cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graphos: a graphic operating system

To fully understand the conceptual principles behind operating systems it must be possible to 'see' what is happening inside the system as the execution of a task progresses. A graphic representation of information flow would give a clear picture of what is happening inside an operating system at every moment. Currently there are no tools which help visualize the flow of information as a task executes. GraphOS is a teaching tool that presents to the student a graphic representation of information flow inside an operating system. This paper discusses GraphOS and the advantages of using the system as a complement to the lectures in an operating systems course.
An Exploratory Study of Community College Baccalaureate Teacher Education Programs: Lessons Learned

Historically, community colleges have played a role in preparing teachers by strengthening articulation and transfer with university-based teacher colleges, hosting university center programs that ...
Rotational bands in near-vibrational systems.

The conditions necessary to exhibit rotational bands are investigated for near-vibrational systems (vibrational systems with anharmonicities which can be treated perturbatively) in any spatial dimension. Rotational bands obtained by Buck and collaborators in their study of potentials describing alpha-clustering nuclei, and the O(5) bands arising in the vibrational limit of the collective model are shown to have a similar origin.
Identification of Two Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells (NFAT)-response Elements in the 5′-Upstream Regulatory Region of the ET-1 Promoter

Collecting duct-derived ET-1 regulates salt excretion and blood pressure. We have reported the presence of an inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD)-specific enhancer region in the 5′-upstream ET-1 promoter (Strait, K. A., Stricklett, P. K., Kohan, J. L., Miller, M. B., and Kohan, D. E. (2007) Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 293, F601–F606). The current studies provide further characterization of the ET-1 5′-upstream distal promoter to identify the IMCD-specific enhancer elements. Deletion studies identified two regions of the 5′-upstream ET-1 promoter, −1725 to −1319 bp and −1319 to −1026 bp, which were required for maximal promoter activity in transfected rat IMCD cells. Transcription factor binding site analysis of these regions identified two consensus nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) binding sites at −1263 and −1563. EMSA analysis using nuclear extracts from IMCD cells showed that both the −1263 and the −1563 NFAT sites in the ET-1 distal promoter competed for NFAT binding to previously identified NFAT sites in the IL-2 and TNF genes. Gel supershift analysis showed that each of the NFAT binding sites in the ET-1 promoter bound NFAT proteins derived from IMCD nuclear extracts, but they selectively bound different NFAT isoforms; ET-1263 bound NFATc1, whereas ET-1563 bound NFATc3. Site-directed mutagenesis of either the ET-1263 or the ET-1563 sites prevented NFAT binding and reduced ET-1 promoter activity. Thus, NFAT appears to be an important regulator of ET-1 transcription in IMCD cells, and thus, it may play a role in controlling blood pressure through ET-1 regulation of renal salt excretion.
Seismicity rate variations and systematic changes in magnitudes in teleseismic catalogs

Abstract Seismicity rate variations are commonplace in teleseismic catalogs. These changes have two possible causes: they could be real, or they could be related to changes in the networks used to detect the events. It is clearly important to differentiate between these two possibilities. We demonstrate a technique for making this differentiation using uniform data generated with known rates and magnitude shifts. We then apply this technique to data from large regions of the world. All of these regions show significant variations in seismicity rates for sets with magnitude cutoffs of 5.0 and 5.5. We show that most of these changes have distributions in the magnitude domain which are consistent with systematic changes in magnitudes of between 0.1 and 0.2 units. These results suggest that most observed rate variations in teleseismic sets with high magnitude cutoffs are related to systematic changes in magnitudes and are, therefore, not real. This result has important implications for earthquake prediction and tectonic studies which interpret these variations.
Magnetically controlled shape memory alloys: A new class of actuator materials

Materials that develop large strokes under precise and rapid control exhibit a great potential in mechanical engineering. Actuators made from those kinds of materials could replace hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromagnetic drives in many applications. However, no such materials are available to date. Piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials exhibit rapid response, but their strokes are small. In shape memory alloys, strokes are large, but their control is slow due to thermomechanical control. Magnetic control of the shape memory effect was recently suggested by the present author for a principle of new kinds of actuator materials. These materials can develop strains of several percent, and their control is rapid and precise. Actuation of these materials is based on the reorienting of the twin structure of martensite or the motion of austenite-martensite interfaces by applied magnetic field. In the present report, magnetically induced motion of the austenite-martensite interfaces is demonstrated in an Fe-33.5Ni alloy.
An Evaluation Model for School Psychological Services.

An evaluation model is presented which provides a structure and a process for the evaluation of school psychological services. The structure incorporates psychological service areas along required and desired service dimensions; information to evaluate a school psychological service program is gathered from school files and interviews with students, parents, educators, and psychological services personnel. The method involves a five-stage process which may lead toward program modification efforts and subsequent re-evaluation. Further, the need for evaluation models in school psychology and for psychological service evaluation is presented and discussed.
Determination of the site occupation probability and the degree of order by APFIM

SUMMARY Experimental procedures to determine the local degree of order and the site occupation of a substitutional element in an ordered alloy by atom probe field-ion microscopy is described. The procedures are demonstrated with a series of examples of the Ll2-ordered nickel aluminides.
Medical Mineralogy and Geochemistry: An Interfacial Science

Medical mineralogy and geochemistry is a highly interdisciplinary area of research where the complexity of minerals and mineral surface reactivity in the human body is emphasized. Research in this field will lead to an understanding of the biogeochemical processes responsible for medical conditions, both normal and pathological, that involve the interaction of dissolved inorganic species and bioorganic molecules with minerals. In this article, I highlight some fundamental concepts and challenges in this endeavor, and the subsequent articles provide overviews of specific topics.
Stochastic activity authoring with direct user control

Crowd activities are often randomized to create the appearance of heterogeneity. However, the parameters that control randomization are frequently hard to tune because it is unclear how changes at the character level affect the high-level appearance of the crowd. We propose a method for computing randomization parameters that supports direct animator control. Given details about the environment, available activities, timing information and the desired high-level appearance of the crowd, we model the problem as a graph, formulate a convex optimization problem, and solve for a set of stochastic transition rates which satisfy the constraints. Unlike the use of heuristics for adding randomness to crowd activities, our approach provides guarantees on convergence to the desired result, allows for decentralized simulation, and supports a variety of constraints. In addition, because the rates can be pre-computed, no additional runtime processing is needed during simulation.
Parenteral nutrition in the neonate.

Parenteral nutrition has become an integral part of the support of the neonate who is either unable to receive or tolerate enteral feeding. The nutrient requirements for basal metabolism and growth can be provided by the infusion of a mixture of amino acids, glucose, lipids and other additives. By these means, growth can be promoted in infants who would otherwise be susceptible to problems associated with malnutrition. Careful assessment for the need for parenteral nutrition and monitoring during its administration may reduce the incidence of various complications associated with its use. Requirements of various nutrients, modes of delivery and suggested monitoring schedules are discussed.
Frequency of word usage and perceived word difficulty: Ratings of Kučera and Francis words

Twenty-four judges estimated the conceptual difficulty level of 870 five-letter words, using a 5-point scale. The words were selected from three word-frequency categories (1, 5–10, and 50–3,562/million) based on the word counts provided by Kucera and Francis (1967). The ratings were reliable. Tables in this paper list the means and standard deviations of the ratings for each word. Reaction time (RT) for valid word identification was tested in 20 subjects, using four sets of 50 words designed to test the effects of word frequency and word difficulty. RT was longer for more difficult words when word frequency was held constant. A word-frequency effect on RT was present when difficulty was held constant. The relationship of the results to subjective estimates of word familiarity is discussed.
The crystal growth and magnetic properties of Ln2LiIrO6 (Ln=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu)

Single crystals of a series of lanthanide lithium iridium oxides, Ln{sub 2}LiIrO{sub 6} (Ln=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) with the double perovskite structure have been grown from molten LiOH/KOH fluxes. The compounds crystallize in a distorted 1:1 rock salt lattice of Li{sup +} and Ir{sup 5+} cations in the monoclinic space group P2{sub 1}/n. The magnetic susceptibilities of Ln{sub 2}LiIrO{sub 6} (Ln=Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu) are presented.
Web-based treatment for substance use disorders: differential effects by primary substance.

Abstract Introduction This secondary analysis of data from a large, multi-site effectiveness trial ( NCT01104805 ) sought to determine whether effects of a web-based behavioral treatment (Therapeutic Education System [TES]) differed by participants' self-identified primary drug of abuse. Methods The all-comers sample of individuals entering outpatient psychosocial counseling treatment for substance abuse (N = 497) cited cannabis (22.9%; n = 114), stimulants (34.4%, n = 171), opioids (21.7%, n = 108), or alcohol (20.9%, n = 104) as their primary substance of abuse. Participants were randomly assigned to receive treatment-as-usual (TAU) with or without TES substituted for approximately 2 h of usual counseling. Multivariate analyses of abstinence outcomes examined interactions of treatment effects with primary substance. Results Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) demonstrated that primary stimulant users receiving TES were more likely to be abstinent in the final four weeks of treatment compared to stimulant users receiving TAU (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI = 1.25–10.27). Adjusted odds ratios for alcohol (AOR = 3.15, 95% CI = 0.85–11.65) and cannabis (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI = 0.73–9.52) also were of similar magnitude to stimulants but did not reach significance. Abstinence among primary opioid users was not improved by the TES intervention (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.09–1.47). Conclusions This study supports the TES web-delivered treatment as a viable intervention for the majority of substance users entering outpatient counseling treatment, with demonstrated effectiveness among stimulant users and promising effects in alcohol and cannabis users but little or no effect in primary opioid users. Web-delivered treatments hold promise for expanding the availability of effective behavioral interventions for the majority of substance use disorders.
In-fiber frequency shifter using end-coupled single-mode fibers as mode filters

Since its initial demonstration by Kim and Blake[1,2]. the in-fiber frequency shifter has seen several modifications including cascaded acoustic interactions,[3] new acoustic horn designs,[4] new acoustic coupling geometries,[5] and novel mode filters, [6] This device employs elliptical-core two-mode fiber, i.e., fiber which supports the LP01 and the LP11 modes.
The long-term monitoring of ventilation rhythms of the polychaetous annelid Nereis virens sars.

Abstract 1. A flowmeter is described for continuous, long-term monitoring of ventilatory activity of tubiculous or burrowing polychaetes. 2. Results from 2600 hr of recording burrow ventilation of the polychaete Nereis virens indicate the establishment of a daily activity pattern after 2–4 days under conditions of constant illumination.
Trypsin inhibitor paradoxically stabilizes trypsin activity in sodium dodecyl sulfate, facilitating proteolytic fingerprinting

Normally trypsin has negligible activity after being dissolved in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and so it has had little utility for proteolytic fingerprinting during gel electrophoresis. Here it is demonstrated that trypsin retained activity in SDS if it was first complexed to either of two soybean-derived protease inhibitors: trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) or trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor (Bowman-Birk). The inhibitors alone did not cause proteolysis. Heating or acidification in SDS inactivated the inhibitor-dependent tryptic activity, as did prior treatment with tosyl lysine chloromethyl ketone, a covalent affinity reagent for trypsin. Quenching of samples with acid at intervals prior to gel electrophoresis revealed that proteolysis did not occur in sample buffer (pH 6.8), but only at higher pH and during gel electrophoresis. Exposure of trypsin to SDS prior to addition of trypsin inhibitor resulted in an irreversible loss of activity with a half-life of about 10 s. It is proposed that the trypsin inhibitors stabilize trypsin by retarding its denaturation in SDS. The substrate for these experiments was the alpha subunit of the Na,K-ATPase. The same pattern of Na,K-ATPase fragments was obtained with bovine and porcine trypsin and with rat and porcine Na,K-ATPases. Different fragments resulted when chymotrypsin or elastase were substituted for trypsin; these proteases were active in the absence of an inhibitor, and were not markedly stabilized by interaction with soybean trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor (Bowman-Birk).
Oxygen-resistant multipotent embryonic carcinoma cell lines exhibit antimutator phenotypes

Stable, oxygen-resistant cell lines (O2R) were isolated from P19 and P19H22 (APRT hemizygote) mouse embryonic carcinoma cells by serial exposures of increasing durations to 95% O2. Neurally differentiated progeny were also oxygen-resistant. P19O2R exhibited reduced oxygenmediated micronucleation and a 10-to 20-fold reduction of the forward mutation rate at theHPRT locus in 20% O2. P19H22O2R cells showed reduced frequencies of colonies resistant to 2,6-diaminopurine. The modal karyotype of P19O2R was identical to that of a nonmodal karyotype present in the parental line [39, X,-Y, add(14)]. There was no evidence of enhanced resistance to ionizing radiation. We conclude that this general approach, when applied to pluripotent embryonic stem cells, has the potential to lead to the synthesis of antimutator strains of mice.
Evolution of restraint in a structured rock–paper–scissors community

It is not immediately clear how costly behavior that benefits others evolves by natural selection. By saving on inherent costs, individuals that do not contribute socially have a selective advantage over altruists if both types receive equal benefits. Restrained consumption of a common resource is a form of altruism. The cost of this kind of prudent behavior is that restrained individuals give up resources to less-restrained individuals. The benefit of restraint is that better resource management may prolong the persistence of the group. One way to dodge the problem of defection is for altruists to interact disproportionately with other altruists. With limited dispersal, restrained individuals persist because of interaction with like types, whereas it is the unrestrained individuals that must face the negative long-term consequences of their rapacity. Here, we study the evolution of restraint in a community of three competitors exhibiting a nontransitive (rock–paper–scissors) relationship. The nontransitivity ensures a form of negative feedback, whereby improvement in growth of one competitor has the counterintuitive consequence of lowering the density of that improved player. This negative feedback generates detrimental long-term consequences for unrestrained growth. Using both computer simulations and evolution experiments with a nontransitive community of Escherichia coli, we find that restrained growth can evolve under conditions of limited dispersal in which negative feedback is present. This research, thus, highlights a set of ecological conditions sufficient for the evolution of one form of altruism.
ORGANIZATION OF THE RECEPTOR-MEDIATED PHOSPHOINOSITIDE CYCLE : RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECEPTOR OCCUPANCY AND ACCESSION OF PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL

We have previously reported the existence of separate hormone-responsive and -unresponsive pools of inositol phospholipids in WRK-1 cells. In order to further explore this concept, we have performed experiments to examine the relationship between the plasma membrane receptor and the pool of phosphatidylinositol (Ptdlns) that is metabolized in response to hormonal stimulation. The results support the following conclusions. 1) The amount of Ptdlns metabolized in WRK-1 cells in response to vasopressin is proportional to the number of receptors occupied; neither prolonged activation with nor readdition of submaximal concentration of vasopressin induced the same degree of Ptdlns metabolism as maximal concentration of vasopressin. 2) Dissociation of cytoskeletal structures by incubation with cytochalasin D did not alter the amount of Ptdlns accessed during hormonal stimulation. 3) Accession of Ptdlns from internal membranes does not depend on internalization and recycling of the receptor; cells incubated in potassium-free medium failed to internalize receptor-ligand complexes, yet they accessed the same amount of Ptdlns in response to vasopressin as did control cells. 4) Golgi-mediated phosphatidylinositol transport is not involved in hormone-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover, since brefeldin A, which interferes with Golgi-mediated transport processes, had no effect on the amount of Ptdlns accessed during vasopressin stimulation. 5) Phosphoinositide breakdown and compensatory resynthesis is not a closed process; newly synthesized Ptdlns is not preferentially localized to a hormone-responsive pool but is generally redistributed between responsive and unresponsive pools.
A kinetic study of the hydrolysis of 2-germaacetate in neutral and alkaline solutions

In neutral and alkaline solutions, the 2-germaacetate ion decomposes to give germane and bicarbonate (or carbonate): GeH/sub 3/CO/sub 2//sup -/ + H/sub 2/O yields GeH/sub 4/ + HCO/sub 3//sup -/. The rate of this decarboxylation is pH independent and is first order in the germaacetate ion. The rate constant at 60/sup 0/C and ionic strength 1.0 is 1.62 x 10/sup -5/ s/sup -1/; the activation energy is 28.6 kcal/mol. In strongly alkaline solutions (especially at hydroxide concentrations above 1 M), a second decomposition reaction, producing hydrogen and the insoluble brown polymer H/sub 2/Ge/sub 2/O/sub 3/ . xH/sub 2/O, competes with the decarboxylation: 2GeH/sub 3/CO/sub 2//sup -/ + 2OH/sup -/ + (3 + x)H/sub 2/O yields 6H/sub 2/ + H/sub 2/Ge/sub 2/O/sub 3/ . xH/sub 2/O + 2CO/sub 3//sup 2 -/. The rate of the latter reaction is first order in germaacetate ion and is inversely proportional to the Hammett acidity function h, i.e., first order in hydroxide ion; -d ln (GeH/sub 3/CO/sub 2//sup -/)/dt = k(OH/sup -/). At 60/sup 0/C, k = 2.0 x 10/sup -5/ M/sup -1/ s/sup -1/; the activation energy is 20.8 kcal/mol. Probable mechanisms of the reactions are discussed.
Synthesis and Variable Temperature Electrical Conductivity Studies of Highly Ordered TiO2 Nanotubes

Rafts of aligned, high aspect ratio TiO2 nanotubes were fabricated by an electrochemical anodization method and their axial electrical conductivities were determined over the temperature range 225-400 °C. Length, outer diameter and wall thickness of the nanotubes were approximately 60-80 ∝m, 160 nm and 30 nm, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed that the TiO2 nanotubes were initially amorphous, and became polycrystalline anatase after heat treatment at temperatures as low as 250 ϒC in air. The activation energy for conductivity over the temperature range 250 - 350 °C was found to be 0.87 eV. The conductivity values are comparable to those of nanocrystalline and nanoporous anatase thin films reported in literature.
Long‐term results and complications using augmentation cystoplasty in reconstructive urology

One hundred and twenty-two augmentation cystoplasties performed over an 8-year period were reviewed. Mean age at surgery was 37 years (range 2-82 years). There were 82 female patients. The primary urodynamic diagnosis was reduced compliance in 92 (77%) patients and detrusor hyperreflexia/instability in the remainder. The clinical diagnostic groups were: spinal cord injury/disease in 32 (27%), myelodysplasia in 27 (22%), interstitial cystitis in 21 (17%), idiopathic detrusor instability in 13 (11%), radiation cystitis in 8 (7%), Hinman-Allen syndrome in 5 (4%), and miscellaneous in 11 (9%). A detubularized ileal augmentation was used in 82 (67%) patients. In 36 (30%) a detubularized ileocecocystoplasty was fashioned and in the remainder detubularized sigmoid was used. In 19 patients augmentation accompanied undiversion. Sixteen patients had a simultaneous fascial sling for urethral incompetence. Mean follow-up was 37 months (range 6-96 months). There was no postoperative mortality. During follow-up 4 patients died from unrelated causes, 11 have been lost to follow-up, and 5 patients await planned transplantation. Bladder capacity was increased from a preoperative mean of 108 ml (range 15-500 ml) to 438 ml (200-1,200 ml) postoperatively. Of the 106 assessable patients, 80 (75%) had an excellent result, 21 (20%) were improved, and 5 (5%) had major ongoing problems. During the period of follow-up, 17 (16%) patients underwent revision of their augmentation. Twenty-four (21%) patients developed bladder stones and 30% of these did so more than once. Urinary incontinence became manifest in 15 (13%) patients but required surgical treatment in only half of these. Pyelonephritis occurred in 13 (11%) patients. Five patients developed small bowel obstruction following discharge from hospital. There were 7 instances of reservoir rupture in 5 (4%) patients. Augmentation cystoplasty has a pivotal role in the treatment of a broad range of lower and upper urinary tract problems. Careful patient selection and close follow-up are essential.
Toward A High Performance Health System: The Commonwealth Fund’s New Commission

Continuing its historical role of bridging the worlds of health services research and health policy, the Commonwealth Fund recently established the Commission on a High Performance Health System to stimulate transformation at this critical juncture in U.S. health care. Double-digit increases in health insurance premiums, rising numbers of people without insurance, and unequal access to safe, effective care indicate the strong need for improved health system performance. Through coordinated program components focused on coverage, quality, and efficiency, the commission seeks to forge consensus on policy options and to spread innovation, making high-quality health care accessible and affordable for all Americans.
STRUCTURAL EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION IN FERROELECTRIC ROCHELLE SALT

Abstract Neutron diffraction measurements of the intensity variation of certain sensitive Bragg reflections with radiation dosage, establish that the ferroelectric crystal structure of Rochelle salt is seriously affected by exposure to X-rays and γ-rays. Previously, the remarkable changes in the ferroelectric properties of this crystal had been ascribed almost entirely to macrostructural changes, leading to hindered domain mobility. Also, optical studies have thrown new light on the differences in radiation effects in crystals irradiated within and outside the ferroelectric temperature range. In the first case, crystals irradiated to the point where hysteresis loops are no longer observable not only continue to show domain patterns in polarized light within the normally ferroelectric region, as had already been reported, but also show domains at temperatures well outside of that range. On the other hand, crystals subjected to equivalent dosage at temperatures below the lower Curie point show no domains at all—even in the middle of the normal ferroelectric temperature range. It is suggested that there are two basic types of damage which must be considered. One of these involves local damage centers, distributed more or less uniformly throughout the volume of the crystal, and producing structural effects at the unit cell level similar to those produced by introduction of impurity ions in the lattice. In the other case, previously existing imperfections (such as dislocations, e.g., but perhaps also including domain walls) become greatly reinforced by collection of diffusing damage products. The latter type introduces macroscopic clamping effects which hinder domain mobility and tend to stabilize the crystallographic phase existing during irradiation.
Surface Text based Dialogue Models for Virtual Humans

We present virtual human dialogue models which primarily operate on the surface text level and can be extended to incorporate additional information state annotations such as topics or results from simpler models. We compare these models with previously proposed models as well as two human-level upper baselines. The models are evaluated by collecting appropriateness judgments from human judges for responses generated for a set of fixed dialogue contexts. Our results show that the best performing models achieve close to human-level performance and require only surface text dialogue transcripts to train.
Blood is not a cue for poststrike trailing in rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes in the wild usually strike, envenomate, and release rodents immediately (Klauber, 1956) avoiding potential injury from retaliation, but this may allow the struck rodent to scamper some distance from the site of initial envenomation while the cocktail of venom components immobilizes and eventually kills the rodent. Because the envenomated rodent often breaks visual contact, relocation of the dispatched prey may rely upon chemosensory cues emitted by the struck prey. On theoretical and on experimental grounds, these chemosensory cues may be carried in the blood. Theoretically, the strike includes deep penetration of the fangs (Kardong and Bels, 1998), which may carry away distinctive chemical cues used next to relocate the envenomated prey. Experimental trials with blood suggest that it prompts elevated interest in colubrid snakes (Chiszar et al., 1992a) and prompts high-rates of tongue flicking in rattlesnakes (Chiszar et al., 1993b). Consequently, the purpose of our experiments was to see if blood alone carried chemical cues used during poststrike trailing by the rattlesnake to relocate its envenomated prey.
Modeling and Control of Performance Expressin in Digital Waveguide Models of Woodwind Instruments

Most digital waveguide models of woodwind instruments to date have provided only basic control parameters such as frequency, breath pressure, and vibrato. It is clear that if these models are to gain popularity as real-time performance synthesizers or as composition tools, more flexibility is necessary. This paper discusses the implementation of expressive controls for flutter tonguing, growling, tone-bending, multiphonics, and variation of attack style. These eects are implemented on existing clarinet and flute waveguide instruments using the application SynthBuilder on a NeXTStep computer platform. Finally, control of these expressive eects using MIDI controllers is discussed.
The governance of global value chains

This article builds a theoretical framework to help explain governance patterns in global value chains. It draws on three streams of literature ‐ transaction costs economics, production networks, and technological capability and firm-level learning ‐ to identify three variables that play a large role in determining how global value chains are governed and change. These are: (1) the complexity of transactions, (2) the ability to codify transactions, and (3) the capabilities in the supply-base. The theory generates five types of global value chain governance ‐ hierarchy, captive, relational, modular, and market ‐ which range from high to low levels of explicit coordination and power asymmetry. The article highlights the dynamic and overlapping nature of global value chain governance through four brief industry case studies: bicycles, apparel, horticulture and electronics.
Emergency medicine residents' use of psychostimulants and sedatives to aid in shift work

Abstract Objectives We evaluated the frequency that emergency medicine house staff report use of stimulants and sedatives to aid in shift work and circadian transitions. Methods We surveyed residents from 12 regional emergency medicine programs inviting them to complete a voluntary, anonymous electronic questionnaire regarding their use of stimulants and sedatives. Results Out of 485 eligible residents invited to participate in the survey, 226 responded (47% response frequency). The reported use of prescription stimulants for shift work is uncommon (3.1% of respondents.) In contrast, 201 residents (89%) report use of caffeine during night shifts, including 118 residents (52%) who use this substance every night shift. Eighty-six residents (38%) reported using sedative agents to sleep following shift work with the most common agents being anti-histamines (31%), nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics such as zolpidem (14%), melatonin (10%), and benzodiazepines (9%). Conclusion Emergency medicine residents report substantial use of several classes of hypnotics to aid in shift work. Despite anecdotal reports, use of prescription stimulants appears rare, and is notably less common than use of sedatives and non-prescription stimulants.
Interactive effects of elevated CO2, N deposition and climate change on plant litter quality in a California annual grassland

Although global changes can alter ecosystem nutrient dynamics indirectly as a result of their effects on plant litter quality, the interactive effects of global changes on plant litter remain largely unexplored in natural communities. We investigated the effects of elevated CO2, N deposition, warming and increased precipitation on the composition of organic compounds in plant litter in a fully-factorial experiment conducted in a California annual grassland. While lignin increased within functional groups under elevated CO2, this effect was attenuated by warming in grasses and by water additions in forbs. CO2-induced increases in lignin within functional groups also were counteracted by an increase in the relative biomass of forbs, which contained less lignin than grasses. Consequently, there was no net change in the overall lignin content of senesced tissue at the plot level under elevated CO2. Nitrate additions increased N in both grass and forb litter, although this effect was attenuated by water additions. Relative to changes in N within functional groups, changes in functional group dominance had a minor effect on overall litter N at the plot level. Nitrate additions had the strongest effect on decomposition, increasing lignin losses from Avena litter and interacting with water additions to increase decomposition of litter of other grasses. Increases in lignin that resulted from elevated CO2 had no effect on decomposition but elevated CO2 increased N losses from Avena litter. Overall, the interactions among elements of global change were as important as single-factor effects in influencing plant litter chemistry. However, with the exception of variation in N, litter quality had little influence on decomposition over the short term.
Electronic medical record features and seven quality of care measures in physician offices

The effect of electronic medical records (EMRs) on quality of care in physicians' offices is uncertain. This study used the 2008-2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to examine the relationship between EMRs features and quality in physician offices. The relationship between selected EMRs features and 7 quality measures was evaluated by testing 25 associations in multivariate models. Significant relationships include reminders for guideline-based interventions or screening tests associated with lower odds of inappropriate urinalysis and prescription of antibiotics for upper respiratory infection (URI), prescription order entry associated with lower odds of prescription of antibiotics for URI, and patient problem list associated with higher odds of inappropriate prescribing for elderly patients. EMRs system level was associated with lower odds of blood pressure check, inappropriate urinalysis, and prescription of antibiotics for URI compared with no EMRs. The results show both positive and inverse relationships between EMRs features and quality of care.
The Nixon-in-China Effect: Activism, Imitation, and the Institutionalization of Contentious Practices

This paper seeks to understand how contentious practices spread from initial targets of activism to become accepted by organizations in the mainstream. Using a dataset on the diffusion of domestic partner benefits in the Fortune 500 from 1990 to 2005, we show that widespread adoption among mainstream firms was triggered by the prior adoptions of companies known to resist activism. We also find that employee activist groups within firms played a different role depending on the company's orientation toward activism. Employee groups increased the likelihood of adoption in activism-prone firms, but in mainstream firms, they increased the susceptibility of the firm to prior adoptions by others. These findings support a view of institutionalization as a contested process and suggest an alternative mechanism through which social networks influence that process. Like the effect of Cold-War President Richard Nixon's surprising visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972, which led other countries to open relat...
CONTRIBUTION OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS TO HEADSPACE VOLATILES DURING STORAGE OF PECANS

The relationship between headspace volatiles and lipid class fatty acid composition was investigated in pecans subjected to room temperature storage for 8 months. During early stages of storage, pentanal predominated in the pecan headspace, whereas at later stages hexanal predominated. Quantities of triacylglycerols recovered from pecans did not change significantly during storage, whereas a decrease in phospholipid content and an increase in free fatty acid content were seen. While losses of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in triacylglycerols and free fatty acids only occurred during the last month of storage, PUFA losses were recorded in the phospholipid fraction by 5 months. Based on a strong negative correlation (R =−0.98) between hexanal and its precursor fatty acid (18:2) in phospholipids, the results suggested that membrane lipids would be a primary site of attack during the early stages of oxidation. Future studies with oilseeds, such as pecans, should therefore examine the possibility that variations in phospholipid fatty acid composition could explain cultivar differences in storage stability.
Mechanisms through which ammonia regulates cortical collecting duct net proton secretion.

Ammonia stimulates cortical collecting duct (CCD) net bicarbonate reabsorption by activating an apical H+-K+-ATPase through mechanisms that are independent of ammonia's known effects on intracellul...
Lateral displacement and distortion of beams incident upon a transmitting-layer configuration

The field resulting from a beam incident upon a planar dielectric layer placed between media having different refractive indices is examined by using both an approximate approach and a highly accurate Gaussian-beam analysis. We find that, if the incidence angle is adjusted to couple energy to a leaky wave that may be guided by the layer, both the reflected and the transmitted beams may undergo large lateral displacements. The transmitted beam is then always shifted in a forward direction, but the displacement of the reflected beam can be either forward or backward. We show that these effects are produced by distortion of the beam profiles caused by the leaky-wave coupling mechanism, which accounts for lateral shifts of the beam axes. The possible presence of absorption loss in the layer is also considered, and we find that the reflected beam may be effectively suppressed under certain critical combinations of the physical parameters involved.
Social cognitive theory of posttraumatic recovery: The role of perceived self-efficacy.

The present article integrates findings from diverse studies on the generalized role of perceived coping self-efficacy in recovery from different types of traumatic experiences. They include natural disasters, technological catastrophes, terrorist attacks, military combat, and sexual and criminal assaults. The various studies apply multiple controls for diverse sets of potential contributors to posttraumatic recovery. In these different multivariate analyses, perceived coping self-efficacy emerges as a focal mediator of posttraumatic recovery. Verification of its independent contribution to posttraumatic recovery across a wide range of traumas lends support to the centrality of the enabling and protective function of belief in one's capability to exercise some measure of control over traumatic adversity.
Mechanism design for scheduling with uncertain execution time

We study the problem where a task (or multiple unrelated tasks) must be executed, there are multiple machines/agents that can potentially perform the task, and our objective is to minimize the expected sum of the agents' processing times. Each agent does not know exactly how long it will take him to finish the task; he only knows the distribution from which this time is drawn. These times are independent across agents and the distributions fulfill the monotone hazard rate condition. Agents are selfish and will lie about their distributions if this increases their expected utility. We study different variations of the Vickrey mechanism that take as input the agents' reported distributions and the players' realized running times and that output a schedule that minimizes the expected sum of processing times, as well as payments that make it an ex-post equilibrium for the agents to both truthfully report their distributions and exert full effort to complete the task. We devise the ChPE mechanism, which is uniquely tailored to our problem, and has many desirable properties including: not rewarding agents that fail to finish the task and having non-negative payments.
Transradial catheterization's grass roots epidemic.

Transradial cardiac catheterization has evolved during the last 20 years without general support from organized medicine or mainstream industry. Multiple randomized clinical trials and reports consistently demonstrate benefits to the patient and outcomes from transradial approaches over that of the
δ-Aminolevulinate Synthetase of the Chick Embryo Liver: The Effect of Natural and Synthetic Sex Steroids on its Activity

δ-Aminolevulinate (ALA) synthetase is the initial enzyme in the porphyrin and heme biosynthetic pathway and catalyzes the formation of ALA from glycine and succinyl coenzyme A. The production of ALA is the rate-limiting step in the hepatic formation of porphyrins and heme (1, 2). The activity of ALA synthetase, as measured by the rate of production of ALA by hepatic mitochondria (1) or homogenate (3) can be markedly enhanced by administration of a large number of chemicals and drugs that induce experimental porphyria in animals (4). In hereditary porphyria of acute intermittent type in man, the activity of this enzyme is also greatly increased (5, 6), which explains, at least in part, the augmented urinary excretion of porphyrins and their precursors, ALA and porphobilinogen, characterizing this disease.
Ascorbic acid, but not glutathione, is taken up by brain slices and preserves cell morphology

1. We have determined the ascorbic acid (ascorbate) and glutathione (GSH) content of cortical and hippocampal slices from rat brain after prolonged (6h) incubation and have correlated these levels with the histological quality of the slices. Ascorbate and GSH levels in control and sliced tissue were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. Cell morphology of incubated slices was compared with that of intact tissue in cresyl violet stained tissue sections. 2. Roughly 70% of tissue ascorbate and GSH was lost from slices during incubation in vitro. Normal in vivo levels of ascorbate (2-3 mumol g-1 tissue wet weight) could be maintained by including 200-400 microM ascorbate (typical extracellular concentration) in the incubation media. By contrast, the loss of GSH could not be prevented by incubation with GSH. 3. The morphology of cells in hippocampal slices incubated under conditions that maintained ascorbate content and compartmentalization were similar to those of intact tissue. Ascorbate protected pyramidal cells in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus from the degeneration that was seen in slices incubated in ascorbate-free media. 4. These data suggest that loss of endogenous antioxidants may be a major factor in neuronal loss in vitro and support the notion that ascorbate is an endogenous neuroprotective agent.
Constitutional & Statutory Protections for Officers Required to Give 'Duress' Statements During Investigation

This 12-page 2007 article is titled “Constitutional & Statutory Protections for Police Officers Who Are Required to Give a “Duress” Statement During Investigation.” It was published in The Trooper magazine. The article a shorter version of an 86-page law review article published in the University of Baltimore Law Review. It analyzes the constitutional and statutory protections provided to police and other law enforcement officers when they are required, by their police agency, subject to sanction for non-compliance, to give a statement that may negatively impact their employment and/or may result in criminal charges.
Studies on the metabolism of guanidine compounds in mammals.

Abstract [ 14 C]Guanidine was observed in the urine after subcutaneous administration to rats of l -[ guanidino - 14 C]arginine or l -[ guanidino - 14 C]canavanine. [ 14 C ]Hydroxyguanidine was additionally detected in the urine after injection of dl -[ guanidino - 14 C]canavanine. These 14 C metabolites were characterized by high-voltage electrophoresis and paper chromatography, by enzymatic conversion of [ 14 C]hydroxyguanidine to [ 14 C]guanidine, and by repeated recrystallization of isolated urinary [ 14 C ]guanidine as the picrate salt with no significant loss of specific activity. These experiments demonstrate that both l -arginine and l -canavanine can serve as precursors of guanidine in the rat.
Abstract 4859: Ultra-sensitive detection of rare mutants by droplet digital PCR with conventional TaqMan assays

Molecular tests for genetic mutations play an important role in the diagnosis of cancer. Somatic mutations that drive the pathological features of most tumors have increasing promise as biomarkers for cancer prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. The detection of somatic mutations poses an analytical challenge due to the heterogeneous nature of most samples, where a gene carrying a mutation may differ from the highly abundant wild type sequence by only a single nucleotide. Although a variety of methods exist for mutation analysis, many have poor selectivity and fail to detect mutant sequence below 1 in 100 wildtype sequences. Methods that provide better discrimination and quantitation of somatic mutations are desirable. Here we present a simple strategy using droplet digital™ PCR (ddPCR™) for the detection of somatic mutations with high selectivity and sensitivity. Based on the simple principle of sample partitioning into water-in-oil microdroplets, this ddPCR method increases the abundance of a mutant DNA sequence up to 20,000 times compared to an equivalent bulk PCR reaction. Using conventional TaqMan chemistries and workflow, selectivities of up to 1/100,000 can readily be achieved in any laboratory. Here we present results on the use of ddPCR for the detection and quantitation of several clinically important mutations, including KRAS, c-KIT D816V and JAK2 from clinical samples such as bone marrow aspirates and FFPE. Results from ddPCR are compared to those of conventional approaches including allele specific real-time PCR and sequencing. This ddPCR method may play an important role in the earlier detection of cancer, monitoring the progress of disease and response to therapeutics. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4859. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4859
Effect of chlorpromazine on number of mast cells and of certain formed elements of blood.

SummaryA single injection of chlorpronazine was shown to cause a large drop in eosinophiles, leucocytes and platelets in the blood and in the mast cells of the mesentery. The effect of this drug on mast cells is negligible in cold acclimatized animals. This finding is associated with the smaller hypothermic effect of chlorpromazine in acclimatized animals than in control animals. It is suggested that the effect of chlorpromazine on formed elements of the blood and mast cells in the rat is not a direct result of hypothermia.
Hierarchical assembly of collagen peptide triple helices into curved disks and metal ion-promoted hollow spheres.

A 27 amino acid collagen-based peptide (Hbyp3) was designed to radially display nine hydrophobic bipyridine moieties from a triple helical scaffold. Self-assembly of such functionalized triple helices led to the formation of micrometer-scaled disks with a curved morphology, presumably mediated by aromatic interactions, with a height that is in the range of the length of the triple helical peptide. Higher order assembly of these curved disks into micrometer-sized hollow spheres was accomplished through metal–ligand interactions between bipyridine groups of the disks and metal ions such as Fe(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Cu(II). The thickness of the shell of these hollow spheres corresponds well with the thickness of the collagen peptide-based triple helix and the corresponding self-assembled disks. Addition of a metal ion chelator was found to reverse the assembly of the hollow spheres back to the curved disk structures. These data support the formation of the hollow spheres from the self-assembled disks of Hby...