cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Daily breathing inconsistency in pancreas SBRT: a 4DCT study.

Background: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatments of pancreatic cancer typically employ relatively small margins. This study characterizes the motion of high visibility structures in close proximity to the pancreas to determine how much the motion envelope of such a structure changes due to respiratory variation between fractions. Methods: Fanbeam, four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) studies acquired initially for planning and again prior to each treatment for 6 patients were used to fully characterize the change in motion of high-contrast structures in close proximity to the pancreas. Results: Three of the six patients investigated had structures that showed a change in motion over the course of treatment that would not have been covered when using the typical 3 mm planning target volume (PTV) margins. For most of these large changes in motion envelope, a 4 mm uniform PTV margin would have allowed for coverage of the tumor. Conclusions: Half of the patients showed a change in motion envelope greater than would be covered by the commonly used PTV margins in pancreas SBRT. This shows that the impact of small margins must be very carefully considered during the planning process.
Calcitriol and taxotere suppress bone metastases in PC-3M-luc-C6 prostate cancer mouse model as monitored by bioluminescence imaging

3687 Bone metastasis is the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in prostate cancer.1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol) has significant antiproliferative activity in vitro and in vivo in human prostate cancer cells. Taxotere is indicated as a first-line chemotherapy agent for patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer. We demonstrated that taxotere synergizes with calcitriol in antiproliferative effects as measured by the median dose effect (CI
Impact of model improvements on 80 m wind speeds during the second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2)

Abstract. During the second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2; October 2015–March 2017, held in the Columbia River Gorge and Basin area of eastern Washington and Oregon states), several improvements to the parameterizations used in the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR – 3 km horizontal grid spacing) and the High Resolution Rapid Refresh Nest (HRRRNEST – 750 m horizontal grid spacing) numerical weather prediction (NWP) models were tested during four 6-week reforecast periods (one for each season). For these tests the models were run in control (CNT) and experimental (EXP) configurations, with the EXP configuration including all the improved parameterizations. The impacts of the experimental parameterizations on the forecast of 80 m wind speeds (wind turbine hub height) from the HRRR and HRRRNEST models are assessed, using observations collected by 19 sodars and three profiling lidars for comparison. Improvements due to the experimental physics (EXP vs. CNT runs) and those due to finer horizontal grid spacing (HRRRNEST vs. HRRR) and the combination of the two are compared, using standard bulk statistics such as mean absolute error (MAE) and mean bias error (bias). On average, the HRRR 80 m wind speed MAE is reduced by 3 %–4 % due to the experimental physics. The impact of the finer horizontal grid spacing in the CNT runs also shows a positive improvement of 5 % on MAE, which is particularly large at nighttime and during the morning transition. Lastly, the combined impact of the experimental physics and finer horizontal grid spacing produces larger improvements in the 80 m wind speed MAE, up to 7 %–8 %. The improvements are evaluated as a function of the model's initialization time, forecast horizon, time of the day, season of the year, site elevation, and meteorological phenomena. Causes of model weaknesses are identified. Finally, bias correction methods are applied to the 80 m wind speed model outputs to measure their impact on the improvements due to the removal of the systematic component of the errors.
A METALLOCARBENOID APPROACH TO THE FORMATION OF SPIROCYCLIC AMMONIUM YLIDES LEADING TO THE PREPARATION OF MEDIUM-SIZED AZACANE RINGS

Abstract A novel approach to azacyclooctene and azacyclononene containing substrates has been achieved via the intermediacy of a spirocyclic ammonium ylide derived from the diazodecomposition of a tethered α-diazoester moiety.
Parallel Hybrid Metaheuristics with Distributed Intensification and Diversification for Large-scale Optimization in Big Data Statistical Analysis

Important insights into many data science problems that are traditionally analyzed via statistical models can be obtained by re-formulating and evaluating within a large-scale optimization framework. However, the theoretical underpinnings of the statistical model may shift the goal of the decision space traversal from a traditional search for a single optimal solution to a traversal with the purpose of yielding a set of high quality, independent solutions. We examine statistical frameworks with astronomical decision spaces that translate to optimization problem but are challenging for standard optimization methodologies. We address the new challenges by designing a hybrid metaheuristic with specialized intensification and diversification protocols in the base search algorithm. Our algorithm is extended to the high performance computing realm using the Stampede2 supercomputer where we experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm to utilize multiple processors to collaboratively hill climb, broadcast messages to one another regarding landscape characteristics, diversify across the solution landscape, and request aid in climbing particularly difficult peaks.
Adolescent alcohol exposure produces sex differences in negative affect-like behavior and group I mGluR BNST plasticity

Adolescent alcohol exposure increases the risk of developing alcohol use disorders (AUDs), yet the mechanisms responsible for this vulnerability remain largely unknown. One potential target for alcohol-induced changes is the circuitry that modulates negative affect and stress, two sexually dependent drivers of alcohol relapse. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a sexually dimorphic region that critically regulates negative affective- and stress-induced relapse. Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) are a target of interest due to their regulation of stress, anxiety behaviors, and BNST plasticity. The current studies investigate sex-dependent sensitivity to the effects of adolescent intermittent ethanol vapor exposure (AIE) on negative affect during acute and protracted alcohol withdrawal and following stress in adulthood. This work also assessed whether BNST group I mGluR-mediated long-term depression (LTD) was disrupted at these timepoints. During acute withdrawal, AIE altered LTD induced by the group I mGluR antagonist DHPG in females, but not males. During adulthood, stress unmasked persistent changes in DHPG-induced LTD and behavior that were not present under basal conditions. Females with an AIE history demonstrated enhanced negative affective-like behavior in the novelty-induced hypophagia test following restraint stress—a phenotype that could be blocked with systemic mGluR5 allosteric antagonism via MTEP. Conversely, males with an AIE history demonstrated elevated freezing in a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. These studies demonstrate long-lasting, sex-dependent phenotypes produced by AIE and suggest pharmaceutical interventions for alcohol use and comorbid disorders may be more effective if designed with sex differences in mind.
Examining the Relationship Between Low Birth Weight Occurrence and Passive Measures of Environmental Arsenic by Census Tract in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, Florida.

Arsenic is a public health concern because of its widespread distribution and high toxicity, even when doses are small. Low birth weight (LBW) occurrence, birth weights less than 2500 g, may be ass...
Reduced Order Modeling of Limit Cycle Oscillation for Aeroelasticity Systems

Limit-cycle oscillations of a nonlinear panel in supersonic flow are computed using a reduced-order aeroelastic model. Panel dynamics are governed by the large-deflection, nonlinear, von Karman equation as expressed in low-order form through a Galerkin approximation. The aerodynamics are described by the Euler equations, which are reduced in order using proper orthogonal decomposition. The coupled system of equations is implicitly time integrated with second-order temporal accuracy to predict limit-cycle oscillation (LCO) amplitude, and linearly analyzed to predict LCO onset. The fluid is synchronized with the structure in time through subiteration, using only 18 degrees of freedom to describe the aeroelastic system. The Jacobian employed in the fully implicit analysis is of equivalently low rank, enabling rapid analysis. Using the reduced order model, LCO onset is predicted directly at a computational cost of approximately 400 time steps with a high accuracy verified by full-order analysis.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Synergistic effects of sepsis and prematurity on neonatal postoperative mortality.

Abstract Introduction Compared with term neonates, preterm babies are more likely to die from sepsis. However, the combined effects of sepsis and prematurity on neonatal postoperative mortality are largely unknown. Our objective was to quantify the proportion of neonatal postoperative mortality that is attributable to the synergistic effects of preoperative sepsis and prematurity. Methods We performed a multicentre, propensity-score-weighted, retrospective, cohort study of neonates who underwent inpatient surgery across hospitals participating in the United States National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (2012–2017). We assessed the proportion of the observed hazard ratio of mortality and complications that is attributable to the synergistic effect of prematurity and sepsis by estimating the attributable proportion (AP) and its 95% confidence interval (CI). Results We identified 19 312 neonates who realised a total of 321 321 person-days of postsurgical observations, during which 683 died (mortality rate: 2.1 per 1000 person-days). The proportion of mortality risk that is attributable to the synergistic effect of prematurity and sepsis was 50.5% (AP=50.5%; 95% CI, 28.8–72.3%; P Conclusion Approximately half of postsurgical mortality and complications were attributable to the combined effect of sepsis and prematurity among neonates with both exposures. These neonates typically died within a few days after surgery, indicating a very narrow window of opportunity to predict and prevent mortality. Clinical trial number and registry Not applicable.
A Cross-Country Survey of General-Purpose Central Bank Digital Currencies

This paper summarizes the status of general-purpose central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) within seventeen countries and the Euro Area. This paper also documents the proposed design features and functionalities, if applicable, of each country's proposed or piloted CBDC. This paper finds that the proposed design features among these countries are largely similar. However, this paper also finds that the level of progress among these countries varies widely and depends significantly on the underlying financial and economic circumstances of each country. This paper will be updated periodically with new updates about general-purpose CBDC.
Skill Session on Writing Patient Assessments for Pediatric Clerkship Students.

Introduction Formulating written patient assessments requires the student to synthesize subjective and objective information and use clinical reasoning to reach a diagnosis. Medical students lack t...
High-dose methylprednisolone in nonintubated patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Background Recent trials with dexamethasone and hydrocortisone have demonstrated benefit in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Data on methylprednisolone are limited. Methods Retrospective cohort of consecutive adults with severe COVID-19 pneumonia on high-flow oxygen (FiO2 ≥ 50%) admitted to an academic centre in New York, from 1 March to 15 April 2020. We used inverse probability of treatment weights to estimate the effect of methylprednisolone on clinical outcomes and intensive care resource utilization. Results Of 447 patients, 153 (34.2%) received methylprednisolone and 294 (65.8%) received no corticosteroids. At 28 days, 102 patients (22.8%) had died and 115 (25.7%) received mechanical ventilation. In weighted analyses, risk for death or mechanical ventilation was 37% lower with methylprednisolone (hazard ratio 0.63; 95% CI 0.47-0.86; P = .003), driven by less frequent mechanical ventilation (subhazard ratio 0.56; 95% CI 0.40-0.79; P = .001); mortality did not differ between groups. The methylprednisolone group had 2.8 more ventilator-free days (95% CI 0.5-5.1; P = .017) and 2.6 more intensive care-free days (95% CI 0.2-4.9; P = .033) during the first 28 days. Complication rates were not higher with methylprednisolone. Conclusions In nonintubated patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, methylprednisolone was associated with reduced need for mechanical ventilation and less-intensive care resource utilization without excess complications.
Abstract IA17: Ethics, cancer, and COVID

This talk will review (1) the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on treating cancer patients who were infected with the virus with unapproved and off-label agents under a philosophy of compassionate use including disclosure of conflicts of interest; (2) the ethics of withholding diagnosis and treatment from patients with cancer or who might have acquired cancer in the USA once social isolation, quarantines, and restriction of “nonessential” services began; (3) decisions about how to define “essential” services during the onset of the pandemic in severely impacted areas of the U.S.; (4) the management of those who died during the pandemic as lessons for future clinical care of cancer patients; (5) decisions about how to decide how much risk to permit those involved in clinical care for cancer or for reassigned duties to assume during an ongoing pandemic; and (6) how to prioritize future cancer research as the viral outbreak continues and resources remain restricted. Citation Format: Arthur Caplan. Ethics, cancer, and COVID [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr IA17.
Unmet family caregiver training needs associated with acute care utilization during home health care

Background/objectives Medicare-certified home health agencies are required to offer family caregiver training, but little is known regarding the potential impact of this training on outcomes during home health care. We estimate the proportion of family caregivers assisting Medicare home health patients who have unmet training needs and examine whether these unmet training needs are associated with older adults' risk of acute care utilization during home health care. Design Observational, nationally representative cohort study. Setting Linked National Health and Aging Trends Study, Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS), Medicare Provider of Services file, and Medicare claims data from 2011 to 2016. Participants Thousand two hundred seventeen (weighted n = 5,870,905) community-living Medicare beneficiaries who received home health care between 2011 and 2016. Measurements Family caregivers' unmet training needs measured from OASIS and Medicare claims; home health patients' acute care utilization (including emergency department use and hospitalization) measured from OASIS. Results Rates of unmet need for training varied by activity, from 8.2% of family caregivers assisting with household chores to 16.0% assisting with self-care tasks. After controlling for older adult and home health provider characteristics, older adults whose family caregivers had an unmet need for training with any caregiving activity were twice as likely to incur acute care utilization during their home health episode (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-3.38). This relationship held across specific caregiving activities including household chores (aOR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.13-3.46), medication management (aOR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.46-4.26), patient supervision (aOR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.36-6.24), and self-care tasks (aOR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.62-6.00). Conclusions and relevance Unmet training needs among family caregivers are associated with greater likelihood of acute care utilization among Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health care. Identifying and addressing family caregivers' training needs may reduce older adults' risk of acute care utilization during home health care.
Association of total neoadjuvant therapy with major pathologic response and survival in localized pancreatic cancer: A multi-institutional analysis of 504 patients.

4145Background: Despite increased utilization of neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer (PC), a substantial proportion of patients never receive adjuvant therapy. We examined if total neoadjuvan...
Barriers to Exiting and Factors Contributing to the Cycle of Enter/Exit/Re-Entering Commericial Sex Work

Commercial sex work is a high-risk job and individuals who desire to leave the sex industry find the process of exiting complex and full of obstacles. This qualitative study identified the barriers to exiting and factors contributing to the cycle of enter/exit/re-entering commercial sex work. This study found barriers in the individual, social, relational, and structural domains. The results validated the use of the polymorphous paradigm to comprehend the challenges of exit and factors that reinforce the cycle of enter/exit/re-entering the industry. The expanded knowledge from this study yielded insight for service providers to develop appropriate programs and services. In addition, the study results challenged the faith community’s response to individuals engaged in the commercial sex industry.
Fellowship training in endourology: Impact on percutaneous nephrolithotomy access patterns.

Introduction: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) remains the treatment of choice for kidney stones larger than 2 cm. Few studies have examined the reasons why some urologists obtain their own PCNL access while others prefer to have interventional radiology (IR) obtain access. The objective of this study was to investigate what factors influence this decision. Methods: A survey was posted to the American Urological Association’s (AUA) Young Urologist Community. Descriptive statistics and exploratory analyses were used to summarize practice trends and motivating factors. Results: All 99 respondents began practicing within the past 11 years. Ninety-two currently perform PCNLs and 47% of them obtain their own access. Endourology fellowship-trained physicians were more likely to currently obtain their own access (75%) compared to urologists who completed non-endourology fellowships (75% vs. 23%, p=0.58) and non-fellowship-trained urologists (75% vs. 45%, p=0.01). Logging >50 cases during training also predicted physicians obtaining their own access and having a larger annual number of PCNL cases. The most common motivator for obtaining one’s own access was preference to control their own access point (95%). Conclusions: Urologist-obtained PCNL access was associated with greater training experience (endourology fellowship) and current annual PCNL case volume. Urologist-reported factors that influenced the decision to obtain one’s own access include control of access, comfort level, and both physician and patient convenience. By identifying the factors that influence practice patterns, we may better address barriers, improve education to make urologist-obtained PCNL access feasible even without fellowship training, and ultimately improve outcomes and quality of care.
Structural excitation of SERNs during supersonic operation: A source of screech amplitude modulation

Abstract This paper investigates the structural response of rectangular nozzles during their supersonic operation. The nozzles in this study are known as Single Expansion Ramp Nozzles (SERNs), with Throat Aspect Ratios (TARs) ranging from 6 to 9 and a designed Mach number of 1.5. Under and approaching the strongest off-design flow conditions, in both underexpanded and overexpanded flow regimes, periodic modulation of screech amplitude is observed. The nearfield pressure signature of the modulation phenomenon and its frequency characteristics show that its origin is the excitation of a structural mode of the nozzle wall and not a fluid–acoustic phenomenon, like screech with Strouhal number characteristics. The modulation behavior corresponds to the wide side of the converging–diverging channel, which forms the non-expanding wall of the SERN. The structures are stable when not under these flow conditions and thus lack this modulation.
Saturated fat ingestion stimulates proatherogenic inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome

Inflammation and dyslipidemia are often present in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We determined the effect of saturated fat ingestion on circulating heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70) and mononuclear cell (MNC) toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) gene expression, activator protein-1 (AP-1) activation, and matrix matalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) protein in women with PCOS. Twenty reproductive-age women with PCOS (10 lean, 10 with obesity) and 20 ovulatory controls (10 lean, 10 with obesity) participated in the study. HSP-70 was measured in serum and TLR2 mRNA and protein, AP-1 activation, and MMP-2 protein were quantified in MNC from blood drawn while fasting and 2, 3, and 5 h after saturated fat ingestion. Insulin sensitivity was derived from an oral glucose tolerance test (ISOGTT). Androgen secretion was assessed from blood drawn while fasting and 24, 48, and 72 h after human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) administration. In response to saturated fat ingestion, serum HSP-70, TLR2 gene expression, activated AP-1, and MMP-2 protein were greater in lean women with PCOS compared with lean controls and in women with PCOS and obesity compared with controls with obesity. Both PCOS groups exhibited lower ISOGTT and greater HCG-stimulated androgen secretion compared with control subjects of their respective weight classes. Lipid-stimulated proatherogenic inflammation marker responses were negatively correlated with ISOGTT and positively correlated with abdominal adiposity and HCG-stimulated androgen secretion. In PCOS, saturated fat ingestion stimulates proatherogenic inflammation independent of obesity. This effect is greater when PCOS is combined with obesity compared with obesity alone. Abdominal adiposity and hyperandrogenism may perpetuate proatherogenic inflammation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This paper demonstrates that in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ingestion of saturated fat triggers a molecular pathway of inflammation known to drive atherogenesis. This effect is independent of obesity as it occurs in lean women with PCOS and not in lean ovulatory control subjects. Furthermore, the combined effects of PCOS and obesity are greater compared with obesity alone.
An Inexpensive Plastic Technology for Microfabricated Capillary Electrophoresis Chips

Microfabricated, plastic electrophoresis chips have been constructed on polycarbonate substrates. 2 cm long, entirely monolithic devices have been fabricated with channel cross sections of 20 μm high and 50–200 μm wide. Successful separations of double stranded DNA have been performed in 0.5% HEC in 2 minutes with a resolution of 100,000 theoretical plates. With a substrate cost of 25 cents per blank plastic wafer, this technology has the potential for the low cost fabrication of disposable, single-use, electrophoresis devices.
Correction of Experimental Data for the Ohmic Potential Drop Corresponding to a Secondary Current Distribution on a Disk Electrode

A numerical method is presented for adjusting experimental current-potential curves for the ohmic resistance corresponding to a secondary current distribution on a (rotating) disk electrode. The nonuniform current and potential distributions on the disk electrode cause the electrolyte resistance itself to be a function of measured current. The method described here is employed after the experiments are conducted and yields the Tafel slope as well as adjusted values for current density and surface overpotential that apply to the center of the disk. This facilitates the comparison of the experimental data to those obtained using mathematical models of the rotating disk electrode that, in the secondary current regime, apply strictly only to the center of the electrode. The Tafel slopes obtained agree to within 3 mV/decade with standard techniques for ohmic correction such as current interruption because, at the high current densities where the ohmic correction is most significant, the resistance correction approaches the primary resistance obtained by current interruption. The Tafel slope values for the two methods differ most for solutions of low conductivity. The major advantages of the ohmic correction method described here are that the experimental condition is never perturbed and that the method indicates the extent to which the current distribution is nonuniform.
Pavement and Bridge Management and Maintenance

There are approximately 4 million miles of roads and 600,000 bridges in the United States and these transportation assets support almost 3,000,000 million vehicle miles of travel each year. Road and bridge repair, maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement are significant users of engineered materials and energy to support the transportation of goods and people. In 2004, approximately $35 billion was spent on maintenance and services. At the same time, the population is rarely conscious of the environmental issues in the maintenance and management of pavements and bridges. For decades, bridges were painted with lead-based paint; lanes were closed on urban freeways at rush hour to do repairs causing massive delays, consuming excess energy and creating air pollution; and large quantities of energy in mining, processing, and hauling raw materials that were to be engineered into a composite material. Fundamentally, maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction is a noisy disruptive process. As roads get more congested, more delays are caused; more energy is consumed and more pollutants are being emitted because of stop-and-go-traffic due to work zones.
New approaches to modeling the volume of earthen archaeological features: A case-study from the Hopewell culture mounds

Raised archaeological features form an abundant part of the prehistoric record, and come in many forms, from earthen mounds to shell middens. To calculate the volume of these features, archaeologists have relied on multiple strategies from simple geometric formulae to the use of aerial photogrammetry, typically to create energetic estimates of construction. No matter the technique, an undeveloped application of such volume estimates has the potential to inform our understanding of erosional processes and feature degradation. The largest of these earthen structures are typically best mapped and studied, leaving a paucity of data on the smaller, ubiquitous and often peripheral earthworks presently understudied at major archaeological sites. Using case studies from the Mound City and Newark mounds of the United States, we compare traditional methods of calculating mound volume for the purposes of ascertaining erosional processes with new photogrammetric protocols. Prior to this, the methodology is checked using artificially constructed earthworks of known volume, which are modified in controlled ways. The results presented here have implications not only for understanding prehistoric energetics more accurately in commonly overlooked portions of archaeological sites, but can also be used in the protection and potential reconstruction of archaeological mound features. While these sites are often afforded better protection than in the past, they are still exposed to natural and man-made erosional processes which warrants their detailed recording.
The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative: Impact on Structural and Economic Development Among African Nations

In June 2005, the major industrialized nations of the world, the G-8, agreed on a plan to relieve the debt of the worlds poorest and most indebted nations. Many of the nations which qualified for debt relief under this initiative were in Africa. The plan, supported by the World Bank, International Monetary fund and the African Development Bank came to be known as the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The primary objective of the program was to relieve up to 100 percent of the debt of those nations which met specific criteria for the program making it possible for impoverished nations, particularly those in Africa, to increase spending to help reduce poverty and address poverty related issues. Data suggests that debt relief to African nations, while plausible in theory, simply does not work. In 2004 for example, the average debt service among African nations participating in the debt relief program was $19 million. The average amount of new loans acquired by African nations participating in the program was over $25 million. Essentially, African nations are acquiring new loans faster than debt is being relieved. If poverty reduction is the primary goal of the debt relief program, why doesn't the international community focus their efforts on funding projects which address poverty and poverty related social and economic issues. In addition, data indicate the average annual debt service by African nations in the debt relief program accounts for 20 percent of the annual budget. When debt is relieved these same African nations generally increase spending on poverty and poverty related programs by a mere 1 percent. As such, this paper examines the impact of debt relief on African nations and the potential impact of alternative approaches to poverty reduction programs funded by the international community.
Regulating Antibiotics in an Era of Resistance: The Historical Basis and Continued Need for Adequate and Well-Controlled Investigations.

Because of concerns about the emergence of highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, legislation was recently proposed to permit approval of new antibiotics on the basis of preliminary studies. In cont...
Vouchers in a community choice model with zoning

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of voucher plans for private schools on voter support for public schools when both school and community choice are allowed. Contrary to popular opinion, voucher plans can increase voter support for public school quality in a median voter setting. In cases where the voucher plan causes migration of households toward the poorer community, there is an increase in the quality of public education in both poor and rich communities. Thus, vouchers initiated in poorer communities may raise public school quality in the entire economy.
Observations of a Kenai Eddy and a Sitka Eddy in the Northern Gulf of Alaska

[1] Mesoscale eddies in the Gulf of Alaska are thought to contribute to the shelf-slope exchange of nutrients and plankton, enhancing biological production. We report on a study of two anticyclonic mesoscale eddies in this region observed through in situ sampling during August and September 2007. Both eddies exhibited in their cores θ-S profiles with warmer, fresher water relative to the properties of the ambient basin water between 150- and 300-m depths. Hydrographic properties and satellite altimetry data were analyzed to identify likely formation regions for each feature. One eddy, sampled near Yakutat, Alaska, originated in the Sitka formation region (221–223°E); the second eddy, sampled south of Kodiak Island, originated near the Kenai Peninsula, southeast of the Kennedy and Stevenson entrances to Cook Inlet, an area not previously studied as a formation region. Subsequent analysis of 16 years of satellite altimeter data (from 1992 to 2008) with an algorithm designed to identify and track eddies revealed approximately six Kenai eddies that have formed in this region. Although this number constitutes only 3.2% of the 188 eddies identified by the algorithm during this period, it represents 15.4% of the 39 eddies that formed in or propagated westward into the Alaskan Stream.
Analysis of Aircraft, Radiosonde, and Radar Observations in Cirrus Clouds Observed during FIRE II: The Interactions between Environmental Structure, Turbulence, and Cloud Microphysical Properties

Ways to determine the turbulence intensity and the horizontal variability in cirrus clouds have been investigated using FIRE-II aircraft, radiosonde and radar data. Higher turbulence intensities were found within some, but not all, of the neutrally stratified layers. It was also demonstrated that the stability of cirrus layers with high extinction values decrease in time, possibly as a result of radiative destabilization. However, these features could not be directly related to each other in any simple manner. A simple linear relationship was observed between the amount of horizontal variability in the ice water content and its average value. This was also true for the extinction and ice crystal number concentrations. A relationship was also suggested between the variability in cloud depth and the environmental stability across the depth of the cloud layer, which requires further investigation.
The influence of fluid shear stress on the remodeling of the embryonic primary capillary plexus

The primary capillary plexus in early yolk sacs is remodeled into matured vitelline vessels aligned in the direction of blood flow at the onset of cardiac contraction. We hypothesized that the influence of fluid shear stress on cellular behaviors may be an underlying mechanism by which some existing capillary channels remain open while others are closed during remodeling. Using a recently developed E-Tmod knock-out/lacZ knock-in mouse model, we showed that erythroblasts exhibited rheological properties similar to those of a viscous cell suspension. In contrast, the non-erythroblast (NE) cells, which attach among themselves within the yolk sac, are capable of lamellipodia extension and cell migration. Isolated NE cells in a parallel-plate flow chamber exposed to fluid shear stress, however, ceased lamellipodia extension. Such response may minimize NE cell migration into domains exposed to fluid shear stress. A two-dimensional mathematical model incorporating these cellular behaviors demonstrated that shear stress created by the blood flow initiated by the embryonic heart contraction might be needed for the remodeling of primary capillary plexus.
Pycnothyrium ultrastructure in Tubakia dryina

Pycnothryria of Tubakia dryina on naturally infected sweet gum (Liquidamber styraciflua) leaves were examined using transmission electron microscopy. The conidioma was attached to mycelium within the leaf tissue by a multicellular columella. Columellar cells were multinucleate. The surface layer of the pycnothyrium, the scutellum, was composed of thick walled prosenchymatous hyphae. Numerous conidiogenous cells were associated with the ventral surface of the scutellum and the columella. Conidia were produced enteroblastically from conidiogenous cells exhibiting a prominent collarette at their apex.
Aging of poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fibers in light hydrocarbon environments

Abstract In this work, PVDF hollow fibers were aged in different light hydrocarbon solvents (e.g. paraffins, olefins, and aromatics with carbon number
Discrimination of Complex Human Behavior by Pigeons (Columba livia) and Humans

The cognitive and neural mechanisms for recognizing and categorizing behavior are not well understood in non-human animals. In the current experiments, pigeons and humans learned to categorize two non-repeating, complex human behaviors (“martial arts” vs. “Indian dance”). Using multiple video exemplars of a digital human model, pigeons discriminated these behaviors in a go/no-go task and humans in a choice task. Experiment 1 found that pigeons already experienced with discriminating the locomotive actions of digital animals acquired the discrimination more rapidly when action information was available than when only pose information was available. Experiments 2 and 3 found this same dynamic superiority effect with naive pigeons and human participants. Both species used the same combination of immediately available static pose information and more slowly perceived dynamic action cues to discriminate the behavioral categories. Theories based on generalized visual mechanisms, as opposed to embodied, species-specific action networks, offer a parsimonious account of how these different animals recognize behavior across and within species.
Approximations to the bayes estimate for a quantal assay with simple exponential tolerance distribution

Approximations to the computationally cumbersome Bayes estimate of the parameter λ in the exponential tolerance distribution F(d) = l−exp(−λd), d≥0, are developed for dichotomous response quantal assays. A gamma prior distribution and a quadratic loss function for λ and a binomial distribution of positives at each dose d for fixed λ are, assumed. The first approximation is for a single-dose assay, is easily computed and has average risk only slightly larger than the Bayes risk for small samples. The selection of d and n are considered when this approximation is to be used as an estimate of λ. The second approximation is a modification of the first, is somewhat more difficult to compute than the first and retains the relatively small average risk of the first for small samples but, unlike the first, is a consistent estimate of λ. The third approximation is an extension of the first to an assay with several doses.
AN AGENDA FOR FUTURES RESEARCH

Abstract Is there an identity crisis in futures research ? The author reviews the character of the discipline in the light of its ten years of development and maintains that futures research is empirical, “pre-scientific” and in the category of operations research. The scope for a scientific approach is therefore in forming a coherent methodological body of principles. The author identifies specific tasks in 21 areas, related to data collection, model construction, experimentation, systems analysis, exploratory and normative applications, which seem to him to be particularly in need of such attention.
Unifying principles in homodimeric type I photosynthetic reaction centers: Properties of PscB and the FA, FB and FX iron–sulfur clusters in green sulfur bacteria

The photosynthetic reaction center from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum (CbRC) was solubilized from membranes using Triton X-100 and isolated by sucrose density ultra-centrifugation. The CbRC complexes were subsequently treated with 0.5 M NaCl and ultrafiltered over a 100 kDa cutoff membrane. The resulting CbRC cores did not exhibit the low-temperature EPR resonances from FA- and FB- and were unable to reduce NADP+. SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometric analysis showed that the PscB subunit, which harbors the FA and FB clusters, had become dissociated, and was now present in the filtrate. Attempts to rebind PscB onto CbRC cores were unsuccessful. Mossbauer spectroscopy showed that recombinant PscB contains a heterogeneous mixture of [4Fe-4S]2+,1+ and other types of Fe/S clusters tentatively identified as [2Fe-2S]2+,1+ clusters and rubredoxin-like Fe3+,2+ centers, and that the [4Fe-4S]2+,1+ clusters which were present were degraded at high ionic strength. Quantitative analysis confirmed that the amount of iron and sulfide in the recombinant protein was sub-stoichiometric. A heme-staining assay indicated that cytochrome c551 remained firmly attached to the CbRC cores. Low-temperature EPR spectroscopy of photoaccumulated CbRC complexes and CbRC cores showed resonances between g=5.4 and 4.4 assigned to a S=3/2 ground spin state [4Fe-4S]1+ cluster and at g=1.77 assigned to a S=1/2 ground spin state [4Fe-4S]1+ cluster, both from FX-. These results unify the properties of the acceptor side of the Type I homodimeric reaction centers found in green sulfur bacteria and heliobacteria: in both, the FA and FB iron-sulfur clusters are present on a salt-dissociable subunit, and FX is present as an interpolypeptide [4Fe-4S]2+,1+ cluster with a significant population in a S=3/2 ground spin state.
Obsessional beliefs, religious beliefs, and scrupulosity among fundamental Protestant Christians

Abstract While there has been substantial speculation about the relationship between scrupulosity and religion in the literature, few studies have directly examined this topic in non-clinical religious communities. The purpose of the present study is to examine obsessional beliefs, scrupulosity, and religious beliefs in a relatively large, homogeneous sample of fundamental Protestant Christians. In addition, this study included validated measures of religious commitment, level of religious fundamentalism, and degree of spiritual well-being. Results support the hypotheses that scrupulosity would be positively correlated with obsessional beliefs and negatively correlated with religious commitment and spiritual well-being. However, contrary to expectations, religious fundamentalism was not significantly related to scrupulosity. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Postnatal development of Na+–K+–2Cl− co-transporter 1 and K+–Cl− co-transporter 2 immunoreactivity in multiple brain stem respiratory nuclei of the rat

Previously, we reported that in rats, GABA(A) and glycine receptor immunoreactivity increased markedly in multiple brain stem respiratory nuclei around postnatal days (P) 12-13, a critical period when abrupt neurochemical, metabolic, ventilatory, and electrophysiological changes occur in the respiratory network and when the system is under greater inhibition than excitation. Since Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) co-transporter 1 (NKCC1) and K(+)-Cl(-) co-transporter 2 (KCC2) play pivotal roles in determining the responses of GABA(A) and glycine receptors, we hypothesized that NKCC1 and KCC2 undergo significant changes during the critical period. An in-depth immunohistochemical and single neuron optical densitometric study of neurons in seven respiratory-related nuclei (the pre-Botzinger complex [PBC], nucleus ambiguus [Amb], hypoglossal nucleus [XII], ventrolateral subnucleus of solitary tract nucleus [NTS(VL)], retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group [retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group (RTN/pFRG)], dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve [dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMNX)], and inferior olivary nucleus [IO]) and a non-respiratory cuneate nucleus (CN, an internal control) was undertaken in P0-P21 rats. Our data revealed that (1) NKCC1 immunoreactivity exhibited a developmental decrease from P0 to P21 in all eight nuclei examined, being relatively high during the first 1½ postnatal weeks and decreased thereafter. The decrease was abrupt and statistically significant at P12 in the PBC, Amb, and XII; (2) KCC2 immunoreactivity in these eight nuclei showed a developmental increase from P0 to P21; and (3) the significant reduction in NKCC1 and the greater dominance of KCC2 around P12 in multiple respiratory nuclei of the brain stem may form the basis of an enhanced inhibition in the respiratory network during the critical period before the system stabilizes to a more mature state.
Osmium coated diffraction grating in the Space Shuttle environment: performance

Over the past several years there has been increasing activity in spectroscopy from space at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths (λ < 1200 A). Because of poor reflectivities at such short wavelengths, reflective coatings offering improvements in this region are attractive. A coating found to have superior reflectivity shortward of 1000 A is osmium. At 600 A osmium has a reflectivity almost a factor of 2 better than gold or platinum. However, samples coated with osmium were flown on the early Shuttle test flights, and on the return of these samples, the osmium coating was found to have disappeared evidently due to the oxidation of the material in the atomic oxygen atmosphere. An instrument flown on the Spacelab 1 mission in late 1983 comprised an array of five spectrometers covering the extreme ultraviolet to near-IR wavelengths. The EUV spectrometer contained an osmium coated reflective grating located fairly deep within the instrument. In this paper we report the results of an assessment of the reflectivity over the course of the ten-day mission. The grating is found to be stable at 1216 A from the time of the first operation of the EUV spectrometer on the second day of the mission through the final tenth day of the mission. The relative response of the EUV (osmium) and far-UV (MgF2) spectrometers to 1216 A is essentially unchanged from the preflight condition to within the 50% overall calibration uncertainty. We conclude that the grating was sufficiently shielded by the surrounding spectrometer structure to avoid significant erosion of the osmium surface.
Induction of major histocompatibility complex class II glycoproteins by interferon-γ: attenuation of the effects of restraint stress

The effect of restraint on the activation of macrophages was evaluated based on the induction of I-A expression following injection of viable Mycobacterium bovis (strain BCG) or treatment in vitro with recombinant interferon-γ (rIFN-γ). We found that restraint suppressed the induction of I-A expression when applied just prior to or at the same time as the injection of the microorganisms but had no effect if applied after the injection of the Mycobacteria. The effect of stress was attenuated by increasing the number of microorganisms or by incubating macrophages from stressed mice with higher doses of rIFN-γ. The suppressive effect of restraint does not appear to be associated with uptake, processing or presentation of antigen but rather to an alteration in the response of the macrophages to rIFN-γ.
Structure-property relationships of polyurethanes based on toluene di-isocyanate

The thermoplastic polyurethanes are linear segmented copolymers which consist of alternating soft and hard segment units. The soft segment is commonly a low molecular weight polyether or polyester whereas the hard segment generally consists of an aromatic diisocyanate condensed with a low molecular weight diol. It is now generally accepted that the properties of these materials are primarily due to the phase segregation of soft and hard segments leading to the formation of hard segment domains which are dispersed in the rubbery matrix. There are a wide variety of compositional variables which can affect the degree of phase segregation and hard segment organization and, accordingly, the sample properties. In this paper we report the results obtained on an extensive series of polyurethanes based on 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (2,4 TDI) and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (2,6 TDI). In 2,4 TDI polymers, the asymmetric placement of the isocyanate residues with respect to the methyl group can result in some head-to-tail isomerization in the hard segment. In 2,6 TDI polymers, this problem is absent since the molecule is symmetrical. Other compositional variables examined included polyether vs. polyester soft segment, the molecular weight of the soft segment and the length of hard segment. Extensive physico-chemical techniques such as thermal analysis, wide and low angle x-ray studies and IR spectroscopic analyses have been employed to provide detailed information on the thermal transition behavior, structural organization and the properties.