cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does rental assistance improve mental health? Insights from a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract Almost half of renters in the United States are rent-burdened, meaning that they pay more than 30% of their income toward housing costs. Rental assistance through programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, alleviates these financial strains for around 5 million households. However, due to budgetary constraints, fewer than one in four eligible households actually receive this assistance and waitlists average two years nationally. Using longitudinal data from a cohort of 400 low-income adults living in New Haven, CT, this paper investigates how access to rental assistance affects mental health through two analytical methods that address selection into rental assistance. First, we performed a cross-sectional analysis to identify how psychological distress differs among those receiving and those on a waitlist for rental assistance. Second, we used a within-person fixed-effects analysis to compare changes in individuals following entry into rental assistance. We find that those receiving rental assistance report significantly less psychological distress than those on waiting lists and that transitions into rental assistance are associated with statistically non-significant decreases in psychological distress. Our findings suggest that expanding rental assistance may be one potential step toward improving the mental health of low-income individuals in the United States.
Real-time monitoring of drug pharmacokinetics within tumor tissue in live animals

The efficacy and safety of a chemotherapy regimen fundamentally depends on its pharmacokinetics. This is currently measured based on blood samples, but the abnormal vasculature and physiological heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment can produce radically different drug pharmacokinetics relative to the systemic circulation. We have developed an implantable microelectrode array sensor that can collect such tissue-based pharmacokinetic data by simultaneously measuring intratumoral pharmacokinetics from multiple sites. We employ gold nanoporous microelectrodes that maintain robust sensor performance even after repeated tissue implantation and extended exposure to the tumor microenvironment. We demonstrate continuous in vivo monitoring of concentrations of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin at multiple tumor sites in a rodent model, and demonstrate clear differences in pharmacokinetics relative to the circulation that could meaningfully affect drug efficacy and safety. This platform could prove valuable for preclinical in vivo characterization of cancer therapeutics, and may offer a foundation for future clinical applications.
MAP kinase links the transcription factor Microphthalmia to c-Kit signalling in melanocytes

Germline mutations at loci encoding the transcription factor Microphthalmia (Mi), the cytokine receptor c-Kit, or its ligand Steel factor (Sl) result in strikingly similar defects in mast cell and melanocyte development1,2,3. Here we describe a biochemical link between Kit signalling and the activity of Mi. Stimulation of melanoma cells with Sl results in activation of MAP kinase, which in turn phosphorylates Mi at a consensus target serine. This phosphorylation upregulates Mi transactivation of the tyrosinase pigmentation gene promoter. In addition to modulating pigment production, such signalling may regulate the expression of genes essential for melanocyte survival and development. The pathway represents a new application of the general MAP kinase machinery in transducing a signal between a tissue-specific receptor at the cell surface and a tissue-specific transcription factor in the nucleus.
Frequency spreading Doppler scaling compensation in underwater acoustic multicarrier communications

In underwater acoustic (UWA) communications, the mobility of communicating vehicles results in a change of the time scale in the received signal. This is called Doppler scaling. Doppler scaling, although small (usually 1%, or smaller), impacts the receiver performance significantly, if uncompensated. This paper suggests a novel method for compensating Doppler scaling in filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) systems. We show that the method of frequency spreading that have already been applied to the design of digital filters can be applied to each subcarrier in FBMC systems to compensate the impact of Doppler scaling. This novel approach compensates for Doppler scaling with a very small addition in the complexity.
How to remove multiple scattering from core-excitation spectra: III. Varying the mean free path

Abstract A new method for removing multiple-scattering artifacts from electron-energy-loss data is presented. In it, the mean free path of beam electrons in the sample is varied by changing their kinetic energy. Extrapolation of suitably normalized data to infinite mean free path produces the desired result. The method works for data gathered using any scattering angle, and over any energy-loss range, in which adequate counting rates are available.
Implementing Procedural Safeguards for the Development of Bioinformatics Interoperability Standards

In recent years, the field of bioinformatics has seen a surge of interest in the development of interoperability and compatibility standards. These range from standards for data exchange and controlled vocabularies (ontologies) to minimum experimental information and data analytics. To date, the bioinformatics field has been free of the standards litigation that has affected other technology-based industries. But with the increasing adoption of standards by bioinformatics researchers and vendors, the issues faced by other standards groups will become increasingly relevant. This article reports the results of an industry-wide study of bioinformatics standards development activities and the policies and procedures adopted by each such standards development organization. This study suggests that the majority of bioinformatics standards development organizations are ill-equipped to address or deter process abuse and patent hold-up. In many cases, these organizations either lack written policies entirely, or adopt vague, aspirational statements regarding a desire that materials produced to be “open” and publicly available. Accordingly, I recommend that bioinformatics standards-development organizations carefully review their existing policies and procedures. To the extent that they do not address key points regarding process openness and intellectual property, these policies and procedures should be revised. In order to assist organizations with this exercise, I offer a straightforward policy template that can be adapted to the specific needs and requirements of individual bioinformatics standards organizations. It is hoped that these modest prophylactic measures will enable the bioinformatics community to avoid the disruptive and costly standards-related litigation that has affected other industries.
Cultural consensus theory: aggregating continuous responses in a finite interval

Cultural consensus theory (CCT) consists of cognitive models for aggregating responses of “informants” to test items about some domain of their shared cultural knowledge. This paper develops a CCT model for items requiring bounded numerical responses, e.g. probability estimates, confidence judgments, or similarity judgments. The model assumes that each item generates a latent random representation in each informant, with mean equal to the consensus answer and variance depending jointly on the informant and the location of the consensus answer. The manifest responses may reflect biases of the informants. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods were used to estimate the model, and simulation studies validated the approach. The model was applied to an existing cross-cultural dataset involving native Japanese and English speakers judging the similarity of emotion terms. The results sharpened earlier studies that showed that both cultures appear to have very similar cognitive representations of emotion terms.
Annotating Lexically Entailed Subevents for Textual Inference Tasks

This paper presents a procedure for constructing an Event Structure Lexicon (ESL), a resource which represents the lexically-entailed subevents in text as a support for textual inference tasks. The ESL is used as a resource for a subevent markup algorithm, called SUBEVITA, which annotates event implicatures on top of TimeML-based extraction algorithms. Such a resource can be used independently within the RTE task and other linguistic reasoning applications. Finally, we present experimental results of the classification for building the ESL of motion verbs in English.
Application of Monte Carlo to Heat Transfer Problems

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a view of the problems that have been solved by Monte Carlo in certain areas of heat transfer, and the techniques used in their solution. Only the straightforward Monte Carlo approach has been given. The machine running time of Monte Carlo programs have been discussed. No definitive method of predicting running time exists for most problems. The time used will depend, of course, on the machine used, and perhaps more strongly on the ability of the programmer to pick methods and shortcuts that will reduce the burden on the machine. An example of such a shortcut is the use of special subroutines for computation of such functions as sine and cosine. These routines sacrifice some accuracy to a gain in speed. If problem answers accurate to a few per cent are desired, then the use of eight-place functions from a relatively slow subroutine is a needless luxury, especially if the subroutine is to be used tens of thousands of times. The chapter discusses the fruitless argument as to whether Monte Carlo or some other method is a “better” way of attacking a given problem.
Boundary Modified Contact Processes

We introduce a one dimensional contact process for which births to the right of the rightmost particle and to the left of the leftmost particle occur at rate λe (where e is for external). Other births occur at rate λi (where i is for internal). Deaths occur at rate 1. The case λe=λi is the well known basic contact process for which there is a critical value λc>1 such that if the birth rate is larger than λc the process has a positive probability of surviving. Our main motivation here is to understand the relative importance of the external birth rates. We show that if λe≤1 then the process always dies out while if λe>1 and if λi is large enough then the process may survive. We also show that if λi 1 we introduce a second process that has an epidemiological interpretation. For this process each site can be in one of three states: infected, a susceptible that has never been infected, or a susceptible that has been infected previously. Furthermore, the rates at which the two types of susceptible become infected are different. We obtain some information about the phase diagram about this case as well.
Is the relativity of simultaneity a temporal illusion

Tensism holds that the present moment has a special status that sets it apart from the past and the future, independently of perceivers. One of the main objections to this view has been Einstein�s argument from special relativity, which aims at showing that absolute simultaneity is a myth. We argue that the moving observer in a causal variant of Einstein�s original thought experiment is subject to a temporal illusion. Owing to the analogy of the cases, this casts doubt on the conjectures that there is no privileged frame of reference and that special relativity poses a problem for tensism.
Recent developments in the age-related alteration of enzymes: A review

Recent developments dealing with the age-related alteration of enzymes have been examined. Since the last review of this field, three enzymes have been purified to homogeneity from young and old nematodes (enolase, phosphoglycerate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase) and one from the liver of young and old rats (superoxide dismutase). In all cases except for triosephosphate isomerase, the enzymes from old animals show a reduced catalytic ability compared to those from young animals. In addition, new reports of increases in the amount of altered enzymes in late-passage cells in tissue culture have appeared, though contrary evidence has also been published. The data from these and other papers are compared and discussed. Possible explanations for the alteration of enzymes include error theory, substitution of individual amino acids and conformational change without sequence change. Though final conclusions cannot be made, the evidence favors the latter idea to explain the presence of altered enzymes in old animals.
Examining the construct validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised: Preferential correlates of fearless dominance and self-centered impulsivity

Although the construct of psychopathy is frequently construed as a unitary syndrome, the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) and its revision, the PPI-R (Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005), are composed of 2 scales, termed Fearless Dominance (FD) and Self-Centered Impulsivity (SCI), which appear to reflect orthogonal dimensions. In this study, we examined the construct validity of the FD and SCI scales of the PPI-R as markers of these constructs with a range of theoretically relevant correlates assessed across multiple domains in a sample of 200 forensic psychiatric inpatients. Results were generally, though not uniformly, consistent with hypothesized relationships: The SCI scale positively and selectively predicted anger and hostility, impulsivity, total psychiatric symptoms, drug abuse or dependence, antisocial behavior, and violence risk, whereas FD predicted anger, depression, anxiety symptoms (negatively), and alcohol abuse or dependence (positively).
HLA Matching in Renal Transplantation

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) was discovered and so named because of its association with allograft rejection in animals. Thus, when kidney transplantation in humans became a reality i...
Boron chemicals in diagnosis and therapeutics

Advances in the field of boron chemistry have expanded the application of boron from material use to medicine. Boron-based drugs represent a new class of molecules that possess several biomedical applications including use as imaging agents for both optical and nuclear imaging as well as therapeutic agents with anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and other disease-specific activities. For example, bortezomib (Velcade®), the only drug in clinical use with boron as an active element, was approved in 2003 as a proteasome inhibitor for the treatment of multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Several other boron-based compounds are in various phases of clinical trials, which illustrates the promise of this approach for medicinal chemists working in the area of boron chemistry. It is expected that in the near future, several boron-containing drugs should become available in the market with better efficacy and potency than existing drugs. This article discusses the current status of the develop...
New method to determine the lower limits in patient exposure: stacked computed radiography image detectors

This paper describes a new method to determine the lower limit of patient exposure: By placing several imaging plates of a computed radiography system (CR) into the same cassette, several images of the same patient can be obtained at different exposure levels (determined by the x-ray transmission of the various imaging plates. Initial experiments indicate that exposure reduction of between 50 and 75% might be acceptable. CR provides a powerful tool to study the subject of exposure reduction.
Property Values in a Low Populated Area when Dual Noxious Facilities are Present

This paper examines how the presence of dual, disparate environmental disamenities located near each other impact property values in a semi-rural area. A heavy metals manufacturing facility and a rubber-compounding factory operate two and one half miles apart in a small community. The heavy metals manufacturing facility uses low-level depleted uranium in its production. The level of production is small and the production process does not emit visible air pollution or odors that can be easily identified. Thus, if the surrounding community negatively perceives a potential risk, it is not through the channels of sight or smell. The rubber-compounding factory emits foul odors and some visible air pollution. Thus, its negative externalities and potential risks are easily perceptible. Using the hedonic price technique, this paper examines the impact of the use of a non-perceptible hazardous material in the production of a good on housing prices in a community when another more visible, noxious facility is present. The results show that noticeable disamenities are capitalized into housing values, while non-visible ones are not.
The IT/IS job market: a longitudinal perspective

This paper describes parallels between the IS/IT job market of the 1990's to that of the current decade using longitudinal data collected for these periods from job position ads. Although the data exhibits some measurement issues, it offers insight into the relative size of the specialized job market for IS/IT personnel at its peak in the late 90's to the relative size of the job market at its trough in the early 2000's and concludes a partial recovery now in the mid 2000's.Since the relative size of the IS/IT job market can be viewed as a driving force for much related activity in recruiting, personnel selection and collegiate education, this data may be useful for those interested in computer personnel, particularly in MIS positions. In contrast to governmental statistics gathered on broad definitions of computer personnel (c.f. [10], [4]), this research focuses on skills related to MIS personnel and some IT positions based upon specialized subsets of advertised job skills.The skills demanded in the job market have changed over the last decade. For example, although application and web development skills are still in demand, the programming languages and tools used for development have changed. At the same time, the well publicized downturn in enrolment in MIS programs means that there will be fewer graduates seeking positions in the next few years. This may very well result in a shortage of personnel with current skills.
Endothelial NOS and the blockade of LTP by NOS inhibitors in mice lacking neuronal NOS

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a persistent increase in synaptic strength implicated in certain forms of learning and memory. In the CA1 region of the hippocampus, LTP is thought to involve the release of one or more retrograde messengers from the postsynaptic cell that act on the presynaptic terminal to enhance transmitter release. One candidate retrograde messenger is the membrane-permeant gas nitric oxide (NO), which in the brain is released after activation of the neuronal-specific NO synthase isoform (nNOS). To assess the importance of NO in hippocampal synaptic plasticity, LTP was examined in mice where the gene encoding nNOS was disrupted by gene targeting. In nNOS- mice, LTP induced by weak intensity tetanic stimulation was normal except for a slight reduction in comparison to that in wild-type mice and was blocked by NOS inhibitors, just as it was in wild-type mice. Immunocytochemical studies indicate that in the nNOS- mice as in wild-type mice, the endothelial form of NOS (eNOS) is expressed in CA1 neurons. These findings suggest that eNOS, rather than nNOS, generates NO within the postsynaptic cell during LTP.
Adrenal glucocorticoids as a required factor in the development of ethanol withdrawal seizures in mice.

Clinically, convulsive seizures constitute a common withdrawal syndrome following the abrupt discontinuation of several addictive drugs, including ethanol. In alcoholics, after prolonged heavy intoxication by ethanol, grand real seizures ('rum fits') may occur preceding the onset of delirium tremens during withdrawalT, aS. Experimentally, in mice continuously treated with ethanol for several weeks, spontaneous seizures are rare, but convulsive seizures can be readily induced during withdrawal by the presentation of an auditory stimulus 3,4. Such audiogenic seizures in mice occur only for a limited period immediately following withdrawal, and appear to constitute a comparable syndrome to that found in man 3. These withdrawal seizures have been explained as rebound hyperexcitability following prolonged neuronal depression 1°,11,16. In animals receiving chronic administration of ethanol, recent studies have demonstrated an increase in brain tryptophan hydroxylase activity and in the turnover rate of serotonin s, a decrease in brain tyrosine hydroxylase activity 5, and an increase in the steady-state concentration ofdopamine in the caudate nucleus and of norepinephrine in the brain stem a3. While these changes in the biogenic amine systems may reflect the multiple effects of chronic ethanol administration on the central nervous system, their relation to ethanol as an addictive drug and in the mechanism of withdrawal behavior remains to be elucidated. Recently, we have shown that the ethanol-induced increase of brain tryptophan hydroxylase activity involves a mechanism which depends on adrenal glucocorticoids as a required factor 14. In the present study, we present data demonstrating that a similar requirement for adrenal glucocorticoids exists in the development of sound-induced withdrawal seizures in mice receiving chronic ethanol treatment. Male CDI (Swiss albino) mice and C57BL/10Bg mice, each bred in our own colony, were housed in groups of 5. The CD1 mice were 70 i 7 days of age, and the C57BL/10 mice were 66 ~ 8 days of age on the first day of ethanol treatment. Mice in all experimental and control groups were fed only a liquid diet as the source of food and water, as previously described3,S, 14. The liquid diet for the ethanol groups consisted of 60 ~° o Shape-Metracal (Mead-Johnson and Co.), 6 ~ (v/v) ethanol, 0.9 ~ NaCI, and water. The average daily consumption of liquid diet containing ethanol was 7-9 ml
STUDIES ON AN UNCOMPLICATED CORYZA OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL : V. A CORYZA OF SLOW ONSET.

A strain of fowl coryza of slow onset was carried through 20 successive passages in susceptible birds over a period of approximately 19 months. During this period it retained its initial characteristics as did also a coryza of rapid onset which was similarly maintained. 88 per cent of 72 birds infected with the coryza of slow onset showed a nasal discharge after an incubation period of 12 days or more; the actual limits being 9 to 31 days. 98 per cent of 54 birds infected with the coryza of rapid onset showed a nasal discharge on the 1st or 2nd day after injection. The duration of both coryzas was prolonged. Bacteriological examination indicated that Hemophilus gallinarum which is invariably present in the nasal exudate of birds infected with the coryza of rapid onset is not associated with the coryza of slow onset.
A comprehensive framework for domestic and global sustainability through integrative and dynamic technology, innovation and operations strategies

This paper examines current trends in technology and innovation management strategies that may be subjecting firms and nations to risk in terms of achieving long-term domestic and global sustainability. A new model is proposed that provides guidelines with respect to the proper allocation of domestic resources across multiple technology/industry domains, and presents advanced decision-making tools and operations management strategic concerns that should be addressed. Although this new model is explained with references as applied to the USA’s current business environment, the general theoretical model concepts may be used to help identify how any country can limit its foreign dependence and identify both technology research and development areas that will provide the country with sustainable core competencies in the global economy and marketplace, and the operational structures needed to effectively achieve these goals.
Six-Degree-of-Freedom Simulation of Hypersonic Vehicles

A three-dimensional, six-degree-of-freedom hypersonic vehicle model is being developed that more accurately characterizes vehicle dynamics for control studies. The main focus areas for this paper are the development of the rigid body dynamics equations of motion, the parametrization of the vehicle geometry, the formulation of the three-dimensional aerodynamic loads, and the adaptation of an existing 1D propulsion model. The aerodynamic loads are calculated by using or combining two-dimensional shock/expansion theory and the Taylor-Maccoll equations for conical flow. Comparisons with computational results show good agreement of resultant force and moment for the top and bottom vehicle surfaces and for most trials for the side surfaces. Using these models, the vehicle is trimmed for steady cruise conditions, and its flight dynamics are linearized about that state. This analysis provides information regarding the stability and controllability of a generic hypersonic vehicle in three-dimensional flight.
Steady state He II heat transfer through random packed spheres

Abstract Heat flow through superfluid helium (He II) contained in porous media is examined. In particular, heat transfer experiments were performed on He II contained in a bed of polyethylene spheres of uniform size arranged in random packs. Measured results include the steady state temperature drops across the three random packs of spheres (35, 49, and 98 μm diameter) and the associated steady heat inputs. Bath temperatures range from 1.7 to 2.1 K to help grasp the superfluid effects. Two pure flow regimes (laminar and turbulent) are decipherable from the heat flux dependence of the temperature gradient. Turbulent results are fitted to an empirically derived turbulent He II heat equation for large channels with an added tortuosity (extra length traveled) term that accounts for the porous media. An average tortuosity of 1.33 was obtained, which is comparable with values of 1.36–1.41 concluded from published work on classical fluid pressure drop across random packed spheres. Laminar permeability and shape factor results are compared to past studies of He II in porous media and in channel flows. The onset of turbulence is determined through a critical heat flux from which a critical Reynolds number is formulated but, does not describe He II turbulence in the normal fluid component. The addition of the laminar and turbulent heat flow equations into a unifying prediction fits the transition regime data within 25%.
'So few fat ones grow old': diet, health, and virtue in the golden age of rising life expectancy.

Life expectancy and chronic disease rates both rose dramatically in the United States during the first third of the twentieth century. As a result of this concurrence, Americans in this era increasingly thought about things they could do to extend their own lives, especially eating less, exercising more, and limiting stress, all factors thought to reduce chronic disease. New recognition of the correlation between daily physical habits and long lives made longevity look like a sign of virtue. At the same time, amidst discussions about the relationship between individual longevity and national vitality, this correlation also contributed to Americans’ moralization of diet, exercise, and emotional self-control.
Primary role of the serotonergic midline system in synchronized spontaneous activity during development of the embryonic mouse hindbrain

In the developing embryonic mouse hindbrain, we have shown that previously widespread synchronized spontaneous activity at E11.5 retracts to the initiating zone of the rostral hindbrain by E13.5, and ceases completely by E14.5. We now confirm that at E11.5 and E13.5, the primary driver of spontaneous activity is serotonergic input, while other transmitters (GABA, glutamate, NE, and ATP) have only modulatory roles. Using immunocytochemistry, we also show that at E13.5, 5-HT-positive neurons in the midline extend over a larger rostro-caudal distance than at E11.5, and that in the presumptive initiating zone, cell bodies occupy a band that extends 200 microm laterally on each side of the midline, with extensive axonal processes. The 5-HT2A receptor retains expression in lateral tissue over this developmental time. We find that in addition to being sensitive to 5-HT receptor antagonists, spontaneous activity is also abolished by blockers of gap junctions, and is increased in frequency and lateral spread by application of ammonium, presumably via increased intracellular pH augmenting gap junction conductance. Thus, 5-HT neurons of the midline remain the primary drivers of spontaneous activity at several stages of development in the hindbrain, relying in part on gap junctional communication during initiation of activity.
Using intellectual property to map the organisational evolution of firms: Tracing a biotechnology company from startup to bureaucracy to a multidivisional firm

The concomitant rise in the number of technology firms, US issued patents, and patent communications has forced researchers to investigate how such publicly known information can reveal characteristics and/or verify predictive models to describe the R&D-intensive firm. Here, we propose viewing the Boisot Information Space model through the lens of intellectual property as a means to describe and trace the organisational evolution of a technology firm. We map the model's dimensions – viz., codification, abstraction, and dissemination – onto publicly available forms of tangible (eg, patents, publications) and intangible (eg, trade secrets) knowledge assets to show that the model may accurately describe the social dynamics of a biotechnology company as it evolved from a 17-person startup to a >500 person multinational drug development company. This result relates to the firm's abilities to manage both tacit and explicit knowledge. A discussion of the limitations of the proposed model is described.
Rhetorical Reckoning A Response to Bandura

This comment is a response to Bandura’s guest editorial (Journal of Management, Vol. 38, no. 1, January 2012) on the functional properties of perceived self-efficacy. The focus of this comment is on the limitations inherent in natural language (i.e., verbal) theories and critiques, which the research regarding self-efficacy has highlighted and Bandura’s editorial underscores. Specifically, it is argued that Bandura’s comment is replete with rhetorical fallacies and theoretical contradictions. Several examples are described to both provide a tutorial on rhetorical sleight of hand and to set the record straight. Computational modeling and logical reasoning are presented as an alternative approach to better scientific theorizing and critique.
Chromosome banding patterns of the aye-aye,Daubentonia madagascariensis (primates, Daubentoniidae)

The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is an endangered prosimian primate found only on the island of Madagascar. It is the only extant representative of its family Daubentoniidae. The phylogenetic relationship of this species with other prosimians is unclear. Because a G-banded karyotype forDaubentonia has not previously been reported, blood for preparation of lymphocyte cultures was obtained from one of the four aye-ayes in captivity in the United States. The diploid chromosome number was 30. The karyotype consisted of 14 autosomal metacentrics, 10 autosomal submetacentrics, and 4 autosomal acrocentrics. The similarities between the G-banded chromosomes ofDaubentonia and those ofPropithecus, a member of the Indriidae, support the notion thatDaubentonia has a closer relationship with the Indriidae than with other Lemuriformes or the lorisoids.
A LiDAR Study of Erosion and Sedimentation of Meandering Waterways

Meandering waterways experience significant erosion and sedimentation especially during floods when the flow quantity considerably increases. Rivers and streams with sharp bents are regularly exposed to damages along their path as the speeding water flow erodes the concave side of the bent and deposits sedimentation on the convex side of the same. Surveying the pattern of sediment transport along lengthy water ways could require extensive effort especially if the waterway is long and/or has many twists and turns. A practical and technologically advanced way toward carrying out such a survey is to utilize LiDAR images taken along the waterway. This study was undertaken to analyze LiDAR tiles associated with sharply meandering sections along the Mohawk River in New York. The analysis was done by making a comparison at the examined sections before and after a major flooding event. The study used LiDAR rasters to model the terrain at the sections under consideration. Furthermore, digital elevation model (DEM) data was also employed to create models of the terrain prior to the major flooding event. The comparison also relied on contour maps, TINs, and LiDAR terrain simulation. It was concluded that the geometrical pattern of meandering sections is greatly impacted by major flooding events. Some of the changes that occur at a twisted section could result in a permanent irreversible damage to the waterway. A LiDAR survey could be an economical and efficient way to examine long waterways riddled with twists and turns. River sections that experience repeated erosion effects could become unstable. Identifying such sections and providing them with the necessary protection should be of high priority to prevent a landslide or a similar disaster.
Globalism Ascendant, Regionalism Stagnant: Japan’s Response to the Global Financial Crisis

Japan’s response to the global financial crisis has emphasized global initiatives and downplayed the regional agenda, in sharp contrast with its approach to the Asian financial crisis. This rebalancing in Japan’s economic diplomacy reflects the greater political space that it has enjoyed at the global level since its long-held views on the benefits of flexible International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending practices and controls on volatile capital flows became mainstream. Meanwhile, at the regional level Japan faces stiff competition from China in shaping the regional integration agenda and unchartered territory in coleading a multilateral Chiang Mai Initiative. Despite its enhanced profile, Japan’s new globalism is uneven: it has made a very significant financial contribution to expand the IMF’s resources and to restore trade financing; but Japan has not played a major role in the debate surrounding the most pressing issues of a future financial architecture, such as tackling global imbalances and promoting foreign exchange-rate cooperation. Japan’s muted voice, despite its large financial commitments, reflects its difficult adaptation to the G20 summitry process, as well as political volatility at home, which prevents it from developing measures to deal with the global downturn.
The Fetus and the Maternal Immune System: Pregnancy as a Model to Study Peripheral T-Cell Tolerance

In this article, we discuss recent findings that describe how maternal T cells respond upon encountering fetal antigens. Many earlier studies have characterized changes in the maternal T-cell repertoire of both humans and mice, yet it has been difficult to understand the significance of these findings since there has been no way to decipher if the alterations were the result of encounters with fetal antigens or were nonspecific changes related to pregnancy itself. Now, in the mouse, the availability of TCR transgenic mice and other technological advances allow direct visualization of the fate of maternal T cells that are reactive to the fetus and provide a means to probe the mechanisms by which tolerance to the fetus is maintained. This article focuses on how the fetus more closely resembles "developmental self' than a true allograft and how the study of maternal T-cell interactions with fetally derived antigens can be useful as a model for the study of peripheral T-cell tolerance.
Measuring Outcomes in Children with Early-Onset Scoliosis

The field of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) has experienced dramatic changes in the past 2 decades. Outcome measures have been better defined in an effort to assess results after management of this complicated pathology. Reasonable evidence has demonstrated that early fusion results in negative long-term pulmonary consequences. The traditional scoliosis outcome tools, such as radiographic measures, inadequately reflect outcomes in the area of EOS. Hence, other outcome tools have been used and developed to better assess EOS patients, such as health-related quality of life, thoracic deformity, lung function, and general health effects. These relationships can be conceptualized using the “framework model of health.” There are profound obstacles to improving research quality in this area, and these factors contribute to the variability in decision making in the treatment of EOS. Research in this area should be prioritized and incentivized to improve treatment methods and provide optimal care to these patients.
Pre-travel consultation and hepatitis B: a double opportunity for preventing infection in at-risk patients and life-threatening complications in HBV carriers.

In this issue of the Journal of Travel Medicine , Johnson and colleagues review the risk of acquisition of hepatitis B in international travelers.1 They found that the monthly incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) acquisition in long‐term travelers to endemic countries ranges from 25 to 420 per 100,000. In the same issue, a study of short‐term travelers from Australia to Asia analyzing paired pre‐travel and post‐travel sera showed a much lower incidence of 2.19 new hepatitis B infections per 10,000 travel days.2 This is in agreement with a recent study of Danish travelers where the monthly incidence of HBV was estimated to be 10.2 per 100,000.3 Multiple factors, including HBV prevalence in the destination country, visiting friends and relatives (VFR) status, risk activities, or medical care during travel, all impact risk of HBV acquisition.1 These at‐risk travelers should be offered hepatitis B vaccination. Pre‐travel consultation is also an opportunity to identify previously undiagnosed HBV infection in travelers known to be at risk of HBV infection as underlined in one article published in the 20.1 issue of the Journal. The authors evaluated the behavior of travel medicine practitioners in Boston, MA, as it relates to screening travelers for hepatitis B.4 In this study, provider behavior in relation to testing for HBV as well as characteristics of those tested and immunized for HBV were analyzed over a 25‐month period: 16% of patients were born in HBV‐risk countries, only 25% had previous HBV test results at their travel clinic appointment and 11% had tests performed at their travel clinic visit. Among 230 travelers tested during their travel clinic visit, 3.3% were HBV infected … Corresponding Author: Patricia F. Walker, MD, DTM&H, Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, Staff Physician, HealthPartners Center for International Health, Medical Director, HealthPartners Travel and Tropical Medicine Center, 451 North Dunlap St, St Paul, MN 55104, USA. E‐mail: patricia.f.walker{at}healthpartners.com
Training primary health care workers in Upper Volta

A training program for primary health care workers (PHCW) in the Sahel region of Upper Volta was described. The program was developed by Save the Children Fund (SCF) in cooperation with aid agencies and government health workers. Comite International de Development Rural (CIDR) and SCF came to the region in the early 1970s in order to assist the inhabitants in the aftermath of a several drought. The established a mother and child health clinic a nutrition center and a sick bay in Gorom Gorom but it soon became apparent that it would be impossible to provide health care for those in distant villages. The decision was made to train individuals from the villages as PHCWs. Each village was informed that training would be provided for an individual elected by the village. After a few PHCWs were trained in the initial program other villages decided to seed trainees. Classes were kept small and 30 individuals were trained over a 4-year period. The trainees were illiterate spoke a number of different dialects and had no knowledge of modern health concepts. The training was provided by individuals who were familiar with teaching methods and visual aids. Each course was conducted over a 2-week period at the clinic in Gorom Gorom. A specific topic was focused on each day. In the morning there was a brief lecture on the topic followed by a demonstration. In the afternoon the topic was further elaborated on usually with the help of teaching aids and then the days lesson was reviewed over tea in the late afternoon. Numerous teaching aids were used including chalk and flannelgraphs flipcharts and slides. Comic strips were used to depict how and when drugs were to be administered. The symptoms were depicted with the same color as the color on the containers used to store the drug which was to be used to treat the symptom. Trainees learned to dispense 3 drugs only. These drugs were choloroquine aspirin and sulfaguanidine. Lessons were translated by nurses versed in the dialects and bilinqual trainees were also used to translate. This served the dual purpose of translating the lesson but also reinforcing the learning of the lesson by the trainee. Teaching was simplified and made as interesting as possible. At the end of the course trainees were able to answer simple questions in a rote fashion but it is unlikely that they gained an understanding of underlying principles of health care or of the etiology of disease. After training medical teams made follow-up visits to the villages of the PHCW in order to reinforce the training and to resupply the PHCW with medical supplies. After the initial period PHCWs were expected to come to the clinic to obtain supplies. An adequate infrastructure for supplying the PHCWs was in effect in the area and was a necessary feature for an effective program. It is difficult to assess the impact of the training program. Of the 30 persons trained 22 are still working as PHCWs. Clinic attendance has increased due to referrals on the part of the PHCWs and there are fewer cases of tropical fever.
Structural organization, mapping, characterization and evolutionary relationships of CDKN2 gene family members in Xiphophorus fishes

Xiphophorus fishes and their hybrids are used as models for the study of melanoma and other diseases. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor gene family in humans is comprised of four members, including CDKN2A (P16), and dysregulation of this gene is implicated in numerous neoplasms including melanomas. We have investigated the status of the gene family in the southern platyfish X. maculatus. Xiphophorus harbors at least two such loci, which we now term CDKN2A/B and CDKN2D. Both loci map to Xiphophorus linkage group 5, a genomic area that has long been known to harbor the DIFF tumor suppressor locus. Within this report, we report on the complete cloning, genomic exon/intron boundary delineation, linkage mapping and expressional characteristics of Xiphophorus CDKN2D. We also compare and contrast this expression to that of the previously isolated CDKN2AB locus in normal and neoplastic tissues derived from non-hybrid and hybrid fishes. The hypothetical evolutionary relationships of gene family members and their involvement in melanoma is evaluated. In comparison to CDKN2A/B, the RNA expression of Xiphophorus CDKN2D differs in normal tissues and is not associated with melanotic/pathologic tissues, confirming functional divergence between obvious homologues.
Steam reforming and water–gas shift of ethanol on Rh and Rh–Ce catalysts in a catalytic wall reactor

Abstract Ethanol is a renewable, portable, and non-toxic liquid that is a possible source of hydrogen for PEM fuel cells. This work describes an auto-thermal flat plate catalytic wall reactor for steam reforming of ethanol into H 2 and CO 2 . Catalytic methane combustion on Pt is coupled to ethanol steam reforming on Rh and Rh–Ce across an auto-thermal wall. At a steam/carbon ratio of 3/1 the reactor gave >99% conversion of ethanol. An H 2 /CO ratio of 3/1 was obtained at a residence time of ∼100 ms and an upstream temperature of ∼800 °C. Methane selectivities of less than 1% were obtained with Rh–Ce. Water–gas shift was also considered in order to increase the H 2 /CO ratio. The reactor was lengthened to include a cooler water–gas shift section using a Pt–Ce catalyst. The extended reactor produced >99% conversion of ethanol and an H 2 /CO ratio of 30/1 at a steam/carbon ratio of 4/1. The residence time was ∼400 ms, and the upstream temperature was ∼900 °C in the extended reactor. The reactor was stable for at least 100 h with no detectable degradation in performance.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Carbon Nanotube Rolling and Sliding on Graphite

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to investigate the origin of friction for carbon nanotubes on graphite substrates. In an initial simulation, a (10,10) nanotube was placed in an ‘in-registry’ starting position where the hexagonal lattice of the substrate matched that of the nanotube. In a second simulation, the substrate was oriented 90 degrees to the nanotube. A uniform force was applied to the nanotubes for 500 fs to set them into motion. The simulation was then run until the nanotubes stopped moving relative to the substrate. Only sliding was observed in the out-of-registry simulation, while periodic sliding and rolling was observed in the in-registry simulation. The latter is a result of the relatively larger surface corrugation for the in-registry case and occurs to avoid direct atomic collisions between nanotube and substrate atoms as the nanotube is moved along the substrate. Analysis of the kinetic energy suggests that the transition between sliding and rolling contributes ...
Soil phosphorus levels needed for equal P uptake from four soils with different water contents at the same water potential

Soil volumetric water contents, φ, at −33 kPa potential may vary with soil from 0.06 to 0.70. Because P diffusion depends on φ, most economic P fertilizer rates required for different soils may require adjusting according to their soil-water relationships. The objective of this study was, after experimentally verifying a mechanistic nutrient uptake model on a series of soils varying in θ at −33 kPa potential, to use the model to predict labile P levels needed for each of these soils to achieve equal P uptake by maize (Zae mays L.) and verify these predictions. Maize was grown in a pot experiment using four soils having θ of 0.13, 0.20, 0.26, and 0.40 at −33 kPa each at 0, 200, and 400 mg kg-1 of added P. When root parameters obtained experimentally were used, predicted P uptake with the uptake model agreed with observed P uptake, y=0.99x+9.08 (r2=0.98). When P uptake was plotted vs. soil solution P, Cli, the relation varied with soil. The higher the θ the lower the Cli needed for equal P uptake. A similar relation was found between P uptake and diffusible soil P, Csi. Differences between the two plots occurred because of differences among soils in buffer power, ΔCsi/ΔCli. The Csi vs. P added relation was used to calculate differences among soils in the Csi needed to obtain equal P uptake. The Csi values ranged from 1.3 to 4.0 mmol kg−1. The calculated values were used in a second pot experiments to verify the predictions. No significant difference (α=0.05) in P uptake occurred. The results of this research indicate that the mechanistic nutrient uptake model can be used to predict the degree of adjustments in Csi needed to obtain the most economic P fertilizer rates among soils varying in θ.