated to a reduction of the current account deficit, so other facets of U.S. fiscal policy must serve as the solution to this problem. If no action is taken, forced spending and higher tax rates could shift the United States’ position in the global economy from one of economic strength to one of economic weakness.
OPTIMIZATION OF SI/SIGE MICROREFRIGERATORS FOR HYBRID SOLID- STATE/LIQUID COOLING

Monolithic Solid-state microrefrigerators have attracted a lot of attention during the last ten years since they have the potential to solve some of the problems related to localized heat generation and temperature stabilization in optoelectronic, microelectronics or even biological microchip applications. Combination of the solid-state cooling with other conventional techniques like liquid cooling, offers an additional degree of freedom to control both the overall temperature of the chip and to remove hot spots. We present a new approach based on Thermal Quadrupoles Method to model the behavior of a single stage Si/SiGe microrefrigerator in the DC operating regime. The sensitivity and precision of this method come from its analytical expressions, which are based on the solution of Fourier’s heat diffusion equation in the Laplace domain. The microrefrigerator top surface temperature is calculated by taking into account all possible mechanisms of heat generation and conduction within the entire device. The 3D heat and current spreading in the substrate is taken into account. The parasitic heat leakage to the cold junction due to heat generation and heat conduction within the metal lead is also considered. The theoretical results are then compared with experimental ones for several microrefrigerator sizes. A good agreement is found between them. Based on the simulations, the structure of the microrefrigerator is optimized for lowering the overall chip temperature and removing high power density hot spots in several applications in conjunction with liquid cooling techniques.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
That's Interesting!: Towards a Phenomenology of Sociology and a Sociology of Phenomenology

Answer: Interesting theories deny certain assumptions of their audience, while noninteresting theories affirm certain assumptions of their audience. This answer was arrived at through the examination of a number of famous social, and especially sociological, theories. That examination also generated a systematic index of the variety of propositional forms that interesting and non-interesting theories may take. The fertility of this approach suggested a new field be established called the Sociology of the Interesting, which is intended to supplement the Sociology of Knowledge. This new field will be phenomenologically oriented in so far as it will focus on the movement of the audience's mind from one accepted theory to another. It will be sociologically oriented in so far as it will focus on the dissimilar base-line theories of the various sociological categories that compose the audience. In addition to its value in interpreting the social impact of theories, the Sociology of the Interesting can contribute to our understanding of both the common sense and scientific perspectives on reality.
Ultrasonically initiated free radical‐catalyzed emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (i)

The emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by ultrasound has been studied at ambient temperature using sodium lauryl sulfate as the surfactant. The investigation includes the: (1) nature and source of the free radical for the initiation process; (2) effects of different types of cavitation; and (3) dependence of the polymerization rate, polymer particle number generated, and the polymer molecular weight on acoustic intensity, argon gas flow rate, surfactant concentration, and initial monomer concentration. It was found that the polymerization could be initiated by ultrasound in the emulsion systems containing methyl methacrylate, water, and sodium lauryl sulfate at ambient temperature in the absence of a conventional initiator. The source of the free radical for the initiation process was found to come from the degradation of the sodium lauryl sulfate, presumably in the aqueous phase. The weight average molecular weight of the poly(methyl methacrylate) obtained varied from 2,500,000 to 3,500,000 g mol−1, and the conversion for polymerization was up to 70%. Deviations from the Smith–Ewart kinetics were observed. The polymerization rate was found to be proportional to the acoustic intensity to the 0.98 power; to the argon gas flow rate to the 0.086 power; to the surfactant concentration to the 0.08 power, with the 0.035M–0.139M surfactant concentration range; and to the surfactant concentration to the 0.58 power, with the 0.139M–0.243M surfactant concentration range. The polymerization rate was found to increase with increasing initial monomer concentration up to a point where it became independent of initial monomer concentration. The polymer particle number generated per milliliter of water was found to be proportional to the acoustic intensity to the 1.23 power; to the argon gas flow rate to the 0.16 power; to the surfactant concentration to the 0.3 power, with the 0.035M–0.139M surfactant concentration range; and to the surfactant concentration to the 1.87 power, with the 0.139M–0.243M surfactant concentration range. The polymer weight average molecular weight was found to be proportional to the acoustic intensity to the 0.21 power, and to the argon gas flow rate to the 0.02 power. It was found to be inversely proportional to the surfactant concentration to the 0.12 and 0.34 power, with the 0.035M–0.139M and the 0.139M–0.243M surfactant concentration ranges, respectively. The polymer yield and polymerization rate were found to be much larger than those obtained from an ultrasonically initiated bulk polymerization method. The polymerization rates obtained at ambient temperature were found to be similar to or higher than those obtained from the conventional higher temperature thermal emulsion polymerization method. This investigation demonstrated the capability of ultrasound to both initiate and accelerate polymerization in the emulsion system, and to do this at a lower temperature that could offer substantial energy savings. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 797–825, 1999
Integrating chemical and biological control of European corn borer in bell pepper.

Using multiple locations and a series of field trials over 2 yr, we evaluated an integrated pest management program for Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) management in peppers involving biorational chemistries, inundative releases of Trichogramma ostriniae (Pang & Chen), and conservation of generalist predators. In small plot trials, three biorational insecticides (spinosad, indoxacarb, and methoxyfenozide) provided comparable control of O. nubilalis as two broad-spectrum conventional insecticides (acephate and lambda-cyhalothrin). However, lambdacyhalothrin at most locations, and indoxacarb at one location, resulted in outbreaks of green peach aphids. We also observed significant effects on the generalist predator community: beneficial communities in methoxyfenozide-treated plots were most similar to untreated controls, and acephate-treated plots were the least similar. Management systems comparing untreated controls, inundative release of T. ostriniae with methoxyfenozide applied when lepidopterans exceeded thresholds, or weekly applications of acephate or lambda-cyhalothrin, showed no effects on marketable fruit or percentage of fruit damaged, but the conventional insecticide approach caused aphid flares. Inundative releases of T. ostriniae and biorational chemistries provide a more environmentally sound approach to managing O. nubilalis in peppers, due, in part, to conservation of generalist predators.
Reflections on the Study of Dream Speech

Dream speech is an understudied area of dream research worthy of attention for its potential to shed light on the nature of the interactions between the dream-self and dream-others, the patterns of discourse that occur among dream characters, and the structure and content of dream speech itself. The history of the study of dream speech is surveyed. Investigation of the structure and content of dream speech points to interesting similarities and differences in waking, imagined, and dreamed speech. Dream speech data support recent evidence that higher-order cognitive activity is a feature of dreaming no less than of waking thought. The study of dream speech offers a window on understanding dream structure and content more broadly.