cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enrollment and Retention of Men and Women in Health Services Research and Development Trials.

Abstract Introduction Sex- and gender-specific science is essential to inform patient-centered, evidence-based care. Developing such evidence requires adequate inclusion of both women and men in trials. We sought to describe study participation of women and men in Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development trials. Methods We identified recent health services research trials from one Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation and compared the participation of women and men from trial recruitment to study completion. We also calculated the participation to prevalence ratio (PPR) by sex for each trial. Results We included eight trials that started recruitment between 2011 and 2014. Only one study purposefully attempted to boost the recruitment of women. Overall, the PPR for women ranged from 0.2 to 4.5, with seven studies having a PPR of greater than 1, indicating that women participated in these trials at proportions greater than their prevalence in the disease population within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The PPR for men ranged from 0.8 to 1.1. Retention was best with those studies that used administrative data for final outcomes assessment. No studies provided results stratified by sex or conducted analyses to explore treatment effect by sex. Conclusions At a single site, women participated in Health Services Research and Development trials at similar or greater rates to men without cross-study efforts to enrich the recruitment or retention of women. Adding strategic recruitment approaches could further boost the proportion of women in Department of Veterans Affairs trials and enable adequately powered sex-based analyses.
Quitting the Sex Trade: Keeping Narratives inside the Debates on Prostitution Policy and Legislation

Recently, the public heard intimate details of powerful men in the U.S. buying sex, e.g., the case of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged with soliciting prostitution, possibly from sex...
Reply to Thesis Eleven symposium

Collins comments on status groups, micro-macro links, failures of peace dialogue, violence and confrontational tension/fear, educational credential inflation, creativity in intellectual networks, t...
Inhibition of Both Na/H and Bicarbonate-Dependent Exchange is Required to Prevent Recovery of Intracellular pH in Single Cardiomyocytes Exposed to Metabolic Stress

Although tight regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) is critical for the survival under stress, paradoxically a slowed recovery of pHi under hypoxic injury may be cardioprotective. In this study, we investigated the recovery of pHi after hypoxia-induced intracellular acidosis in cardiomyocytes loaded with the H+-sensitive dye SNARF-1. Exposure of single cardiomyocytes to 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), an inhibitor of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, induced significant intracellular acidification. However, within 10–12 min upon removal of DNP, cardiomyocytes restituted their intracellular H+ concentration. The presence either of 5-N-ethyl-N-isopropylamiloride (EIPA) an inhibitor of Na/H antiporter, or 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS), an inhibitor of bicarbonate-dependent exchange, did not modify the cellular response to DNP. But, combined use of EIPA and DIDS prevented the restitution of intracellular pH following removal of DNP. This study, thus, demonstrated, for the first time, that blockade of both Na/H and bicarbonate-dependent exchange is necessary and sufficient to maintain the hypoxia-induced intracellular acidification. Therefore, concomitant blockade of both pH-regulating mechanisms deserves to be further considered as a novel strategy against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in the heart.
Evaluating Capital Projects and Budget Decisions

Each year governments receive more funding requests for capital projects from various agencies and departments than the governments can realistically undertake. This makes it necessary for the decision makers to carefully evaluate each project before deciding which ones to accept and which ones to reject. Whether the projects are selected independently or in conjunction with other projects, each must be justified, first and foremost, on the basis of the critical needs of the government. Additionally, the decision must take into consideration the resource base of the government and, more important, the costs and benefits the projects will produce for the government and the political jurisdiction it serves. This chapter discusses some of the commonly used methods for evaluating capital projects. Of the methods discussed here, cost-benefit analysis has been extensively used in government than any of other method because of its versatility and established history. Although not as common in government as they are in the private sector, the chapter also looks at risk and uncertainty associated with capital projects, as well as the measures to deal with the problems. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief discussion on the need to use depreciation for capital assets.
Multiple Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations: An Unusual Cause of Shortness of Breath and Recurrent Strokes.

Objective To discuss an uncommon case of a patient with multiple pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) presenting with dyspnea on exertion and recurrent strokes. Background A 79-year-old woman with recent onset recurrent cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) was referred to cardiology for evaluation of dyspnea on exertion. Clinical examination was unrevealing. Methods A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) with agitated saline was suggestive of an extra-cardiac shunt. Subsequent chest computed tomographic angiography (CTA) demonstrated five large PAVMs. Results The patient underwent transcatheter coil embolization of the five PAVMs, resulting in marked improvement in dyspnea and resolution of the shunt on bubble study echocardiography. Conclusions Although PAVMs are rare, they remain an important entity to consider when evaluating patients with extracardiac shunts. They may present with nonspecific features such as dyspnea on exertion and recurrent CVAs. All patients with multiple PAVMs should undergo thorough skin screening for telangiectasia as well as radiologic imaging to screen for additional AVMs in the liver and brain in order to exclude hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).
Optimal Frequency and Critical Soft Switching Control of DC/DC Converter

A critical soft switching technique is proposed to reduce the switching losses of a bidirectional DC/DC converter. The proposed method can improve the efficiency and the value of passive components will be largely decreased. The paper derives the boundary conditions of critical soft switching with the parameters of dead time and threshold current for existing typical SiC and GaN devices. Then, a controlling strategy is developed to estimate and optimize the total power losses of a synchronous DC/DC converter with variable frequency at the given average current and duty cycle. With the combination of critical soft switching and optimal frequency control, the efficiency can be largely improved in every operating point. A power loss curve comparison between the proposed method and hard switching shows that the proposed method can reduce the losses up to 40%. The theoretical results are verified in a rigorous testing procedure.
The complexity of human computation via a concrete model with an application to passwords.

What can humans compute in their heads? We are thinking of a variety of cryptographic protocols, games like sudoku, crossword puzzles, speed chess, and so on. For example, can a person compute a function in his or her head so that an eavesdropper with a powerful computer—who sees the responses to random inputs—still cannot infer responses to new inputs? To address such questions, we propose a rigorous model of human computation and associated measures of complexity. We apply the model and measures first and foremost to the problem of 1) humanly computable password generation and then, consider related problems of 2) humanly computable “one-way functions” and 3) humanly computable “pseudorandom generators.” The theory of human computability developed here plays by different rules than standard computability; the polynomial vs. exponential time divide of modern computability theory is irrelevant to human computation. In human computability, the step counts for both humans and computers must be more concrete. As an application and running example, password generation schemas are humanly computable algorithms based on private keys. Humanly computable and/or humanly usable mean, roughly speaking, that any human needing—and capable of using—passwords can if sufficiently motivated generate and memorize a secret key in less than 1 h (including all rehearsals) and can subsequently use schema plus key to transform website names (challenges) into passwords (responses) in less than 1 min. Moreover, the schemas have precisely defined measures of security against all adversaries, human and/or machine.
The effects of preoperative ingestive events on feeding and drinking behavior following brain damage

Preoperative ingestive events can protect animals against lesion-induced deficits in ingestive behavior. The phenomenon is clearly present following lesions in hypothalamic regions of the brain and other brain regions implicated in ingestive behavior. If a brain region is necessary for the ingestive behavior, the preoperative treatments will not be protective. In this review, it is suggested that the amygdala may be critically involved in these protective effects on ingestive behavior.
Demotic and “democratic” languages in post-independence Brazil, 1822-48

This article addresses how the political language of democracy was used in nineteenth-century Brazil prior to 1850 and how its deployment was connected to related yet distinct political concepts, p...
Investigating sense of place of the Las Vegas Strip using online reviews and machine learning approaches

Abstract Public space is essential to urban public life, activities, and events, and has become a key component of design and regeneration schemes. However, visitors’ experience of public space and the subsequent perceptions and sense of place are often difficult to measure because of its intangible nature and the expensive data collection process. This study collected 20,476 online reviews from 18,387 Tripadvisor users from 2008 to 2019 to understand how visitors experience and react to the public spaces on the Las Vegas Strip. We effectively elicited sense of place on the Las Vegas Strip and quantified the popularity and sentiment of each sense of place facet with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and logistic regression machine learning methods. The results specified 30 distinct topics related to the Strip, among which the most important ones were exploring different hotels, night scene, people watching, and walking long distances. The visitor experience explored within this study uncovered multiple facets of sense of place on the Strip and suggested urban design strategies and public space management policies related to the programmatic and physical elements of the Strip sidewalks. The study shows how online reviews can provide strong empirical evidence for visitor experience in built environment projects. This approach can be used by landscape architects, urban planners, and policy makers on post-occupancy evaluation and guide redevelopment efforts to provide a full feedback loop.
Environmental Factors May Drive the Post-release Movements of Surrogate-Reared Sea Otters

Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) are currently >80% depleted with respect to both abundance and range occupancy baselines, challenging the long-term persistence of the species and the ecosystem benefits their populations might provide. From 2001-2018, the Monterey Bay Aquarium rescued stranded sea otter pups and reared them in captivity through a surrogacy program using non-releasable adult females. We gave 11,396 days of captive care to 56 otters, reintroduced them into the wild, and observed them over 894 total field days after release. This study describes the post-release movements of the 42 successfully released otters, quantifying their dispersal patterns and modeling environmental, demographic, and animal care influences through a machine learning framework. This random forest model specifically considers predictor variable correlation, accounts for individual and joint variable impacts, and evaluates robustness through sensitivity analyses. Heavy tailed dispersal models best explained the (n=641) daily movements of surrogate-reared otters, and the random forest outputs ranked population demography, population growth, and El Nino most significantly. Occasionally aided by recaptures, the scale of dispersals consistently declined after release, indicating successfully released otters stabilized their movements within three weeks in the wild. Our results show dispersal is an important metric for measuring the success of sea otter releases and suggest environmental factors (including climate) at release sites may determine the success of reintroduction programs.
Novel Approaches to Risk Stratification of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

This review aims to discuss strategies for patient risk stratification of in-hospital cardiac arrest and their challenges and limitations. In-hospital cardiac arrest is a significant cause of inpatient mortality, but survival to discharge rates remain low and have not significantly improved in the last three decades. As most patients are in a monitored setting and commonly show clinical deterioration prior to cardiac arrest, early intervention is thought to be the best way to both prevent and improve survival from cardiac arrest. However, detection of an impending cardiac arrest has proven to be particularly challenging. Contemporary methods often rely on score-based early warning systems based on intermittently collected vitals and laboratory values that have seen some success in preventing in-hospital cardiac arrest but are neither sensitive enough to detect impending arrest without significant false alarms nor have the ability to uncover the underlying cause of an imminent arrest. Machine learning–derived early warning systems that utilize temporal trends in vital signs as well as continuous telemetry data are currently being developed. These new approaches show promise in addressing the issue of sensitivity and positive predictive value but require further clinical research and technological advancements.
Cognition in context: Validating group-based executive function assessments in young children.

Abstract The current article describes and validates a set of group-based executive function (EF) assessments for use with young children. These situational tasks involve instructing groups of young students to march to music while completing tasks that place demands on their EF abilities. These efforts were motivated by providing researchers with a set of measures that assess EF subcomponents while also accounting for the dynamic social processes present in group settings. These assessments take place in schools, are relatively simple to administer, and include multiple EF indicators. Drawing on a diverse sample of 283 kindergarteners (Mage = 5.8 years, SD = 0.38), we found that group-based EF assessments were significantly related to individually assessed EF measures and differentially predicted children’s performance on standardized tests of math and reading achievement. Overall, this study represents a first step toward developing a set of group-based EF measures that are appropriate for use with young children.
Methylmercury exposure and its implications for aging

Abstract Normal aging produces decrements in cognition and motor functions and molecular changes suggesting damage to, but not necessarily death of, brain cells. Compensatory capabilities include changes in the homeostatic reserve of neurons and glia, which ultimately diminishes the capacity to oppose the damaging effects of CNS insults. Xenobiotics such as methylmercury (MeHg) can perturb calcium homeostasis, selenium reserves, and redox signaling, which likely decreases the functionality of populations of brain cells. Thus, in the context of normal aging, MeHg exposure may tax already-vulnerable systems to accelerate normal aging or produce an abnormal aging phenotype. Adult-onset MeHg exposure produces relatively well-defined deficits in motor and somatosensory functions. Yet, recent data from animal models suggests that subpopulations of adults are differentially sensitive to MeHg neurotoxicity and warrant further examination. This chapter summarizes experimental rodent models of adult-onset MeHg exposure with an emphasis on behavioral endpoints to elucidate the ways in which MeHg interacts with aging processes.
The AUGUST Two-Sample Test: Powerful, Interpretable, and Fast

Two-sample testing is a fundamental problem in statistics, and many famous two-sample tests are designed to be fully non-parametric. These existing methods perform well with location and scale shifts but are less robust when faced with more exotic classes of alternatives, and rejections from these tests can be difficult to interpret. Here, we propose a new univariate non-parametric two-sample test, AUGUST, designed to improve on these aspects. AUGUST tests for inequality in distribution up to a predetermined resolution using symmetry statistics from binary expansion. The AUGUST statistic is exactly distribution-free and has a well-understood asymptotic distribution, permitting fast p-value computation. In empirical studies, we show that AUGUST has power comparable to that of the best existing methods in every context, as well as greater power in some circumstances. We illustrate the clear interpretability of AUGUST on NBA shooting data.
Rabies; a case report with notes on the isolation of the virus from saliva.

Summary 1. The history of an infant with a clinically undiagnosed disease of the central nervous system is recorded. While the possibility of a dog bite was recognized, nothing specific of rabies was descernible. 2. The diagnosis of rabies was established by isolating rabies virus fromthe saliva. 3. The untreated saliva when injected intracerebrally into mice, killed theanimals within twenty-four hours. 4. The same saliva when mixed with penicillin and inoculated intracerebrally,permitted three of the seven mice inoculated to survive long enough so that the virus could be recovered. 5. The agent isolated from the saliva was shown to be rabies virus by demonstratingNegri bodies in the brains of mice and by neutralizing tests. 6. The virus was not isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid or blood.
Role of O-GlcNAcylation in regulating mitophagy in cardiomyocytes (693.14)

Acute increases in O-GlcNAcylation in the heart have been shown to be cardioprotective, which was associated with O-GlcNAcylation of mitochondrial proteins and increased tolerance of mitochondria t...
The role of the home environment in the transmission of infectious diseases.

The purpose of this paper is to examine current health care literature (1980–2000) regarding the microbiology of the home environment, to summarize evidence of transmission within the home, and to assess effectiveness of cleaning practices and products. The home environment, particularly the kitchen and bathroom, serves as a reservoir of large numbers of microorganisms, particularly Enterobacteriacae,and infectious disease transmission has been demonstrated to occur in 6–60% of households in which one member is ill. Current food preparation and cleaning practices provide multiple opportunities for intra-household member spread. Routine cleaning is often sufficient, but in cases of household infection, may not adequately reduce environmental contamination. The effectiveness of disinfectants varies considerably and depends on how they are used as well as their intrinsic efficacy. The behavioral aspects of infection prevention in the home (e.g., foodhandling and cleaning practices) warrant increased public attention and education.
Introductory Theory of Interferometry and Synthesis Imaging

In this chapter, we provide a simplified analysis of interferometry and introduce several important concepts. We first consider an interferometer in one dimension and discuss the effect of finite bandwidth and show how the interferometer response can be interpreted as a convolution. We extend the analysis to two dimensions and discuss circumstances in which three-dimensional imaging can be undertaken. This chapter is intended to provide a broad introduction to the principles of synthesis imaging to facilitate the understanding of more detailed development in later chapters. A brief introduction to the theory of Fourier transforms is given in Appendix 2.1.
A switched dynamic programming approach towards optimal control of multiple rooftop units

Buildings served by multiple rooftop units (RTUs) are widely prevalent in retail and food industries. Till date, most of such buildings utilize plain feedback or heuristic strategies to determine the RTU operations. We present a switched dynamic programming based approach for scheduling rooftop unit operations in an optimal manner. Using a mid-size restaurant served by multiple RTUs as an example, a switched affine dynamic system model is first presented. The RTU coordination control problem is then formulated as a switched optimal control problem with nontrivial switching cost. A dynamical programming based method is proposed for the solution of the switched optimal control problem, which has reasonable computational complexity and can be implemented as a model predictive control algorithm. The proposed method is evaluated through simulations, and its strengths and limitations are discussed.
Activation of fatty acid synthesis in cell-free extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Fatty acid synthesis from acetate in extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain LK2G12 was shown to be stimulated by α-glycerophosphate and citrate, and by a number of compounds related to them. Magnesium was shown to stimulate fatty acid synthesis from acetyl-coenzyme A but not from malonyl-coenzyme A, thus indicating the site of stimulation of fatty acid synthesis to be the acetyl-coenzyme A step.
Resonant cavity photodetectors in silicon-on-insulator

Summary form only given. Presently GaAs metal semiconductor metal (MSM) photodetectors are used for most optical data link systems operating at about 780-850 nm. The MSMs are generally preferred over p-i-n structures due to their low capacitance per unit area. To compare the effect of different substrates for MSM detectors, identical 80 micron-diameter devices were fabricated both on Si and Si-on-insulator (SOI).
Abstract 5575: Effects of continuous combined oral contraceptives on mouse mammary gland structure and tumor progression

The breast goes through cycles of cell growth, differentiation and regression with every estrous/menstrual cycle, driven by hormonal stimulation followed by hormone withdrawal. The number of cycles over a lifetime is positively associated with breast cancer risk. This increased risk may be the result of hormone-stimulated epithelial growth, inflammatory tissue remodeling processes during hormone withdrawal, or both. The use of cyclic combined oral contraceptives (cyclic COC), which incorporates a hormone withdrawal period in each cycle, has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, particularly in African American women, current COC users, and women who initiated COC use early in life. In contrast, the effect of extended-use (i.e., continuous) COC on breast cancer risk has not been evaluated. The purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesis that continuous exposure to COC is not associated with the increased risk observed with cyclic COC, and may even provide protection against breast cancer, by removal of the hormone withdrawal phase. Starting at day 50 of age (to mimic COC exposure in young women), BALB/C mice were fed liquid diets +/- supplementation with 0.0041 mg/kg ethinyl estradiol and 0.0185 mg/kg levonorgestrel (dose calculated by surface area conversion from the human COC dose of 20 µg ethinyl estradiol and 90 µg levonorgestrel). After 28 days, 10 mice per group were sacrificed and mammary glands dissected for whole mount and histologic analysis. An additional 20 mice per group were injected orthotopically with 10e5 syngeneic TM2H mammary epithelial tumor cells, and tracked for tumor latency, growth and tumor burden. The extended COC group showed 65% increase in mammary gland epithelial density compared to control. However, this increased epithelial density was associated with an increased alveolar branching and a decrease in carcinogen-sensitive terminal end buds. These results suggest that short term exposure to continuous COC can induce a more differentiated state in nonparous mouse mammary glands. In mice transplanted with tumor cells, the continuous COC group showed significantly increased tumor latency and decreased tumor burden, compared to controls. These results demonstrate that continuous COC administration, despite the higher levels of hormone exposure, can render the mouse mammary gland less susceptible to the growth of transplanted tumor cells. Mechanistic studies are ongoing. Citation Format: Evelyn Esteves, Sherin David, Dawn Bowers, Brian MacQueen, Melanie Ruszczyk, Dhruv Chachad, Rajani Marthappa Shenoy, Patricia A. Masso-Welch. Effects of continuous combined oral contraceptives on mouse mammary gland structure and tumor progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5575. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5575
The Decline in the Standard Employment Contract: Evidence from Ten Advanced Industrial Countries

There has been a great deal written about change in the nature of employment in advanced industrialized countries over the past two decades, but the economic data to substantiate this claim have been contradictory and/or ambiguous. Some analysts contend thatthe existing data show little or no change in job longevity or incidence of temporary work, thereby casting doubt on the claim that the standard contract of employment has eroded. This article examines the best available data from ten advanced industrial countries -- Australia, Japan, United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom and France. It looks at three of specific aspects of the standard employment contract: the growth ofnonstandard employment, the decline in job tenure, and the decline in union density and collective bargaining coverage. Overall, the data reveal changes in national labor marketsconsistent with the thesis that there has been a decline in standard employment practices. In particular, they show an increase in many forms of nonstandard employment in Europe, Japan, and Australia. In the United States, the trajectory concerning nonstandard employment is less clearly demonstrated due to definitional issues that are discussed. Nonetheless, the U.S. datareveal a significant increase in nonstandard employment amongst mid-career and older workers. The data also show a marked pattern of decline in union density and collective bargainingcoverage in all the countries studied.
Errata: Measuring Disease Severity in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Medical investigations use a wide variety of outcome indicators that are often not comparable. It can be challenging to integrate results across multiple studies that do not share a common metric. Some conditions such as Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy have a predictable course of disease progression. Severity can be inferred from a patient's medical history. This paper describes the development of a disease severity measure using common markers of disease progression. Rasch modeling was used to estimate severity using dichotomous events that indicate disease progression. Caregivers of 34 young men with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy completed structured interviews about their care and medical history. Interview questions included surgeries (tendon release, scoliosis, tracheostomy), respiratory equipment (assisted ventilation, cough assist devices), and the use of other medical equipment (e.g., braces, walkers, wheelchairs, transfer boards, hospital beds). The resulting measure had a reliability of .83. The correlation between the severity measure and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) was .68. Preliminary results and item calibrations are provided for the severity measure that can be estimated from caregiver reports or administrative data. DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v1i1_davis
CHANGES IN RELIGIOUS ECOLOGY AND SOCIOECONOMIC CORRELATES FOR NEIGHBORHOODS IN A METROPOLITAN REGION

Economic and social forces have altered the landscape for religious institutions in many postindustrial cities, with potentially serious implications for communities that ostensibly stand to benefit from their presence. In recent decades, changes in neighborhood racial composition and out-migration to distant suburbs have divested many urban communities of once-vibrant social institutions, among them places of worship. This article undertakes an empirical approach to examine the socioeconomic correlates of church closures in neighborhoods in a Midwestern U.S. metropolitan area. Utilizing an index of nine measures of social and economic viability, the study found that the type of congregational closure is significantly related to viability outcomes. In particular, the closure of geographically based congregations and those characterized by bridging social capital were significantly related to declines in neighborhood viability. Theoretical concepts from religious ecology, place attachment, and social capital/civic engagement structure the analysis.
Dynamic control of posture across locomotor tasks

Successful locomotion depends on postural control to establish and maintain appropriate postural orientation of body segments relative to one another and to the environment and to ensure dynamic stability of the moving body. This article provides a framework for considering dynamic postural control, highlighting the importance of coordination, consistency, and challenges to postural control posed by various locomotor tasks, such as turning and backward walking. The impacts of aging and various movement disorders on postural control are discussed broadly in an effort to provide a general overview of the field and recommendations for assessment of dynamic postural control across different populations in both clinical and research settings. Suggestions for future research on dynamic postural control during locomotion also are provided and include discussion of opportunities afforded by new and developing technologies, the need for long-term monitoring of locomotor performance in everyday activities, gaps in our knowledge of how targeted intervention approaches modify dynamic postural control, and the relative paucity of literature regarding dynamic postural control in movement disorder populations other than Parkinson's disease.
Daft, Richard L. The Leadership Experience (6th ed.).

The objective of this text is to assist the reader in mastering those leadership skills that are required to become an effective business leader. Within this context, Richard L. Daft also provides ...
Understanding consumer motivation and behavior related to self‐scanning in retailing

Self‐scanning technology is being tested by major supermarket chains as well as other types of retailers across the world, but the success of the new technology from the consumer’s perspective is not yet clear. This study investigates consumer reasons for both using and avoiding self‐scanning checkouts with a view to addressing these practitioner issues. In addition, the study advances theory on consumer motivation and behavior related to technology‐based self‐service in general. Factors driving preference or avoidance of self‐scanning checkouts include attributes of self‐scanners, consumer differences, and situational influences. Reasons for preference of other types of technology‐based self‐service over traditional service alternatives are also explored to determine motivational and behavioral patterns across service contexts. A combination of research methods is used to investigate these issues and offers richer findings than any one method used alone. Implications are discussed for managerial strategy as well as for future research.
The Public Curriculum of Orderly Images

There is a public curriculum inherent in the orderly images, and in the order in which these images are presented and seen in art museums. This voluntary public-access “curriculum,” selected differently by each visitor, offers both interesting challenges and useful metaphors for educators working in more structured settings. School educators, like art museum educators, help to develop students' abilities to see and hear the stories visible and accessible in the world around them; at our best, we develop skills for a lifetime of learning, learning that is sometimes most effective when it is unexpected and informal.
Achieving Sustainable Development in Africa through the Clean Development Mechanism: Legal and Institutional Issues Considered

One of the most talked about sustainability concern facing the earth’s current inhabitants is the issue of climate change. With emerging signs of temperature change, it is now widely accepted that climate change is real, that human emissions of green house gases are a cause; that if left unchecked, climate change may lead to extreme weather events; threaten food security and may lead to ill health and an unprecedented level of global economic decline. According to James Hansen, a renowned United States scientist:
Integration Of Radiological Reporting Systems (RRS) Into Picture Archiving And Communication Systems (PACS)

One of the most important functions that radiology has to perform is to provide timely and accurate diagnostic reports to referring physicians. Because of the importance of the report process and lack of an ideal reporting system, careful integration of existing reporting systems can not be overlooked.
Recent developments in modeling of the stress derivative of magnetization in ferromagnetic materials

The effect of changing stress on the magnetization of ferromagnetic materials leads to behavior in which the magnetization may increase, or decrease, when exposed to the same stress under the same external conditions. A simple empirical law seems to govern the behavior when the magnetization begins from a major hysteresis loop. The application of the law of approach, in which the derivative of the magnetization with respect to the elastic energy supplied dM/dW is proportional to the magnetization displacement Man−M, is discussed.
A comparison of physician and nonphysician acupuncture treatment for chronic low back pain.

Background Although up to a third of the 10,000 acupuncturists in the United States are medical doctors, little is known about the acupuncture techniques they use or how their practices compare with those of nonphysician licensed acupuncturists. This is the first study providing descriptive data on physician acupuncture and comparison to nonphysician acupuncture. Purpose This study describes how a random sample of physician acupuncturists in the United States diagnose and treat chronic low back pain and contrasts their practices with those of nonphysician licensed acupuncturists. Methods A total of 464 questionnaires were mailed to physician acupuncturists randomly sampled from 3 sources: web-based Yellow Pages, American Academy of Medical Acupuncturists (AAMA) membership, and Pain Clinics associated with American College of Graduate Medical Education-approved fellowship programs. Responses (n=137, 30%) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of this survey were compared with data published from a similar survey of nonphysician licensed acupuncturists in Washington State. Results Physicians who perform acupuncture use a mixture of styles and emphasize neuroanatomic approaches to needle placement. Most physicians received training in French Energetic acupuncture. In contrast, most nonphysician licensed acupuncturists use a traditional Chinese medicine approach to needle placement. Despite this apparent difference in their predominant styles of acupuncture, there was a high correlation between physician and nonphysician licensed acupuncturist acupoint selection to treat low back pain. In addition to acupuncture needling, physicians use other medical treatments, whereas nonphysician licensed acupuncturists' employ a variety of traditional Chinese medicine adjuncts to needling. Conclusion This study provides new information about the nature of physician acupuncture practice in the United States and how it compares to acupuncture provided by nonphysician licensed acupuncturists. Further research is necessary to determine if the different types of acupuncture provided by physicians and nonphysician acupuncturists affect treatment outcomes and costs for patients with chronic low back pain.
Asymptotic stability, Onsager fluxes and reaction kinetics

Abstract This paper constitutes a first step in the derivation of thermodynamics directly from the dynamics of physical systems. The existence of an asymptotically stable equilibrium point is used to construct a family of admissible entropy functions. These functions have nonnegative entropy production and assume an absolute maximum at the equilibrium point. A nonlinear generalization of the Onsager theory is then used to obtain a one-to-one correspondence between entropy production functions and the governing system of autonomous rate equations. The theory is applied to well stirred chemically reacting systems with constant temperature and pressure. This allows the derivation of chemical potentials, Gibbs' potentials and enthalpy for such systems. The rate equations for reaction kinetics and for classical thermodynamic reaction theory are obtained. Classic thermodynamic reaction theory is shown to give maximum entropy for constant enthalpy at the equilibrium point, while reaction kinetics gives this result only to within quadratic terms in the departure from equilibrium.
Proximate Bases of Silver Color in Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) Feathers

Colors of living organisms are produced by selective light absorption from pigments and/or by light scattering from highly ordered nanostructures (i.e., structural color). While the physical bases of metallic colors of arthropods and fish are fairly well-known, those of birds are not. Here we examine structurally based silver color and its production in feathers of the waterbird species Anhinga. This achromatic color is distinguished from grey by high specular reflectance, from white by low diffuse reflectance, and from both by high gloss. Light and electron microscopy revealed three modifications of feathers likely leading to silver color. First, proximal barbules were highly elongated and contained glossy black color at their base and white color at their pennulum. Second, this glossy black portion contained a single outer layer of keratin weakly bounded by melanosomes. Finally, the white portion contained a disordered amorphous matrix of keratin and air. Optical analyzes suggest that these structures produce, respectively, glossy black color through thin-film interference and white color through incoherent light scattering. Silver color likely results from the combined reflectance of these adjacent structures. This represents a distinct mechanism for attaining silver colors that may have been partially derived through selection for display, thermoregulation or decreased hydrophobicity.
A sustainable rationale for manned space flight

Abstract Since the heady days of Project Apollo, which had political rather than scientific objectives, it has been difficult for the USA to justify a manned space programme. The fact that US taxpayers expect such a programme is insufficient, nor is there a compelling military rationale. The only convincing basis for continuing manned space flight, the author argues, is the long-term objective of expanding human presence to other locations within the Solar System.
Simulation of dynamic stall phenomenon using unsteady Navier-Stokes equations

A non-inertial body-fixed generalized coordinate frame is employed to develop an unsteady Navier-Stokes (NS) analysis for arbitrary maneuvering bodies. A fully implicit direct numerical simulation (DNS) methodology is implemented for the solution of the governing equations. A velocity-vorticity (disturbance stream function - vorticity in 2-D) formulation is shown to simplify both the theoretical and numerical analysis of maneuvering flight when compared with the primitive-variable formulation. The resulting method is highly vectorizable and currently achieves a computational index of 6 micro-seconds per time step per mesh point using a single processor on the CRAY Y-MP 8864 at the Ohio Supercomputer Center. Vectorization has been achieved satisfactorily, with the code currently performing in the range of 130–180 Mflops. The rapid pitch-up maneuver of a NACA 0015 airfoil is wxamined at Re=1000 and Re=10 000, with particular emphasis being placed on the development and evolution of the dynamic stall vortex.
Progress, prospects, and research needs on the health effects of acid aerosols.

Research on human exposure to acidic aerosols and the health effects of such exposures has substantially strengthened the hypothesis that such aerosols are a causal factor for excesses in human mor...
Isoprenoids as mediators of the biological effects of statins

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, or statins, are potent inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis. Several large clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of cholesterol lowering with these agents in the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. The overall clinical benefits observed with statin therapy, however, appear to be greater than what might be expected from changes in lipid profile alone, suggesting that the beneficial effects of statins may extend beyond their effects on serum cholesterol levels. Recent experimental and clinical evidence indicates that some of the cholesterol-independent, or so-called pleiotropic, effects of statins involve improving or restoring endothelial function, enhancing the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation, and inhibiting the thrombogenic response in the vascular wall. Many of these cholesterol-independent effects reflect statins’ ability to block the synthesis of important isoprenoid intermediates, which serve as lipid attachments for a variety of intracellular signaling molecules. In particular, the inhibition of small GTP-binding proteins Rho, Ras, and Rac, whose proper membrane localization and function are dependent upon isoprenylation, may play an important role in mediating the biological effects of statins.
Doppler-derived left ventricular negative dp/dt as a predictor of atrial fibrillation or ischemic stroke in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation and normal ejection fraction

The prognostic value of Doppler-derived left ventricular (LV) negative dP/dt (-dP/dt) for chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Doppler-derived LV -dP/dt in predicting atrial fibrillation (AF) or ischemic stroke in patients with moderate to severe degenerative MR. Doppler-derived LV -dP/dt was determined from the continuous-wave Doppler spectrum of the MR jet (-dP/dt = 32/time between 3 and 1 m/s) in 80 patients (mean age 59±16 years, 41% men) with moderate to severe degenerative MR, normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 60%), and sinus rhythm at diagnosis. Events were defined as new AF or ischemic stroke. During a mean follow-up of 18±13 months, there were 9 events (6 new AF, 3 ischemic strokes). Univariate analysis showed that older age, decreased LV -dP/dt, increased LV mass index (LVMI) and left atrial volume index (LAVI), shortened deceleration time (DT), reduced A' velocity and elevated E/E' ratio, prolongation of pulmonary venous (PV) atrial reversal (AR) flow duration relative to mitral inflow A wave duration (AR-Adur) were associated with events. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, Doppler-derived LV -dP/dt (for each 100mmHg/sec increase, hazard ratio: 0.165, 95% confidence interval: 0.036–0.761, p=0.021) and E/E' (hazard ratio: 0.820, 95% confidence interval: 0.682–0.987, p=0.036) were significant independent predictors of AF or ischemic stroke. View this table: Predictors of adverse events Doppler-derived LV -dP/dt is independently associated with the occurrence of AF or ischemic stroke in patients with moderate to severe degenerative MR and provides additional prognostic information.
Metaanalysis of the correlation between radiographic tumor response and patient‐reported outcomes

BACKGROUND The primary aim of the current study was to determine whether radiographic tumor response is associated with patient-reported outcomes such as symptom response or health-related quality of life. METHODS A metaanalysis was conducted of 21 available studies from 1995–2003 that provided data sufficient for examining the association between tumor response and patient-reported outcomes, including symptom response and health-related quality of life. A second aim was to examine the influence of possible moderating study variables on effect size variation. RESULTS As hypothesized, patient-reported outcome improvement rates were most frequently associated with patients classified as a complete or partial response (CR/PR), followed by those with stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD). Moderate effect sizes were observed between the CR/PR and SD (effect size of 0.35) and CR/PR and PD categories (effect size of 0.43). A weak effect size was found between SD and PD (effect size of 0.16), raising concern over the meaningfulness of the SD category. No significant correlations were found between effect size and patient or study characteristics. Significant associations existed between treatment duration and age, study duration, survival, and symptom response rates, especially among PD patients. CONCLUSION Despite significant study-to-study heterogeneity, an important association exists in the correlation between tumor response and formal measures of change in patient-reported outcomes. A better understanding of this relation would be enhanced if future reports included estimates of effect size in patient-reported outcome change by tumor response category. Practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are provided. Cancer 2006. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Frequency of Daytime Biochemical Hypoglycaemia in Insulin-treated Diabetic Patients: Relation to Daily Median Blood Glucose Concentrations

The frequency and distribution of daytime biochemical hypoglycaemia (capillary blood glucose concentration below 3 mmol/l) was assessed in type 1 diabetic patients on conventional twice daily insulin therapy (n = 79) and on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (n = 20). Patients collected and mailed to the hospital blood for seven-point blood glucose profiles. For both treatment regimens the frequency of biochemical hypoglycaemia on individual days was inversely related to the median blood glucose concentration in a curvilinear manner (p less than 0.001). Hypoglycaemia was more frequent pre-prandially than post-prandially (p less than 0.01), and was evenly distributed during the day in patients on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. In patients on conventional therapy, however, pre-lunch hypoglycaemia was four times more frequent than pre-breakfast or pre-dinner hypoglycaemia (p less than 0.0001).