cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lymphocyte effector molecules: An in vitro production method for obtaining liter volumes of supernatants from mitogen-stimulated human lymphocytes

An in vitro method has been developed utilizing phytohemagglutinin (PHA) activated lymphocytes obtained from human tonsils and adenoids which permit the accumulation of multi-liter quantities of cell-free supernatants containing lymphotoxin and other lymphocyte effector molecules (LEM). An enriched media is employed which contains a large molecular weight, heat stable bovine serum fraction which supports lymphoid cell activation and levels of LEM secretion equal to that of cultures maintained in medium supplemented with whole serum. Elimination of whole serum from the media greatly reduces overall protein concentrations and facilitates concentration and purification studies. Various technical aspects of these cultures have been examined, i.e.: 1) cell concentration, 2) kinetics of LT production over a ten-day period, 3) mitogen dosage, and 4) types of media. Supernatants can be harvested repeatedly from a single culture over the ten day period, thus doubling the yield of LEM collected from a single culture.
Water-Ethanol-Gasoline Blends—Physical Properties, Power, and Pollution Characteristics

Factors relevant to the utilization of nonanhydrous ethanol as a blending component with gasoline for use in current on-the-road spark ignition engines are investigated. Miscibility limits are determined and key physical properties important for proper engine operation are measured. Dynamometer tests on an unmodified production engine with hydrated ethanol-gasoline blends containing varying percentages of water show potential for increased thermal efficiency and reduced oxides of nitrogen emissions.
Persistent hematuria after induction of remission in Wegener granulomatosis: a therapeutic dilemma.

Abstract Wegener granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic disease that is often associated with an immune-mediated form of glomerulonephritis (GN). Renal disease most often manifests as microscopic hematuria with or without red blood cell or mixed cellular casts, proteinuria, and an elevated serum creatinine concentration. We conducted the current study to determine whether persistent hematuria, in the setting of apparent clinical remission, may reflect glomerular injury and not active renal disease. We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 82 patients with new-onset WG, of whom 25 had GN at presentation. Twenty of 25 patients with GN achieved sustained remissions (>6 consecutive months' duration). During initial periods of active disease the median peak serum creatinine was 1.9 mg/dL (range, 0.6-13.6 mg/dL). The median time to remission was 4 months (range, 2-13 mo). After effective therapy, median creatinine was 1.1 mg/dL (range, 0.4-1.8 mg/dL). Ten of 20 patients had prolonged hematuria over a period of >6 months. Within this subset, 5 subsequently normalized urine over a median period of 11 months and 5 did not achieve normal urine sediment over a median follow-up of 38 months. Thus, 10 of 25 patients with WG and GN had sustained hematuria in spite of apparent prolonged clinical remission. Patients with WG and GN may achieve enduring remissions that allow withdrawal of medications in spite of continued microscopic hematuria with or without red blood cell casts that may persist for months or even years. Continued use of aggressive immunosuppressive therapies in such patients would be ill-advised and could lead to irreversible and even life-threatening side effects from cyclophosphamide or high-dose corticosteroids.
Acoustic properties of cenosphere reinforced cement and asphalt concrete

Abstract A detailed experimental study has been conducted to determine the effect of adding hollow ceramic-micro balloons, also known as cenospheres, on the acoustic properties of cement matrix and asphalt concrete. The motivation for this study was to explore the feasibility of using cenospheres in developing lightweight sound absorbing structural materials. Cement and asphalt concrete specimens with different volume fractions of cenospheres and varying diameter and thickness were tested to determine their acoustic characteristics over the range of frequencies (0–4000 Hz). Experimental results showed that a 40% volume fraction addition of cenospheres to cement matrix increased the Noise Reduction Coefficient by 100%. In contrast to cenosphere rich cement, the sound absorption coefficient of asphalt concrete decreased with an increase of cenosphere, volume fraction.
The use of near-infrared photography in the analysis of surface morphology of an argentine alluvial floodplain

Abstract The surface morphology of an alluvial floodplain was examined using near-infrared photographic imagery. Using plant vigor and biomass as principal signatures, features such as abandoned meanders, channel course change, and floodplain terraces could be clearly distinguished. Further, a chronological ordering of the stages of abandonment could be achieved through the recognition of distinctive vegetative patterns. The use of near-infrared imagery provides additional information to field studies of alluvial floodplains. Viewing the site from a distance gives an added perspective to the whole and the pattern of change, both spatial and temporal, can be interpreted through the medium of vegetation. Further, the photograph provides an important tool on which field based mapping can be recorded.
The JPL deep-well mid-infrared array camera

We describe the development of a mid-infrared camera intended for use at the Palomar 5-m telescope and at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. The camera is based on Rockwell’s HF-16 128×128 Si:As BIB array. This array is unusual in that it has a well depth of approximately 30 million electrons; this will allow the use of traditional broadband astronomical filters (N and Q) while keeping a reasonable field-of-view. Measured array performance indicates that it has a read noise of 1100 electrons and shows non-linearities of < 1% up to 65% of full well. In this paper, we discuss the array and its operating characteristics and we give a brief overview of the camera design.
Current Methods for Manipulating Baculoviruses

Recombinant baculoviruses have become popular expression vectors for heterologous proteins. Recently, several novel strategies for manipulating the baculovirus genome have been developed. These include linearizing the viral genome at the point of insertion of the foreign gene to be expressed, reconstituting a replicating baculovirus genome in S. cerevisiae and E. coli, and in vitro enzymatically mediated recombination into the genome. Each of these techniques constitutes a distinct approach to the problem of manipulating this complex DNA molecule, and each has distinct advantages for the various purposes to which the recombinant viruses may be applied.
Radiaxial Calcite in Lower Miocene Strata, Subsurface Enewetak Atoll

ABSTRACT Radiaxial calcite is abundant in Lower Miocene strata, 377-819 m deep on Enewetak Atoll. These radiaxial crystals have equant, bladed, and fibrous morphologies and occur as isopachous crusts 0.05-2.0 mm thick. Radiaxial terminations consist of fibrous subcrystals bundled together into larger acute, obtuse, or rounded shapes. Enewetak radiaxial calcite ranges from clear to very inclusion-rich. Most inclusions are microcavities caused by organic infestations (Videtich 1985). Alternating bands of inclusion-rich and inclusion-poor calcite mimic existing termination patterns. Radiaxial calcites fill intergranular pores, sponge borings, fractures, and aragonite molds. Aragonite has been pervasively dissolved from the Lower Miocene strata containing radiaxial calcite. Banded radiaxial calcit can be traced from intergranular pores into aragonite molds. Radiaxial calcites have a mean magnesium concentration of 3.2 mole % MgCO3 with a range from 1.6 to 11.1 mole % MgCO3. Inclusion-rich bands and more deeply buried radiaxial calcite tend to have lower magnesium concentrations. Enewetak radiaxial calcite has 13C values of +1.3 to +2.5 (PDB) and 18O values of -1.8 to +0.4 (PDB). Petrographic and stable isotopic data are consistent with precipitation of radiaxial calcite in its present form directly from seawater. Precipitation of radiaxial calcite after aragonite dissolution indicates precipitation distinctly after deposition, probably in a burial environment. Dissolution of aragonite by deep marine water is suggested by: 1) abundant marine cement associated with aragonite dissolution; 2) a lack of meteoric cements associated with aragonite dissolution; and 3) no evidence of subaerial exposure in Lower Miocene strata between 400 and 819 m. Modern Pacific Ocean water is undersaturated with respect to aragonite at depths where aragonite dissolution is observed (375-850 m). Tidal fluctuations and temperature profiles indicate that Lower Miocene strata containing radiaxial calcite are in open communication With modern Pacific Ocean water. Therefore, aragonite dissolution and radiaxial cementation are interpreted as having occurred in seawater (undersaturated with respect to aragonite) circulating through the atoll. Variations in magnesium concentration in Enewetak radiaxial calcite may be the result of original heterogeneity or differential loss of magnesium during later diagenesis in seawater. The first alternative is preferred. Precipitation of radiaxial calcite at different rates (at different degrees of saturation) could cause variable magnesium concentrations. More deeply buried radiaxial calcite may have precipitated more slowly in deeper, less supersaturated water, resulting in lower magnesium concentrations. Likewise, slower rates of precipitation may have resultedin organic infestations and lower magnesium concentrations in inclusion-rich bands. Enewetak radiaxial calcites suggest that two factors might be critical to development of radiaxial fabric: 1) precipitation at fluctuati g rates, and 2) formation in waters undersaturated with respect to aragonite.
In vitro neurite extension by granule neurons is dependent upon astroglial-derived fibroblast growth factor

Abstract When grown in the absence of astroglial cells, purified mouse cerebellar granule neurons survive less than 36 hr and do not extend neurites. Here we report that low concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, 1–25 ng/ml) maintained the viability and promoted the differentiation of purified granule neurons. The effect of bFGF on granule cell neurite outgrowth was dose dependent. Neurite outgrowth was stimulated markedly in the presence of 1–25 ng/ml bFGF, but effects were not seen below 1 ng/ml or above 50 ng/ml. When affinity-purified antibodies against bFGF (1–5 μg/ml) were added either to purified granule cells or to co-cultures of neurons and astroglial cells, process extension by granule neurons was severely impaired. The inhibition of neurite outgrowth in the presence of anti-bFGF antibodies was reversed by the addition of 25 ng/ml of exogenous bFGF. In addition to neuronotrophic effects, bFGF influenced the rate of growth of the astroglial cells. This result depended on whether the astroglia were grown in isolation from neurons, where low doses of bFGF (10–25 ng) stimulated glial growth, or in coculture with neurons, where much higher doses of bFGF (100–250 ng/ml) were needed for glial mitogenesis. Immunoprecipitation of lysates from 35S-labeled cerebellar astroglial cells with anti-bFGF antibodies revealed a single band after SDS-PAGE at 18,000 Da, the molecular weight of bFGF. These results indicate that glial cells synthesize bFGF and are possibly an endogenous source of bFGF in cerebellar cultures. Thus, astroglial cells synthesize soluble factors needed for neuronal differentiation.
The Elastic Properties and Plastic Behavior of Two-Dimensional Polymer Structures Fabricated by Laser Interference Lithography**

SU8. The yield strength and elastic properties of microfabricated structures are critical for the reliable performance of these microdevices. Current MEMS design assumes the preservation of the mechanical properties of materials within the microscopic parts of MEMS structures, with the elastic modulus remaining close to that measured for the bulk state. [10] How
Measuring Communication Apprehension.

A scale with face validity for measuring oral communication apprehension in the organizational setting was generated and found to have adequate internal reliability, concurrent validity with the PRCA, and predictive validity in the organizational environment.
A singular perturbation analysis of antipolarization dialysis at high aspect ratio

Antipolarization dialysis (APD) has previously been proposed (Nitsche, L.C.Q. Appl. Math. 1994, 52, 83-102) as a concept for fractionation that combines countercurrent dialysis with longitudinal polarization of macrosolutes at the downstream end of each flow channel. The paper applies singular perturbation theory to the practically important (but numerically problematical) limit of large aspect ratio, subject only to very general assumptions about the flow field. At leading order, APD is shown to yield the same basic functional form of the membrane selectivity curve as does conventional countercurrent dialysis - but without the requirement of additional clean solvent (dialysate) for selective removal of macrosolutes. Changing the second species-selective parameter, Peclet number, shifts the curve horizontally without changing its shape. This means that the macrosolute-macrosolute selectivity of one membrane could be optimized for different regimes of conductivity simply by adjusting the flow rate. Asymptotic concentration profiles and/or selectivity curves compare favorably with previous numerical results for (1) a simplified plug-flow model (Ibid.) and (2) a more realistic flow field associated with a practical plate-spacer design (Nitsche, L.C.; Zhuge, S. Chem. Eng. Sci. 1995, 50, 2731-2746)
Demographics and Police Involvement: Implications for Student Civil Liberties and Just Leadership

Purpose: A factor largely overlooked amid the press for greater security in schools is the extent to which law enforcement participates in search and seizure and the implications such actions carry for student civil liberties. As case law suggests, police engaged in school searches may be held to the probable cause standard or the more flexible reasonable suspicion standard articulated in New Jersey v. T. L. O. (1985). This article examines the use of law enforcement in schools and whether the probability that student offenses are criminalized increases as a result. Data Collection and Analysis: In this study, researchers report data on 2,270 schools from the School Survey on Crime and Safety made available through the National Center for Education Statistics. Using a factorial ANOVA, researchers use various demographic indicators to measure whether schools ordinarily relying on law enforcement for security report offenses to municipal police to a greater degree than those that do not. Findings: Findings indicate that schools using off-duty law enforcement officers report offenses to the police at a significantly higher rate than those not using off-duty law enforcement officers. While poverty, minority composition, and urbanicity do not interact significantly with offduty police use, the minority composition of the school and the percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch, when examined as main effects, yield statistically significant differences in the mean percentage of offenses reported to the police. These findings suggest the need for schools to develop clearly articulated policies with respect to police intervention, as well as the need for further research into decision making of principals in schools with greater concentrations of student poverty.
Importance of the carrier state as a source of Staphylococcus aureus in wound sepsis

The relationship of pre-operative nasal and skin carriage of Staphylococcus aureus to wound colonization and sepsis was studied in 269 patients. Thirty-seven per cent of 96 carriers developed wound colonization as compared to 16 % among non-carriers (a statistically significant difference). The wound sepsis rates were 17 % and 9 % respectively. The combination of nasal and skin carriage was an important factor, since the sepsis rate among skin carriers (most of whom were nasal carriers as well) was 22%. Among carriers, the homologous strain was recovered from the majority of wound colonizations and from all instances of wound sepsis. A carrier strain also was recovered from 52% of the wounds colonized and from 50% of septic wounds in the entire study group. Profuse nasal carriage resulted in a significantly greater number of septic wounds (31%) than sparse carriage (9%). Wound cultures before closure, and skin from the initial incision site only once yielded a patient's carrier strain or a strain of Staph. aureus that was later recovered from the wound. The results indicate that measures designed to control the carrier state or to isolate the wound from the external environment should reduce wound sepsis by approximately one half.Excellent technical aid was furnished by Eleanor Ford, R. N., Edith E. Silverman, Adrienne Marus, M. S., and Patricia Welch.
Preliminary investigation of the role of previous exposure to potentially traumatizing events in generalized anxiety disorder

Theories of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) highlight the relevance of stressful life events to this disorder's etiology. However, little empirical work has addressed the stressful events that may act as historical contributors to the development or maintenance of GAD. The present study provides an initial exploration of the association between exposure to potentially traumatizing events and GAD. In both analogue and clinical samples, GAD individuals were found to be more likely than nonanxious controls to report exposure to a potentially traumatizing event. These findings are discussed within the context of current theories of worry and GAD. Depression and Anxiety 4:134–138, 1996/1997.© 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Impact of augmentative and alternative communication devices on families

A study was conducted in Pennsylvania to determine the impact of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices on families. Clinical experience and anecdotal reports suggest that families are important in achieving positive outcomes in AAC. Clearly, clinicians and educators need to understand how AAC devices affect not only the user but the entire family as well. The purpose of this study was to identify the impact on families and determine implications for intervention. A statewide survey was distributed to over 500 Pennsylvania families whose children had received AAC devices through the long-term equipment acquisition program of the Central Instructional Support Center, formerly known as the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Center of Harrisburg, during the period of 1985 to 1996. Respondents reported the extent of the impact on users and family members from a parent's perspective. A total of 114 or 22% of the families responded to the survey. Families responded to 76 impact statements using...
What we see: inattention and the capture of attention by meaning.

Attention is necessary for the conscious perception of any object. Objects not attended to are not seen. What is it that captures attention when we are engaged in some attention-absorbing task? Earlier research has shown that there are only a very few stimuli which have this power and therefore are reliably detected under these conditions (for example, Mack & Rock, 1998; Moray, 1959). The two most reliable are the observer's own name and a happy face icon which seem to capture attention by virtue of their meaning. Three experiments are described which explore whether these stimuli are detected under conditions, heretofore unexamined, which either cause inattentional blindness or are associated with a perceptual failure associated with the limits of attention. The evidence obtained indicates that these stimuli have a unique capacity to capture and extend the limits of attention under conditions in which this has been deemed highly unlikely.
Lithium alkyl initiated polymerization of butadiene in the presence of cis-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,2-diaminocyclopentane

Abstract The effect on the microstructure of polybutadiene produced by chelating the polymerization active centres with a 1,2- cis tertiary diamine has been determined. In parallel a 13 C NMR study on a one unit active polymer model has been used to deduce the effect on the active centres themselves. In general, the behaviour is similar to that of the more flexible, 1,2 tertiary diamine tetramethylethylenediamine. No advantage was found in maintaining a cis configuration.
DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in silkmoth-wing epidermis after hormone treatment.

Abstract DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity of wing epidermal tissue from the silkmoth, Antheraea polyphemus , has been studied after treatment of pupae with either molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone or 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone. Enzyme activity has been measured both on endogenous template in isolated nuclei and on exogenous template after solubilization and correlated with transcriptional activity measured as the incorporation of [ 3 H]uridine into RNA. Within 4 h of either hormonal regimen, increases in nuclear transcriptional activity for enzymes I and II are observed. Maximal nuclear activity for both enzyme classes was observed at 26 h. Solubilized enzyme activity, on the other hand, increased continuously up to 144 h. The increase in enzyme activity at 26 h and probably earlier, is dependent on both RNA and protein synthesis, indicating that the increase is not a consequence of the activation of inactive molecules, but requires the synthesis of either new enzyme molecules or effector molecules. Application of 20-hydroxyecdysone + juvenile hormone does not significantly affect nuclear RNA polymerase activity, rates of RNA synthesis or even RNA content during the first 26 h. However, JH causes significant diminution in the rise of solubilized activity observed with 20-hydroxyecdysone. This reduction is not a consequence of diminished protein content. Therefore, the number of active RNA polymerase molecules appears not to directly correspond to the rate of RNA synthesis.
State Electoral Institutions and Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, 1920-2000

Expansive and restrictive state electoral institutions have been instrumental in structuring the vote throughout American history. Studies focused on a small number of reforms, years, or states lac...
What is the optimal device for closure of a persistently patent ductus arteriosus

Abstract Transcatheter closure of persistently patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has been performed since the early 1990s. Over the past 15years, there have been significant developments in the devices used to close PDA. The currently available devices in the United States that are or will soon be approved for PDA closure are: embolization coils, Amplatzer Duct Occluders I/II, and the Product For Medicine Nit-Occlud devices. Each device has its strengths and limitations. Three criteria will be used to determine which device is superior to close PDA. Safety, including the occurrence of hemolysis, pulmonary artery and/or aortic obstruction, vascular complications, and frequency of device embolization will be evaluated for each device. Efficacy will be determined at 6month echo follow-up regarding residual shunt. Finally, overall cost will be considered. After evaluating each device on these merits, we will conclude which device, if any, is superior for closure of PDA.
Spectral Dependencies of the Quantum Yield of Photochemical Processes on the Surface of Wide-Band-Gap Metal Oxides. 2. Gas/Solid System Involving Scandia (Sc2O3) Particles

In this article we examine the spectral dependencies of the quantum yields of photoadsorption of such donor molecules as hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide on the surface of Sc2O3 particulates when excited in the spectral absorption region of photogenerated hole color centers. Photobleaching of these color centers with light of different wavelengths shows the complexity of their absorption spectrum consisting of overlapping single bands. The spectral dependencies of quantum yields of photoadsorption of the donor molecules and photodesorption of preadsorbed oxygen is described by (a) a kinetic approach and (b) on the basis of the solved continuity equation (charge-conservation law) upon assuming the existence of several types of hole color centers with corresponding single-absorption bands and different photoionization probabilities (different quantum yields of internal photoeffects). The quantum yields of photoadsorption depend on the efficiency of the photophysical processes implicated in carrier pho...
Defining and measuring career resilience

Various authors have argued that career resilience should be cultivated by individuals pursuing modern day careers as a critical career competency. No study has been reported thus far in the career management literature which offers a comprehensive measuring instrument for the construct. The focal point of this study was therefore the development of an instrument to operationalise the career resilience construct. Based on a review of the literature/ the "Career Resilience Questionnaire" (CRQ) consisting of 60 items was developed and administered to respondents (N=352) in white-collar employment settings. A second-order factor analysis yielded four factors which seemed to be relatively independent. The factors were named "belief in oneself"/ "disregard for traditional sources of career success", "selfreliance" and "receptivity to change". The implications of the findings are discussed. Opsomming Verskeie outeurs het reeds daarop gewys dat loopbaangehardheid as 'n kritiese bevoegdheid ontwikkel behoort te word in die hedendaagse loopbaankonteks. In geen studie in die loopbaanbestuuriiteratuur tot dusver is 'n omvattende instrument vir die meting van die konstruk gerapporteer nie. Die fokus van hierdie studie was dus die ontwikkeling van 'n instrument om die konstruk loopbaangehardheid te operasionaliseer. Na 'n oorsig van die literatuur is die "Career Resilience Questionnaire" (CRQ) bestaande uit 60 items, gekonstrueer en afgeneem op 'n steekproef (N=352) in witboordjie-werksomgewings. 'n Tweedeordefaktorontleding het vier faktore opgelewer wat skynbaar relatief onafhanklike faktore is. Hierdie faktore is "geloof in self", "onderbeklemtoning van tradisionele bronne van loopbaansukses", "selfgenoegsaamheid" en "ontvanklikheid vir verandering". Die implikasies van die bevindinge word bespreek.
Detecting object boundaries using low-, mid-, and high-level information

Object boundary detection is an important task in computer vision. Recent work suggests that this task can be achieved by combining low-, mid-, and high-level cues. But it is unclear how to combine them efficiently. In this paper, we present a learning-based approach which learns cues at different levels and combines them. This learning occurs in three stages. At the first stage, we learn low-level cues for object boundaries and regions. At the second stage, we learn mid-level cues by using the short and long range context of the low-level cues. Both these stages contain object-specific information - about the texture and local geometry of the object - but this information is implicit. In the third stage we use explicit high-level information about the object shape in order to further improve the quality of the object boundaries. The use of the high-level information also enables us to parse the object into different parts. We train and test our approach on two popular datasets - Weizmann horses [3] and ETHZ cows [24] - and obtain encouraging results. Although we have illustrated our approach on horses and cows, we emphasize that it can be directly applied to detect, segment, and parse other types of objects.
Superconducting phase qubit coupled to a nanomechanical resonator: Beyond the rotating-wave approximation

We consider a simple model of a Josephson junction phase qubit coupled to a solid-state nanoelectromechanical resonator. This and many related qubit-resonator models are analogous to an atom in an electromagnetic cavity. When the systems are weakly coupled and nearly resonant, the dynamics is accurately described by the rotating-wave approximation (RWA) or the Jaynes-Cummings model of quantum optics. However, the desire to develop faster quantum-information-processing protocols necessitates approximate, yet analytic descriptions that are valid for more strongly coupled qubit-resonator systems. Here we present a simple theoretical technique, using a basis of dressed states, to perturbatively account for the leading-order corrections to the RWA. By comparison with exact numerical results, we demonstrate that the method is accurate for moderately strong coupling and provides a useful theoretical tool for describing fast quantum information processing. The method applies to any quantum two-level system linearly coupled to a harmonic oscillator or single-mode boson field.
Survey Article: Recipes for Public Spheres: Eight Institutional Design Choices and Their Consequences*

Hochschild, Sanjeev Khagram, Jane Mansbridge, Nancy Rosenblum, Charles Sabel, Lars Torres, participants in the Democracy Collaborative’s “State of Democratic Practice” conference, and two anonymous reviewers for generous comments on previous drafts of this article. Habermas 1989. Putnam 1993, 2000; Skocpol 1999. Cohen and Rogers 1992; Hirst 1994. Survey Article: Recipes for Public Spheres: Eight Institutional Design Choices and Their Consequences*
Pica in the Geriatric Mentally Ill: Unrelenting and Potentially Fatal:

Pica has rarely been reported in patients with geriatric mental illness. The authors describe 3 male patients with pica in the geriatric unit of a state mental hospital. Two of these patients had a diagnosis of developmental delay with concomitant diagnoses of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, respectively. The third patient was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In all 3 cases, pica started late in life and was unrelenting and unresponsive to psychotropic medications, with limited to no response to behavioral interventions. In the 2 patients who died, pica was implicated as the direct cause of death in 1 and the likely cause of death in the other. When pica occurs in elderly patients with mental illness, the risk of mortality should be taken into account in clinical management.
Ergodic Fading Interference Channels: Sum-Capacity and Separability

The sum-capacity for specific sub-classes of ergodic fading Gaussian two-user interference channels (IFCs) is developed under the assumption of perfect channel state information at all transmitters and receivers. For the sub-classes of uniformly strong (every fading state is strong) and ergodic very strong two-sided IFCs (a mix of strong and weak fading states satisfying specific fading averaged conditions) the optimality of completely decoding the interference, i.e., converting the IFC to a compound multiple access channel (C-MAC), is proved. It is also shown that this capacity-achieving scheme requires encoding and decoding jointly across all fading states. As an achievable scheme and also as a topic of independent interest, the capacity region and the corresponding optimal power policies for an ergodic fading C-MAC are developed. For the sub-class of uniformly weak IFCs (every fading state is weak), genie-aided outer bounds are developed. The bounds are shown to be achieved by treating interference as noise and by separable coding for one-sided fading IFCs. Finally, for the sub-class of one-sided hybrid IFCs (a mix of weak and strong states that do not satisfy ergodic very strong conditions), an achievable scheme involving rate splitting and joint coding across all fading states is developed and is shown to perform at least as well as a separable coding scheme.
The Impact of Mobile Payments on the Success and Growth of Micro-Business: The Case of M-Pesa in Kenya

Micro-business enterprises in the developing world are increasingly deploying the use of mobile payments to enhance the quality of their services and increase growth. The pace of transformation in the micro business sector has speeded up with more micro businesses realizing the potential of using the mobile payments in their service delivery. However, there are only a handful of studies on the application of digital technology for success and growth on micro business. This paper aims to investigate the success factors attributable to the use of mobile payments by micro-business operators. The study is based on a survey conducted through administration of questionnaires. The data was collected from a sample of 409 micro business entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kenya. The study applies the Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which was extended to include other factors to help us predict success and growth in micro-businesses. Analyses of the data reveal that convenience of the money transfer technology plus its accessibility, cost, support and security factors are related to behavioral intention to use and actual usage of the mobile payment services by the micro businesses to enhance their success and growth. Keywords : Mobile payment, M-Pesa, micro business, technology acceptance, business success.
SPENDING, SIZE, AND GRADE SPAN IN K-8 SCHOOLS

Reorganizing primary school grade spans is a tractable and relatively inexpensive school reform. However, assessing the effects of reorganization requires also examiningotherorganizational changesthatmay accompany
Connectionism and rules and representation systems: Are they compatible?

Abstract The introduction of connectionist or parallel distributed processing (PDP) systems to model cognitive functions has raised the question of the possible relations between these models and traditional information processing models which employ rules to manipulate representations. After presenting a brief account of PDP models and two ways in which they are commonly interpreted by those seeking to use them to explain cognitive functions, I present two ways one might relate these models to traditional information processing models and so not totally repudiate the tradition of modelling cognition through systems of rules and representations. The proposal that seems most promising is that PDP‐type structures might provide the underlying framework in which a rule and representation model might be implemented. To show how one might pursue such a strategy, I discuss recent research by Barsalou on the instability of concepts and show how that might be accounted for in a system whose microstructure had a PD...
Prediction of risk for first age-related cardiovascular events in an elderly population: the incremental value of echocardiography ☆

AbstractObjectives: We sought to determine if echocardiography enhances prediction of first age-related cardiovascular events.Background: Whether echocardiographic assessment improves risk stratifi...
On the validity of the global time assumption

Concurrency in distributed systems is usually modeled by a non-deterministic choice, i.e., a concurrent execution that is a partial order on events is equated with the set of total orders obtained from its interleavings. The validity of this interleaving (or global time) assumption is examined. A novel construction for atomic registers is presented; this construction is correct if the proof is based on partial orders, but is incorrect if all possible interleavings are confused with partial orders in the reasoning. >
The Contrasting Effects of Social, Organizational, and Economic Variables on Farm Production:

This article draws on the intellectual traditions of industrial sociology to argue that social organizational variables as well as economic inputs affect production. Using a sample of 683 North Carolina farms, varying in size from 50 acres or fewer to more than 4,500 acres, the study found that the social organization of production and the occupational community of farming significantly affect production, net of the influences of agricultural resources, and the sociodemographic characteristics of the farm operators. Participation in the occupational community and having a production organization that is family based, with relatively high variation across status groups in task performance, have substantial payoff in farm sales. Resources prove to be more important for the productiveness of small farms, whereas social organizational influences are more significant for medium to large farms, suggesting that farms must achieve a minimum scale of operations for social organizational variables to be most effective.
Neighborhood Characteristics and the Social Control of Registered Sex Offenders

This study uses geospatial and regression analyses to examine the relationships among social disorganization, collective efficacy, social control, residence restrictions, spatial autocorrelation, and the neighborhood distribution of registered sex offenders (RSOs) in Chicago. RSOs were concentrated in neighborhoods that had higher levels of social disorganization and lower levels of collective efficacy, offered greater anonymity, and were near other neighborhoods with high concentrations of RSOs. Furthermore, social control mechanisms mediated some of the effects of structural disorganization. The neighborhoods where RSOs were likely to live did not exhibit characteristics that would support the informal social control of such offenders, as RSO legislation assumes.
A historical and contemporary overview of Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences: Immigration, racialization, and liminality ☆

When various contemporary issues of crime, violence, and gangs confronting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are presented, they are often explained from an ahistorical perspective. This leads to a decontextualized understanding of the communities and the challenges they face. The first part of this article will provide a general historical overview of selected AAPI communities that examines salient aspects of immigration and racialization, resulting in generations living a circumscribed life on the margins of mainstream society. The balance of the article will draw on U.S. Census datasets from 1990 to 2000 to capture the size and growth of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and provide population, language, citizenship, education, income, and poverty data to contextualize emerging crime, violence, and gang issues that affect these communities. Data will show commonalities across AAPI communities, but will also reveal information specific to AAPI subgroups, shedding more light on the state of AAPI communities and their diversity.
Allee effects and conspecific cueing jointly lead to conspecific attraction

Conspecific attraction is the preferential settlement into habitat patches with conspecifics. To be a good proximate strategy, fitness gains from settling with conspecifics must outweigh the costs of higher conspecific densities, such as intraspecific competition. Two types of benefits have been proposed to explain conspecific attraction: Allee effects (i.e., positive density dependence) and conspecific cueing (using conspecifics as an indicator of habitat quality). I present empirical evidence for conspecific attraction in the settlement of the porcelain crab, Petrolisthes cinctipes Randall (Anomura: Porcellanidae). Previous work demonstrated that P. cinctipes experiences strong intraspecific competition and that both Allee effects and conspecific cueing are present in P. cinctipes life-history. I developed an empirically-based fitness model of the costs and benefits of settling with conspecifics. Based on this model, I simulated optimal settlement to habitat patches that varied in conspecific density and habitat quality, where the correlation between density and habitat quality determined the level of conspecific cueing. I tested whether Allee effects alone, conspecific cueing alone, or Allee effects and conspecific cueing together could provide an ultimate explanation for the proximate settlement behavior of P. cinctipes. The settlement simulation was consistent with empirical settlement only when Allee effects and conspecific cueing were both included. Three life-history features are critical to this conclusion: (1) fitness is maximized at intermediate density, (2) fitness depends on the decisions of previous settlers, and (3) conspecific density provides good information about habitat quality. The quality of information garnered from conspecifics determines whether conspecific attraction is a good proximate strategy for settlement. I present a graphical illustration demonstrating how Allee effects and conspecific cueing work together to influence fitness, providing a conceptual framework for other systems.
DETECTING A NONEVENT: DELAYED PRESENCE‐VERSUS‐ABSENCE DISCRIMINATION IN PIGEONS

Eight pigeons were trained on a delayed presence-versus-absence discrimination paradigm in which a sample stimulus was presented on some trials but not on others. If a sample was presented, then a response to one choice key produced food. If no sample was presented, a response to the other choice key produced food. The basic finding was that performance remained constant and well above 50% correct on no-sample trials as the retention interval increased, whereas performance dropped precipitously (to below 50% correct) on sample trials. In the second phase of the experiment, all of the trials were no-sample trials, and reinforcers were delivered probabilistically for one group of pigeons and according to time-based schedules for the other group. The exact reinforcement probabilities used in Phase 2 were those calculated to be in effect on no-sample trials in Phase 1 (according to a discrete-state model of performance). Subjects did not show exclusive preference for the richer alternative on no-sample trials in the first phase, but those in the probabilistic group developed near-exclusive preference for the richer alternative during the second phase. These data are inconsistent with the predictions of the discrete-state model, but are easily accommodated by an account based on signal detection theory, which also can be applied effectively to discrimination of event duration and the "subjective shortening" effect.
Low temperature synthesis of ferroelectric Sr2Nb2O7 thin films by rapid thermal annealing

Abstract Ferroelectric Sr2Nb2O7thin films were successfully prepared on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si(100) substrates at temperatures as low as 650°C using a sol-gel method with rapid thermal annealing (RTA). It was found that improvements in film crystallinity and microstructural evolution could be realized by using a RTA process after each coating step. The Sr2Nb2O7films annealed above 650°C exhibited an 0k0 preferred orientation. The dielectric constant, loss value and remanent polarization of thin films annealed at 700°C were 48, 0.01 and 0.5 μ C/cm2, respectively.
Characterization of Cast Metals with Probability Distribution Functions

Characterization of microstructure using a probability distribution function (PDF) provides a means for extracting useful information about material properties. In the extension of classical PDF methods developed in our research, material characteristics are evolved by propagating an initial PDF through time, using growth laws derived from consideration of heat flow and species diffusion, constrained by the Gibbs-Thomson law. A model is described here that allows for nucleation, followed by growth of nominally spherical grains according to a stable or unstable growth law. Results are presented for the final average grain size as a function of cooling rate for various nucleation parameters. In particular we show that the model describes linear variation of final grain size with the inverse cube root of cooling rate. Within a subset of casting parameters, the stable-to-unstable manifests itself as a bimodal distribution of final grain size. Calculations with the model are described for the liquid to epsilon phase transition in a plutonium I weight percent gallium alloy.
Urea transporters are distributed in endothelial cells and mediate inhibition of L-arginine transport.

Our laboratory previously reported that uremic levels of urea inhibitl-arginine (l-Arg) transport into endothelial cells. The present study further investigated this effect. We measuredl-Arg transp...
Androgen-mediated modulation of macrophage function after trauma-hemorrhage: central role of 5α-dihydrotestosterone

Androgens have been implicated as the causative factor for the postinjury immune dysfunction in males; however, it remains unknown whether androgens directly affect macrophages. To study this, male mice were sham operated or subjected to trauma (i.e., midline laparotomy) and hemorrhagic shock (mean arterial pressure, 30 +/- 5 mmHg for 90 min and then resuscitated). The mice received the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA) before resuscitation. Plasma TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 levels were elevated after trauma-hemorrhage and normalized by 4-OHA. TNF-alpha and IL-6 production by splenic macrophages was decreased after injury, whereas Kupffer cell production of these mediators was enhanced. 4-OHA normalized cytokine production. Androgens suppressed cytokine production by splenic macrophages from hemorrhaged mice, whereas it enhanced TNF-alpha and IL-6 production by Kupffer cells. The addition of 4-OHA in vitro normalized cytokine production by cells treated with testosterone, but it had no effect on dihydrotestosterone-treated cells. These results indicate that androgens directly affect macrophage function in males after trauma and hemorrhagic shock and that the intracellular conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone is of particular importance in mediating the androgen-induced effects.
Ionic polymerization of p‐vinylbenzyl methyl ether

Ionic polymerizations of vinylbenzyl methyl ether initiated by either carbanions or Lewis acids has been found to lead to crosslinked polymers. By comparative studies of strong carbanionic bases and Lewis acids with benzyl ethers, it has been possible to define details of mechanisms which in conjunction with cationic or anionic propagation lead to crosslinks. The α-hydrogens of benzyl ethers have been found to be sufficiently acidic to terminate anionic polymerization of styrene and displacement of alkoxide anion from the benzyl ether linkage by nucelophilic polymer anions is proposed as a mechanism leading to branching and eventual crosslinking in anionic polymerization of vinylbenzyl methyl ether. Cationic polymerization of vinylbenzyl methyl ether is quite complex. In addition to propagation, chain transfer, and spontaneous termination of cation chain carriers, there is evidence for complex formation between Lewis acid initiator and the benzyl ether substituent. A slow decomposition of ether–Lewis acid complexes produces benzylcarbonium ions which alkylate aromatic rings of polymer and thereby crosslink the polymer. Benzyl ether has been found to be an effective chain terminator for cationic styrene polymerization.