cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of vaginal bacterial communities and reproductive outcomes with prophylactic antibiotic exposure in a subfertile population undergoing in vitro fertilization: a prospective exploratory study.

Objective To determine whether prophylactic azithromycin is associated with the vaginal bacterial microbiome and clinical outcomes in subfertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design Prospective exploratory cohort study. Setting Single academic fertility center. Patients Subfertile women aged 18–43 years undergoing their first IVF cycle and fresh embryo transfer. Intervention Primary exposure to prophylactic azithromycin (1 g orally) once at baseline. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was the effect of azithromycin on the vaginal microbiome compared with a no-azithromycin group at 3 time points throughout the IVF cycle (baseline, retrieval, and embryo transfer). The secondary outcomes were associations of vaginal bacterial communities with clinical outcomes. Results A planned a priori exploratory cohort of 27 subjects (12 in the azithromycin treatment group and 15 in the no-azithromycin group) contributed 79 vaginal swabs for the analysis as part of an ongoing randomized, controlled noninferiority trial. No specific taxa were associated with azithromycin or pregnancy at any time point. Azithromycin did not affect alpha diversity or community stability. Although there were trends of a lower bacterial load and higher percentage of Lactobacillus species in the azithromycin group at the time of transfer, these were not statistically significant. In women who did not become pregnant, the percentage of Lactobacillus species was lower (P = .048; Hodges-Lehmann estimate of difference, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.65) and the change in community composition over time was higher. The percentage of Lactobacillus species at baseline was not predictive of the percentage of Lactobacillus species at the time of embryo transfer. Conclusions Prophylactic azithromycin at baseline is not associated with changes in vaginal bacterial communities. Bacterial community features at the time of embryo transfer are associated with pregnancy. Bacterial community structures at baseline are not predictive of those at the time of embryo transfer. Clinical Trial Registration Number NCT03386227.
Why the 2020 U.S.-China Trade Agreement Needs Anti-Corruption Provisions for the Protection of Intellectual Property

The United States has created the ultimate enforcement weapon for its intellectual property (IP) rights in Phase I of the 2020 U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement (USCTA). Under the USCTA, the United States has a unilateral right to declare China in breach of the treaty and to impose trade sanctions. The USCTA forbids China from retaliating. China’s only recourse is to withdraw from the USCTA. If China withdraws, however, the United States could reinstate the punitive tariffs that were suspended by the USCTA. As a result, China will be subject to tariffs no matter what it decides, either under the USCTA or due to withdrawal from the USCTA. China has been trapped into a no-win situation. As a matter of legal procedure, the USCTA is innovative and path-breaking; it is also clever and ruthless. As a matter of substantive law, however, the USCTA fails to address problems that have long plagued multinational companies (MNCs) in China. These are problems of pervasive corruption by government and business entities that create barriers to effective on the ground enforcement of IP rights, which is essential to day-to-day operations of MNCs. These problems are especially serious in three areas: demands for payments by PRC authorities in the enforcement of trade secrets, the use of ex parte contacts to influence the results of civil IP litigation, and the use of business bribes in e-commerce platforms that have contributed to an explosion in online sales of counterfeit products. Fortunately, the United States still has an opportunity to address these issues during the current negotiations on the second phase of the USCTA. This article will offer concrete suggestions on how to draft new provisions to address these major substantive problems that have long plagued MNCs in China.
Paninvasion severity assessment of a US grape pest to disrupt the global wine market

Economic impacts from plant pests are often felt at the regional scale, yet some impacts expand to the global scale through the alignment of a pest9s invasion potentials. Such globally invasive species (i.e., paninvasives) are like the human pathogens that cause pandemics; and like pandemics, assessing paninvasion risk for an emerging regional pest is key for stakeholders to take early actions that avoid market disruption. Here, we develop the paninvasion severity assessment framework and use it to assess a rapidly spreading regional US grape pest, the spotted lanternfly planthopper (Lycorma delicatula; SLF), to spread and disrupt the global wine market. We found that SLF invasion potentials are aligned globally because important viticultural regions with suitable environments for SLF establishment also heavily trade with invaded US states. If the US acts as an invasive bridgehead, Italy, France, Spain, and other important wine exporters are likely to experience the next SLF introductions. Risk to the global wine market is high unless stakeholders work to reduce SLF invasion potentials in the US and globally.
From micro to macro: Aggregate accruals, mergers, and returns. A discussion of Heater, Nallareddy and Venkatachalam (2021)

Abstract Heater, Nallareddy, and Venkatachalam (2021), hereafter HNV, find that aggregate merger and acquisition (M&A) activity explains the ability of aggregate accruals to predict market-wide returns. In this discussion, we delineate HNV's contribution to accounting literature and provide a review of the emerging stream of micro-to-macro accounting research. We also discuss HNV's findings in relation to research beyond accounting, including the literature on aggregate return prediction and mergers and acquisitions. Our discussion draws parallels between HNV's results and prior empirical evidence pertaining to aggregate investment and merger waves and identifies several puzzling inconsistencies. These inconsistencies highlight the lack of a clearly specified mechanism behind the return-predictive ability of aggregate M&A accruals. Finally, we point out the challenges posed by the small sample size and noisy measures of M&A accruals that may affect HNV's inferences. We conclude by suggesting several directions for future research.
Social, cultural and spatial imaginaries in rural tourism transitions

Abstract In the social sciences, the topic of imaginaries refers to socially constructed, taken-for-granted meanings about events, places, and people. Imaginaries are created symbolically and rhetorically, through claims about self, others, and places; they help people make sense of individual and shared experiences. This study explores how residents of a rural community discursively construct imaginaries to address tourism-related transitions. Telephone interviews were conducted with three types of residents (leaders, permanent residents, and second homeowners) in Burke, Vermont (USA). Results show that interviewees conceptualized imaginaries in quite different ways. Community leaders discussed imaginaries within discourses of growth, permanent residents discussed imaginaries within discourses of history, and second homeowners discussed imaginaries within discourses of utopia. These results are contextualized within two institutional discourses of local community tourism planning. Three theoretical propositions about imaginaries and tourism-based rural community development are suggested. This research expands traditional empirical approaches to evaluating rural tourism development processes by suggesting that imaginaries are implicit but important aspects of decisions about social change.
What to Do with Toxic, Contaminated Cellulose-based Adsorbents

This editorial considers the end fates of toxic materials, such as heavy metals, dyes, and synthetic organic compounds, which can be recovered from polluted water by using bio-based adsorbents. The point of the editorial is that insufficient research attention has been paid to the final fate of such contaminants. By contrast, much is known regarding factors affecting the adsorption capacities and rates of adsorption onto cellulose-based materials. Highly contaminated solutions are produced during the regeneration of biosorbent materials. Eutectic freeze crystallization potentially could be used to isolate relative pure compounds of heavy metals from such solutions. Alternatively, biochar can be prepared from cellulosic material in such a way as to achieve strong attachment to certain pollutants. Such biochar, after its use as an adsorbent, could be placed in the ground, where it can be expected to remain stable as sequestered carbon. A high ion exchange capacity of such biochar has potential to reduce the rates of leaching, which could otherwise lead to contamination of groundwater near to landfill sites. As shown by these examples, some promising answers to the final fate of contaminants may conform to a “circular economy” model, whereas other promising answers may conform to a “cradle-to-grave” viewpoint.
Strategic Types and Growth Strategies Used by Public Accounting Firms

ABSTRACT Results of a survey of accounting firms suggests that market penetration is the preferred strategy among accounting firms followed by market development, service development and diversification. Using the Miles and Snow typology, prospectors were most aggressive in their preference for any strategy, followed by analyzers, defenders and reactors. Most small accounting firms were self typed as defenders or reactors suggesting their use of marketing concepts and strategies is limited.
How closely does the care of asthmatic children at an inner city family medicine practice match the 1997 national asthma education and prevention (NAEPP) guidelines?: Perception and reality

Abstract Rationale Evidence exists that the 1997 NAEPP Guidelines have limited effect on decreasing morbidity and increasing quality of life of asthmatic children, perhaps due to lack of adherence to guideline recommendations among providers. We assessed perceptions of and actual adherence to guidelines among primary care providers. Methods Retrospective chart review of 100, randomly selected asthmatic children (222 visits and 2.2/child) ages 5–18, with at least one asthma-coded clinic visit between January 2000 and January 2003. 26 Family Practitioner (72% response rate) faculty and residents were surveyed about their asthma knowledge, attitudes and agreement with the guidelines. Results Sample included 100 primarily 11 year old males (67%), Hispanic (51%), inner-city residents (69%), receiving Medicaid (76%). Chart review revealed documentation of: a) severity for 64% of children, 54% of visits, b) written action plans for 5% of children, c) medication adherence in 22% of visits, d) f/u visit in 54% of visits, e) allergy testing for 19% of persistent asthmatics, f) prior year influenza for 37% of children, g) inhaled steroid therapy for 88% of charts of children. Survey revealed 31% of practitioners never heard of the Guidelines, 73% were confident they followed Guidelines and most generally supported Guideline asthma care principles. Attendings (A) and residents (R) differed in their opinions about the guidelines regarding usefulness (97% A, 60% R, p=0.02). Conclusions There is a gap between practitioners' perceptions of guideline adherence and their actual practice patterns. Closing the gap between perception and reality may improve the quality of pediatric asthma care.
On the Attitude Stabilization of a Rigid Spacecraft Using Two Control Torques

The attitude stabilization problem of a rigid spacecraft using only two control torques is considered. The control torques are assumed to be generated by either gas jet actuators or momentum wheel actuators. In particular, we focus on the development of a control strategy for the following two problems which have not been considered elsewhere: the attitude stabilization of an axially symmetric spacecraft using control torques supplied by two pairs of gas jet actuators about axes spanning a two dimensional plane orthogonal to the axis of symmetry; the attitude stabilization of a spacecraft using control torques supplied by two momentum wheel actuators about axes spanning a two dimensional plane orthogonal to a principal axis. The complete dynamics of the spacecraft system fails to be controllable or even accessible in these cases. However, the spacecraft dynamics are strongly accessible and small time locally controllable in a restricted sease; but the restricted spacecraft dynamics cannot be asymptotically stabilized using any smooth C1 feedback. A nonsmooth feedback control strategy is developed for the restricted spacecraft dynamics which achieves an arbitrary reorientation of the spacecraft.
Internalizing the Tolerant, Kind, Confused, and Stubborn Therapist and Insight

Abstract Insight creates change. It is not accurate empathy, but the therapist's attempt at empathy (whether or not successful) that produces change in patients. It is absolutely necessary for a competent therapist to tolerate being confused. Patients internalize the therapist into their superegos, replacing the internalized, punitive parents. They also internalize the therapist as a model for the ego and the relationship with the therapist as a model of a human relationship. Consequently, the therapist must be tolerant and kind, must create hope, and be stubborn in not accepting therapeutic failure.
Prolongation of intestinal transit and expansion of bile acid pools by propantheline bromide

Abstract Because of alterations in bile acid metabolism known to accompany surgical vagotomy, we assessed the effect of medical cholinergic blockade on bile acid metabolism. Five normal volunteers were studied by standard isotope dilution techniques in a control period and again after 2–3 wk of propantheline bromide (Pro-Banthine) 15 mg four times each day. Cholinergic blockade increased the mean cholic acid pool from 1230 μmol to 1860 μmol (P −1 in the control period and 0.451 day −1 during Pro-Banthine (P −1 and in the Pro-Banthine period was 0.278 day −1 (P −1 to 0.020 min −1 during Pro-Banthine, but this change was not statistically significant. Gallbladder bile lipid composition was not appreciably affected by Pro-Banthine administration.
Improving Treatment Engagement in Opioid-Dependent Outpatients with a Motivated Stepped-Care Adaptive Treatment Model

Article-at-a-Glance Background Substance abuse treatment programs that provide long term care that includes methadone routinely treat patients with both the chronic and severe form of opioid dependence disorder. In the early 1990s the Addiction Treatment Services clinic at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center began experiencing a growing problem with poor counseling attendance and high rates of continuing opioid and other drug use, primarily cocaine. Methods A comprehensive and adaptive treatment model was developed that adjusts the amount of individual counseling and group therapy, medication dose, and overall monitoring, and integrates them with clinic-based behavioral reinforcement procedures to increase patients' attendance. This model of care (Motivated Stepped Care [MSC]), an adaptive stepped-care treatment approach, was implemented in 1995. Results The MSC model has demonstrated large improvements in counseling attendance and rates of urine specimens testing negative for drug use. Additional work has extended the model's evaluation to other common problems—continuing unemployment and limited access to and participation in drug-free social support. Conclusion The MSC adaptive treatment model is a viable and effective alternative to standard treatment approaches. It is integrated with performance improvement monitoring to inform and adjust the amount of services necessary to achieve and sustain good clinical response to treatment during months and years of care.
New Worlds of Errors and Expectations: Basic Writers and Digital Assumptions.

This article examines the challenges of teaching basic writing today as students come to the classroom with the basic fluency of digital natives but have the same need for learning writing and critical thinking skills that has traditionally marked basic writers. While most basic writers are adept at accessing information digitally, they are not as proficient when it comes to producing digital information, nor are they able to code switch between informal cyber-situations and the expectations of academic and professional cyber-literacy. They also need to deepen their understanding of the role writing can play in developing digital texts. This article addresses how ePortfolios, blogs, and Web 2.0 tools included in basic writing classes at LaGuardia Community College help students to become effective users of digital media and learn how to write for a multimodal environment.
Scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) parametric optimization using Taguchi design of experiments

Traditional SIFT methods require a priori of object knowledge in order to complete accurate feature matching. The usual means is via trained databases of objects. In order to be able to get the pose of an object, accurate object recognition is required. Without accurate object recognition, detection can occur but no information about 3-D location will be available. The goal of this work is to improve object recognition using SIFT by optimizing algorithm parameters with respect to the mean angle between matched points (µAMP) found within a scene via multiple images, which can then be used to determine the object pose. Good parameters are needed so that the SIFT algorithm is able to control which matches are accepted and rejected. If keypoint information about an object is wrongly accepted, pose estimation is inaccurate and manipulation capabilities in a 3-D work space will be inaccurate. Using optimized SIFT parameter values results in a 19% improvement of µAMP-Optimal in comparison to µAMP-Experimental.
Suppression of tumorigenicity of a human lung carcinoma line by nontumorigenic bronchial epithelial cells in somatic cell hybrids.

Hybrid cell lines between HuT292-DM, a human lung carcinoma line resistant to 6-thioguanine and ouabain, and either normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) or an SV40 “immortalized” but nontumorigenic derivative thereof (BEAS-2B), have been isolated by double selection. Hybrids of NHBE and HuT292-DM cells senesced after 40–43 population doublings in culture. In contrast, hybrids of BEAS-2B and HuT292-DM showed no sign of a culture “crisis” and have an indefinite life span. HuT292-DM cells produced tumors in 100% of athymic nude mice with a mean latency of 27 days, whereas tumorigenicity was totally suppressed in 76% of the BEAS-2B × HuT292-DM hybrids, with a 2- to 3-fold increased tumor latency in the remaining 24% of these hybrids. While the hybrids are hypotriploid to hypotetraploid, the parental lines are hypodiploid. The growth of HuT292-DM cells is stimulated, whereas NHBE and BEAS-2B cells are inhibited by serum. The growth response of the BEAS-2B × HuT292-DM hybrids to serum is similar to that of HuT292-DM cells. Thus, tumorigenicity and culture longevity are dominantly controlled by the nontumorigenic parent (NHBE or BEAS-2B). On the other hand, serum responsiveness is more similar to that of the tumorigenic parent (HuT292-DM).
Infancia y televisión : el papel de los reguladores independientes

La proteccion de los menores constituye uno de los limites a las libertades de expresion y de informacion presentes en nuestro ordenamiento juridico. Dicha proteccion se concreta en forma de normas relativas a la emision de determinados tipos de contenidos audiovisuales que puedan afectar de manera negativa a los menores. En la mayor parte de los paises de nuestro entorno, el control del cumplimiento de estas normas ha sido encomendado a entidades reguladoras independientes. El articulo describe y analiza el ejercicio de esta funcion de control por parte de Ofcom, Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel y Consell de l’Audiovisual de Catalunya.
FGF2 gene activated matrices promote proliferation of bone marrow stromal cells

Background In this study, we report on the results from the development and early in vitro testing of a gene activated matrix encoding basic human fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs).
Political Violence in Colombia: Dirty Wars Since 1977

Infamous for its political violence, Colombia has weathered a distinctive period of turmoil from roughly 1977 to 2005. This wave of political violence, defined by guerrilla and paramilitary strife, is already being studied by a range of interdisciplinary scholars and non-academics, especially within Colombia. Their work provides a welcoming base for an increased engagement by historians. This article introduces the topic of political violence in Colombia in the late 20th century, along with the broad nature of publications already in place, while providing a narrative framework that makes the topic accessible to undergraduate students and relative newcomers.
Evaluating Government Technology Transfer: Early Impacts of the “Cooperative Technology Paradigm”

The national laboratories are a reservoir of scientific and technological talent that can help America to compete in international markets.… Spurred in the past decade by new legislation and enlightened policies, the national laboratories have greatly expanded efforts to transfer federally-funded inventions and technology to private industry. Alan Schriesheim (Director, Argonne National Laboratory), “Toward a Golden Age for Technology Transfer,” Issues in Science and Technology, Winter, 1990–91, p. 52. Although Congress adopted several laws in the 1980s to encourage the commercialization of federal laboratory technology and to promote technology transfer from the federal laboratories to the private sector, collaboration between laboratories and industrial firms has been modest at best. Erich Bloch, Toward A U.S. Technology Strategy, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, February, 1991, p. 22.
Leader behavior, situational moderators, and group performance: An attributional analysis.

Abstract This paper proposes that many of the findings currently reported in the leadership literature are confounded by an attributional process. While much leadership research assumes that the elements associated with higher scores on leader behavior and/or situational dimensions lead to better group performance, the present paper argues that the causality may actually be reversed. Specifically, it was hypothesized that perceptions of good group performance could lead to higher ratings on leader behavior and situational measures than would perceptions of poor group performance. Three studies were conducted in which subjects were led to believe that a group either performed well or poorly, and then were asked to rate the leader on The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire ( Stogdill, 1963 ) and some situational variables (Situational Favorableness as assessed by Fiedler, 1967 ). Substantial support for the hypothesis was found for the situational factors while the leader behavior results were mixed but generally supportive. The implications of these findings for leadership research are discussed.
6.6.2 Determining the right solution using SysML and model based systems engineering (MBSE) for trade studies

With the recent widespread adoption of the Object Management Group (OMG) Systems Modeling Language (SysML) by the systems engineering community to properly capture system requirements, functional and architectural design, and detailed interfaces and design characteristics, it is a natural next step to apply SysML with proven trade study techniques to leverage a robust approach through which to explore the design space and ensure coverage of nonfunctional and performance requirements. This paper not only shows this robust technique with Model Driven Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML, but it also provides a methodology that enables users to properly explore the design space with execution analysis—all from within the design model, something that was often missing from previous techniques around trade study analysis. Having access to the proposed design solutions and being able to perform trade-off analysis from within an engineering model has numerous benefits, which this paper discusses.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Induce VHL and Ubiquitin-Independent Proteasomal Degradation of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α

Adaptation to hypoxic microenvironment is critical for tumor survival and metastatic spread. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays a key role in this adaptation by stimulating the production of proangiogenic factors and inducing enzymes necessary for anaerobic metabolism. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) produce a marked inhibition of HIF-1α expression and are currently in clinical trials partly based on their potent antiangiogenic effects. Although it has been postulated that HDACIs affect HIF-1α expression by enhancing its interactions with VHL (von Hippel Lindau), thus promoting its ubiquitination and degradation, the actual mechanisms by which HDACIs decrease HIF-1α levels are not clear. Here, we present data indicating that HDACIs induce the proteasomal degradation of HIF-1α by a mechanism that is independent of VHL and p53 and does not require the ubiquitin system. This degradation pathway involves the enhanced interaction of HIF-1α with HSP70 and is secondary to a disruption of the HSP70/HSP90 axis function that appears mediated by the activity of HDAC-6.
Patterns of Adherence to Oral Hypoglycemic Agents and Glucose Control among Primary Care Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Researchers sought to examine whether there are patterns of oral hypoglycemic-agent adherence among primary-care patients with type 2 diabetes that are related to patient characteristics and clinical outcomes. Longitudinal analysis via growth curve mixture modeling was carried out to classify 180 patients who participated in an adherence intervention according to patterns of adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents across 12 weeks. Three patterns of change in adherence were identified: adherent, increasing adherence, and nonadherent. Global cognition and intervention condition were associated with pattern of change in adherence (p < .05). Patients with an increasing adherence pattern were more likely to have an Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) < 7%; adjusted odds ratio = 14.52, 95% CI (2.54, 82.99) at 12 weeks, in comparison with patients with the nonadherent pattern. Identification of patients with type 2 diabetes at risk of nonadherence is important for clinical prognosis and the development and delivery of interventions.
Conditions for mutagenesis by N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and relationships of A. tumefaciens mutants to crown-gall tumor induction

Abstract Optimum mutagenesis of Agrobacterium tumefaciens by N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine occurred at pH 6.5 using 250 μg/ml of the mutagen for 3 h at 30°. Antibiotic-resistant mutants and amino acid auxotrophs were selected and scored for crown-gall tumor-inducing ability on Helianthus annuus (sunflower). Mutants resistant to neomycin, kanamycin or rifampicin were not directly affected in their tumor-inducing ability. Mutants that were resistant to neomycin were also resistant to kanamycin and vice versa . Various amino acid auxotrophs varied in virulence. Some of the auxotrophs that required histidine, leucine or tryptophan had simultaneously lost their virulence. The alteration of virulence of the organism is not dependent on its growth since the avirulent auxotrophs when supplemented with the amino acid requirement grew in vivo almost as well as the prototrophic strains and yet remained avirulent.
Variation in the anthropometric dimensions for estimating upper and lower body obesity.

A literature review identified 29 anthropometric methods to estimate body fat distribution, but no valid standardized set of criterion values to categorize upper and lower body obesity. The purpose of this investigation was to observe the influence of different anthropometric methods for categorizing upper and lower body obesity. Three common girth methods (waist:iliac crest, iliac crest: hip, and waist:hip) for waist to hip ratios (WHR) and one common skinfold method for trunk to extremity ratio were compared in 119 obese women (38.4 ± 5.3% fat) and 81 obese men (31.3 ± 5.2% fat). Significant differences were found in the WHR among all three girth methods for women, but for only the waist:hip method for men. A significant interaction between method and sex was also apparent. The different WHR methods resulted in a significantly different percentages of the population categorized as having lower, normal, and upper body obesity. Kappa statistics demonstrated significant agreement among the three methods to place subjects into similar fat distribution categories for men (κ = 0.133; z = 4.03), but not for women (κ = 0.059; z = 2.20). There was also no significant correlation between any of the circumference and skinfold methods for men (r = 0.20, 0.10 and 0.15, respectively); yet, significant correlations were found between the iliac crest:hip (r = 0.30) and waist:hip (r = 0.45) methods and the skinfold method for women. In summary, girth methods for estimating body fat distribution in terms of lower and upper body obesity need validation and standardization. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Damage mechanisms and failure modes in cross-ply laminates under monotonic tensile loading: The influence of fiber sizing

In this study, the effect of fiber-matrix interphase on the damage modes and failure mechanisms in (0, 903), cross-ply graphite-toughened epoxy laminates is investigated. Two material systems (designated as 810 A and 810 O) with the same fiber and same matrix, but with different fiber sizings, were used to study the effect of the interphase. The system designated as 810 A contained an unreacted Bisphenol-A (epoxy) sizing, while a thermoplastic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) sizing was used in the 810 O system. Damage accumulation in the cross-ply laminates under monotonic tensile loading was monitored using edge replication, x-ray radiography, acoustic emission, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that the fiber-matrix bond strength is lower in the 810 O system compared to the 810 A system. Transverse matrix cracking initiates at a significantly lower stress level in the 810 O laminate. The 810 O laminates also exhibit longitudinal splitting, while the stronger bonding suppress this damage mode in the 810 A laminates. Numerous local delamination occur on the 0/90 interface at the intersection of 0 and 90 degree ply cracks, in the 810 O laminates. These are absent in the 810 A laminates. The failure modes are also different in the two material systems used in this study. The 810 A laminate exhibits a brittle failure, controlled by the local stress concentration effects near broken fibers. In the 810 O laminates, the presence of longitudinal splits result in the reduction of stress concentration effects near fibe fractures. This results in a global strain controlled failure in the 810 O system. It is concluded that the presence of different fiber sizings result in different damage modes and failure mechanisms in the cross-ply laminates used in this study.
Commentary on “Seven Institutionalized Children and Their Adaptation in Late Adulthood: The Children of Duplessis”: Les Enfants de Duplessis: Perspectives on Trauma and Resiliency

J.C. Perry and his colleagues have previously published reports of a systematic study of 81 adults (41 women and 40 men), a small sampling of the thousands of children reportedly raised in Quebec institutions from birth under the auspices of the Catholic Church. As adults, they had been contacted and interviewed using structured and semi-structured instruments to explicate the spectrum of traumatic exposures, attachments, childhood strengths, social and occupational functioning, psychiatric symptoms, and the pattern of defense mechanisms. These studies provided evidence that these individuals had been exposed to severe and continuing childhood trauma including excessive punishment, neglect, the witnessing of violence, and emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. They reportedly exhibited “moderate difficulties” in social and occupational functioning, higher levels of psychiatric symptomatology, self-reported illnesses, somatic symptoms, and neurotic inhibitions relative to controls. The authors selected seven of these adults for further analysis, and their personal case histories are provided to illustrate their life experiences. It’s not clear how they selected their seven, but they did so, and they provide the empirical data derived from the larger systematic study. Unfortunately, the personal data is sparse, and there is an absence of nuance and knowledge of the individual’s inner life and thus we are left to infer from superficial data. We are told that Justine and Leonard had few childhood strengths and little if any attachment figures. Justine as a young girl was without early attachment figures and had a damaged sense of self efficacy. She was told that she was “stupid” and “mentally retarded." She used her sensual–sexual feelings (warm urine, physical abuse, repeated sexual abuse by a janitor) as a way of experiencing some sense of relatedness, suggestive of a masochistic self-object phenomenon. Justine refers to the physical abuse as “it’s so stupid, being hit so much, I had no choice but to like it." She yearns for something beyond the self and imagines being killed by her son and living with her son, in heaven. We don’t know if the son is real or fantasy. Leonard also had few early attachments, and his personal narrative is presented as an individual experiencing profound social isolation, yearning for relatededness, but impoverished in his ability Psychiatry 69(4) Winter 2006 328
Reciprocal stimulation between TNF-α and nitric oxide may exacerbate CNS inflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Nitric oxide (NO) and TNF-alpha are both highly active pleotypic modulators of cell function that are abundantly generated during inflammation. Experiments in animal systems have linked the generation of NO and TNF-alpha to autoimmune pathogenesis, and blockade of either NO or TNF-alpha has been shown to impede disease development. In this study, we show that NO and TNF-alpha can act mutually to stimulate each other's production. While IFN-gamma alone induces NO release from microglia, astrocytes are provoked into significant NO production only by a combination of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. Since both TNF-alpha and NO are abundantly generated during T-glial cell interaction, we asked whether and how NO affects TNF-alpha production. Using an in vitro system in which TNF-alpha secretion is induced in MBP-reactive T cells by co-culture with syngeneic astrocytes, we observed that the efficiency of TNF-alpha secretion was markedly increased, in a dose-dependent fashion, by addition of micromolar concentrations of a chemical generator of NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Similarly, low concentrations of SNP significantly enhanced the IL-2 dependent growth of MBP-reactive T cells. These results suggest that autoimmune pathogenesis initiated by inflammatory responses within the CNS may result in part from a vicious cycle in which TNF-alpha and NO mutually provoke each other's production.
Relations between 2-dimensional echocardiographic wall thickening abnormalities, myocardial infarct size and coronary risk area in normal and hypertrophied myocardium in dogs.

Abstract Systolic wall thickening abnormalities are sensitive indicators of ischemia and infarction. One purpose of this investigation was to assess the relation between coronary risk area, infarct size and wall thickening abnormalities (dyskinesia) using 2-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) in a closed-chest conscious dog model of acute myocardial infarction. The second purpose was to study the effects of systemic hypertension (SH) and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy on these relations. Our hypothesis was that the infarct size and the extent of 2D echocardiographic dyskinesia would be quantitatively different in SH-LV hypertrophy, a condition in which coronary vascular reserve is diminished. Permanent circumflex coronary occlusion was performed in 15 conscious normal dogs and in 14 dogs with LV hypertrophy secondary to renal hypertension. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were obtained before, 20 minutes after and 2 days after coronary occlusion. The systolic wall thickening along 12 equidistant radii was analyzed in short-axis images. Percent dyskinesia on 2-D echo was defined as the percentage of radii showing systolic thinning. Infarct size was determined pathologically and risk area was determined angiographically. For a given risk area, coronary occlusion resulted in a larger infarction in dogs with SH-LV hypertrophy than in normal dogs (p
Sedimentation in the Albemarle—Pamlico lagoonal system: synthesis and hypotheses

Abstract Relative to its size and in terms of its sedimentary processes, the Albemarle-Pamlico Lagoonal system is one of the least studied coastal lagoons in the United States. A synthesis of the current knowledge about sedimentation in the Albemarle-Pamlico system is presented, based on archived data published over the last 30 years and new, unpublished data, collected over the past two years. The literature reflects considerable past research effort on sediment grain size and mineralogy, but very little on sediment dynamics or flux of suspended particulate material. The physiographic complexity of the system, which includes barrier islands, a deep central basin, four river systems and extensive fringing embayments, does not appear to be reflected in the form of sedimentologic complexity. In general, the surficial cover of sediments ranges from medium sands in the inlets and on the shoals of the Outer Banks to fine silts and organic-rich clays in the central basin and embayed river mouths and channels. The transition zones from sands to muds are typically sharp and are usually related to bathymetry. It is concluded that (1) parts of the Albemarle-Pamlico lagoonal system may have high sedimentation rates relative to rates of sediment input and that rapid vertical flux by large aggregates offers an explanation for the fluid-mud deposits that would otherwise be absent, (2) fine-grained sediments that escape the estuarine sediment “trap” are confined to Pamlico Sound by the Outer Banks barrier islands and are simply recycled until finally coming to rest in the deep basin, (3) short-term advective processes are secondary to longer term processes (such as sea-level rise and barrier island migration) in the net advection of Albemarle-Pamlico sediments, and (4) at the present rate of terrigenous sediment input and relative sea-level rise, the Albemarle-Pamlico lagoonal system will never reach a sediment-filled state.
A passionate kiss, then run: exocytosis and recycling of IgG by FcRn

The MHC-class-I-like Fcgamma receptor FcRn recycles immunoglobulin (Ig)G from most cells and transports it bi-directionally across epithelial barriers to affect systemic and mucosal immunity. Recent studies have shown that FcRn rescues IgG from intracellular lysosomal degradation by recycling it from the sorting endosome to the cell surface. Most recycling vesicles fuse completely with the plasma membrane in a classical pattern of exocytosis. Similar to the process seen for neurotransmitter release at synaptic junctions, other vesicles fuse only partially, releasing FcRn-IgG complexes to mix into the plasma membrane in cycles of 3-4s over prolonged periods of time.
“Illegal,” “Undocumented,” or “Unauthorized”: Equivalency Frames, Issue Frames, and Public Opinion on Immigration

Immigration has been a salient and contentious topic in the United States, with a great deal of congressional debate, advocacy efforts, and media coverage. Among conservative and liberal groups, there is a vigorous debate over the terms used to describe this population, such as “undocumented” or “illegal,” as both sides perceive significant consequences to public opinion that flow out of this choice in equivalency frames. These same groups also compete over the ways in which immigration policies are framed. Here, for the first time, we examine the use of both types of frames (of immigrants themselves, and the policies affecting them) in media coverage. Importantly, we also test for whether these various frames affect preferences on three different policies of legalization. Our results suggest that efforts to focus on the terms used to describe immigrants have limited effect, and that efforts to frame policy offer greater promise in swaying public opinion on immigration.
TERT-AMYL COMPOUNDS OF ALUMINUM AND GALLIUM : HALIDES, HYDROXIDES, AND CHALCOGENIDES

The reaction of AlCl3 with 3 equiv of the tert-amyl Grignard reagent (Me2EtC)MgCl yields the monomeric trialkyl compound Al(CMe2Et)3 (1). Reaction of compound 1 with MeCN and [PPN]Cl yields the Lewis acid−base complexes Al(CMe2Et)3(MeCN) (2) and [PPN][AlCl(CMe2Et)3] (3), respectively. The hydrolysis of Al(CMe2Et)3 in hexane results in the formation of the trimeric hydroxide [(Me2EtC)2Al(μ-OH)]3 (4), which is converted to the dimer [(Me2EtC)2Al(μ-OH)]2 (5) upon heating. The reaction of Al(CMe2Et)3 with H2S at room temperature yields the cubane compound [(Me2EtC)Al(μ3-S)]4 (6). If the reaction is carried out at 0 °C, then the hexamer [(Me2EtC)Al(μ3-S)]6 (7) may be isolated along with compound 6. The selenide analog of 6, [(Me2EtC)Al(μ3-Se)]4 (8), is prepared directly from the reaction of compound 1 with H2Se, while the telluride analog, [(Me2EtC)Al(μ3-Te)]4 (9), is prepared by the direct reaction of compound 1 with tellurium metal. The gallium cubane compounds [(Me2EtC)Ga(μ3-E)]4, (E = S (10), Se (11), Te (...
On the inverse Fermat equation

Abstract In this paper the equation x 1 n + y 1 n = z 1 n is solved in positive integers x, y,z, n. If the nth roots are taken to be positive real numbers, then all solutions are known to be trivial in a certain sense. A very short proof of this is provided. The argument extends to give a complete description of all solutions when other nth roots are allowed. It turns out that up to a suitable equivalence relation there are exactly four nontrivial solutions.
Problem with submicrometer-linewidth standards and a proposed solution

Traceable linewidth measurements of tiny features on photomasks and wafers present interesting challenges. Usually technical solutions exist for the problems encountered, but traceability can be costly in time and labor. A measurement is useful only if its value exceeds its cost. One such problem is that an optical or electron microscope forms a scaled image of the linewidth object, which is measured instead of the object itself. Interpreting this image to identify the object's edges in it can be difficult, because the image depends on instrument and object parameters (such as topography and materials) not directly related to the linewidth. Use of a linewidth standard can provide a traceable measurement if the relevant object parameters are known to match those of the standard. In the majority of cases, however, the object being measured and the linewidth standard will differ in topography and/or materials. Then the instrument images of object and standard will also differ, leading to possible measurement errors. Traceability requires that these measurement errors be quantified--a costly prospect. One can calculate the measurement error resulting from object/standard parameter differences. Then a measurement error tolerance can be chosen, and parameter tolerances can be found corresponding to a parametric measurement uncertainty that is consistent with it. These parameter tolerances define islands of tolerance in parameter space over which the parametric uncertainty will be tolerated. The larger the islands, the greater the measurement uncertainty, but the greater the number of different objects whose parameter differences fall on the island. While the calculations for the islands of tolerance may be complex, a single island can apply to a whole group of different objects, reducing the cost of measuring the parameters and calculating their effects. This is a way to obtain traceable linewidth measurements while balancing measurement cost and measurement uncertainty.
Conspicuous by the their absence: Studies comparing and combining risperidone and applied behavior analysis to reduce challenging behavior in children with autism

Abstract Both risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic drug, and function-based behavior-analytic interventions are popular and empirically validated treatments for reducing challenging behavior in children with autism. The kind of research that supports their effectiveness differs, however, and no published study has directly compared their effects or examined the two in combination. The research methods characteristic of applied behavior analysis may provide a useful basis for comparing the effects of risperidone and behavior-analytic treatments, alone and in combination, and researchers are encouraged to pursue this line of investigation.
High-Yield Selective Placement of Carbon Nanotubes on Pre-Patterned Electrodes

Practical utilization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in nanoscale devices requires their directed placement on a substrate. Controlled placement has been achieved by a combination of the highly selective adsorption of single walled CNTs (SWNTs) onto open regions of amino-functionalized SiO2 in a polymeric resist, followed by liftoff. Careful selection of the surfactant used to suspend the SWNTs as well as other processing parameters allow controlled placement in high yield. This technique may provide a path for the large-scale fabrication of CNT-based devices and circuits.
Relational bonds in industrial exchange: An experimental test of the transaction cost economic framework

Abstract A central issue in manufacturer-supplier relationships revolves around mechanisms that regulate or control exchange processes. An experimental test of a model of relational closeness is provided, representing an extension to the basic transaction cost economics framework. The model draws on relational exchange theory in the treatment of governance. Subjects for the experiment were midlevel purchasing personnel, drawn from aerospace, electronics, and defense contracting firms. Findings demonstrate that transaction costs are influenced by dimensions of the exchange, including asset specificity and external uncertainty.In turn, transaction costs are linked to important dimensions of relationalism. Implications for theory and practice are presented.