cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social support from friends and depression among African Americans: The moderating influence of education.

Abstract Background This cross-sectional study examined the association between various characteristics of friendships and 12-month major depressive disorder (MDD) and whether these associations vary by education level among African Americans. Methods The analytic sample included 3434 African American respondents drawn from the National Survey of American Life: Coping with Stress in the 21st Century. Logistic regression analyses were performed to test the associations between friendship characteristics (i.e., frequency of contact, subjective closeness, receipt of support, provision of support) and 12-month MDD. Interaction terms between education and each of the four friendship variables were used to test whether these associations varied by education level. Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic factors and chronic health problems. Results Frequency of contact and subjective closeness were negatively associated with 12-month MDD. An interaction between education and contact indicated that contact was negatively associated with MDD among high education respondents but unrelated to MDD among low education respondents. The interactions between education and receipt of support and education and provision of support demonstrated that receipt and provision of support were negatively associated with MDD among high education respondents but was positively associated with MDD among low education respondents. Limitations Given the cross-sectional design, it is not possible to make causal inferences. Conclusion This investigation provides an important first step to understanding within-group differences in how social relationships function as both a risk and protective factor for MDD among African Americans.
Long-term outcomes after robotic-assisted Ivor Lewis esophagectomy.

Robotic assistance has gained acceptance in thoracic procedures, including esophagectomy. There is a paucity of data regarding long-term outcomes for robotic esophagectomy. We previously reported our initial series of robot-assisted Ivor Lewis (RAIL) esophagectomy. We report long-term outcomes to assess the efficacy of the procedure. We performed a retrospective review of 112 consecutive patients who underwent a RAIL. Patient demographics, diagnosis, pathology, operative characteristics, post-operative complications, and long-term outcomes were documented. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed for all the variables. Primary endpoints were mortality and disease-free survival. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Of the 112 patients, 106 had a diagnosis of cancer, with adenocarcinoma the dominant histology (87.5%). Of these 106 patients, 81 (76.4%) received neo-adjuvant chemoradiation. The 30-, 60-, and 90-day mortality was 1 (0.9%), 3 (2.7%), and 4 (3.6%), respectively. There were 9 anastomotic leaks (8%) and 18 (16.1%) patients had a stricture requiring dilation. All-patient OS at 1, 3, and 5 years was 81.4%, 60.5%, and 51.0%, respectively. For cancer patients, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS was 81.3%, 59.2%, and 49.4%, respectively, and the DFS was 75.3%, 42.3%, and 44.0%. We have shown that long-term outcomes after RAIL esophagectomy are similar to other non-robotic esophagectomies. Given the potential advantages of robotic assistance, our results are crucial to demonstrate that RAIL does not result in inferior outcomes.
A physics-based routing model for modular green roof systems

The ability of green roof systems to impact stormwater runoff from buildings has been covered in many research studies. However, a lot of these studies looked at long-term retention, with much less...
Crack: Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and the Decade of Greed

A shattering account of the crack cocaine years from award-winning American historian David Farber, Crack tells the story of the young men who bet their lives on the rewards of selling 'rock' cocaine, the people who gave themselves over to the crack pipe, and the often-merciless authorities who incarcerated legions of African Americans caught in the crack cocaine underworld. Based on interviews, archival research, judicial records, underground videos, and prison memoirs, Crack explains why, in a de-industrializing America in which market forces ruled and entrepreneurial risk-taking was celebrated, the crack industry was a lucrative enterprise for the 'Horatio Alger boys' of their place and time. These young, predominately African American entrepreneurs were profit-sharing partners in a deviant, criminal form of economic globalization. Hip Hop artists often celebrated their exploits but overwhelmingly, Americans - across racial lines -did not. Crack takes a hard look at the dark side of late twentieth-century capitalism.
Fast Run-time Monitoring, Replanning, and Recovery for Safe Autonomous System Operations

In this paper, we present a fast run-time monitoring framework for safety assurance during autonomous system operations in uncertain environments. Modern unmanned vehicles rely on periodic sensor measurements for motion planning and control. However, a vehicle may not always be able to obtain its state information due to various reasons such as sensor failures, signal occlusions, and communication problems. To guarantee the safety of a system during these circumstances under the presence of disturbance and noise, we propose a novel fast reachability analysis approach that leverages Gaussian process regression theory to predict future states of the system at run-time. We also propose a self/event-triggered monitoring and replanning approach which leverages our fast reachability scheme to recover the system when needed and replan its trajectory to guarantee safety constraints (i.e., the system will not collide with any obstacles). Our technique is validated both with simulations and experiments on unmanned aerial vehicles case studies in cluttered environments under the effect of unknown wind disturbance at run-time.
Community Health Workers Reduce Rehospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits for Low-Socioeconomic Urban Patients With Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND Low-socioeconomic, urban, minority patients with heart failure (HF) often have unique barriers to care. Community health workers (CHWs) are specially trained laypeople who serve as liaisons between underserved communities and the health system. It is not known whether CHWs improve outcomes in low-socioeconomic, urban, minority patients with HF. HYPOTHESIS CHWs reduce rehospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and healthcare costs for low-socioeconomic urban patients with HF. METHODS Patients admitted with acute decompensated HF were assigned to receive weekly visits by CHW after discharge. Patients were propensity score matched with controls who received usual care. HF-related rehospitalizations, ED visits, and inpatient costs were compared for 12 months following index admission versus the same period before. RESULTS Twenty-eight patients who received weekly visits from a CHW for 12 months after discharge were matched with 28 control patients who did not receive CHWs. Patients who received a CHW had a 75% decrease in HF-related ED visits (0.71 vs. 0.18 visits per patient, P < 0.001), an 89% decrease in HF-related readmissions (0.64 vs. 0.07 admissions per patient, P < 0.005), and a significant decrease in inpatient cost for HF-related visits. In controls receiving usual care, there was no significant change in hospitalizations, ED visits, or costs. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, CHWs are associated with reduced rehospitalizations, ED visits, and inpatient costs in low-socioeconomic, urban, minority patients with HF. CHWs may be a cost-effective method to reduce health care utilization and improve outcomes for this population.
Chapter 25 – Synthesis

Publisher Summary A basic principle of systems theory explains that systems interact and influence each other in a complex manner. This defines an open system. It exists in a web of interconnected relationships that exchange information, food, energy, etc. All existing models of biological systems presuppose that they function as open systems. On the other hand, a closed system has no active exchange of materials (chemicals, information, energy) with the outside. Whether it is spiritual healing or process work, acupuncture or Ayurveda, all incorporates a premise of body–mind–spirit interaction (an open system) and the constant sustaining relationship that human being have with its complex environment. The prevailing paradigm of science has built itself on the precision and exactness of the pure sciences such as chemistry and physics. This precision and exactness has provided humans much in the way of useful knowledge and technology. Any area of health care that uses a closed systems model tends to develop more precision, exactness, and technology. This chapter introduces synthesis that involves combining separate elements into an integrated whole. The goal is to make human being whole again. To accomplish this, good, wisdom and knowledge must be balanced. It is also needed to fully accept the open-system quality of human experience and reevaluate scientific research designs.
Childhood Trauma History and Negative Social Experiences in College.

While there is literature documenting the association between childhood trauma and later sexual assault or interpersonal violence victimization, less is known about risk of less severe, but still negative, victimization experiences such as sexual harassment, hazing, and bullying in college. The goal of this study was to explore the association between self-reported childhood trauma (both personally experienced and witnessed) and negative social experiences in college-age adults (e.g., sexual harassment, hazing, and bullying), and the role that internalizing difficulties (i.e., depression and stress) plays in this association. A sample of 620 college-aged adults (ages 18–25) was recruited. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to investigate two models concerning direct and indirect childhood trauma experience. The models demonstrated significant positive relations between experiences of childhood trauma (both direct and indirect) and negative social experiences. Internalizing difficulties (i.e., depression and stress) mediated the relation between indirect childhood trauma and negative social experiences, but it did not significantly mediate the relation between direct childhood trauma and negative social experiences. These findings help to inform prevention efforts and have important implications for both school and community based mental health providers.
Effect of Nighttime Construction on Quality of Asphalt Paving

AbstractThe need to meet increasing economic vitality has caused continued deterioration of road surfaces owing to the constant use fueled by high traffic volume. Nighttime paving operations are of...
Synthesis and crystal structure of N 12-(7-chloro-4-quinolinyl)-N 1,N 1-diethy1-1,12-diaminododecane (AQ-40)

The preparation of N12-(7-chloro-4-quinolinyl)-N 1,N 1-diethyl-1,12-diaminododecane, AQ-40, was accomplished by a five-step process in 80% overall yield from 12-aminododecanoic acid and 4,7-dichloroquinoline. AQ-40 crystallizes as a monohydrate from reagent grade chloroform/ diethyl ether mixtures in the triclinc space group P-1 with a = 8.667(2), b = 8.9425(10), c = 17.217(3) A, α = 99.34(1), β = 99.89(2), γ = 91.56(1)°, V = 1295.0 A3 and Z = 2. The l2-(N 1,N 1-diethylamino)dodecyl side chain is in the fully extended conformation and the water molecule forms hydrogen bonds to the two tertiary nitrogen atoms as well as with the secondary amino group. The nitrogen of the secondary amino group bound to the four-position of the quinoline moiety is virtually planar. This together with the rather short C–N distance of 1.347(3) A to the quinoline moiety suggests involvement of the lone pair on this nitrogen with the π system of the ring.
The Determinants of Corporate Liquidity: Theory and Evidence

We model the firm's decision to invest in liquid assets when external financing is costly. The optimal amount of liquidity is determined by a tradeoff between the low return earned on liquid assets and the benefit of minimizing the need for costly external financing. The model predicts that the optimal investment in liquidity is increasing in the cost of external financing, the variance of future cash flows, and the return on future investment opportunities, while it is decreasing in the return differential between the firm's physical assets and liquid assets. Empirical tests on a large panel of U.S. industrial firms support the model's predictions.
The Racial Configuration of Parent Couples and Premature Birth: an Analysis of the Utah Population Database

In this paper, we analyze detailed maternal and paternal race information in a 25-year time series of birth record data to consider racial inequities in premature births experienced by women of color and women within interracial parent couples. We analyze birth outcomes within Utah, a historically racially homogeneous state experiencing growing racial diversity and interracial marriage over the past two decades. Our analyses consider disparities in preterm birth according to maternal race and the interracial status of couples for all birth certificate records within the Utah Population Database from 1989 to 2015 (N = 1,148,818). Our results, consistent with a dyadic perspective on minority stress, indicate that maternal race and interracial parent-couple status are each significantly associated with heightened risk of premature birth. The odds of preterm birth are significantly greater among all four racialized groups in the analyses (African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders) as compared to White women. Furthermore, we find that mothers in mixed-race parent couples with either a white or a black father experience a greater risk of preterm birth than mothers parenting with a father of the same race. Our results suggest that in order to capture the complete perspective on racial-ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes, outcomes pivotal for subsequent health outcomes over the life course, it is critical to address racism’s toxic effects across multiple levels of lived experience—from the individual level, to the parent dyad, to the local community and beyond.
Cardiovascular Disease is a Leading Cause of Mortality among TTP Survivors in Clinical Remission.

iTTP survivors experience high rates of adverse health sequelae and increased mortality over long-term follow up. We conducted this multi-center cohort study to evaluate long-term mortality and causes of death in iTTP survivors. Between 2003 and 2020, 222 patients were enrolled in the Ohio State University and Johns Hopkins TTP registries and followed for a median of 4.5 (interquartile range [IQR],75 0.4-11.5) years. Nine patients died during their first iTTP episode and 29 patients died during follow-up. Mortality rate was 1.8 times higher than expected from an age, sex and race adjusted reference population. Cardiovascular disease was a leading primary cause of death (27.6%) tied with relapsed iTTP (27.6%), followed by malignancy (20.7%), infection (13.8%), and other causes (10.3%). Male sex [HR 3.74 (95% CI 1.65-8.48, P=0.002), increasing age [HR 1.04 (95% CI 1.01-1.07), P=0.011] and number of iTTP episodes [HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.01-1.20), P=0.022] were associated with mortality in a model adjusted for African American race [HR 0.70 (95% CI 0.30-1.65), P=0.702], hypertension [HR 0.47 (95% CI 0.20-1.08), P=0.076], CKD [HR 1.46 (95% CI 0.65-3.30, P=0.358] and site [HR 1.46 (95% CI 0.64-3.30), P=0.358]. There was a trend towards shorter survival in patients with lower ADAMTS13 activity during remission (P=0.078). In conclusion, iTTP survivors are at higher risk of death compared with a reference population and cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death. Our study highlights the need for survivorship care, and investigation focused on cardiovascular disease and early mortality in TTP survivors.
Grammaticalization as economy

This book provides much detail on the changes involving the grammaticalization of personal and relative pronouns, topicalized nominals, complementizers, adverbs, prepositions, modals, perception verbs, and aspectual markers. It accounts for these changes in terms of two structural economy principles. Head Preference expresses that single words, i.e. heads, are used to build structures rather than full phrases, and Late Merge states that waiting as late as possible to merge, i.e. be added to the structure, is preferred over movement. The book also discusses grammar-external processes (e.g. prescriptivist rules) that inhibit change, and innovations that replenish the grammaticalized element. Most of the changes involve the (extended) CP and IP: as elements grammaticalize clause boundaries disappear. Cross-linguistic differences exist as to whether the CP, IP, and VP are all present and split and this is formulated as the Layer Principle. Changes involving the CP are typically brought about by Head Preference, whereas those involving the IP and VP by Late Merge.
Causality in social life cycle impact assessment (SLCIA)

The social life cycle impact assessment (SLCIA) incorporates either a type I or type II characterization model. We improved both models by introducing explicit causality by using statistic modeling through development of (1) a quantitative approach to simultaneously identify impact pathways of type II models with multiple impact categories, targeting SLCIA method developers and (2) a new hybrid model to establish causality between inventory indicators and subcategories, targeting social life cycle assessment practitioners. Causality establishments for type II impact pathways and the new hybrid model are the core requirements for this study. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the impact pathways for type II characterization models, therefore resolving the issues of unobservability and unvalidatibility in type II models. Using country-level data from the World Bank, the method was applied to an example impact pathway at macro-scale. We applied Bayesian networks in our hybrid model to address the issues of relevance and representativeness in type I models, assuming the unobservable social performances of an organization are the causes for observable inventory indicators. The method was applied to a hypothetical example for the stakeholder of the worker at company scale. Temporal precedence (i.e., lag effects) was incorporated into both models. The results from the confirmatory SEM supported our hypotheses that comprised the impact pathway from economic development to health outcomes, which were fully mediated by health expenditures and health access. A 1-year lag between each impact category resulted in the best model fit. Limitations on the data as well as subjective choice of indicators to represent impact categories are subject to criticism. The results from the hybrid model showed that, depending on the likelihood of the inventory indicators, the posterior probability of subcategories either deviated from their prior probability or behaved similarly. The construction of proper conditional probability tables and the choice of probability distribution for the likelihood are major challenges for the hybrid model. This study was the first attempt in using statistic causal models to quantitatively identify unobservable impact pathways of the type II model and to develop a hybrid model for SLCIA. A SEM that incorporates temporal precedence enables identification of impact pathways with multiple unobservable impact categories. The hybrid model using Bayesian networks represents the subcategories in posterior probabilities instead of absolute scores, helping companies to better develop instructions for future management practices.
Climate Justice, the Global South, and Policy Preferences of Kenyan Environmental NGOs

Negotiations for a global agreement to address climate change have often pitted the nations of the heavily industrialized Global North against the nations of the developing Global South. The Global North has tended to emphasize the common responsibilities of all nations to reduce emissions while nations of the Global South have tended to place more emphasis on differentiated responsibilities. The Global North-South negotiating positions are derived from inequality in the historical and current emissions of greenhouse gasses, the emerging consequences of climate change, and the geopolitical negotiating power between nation-states. However, these broad sweeping categories miss diverse goals and policy preferences among civil society actors within nations. Through in-depth, in-person interviews, this research documents the surprisingly strong presence of Global North policy preferences among the field of Kenyan environmental NGOs—a field that is significantly divided among the “climate justice” policy priorities strongly associated with nations of the Global South and “emissions reductions for all” priorities associated with nations in the Global North. Qualitative data captures the rationale of KENGOs for the respective policy script preferences. Utilizing the nation-state as a unit of analysis would miss this variation among civil society actors within the Global South, variation that demonstrates the complex interaction between the diffusion of global policies and domestic social contexts.
Lawyers' Property Rights in State Law

The current system of state licensing of lawyers is being challenged by significant changes in the legal profession, including multi-state and multi-disciplinary law firms and the rise of Internet law practice. Conventional client-protection explanations of lawyer licensing are inadequate to meet this challenge. However, lawyer licensing can be best understood in the context of the state competition debate. State licensing has an important overlooked benefit in terms of enabling lawyers' role in the state lawmaking process. Efficient laws make the state an attractive forum for potential litigants to choose at the time of their contract. Lawyer licensing encourages lawyers' involvement in lawmaking by capitalizing the benefits of their law-improvement efforts in the value of their law licenses. In other words, state licensing gives lawyers a kind of property right in law. This article shows how lawyers' influence over state law may be consistent with social welfare and how giving lawyers property rights in law through state licensing helps produce these effects.
Some asymptotic capacity results for MIMO wireless with and without channel knowledge at the transmitter

We study the asymptotic capacity of MIMO wireless channels predicated on channel knowledge (or channel state information - CSI) at the transmitter in the high SNR regime. The transmitter CSI studied includes instantaneous and transmit correlation types. The receiver is assumed to know the channel perfectly. Analytical expressions for the asymptotic ergodic capacity are derived in each case, which closely match the simulations. The results show that transmitter CSI in MIMO wireless can have a strong influence on capacity.
The role of medium content and ad format congruity in influencing advertising outcomes

This study examines how (in)congruence regarding the format of the ad and the context in which the ad is placed influences ad recognition, perceived advertiser sensitivity, ad comprehension, and persuasion. Highly visual or informational ads were placed congruently or incongruently within a(n) highly visual or informational surrounding context. There was some positive support for mismatching the format of the ad and surrounding context in terms of ad recognition. Specifically, a highly visual ad placed within a highly informational setting resulted in the greatest ad recognition. However, in terms of the audience's perceptions of advertiser sensitivity, subjective ad comprehension, and ad persuasion, there was more positive support for matching the format of the ad with that of the surrounding context. In this regard, it is better to place visual ads congruently within visual contexts. Theories from information processing and hemispheric lateralization are drawn on to support this research.
Neighborhood Violence and Coparent Conflict: Interactive Influence on Child Psychosocial Adjustment

The interactive influence of neighborhood violence and coparent conflict on child psychosocial adjustment was examined in a sample of 117 low-income, inner-city African American families. Data were collected and analyzed cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Lower levels of coparent conflict buffered girls, but not boys, from the detrimental effects of living in neighborhoods characterized by high levels of violence. In both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, lower levels of coparent conflict, relative to higher levels, protected girls from depressive symptoms and aggressive behaviors in the context of higher levels of neighborhood violence. Clinical implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Algorithms and systems for modeling moving scenes

In this paper I describe the application of machine-vision techniques to video coding in order to create what my research group calls object-oriented television, where moving scenes are represented in terms of objects (as recovered by analysis methods). Beyond data compactness, such a representation offers the ability to add new degrees of freedom to content creation and display. I discuss some of the scene analysis problems (particularly 2-D and 3-D model-fitting and object segmentation) and the algorithmic approaches my group has taken to solve them; suggest computational strategies for compact, powerful, programmable decoding hardware (particularly stream-based computing combined with automatic resource management); and demonstrate some of the applications we have developed.
Implications for Cosmology of Stellar and Galactic Evolution Rates

A study is made of estimates of stellar and galactic evolution, of stellar and galactic ages, of the age of U, and of the evolutionary age of the universe. The results of this study are compared with the predictions of several cosmologies, viz. the steady-state cosmology, the evolutionary cosmology, the Dirac cosmology, and the Brans-Dicke cosmology. The various methods used in age estimates are described. (T.F.H.)
Relativistic radiatively damped R -matrix calculations of the electron-impact excitation of helium-like iron and krypton

Electron-impact excitation data for He-like ions are of significant importance for diagnostic applications to both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Here we report on the first fully relativistic R-matrix calculations with radiation damping for the He-like ions Fe24+ and Kr34+. Effective collision strengths for these two ions have been determined with and without damping over a wide temperature range for all transitions between the 49 levels through n = 5. We find that damping has a pronounced effect on the effective collision strengths for excitation to some of the low-lying levels, but its effect on excitation to the vast majority of levels is small. At the energy of a resonance peak, we also investigate the effect of radiation damping on the angular distribution of scattered electrons. Finally, we compare our results for Fe24+ with an earlier intermediate coupling frame transformation R-matrix calculation with radiation damping by Whiteford et al (J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 34 3179) and find good agreement, especially for excitation to the lower levels.
Phosphorylation of initiation factor 2α by protein kinase GCN2 mediates gene-specific translational control of GCN4 in yeast

We show that phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF-2) by the protein kinase GCN2 mediates translational control of the yeast transcriptional activator GCN4. In vitro, GCN2 specifically phosphorylates the alpha subunit of rabbit or yeast eIF-2. In vivo, phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha increases in response to amino acid starvation, which is dependent on GCN2. Substitution of Ser-51 with alanine eliminates phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha by GCN2 in vivo and in vitro and abolishes increased expression of GCN4 and amino acid biosynthetic genes under its control in amino acid-starved cells. The Asp-51 substitution mimics the phosphorylated state and derepresses GCN4 in the absence of GCN2. Thus, an established mechanism for regulating total protein synthesis in mammalian cells mediates gene-specific translational control in yeast.
Functions occurring in dual fermion amplitudes

Abstract A new derivation of certain functions occuring in the elastic scattering of fermion ground states in the 10-dimensional dual-resonance model is presented. A more general class of amplitudes in which two fermions scatter inelastically is then discussed, and three new functions that occur in these amplitudes are calculated. The results appear to indicate that the inelastic amplitudes are also well-behaved.
Polynuclear metal complexes as model mixed oxide catalysts: an ion exchange support interaction

The authors have reported on the preparation and characterization of supported polynuclear metal complexes containing two types of metal ions (Cu/sup 2 +/ and M/sup 3 +/ where M = Al, Cr, or Fe). These +3 complexes were balanced by three ClO/sub 4//sup -/ in the unsupported single crystal state. The authors showed that the strong ammonia sorption stoichiometry to each cluster depends upon the metal ion, M/sup 3 +/; however, the sorption stoichiometry/cluster did not change when the cluster loading on Cab-O-Sil was increased from 10 to 30 wt%. They speculated the cluster interacted strongly with the Cab-O-Sil support to form a monolayer covering. In this note the authors report their studies of the cluster-support interaction. The cluster-support interactions were studied by X-ray diffraction of the supported catalysts at different loadings and quantitative analysis for counterion concentrations, ClO/sub 4//sup -/, at each loading. 8 references.
Testing Models of U.S. Foreign Policy: Foreign Aid during and after the Cold War

The end of the Cold War has provided scholars of international relations with a unique opportunity to evaluate the explanatory power of their models in a rapidly changing environment. We provide a ...
The effect of fungi on the interaction between host plants and their herbivores

(1987). The effect of fungi on the interaction between host plants and their herbivores. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 380-388.
COSMOPOLITANISM'S ACTUALLY EXISTING BEYOND; TOWARD A VICTORIAN GEOPOLITICAL AESTHETIC

Although “cosmopolitanism” is, in many respects, the recognized creation of the eighteenth century, in recent years the idea has made a mark on the theory and practice of Victorian studies. In this essay I offer some reflections on this development while suggesting one future path for a Victorianist cosmopolitan practice. My goal is to limn a theory of what I call “the Victorian geopolitical aesthetic” which, in grasping the globalizing dynamics of the nineteenth century, illuminates the literature and culture of that era. By way of doing so, I will explore cosmopolitan literary study as it has so far developed, describing its focus on ethics. I will also try to update the legacy of historical materialism (including the work of Georg Lukacs, Raymond Williams, and Fredric Jameson) by integrating it with newer transnational perspectives such as cosmopolitanism and the new Atlantic studies. My aim is to suggest ways of reading Victorian literature – specifically realist fiction but potentially other genres as well – which recognize the power of literature to engage “actually existing cosmopolitanisms” then and now.
Characterization of Infrared Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Samples by Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated TotalReflection Spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FT-IR ATR) spectroscopy was used to characterize thin films of succinic acid, a matrix compound commonly used with infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (IR-MALDI) mass spectrometry. IR spectra of succinic acid thin films deposited alone and in combination with the analyte biomolecules insulin and cytochrome c were obtained by FT-IR ATR spectroscopy. Spectra of analyte and matrix alone were similar to those obtained previously from KBr pellets, Nujol mull, or thin-film absorption, although the ATR spectra have significantly lower background interferences. Thin films deposited from mixtures of water and methanol have additional peaks compared to films deposited from a methanol solution. These additional peaks are attributed to carboxylate groups stabilized by residual water molecules. No evidence was found to suggest that residual water absorption contributes to absorption at wavelengths typically used for IR-MALDI. Absorption of energy by analyte vibrational modes with rapid energy transfer to the matrix is suggested as a contributor to desorption and ionization consistent with the FT-IR ATR results.
With or without FUS, it is the anatomy that dictates the dementia phenotype

Not so long ago, Alois Alzheimer's dominance over Arnold Pick appeared total and irreversible. Alzheimer's disease was placed at the helm of a global pandemic whilst Pick's disease was declared a rare curiosity and other non-Alzheimer dementias faced the embarrassment of lacking distinctive histopathology. How rapidly things change! We now know that the family of frontotemporal lobar degenerations (FTLDs), which includes Pick's disease, is arguably the most important cause of pre-senescent dementia; that its hereditary forms can be transmitted through mutations in the tau or progranulin ( PGRN ) genes; and that the abnormal protein accumulations include hyperphosphorylated tau and the TAR DNA binding protein TDP-43 (Arai et al. , 2006; Bigio, 2008; Boeve and Hutton, 2008; Josephs, 2008; Neumann et al. , 2006). Despite this relatively rapid progress over the past 15 years, there still remain FTLD cases either having non-specific ubiquitin deposits or lacking distinctive inclusions. One of these lingering pockets of resistance now appears to have yielded to the work of Mackenzie and colleagues (Mackenzie et al. , 2009). In this issue of Brain , these investigators report that 100% of their FTLD cases with heretofore uncharacterized ubiquitin inclusions harbour abnormal accumulations of the ‘fused in sarcoma’ (FUS) product, a protein also recently linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Kwiatkowski et al. , 2009; Vance et al. , 2009). The addition of FUS to the FTLD landscape gives neuropathologists and geneticists additional cause for celebration. But what about clinicians who see patients rather than stained brain slices? Can they use this new knowledge to infer the nature of the pathology at the bedside? Conversely, is there a straight path from molecular pathology to cognition, so that a disease-specific blood or cerebrospinal fluid biomarker may in time prove as informative for clinical deficits as …
The masking model: a possible explanation for various effects of near-UV radiation.

— A general model is proposed to explain certain phenomena observed upon the near-UV irradiation of biological materials. The model states that the ratio of two action spectra (e.g. in the presence or absence of histidine) does not accurately portray the absorption spectrum of the underlying chromophore. Rather, such a ratio is dictated by the relative amounts of two photoproducts. Both photoproducts are induced most efficiently at or below 300 nm. One photoproduct, sensitive to the presence of the variable agent (e.g. histidine), has a broader production spectrum than the other, which is induced independently of the variable agent. The first photoproduct is quantitatively more important at shorter wavelengths while the second dominates at longer wavelengths. An equation has been derived which defines the model in mathematical terms. Such a model might explain: (1) increased phage and bacterial inactivation in the presence of sublethal hydrogen peroxide concentrations; (2) the discrepancy between the inactivation action spectrum and absorption spectrum of psoralen; (3) histidine protection of transforming DNA inactivation; (4) phage T7 inactivation; (5) bacterial inactivation under anoxic conditions; (6) inactivation of DNA repair enzymes; and (7) photomutagenesis at low fiuence rates.
Effects of Supplementary Selenium Source on the Blood Parameters in Beef Cows and Their Nursing Calves

Over 2 years, 32 beef cows nursing calves in southwest Arkansas were randomly selected from a herd of 120 that were managed in six groups and were assigned to six 5.1-ha bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) pastures. Treatments were assigned to pastures (two pastures/treatment) and cows had ad libitum access to one of three free-choice minerals: (1) no supplemental selenium (Se), (2) 26 mg of supplemental Se from sodium selenite per kilogram, and (3) 26 mg of supplemental Se from seleno-yeast per kilogram (designed mineral intake = 113 g/cow daily). Data were analyzed using a mixed model; year and pasture were the random effects and treatment was the fixed effect. At the beginning of the calving and breeding seasons, cows supplemented with Se had greater (P < 0.01) whole blood Se concentration (WBSe) and glutathione peroxidase activities (GSH-Px) than cows receiving no supplemental Se; cows fed seleno-yeast had greater (P ≤ 0.05) WBSe than cows fed sodium selenite, but GSH-Px did not differ (P ≥ 0.25) between the two sources. At birth and near peak lactation (late May), calves from cows supplemented with Se had greater (P < 0.01) WBSe than calves from cows fed no Se and calves from cows fed seleno-yeast had greater (P ≤ 0.01) WBSe and GSH-Px than calves from cows fed sodium selenite. Thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and the T4:T3 ratio in calves did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.35). At birth, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was greater (P = 0.02) in calves nursing cows with no supplemental Se than in ones with supplemental Se; in calves nursing cows with supplemental sodium selenite, IGF-1 did not differ (P = 0.96) from ones offered supplemental seleno-yeast. Selenium supplementation of gestating beef cows benefited cows and calves by increasing WBSe and GSH-Px. The use of seleno-yeast as a Se supplement compared to sodium selenite increased the WBSe of both cows and their calves without affecting the T4 to T3 conversion or IGF-1 concentrations.
Production of tolerance in immunized mice and the effects of immunosuppression

Abstract Tolerance to bovine gamma globulin (BGG) in mice previously immunized with bentonite-BGG was produced by serial injections of soluble BGG. Larger doses of BGG were more effective in creating tolerance than were smaller doses. A single injection of soluble BGG in immunized mice increased the titer of hemagglutinating antibody. Hydrocortisone and whole-body x-irradiation, used as immunosuppressive agents, facilitated the development of tolerance. The concept is discussed that the production of tolerance in immunized mice by repeated antigen injections involves an initial period of increased immunization before tolerance is reached.
Newton-like algorithm for integrated system optimization and parameter estimation technique

The problem of obtaining the correct optimal steady-state operation of an industrial process, despite the deficiencies in its available mathematical model, is addressed in the paper. The control method considered is the integrated system optimization and parameter estimation (ISOPE) technique, and a new algorithm, of Newton-like type, is presented in the paper for this technique. The algorithm is derived for the augmented version of the ISOPE technique and hence it is also applicable for non-convex problems. The algorithm does not require more measurement information than the previous simple relaxation-type algorithms. It is convergent in one iteration for the case of a linear process and quadratic performance function. A local convergence analysis is provided for the general non-linear case. Simulation results are also given, and comparison with the relaxation type algorithm is presented, indicating the superiority of the new approach for the examples considered
Calcific Embolization Associated with Valvotomy for Calcific Aortic Stenosis

Calcific emboli were observed in 38 of 62 patients (61 per cent) who died at varying intervals following aortic valvotomy for calcific aortic stenosis. Major coronary embolization occurred in 10 patients (16 per cent) and was considered to be a major cause of death of four patients. Minor coronary embolization occurred in 33 patients (53 per cent) and was not directly implicated as a cause of death in any patient. Calcific emboli occurred to other organs in eight patients (13 per cent). The technics instituted for reducing the incidence of embolization—occlusion of coronary ostia, diligence in detection and removal of any debris, and final aspiration of the left ventricle—appeared to have had a favorable effect.
Phase II study of dose-dense sequential doxorubicin and docetaxel for patients with advanced operable and inoperable breast cancer.

Rapid sequential delivery of doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 q 2 weeks×3 cycles followed by docetaxel 100 mg/m2 q␣2 weeks×3 cycles, with filgrastim support was evaluated in patients with inoperable and large operable breast cancers who were not initially candidates for breast conservation therapy. Postoperative CMF chemotherapy and/or radiation were administered based on surgical findings. Median age of the 39 enrolled patients was 47 (range 27–59), stage IIA (6 patients), IIB (14 patients), IIIA (10 patients), IIIB (9 patients), and 23 patients (59%) had clinical nodal involvement. The average bidimensional tumor size before treatment was 30 cm2. Clinical responses included 13 (33%) complete responses, 23 (59%) partial responses, 1 stable disease, and 2 progressive disease, for an overall response rate of 92%. Clinical response rate was 11/13(85%) in HER2/neu positive patients compared to 25/26 (96%) in tumors that did not express HER2/neu. Twenty patients (51%) underwent breast conservation surgery. Pathologic tumor response at the time of definitive surgery included 4 pathologic CR (pCR, 10%), 4 microscopic invasion (pINV), and 14 (36%) pathologically negative axillary nodes. pCR was not observed in any HER2/neu positive patients. 5/39 patients were unable to complete all cycles of docetaxel and 8 patients required dose reduction of docetaxel due to development of grade 3–4 mucositis and hand-foot syndrome. This observation prompted a protocol change requiring 3 weeks between doxorubicin and docetaxel. Primary chemotherapy with dose-dense doxorubicin and docetaxel given sequentially is well tolerated and allows a high rate of breast sparing in patients with large breast cancers.
17β-Estradiol alters oxidative stress response protein expression and oxidative damage in the uterus

The steroid hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) has profound effects on the uterus. However, with the E2-induced increase in uterine cell proliferation and metabolism comes increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We examined the expression of an interactive network of oxidative stress response proteins including thioredoxin (Trx), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), apurinic endonuclease (Ape1), and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). We demonstrated that treatment of ovariectomized C57BL/6J female mice with E2 increased the mRNA and protein levels of Trx, but decreased SOD1 and Ape1 mRNA and protein expression. In contrast, E2 treatment increased PDI protein levels but had no effect on PDI transcript levels. Interestingly, E2 treatment also increased two markers of cellular damage, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation. Our studies suggest that the decreased expression of SOD1 and Ape1 caused by E2 treatment may in the long term result in disruption of ROS regulation and play a role in endometrial carcinogenesis.
Heliopause stability revisited: dispersion analysis and numerical simulations

Abstract The heliopause, a surface separating the tenuous hot heliosheath flow and the dense, strongly magnetized interstellar flow, is subject to instabilities of the Rayleigh–Taylor and Kelvin–Helmholtz types. The dynamic evolution of this discontinuity is of considerable importance for understanding the neutral atom and cosmic-ray filtration at the interface. Here, we investigate the stability of the upwind heliopause in the presence of charge exchange collisions using both an analytic (dispersion relation) approach and a numerical model that includes the interstellar magnetic field. The linear analysis yields a cubic dispersion relation that admits imaginary solutions for the full range of wavenumbers, implying that the stagnation point on the heliopause is unconditionally Rayleigh–Taylor unstable to small perturbations propagating parallel to the discontinuity surface. We confirm this result by following the nonlinear development of the instability with a time-dependent simulation using a four fluid MHD-neutral numerical code. For the typical solar wind and LISM conditions, we obtain cyclical evolution of the upwind heliopause with a period of the order of 100 years. We also identify two areas of space physics where the instability may have important implications.
Glycosylation of invertebrate hemoglobins

Abstract 1. 1. The coelomic, water vascular and intestinal hemoglobins of the sea cucumber Molpadia arenicola have been assayed by phenylboronate affinity chromatography and found to contain 5.5%, 1.3% and 4.4% glycosylated hemoglobin, respectively. 2. 2. The intracellular hemoglobins from the clam Barbatia reeveana and the innkeeper worm Urechis caupo contain glycosylated hemoglobin levels in the same range as Molpadia , while the giant extracellular globins from the clam Cardita affinis and the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris show elevated levels of glycosylation.