cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a Tourism and Quality-of-Life Instrument

There are several reasons for investigating the impact that tourism has on quality of life (QOL) of community residents. One of the most significant implications is to strategically position the tourism industry politically. Currently, economic indicators are available, and the economic impact of tourism as an industry has been presented to legislators and policy makers in many countries, states, and provinces. Yet, often this information does not seem to be coming together with sufficient impact to demonstrate the power of the industry to decision makers, especially as it relates to the needs of the citizenry. Countries have more than an economic stake in tourism though. Each individual is also positively and negatively affected by tourism development in his or her overall quality of living. As an example, the quality and quantity of recreation opportunities in many areas would not exist without a vibrant tourism industry. Nor would a myriad of special event and cultural opportunities exist which contribute to the artistic, educational, and recreational experiences that positively shape the life quality of citizens. Also, the ambiance created in communities by the existence of tourism sets the stage to facilitate the attraction of new businesses and industries. The purpose of this chapter is to present and validate an instrument that measures residents’ perceptions of tourism’s impact on QOL.
Choosing between Competing Visions of the Good—the Case of Necessity

There are many subtle ways that the choice between competing visions of the composition of the public good will affect the arguments that we put forth to secure the assent of an ideal or universal audience. Even an audience that accepts what Jean Dabin called the “prevalence of the individual human person over every collective”1 is forced to recognize that there are times when every society feels obliged to accept, and indeed even require, the sacrifice of some individuals for the greater good of society. Times of war and natural disaster immediately come to mind. It probably takes no greater feat of imagination than is necessary to envision a world organized around the hypothetical agreement that Rawls uses to construct his just society to assert that the members of any society who accept its legitimacy implicitly promise to preserve that society in the face of its enemies or of natural disasters. As Aristotle said, man is by nature a political animal for whom life in an organized political community is the natural condition.2 Certainly, in most societies, most people seem to have acknowledged an obligation to preserve their society even if, unlike professional soldiers, they have made no express promise to do so. Whether one tries to explain that sense of obligation on the basis of an implied promise or of a moral duty to make some return for the benefits bestowed by society on the individuals who constitute that society, the empirical reality is that people do, in fact, by and large accept these obligations and, more importantly, they are expected by their fellow members of society to do so.3 What justice as personified in the universal audience requires is that the individual should not be sacrificed, except in the most exigent circumstances, and that the choice of the individual to be sacrificed should be based on the most neutral criteria possible. To choose a particular military unit to be left as a hopeless rear guard, because it is the most readily available or the most able to accomplish the mission assigned to it, might be acceptable. It would not be acceptable to choose the unit to be sacrificed based on its racial composition or on the fact that it includes a large percentage of opponents of the political faction currently in control of the government. Indeed, not merely in these extreme cases, but in the allocation of all social burdens and benefits, most societies that purport to be just societies believe that benefits and burdens should not be allocated arbitrarily.
Genomic Analysis of B-Cell Lymphomas

Technical progress has enabled molecular analysis of lymphoma samples on a genomic scale. Research on many fronts is now providing a comprehensive picture of the lymphoma cell’s genomic sequence, identifying its mutations and allelic derangements, and the epigenetic regulation and transcription of that genome. Macromolecules of other types are also being profiled, including noncoding RNA, proteins, and other non-nucleic acid metabolites. Furthermore, whether by design or inadvertent inclusion, elements in the tumor microenvironment are often included and provide important insights into key processes such as angiogenesis, stromal reaction, and interaction with the host immune system. The wealth of data generated by these studies also brings challenges in interpretation, for which a variety of analytical techniques are used. This chapter selectively covers the development and current status of genomic analyses of B-cell lymphomas, some of the prominent findings, and the prospects for clinical application.
Field Monitoring of Downspout Disconnections to Reduce Runoff Volume and Improve Water Quality along the North Carolina Coast

AbstractVirtually all land development increases stormwater runoff and disrupts the natural hydrologic cycle. This is a particularly important issue for areas developed prior to the widespread appl...
Nutrition and Environmental Pollution Extension Curriculum Improved Diet-Related Behaviors and Environmental Health Literacy.

Kentucky experiences some of the nation’s worst health outcomes related to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other age-related chronic diseases linked with oxidative stress and inflammati...
Transcatheter therapy for tricuspid regurgitation: The surgical perspective

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) remains a complex valve pathology affecting nearly two million people in the United States. Although it can present as a primary valve pathology, TR often presents as a late finding in patients with severe pulmonary disease or end-stage chronic heart failure. Surgical repair of isolated TR or TR from left-sided pathology has been associated with high morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, surgery for patients with TR and advanced cardiac disease has been associated with poor long-term outcomes. In recent years, transcatheter technology has emerged to target high-risk surgical patients with TR. Currently, multiple new transcatheter strategies to treat TR have shown initial benefit. However, further development of this technology is required. The aim of this perspective is to provide an overview of TR pathophysiology and to highlight the successful aspects of surgery for TR that provide insight for further translation of transcatheter strategies for patients with TR. These include replication of successful surgical techniques (ring-based annuloplasty and valve replacement) and the goal of achieving no to minimal residual TR following intervention. Earlier implementation of transcatheter valve repair to minimize TR progression and further development of transcatheter valve replacement strategies are also next steps in the translation of this technology.
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in the Digital Age

Anxiety disorders are highly pervasive and debilitating. Despite the prevalence of these disorders, many people with anxiety disorders are unable to access care, and even fewer have access to evidence-based treatments. Online (or Internet-mediated) interventions may be effective in reducing barriers to care for people with anxiety. Internet-mediated mental health interventions have become increasingly utilized and studied in parallel with advancements in technology. With foundations in evidence-based therapy methods, such treatments have been adapted for a variety of disorders, including anxiety disorders. Results from a variety of studies suggest promising but mixed findings on feasibility, efficacy, and treatment engagement. There remain several important challenges to and considerations for the use of digital tools to treat anxiety disorders, including treatment dropout, negative attitudes toward Internet-mediated technologies, low technological literacy, and lack of access to technology.
Picornavirus Cellular Remodeling: Doubling Down in Response to Viral-Induced Inflammation.

To highlight recent findings on how picornavirus infections of the airways and cardiac tissues impact cellular inflammation and remodeling events. Recent published work has revealed that although many picornavirus infections appear to be initially asymptomatic, there are significant disease sequelae that result from chronic or persistent infections and the long-term, pathogenic effects on host tissues. Because many acute picornavirus infections are asymptomatic, it is difficult to diagnose these pathologies at the early stages of disease. As a result, we must rely on preventative measures (i.e., vaccination) or discover novel treatments to reverse tissue damage and remodeling in affected individuals. Both of these strategies will require a comprehensive knowledge of virus- and cell-specific replication determinants and how these processes induce pathogenic effects in infected cells and tissues.
Effects of Particle Deposition on the Performance of Granular Filters

A review is presented of the effect of particle deposition on the performance of granular filters. The extent to which this effect can be incorporated into the design calculations and the major problems to be solved are discussed.
Modelling effects of aging on asphalt binder fatigue using complex modulus and the LAS test

Abstract The linear amplitude sweep (LAS) test is considered a useful tool for evaluating fatigue of asphalt binders. It has been confirmed that a good correlation exists between fatigue performance of binders and mixtures in a few studies. While the change in binder fatigue with load or strain level is well studied and modeled, the effects of oxidative aging remain difficult to explain or to model in a simple format. In this paper, the combined effects of strain and aging are investigated and a method for estimating binder fatigue behavior after different aging durations from limited measurements is introduced. LAS tests were conducted on eight binders at three different aging periods in the PAV. It is found that binder fatigue damage parameters C1 and C2 have a good linear relationship with aging level when using the dissipated pseudo-strain energy approach. The results also show that LAS parameters A and B at different aging duration maintain a linear relationship with the binder complex modulus (G*) measured at corresponding aging conditions. Therefore, a new fatigue life (Nf) model accounting for strain level and aging effect is proposed using a power function of the binder G*. To verify the model, its parameters are fitted using test data at first two aging conditions and used to extrapolate and predict the fatigue life at extended aging conditions. This study findings offer a simpler and reliable method to predicted values of fatigue life at new aging condition using both 35% damage level and maximum stress failure criteria that are recommended in AASHTO TP101-12 and AASHTO TP101-14, respectively. The new model will allow use of the LAS procedure to a wider range of aging and strain level conditions for which binders could be subjected to in the pavement.
IL-7 and SCF Levels Inversely Correlate with T Cell Reconstitution and Clinical Outcomes after Cord Blood Transplantation in Adults.

Recovery of thymopoiesis is critical for immune reconstitution after HSCT. IL-7 and SCF are two major thymotropic cytokines. We investigated whether the kinetics of circulating levels of these cytokines might provide insight into the prolonged immunodeficiency after double umbilical cord blood transplantation (dUCBT) in adults. We examined plasma levels of IL-7 and SCF, T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circle (TREC) levels and T cell subsets in 60 adult patients undergoing dUCBT. Median levels of IL-7 increased by more than 3-fold at 4 weeks and remained elevated through 100 days after dUCBT. SCF showed a less than 2-fold increase and more protracted elevation than IL-7. IL-7 levels inversely correlated with the reconstitution of various T cell subsets but not with TRECs. SCF levels inversely correlated with reconstitution of CD4+T cells, especially the naive CD4+CD45RA+ subset, and with TRECs suggesting that SCF but not IL-7 had an effect on thymic regeneration. In Cox models, elevated levels of IL-7 and SCF were associated with higher non-relapse mortality (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01) and worse overall survival (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001). Elevated IL-7 but not SCF was also associated with development of GvHD (p = 0.03). Thus, IL-7 and SCF are elevated for a prolonged period after dUCBT and persistently high levels of these cytokines may correlate with worse clinical outcomes.
A hybrid encoding scheme for efficient single-cycle range matching in content addressable memory

Content addressable memory (CAM) is a parallel search engine chip that has been proven to accelerate network appliance functions that are search-intensive by nature, such as routing table lookups. CAMs enable searching for a match of a single input with hundreds of thousands of entries in parallel in a single clock cycle. However, CAMs are inefficient in matching a numeric range with existing encoding methods. Two-hot, binary and Gray encodings exhibit a depth scalability problem where the CAM depth required increases with the maximum number M in the range. One-hot and Johnson encodings exhibit poor CAM width scalability O(M). We present a unique hybrid encoding scheme mixing the features of two-hot and Johnson codes to solve both scalability problems. For an arbitrary range, it uses only three CAM entries in depth regardless of M, and has a width scaling of O(/spl radic/M ). Therefore, this hybrid encoding scheme can be efficiently applied to CAM-based range matching with arbitrary ranges, while maintaining single cycle searching.
Preparation of Hydrogel Substrates with Tunable Mechanical Properties

The modulus of elasticity of the extracellular matrix (ECM), often referred to in a biological context as "stiffness," naturally varies within the body, e.g., hard bones and soft tissue. Moreover, it has been found to have a profound effect on the behavior of anchorage-dependent cells. The fabrication of matrix substrates with a defined modulus of elasticity can be a useful technique to study the interactions of cells with their biophysical microenvironment. Matrix substrates composed of polyacrylamide hydrogels have an easily quantifiable elasticity that can be changed by adjusting the relative concentrations of its monomer, acrylamide, and cross-linker, bis-acrylamide. In this unit, we detail a protocol for the fabrication of statically compliant and radial-gradient polyacrylamide hydrogels, as well as the functionalization of these hydrogels with ECM proteins for cell culture. Included as well are suggestions to optimize this protocol to the choice of cell type or stiffness with a table of relative bis-acrylamide and acrylamide concentrations and expected elasticity after polymerization.
The Fast Fourier Transform

We consider the space L 2 of complex-valued functions f(x) on the closed interval [0, 2π] that are bounded, continuous, and periodic with period 2π.
Properties of Pulsars and the Interstellar Medium

Pulsars are objects, first detected in 1967 at Cambridge University’s Milliard Observatory, from which we receive pulses of radio waves. The pulsar period, which is the length of time between successive pulses, is constant almost to the precision of our best atomic clocks. Figure 70 contains recordings of the power received at the 140-foot telescope of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, from three different pulsars. For each pulsar we show recordings made simultaneously at several different radio frequencies.
Prediction of boundary-layer characteristics of an oscillating airfoil

The evolution of unsteady boundary layers on oscillating airfoils is investigated by solving the governing equations by the Characteristic Box scheme. The difficulties associated with computing the first profile on a given time-line, and the velocity profiles with partial flow reversal are solved. A sample calculation has been performed for an external velocity distribution typical of those found near the leading edge of thin airfoils. The results demonstrate the viability of the calculation procedure.
Venture Capital Staging: Domestic Versus Foreign Vc-Led Investments

How do domestic VC-led and foreign VC-led investments differ in staged financing? We propose that domestic VCs will be more active than foreign VCs in learning through investing to tackle information asymmetry, agency concerns and project-specific uncertainty. We further expect that domestic VCs will be more responsive than foreign VCs to changes in external environment. The empirical analysis indicates that agency concerns and project-specific uncertainty (as reflected in early-stage ventures) prompt VCs to accelerate staging, whereas market volatility delays each round of financing. We further find some differences between domestic VC-led and foreign VC-led investments: Domestic VCs tend to invest in early-stage ventures with shorter durations between rounds of financing than do foreign VCs, and the delay effect of market volatility is also much more salient for foreign VC-led investments.
Corporate Governance, Monitoring and Litigation as Substitutes to Solve Agency Problem

A Securities Class Action lawsuit is initiated by a large class of shareholders against managers whom they suspect of wrongdoing. This paper proposes that Securities Class Action litigation is an ex post substitute for effective ex ante governance and monitoring. To elaborate this idea, I outline a model in which shareholders see a noisy signal of possible managerial fraud. Since the signal is imperfectly informative, and with costly litigation, shareholders' decision of whether to sue or not is based on the signal as well as the governance and monitoring mechanisms in place in the company. If the signal comes from a strong governed, vigilantly monitored company, shareholders are more likely to attribute it to noise. However if it comes from a company with poor controls in place, then the managers are more likely to have committed fraud and the shareholders sue with a higher probability. I test this idea using various measures of governance and monitoring, and find that firms with high total and abnormal compensation are more likely to be sued. I also find that firms with large institutional blockholders are less likely to be sued, suggesting that blockholders play a monitoring role. However my results find no evidence that outsider-dominated boards or small boards provide effective ex ante governance as a substitute to ex post litigation.
Clinical utility of retrograde terminal ileum intubation in the evaluation of chronic non‐bloody diarrhea

Objective The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency and factors involved in the terminal ileum intubation of patients with chronic, non-bloody diarrhea and to compare diagnostic yields of colonoscopy and ileocolonoscopy. Methods The medical records of 945 patients undergoing colonoscopy for chronic, non-bloody diarrhea were reviewed. Findings of microscopic colitis, Clostridium difficile colitis, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or tropical sprue were considered as definitive causes of diarrhea. Results A total of 689 patients met the diagnosis of chronic, non-bloody diarrhea, in which 370 (53.7%) underwent ileocolonoscopy. Specific histological diagnosis could explain the patient's symptoms in 107 (15.5%) patients. The diagnostic yield were 15.0% in the colonoscopy-only group, 16.9% in the ileocolonoscopy without biopsy group, and 15.5% in the ileocolonoscopy with biopsy group. Of the 19 patients with an abnormal terminal ileal biopsy, six (31.6%) had an otherwise normal colonic appearance which would have been diagnosed as normal if the ileum had not been reached and biopsied. In those with Crohn's disease (n = 7), five had ileocolitis and two had colitis only. A multivariate analysis showed that age of the patients and otherwise normal gross endoscopic results to be the only factors associated with a lower likelihood of ileal intubation by endoscopists. Conclusions The ileal intubation rate was 53.7% in our patients with chronic, non-bloody diarrhea. Diagnostic yield of ileocolonoscopy with biopsy in US patients with chronic, non-bloody diarrhea appeared to be low, if the colon side was normal on endoscopy. But this may provide supportive evidence in patients diagnosed with ileocolonic Crohn's disease.
Bipolar Transistor with a Buried Layer Formed by High-Energy Ion Implantation for Subhalf-Micron Bipolar-Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor LSIs

We investigated a bipolar transistor with a buried layer formed by high-energy ion implantation without the epitaxitial silicon layer growth. We focused mainly on the reduction of junction leakage current related to implantation damages, which could be achieved by rapid thermal annealing. Consequently, the maximum current gain of 155 and the cutoff frequency of 17.3 GHz were achieved with BV CE0=5.0 V. Moreover, this fabrication process is applicable to the conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process with the retrograde twin wells without additional process steps. Therefore, this technique can be very promising for the fabrication of subhalf-micron BiCMOS LSIs.
Indications for dialysis in the ICU: renal replacement vs. renal support.

Introduction Whether or not to provide dialytic support, and if so,when, are two of the most fundamental questions facingnephrologists and intensivists in most cases of acute renalfailure (ARF) in the ICU. Although these decisions areintegral to the management of any critically ill patientwith renal failure in the ICU, there is limited informationon what should determine the decision to dialyze. Overthe last decade significant advances have been made inthe availability of different dialysis methods for replace-ment of renal function. The advances have ranged frommodifications in intermittent dialysis, e.g. biocompatiblemembranes, bicarbonate dialysate and smarter dialysismachines with volumetric ultrafiltration controls, to thedevelopment of several modalities for continuous renalreplacement therapy (CRRT) [1–6]. Several of these tech-niques may be used to treat ARF in the ICU, but there islittle information on when dialysis should be offered andwhich therapies are most appropriate in a given circum-stance. This article outlines the current concepts in the useof dialysis techniques for ARF in the ICU and suggests anapproach for providing dialysis support for the criticallyill patient.Dialysis Decisions in the ICU: Current PracticeIn general, most nephrologists will have no hesitationin offering dialysis in the presence of life-threatening situ-ations, e.g. severe hyperkalemia, marked acid-base distur-bances or diuretic-resistant pulmonary edema. However,in the absence of these factors there is generally a tenden-cy to avoid dialysis as long as possible, a thought processthat reflects the decisions made for patients with end-stage renal disease, in whom the initiation of dialysis sig-nals the start of dialysis dependency. Two factors tend todissuade nephrologists from initiating dialysis in the ICU.First, there are well-known risks of the dialysis procedure,including hypotension, arrhythmia, and complications ofvascular access placement. Second, there is a strong con-cern that some element of the dialysis procedure may slowthe recovery of renal function, and increase the risk ofdeveloping end-stage renal failure [7–9]. This contentionis supported by experimental data showing renal lesionsconsistent with fresh ischemia in animals dialyzed with-out systemic hypotension, long after their initial renalinjury. Thus, in current practice, the decision to dialyze isbased most often on clinical features of volume overloadand biochemical features of solute imbalance (azotemia,hyperkalemia) [10–12].As shown in figure1, the decision to dialyze is oftenbased on an estimation of the likelihood for and timing ofrenal functional recovery. Factors that influence the likeli-hood of renal functional recovery include a knowledge ofthe nature and timing of renal insult, the severity of theunderlying illness and associated co-morbidities and thepresence of other factors known to adversely influencerenal function, e.g. prolonged hypotension (table1).When the nature and timing of the renal insult is known,
Pharmacokinetics of Dichloroacetate in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation

Background : Dichloroacetate (DCA) is an effective alternative to bicarbonate to treat lactic acidosis and stabilize acid-base homeostasis during liver transplantation. Although DCA presumably is metabolized by the liver, the impact of end-stage liver disease and liver transplantation on DCA distribution and elimination is unknown. Therefore, the pharmacokinetics of DCA were determined in patients with end-stage liver disease undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. Methods : Thirty-three patients undergoing liver transplantation were given DCA as two 40-mg/kg infusions over 60 min, the first after induction of anesthesia, the second 4 h later. Plasma DCA concentrations were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. One- and two-compartment pharmacokinetic models were fitted to DCA concentrations versus time data using a mixed-effects population approach. Various models permitted changes in central compartment volume and/or plasma clearance to account for changes in hepatic mass and function and circulatory status during the paleohepatic, anhepatic, and neohepatic periods. Results : The optimal model had two compartments. DCA clearance was 0.997, 0.0, and 1.69 ml.kg -1 .min -1 during the paleohepatic, anhepatic, and neohepatic periods, respectively (P < 0.05). Interindividual variability in central compartment volume differed during the paleohepatic and neohepatic periods. There was no apparent influence of blood or fluid requirements during surgery on DCA clearance or volume of distribution. Conclusions : Absence of DCA clearance during the anhepatic period indicates that DCA is metabolized exclusively by the liver. Differences in interindividual variability in central compartment volume during the paleohepatic and neohepatic periods possibly result from physiologic changes during surgery. Finally, the results indicate that the newly transplanted liver eliminates DCA better than the native liver.
Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Among Women Veterans: Health, Health Care Service Use, and Opportunities for Intervention

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization is a major source of morbidity and mortality for women. We know little about the IPV experiences among the growing population of women military veterans in the United States. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a retrospective review of medical records of 533 women veteran patients age 55 and younger at a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center to identify the scope of IPV exposure and associated demographic, health, and health care service use characteristics. Lifetime IPV was documented in one-quarter of women veterans’ medical records and was associated with higher risk of many medical conditions and with more extensive health care service use. We provide recommendations for intervention through the Veterans Health Administration and for future research.
Structural and Functional Consequences of Loricrin Mutations in Human Loricrin Keratoderma (Vohwinkel Syndrome with Ichthyosis)

Although loricrin is the predominant protein of the cornified envelope (CE) in keratinocytes, loss or gain of loricrin function in mouse models produces only modest skin phenotypes. In contrast, insertional mutations resulting in a frameshift in the C-terminal domain of loricrin produce the characteristic ichthyosis of loricrin keratoderma in mouse and man. To ascertain the basis for the loricrin keratoderma phenotype, we assessed epidermal structure and stratum corneum (SC) function in a previously genotyped human loricrin keratoderma kindred. Our studies revealed abnormal corneocyte fragility and basal permeability barrier function, but accelerated repair kinetics. Despite fragility, increased water loss occurred predominantly via extracellular domains, which correlated with disorganized lamellar bilayers that were linked spatially to discontinuities of the CE. Accelerated barrier recovery was explicable by amplified lamellar body secretion, while partial normalization of the CE in the outer SC correlated with persistence of abundant calcium in the extracellular spaces (positioned to activate transglutaminase-1). These results show that the barrier abnormality in loricrin keratoderma is linked to a defective CE scaffold, resulting in increased extracellular permeability, as shown previously for another "scaffold disorder", lamellar ichthyosis. But in contrast to lamellar ichthyosis, the CE scaffold partially normalizes in the outer SC in loricrin keratoderma.
A comparison between lead-containing (rifle) and non-lead containing (archery) hunting methods

Lead contamination in deer meat (venison) has been documented extensively throughout the past decade as a result of the use of lead ammunition in deer hunting. Bullets have been consistently documented to disintegrate into a cloud of fragments and contaminate venison. Many studies have shown that the consumption of lead-contaminated meat is directly correlated to increased blood lead concentrations that pose several human health risks; most of them are associated with neurological and renal disorders. It was hypothesized that there would be a higher lead concentration in rifle-harvested meat than archery-harvested meat primarily because archery arrows do not contain lead. In this experiment, meat samples from rifle-harvested deer and archery-harvested deer were analyzed for lead quantities using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Random samples were collected from local meat lockers as donations for this experiment. The data show no significant difference in lead levels (t=0.734; p=0.467) between rifle and archery harvested meat samples. Results of this study also point to lead contamination in some archery samples, as deer may survive lead bullet wounds and be killed by another means.
Estimation of haloperidol concentrations in rat striatum after chronic treatment.

Abstract 3 H-Spiroperidol association and dissociation rate constants were determined in rat striatal homogenates in the presence of known concentrations of unlabelled haloperidol. The rate of 3 H-spiroperidol association was progressively decreased in the presence of increasing concentrations of haloperidol and no changes were seen in 3 H-spiroperidol dissociation rate constants. Measuring changes in 3 H-spiroperidol association rate constants permitted detection of 0.1 pmol/ml unlabelled haloperidol in assay homogenates. Then, male Sprague-Dawley rats received daily injections of haloperidol (1.5 mg/kg) for 1–21 days. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, 3 H-spiroperidol kinetic rate constants and K d values were measured and found to be unchanged in all treatment groups. These findings suggest that, under these conditions of drug withdrawal and tissue preparation, which are widely employed in studies of chronic neuroleptic administration, residual haloperidol does not interfere with the estimation of 3 H-spiroperidol binding parameters.
Massive coronary arterial aneurysm

The pathologic and echocardiographic findings of a massive right coronary arterial aneurysm in a 62 year old man are presented. The thrombosed aneurysm simulated a cardiac tumor, destroying one pulmonary valve cusp. It also caused marked pulmonary stenosis with elongation and narrowing of the outflow tract of the right ventricle and fixation of half of one cusp of the tricuspid valve.
Osteogenic differentiation of stem cells derived from human periodontal ligaments and pulp of human exfoliated deciduous teeth

Multipotent stem cells derived from periodontal ligaments (PDLSC) and pulp of human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) represent promising cell sources for bone regeneration. Recent studies have demonstrated that retinoic acid (RA) and dexamethasone (Dex) induce osteogenesis of postnatal stem cells. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of RA and Dex on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of SHED and PDLSC and to compare the osteogenic characteristics of SHED and PDLSC under RA treatment. SHED and PDLSC were treated with serum-free medium either alone or supplemented with RA or Dex for 21 days. The proliferation of SHED and PDLSC was significantly inhibited by both RA and Dex. RA significantly upregulated gene expression and the activity of alkaline phosphatase in SHED and PDLSC. Positive Alizarin red and von Kossa staining of calcium deposition was seen on the RA-treated SHED and PDLSC after 21 days of culture. The influences of RA on the osteogenic differentiation of SHED and PDLSC were significantly stronger than with Dex. Supplemention with insulin enhanced RA-induced osteogenic differentiation of SHED. Thus, RA is an effective inducer of osteogenic differentiation of SHED and PDLSC, whereas RA treatment in combination with insulin supplementation might be a better option for inducing osteogenic differentiation. Significantly higher cell proliferation of PDLSC results in greater calcium deposition after 3-week culture, suggesting that PDLSC is a better osteogenic stem cell source. This study provides valuable information for efficiently producing osteogenically differentiated SHED or PDLSC for in vivo bone regeneration.
Liberalism and leadership: Lockean roots

Liberal thought has paid scant attention to leadership as a conceptual issue. Liberalism has emphasized constraint of public authority yet it has expected leaders to rise to its service. What is the meaning of leadership to a political philosophy so individualistic, contingent and egalitarian? This question opens a new perspective to much examined subjects. Students of leadership and students of liberalism have made no attempt to unite their interests. But, leadership, understood in contemporary terms and applied retrospectively to liberalism, can be a fruitful line of investigation. John Locke's Second Treatise serves as a place to begin. Concern with public power and authority has confused them with leadership to such an extent in the liberal mind that leadership has been largely taken for granted as a function of institutional authority. Liberalism's focus on limiting public authority has distorted its comprehension of the role of leaders in the polity. Yet, Locke's discussion of prerogative wrestles with the necessity of leadership which reaches beyond institutional authority to achieve the public good. Locke's argument may be read to support a view that leadership is necessary, but not sufficient, to the creation, preservation and progress of liberal society.
On Pointlike Sets and Joins of Pseudovarieties

In this paper we give a criterion for a subset of a semigroup to be pointlike for the join or wreath product of two pseudovarieties. As a consequence we obtain a criterion for membership in the join of two pseudovarieties. Applications include pointlikes for J ∨ G.
A perspective on power generation impacts and compensation in fish populations

Abstract Renewed interest in the topic of compensation in fish populations has been stimulated by new EPA 316(b) regulations relating to entrainment and impingement looming on the horizon. The purpose of this paper is to revisit the topic of population compensation for fish populations in the context of assessing power generation impacts. I define compensation as the net population-level outcome of changes in growth, survival, and reproduction at the individual fish level that offsets decreases or increases in population density. Potential mechanisms of compensation have been well document in laboratory and field experiments. The process underlying all these mechanisms is that changes in population density can change per capita availability of essential resources such as food and space. The state of science in this area is constrained both retrospectively and prospectively by five technical stumbling blocks. Technological advances have improved our ability to bound the phenotypic plasticity of a species and to assess the potential effects of power generation impacts through a combination of monitoring, special studies, and simulation modeling. Four generalizations concerning compensation are mentioned. Progress has been made over the past three decades, but this topic remains scientifically challenging and politically controversial.
The Effects of Oklahoma's Pre‐K Program on Hispanic Children*

Objective. The objective of this work is to determine how much Hispanics benefit from a high-quality pre-K program and which Hispanic students benefit the most. Methods. Hispanic students in Tulsa, Oklahoma were tested (in English, Spanish) in August 2006. A regression discontinuity design addressed potential selection bias by comparing pre-K alumni (treatment group) with pre-K entrants (control group), controlling for age and other demographic variables. Results. Hispanic students experienced substantial improvements in prereading, prewriting, and premath skills. Hispanic students whose parents speak Spanish at home or whose parents were born in Mexico benefited the most. English-language test gains were stronger than Spanish-language test gains, but the latter were sometimes significant. Conclusions. Preschool education has considerable potential to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children.
X-RAY DIFFRACTION ANALYSIS OF NANOPARTICLES: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SOLUTIONS

Powder X-ray diffraction has become a cornerstone technique for deriving crystallite size in nanoscience due to speed and "simplicity". Unfortunately, this apparently simple technique commonly has unexpected problems. Anisotropic peak broadening related to crystallite shape, defects, and microstrain occurs frequently in nanomaterials and can significantly complicate the analysis. In some instances, the usage of the conventional single peak approach would give erroneous results, and in others, this type of analysis is not even possible. A number of different nanocrystalline oxides have been examined to determine their crystallite sizes by different techniques. They differ in terms of crystal symmetry, crystallinity, density, and present different challenges with regard to size analysis.
Techniques of foreign body removal in infants and children

Foreign body ingestions are common in pediatric patients and represent a challenge for the pediatric endoscopist. The most common objects ingested by children in the United States are coins, although toys and batteries account for a significant fraction of ingestions. The timing of and requirement for endoscopy is based on the type of foreign body ingested, its location, and the presence or absence of symptoms. In some cases, ingested foreign bodies require urgent removal even in asymptomatic patients. This is the case for example, with esophageal batteries. In smaller pediatric patients, the size of the foreign body is an important factor in determining the timing and requirement for endoscopy and the management may differ as compared to adults. Areas of anatomic narrowing or disease may be an underlying reason why a foreign body becomes lodged and endoscopists are cautioned against blindly advancing a foreign body or meat impaction distally. Various techniques and endoscopic equipment are used to remove ingested foreign bodies in children including specialized forceps, baskets, snares, and friction fit adaptors and these are discussed.
Tropical spastic paraparesis: an old disease with a new name.

T ropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), a progressive myelopathy predominantly affecting the lower limbs, is currently synonymous with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLVI)–associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). At the turn of the 20th century, Drs Henry Strachan and Henry Scott provided the first clinical descriptions of persons with syndromes resembling HAM/TSP. As HTLV-I was not detected until 1980, these historical references likely included persons who did not have HAM/TSP. In the mid-1980s, the association of HTLV-I with the neurologic syndrome HAM/TSP was reported concurrently in patients from the Caribbean islands, Colombia, Japan, and the Seychelles. Using the original quotations from the seminal articles, this article traces the initial reports of this syndrome, the discovery of the infectious cause, and the development of the clinical definition of the syndrome.
Temperature dependence of capacitation in bat sperm monitored by zona‐free hamster ova

The temperature dependence of capacitation in bat sperm (Myotis lucifugus lucifugus) was studied by monitoring fertilizations rates of zona-free hamster ova at different temperatures. Spermatozoa were cultured in BWW medium at temperatures 4°C, 24°C, 32°C, 42°C, and 55°C from 0–24 hr. Activation of sperm could be determined visually due to the change in movement seen through light microscopy. Activation was later confirmed by higher rates of fertilization. Preincubation of the bat sperm was found to have a direct effect on the success of penetration of the zona-free hamster ova. Holding bat spermatozoa at low temperature for long intervals allowed them to remain motile but unable to fertilize. Sperm are not irreversibly damaged, however, and activation, when the temperature is increased to 32°C, is faster than when sperm are intitially put at 32°C, resulting in good fertilization rates.
Home monitoring in lung transplantation: A model program

A paperless home measurement monitoring system has been developed for patients who have undergone lung transplantation. Respiratory, vital signs, and symptom data are recorded each day on a specially designed electronic spirometer/diary device. Data is downloaded to the data center computer once each week. The system is designed to detect the earliest signs of opportunistic infection and chronic rejection, the two greatest concerns for long term survival. The program has been well accepted, is easy to use, and provides data which is comparable to that collected during clinic visits.
2 × 8 photorefractive reconfigurable interconnect with laser diodes

We report the demonstration and characterization of a 2 × 8 optical reconfigurable interconnect with laser diodes at 780 nm and a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator in conjunction with a photorefractive barium titanate crystal. The photorefractive holograms improve the energy efficiency by 6 to 10 dB over the conventional approach.
Penumbral Effects on Sunlight Penetration in Plant Communities

When sunlight passes through openings in leaf or overstory plant canopies, strong penumbral effects (e.g., penumbral light-spreading) can result in major changes in the total sunlit area, the irradiance level, and exposure duration at the incident surface. These effects are based on well-known optical principles whereby light that originates from a non-point source (e.g., sunlight) and passes through a circular aperture will project an image composed of a bright center portion (numbra) circumscribed by a shadow-edge (penumbra). A hypothetical opening diameter (G) and distance to the incident surface (D) was expressed as the ratio G/D (= GDR) and used to quantify changes in the projected sun spot diameter (Gp) and area (Gparea), and the relative irradiance levels and durations of the numbra and penumbra. When GDR was 80% of the exposure period. Beyond a GDR of 0.05, pen- umbral effects were negligible. Definitions of a sunfleck, sunpatch, gap, and clearing are proposed based on the specific sunlight regimes generated by the corresponding GDR values. These penumbral and latitudinal effects on sunlight penetration through canopy openings are discussed for a variety of leaf canopy and forest overstory types using rep- resentative gap sizes and vegetation heights.
State climatologists issue policy on climate change

During the summer 2001 annual meeting of the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC), it was decided that a policy statement by this organization on climate was needed. This community which provides climate service to individual states and regions, had here to fore not provided its view on the subject of climate prediction capabilities and climate services. Among the major conclusions of the resulting policy statement is that our ability to skillfully predict the future climate, due to both natural causes and human forcings, is limited to approximately a season or so. The policy also states that monitoring and assessments of societal and environmental vulnerability to climate variability and change are the topics which should be emphasized, in terms of the allocation of resources in this area.
CHON as a component of dust from comet Halley

Three sets of particle mass spectra are used here to investigate the relationship between CHON (dust composed predominantly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen) and silicate materials in Comet Halley. It is found that there are essentially no pure CHON particles in the 0.1-1 micron size range sampled; instead, essentially all Halley particles sampled by the mass spectrometers are a mixture of both CHON and silicate components. The data show that the CHON and silicate components are interdispersed at submicron scales, and there is evidence that sublimation of volatile organic material occurs, bringing many particles to a common proportion of CHON and silicate material.
Despite an Overall Decline in U.S. Infant Mortality Rates, the Black/White Disparity Persists: Recent Trends and Future Projections

This paper has two objectives. First, we examine the Black–White disparity in the U.S. infant mortality rate (IMR) between 1995 and 2009, and explore the influence of socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., marital status, education, and prenatal care) on this racial gap. Second, we calculate projected IMRs and compare these results to the objectives of the Healthy People 2020 program. Descriptive statistics were calculated and linear regression models were conducted using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s linked birth and infant death files. Between 1995 and 2009, the IMR declined by 11.9 % for White mothers and 15.3 % for Black mothers. Among unmarried mothers, there was a 19.6 % decline for Whites and a 15.2 % reduction for Blacks. In comparison, among married mothers, there was a 19.3 % decline for Whites and an 18.1 % reduction for Blacks. For both Blacks and Whites, the largest percent declines occurred among women with the lowest and highest levels of education. For both racial groups, those with no prenatal care had the highest IMRs. Despite these significant declines, educated White women are the only group predicted to reach the Healthy People 2020 objective of an IMR lower than 6.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The predicted IMR for highly educated Black women in 2020 is 10.6, and the projected rates for Black mothers with low education levels are even higher. Although the IMR has declined since 1995, the racial disparity between Blacks and Whites will most likely persist through 2020. Whereas educated White mothers are projected to meet the Healthy People 2020 IMR goal, other groups will fall short. The racial disparity persists even when mothers are grouped by marital status, educational attainment, and access to care. Future policies and prevention programs should address these racial disparities.