cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct Observations of Devolatilizing Pulverized Coal Particles in a Combustion Environment

Direct observations of the early stages of combustion of size-graded (≈100μm) pulverized coal particles are reported. The particles are introduced on the centerline, of a high temperature, transparent, laminar flow reactor fed by a gas fueled, premixed flat flame. Photographs of particle emission, high magnification shadowgraphs of burning particles, and micrographs of partially burnt captured material have been obtained. The ignition of both bituminous coal and lignite subjected to rapid heating (≈105K/sec) by hot combustion products is characterized by, bright diffuse emission attributed to burning of ejected volatile matter. After approximately 5 msec this emission ceases, and incandescence attributed to heterogeneous char oxidation is observed. Shadowgraphs and micrographs of burning bituminous coal indicate that, coincident with ignition, ejected volatile matter forms a condensed phase surrounding the particle. The condensed phase is evidently a soot-like material resulting from pyrolytic cracking of hydrocarbons in the volatile matter. Viscous drag forces cause the condensed material to be swept into laminar wake structures which eventually separate from the particles. Under oxidizing conditions this condensed volatile matter is oxidized during the early stages of char burning, while under reducing conditions it persists throughout the flow reactor. Although burning lignite appears similar to bituminous coal in emission, shadowgraphic and micrographic observations, indicate that a condensed phase is not formed during devolatilization. Nor are, changes in particle size or shape observed during the earliest stages of combustion. These observations are consistent with previous results which showed that bituminous coal volatiles contain large fractions of soot producing heavy hydrocarbons, while lignite volatiles are largely composed of CO, CO2, H2, H2O and light hydrocarbons. The observations are also consistent with differences in the pore structure and swelling properties of the two coasl.
Preliminary X-Ray studies on Chromatium vinosum flavocytochrome c552

Abstract Preliminary crystallographic data are given for Chromatium vinosum flavocytochrome c552. This protein is a 72,000 Mr complex incorporating one flavin and two c-type cytochrome subunits. Interest attaches to the complex structure owing to observed rapid rates of electron transfer between the flavin and heme prosthetic groups. These results suggest that the structure determination of flavocytochrome c552 will allow direct examination of a productive interprotein electron transfer complex.
Symmetric group divisible designs with the dual property

Abstract A symmetric group divisible design (SGDD) is said to have the dual property, if the dual of the design has the same parameters as the original design. In this paper we study the structure of such designs and give some applications to Baer subdesigns of symmetric balanced incomplete block designs (SBIBD) and to near planes (Fast-blockplane).
A segmentation-free approach to text recognition with application to Arabic text

As the recognition rates and speeds of optical character recognition (OCR) systems steadily improve, the problem of OCR--and subsequently research interest--is shifting from recognizing: isolated, high-quality characters to reading cursive scripts and degraded documents. In recognizing such texts, a major undertaking is segmenting cursive words into characters and isolating merged characters. In OCR systems that recognize cursive text, the segmentation subsystem becomes the pivotal stage in the system to which a sizable portion of processing is devoted and a considerable share of recognition errors is attributed. The most notable feature of Arabic writing is its cursiveness. It also poses the most difficult problem for recognition algorithms. In this work, we describe the design and implementation of a system that is automatically trainable and that recognizes noisy and cursive words. To recognize a word, the system does not segment it into symbols (character shapes) in advance; rather, it recognizes the input word by detecting a set of "shape primitives" on the word. It then matches the regions of the word (represented by the detected primitives) to a set of symbol models. A spatial arrangement of symbol models that are matched to regions of the word, then, becomes the description of the recognized word. Since the number of potential arrangements of all symbol models is large, the system imposes a set of word structure and spatial consistency. It searches the space comprised of the arrangements that satisfy the constraints and tries to maximize the a posteriori probability of the symbol-models' arrangement. Large-scale experimentation with the system on isolated characters reveals that it has a recognition rate of 99.7% for synthetically degraded symbols and 94.1% for scanned symbols. Experimentation on isolated words reveals that the system has a recognition rate of 99.4% for noise-free words, 95.6% for synthetically degraded words, and 73% for scanned words. The main theoretical contribution of this work is in laying the foundation for a segmentation-free approach for Arabic word recognition. Recognition is based on maximizing the probability of the word given the detected primitives. The system is designed to minimize training effort and is extensible as training determines the symbols the system recognizes.
Child-rearing Variables Affecting the Preschool Child's Response to Dental Stress

Responses to dental stress were evaluated in 26 pre-school children during an initial examination visit. Child-rearing practices, assessed by home observation and parental report, were correlated with the dental stress measures. Significant relationships emerged which suggest that child-rearing practices influence the child's acquisition of coping skills and stress tolerance.
A whole atmosphere model simulation of the impact of a sudden stratospheric warming on thermosphere dynamics and electrodynamics

[1] A Whole Atmosphere Model (WAM) has been used to explore the possible physical connection between a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) and the dynamics and electrodynamics of the lower thermosphere. WAM produces SSWs naturally without the need for external forcing. The classical signatures of an SSW appear in the model with a warming of the winter polar stratosphere, a reversal of the temperature gradient, and a breakdown of the stratospheric polar vortex. Substantial changes in the amplitude of stationary planetary wave numbers 1, 2, and 3 occur as the zonal mean zonal wind evolves. The simulations also show a cooling in the mesosphere and a warming in the lower thermosphere consistent with observations. The magnitude of this particular SSW is modest, belonging to the category of minor warming. In the lower thermosphere the amplitude of diurnal, semidiurnal, and terdiurnal, eastward and westward propagating tidal modes change substantially during the event. Since the magnitude of the warming is minor and the tidal interactions with the mean flow and planetary waves are complex, the one-to-one correspondence between tidal amplitudes in the lower thermosphere and the zonal mean and stationary waves in the stratosphere is not entirely obvious. The increase in the magnitude of the terdiurnal tide (TW3) in the lower thermosphere has the clearest correlation with the SSW, although the timing appears delayed by about three days. The fast group velocity of the long vertical wavelength TW3 tide would suggest a faster onset for the direct propagation of the tide from the lower atmosphere. It is possible that changes in the magnitude of the diurnal and semidiurnal tides, with their slower vertical propagation, may interact in the lower thermosphere to introduce a terdiurnal tide with a longer delay. An increase in TW3 in the lower thermosphere would be expected to alter the local time variation of the electrodynamic response. The day-to-day changes in the lower thermosphere winds from WAM are shown to introduce variability in the magnitude of dayside low latitude electric fields, with a tendency during the warming for the dayside vertical drift to be larger and occur earlier, and for the afternoon minimum to be smaller. The numerical simulations suggest that it is quite feasible that a major SSW, with a magnitude seen in January 2009, could cause large changes in lower thermosphere electrodynamics and hence in total electron content.
Keeping up with business and industry: secondary‐level career and technical education's struggle

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to detail how the need for secondary‐level career and technical education (CTE) programs to keep up with technological change in the workplace is conflicting with policy, procedures, and beliefs held by many in the education community. More specifically, the conflicting areas are the manner and type of professional development offerings provided to CTE teachers; funding priorities at the federal, state, and local levels; CTE administrative support and structure; and partnerships between CTE teachers and their local businesses.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a viewpoint supported by extant literature.Findings – The paper finds that in order for secondary‐level CTE to be readily accessible and of high rigor, large systemic change needs to occur at the federal, state, and local levels.Originality/value – This viewpoint is intended to be a call to action concerning the sustainability of secondary‐level CTE.
Effectiveness of home exercise on pain, function, and strength of manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury: a high-dose shoulder program with telerehabilitation.

Abstract Objective To test the effectiveness of a high-dose home exercise/telerehabilitation program for manual wheelchair users who have a spinal cord injury (SCI) by determining whether the intervention would reduce pain and increase function, as we hypothesized. Design A pre-post trial with outcomes measured at 3 time points: baseline, postintervention (12wk), and follow-up (>24 wk). Setting Subjects performed an exercise program at their homes using telerehabilitation for therapist monitoring of technique and exercise advancement. Baseline and postintervention data were collected at a motion analysis laboratory in a tertiary medical center. Participants A convenience sample of manual wheelchair users (N=16, 3 women; average age, 41y; average time in a wheelchair, 16y) with shoulder pain (average pain duration, 9y) and mechanical impingement signs on physical examination. Interventions A 12-week home exercise program of rotator cuff and scapular stabilization exercises was given to each participant. The program included a high dose of 3 sets of 30 repetitions, 3 times weekly, and regular physical therapist supervision via videoconferencing. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcomes of pain and function were measured with the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI), Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Index, and Shoulder Rating Questionnaire (SRQ). Secondary outcomes of strength were measured with isometric strength tests of scapulothoracic and glenohumeral muscles, and a static fatigue test of the lower trapezius. Results Pain was reduced and function improved after the intervention. There was a significant main effect for pain and function between the 3 time points based on the Friedman signed-ranked test, WUSPI (χ 2 2 =5.10, P =.014), DASH Index (χ 2 2 =5.41, P =.012), and SRQ (χ 2 2 =23.71, P ≤.001). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests demonstrated that isometric strength measurements of the serratus anterior and scapular retractors increased after the exercise intervention ([ t =2.42, P =.04] and [ t =4.67, P =.003], respectively). Muscle impulse produced by the lower trapezius during a fatigue task also improved ( t =2.2, P =.02). No differences were measured in isometric strength for the lower trapezius, glenohumeral rotators, and abductors between the baseline and 12-week time points. Conclusions A high-dose scapular stabilizer and rotator cuff strengthening program using telerehabilitation for supervision holds promise for shoulder pain treatment in manual wheelchair users with SCI. Additional work is needed to determine the effectiveness compared with other interventions, as well as the potential for earlier intervention to prevent development of shoulder pain.
African American women—education for what?

The article examines the long commitment of the black community to the education of its women as a tool toward liberation and the resulting emergence of a new genre of American intellectualism. The article explores the role of women as carriers and creditors of African American culture in the community, while distinguishing between intellect workers (those who distribute and apply culture) and intellectuals (those who create culture). In addition, the article explores how African American women, while providing a perspective of their own, have been uniquely able to bridge the concerns of black men and white women. It is the emergence of this new American radical intellectualism, as represented by African American women, that potentially comprises a significant and critical force within the American ideology. This new intelligentsia, the article surmises, is only limited by the prejudices and discrimination present in a racist, sexist, and classist society.
THE PREVENTIVE EFFECTS OF ARREST ON INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: RESEARCH, POLICY AND THEORY*

Research Summary: This research addresses the limitations of prior analyses and reviews of five experiments testing for the specific deterrent effect of arrest on intimate partner violence by applying to individual level data consistent eligibility criteria, common independent and outcome measures, and appropriate statistical tests. Based on 4,032 cases involving adult males who assaulted their female intimate partners, multivariate regression analyses show consistent but modest reductions in subsequent offenses targeting the original victim that is attributable to arresting the suspect. Although the reductions attributable to arrest are similar across all five studies, other factors, such as the suspect's prior arrest record, are stronger predictors of subsequent offenses. The effect of arrest is also modest compared with the general decline in offenses toward the same victim during the follow-up period. Policy Implications: These results lend limited support for policies favoring arrest over informal police responses to intimate partner violence. However, the analyses also show that despite police intervention, a minority of suspects repeatedly victimize their partners and that factors other than formal sanctions play larger roles in explaining the cessation or continuation of aggressive behavior between intimates. These findings suggest that new policies replacing or enhancing arrest that target potential repeat offenders might produce larger reductions in intimate partner violence.
Artificial intelligence techniques in the study of multiphoton dynamics: Application to a general vibrating-rotating spherical top molecule

Abstract Adaptations of the best-first search and the branch-and-bound search techniques from artificial intelligence tree pruning algorithms are used to select the most important vibrational-rotational states of a triply degenerate anharmonic oscillator-rigid rotor system for studying its multiphoton dynamics in an intense IR laser field.
Immunoreactive dynorphin and α-neo-endorphin in rat hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system

Concentrations of dynorphin and α-neo-endorphin were measured in rat supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, median eminence and posterior pituitary. Paraventricular lesions did not alter the level of either peptide in the median eminence or posterior pituitary. Knife cuts in the lateral retrochiasmatic area that severed the supraoptico-hypophyseal tract reduced dynorphin and α-neo-endorphin levels by 64–80% in the posterior pituitary and by somewhat less in the median eminence. Knife cuts in the vicinity of the supraoptic nucleus that did not interrupt the supraoptico-hypophyseal tract did not affect peptide concentrations in the posterior pituitary. Our data suggest that dynorphin and α-neo-endorphin in the posterior pituitary are in processes of supraoptic nucleus neurons. These neurons also project to the median eminence which may receive fibers from other dynorphin and α-neo-endorphin containing cells too.
2.4-Å Crystal Structure of the Asymmetric Platinum Complex {Pt(ammine)(cyclohexylamine)}2+ Bound to a Dodecamer DNA Duplex *

Abstract cis-trans-cis-Ammine(cyclohexylamine)diacetatodichloroplatinum(IV) is an oral analog of the platinum anti-cancer drug cisplatin that is currently in phase III clinical trials. Its active form, {Pt(ammine)(cyclohexylamine)}2+, binds to DNA similarly to cisplatin, forming intra- and interstrand cross-links between adjacent purine bases. Since {Pt(ammine)(cyclohexylamine)}2+ contains two different ligands, it can form two isomeric 1,2-d(GpG) intrastrand cross-links. Here we report the 2.4-A resolution x-ray crystal structure of the major adduct between {Pt(ammine)(cyclohexylamine)}2+ and a DNA dodecamer, using the same sequence as previously reported for crystal structures of cisplatin-DNA (Takahara, P. M., Rosenzweig, A. C., Frederick, C. A., and Lippard, S. J. (1995)Nature 377, 649–652) and oxaliplatin-DNA (Spingler, B., Whittington, D. A., and Lippard, S. J. (2001) Inorg. Chem. 40, 5596–5602). Both duplexes in the asymmetric unit contain 1,2-intrastrand cross-links in which the cyclohexylamine ligand is directed toward the 3′-end of the platinated strand. The chair conformation of the cyclohexyl group is clearly resolved. Platination distorts the duplex, resulting in a global bend angle of about 38o and a dihedral angle between platinated guanine bases of ∼31o. Both end-to-end and end-to-groove packing interactions occur in the crystal lattice, the latter positioned in the minor groove across from the site of the platinum cross-link. A high degree of homology observed between this structure and the previously reported platinum-DNA structures suggests that these platinum complexes distort the DNA duplex in a very similar manner. These results suggest that differences in activity between these drugs are unlikely to result from gross conformational distortions in DNA structure following platinum intrastrand cross-link formation.
Predictors of amputation for popliteal artery injuries.

Background: Popliteal artery injuries continue to result in limb loss. This study identifies risk factors that predict amputation. Methods: Over a 5-year period, a retrospective chart review was conducted of 80 consecutive patients with 81 popliteal artery injuries. Results: The overall amputation rate was 16.5%. Blunt trauma carried a higher rate of amputation (47%) than penetrating injuries (6.2%); P <0.0001). Associated fractures had a higher amputation rate, regardless of mechanism (odds ratio +2.7, 95% confidence limits 1.2 to 6.2). Fasciotomy at the time of operation was associated with reduced amputation rate. Conclusions: Blunt injuries and associated fractures carry an increased risk for amputation. Compartmental pressures should be appropriately monitored postoperatively. Fasciotomy at the time of vascular repair may be considered even without evidence of compartment syndrome.
On the identification of compaction characteristics by neuronets

Abstract Compaction of soils is aimed at modifying their engineering properties to fulfil the needs of earthwork projects. The two characteristic compaction parameters, namely the optimum moisture content and the maximum dry density, can only be determined experimentally. In this paper, neuronets have been developed and used to determine these two parameters from variables pertinent to geotechnical engineering soil properties and indices. The predictions of the various developed neuronets are compared with corresponding actual values and values obtained via statistical correlation models. Moreover, the advantages of neuronets as prediction techniques over the conventional regression methods are addressed.
Rabbinic Narrative: Documentary Perspectives on the Authentic Narrative in Lamentations Rabbah

Abstract Classification of its narratives reveals Lamentations Rabbah’s preferences as to narrative types and their functions. On the foundation of this knowledge we can correlate Rabbinic narratives with the boundaries defined by particular documents and, ultimately, are able, on the foundations of literary evidence, to describe the Rabbinic structure and system. Understanding the way the documentary evidence took shape and how it accomplished its compilers’ goals is required for that description. If we do not know whether or how narratives fit into the canonical constructions of Rabbinic Judaism in its formative age and normative statement, we cannot account for important data of that Judaism. The result of this study is to show that narratives, no less than expository, exegetical, and analytical writing, form part of the documentary self-definition of the Rabbinic canonical writings. Through the study of Lamentations Rabbah (referred to also as Lamentations Rabbati) in particular, it advances our ability to evaluate how a rhetorical form as represented in one document compares or contrasts with that form as it is used in other discrete rabbinic texts.
Electroactive controlled release thin films

We present the fabrication of nanoscale electroactive thin films that can be engineered to undergo remotely controlled dissolution in the presence of a small applied voltage (+1.25 V) to release precise quantities of chemical agents. These films, which are assembled by using a nontoxic, FDA-approved, electroactive material known as Prussian Blue, are stable enough to release a fraction of their contents after the application of a voltage and then to restabilize upon its removal. As a result, it is possible to externally trigger agent release, exert control over the relative quantity of agents released from a film, and release multiple doses from one or more films in a single solution. These electroactive systems may be rapidly and conformally coated onto a wide range of substrates without regard to size, shape, or chemical composition, and as such they may find use in a host of new applications in drug delivery as well as the related fields of tissue engineering, medical diagnostics, and chemical detection.
Regulation of expression of the Haemophilus ducreyi LspB and LspA2 proteins by CpxR.

Haemophilus ducreyi is a gram-negative coccobacillus and the causative agent of the sexually transmitted genital ulcer disease (GUD) chancroid (1, 8). Globally, chancroid is a significant sexually transmitted disease, with more than 6 million cases reported in 1997 (60). In the United States, several outbreaks were reported between 1980 and 2000 (24, 36, 51), but since then the number of cases has greatly diminished, and today the soft chancres characteristic of H. ducreyi infection occur only in isolated cases that are typically associated with the sex trade industry (57). Chancroid is endemic in some developing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, where it accounts for almost half of all GUD cases, although these numbers could be higher as H. ducreyi cases remain poorly documented (55, 57). GUD is a recognized cofactor for human immunodeficiency virus acquisition and transmission (25, 37), and a better understanding of H. ducreyi pathogenesis is necessary to allow a rational approach to the identification of vaccine candidates that could be used to prevent chancroid. H. ducreyi is a strict human pathogen, and it is likely that during the different stages of ulcer production (i.e., progression of a papule into a pustule followed by frank ulceration [1, 8, 50]), this pathogen controls gene expression to enhance its growth and to evade the host immune system. Information about regulatory networks that might control the expression of H. ducreyi virulence factors is very limited at present. Although nucleotide sequence analysis of the H. ducreyi 35000HP genome (GenBank accession no. NC002940) revealed the presence of several genes encoding predicted proteins with homology to known bacterial regulators, to date, only the fur gene (12), the groE operon (44), and the dnaK-dnaJ operon (43) have been studied in any detail. The LspA1, LspA2, and LspB proteins constitute a two-partner secretion system in H. ducreyi (65). Expression of either LspA1 or LspA2 has been shown to be necessary for H. ducreyi to inhibit phagocytosis by immune cells in vitro (61). LspA1 and LspA2 have 86% identity (64), and their respective open reading frames (ORFs) are located very distant from each other in the H. ducreyi chromosome. These proteins are also required for full virulence of this pathogen in both the human (30) and the temperature-dependent rabbit (63) models of experimental H. ducreyi infection. Previous studies in our laboratory indicated that wild-type H. ducreyi apparently expressed more LspA1 than LspA2 and that a lspA1 mutant expressed increased amounts of LspA2 (63). Taken together, these results suggested that these two proteins might be under the control of different, unidentified regulatory factors. In the present study, we report that inactivation of the gene encoding the response regulator CpxR resulted in increased expression of both LspB and LspA2, suggesting that the H. ducreyi lspB-lspA2 operon is under the control of the CpxRA two-component regulatory system (18, 46, 47) homolog present in H. ducreyi.
Embedding Partial k‐Star Designs

A k-star is the complete bipartite graph . Let G and H be graphs, and let be a partial H-decomposition of G. A partial H-decomposition, , of another graph is called an embedding of provided that and G is a subgraph of . We find an embedding of a partial k-star decomposition of into a k-star decomposition of , where s is at most if k is odd, and if k is even.
IDENTIFICATION OF CONSUMERS PREFERENCES WHEN THEIR CHOICES ARE UNOBSERVABLE

We provide conditions under which the heterogenous, deterministic preferences of consumers in a pure exchange economy can be identified from the equilibrium manifold of the economy. We extend those conditions to consider exchange economies, with two commodities, where consumers’ preferences are random. For the latter, we provide conditions under which consumers’ heterogenous random preferences can be identified from the joint distribution of equilibrium prices and endowments. The results can be applied to infer consumers’ preferences when their demands are unobservable.
Increase in Cx45 Gap Junction Channels in Cerebral Smooth Muscle Cells from SHR

We recently reported the novel finding of expression and function of connexin45 (Cx45) in cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells. We examined the hypothesis that Cx45 is altered in hypertension. Immunoblots for Cx45 showed a significant increase in Cx45 in cerebral arteries from adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared with adult Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, with no difference in aorta or femoral artery. Patch-clamp of cerebral smooth muscle cells pairs from SHR versus WKY showed a significantly steeper voltage dependence of deactivation and partial block of junctional currents by quinine and by a peptide that interferes with docking of Cx45, consistent with dominance of functional Cx45 channels in SHR. We examined potential roles of blood pressure versus angiotensin in elevated Cx45 in SHR by measuring Cx45 protein in 4 groups: (1) long-term administration in Wistar rats of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME; (2) long-term administration in SHR of the ACE inhibitor captopril; (3) long-term administration in Wistar rats of angiotensin; and (4) exposure of basilar artery segments in organ culture to angiotensin. Blood pressure was significantly elevated in groups 1 and 3 and was normal in group 2. In groups 1, 2, and 4, there was no significant change in Cx45 protein. In group 3, there was a modest but insignificant increase in Cx45 protein but no change in voltage dependence of deactivation of junctional currents. Overall, our data show increased Cx45 in SHR that is unlikely to be due to either elevated blood pressure or to angiotensin. Relative dominance of Cx45 over Cx43 in cerebral vessels may predispose SHR to ischemic stroke.
Wife Burning Cultural Cues for Lethal Violence Against Women Among Asian Indians in the United States

Violence against women in the Asian Indian community in the United States, specifically lethal violence, is a neglected topic. Following a brief profile of Asian Indians in the United States, we note the continued importance of several religio-cultural norms surrounding marriage, family, and gender relations in this group. We discuss the practices of sati and dowry burnings as a backdrop to two case studies of wife burning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We use an integrated model of lethal violence to analyze these cases and describe some persistent cultural cues that affect the production and direction of lethality. We conclude with a discussion of the utility of the integrated model in understanding lethal violence against women and possible generational differences in these patterns.
Efficient MCMC estimation of discrete distributions

In this paper we propose an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for estimation of discrete distributions by solving an appropriate system of linear equations. We call the estimator the equation-solving estimator. Our numerical results show that the new estimator makes significant improvements over the conventional frequency MCMC estimator in terms of accuracy of the estimates. The new estimator can be used in Bayesian model comparison problems.
An Integrated Model of School Crisis Preparedness and Intervention A Shared Foundation to Facilitate International Crisis Intervention

In an effort to promote the social and cognitive competence of youth, school psychologists must be prepared to address a multitude of contextual factors and life events that impact children's performance and adjustment in school and subsequent developmental trajectories. The domain of crisis preparedness and intervention has received increased attention during the past decade (as evidenced by a growing school crisis intervention literature) and is currently a training standard for school psychologists in some parts of the world. Crisis situations may emerge following natural disasters such as floods, fires, tornadoes or earthquakes and also from human generated situations such as bombings and school shootings. Each of these events is likely to affect the children and families in schools and communities by presenting them with problems that will be challenging to cope with. There are a variety of crisis preparedness and intervention models and strategies available to address crisis situations. Without a shared foundation for crisis intervention, responding to crisis situations may be further complicated, especially in situations where international colleagues are collaborating. Therefore, a shared foundation that includes both preparedness and intervention while emphasizing both developmental and school considerations will be invaluable in our efforts to facilitate collaboration among diverse colleagues across multiple contexts. The purpose of this article is to incorporate several models and frameworks in order to provide a shared foundation for school psychologists and other educational and mental health professionals regarding crisis preparedness and intervention. To establish a shared foundation for international crisis collaboration, it is also necessary to review the original works discussed in this brief overview and participate in relevant workshops.
Stereochemische Eigenschaften als Diversitätselement: Festphasensynthese cyclischer RGD‐Peptidderivate via asymmetrische Katalyse

Unterschiedliche biologische Aktivitaten weisen die diastereomeren, aus chiralen Aminoalkoholen synthetisierten cyclischen Peptide wie 1 (nur ein Diastereomer gezeigt) mit der universalen Zellerkennungssequenz Arg-Gly-Asp aufgrund verschiedener Konformationen auf. Die erforderlichen Aminoalkohole wurden aus polymergebunden Epoxiden durch enantioselektive Ringoffnung erhalten, was den Nutzen enantioselektiver Katalysereaktionen fur die kombinatorische Synthese unterstreicht.
The Staphylococcus-Specific Gene rsr Represses agr and Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

The expression of virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus is tightly coordinated by a vast network of regulatory molecules. In this report, we characterize a genetic locus unique to staphylococci called rsr that has a role in repressing two key virulence regulators, sarR and agr. Using strain SH1000, we showed that the transcription of virulence effectors, such as hla, sspA, and spa, is altered in an rsr mutant in a way consistent with agr upregulation. Analysis of RNAIII expression of the agr locus in rsr and rsr-sarR mutants indicated that rsr likely contributes to agr expression independently of SarR. We also provide evidence using a murine model of S. aureus skin infection that the effects mediated by rsr reduce disease progression.
Social Conflict and Gradual Political Succession: An Illustrative Model*

This paper studies the evolution of political institutions in the face of conflict. We examine institutional reform in a class of pivotal mechanisms—institutions that behave as if the resulting policy were determined by a “pivotal” decision maker drawn from the potential population of citizens and who holds full policy-making authority at the time. A rule-ofsuccession describes the process by which pivotal decision makers in period t + 1 are, themselves, chosen by pivotal decision makers in period t .T wo sources of conflict—class conflict, arising from differences in wealth, and ideological conflict, arising from differences in preferences—are examined. In each case, we characterize the unique Markov-perfect equilibrium of the associated dynamic political game, and show that public decision-making authority evolves monotonically downward in wealth and upward in ideological predisposition toward the public good. We then examine rules-of-succession when ideology and wealth exhibit correlation.
Wireless network design for distributed control

We present a cross-layer framework for the joint design of wireless networks and distributed controllers. The design objective is to optimize the control performance. This control performance is a complex function of the network parameters, such as throughput, packet delay and packet loss probabilities. The goal of optimizing the control performance imposes implicit tradeoffs on the wireless network design as opposed to the explicit tradeoffs typical in wireless data and voice applications. Specifically, the tradeoffs between network throughput, time delay and packet loss probability are intricate and implicit in the control performance index, which complicates network optimization. We show that this optimization requires a cross-layer design framework. We first present this framework for a broad class of distributed control applications. We then illustrate this framework by a cross-layer optimization of the link layer, MAC layer, and sample period selection in an inverted pendulum system. Our results indicate that cross-layer design significantly improves the performance and stability of the controller.
Management of comorbidities in diabetics with renal cell carcinoma: past utilization and current outcomes.

Objectives:This study evaluated whether particular diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, or hypertension pharmacotherapy was associated with improved renal cell carcinoma (RCC) outcomes in diabetics with emergent RCC. Methods:All DM cases newly diagnosed with RCC at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (January 01, 2003-December 31, 2010) were included (n = 95). Baseline demographic information, clinical history, and cancer outcomes were documented after chart review. Fisher’s test was used for the analysis of categorical outcomes across different treatment groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses for the comparisons of the overall survival and progression-free survival across treatment groups were assessed using Kaplan-Meier log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards models.Results:We found that DM pharmacotherapy users, which may represent a more advanced disease as compared to those controlled by diet alone, displayed significantly greater mortality (P = .01). Additionally, we found that cholesterol-low...
Habitat insularity and fire response traits: evidence from a sclerophyll archipelago

Rock outcrops are landscape features that may form habitat islands in a matrix of more widespread vegetation. The patterns of floristics, reproduction, gender, life span, growth forms, and fire response traits were compared between rock outcrops and matrix sclerophyll vegetation to test for insularity in taxon composition and functional traits. The outcrops and matrix had similar reproduction, gender, life span, and growth form traits, being dominated by co-sexual sclerophyll shrubs. The outcrops, however, were dissimilar in species composition and functional traits forming an archipelago of habitat islands in a forest matrix. Rank abundance curves were less even on rock outcrops than in adjacent forests, being dominated by shrubs that were killed by fire (obligate seeders). The ratio of shrubs killed by fire (obligate seeders) to resprouters was 70:30 on the outcrops compared with 38:62 in the matrix. Evidence for functional convergence in fire response traits comes from 27 genera, in 17 families, which have congeners in each habitat. Most shrub congeners on or near rocky outcrops were killed by fire whereas related taxa in the forests resprout after fire. Functional convergence can be related to disturbance frequency and/or differences in regeneration niche among habitats. A resprouting response appears to be related to more frequent fires in the matrix as outcrops experience fires less often. The dominance of obligate seeding shrubs on high rainfall outcrops may also be related to better resources in an environment where allocation to growth rather than storage could be advantageous. In drier and shadier habitats, however, resprouting may be promoted over seedling recruitment as the risks of recruitment failure are higher.
Formoterol dry-powder inhaler for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Formoterol, a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist, is used as an inhaled bronchodilator therapy for patients with asthma or for the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm in children and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Formoterol has unique characteristics of rapid onset and sustained duration of action compared with other bronchodilators. In addition to its effectiveness as regular maintenance therapy in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, formoterol is also reported to be effective as an as-needed reliever therapy in patients with asthma. Formoterol is available in several different types of dry-powder inhalers and pressurized metered-dose inhalers.
Evaluation of the concentration and enantiomeric purity of selected free amino acids in fermented malt beverages (beers).

Even though amino acids are important trace components in the brewing of beers, they have not been extensively evaluated in these beverages. Studies involving the enantiomeric composition of these amino acids are even less prevalent. A brief summary of the brewing process for malt beverages is given. The total concentration and enantiomeric composition of three amino acids (leucine, phenylalanine, and proline) were determined in 25 different beers. Proline tended to have the highest average absolute concentration and the lowest percentage of the D-enantiomer in most samples. In some cases the relative amounts of D-phenylalanine and D-leucine exceeded 10% of the individual amino acids. The enantiomeric composition of the amino acids in different beer samples did not vary as extensively as the absolute concentrations. The reason for the concentration differences between proline and the other amino acids is discussed. A knowledge of amino acid concentrations and enantiomeric compositions appears to be useful in characterizing specific beers and brewing processes. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Effect of Signal Quality and Contiguous Word of Mouth on Customer Acquisition for a Video-on-Demand Service

This paper documents the existence and magnitude of contiguous word-of-mouth effects of signal quality of a video-on-demand (VOD) service on customer acquisition. We operationalize contiguous word-of-mouth effect based on geographic proximity and use behavioral data to quantify the effect. The signal quality for this VOD service is exogenously determined, objectively measured, and spatially uncorrelated. Furthermore, it is unobserved to the potential subscriber and is revealed postadoption. For a subscriber, the signal quality translates directly into the number of movies available for viewing, thus representing a part of the overall service quality. The combination of signal quality along with location and neighborhood information for each subscriber and potential subscriber allows us to resolve the typical challenges in measuring causal social network effects. We find that contiguous word of mouth affects about 8% of the subscribers with respect to their adoption behavior. However, this effect acts as a double-edged sword because it is asymmetric. We find that the effect of negative word of mouth arising from poor signal quality is more than twice as large as the effect of positive word of mouth arising from excellent signal quality. Besides contiguous word of mouth, we find that advertising and the retail environment also play a role in adoption.
Discovery of Rare Mutations in Populations: TILLING by Sequencing

Discovery of rare mutations in populations requires methods, such as TILLING (for Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes), for processing and analyzing many individuals in parallel. Previous TILLING protocols employed enzymatic or physical discrimination of heteroduplexed from homoduplexed target DNA. Using mutant populations of rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum durum), we developed a method based on Illumina sequencing of target genes amplified from multidimensionally pooled templates representing 768 individuals per experiment. Parallel processing of sequencing libraries was aided by unique tracer sequences and barcodes allowing flexibility in the number and pooling arrangement of targeted genes, species, and pooling scheme. Sequencing reads were processed and aligned to the reference to identify possible single-nucleotide changes, which were then evaluated for frequency, sequencing quality, intersection pattern in pools, and statistical relevance to produce a Bayesian score with an associated confidence threshold. Discovery was robust both in rice and wheat using either bidimensional or tridimensional pooling schemes. The method compared favorably with other molecular and computational approaches, providing high sensitivity and specificity.
A Social Model of Persistent Mood States

Researchers have used moods to explain a variety of phenomena, yet the social causes of a mood are unknown. In this article, I present a social model of persistent mood states that argues that interactional characteristics such as the status differences between actors, the perceived responsibility of the other actor, and the reason for an emotional response influence the persistence of an emotional response to a situation. The mechanisms through which these factors cause an emotion to become a mood are the intensity of the emotional reaction and how much the actor reflects on the situation as a result of the interaction. I use data from the 1996 General Social Survey to test this model for anger; the results of the analyses provide support for many aspects of the model. The proposed model is a first step in explaining social factors that cause persistent mood states, and I discuss possible directions for future scholarship.
Overview of the Psychosocial Impact of Disasters

The psychosocial sequelae can be intense and of long duration in the aftermath of natural and technological disasters, as well as terrorist attacks. Post-traumatic stress symptoms and full syndrome disorder, depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, and excessive alcohol use have been demonstrated consistently, particularly following large-scale disasters. This paper examines the psychological research conducted at various intervals after extensive natural disasters, the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl technological accidents, and recent terrorist events in the United States. Factors predictive of the emergence of emotional distress and psychological and physical problems following a disaster also are discussed.
Patent focus on cancer chemotherapeutics V. Angiogenesis agents: September 2001 – August 2002

Angiogenesis refers to the formation of new capillaries from existing blood vessels and is believed to be a key process in tumour growth. Angiogenesis inhibition represents an active area of cancer drug discovery, with several agents and approaches now entering late stage clinical development. This review summarises the key aspects of recent patent applications relating to cancer chemotherapy and drug discovery that involve inhibition or modulation of angiogenesis. The review includes applications that have been published between September 2001 and August 2002. In particular, the review focuses on the approaches aimed at growth factor targets, such as angiopoietin, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Theoretical and observational techniques for estimating light scattering in first-year Arctic sea ice

Earth’s climate is known to be sensitive to the light scattering properties of sea ice across the Arctic Basin. For the purpose of understanding its interactions with shortwave radiation, sea ice can be described as a multiply scattering medium whose microstructural properties govern the quantity and quality of light scattering. The ice is populated with numerous inclusions of brine, air, precipitated salt crystals, and impurities embedded within a matrix of pure ice (e.g., see Weeks and Ackley, 1982). The multiple scattering caused by these inclusions in thick, bare sea ice generally causes more than half of the incident solar radiation to be backscattered to the atmosphere (Perovich, 1990). However, the structure of this composite material is complex and so the optical properties of sea ice have proven difficult to quantify and generalize. Since the liquid brine contained in sea ice must remain in freezing equilibrium with the ice, temperature changes can produce significant changes in the size and number distributions of these inclusions which determine the backscattering, absorption, and transmission of shortwave radiation at the frozen surface of the ocean.
ATP-Sensitive K+ Channels in Pancreatic β-Cells: Spare-Channel Hypothesis

Since their discovery in pancreatic beta-cells, ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the cell membrane have been thought to mediate glucose-induced beta-cell depolarization, which is required for triggering the voltage-dependent Ca2+ uptake subserving insulin release. The theory is that metabolism of glucose (and other fuel molecules) increases intracellular ATP or possibly other metabolites that diffuse to the membrane and inhibit the opening of ATP-sensitive K+ channels. This slows the efflux of positively charged K+ and depolarizes the cell. A recurrent source of confusion regarding this idea stems from the early observation that these channels are so exquisitely sensitive to intracellular ATP that channel opening is predicted to be approximately 99% inhibited under physiological conditions. To account for this apparent discrepancy, various mechanisms have been proposed that might render the channels less sensitive to intracellular ATP. We use a simple mathematical model to demonstrate that there is no major discrepancy and that, in fact, given the electrophysiological mechanisms existing in the beta-cell, the extreme sensitivity of the channels to ATP is appropriate and even mandatory for their physiological function.