cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
'Prophets-for-Profits': Redevelopment and the Altering Urban Religious Landscape:

This paper examines the redevelopment activities of religious institutions in the greater New York City area. In recent years, more and more churches have been selling their property and air rights to create either commercial and market-rate housing or affordable housing. Through archival material and interviews with pastors, the purpose of this descriptive paper is to understand why and how religious institutions, primarily churches, decide to alter their function by becoming entrepreneurial and engaging in property development. The changing character of these institutions is explained through the lens of theories of religious ecology and institutional isomorphism. The paper concludes with suggestions for improvement of the development process.
Water-Soluble Two-Photon Absorbing Nitrosyl Complex for Light-Activated Therapy through Nitric Oxide Release

A water-soluble nitrosyl complex with large two-photon absorption was synthesized by incorporating a two-photon absorbing chromophore with tetra(ethylene glycol) units, into the Roussin's red salt. The nitrosyl complex exhibits quenched emission due to energy transfer from the two-photon chromophore to the Roussin's red salt. The nitric oxide (NO) release induced by one- or two-photon irradiation was detected by EPR spectroscopy with a chemical probe, the Fe(II)- N-(dithiocarbamoyl)- N-methyl- d-glucamine (Fe-MGD) complex. Increased one- or two-photon excited fluorescence, with a concomitant photochemical release of NO, was observed upon one- or two-photon light irradiation. With the observed light-dependent cytotoxicity against cancer cells of the water-soluble nitrosyl complex, it was demonstrated that two-photon-functionalized nitrosyl complexes can be effective NO donors for light-activated treatment.
Carbonate Compensation Depth: Relation to Carbonate Solubility in Ocean Waters

In situ calcium carbonate saturometry measurements suggest that the intermediate water masses of the central Pacific Ocean are close to saturation with resppect to both calcite and local carbonate sediment. The carbonate compensation depth, located at about 3700 meters in this area, appears to represent a depth above which waters are essentially saturated with respect to calcite and below which waters deviate toward undersaturation with respect to calcite.
Seismic Retrofit of Coastal Dikes

Soil liquefaction and associated ground failures have caused much damage to coastal and waterfront structures in the past major earthquakes. The prevalence of liquefaction in the coastal environment necessitates the development of appropriate remediation countermeasures. This paper presents an experimental study involving centrifuge physical modeling to assess the earthquake performance of countermeasure retrofit techniques for a liquefiable marine foundation under an existing coastal dike-embankment. Currently, such testing results offer a valuable alternative to studying actual full-scale dynamic response, since such data is virtually non-existent for retrofitted dikes. The response of a cohesive dike supported on a loose saturated sand layer is analyzed under dynamic base excitation conditions. In a series of four separate heavily instrumented model tests, this embankment foundation system was studied first without, and then with, the following three foundation liquefaction countermeasure-retrofit techniques: crushed gravel (drain) walls, cemented soil walls, and sheet-pile enclosure. The underlying mechanism and effectiveness of each countermeasure is discussed, based on the recorded dynamic response. All of the implemented countermeasures were found to significantly reduce embankment deformations. In some cases, cracking and lateral spreading of the dikes were practically eliminated.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Inhibitors in young boys with haemophilia

The development of an inhibitor antibody to factor VIII (or factor IX) in a child with haemophilia presents a major challenge to the paediatric haematologist. This article provides an overview of the incidence of inhibitor development in early childhood (30-52% in boys with severe haemophilia A), genetic risk factors, detection, high titre, low titre and transient inhibitors, and management. Treatment of patients with inhibitors is time-consuming and expensive. One should make every attempt to ensure that the boy's family has an understanding of inhibitors, treatment options, and just what is being recommended for their child and what this involves. Immune tolerance induction is successful in approximately 85% of boys with factor VIII inhibitors, but in only 40-50% of those with factor IX inhibitors. For treatment of bleeding episodes in children with high-titre (> or = 5 Bethesda Units) inhibitors, therapeutic options include activated prothrombin complex concentrates (APCC), rF VIIa, and (for factor VIII inhibitors) porcine factor VIII. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. Although factor IX inhibitors are far less common (occurring in 2-3% of boys with haemophilia B), approximately 50% are accompanied by the occurrence of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions to any factor IX-containing product.
Reliable oligonucleotide conformational ensemble generation in explicit solvent for force field assessment using reservoir replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics force field development and assessment requires a reliable means for obtaining a well-converged conformational ensemble of a molecule in both a time-efficient and cost-effective manner. This remains a challenge for RNA because its rugged energy landscape results in slow conformational sampling and accurate results typically require explicit solvent which increases computational cost. To address this, we performed both traditional and modified replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations on a test system (alanine dipeptide) and an RNA tetramer known to populate A-form-like conformations in solution (single-stranded rGACC). A key focus is on providing the means to demonstrate that convergence is obtained, for example, by investigating replica RMSD profiles and/or detailed ensemble analysis through clustering. We found that traditional replica exchange simulations still require prohibitive time and resource expenditures, even when using GPU accelerated hardware, and our results are not ...
Freshwater Survival of Stranded Steelhead Kelts in Coastal Central California Streams

Abstract During 2008, spring drought conditions in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California resulted in hundreds of postspawn adult steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss becoming stranded in streams and unable to return to sea. These individuals had no other option than to spend the entire summer and fall in freshwater habitats. As the fate of stranded kelts is poorly documented, we attempted to estimate the oversummer survival of steelhead kelts and to assess whether local habitat characteristics influenced survival rates. We found that nearly 40% of kelts observed during summer surveys were still alive in late October, just before the first significant rains of the season, and most individuals were observed to be in fair condition. Survival was higher for fish that resided in pools with substantial cover than for fish that occupied pools with only partial or no concealment. Overall, the unexpectedly high survival rates of stranded kelts suggest that the rescue and relocation of stranded steelhead to other habitat...
Pulmonary lavage in preterm lambs.

Summary: Pulmonary function was studied before and after bilateral lung lavage with oxygenated FC-80 fluorocarbon liquid in seven preterm Iambs, 134 days of gestation. Measurements of transpulmonary pressure, air flow, tidal volume, and functional residual capacity (FRC) enabled calculations of lung resistance and compliance, specific compliance, and work of breathing. Immediately postlav-age, arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by 41% from control values. In addition, at 1 hr postlavage, lung compliance significantly decreased (P < 0.01) by 43% from control levels. Lung resistance, FRC, work of breathing, arterial carbon dioxide tension, and pH postlavage were not significantly different from postlavage values. The mean volume of FC-80 remaining in the lungs at 1 hr postlavage was 32% of the instilled volume. These data indicate that lung lavage with a low surface tension liquid has a relatively small effect on lung mechanics of the premature lung. Speculation: Adequate blood gas tensions and pH levels can be maintained both during and after bilateral fluorocarbon lavage with relatively small changes in lung mechanics. Based upon these findings, it is appealing to speculate that bilateral fluorocarbon lavage may be useful as a means of alveolar debridement, particularly in aspiration syndromes of the newborn.
Ferric iron complexes of hydroxamic acids from maize

Abstract Stability constants for the Fe 3+ complexes of a hydroxamic acid and its glucoside, isolated from maize seedlings, have been determined. Log K for the glucoside is 19·4 and, for the aglucone, 21·3.
Journalistic quotation: Reported speech in newspapers from a semiotic-linguistic perspective:

A qualitative sample of newspaper articles covering Israeli commandos’ killing of passengers aboard a pro-Palestinian cargo ship was examined to discern how direct and indirect quotation modes function as propositional re-assertion. Using a linguistic-semiotic perspective, journalistic quotation was conceptualized as a series of verbal speech-act signs of three types: direct, free-indirect, and standard indirect quotation. These three essential quotation modes are shown to conform to the semiotic icon, index, and symbol, respectively, and at the linguistic level to entail either relatively neutral, ‘non-subjectivized’ re-assertion, or evaluative, ‘subjectivized’ re-assertion on the reporter’s part. Newspaper quotation segments are related to each variety of quotation, drawing out these co-occurring semiotic and linguistic characteristics to show how each quote mode performs as either a source or writer-centered double-duty speech act, allowing journalists within the traditional objectivity norm to various...
Consumer Perception of Astringency in Clear Acidic Whey Protein Beverages

Acidic whey protein beverages are a growing component of the functional food and beverage market. These beverages are also astringent, but astringency is an expected and desirable attribute of many beverages (red wine, tea, coffee) and may not necessarily be a negative attribute of acidic whey protein beverages. The goal of this study was to define the consumer perception of astringency in clear acidic whey protein beverages. Six focus groups (n=49) were held to gain understanding of consumer knowledge of astringency. Consumers were presented with beverages and asked to map them based on astringent mouthfeel and liking. Orthonasal thresholds for whey protein isolate (WPI) in water and flavored model beverages were determined using a 7-series ascending forced choice method. Mouthfeel/basic taste thresholds were determined for WPI in water. Acceptance tests on model beverages were conducted using consumers (n=120) with and without wearing nose clips. Consumers in focus groups were able to identify astringency in beverages. Astringency intensity was not directly related to dislike. The orthonasal threshold for WPI in water was lower (P < 0.05) than the mouthfeel/basic taste threshold of WPI in water. Consumer acceptance of beverages containing WPI was lower (P < 0.05) when consumers were not wearing nose clips compared to acceptance scores of beverages when consumers were wearing nose clips. These results suggest that flavors contributed by WPI in acidic beverages are more objectionable than the astringent mouthfeel and that both flavor and astringency should be the focus of ongoing studies to improve the palatability of these products.
The written and the repressed in Gouldner's industrial sociology

In many ways Alvin Gouldner's industrial sociology prefigures his later work. His studies of the General Gypsum Company combine what later become two separate branches of his discourses on social theory: the exploration of the liberative potential of structural functionalism and the appropriation of the critical moments of Marxism. In Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy, he explores Merton's ideas of functional equivalence, to suggest alternative forms of factory administration, and of latent function, to unveil the domination behind bureaucratic rules. In WiMcat Strike, he turns Parsons's conditions of stable interaction into their opposite: the conditions for disequilibrium. In both books he draws on Marxian ideas of systemic contradiction and struggle as the motor of change, to explain the emergence of new patterns of industrial bureaucracy and to illuminate purposeful collective action. His subsequent books The Coming Crisis of Western Sociology and For Sociology, on one hand, and The Dialectic of Technology and Ideology and The Two Marxisms, on the other can be viewed as reflections on what was tacit and repressed in his analysis of the General Gypsum Company. Even The Future of Intellectuals and the Rise of the New Class has roots in Gouldner's construction of the ideal type "representative bureaucracy" based on expertise and in his treatment of bureaucratic succession in terms of the ideologies of locals and cosmopolitans. Nor is this continuity between his early industrial studies and his later critiques of Academic Sociology and Marxism surprising. For Gouldner was not interested in locating the General Gypsum Company historically, or as a specific part of a specific totality. To the contrary, like other major organization theorists of the period (e.g., Lipset, Selznick, and Blau), he was more concerned with stripping away the particular to reveal the general. General Gypsum Company was a laboratory for testing and developinggeneral theories applicable to diverse contexts, rather than a specific sociology of industry. And yet Gouldner's analysis remains particularly relevant to recent Marxist studies of the labor process. His critique of the "metaphysical pathos" behind
Contracting and enforcement with a self-regulatory organization

Self regulation is a feature of a number of professions. For example, the government delegates aspects of financial market regulation to self-regulatory organizations (SROs) like the New York Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers. We analyze one regulatory task of an SRO, enforcing antifraud rules so agents will not cheat customers. Specifically, we model contracting/enforcement as a two-tier problem. An SRO chooses its enforcement policy: the likelihood an agent is investigated for fraud and a penalty schedule. Given an enforcement policy, agents compete by offering contracts that maximize customers' expected utility. We assume the SRO's objective is to maximize the welfare of its members, the agents. We show that in the static case, the SRO chooses a more lax enforcement policy - less frequent investigations and lower penalties - than what customers would choose. A general conclusion is that control of the enforcement policy governing contracts confers substantial market power to a group of otherwise competitive agents. We also investigate government oversight of the self-regulatory process. The threat of government enforcement leads to more enforcement by the SRO. A similar result applies in a dynamic setting where customers can impose discipline by monitoring an agent's reputation for past performance. Here there are circumstances for which the SRO would choose a more aggressive enforcement policy than is preferred by customers.
A QUANTITATIVE EXPLORATORY EVALUATION OF THE CIRCLE OF SECURITY-PARENTING PROGRAM WITH MOTHERS IN RESIDENTIAL SUBSTANCE-ABUSE TREATMENT

Maternal substance abuse is a risk factor for child maltreatment, child attachment insecurity, and maladaptive social information processing. The aim of this study was to conduct a quantitative exploratory evaluation of the effectiveness of an attachment-based parent program, Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-P; G. Cooper, K. Hoffman, & B. Powell, 2009), with a community sample of 15 mothers in residential treatment for substance abuse. Participants attended nine weekly group sessions and were given three measures at pretest and posttest: the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (J.J. Gross & O.P. John, 2003), the Parent Attribution Test (D. Bugental, 2011), and the Parenting Scale (D.S. Arnold, S.G. O'Leary, L.S. Wolff, & M.M. Acker, 1993). The results indicate that mothers who attended the majority of group sessions showed greater improvements on all three variables. Participants who attended some of the sessions showed some improvements on the measures, but participants who did not attend the group sessions had no improvements, and on some measures, declined significantly. Further analyses of demographic data indicates that participants with more education, no personal history of child maltreatment, less time in the residential program, and lower social desirability scores demonstrated more positive outcomes. These findings suggest that the COS-P may positively impact parental risk factors associated with child maltreatment and maladaptive social information processing in the context of residential substance-abuse treatment.
Taking Perspective in Conversation: The Role of Mutual Knowledge in Comprehension

When people interpret language, they can reduce the ambiguity of linguistic expressions by using information about perspective: the speaker's, their own, or a shared perspective. In order to investigate the mental processes that underlie such perspective taking, we tracked people's eye movements while they were following instructions to manipulate objects. The eye fixation data in two experiments demonstrate that people do not restrict the search for referents to mutually known objects. Eye movements indicated that addressees considered objects as potential referents even when the speaker could not see those objects, requiring addressees to use mutual knowledge to correct their interpretation. Thus, people occasionally use an egocentric heuristic when they comprehend. We argue that this egocentric heuristic is successful in reducing ambiguity, though it could lead to a systematic error.
Seminiferous Cord Formation and Germ-Cell Programming: Epigenetic Transgenerational Actions of Endocrine Disruptors

The molecular and cellular control of embryonic testis development was investigated through an analysis of the embryonic testis transcriptome to identify potential regulatory factors for male sex determination and testis morphogenesis. One critical factor identified is neurotropin 3 (NT3). At the onset of male sex determination, Sertoli cells initiate differentiation and express NT3 to act as a chemotactic factor for mesonephros cells to migrate and associate with Sertoli-germ cell aggregates to promote cord formation. Promoter analysis suggests that NT3 may be an initial downstream gene to SRY and helps promote testis morphogenesis. Endocrine disruptors were used to potentially interfere with embryonic testis development and further investigate this biological process. The estrogenic pesticide methoxychlor and antiandrogenic fungicide vinclozolin were used. Previous studies have shown that methoxychlor and vinclozolin both interfere with embryonic testis cord formation and cause increased spermatogenic cell apoptosis in the adult testis. Interestingly, transient in vivo exposure to endocrine disruptors at the time of male sex determination caused a transgenerational phenotype (F1-F4) of spermatogenic cell apoptosis and subfertility. This apparent epigenetic mechanism involves altered DNA methylation and permanent re-programming of the male germ-line. A series of genes with altered DNA methylation and imprinting are being identified. Observations reviewed demonstrate that a transient embryonic in utero exposure to an endocrine disruptor influences the embryonic testis transcriptome and through epigenetic effects (e.g., DNA methylation) results in abnormal germ-cell differentiation that subsequently influences adult spermatogenic capacity and male fertility, and that this phenotype is transgenerational through the germ-line. The novel observations of transgenerational epigenetic endocrine disruptor actions on male reproduction critically impact the potential hazards of these compounds as environmental toxins. The literature reviewed provides insight into the molecular and cellular control of embryonic testis development, male sex determination, and the programming of the male germ-line.
Distributed power control of cellular networks in the presence of Rayleigh fading channel

A novel distributed power control (DPC) scheme for cellular networks in the presence of radio channel uncertainties such as path loss, shadowing, and Rayleigh fading is presented. Since these uncertainties can attenuate the received signal strength and can cause variations in the received signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), the proposed DPC scheme maintains a target SIR at the receiver provided the uncertainty is slowly varying with time. The DPC estimates the time varying nature of the channel quickly and uses the information to arrive at a suitable transmitter power value. Further, the standard assumption of a constant interference during a link's power update used in other works in the literature is relaxed. A CDMA-based cellular network environment is used to compare the proposed scheme with earlier approaches. The results show that our DPC scheme can converge faster than others by adapting to the channel variations. The proposed DPC scheme can render outage probability of 5 to 30% in the presence of uncertainties compared with other schemes of 50 to 90% while consuming low power per active mobile user. In other words, the proposed DPC scheme allows significant increase in network capacity while consuming low power values even when the channel is uncertain.
Interaction of psoralen derivatives with the RNA genome of Rous sarcoma virus

Abstract We have examined the interaction of several psoralen derivatives with the RNA genome of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). In the presence of long-wavelength uv light, 4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen (trioxsalen) and its 4′-hydroxymethyl (HMT) and 4′-aminomethyl (AMT) derivatives all efficiently crosslinked the subunits of the RSV 70 S RNA complex into a nondissociable state. These psoralen derivatives also were able to penetrate virions and crosslink the RNA complex in situ. The ability of psoralen to crosslink the subunits of viral RNA in situ is consistent with the presumption that the RSV genome exists as a complex within the virion and suggests an approach for a detailed examination of regions of secondary structure. The addition of psoralen adducts to viral RNA correlated with a loss of virus infectivity and a decrease in the amount and length of viral DNA synthesized in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that the RSV genome contains a significant amount of secondary structure that is reactive with psoralen compounds and that the addition of HMT to viral RNA causes premature chain termination during viral DNA synthesis.
Heterozygous disruption of the PTEN promotes intestinal neoplasia in APCmin/+ mouse: roles of osteopontin.

The persistent activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway is oncogenic and involved in colorectal neoplasia. Mutations of both regulatory subunit and catalytic subunit of PI3K have been demonstrated in colon cancers. In the present study, we show that heterozygous disruption of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) tumor suppressor gene promoted tumor progression in APC min/+ mice. Number and size of intestinal tumors were significantly increased in mice bearing both adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and PTEN mutations. While APC min/+ PTEN +/+ mice developed adenomas, invasive carcinomas developed in APC min/+ PTEN +/− mice. Large tumors often resulted in intestinal intussusception and early death of APC min/+ PTEN +/− mice. Targeted array revealed that osteopontin (OPN) was the leading gene whose expression was strongly induced by deficiency of PTEN. In colon cancer cells, gain-of-function mutation of PI3K robustly increased levels of OPN and treatment with OPN reduced growth factor deprivation-induced programmed cell death. Moreover, OPN expression was strongly increased in Ras-induced transformation of intestinal epithelial cells in a PI3K-dependent manner. Inhibition of OPN expression by specific small interfering RNA reduced uncontrolled growth and invasiveness of Ras-transformed intestinal epithelial cells. Thus, our results suggest that the PI3K pathway promotes the transformation of intestinal adenoma to adenocarcinoma. OPN, a downstream effector of PI3K, protects transformed intestinal epithelial cells from programmed cell death and stimulates their anchorage-independent growth.
In memoriam: Reflections on Fred Richards (1925–2009)

Fred Richards made a remarkable discovery right at the start of his scientific career. In his year of postdoctoral research (1954–1955) at the Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen, Fred studied the digestion of RNase A (bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A) by subtilisin, a bacterial protease. He found evidence for a surprising intermediate in the digestion process: see below. Later, in his own lab at Yale, Fred characterized the intermediate (RNase S) by separating it into two parts, a 20-residue peptide (S-pep) and a 104-residue protein moiety (S-prot), and he found that enzymatic activity is lost when the two chains are separated. Remarkably, S-pep and S-prot combine spontaneously when they are mixed together and the product is active enzyme. This result1 immediately clarified how peptide hormones might activate their protein receptors. Because S-prot is only weakly folded and S-pep is nearly structureless, whereas RNase S is a stable, well-folded protein, the reaction S-pep + S-prot = RNase S became a standard system for folding studies and helped to open up the study of the mechanism of protein folding.
A comparison of low-latitude cloud properties and their response to climate change in three AGCMs sorted into regimes using mid-tropospheric vertical velocity

Low-latitude cloud distributions and cloud responses to climate perturbations are compared in near-current versions of three leading U.S. AGCMs, the NCAR CAM 3.0, the GFDL AM2.12b, and the NASA GMAO NSIPP-2 model. The analysis technique of Bony et al. (Clim Dyn 22:71–86, 2004) is used to sort cloud variables by dynamical regime using the monthly mean pressure velocity ω at 500 hPa from 30S to 30N. All models simulate the climatological monthly mean top-of-atmosphere longwave and shortwave cloud radiative forcing (CRF) adequately in all ω-regimes. However, they disagree with each other and with ISCCP satellite observations in regime-sorted cloud fraction, condensate amount, and cloud-top height. All models have too little cloud with tops in the middle troposphere and too much thin cirrus in ascent regimes. In subsidence regimes one model simulates cloud condensate to be too near the surface, while another generates condensate over an excessively deep layer of the lower troposphere. Standardized climate perturbation experiments of the three models are also compared, including uniform SST increase, patterned SST increase, and doubled CO2 over a mixed layer ocean. The regime-sorted cloud and CRF perturbations are very different between models, and show lesser, but still significant, differences between the same model simulating different types of imposed climate perturbation. There is a negative correlation across all general circulation models (GCMs) and climate perturbations between changes in tropical low cloud cover and changes in net CRF, suggesting a dominant role for boundary layer cloud in these changes. For some of the cases presented, upper-level clouds in deep convection regimes are also important, and changes in such regimes can either reinforce or partially cancel the net CRF response from the boundary layer cloud in subsidence regimes. This study highlights the continuing uncertainty in both low and high cloud feedbacks simulated by GCMs.
Power as a Structural Phenomenon

In an effort to inform empowerment theory and research, this paper provides a structural conception of power. First, we examine the essential features present in three dominant conceptions of power in community psychology: social power, psychopolitical power, and relational power. Next, commonalities in the key features of power identified by these conceptions are explored and pared down to yield a more parsimonious conception of power that is grounded only in the structural pattern of relationships through which resources are exchanged. Drawing on social exchange theory, we offer a method for measuring this streamlined, structural conception of power that allows for its more precise examination. Finally, we discuss the implications of a structural conception and measurement of power for targeting and facilitating empowering processes and evaluating empowered outcomes.
Finite Element Approach to Stress Wave Problems

The description of a computer code is presented for application to two-dimensional stress wave propagation problems through layered elastic materials. The code is based on the finite element method as opposed to the more usual finite difference methods usually applied to this class of problem, so as to be able to treat the more complex boundary and interface conditions usually encountered in problems of interest. The code can treat either the axisymmetric or plane (stress or strain) problem. Numerical results are presented for two one-dimensional (plane and spherically symmetric) problems, and comparisons made with known analytic solutions. The results for a two-dimensional problem are also presented and compared with a solution obtained by finite difference methods. These results generally indicate that displacement computations are quite satisfactory. However, for problems with sharp stress fronts, oscillations in the stress computations in the vicinity of the front are induced.
Mechanisms of Schwann cell damage in inflammatory neuropathy.

Inflammatory demyelination of nerve in Guillain-Barre syndrome is triggered in most patients by prior infection with one of series of organisms, including Campylobacterjejuni. The resulting inflammatory cascade, involving T cells, macrophages, complement, and cytokines, disrupts physiologic function of the peripheral nerve in part by targeting Schwann cells, the multipotential glial cells that synthesize multilamellar, compacted myelin and secrete growth factors. In vitro evidence suggests that the Schwann cell may itself be able to modulate the cascade by serving as an antigen-presenting cell and by producing cytokines and other acute-phase reactants.
Roots and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest . By Amy Bhatt and Nalini Iyer.

Amy Bhatt and Nalini Iyer situate their book, Roots and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest, using an informative and thoughtful discussion on the South Asian Oral History Project, f...
Mental rotation of objects versus hands: Neural mechanisms revealed by positron emission tomography

Twelve right-handed men participated in two mental rotation tasks as their regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was monitored using positron emission tomography. In one task, participants mentally rotated and compared figures composed of angular branching forms; in the other task, participants mentally rotated and compared drawings of human hands. In both cases, rCBF was compared with a baseline condition that used identical stimuli and required the same comparison, but in which rotation was not required. Mental rotation of branching objects engendered activation in the parietal lobe and Area 19. In contrast, mental rotation of hands engendered activation in the precentral gyrus (M1), superior and inferior parietal lobes, primary visual cortex, insula, and frontal Areas 6 and 9. The results suggest that at least two different mechanisms can be used in mental rotation, one mechanism that recruits processes that prepare motor movements and another mechanism that does not.
Upgrading the NIST electronic kilogram system

The electronic kilogram project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology is upgrading several major subsystems to improve the operational reliability of the watt balance system and lower the uncertainty of results for the Planck constant, h. These include a picosecond time interval analyzer, piezo motor coil tilt control, lock-in AC signal coil transverse-position detection, fiber-optic standard frequency distribution, and a dry vacuum pumping system.
An Automated Network for Detecting Diesel Engine Misfire

An easily online adaptive misfire algorithm is developed, capable of extrapolating to unforeseen engine speeds, similar yet different engines, and new combinations of misfiring cylinders. Proven, repeatable algorithms are used, with an eye on easy calibration for totally new engine types. Several methodologies are compared to this approach, at idle and with varying rpm, not only for accuracy, but also for portability and adaptability.
Clinical microbiological case: large endocardial vegetation in an Italian woman

A 60-year-old Italian woman with no prior medical problems was well until 3 months prior to admission, when she developed a low-grade fever. She was hospitalized in Italy and empirically treated with a 1-week course of an unknown intravenous antibiotic. She improved clinically, and travelled to the USA, where she developed a fever, once again 3 weeks prior to admission. She presented to the emergency room with severe congestive heart failure, with a fever of 39.28C, and a pulse of 120/min. Blood pressure was 130/50 mmHg, and respiratory rate 22/min. She had a grade III/IV diastolic decrescendo murmur at the left sternal border, and a grade IV systolic ejection murmur; a third left S3 on sound was heard on cardiac auscultation. Initial laboratory tests revealed a white blood cell count of 21 000/ mm, haemoglobin 11.1 g/dL, haematocrit 33.2%, and ESR 46 mm/h. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed a dilated left ventricle with mildly reduced systolic function (ejection fraction of 40–44%), a bicuspid aortic valve with severe valve regurgitation, severe mitral regurgitation, and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. There was a 2-cm mobile vegetation on the non-coronary leaflet of the aortic valve. There was also an abscess in the non-coronary portion of the aortic valve annulus (Figure 1).
NMR studies of polymer solutions. VII. Effects of chain length on polymer NMR measurements

The strong short-range near-neighbor effect on the NMR spectra of poly(dimethyl siloxanes) as a function of chain length in bulk as well as in solution was further demonstrated. The internal methyl groups of the polymer are distinguishable as the chain length n ≥ 5. A main polymer NMR peak appears for poly(dimethyl siloxane) only when n ≥ 7. In addition to the short range effect on the NMR peaks of the „near-end groups” of a polymer, we have also shown that the main polymer NMR peaks of poly(dimethyl siloxane) and poly(ethylene glycol) are also affected by chain length in certain aromatic solvent media. This is due to the effect of chain length on the solvation behavior of the main polymer segments, and it may be considered as a long range effect. Both these short and long range effects on the NMR absorption peaks and the bandwidths have been discussed.
Malpractice Issues in Radiology: Medicare Compliance Versus Standard of Care Conformance—Real or Imaginary Conflict?

Plaintiff's Attorney (Pl Att): Doctor, the record shows that the patient was referred to the hospital's radiology department by her gynecologist for a screening mammogram. The record also shows that when completing the mammography information form, the patient wrote that she had a lump in her left breast, correct?Defendant Radiologist (Df Rad): Yes.Pl Att: But your technologist performed, and you interpreted, a screening mammogram. Doesn't the radiology standard of care require you to do a diagnostic mammogram when the patient has a breast lump?Df Rad: Well, normally yes, but if it's going to be a diagnostic mammogram, then the referring physician has to order it. In this case our tech called the gynecologist and asked him whether he wanted to order a diagnostic study, and he said no, he didn't feel the lump, and that we should only do a plain screening mammogram.Pl Atty: Please explain something. You're agreeing that a woman with a breast lump should have a diagnostic mammogram, but you are saying that y...
Casino gambling and bankruptcy in new United States casino jurisdictions

Abstract Using quarterly data on personal consumer bankruptcy for 1989:Q4 through 1998:Q1, this study examines the impact that the introduction of casino gambling has on per capita personal bankruptcy filings. Eight jurisdictions that have recently adopted gambling are compared with a set of matching control jurisdictions, communities without casinos that are economically and demographically similar to the eight communities. The results reveal that casino gambling is associated with an increase in personal bankruptcy in seven of the eight communities. In five of the seven the increase is statistically significant. However, an increase is not universal and in one community, Harrison County, Mississippi (Biloxi), bankruptcy per capita significantly decreased. It is speculated that this decrease is due to the features of both the community and the casino industry in Biloxi. Finally, the most significant changes in bankruptcy occur among Chapter 13, as opposed to Chapter 7, filings. This suggests that a growing portion of insolvents are creating repayment plans for their debts. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Design of highly linear multipliers using floating gate transistors and/or source degeneration resistor

Compact schemes to implement two highly linear four quadrant CMOS transconductance multipliers are presented in this work. They are based on floating gate transistors and/or source degeneration resistor which provide high linearity and wide input, output swing. Two cross connected differential pairs are used as current steering elements which provide continuous adjustable gain. Unlike the conventional multipliers the proposed techniques generate currents that have mostly linear terms and reduce cancellation of non-linear terms at the output. Hence they are very linear and non-vulnerable to practical problems like mismatch and finite output impedance. Simulation and Experimental results are provided which validate the proposed schemes.
Education and training of the future trauma surgeon in acute care surgery: trauma, critical care, and emergency surgery.

Abstract Background Trauma surgery as a specialty in the United States is at a crossroads. Currently, less than 100 residents per year pursue additional specialty training in trauma and surgical critical care. Many forces have converged to place serious challenges and obstacles to the training of future trauma surgeons. In order for the field to flourish, the training of future trauma surgeons must be modified to compensate for these changes. Data Sources Recent medical literature regarding the training of trauma surgeons and report of the Future of Trauma Surgery/Trauma Specialization Committee of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Conclusions The new post-graduate trauma training fellowship of the future should be built on a foundation of general surgery. The goal of this program will be to train a surgeon with broad expertise in trauma, critical care, and emergency general surgery. This new emphasis on non-trauma emergency surgery required an image change and thus a new name; Acute Care Surgery: Trauma, Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery.
Molecular Architecture of the Voltage-Dependent Na Channel: Functional Evidence for α Helices in the Pore

The permeation pathway of the Na channel is formed by asymmetric loops (P segments) contributed by each of the four domains of the protein. In contrast to the analogous region of K channels, previously we (Yamagishi, T., M. Janecki, E. Marban, and G. Tomaselli. 1997. Biophys. J. 73:195–204) have shown that the P segments do not span the selectivity region, that is, they are accessible only from the extracellular surface. The portion of the P-segment NH2-terminal to the selectivity region is referred to as SS1. To explore further the topology and functional role of the SS1 region, 40 amino acids NH2-terminal to the selectivity ring (10 in each of the P segments) of the rat skeletal muscle Na channel were substituted by cysteine and expressed in tsA-201 cells. Selected mutants in each domain could be blocked with high affinity by externally applied Cd2+ and were resistant to tetrodotoxin as compared with the wild-type channel. None of the externally applied sulfhydryl-specific methanethiosulfonate reagents modified the current through any of the mutant channels. Both R395C and R750C altered ionic selectivity, producing significant increases in K+ and NH4+ currents. The pattern of side chain accessibility is consistent with a pore helix like that observed in the crystal structure of the bacterial K channel, KcsA. Structure prediction of the Na channel using the program PHDhtm suggests an α helix in the SS1 region of each domain channel. We conclude that each of the P segments undergoes a hairpin turn in the permeation pathway, such that amino acids on both sides of the putative selectivity filter line the outer mouth of the pore. Evolutionary conservation of the pore helix motif from bacterial K channels to mammalian Na channels identifies this structure as a critical feature in the architecture of ion selective pores.
A closed-loop approach for improving the wellness of low-income elders at home using game consoles

As life expectancy in the industrialized world increases, so does the number of elders with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure who require complex self-management routines. We present a motivational exercise gaming system whose goal is to increase the activity of elders with complex chronic conditions. Our gaming system, initially deployed unattended, showed discouraging results. Our second attempt addresses these shortcomings by coupling the gaming console with an application for presenting exercise results to remote clinicians and caregivers, and a smartphone- based application for collecting feedback and issuing alerts. HealthOS, a platform for developing healthcare applications, integrates all components of the applications.
Artificial spin ice: from scientific toy to material by design (Presentation Recording)

Frustration, the presence of constraints/interactions that cannot be completely satisfied, is ubiquitous in the physical sciences as well as in life and a source of degeneracy and disorder which gives rise to new and interesting physical phenomena. In the past years a new perspective has opened in the study of frustration through the creation of artificial frustrated magnetic systems, consisting of arrays of lithographically fabricated single-domain ferromagnetic nanostructures that behave like giant Ising spins. The interactions can be controlled through their geometric properties and arrangement: The degrees of freedom of the material can be directly tuned, but also individually observed. Experimental studies have unearthed intriguing connections to the out-of-equilibrium physics of disordered systems and non-thermal “granular” materials, while revealing strong analogies to spin ice materials and their fractionalized magnetic monopole excitations, lending the enterprise a distinctly interdisciplinary flavor. In this talk we outline the more recent developments and future vistas for progress in this rapidly expanding field. We show how recent results have opened paths to new territories. Higher control, inclusive of genuine thermal ensembles have replaced the earlier and coarser methods based on magnetic agitation. Dynamical versions are now being realized, characterized in real time via PEEM, revealing statistical mechanics in action. This has lead us to afford implementation of new geometries, not found in nature, for dedicated bottom up design of desired emergent properties. Born as a scientific toy to investigate frustration-by-design, artificial spin ice might now be used to open “a path into an uncharted territory, a landscape of advanced functional materials in which topological effects on physical properties can be explored and harnessed.”
Speeding up sum-of-squares for tensor decomposition and planted sparse vectors

We consider two problems that arise in machine learning applications: the problem of recovering a planted sparse vector in a random linear subspace and the problem of decomposing a random low-rank overcomplete 3-tensor. For both problems, the best known guarantees are based on the sum-of-squares method. We develop new algorithms inspired by analyses of the sum-of-squares method. Our algorithms achieve the same or similar guarantees as sum-of-squares for these problems but the running time is significantly faster. For the planted sparse vector problem, we give an algorithm with running time nearly linear in the input size that approximately recovers a planted sparse vector with up to constant relative
We are not aliens: Exploring the Meaning of Disability and the Nature of Belongingness in a Fourth Grade Classroom

In this narrative essay I describe the process and outcomes of a group of fourth graders' engagement in a critical inquiry into the constructed meaning of disability in society. Through self-directed and guided learning, these students examined the historical roots of disability oppression and deconstructed ableist assumptions, and thus found their own understanding about community membership to be transformed. Positioning the need to infuse disability history in schools as an imperative, this paper invites disability studies scholars and social justice educators alike to confront the silences around the topic of disability in schools and to create spaces for children to engage in meaningful dialogues about society's responses to human differences.
Systems Tracking

An automated system has been developed by the Industrial Engineering group at IBM's System Products Division plant in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to TRACK the serialized bases of any product by comparing customized targets to actual labor claims. The system expedites identification of the specific factor that contributed to an overtarget situation. The concepts of TRACK, which consist of Fortran IV and PL/1 programs under OS, are being incorporated into a plant-wide programming system called ATLAS (Actual Target Labor Auditing System}.