cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automobile air bag-mediated injury: a case presentation

Summary Because of the growing number of automobiles equipped with air bags, it is virtually certain that patients will seek treatment in the emergency department for air bag-mediated injury. The emergency nurse must be aware of air bag-mediated injury patterns and prepared for triage and management of any of the potential concurrent injuries caused by air-bag deployment.
Statistics for weighing benefits and harms in a proposed genetic substudy of a randomized cancer prevention trial

Summary. When evaluating potential interventions for cancer prevention, it is necessary to compare benefits and harms. With new study designs, new statistical approaches may be needed to facilitate this comparison. A case in point arose in a proposed genetic substudy of a randomized trial of tamoxifen versus placebo in asymptomatic women who were at high risk for breast cancer. Although the randomized trial showed that tamoxifen substantially reduced the risk of breast cancer, the harms from tamoxifen were serious and some were life threaten-ing. In hopes of finding a subset of women with inherited risk genes who derive greater bene-fits from tamoxifen, we proposed a nested case–control study to test some trial subjects for various genes and new statistical methods to extrapolate benefits and harms to the general population. An important design question is whether or not the study should target common low penetrance genes. Our calculations show that useful results are only likely with rare high penetrance genes.
The Use of Technology in Teaching Business Statistics

Abstract In this study, the author administered a 19-question survey instrument to students in 2 types of business statistics classes at Virginia Commonwealth University. In the 1st class, a traditional 1, students used pocket calculators during exams and had access to tables in a textbook. In the other class, a technology class, each student had a computer and used the Minitab statistical software for calculations. The author compared the 2 classes to investigate differences in attitude toward technology learning and learning enhancement. Results showed that both classes felt comfortable with their corresponding approaches and performed similarly on a common final exam.
Unexpected potential of adult stem cells.

We have identified a population of primitive cells in normal human (h) as well as murine (m) and rat (r), postnatal bone marrow (BM) that have, at the single cell level, multipotent differentiation and extensive proliferation potential, which we named Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cell or MAPC. MAPC differentiate in vitro into most mesodermal cell types (cells with characteristics of osteoblasts, chondroblasts, fibroblasts, adipocytes, skeletal, smooth and cardiac myoblasts, endothelial cells), as well as cells with neuroectodermal and with endodermal features. Using retroviral marking we have shown that multi-lineage differentiation is derived from single MAPC. MAPC express active telomerase and can undergo 100+ cell doublings without telomere shortening, suggesting that they do not senesce. MAPC express oct-4 mRNA. MAPC engraft in vivo and persist for 6+ months, differentiate into hematopoietic and epithelial cells in response to local “cues”, and contribute to all somatic cell types when injected in the blastocyst. The finding that stem cells exist in post-natal tissues with previously unknown proliferation and differentiation potential opens up the possibility of using autologous stem cells to treat a host of degenerative, traumatic or congenital diseases.
Hi-Rise: A High-Radix Switch for 3D Integration with Single-cycle Arbitration

This paper proposes a novel 3D switch, called 'Hi-Rise', that employs high-radix switches to efficiently route data across multiple stacked layers of dies. The proposed interconnect is hierarchical and composed of two switches per silicon layer and a set of dedicated layer to layer channels. However, a hierarchical 3D switch can lead to unfair arbitration across different layers. To address this, the paper proposes a unique class-based arbitration scheme that is fully integrated into the switching fabric, and is easy to implement. It makes the 3D hierarchical switch's fairness comparable to that of a flat 2D switch with least recently granted arbitration. The 3D switch is evaluated for different radices, number of stacked layers, and different 3D integration technologies. A 64-radix, 128-bit width, 4-layer Hi-Rise evaluated in a 32nm technology has a throughput of 10.65 Tbps for uniform random traffic. Compared to a 2D design this corresponds to a 15% improvement in throughput, a 33% area reduction, a 20% latency reduction, and a 38% energy per transaction reduction.
Oligomerization of opioid receptors.

Abstract Opioid receptors belong to the family of G-protein-coupled receptors characterized by their seven transmembrane domains. The activation of these receptors by agonists such as morphine and endogenous opioid peptides leads to the activation of inhibitory G-proteins followed by a decrease in the levels of intracellular cAMP. Opioid receptor activation is also associated with the opening of K+ channels and the inhibition of Ca2+ channels. A number of investigations, prior to the development of opioid receptor cDNAs, suggested that opioid receptor types interacted with each other. Early pharmacological studies provided evidence for the probable interaction between opioid receptors. More recent studies using receptor selective antagonists, antisense oligonucleotides, or animals lacking opioid receptors further suggested that interactions between opioid receptor types could modulate their activity. We examined opioid receptor interactions using biochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological techniques. We used differential epitope tagging and selective immunoisolation of receptor complexes to demonstrate homotypic and heterotypic interactions between opioid receptor types. We also used the proximity-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assay to explore opioid receptor–receptor interactions in living cells. In this article we describe the biochemical and biophysical methods involved in the detection of receptor dimers. We also address some of the concerns and suggest precautions to be taken in studies examining receptor–receptor interactions.
NG-monomethyl-L-arginine causes nitric oxide synthesis in isolated arterial rings : trouble in paradise

Abstract Arginine analogs are commonly used as inhibitors of the synthesis of endothelium-derived relaxing factor, nitric oxide. However, their effect on nitric oxide levels is rarely measured. Using a chemiluminescence assay for nitric oxide, we found that NG-monomethyl- l -arginine enhanced, rather than reduced, nitric oxide synthesis in pulmonary arterial and aortic rings. NG-monomethyl- l -arginine inhibited relaxation to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator A23187 in aortic but not pulmonary arterial rings. In contrast, Nω-nitro- l -arginine did not stimulate nitric oxide synthesis and it inhibited relaxation to A23187 in all rings. We conclude that NG-monomethyl- l -arginine is a partial agonist for nitric oxide synthesis.
Influence of Spawning and Other Stream Habitat Features on Spatial Variability of Wild Brown Trout

Abstract Total densities of wild brown trout Salmo trutta ages 1 to 7 varied widely (range, 130–1,304/hectare) among 12 sample sections in Spring Creek, a 35-km-long stream in a limestone area of central Pennsylvania. During a 2-year study we determined the relative importance of spawning habitat and other habitat features on spatial variation in density. Densities of age-0 and of all age-1 and older brown trout were positively correlated with redd densities. Embryo survival was lowest in sections with low brown trout densities, but embryo survival was not as important as redd density in determining population size. Redd density appeared to be a function of availability of suitable spawning substrate. Habitat variables such as depth, pool area, cover, and substrate were not correlated with brown trout density. Spawning habitat and other habitat features were quantified with the habitat suitability index model. Scores derived from the model were poorly correlated with densities of age-0 and of age- l and o...
A radiotracer method for the study of ruthenium adsorption on polysulfur nitride, /SN/x

The adsorption of RuCl3 and [Ru/NH3/5Cl]Cl2, [Ru/NH3/6]Cl3, Ru/III/EDTA complexes on polysulfur nitride, /SN/x, has been studied using radioactive103Ru. The values of the surface coverage show stronger in adsorption the [Ru/NH3/5Cl]Cl2 on /SN/x surface than the other studied ruthenium compounds. The perpendicular surfaces of /SN/x crystals are more active relative to the adsorption of the parallel surface.
Microbial decomposition of plant tissue contaminated with arsenic and mercury

Abstract Soil was amended with plant tissue contaminated with Hg and As to determine the effects on microbial activity. Common bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon L. grown on soil amended with various quantities of Hg and As contained concentrations of 42, 0·2 and 542 μg g −1 Hg and 20, 17 and 304 μg −1 As in their leaves, stems and roots, respectively. Soil amended with these contaminated plant tissues was used to test the effects on CO 2 evolution and nitrification. Contaminated tissue resulted in the same stimulation of CO 2 evolution as non-contaminated control tissue. The quantity of NO 3 − in the soil following incubation was not affected by the concentration of As or Hg in the plant tissue. These results suggest that the environmental impact of adding As or Hg to soil will not be from decreasing the decomposition rate of plant residues.
Validation Study of a Virtual Reality Robotic Simulator—Role as an Assessment Tool?

Purpose: Virtual reality simulators are often used for surgical skill training since they facilitate deliberate practice in a controlled, low stakes environment. However, to be considered for assessment purposes rigorous construct and criterion validity must be demonstrated. We performed face, content, construct and concurrent validity testing of the dV-Trainer™ robotic surgical simulator.Materials and Methods: Urology residents, fellows and attending surgeons were enrolled in this institutional review board approved study. After a brief introduction to the dV-Trainer each subject completed 3 repetitions each of 4 virtual reality tasks on it, including pegboard ring transfer, matchboard object transfer, needle threading of rings, and the ring and rail task. One week later subjects completed 4 similar tasks using the da Vinci® robot. Subjects were assessed on total task time and total errors using the built-in scoring algorithm and manual scoring for the dV-Trainer and the da Vinci robot, respectively.Resu...
Rethinking the Left in Victory and Defeat: Introduction

The collapse of neoliberalism since September and October of 2008 has been sudden and spectacular. The failure of the ideas sustaining the Washington Consensus and the practices of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund seems nearly complete. The new world we may be entering could have a dramatically different political opportunity structure than the old one. But what will take its place? What has the Left to offer? What has it learned in recent decades that have been filled with more defeats than victories? What will it have to offer right now when millions are seeking solutions? Our contributors possess no crystal ball. Our answers to these questions are framed historically. How have left movements learned from defeat in the past? What factors have enabled them to exploit moments of opportunity? Analyzing the immediate historical context to the present crisis, historians can suggest which measures promise the most hope of success and which seem doomed to failure. To this end, the papers in this collection concern themselves with left victory and defeat. They show that victory and defeat are more problematic than we might think. Each raises its own particular set of challenges and concerns.
Assessing the Efficiency of Risk Mitigation Strategies in Supply Chains

Mitigating supply chain risk is a critical component of a company's overall risk management strategy. Drawing upon Contingency Theory, we posit that the appropriateness and effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies are contingent on the internal and external environments and that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. While literature on risk management has proposed a variety of tools and techniques for effectively evaluating and managing supply chain risks, comprehensive assessment of the efficiencies of alternative risk mitigation strategies has not been addressed in the literature. Such an assessment will help managers select the appropriate mitigation strategy for a given decision-making environment. To this end, this study is first of its kind in evaluating and proposing efficient supply chain risk mitigation strategies in the presence of a variety of risk categories, risk sources, and supply chain configurations. We combine an empirically grounded simulation methodology with data envelopment analysis and nonparametric statistical methods to analyze and rank alternative mitigation strategies. We find that the more efficient strategies focus on flexibility rather than on redundancy for supply chain failures. Our research presents several interesting and useful managerial insights for deciding what strategies are most capable of mitigating risks in a variety of contexts.
Few-body physics: Giant trimers true to scale

Quantum mechanics predicts an infinite series of loosely bound states of three bosons, and the size of these trimers should scale with a factor of 22.7. This general result seems to be confirmed now in an experiment with an ultracold gas of potassium atoms.
Comparison of symptom-limited and low level exercise tolerance tests early after myocardial infarction

Abstract Objectives. This study was conducted to determine the diagostic yield and risks of a symptom limited treadmill exercise test before hospital discharge. Background. Currently, predischarge low level and 6-week symptom-limited exercise treadmill tests are recommended for risk stratification after myocardial infarction. However, few data exist on the safety and value of a predischarge symptom-limited exercise test. Methods. We utilized a modified Bruce protocol starting at 1.7 mph and 0 grade with 3-min stage in 150 consecutive patients 6.4 ± 3.1 days after myocardial infraction. Each exercise test was interpreted for duration, symptom and ST segment changes at the low level (70% of predicted heart rate) and symptom-limited end point. Results. There were no complications related to the symptom-limited exercise test. The test results were positive in only 23% of the patients at the low level end point, but were positive in 40% of the patients at the later symptom-limited end point (p Conclusion. In patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction, we demonstrated the safety of an early symptom-limited treadmill exercise test. Symptom-limited exercise tests will identify more patients with inducible ischemia who are at risk of future cardiac events and who may benefit from early intervention.
A feasibility study using radiochromic films for fast neutron 2D passive dosimetry

The objective of this paper is threefold: (1) to establish sensitivity of XRQA and EBT radiochromic films to fast neutron exposure; (2) to develop a film response to radiation dose calibration curve and (3) to investigate a two-dimensional (2D) film dosimetry technique for use in establishing an experimental setup for a radiobiological irradiation of mice and to assess the dose to the mice in this setup. The films were exposed to a 10 MeV neutron beam via the 2H(d,n)3He reaction. The XRQA film response was a factor of 1.39 greater than EBT film response to the 10 MeV neutron beam when exposed to a neutron dose of 165 cGy. A film response-to-soft tissue dose calibration function was established over a range of 0–10 Gy and had a goodness of fit of 0.9926 with the calibration data. The 2D film dosimetry technique estimated the neutron dose to the mice by measuring the dose using a mouse phantom and by placing a piece of film on the exterior of the experimental mouse setup. The film results were benchmarked using Monte Carlo and aluminum (Al) foil activation measurements. The radiochromic film, Monte Carlo and Al foil dose measurements were strongly correlated, and the film within the mouse phantom agreed to better than 7% of the externally mounted films. These results demonstrated the potential application of radiochromic films for passive 2D neutron dosimetry.
Formalism for the construction of binary neutron stars with arbitrary circulation

Most numerical models of binary stars - in particular neutron stars in compact binaries - assume the companions to be either corotational or irrotational. Either one of these assumptions leads to a significant simplification in the hydrodynamic equations of stationary equilibrium. In this paper we develop a new formalism for the construction of binary stars with circulation intermediate between corotational and irrotational. Generalizing the equations for irrotational flow we cast the Euler equation, which is an algebraic equation in the case of corotational or irrotational fluid flow, as an elliptic equation for a new auxiliary quantity. We also suggest a parametrized decomposition of the fluid flow that allows for a variation of the stellar circulation.
Pharmacokinetics of intraventricular administration.

The widespread use of neurosurgical devices for intraventricular drug delivery has led to an escalation in the number of CSF pharmacokinetic studies. When experimental data for ventricular CSF concentration vs. time are normalized for dose and plotted for drugs with a wide range of physical properties, there is a remarkably narrow range. Simulations from a distributed model for the central nervous system suggest that the narrow range of observed CSF half-times following bolus administration is a consequence of physiologic limits upon rate of drug removal from CSF. Whereas bulk flow of CSF establishes a minimum rate of drug washout, diffusion through brain tissue and subsequent removal by capillaries establishes a maximum rate of drug egress which is only seven times the minimum rate. Predictions of CSF concentration vs. time can be made based upon the capillary exchange rate for a particular drug, which could be estimated or calculated from CSF concentration measurements following systemic administration. Simulations are also presented of steady-state CSF concentrations during continuous ventricular infusions.
Capital repartriation and the waiting game

Abstract A stylized fact on post-stabilization economies is that getting the fundamentals right, even though necessary, is not sufficient to ensure a prompt and costless resumption of growth. Uncertainty whether stabilization can in fact be sustained confers an option value to postponing investment in domestic real assets.
Calculations of Hydration Entropies of Hydrophobic, Polar, and Ionic Solutes in the Framework of the Langevin Dipoles Solvation Model

A Langevin dipoles solvation model that can determine the entropies of transfer of molecules from the gas phase to aqueous solution is developed and examined. This computational approach involves the calculation of the hydrophobic part of the hydration entropy using the potential-dependent surface area of the solute. This contribution is augmented by an immobilization entropy term that accounts for the ordering of the solvent dipoles near charged solutes of arbitrary shape. The entropic contributions to the hydration free energies of 55 neutral and 70 ionic solutes at 298 K are calculated using the proposed algorithm and the results are compared to the available experimental data. In addition, it is shown that the hydration entropy contributes significantly to the total activation and reaction entropies of proton transfer and nucleophilic substitution reactions.
Solute Transport as Related to Soil Structure in Unsaturated Intact Soil Blocks

Concern about soil and groundwater pollution has resulted in numerous studies focused on solute transport. The objectives of our study were to investigate the effect of soil type and land-use management on solute movement. Transport of water and Cl - were measured through intact blocks of Maury (fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudalf) and Cecil (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludult) soils, under steady-state, unsaturated flow conditions. Three replicate blocks for the Maury soil and two replicate blocks for the Cecil soil were studied per land-use treatment. The land-use treatments were conventional-till corn (Zea mays L.) production and long-term grass pasture. Individual blocks were instrumented with time domain reflectometry (TDR) probes at the 5-, 15-, and 25-cm depths. The effluent Cl and TDR breakthrough curves were fitted using the convection dispersion equation (CDE); the estimated parameters were pore water velocity (v), dispersion coefficient (D), and, for the TDR breakthrough curves, maximum bulk electrical conductivity (BEC max ). The CDE fitted the data very well, with model R 2 values ranging from 0.971 to 0.999. Volumetric water content (0), total porosity, the soil water retention curve, and saturated hydraulic conductivity were determined on the same blocks. Volumetric water content increased (R 2 = 0.25) as the slope of the water retention curve decreased. Increasing θ resulted in decreasing v (R 2 = 0.20) and thus, because of the linear relationship between D and v (R 2 = 0.26), decreasing D. Structural controls on solute dispersion in this study were mainly indirect, and related to variations in water content produced by differences in pore-size distribution.
Assessing Achievement in Nephrology Training: Using Clinic Chart Audits to Quantitatively Screen Competency

Background Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are complex tasks representing vital physician functions in multiple competencies, used to demonstrate trainee development along milestones. Managing a nephrology outpatient clinic has been proposed as an EPA for nephrology fellowship training. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of nephrology fellow outpatient clinic performance using a previously validated chart audit tool. Setting & Participants Outpatient encounter chart audits for training years 2008-2009 through 2012-2013, corresponding to participation in the Nephrology In-Training Examination (ITE). A median of 7 auditors (attending nephrologists) audited a mean of 1,686±408 (SD) charts per year. 18 fellows were audited; 12, in both of their training years. Predictors Proportion of chart audit and quality indicator deficiencies. Outcomes Longitudinal deficiency and ITE performance. Measurements & Results Among fellows audited in both their training years, chart audit deficiencies were fewer in the second versus the first year (5.4%±2.0% vs 17.3%±7.0%; P P =0.002). Most deficiencies were omission errors, regardless of training year. Quality indicator deficiencies for hypertension and chronic kidney disease–associated anemia recognition and management were fewer during the second year ( P P =0.03), with no significant association for first-year fellows. Auditor-reported deficiencies declined between the first and second halves of the year (17.0% vs 11.1%; P P =0.6), suggesting that the decline was not due to auditor fatigue. Limitations Retrospective design and small trainee numbers. Conclusions Managing a nephrology outpatient clinic is an EPA. The chart audit tool was used to assess longitudinal fellow performance in managing a nephrology outpatient clinic. Failure to progress may be quantitatively identified and remediated. The tool identifies deficiencies in all 6 competencies, not just medical knowledge, the primary focus of the ITE and the nephrology subspecialty board examination.
Magnetic properties in the system Iron-Cobalt-Aluminum

The ternary alloy system Fe-Co-Al is studied in the body-centered cubic (bcc) phase for the composition dependence of room temperature magnetization, saturation induction, and Curie temperature T c . The system has potential for high temperature application as soft magnetic material. The results expand upon earlier measurements. The presence of a broad maximum in magnetization near the composition 70 Fe-30 Co (weight percent) in their binary does not persist beyond about 5 wt% Al in the ternary family. Previously reported Curie temperature results are confirmed including an anomalous increase of T c with Al dilution for a certain range of composition. This feature is explained as due to a stabilization of the α-phase to higher temperatures.
Edith Maturin and the Wide World Magazine: New Woman Rewritings of Imperial Adventure

IN A TELLING MOMENT in the 1899 account of her life in India, Edith Maturin describes fighting off a potential attacker who attempts to enter her bedroom in the middle of the night. Because she is staying overnight in a remote cabin, she has only the nominal protection of “the Government-chosen khansamah [head servant] and chokey-dar [watchman]” (364). Lying awake, she looks up to find “a huge black man” peering in through the door with an “odiously fiendish expression” (364). Having anticipated such an attack, she is armed with her son’s pop gun, and when she spots the intruder, she scares him away by firing it off: “I sat up, took the pistol, and pointed it at him. He saw me distinctly, and ducked as I fired. Then away he went! I put another cap in the toy pistol, and, running to the door, opened it, and fired again and again” (“Chamba Cinderella” 364) (Figure 21). Published in the Wide World Magazine, George Newnes’s illustrated monthly of travel and adventure, this account, and its accompanying illustration, perform some key rhetorical work: in describing a native attacker trying to enter her bedroom, Maturin draws on Gothic motifs to portray herself as a vulnerable heroine; at the same time, her response to this threat underscores her courage and resourcefulness as a New Woman adventurer. The accompanying illustration emphasizes this double move: Maturin’s white nightgown and the image of the shadowy figure suggest vulnerability, whereas her aggressive body language indicates assertiveness and resolve. As this episode reveals, Maturin’s figuration as a brave and unconventional female traveler depends on underscoring the colonial environment of India as physical and sexual threat. Throughout the magazine, similar tales of female adventure combine both the discourse of empire and the gender politics of the New Woman novel, showing how the imaginative space of periodicals, as well as the colonial space itself, presented an opportunity for women writers to capitalize on a ready market and fashion a professional identity as an adventurer. These women’s adventure stories – or, what I term imperial New Woman narratives – are the focus of this essay; in particular, I will argue that periodicals like the Wide World participated in a publishing economy in which the colonial landscape of India, and the New Woman’s response to threats within that landscape, were essential commodities.
Ozone profiles at McMurdo Station, Antarctica during the austral spring of 1992

Thirty-seven vertical profiles of ozone and temperature were measured at McMurdo Station, Antarctica (78[degrees]S) from 23 August to 31 October 1992. Total column ozone dropped from an initial 223 Dobson Units (DU) on 24 August to 158 DU on 27 September. The 12-20 km column reached a record low of 17 DU on 9 October, an 84% loss compared to the initial value of 106 DU. The most severely depleted layer was between 12 and 15 km which coincided with the volcanic aerosol layer (11-16 km) observed by aerosol counter flights and the Italian Lidar at McMurdo. By the end of September the polar vortex elongated and shifted away from McMurdo. Subsequent profiles, above 20 km altitude, were typically 15-20[degrees]C warmer and ozone concentrations were 50-100% higher for the remainder of the measurement period. The 12-16 km layer, however, remained 80 to 97% depleted compared to the initial profile. 9 refs., 5 figs.
More than a decade of experience and still no consensus: controversies in iron therapy.

During the past decade, the integration of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) and maintenance intravenous iron therapy into standard anemia management protocols has significantly altered the treatment of anemia in patients who are on hemodialysis (HD). Hemoglobin levels have increased inexorably and now average almost 12 g/dl (1). The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) guidelines state that intravenous iron usually is required for the provision of optimal iron stores to maximize erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) efficiency in patients who are on dialysis (2). Intravenous iron therapy is needed in patients who are on HD because these patients experience ongoing blood (iron) losses, and oral iron fails to maintain adequate iron stores. Efficient erythropoiesis requires both iron and erythropoietin (2). In these patients, intravenous iron improves iron and hematologic parameters, with health benefits of intravenous iron outweighing potential adverse effects. Use of maintenance iron improves patients’ response to EPO therapy (3), replaces patients’ ongoing iron losses, and helps to maintain patients’ target hemoglobin and hematocrit ranges. These benefits of intravenous iron therapy have been achieved at storage iron levels far below those that generally were seen with transfusions in the pre-EPO era (4). However, according to Medicare claims data from the US Renal Data System, only slightly more than half of HD patients receive intravenous iron therapy at least once a month, demonstrating that although intravenous iron therapy is being administered to the majority of HD patients, it may not be used on a regular basis (5). Although the reasons for lack of “regular” intravenous iron may be many, such as concerns about iron parameters, particularly ferritin levels, it also may reflect variation in protocols among centers. The KDOQI guidelines were a milestone in the development of effective, standardized principles for the management of anemia in patients with chronic …
Impact of marketing work-place diversity on employee job involvement and organizational commitment.

Much of the debate about managing work-force diversity concerns the rationale for the procedures used and the outcomes produced by programs perceived to be unfair. The authors explored the role of organizational justice in diversity initiatives; they examined which of 6 diversity arguments (T. H. Cox & S. Blake, 1991) were most often used by U.S. firms and accepted by employees. They also surveyed U.S. workers about diversity issues at work; the problem-solving diversity argument was related to higher employee job involvement and organizational commitment, even though the respondents ranked the resource-acquisition argument as the most acceptable. The authors also found that many organizational-justice issues still need to be resolved, even in those organizations with diversity-management programs.
Adulthood Animal Abuse Among Men Arrested for Domestic Violence

Learning more about intimate partner violence (IPV), perpetrators could aid the development of more effective treatments. The prevalence of adulthood animal abuse (AAA) perpetration and its association with IPV perpetration, antisociality, and alcohol use in 307 men arrested for domestic violence were examined. Forty-one percent (n = 125) of the men committed at least one act of animal abuse since the age of 18, in contrast to the 1.5% prevalence rate reported by men in the general population. Controlling for antisociality and alcohol use, AAA showed a trend toward a significant association with physical and severe psychological IPV perpetration.
Discovery and optimization of indoles and 7-azaindoles as Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors (part-I).

Therapeutic interventions with Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors may effectively treat several disorders such as hypertension, stroke, cancer, and glaucoma. Herein we disclose the optimization and biological evaluation of potent novel ROCK inhibitors based on substituted indole and 7-azaindole core scaffolds. Substitutions on the indole C3 position and on the indole NH and/or amide NH positions all yielded potent and selective ROCK inhibitors (25, 42, and 50). Improvement of aqueous solubility and tailoring of in vitro and in vivo DMPK properties could be achieved through these substitutions.
Innovations in teledermatology: direct patient–specialist care enabled by mobile technology

Teledermatology is a rapidly evolving field with increasing use of mobile technology and direct patient-to-specialist encounters. We review a pilot study by Fruhauf et al., in which the authors found a high acceptance of a mobile teledermatology service among psoriasis patients and their dermatologists. Patient acceptance of mobile teledermatology was high regardless of their health-related quality of life, suggesting that mobile teledermatology could be a valuable tool for home monitoring of psoriasis patients. Future studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm these findings. Furthermore, new studies need to address questions of patient selection for this form of telehealth delivery, technological limitations, reimbursement considerations and the medical–legal aspect of delivering direct care via mobile technology-enabled platforms.
Bandgap engineered high mobility indium oxide thin films for photovoltaic applications

Magnesium and titanium doped indium oxide (IMTO) thin films were grown using pulsed laser deposition technique. Magnesium was added to enhance the bandgap, whereas titanium was added to improve carrier concentrations and mobility of indium oxide films. The effect of growth temperature on structural, optical, and electrical properties were studied. It was observed that the optical transparency of the films strongly depends on growth temperature and increases with increase in growth temperature. The films grown at 600 °C showed optical transparency > 85%. We observed widening in bandgap of indium oxide by doping with magnesium and titanium. The bandgap of IMTO films increases with increase in growth temperature. The maximum bandgap of 3.9 eV was observed for film grown at 600 °C. It was observed that growth temperature strongly affects the electrical properties such as resistivity, carrier concentration, and mobility. The electrical resistivity and mobility of the films increases with increase in growth temperature. On the other hand, carrier concentration decreases with increase in growth temperature. Temperature dependence electrical resistivity measurements showed that films grown at low temperatures are semiconducting in nature, while films grown at high temperature showed transition from semiconducting to metallic behavior. These wide bandgap, highly transparent, and high mobility films could be used for photovoltaic applications.
The Differentiation of Cell Types in the Vertebrate CNS

The mechanisms which generate differences between cell types have been a major problem in biology. Every tissue in a eukaryote is made up of a mixture of cell types. The intrinsic molecular properties of these cell types and the interaction between cells gives rise to the specialized functions played by each tissue in an organism. A wide range of newly developed methods are now employed to study the biochemistry of cellular differentiation in eukaryotes.
Interest rate pass through and asymmetries in adjustable rate mortgages

This study extends the recent work on interest rate pass through from the federal funds rate to mortgage rates. The Enders–Siklos (2001) momentum threshold autoregressive (MTAR) model is used to test for cointegration and asymmetric adjustment in adjustable rate mortgages for newly built and previously owned homes over the federal funds targeting period 1987:2 to 2005:6. Based on the MTAR specification, the respective adjustable rate mortgages and the federal funds rate are cointegrated but with incomplete interest rate pass through. The results also indicate asymmetries in the response of the adjustable rates to changes in the federal funds rate.
Nonlinear partial least squares

We propose a new nonparametric regression method for high-dimensional data, nonlinear partial least squares (NLPLS), which is motivated by projection-based regression methods, e.g. PLS, projection pursuit regression and feedforward neural networks. The model takes the form of a composition of two functions. The first function in the composition projects the predictor variables onto a lower-dimensional curve or surface yielding scores, and the second predicts the response variable from the scores. We implement NLPLS with feedforward neural networks. NLPLS often will produce a more parsimonious model (fewer score vectors) than projection-based methods. We extend the model to multiple response variables and discuss situations when multiple response variables should be modeled simultaneously and when they should be modeled with separate regressions. We provide empirical results that evaluate the performances of NLPLS, projection pursuit, and neural networks on response variable predictions and robustness to starting values.
The effect of Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation in adults with chronic functional constipation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background & Aims: �ere is a growing interest for the use of probiotics for chronic constipation. A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed a positive eect of Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) on bowel movement frequency in infants with chronic constipation. �e aim of the present study was to evaluate the eects of L. reuteri in adult patients with functional constipation. Methods: A double-blind, placebo RCT was conducted in 40 adults (18M/22F, 35±15 years) aected by functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a supplementation of L. reuteri (DSM 17938), or matching placebo for 4 weeks. �e increase of bowel movements/week was the primary outcome, while the improvement of stool consistency was the secondary outcome. Results: At week 4, the mean increase in bowel movements/week was 2.6 (SD±1.14, 95% CI:1.6-3.6) in the L. reuteri group and 1.0 (SD±1. 95% CI:0.12-1.88) in the placebo group (p=0.046). At the end of the treatment, the mean bowel movements/week was 5.28±1.93 in the L. reuteri group and 3.89±1.79 in the placebo group. �ere was a not signicant dierence in the stool consistency between the two groups. Conclusions: L. reuteri is more eective than the placebo in improving bowel movement frequency in adult patients with functional constipation as previously demonstrated in children, even if it seems to have no eect on stool consistency.
Interface Recombination and Threshold Current in Grinsch-QW ALGaAs/GaAs Laser Diodes

A series of Graded-Index Waveguide Separate-Confinement Heterostructure Quantum Well (GRINSCH-QW) laser diodes were grown by MBE at the systematically varied substrate temperatures. The threshold current of laser diodes were found to depend strongly on the growth temperature. The structure and electrical characteristics of the laser diodes were studied by double-crystal x-ray diffraction, I-V-T, C-V and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The interface recombination is found to be the dominant carrier transport process in the high threshold current laser diodes and is closely related to the presence of the high concentration of deep traps and interface states. In the low threshold current laser diodes, diffusion process is found to be the dominant carrier transport process.
Theory of polyelectrolytes in solutions and at surfaces

Polyelectrolytes are polymers carrying either positively or negatively charged ionizable groups. The properties of these polymers in solutions and at charged surfaces depend on the fraction of dissociated ionic groups, solvent quality for polymer backbone, solution dielectric constant, salt concentration, and polymer‐substrate interactions. In this review, we summarize the current development of theoretical models describing properties of polyelectrolyte solutions and adsorption of charged polymers at surfaces and interfaces. We discuss in detail the conformational properties of polyelectrolyte chains in dilute and semidilute solutions, the phenomenon of counterion condensation, the necklace structure of polyelectrolytes in poor solvent conditions for polymer backbone, the dynamics of polyelectrolyte solutions, the surface overcharging by adsorbed polyelectrolytes and its implication for assembled polyelectrolyte multilayers. q 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An adaptive training algorithm for back-propagation neural networks

To improve the convergence speed of the backpropagation training algorithm, the authors have chosen a dynamic learning rate which is a weighted average of direction cosines of successive incremental weight vectors Delta W at the current and several previous iterations. These adjacent direction cosines reflect the local curvature of the error surface, along which an 'optimum' search for the minimum error is determined for the weight adjustment of the next iteration. The authors have tested this on a real problem of training a three-layer feedforward artificial neural network for REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage recognition. The training performance was significantly improved in terms of both faster convergence and smaller error when the last three direction cosines were included in determining the dynamic learning rate. >
Achieving practical MIMO network planning using the Two-Curve MIMO Performance Model

The Two-Curve MIMO Performance Model provides network planners with an intuitive model for MIMO system performance that not only incorporates the site-specific effects of multipath correlation, but also improves prediction accuracy compared to a single-curve lookup table. Most notably, the 2CMPM improved the standard deviation of the prediction by 8 Mbps in the 5.2 GHz band. Further, analysis of the data shows that in LOS environments 802.11n systems will begin to see significant decreases in MIMO performance as the LOS distance from the transmitter to the receiver increases beyond approximately 15 m at 2.4 GHz and approximately 7 m at 5.2 GHz. These results show that the performance of MIMO systems can be characterized and planned without the need for overly complicated spatio-temporal modeling techniques. The 2CMPM can provide network planners with a prediction of bit rate coverage without having to resort to time-consuming and difficult simulation techniques.
State of balance of the cryosphere

Available observations and mass balance estimates of the cryosphere are summarized. Problems discussed include mountain glaciers, the Greenland ice sheet, the Antarctic ice sheet, conventional glacier measurement techniques, and satellite applications in glacier mass balance studies. It is concluded that the interior part of the Greenland ice sheet is thickening or in near equilibrium. Estimates of the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet suggest that it is positive, although the error limits allow for a slightly negative balance.
Optical tomographic imaging of near infrared imaging agents quantifies disease severity and immunomodulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in vivo

Background Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model that captures many of the hallmarks of human multiple sclerosis (MS), including blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, inflammation, demyelination and axonal destruction. The standard clinical score measurement of disease severity and progression assesses functional changes in animal mobility; however, it does not offer information regarding the underlying pathophysiology of the disease in real time. The purpose of this study was to apply a novel optical imaging technique that offers the advantage of rapid imaging of relevant biomarkers in live animals.
TREATMENT OF ORGAN TRANSPLANT–RELATED LYMPHOMA

First described in organ transplant recipients in 1968, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) remains an often devastating complication of immunosuppression. 24 Similar, if not identical, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–associated B lymphoproliferations have since been described in congenital and other acquired immunodeficiency states. Although PTLD is often morphologically indistinguishable from aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), the pathogenesis, presentation, clinical course, and management differ significantly from those of classic NHL.
Risk Factors and Clinical Significance of Lymphopenia in Survivors of the Fontan Procedure for Single-Ventricle Congenital Cardiac Disease

Background Congenital cardiac anomalies are associated with immunologic perturbations. Surgical thymectomy, thoracic duct manipulation, and protein- losing enteropathy (PLE), a condition related to stressed Fontan hemodynamics, presumably contribute to low peripheral absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) and quantitative immunoglobulins. Clinical significance of lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia in single-ventricle survivors requires additional study. Objective Although immunologic laboratory anomalies are common in this population, we hypothesize that clinically significant immunodeficiency requiring intervention is rarely required. Methods A retrospective chart review of the immunologic parameters of patients enrolled in the Single Ventricle Survivorship Program (SVSP) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was performed. Results The age range of the 178 SVSP patients was 3 to 26 years, with a median of 10.8 years. Most of the SVSP patients had some degree of lymphopenia. In the non-PLE group, the range of ALCs varied from 530 to 5322 cells/μL, with 17 patients without PLE maintaining an ALC of less than 1000 cells/μL. Among those with PLE, the median ALC and the IgG level were lower (672 cells/μL and 200 mg/dL, respectively) than in those without (1610 cells/μL and 868 mg/dL, respectively). Despite lymphopenia in the majority, few were severely clinically affected: 24% had delayed clearance of cutaneous viral infections, 63% had atopy, and 1 died of EBV-associated Hodgkin lymphoma. Immunoglobulin replacement was clinically indicated for 3 patients, 1 of whom had common variable immunodeficiency. Four patients with normal splenic function were treated with daily antibiotic prophylaxis. Conclusions Patients with repaired single-ventricle physiology often demonstrate T-cell lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia. A significant portion of patients without PLE also have lymphopenia. The most common clinical manifestation was delayed clearance of cutaneous viral infections, but significant systemic opportunistic infections were not seen despite laboratory abnormalities and lack of antimicrobial prophylaxis.