cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulated Clearance of Histone Deacetylase 3 Protects Independent Formation of Nuclear Receptor Corepressor Complexes

An important step in transcriptional regulation by corepressors N-CoR and SMRT is the formation of a stable and active histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3)-containing complex. Although N-CoR and SMRT are thought to bind HDAC3 competitively, multiple studies have shown that they do not interfere with the function of each other. How this functional independence is sustained under the competitive interaction is unclear. Here, we show that the coupling of corepressor expression with HDAC3 degradation allows cells to maintain a stable level of uncomplexed HDAC3, thereby preventing mutual interference in the assembly of N-CoR and SMRT complexes. The free uncomplexed HDAC3 is highly unstable. Unexpectedly, the rate of HDAC3 degradation is inversely correlated with the expression level of corepressors. Our results indicate that reducing one corepressor accelerates HDAC3 clearance, thus preventing an increase in complex formation between HDAC3 and the other corepressor. In addition, this study also indicates that the formation of a stable and active HDAC3-corepressor complex is a stepwise process in which the C terminus of HDAC3 plays a critical role at late steps of the assembly process.
Monitoring catecholamines at single cells

Abstract Miniaturization of separation and electrochemical techniques have enabled chemical measurements to be made at the level of a single biological cell. These techniques have been particularly useful to measure catecholamines, compounds which serve as chemical messengers for extracellular communication.
Effects of "skeleton" photoperiods and high frequency light-dark cycles on the rhythm of cell division in synchronized cultures of Euglena.

Two further lines of evidence support the contention (Edmunds, 1966) that the cell cycle in autotrophically grown Euglena can be coupled to an endogenous, circadian biological clock under certain conditions. So-called “skeleton” photoperiods (LD: 3,6,3:12 and LD: 4,4,4:12) following a complete photoperiod regime entrain the cell division rhythm in the population to a precise 24 hr period, although the step-sizes of the successive fission bursts are always less than 2.00, indicating that not all cells divide in any one 24 hr interval. These findings imply that the continuous action of light is not required for synchronization and suggest that the putative oscillation underlying the rhythm can be phased by discrete light (or dark) “pulses” or signals.
ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL FITNESS ON A DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE: AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF THE RELATIVE INERTIA THESIS

This paper proposes an empirical framework for evaluating the relative structural inertia hypothesis, a central assumption of organizational ecology theories. In stark contrast to the tenets of strategic management, the relative inertia thesis claims that organizations are typically unable to match structural changes to their competitive environments in a timely fashion. The hypothesis is tested for the hospital industry in California during the 1980–90 time frame. Strategic movements in a competition ‘landscape’ are tracked using a variant of the Jaccard similarity coefficient, which has been applied in numerous studies of biological competition. Findings indicate that few hospitals are able to overcome inertial forces in adapting their service portfolios; furthermore, the ability of hospitals to strategically reposition themselves decreases markedly with provider density. Analyses also investigate the relation between organizational attributes (e.g., age, size, mission, and portfolio scope) and adaptability. Implications for both ecological and strategic theory are pursued. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phonon scattering from ferroelectric domain walls: Phonon imaging in KDP.

The ferroelectric domain wall is an ideal interface for studies of the boundary scattering of high frequency acoustic phonons. These internal interfaces have no contamination and can be reversibly created and destroyed by application of an electric field at the phase transition---122 K in KDP. Images of phonons in single- and multiple-domain cases show remarkable differences in the ballistic heat flux. Theoretical modeling based on acoustic wave reflection reveals that the domain walls act as nearly perfect grain boundaries.
Explaining variation in health status across space and time: implications for racial and ethnic disparities in self-rated health

We use the Metropolitan Community Information Center-Metro Survey-a serial cross section of adults residing in the City of Chicago, USA, conducted from 1991 through 1999-in combination with 1990 census data to simultaneously examine the extent to which self-rated health varies across Chicago neighborhoods and across time. Three-level hierarchical logit models are employed to decompose individual, spatial, and temporal variance in self-rated health. Results indicate that variation in self-rated health across neighborhoods is explained, in part, by variation in the level of neighborhood affluence. Neighborhood level poverty, however, is not a significant predictor of self-rated health. Community level affluence, moreover, accounts for a substantial proportion of the residual health deficit experienced by African-Americans when compared with Whites (after controlling for individual level SES). The effects of affluence hold when controlling for spatial autocorrelation and when considered in primarily African-American neighborhoods. Findings also indicate that individuals living in the City of Chicago became significantly healthier over the decade of the 1990s, and that this improvement in health is explained largely by the increasing education and income levels of Chicago residents.
Comparative in vitro bioactivity of cyclosporine on the proliferation of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in sarcoidosis patients (SP) and healthy controls (HC)

Abstract Rationale The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of different doses of cyclosporine on the amount of cultured PBMC proliferation in sarcoidosis in comparison to healthy controls. Methods The study was designed as a prospective invitro investigation of 24 patients with clinical criteria for sarcoidosis and 14 healthy controls. After a 20-ml blood sample was collected from each subject PBMC were prepared and placed in culture. The PBMC were studied in categories of unstimulated cells, cyclosporine (1 ng/ml, 10 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), PHA+cyclosporine (1 ng/ml, 10 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml). After 96 hours incubation the cells were counted and the amount of proliferation was gauged by counts per minute CPM(∗). Results SP-PBMC had a progressive decrease in CPM with increasing dose of cyclosporine [ 374 ∗ ± 240 to 252 ∗ ± 140 ( p ] and similarly in HC-PBMC [ 251 ∗ ± 67 to 191 ∗ ± 71 ( p ]. Comparing SP-PBMC with HC-PBMC by increasing the dose of cyclosporine resulted in a decrease [374∗ and 251∗ (p 82914 ∗ ± 54531 to 27860 ∗ ± 23845 ( p ] and similarly in HC-PBMC [ 122963 ∗ ± 55077 to 46907 ∗ ± 23009 ( p ]. Conclusions Cyclosporine in a dose dependent manner diminishes the proliferation of PBMC in sarcoidosis patients as well as in healthy controls. The difference in suppression by cyclosporine was not significant between sarcoidosis patients and controls. Although not statistically significant the sarcoidosis study group had a lower proliferation to PHA as compared to controls.
Carbon isotope effects of methane transport through Anahuac Shale - A core gas study

Abstract Compositional data and stable isotope ratios are critical datasets for the study of hydrocarbon generation, expulsion, and migration. These geochemical parameters are also important for studies of leakage detection for geological carbon sequestration. Diffusion, gas–liquid partitioning and adsorption, the three most crucial processes to affect gas transport through shale and other low-permeability formations, are known to cause stable isotope fractionation. A considerable number of studies have been conducted on stable isotope fractionation associated with diffusion and gas–liquid partitioning. However, significantly fewer data are reported in the literature that specifically addresses adsorption carbon isotope effects. Moreover, adsorption isotope effects are rarely verified or seldom demonstrated in geologic systems. In this study, a shale core taken from the Anahuac Formation in Texas Gulf Coast, which overlies several Frio reservoirs, was analyzed for composition and stable isotope ratios of the residual gas. These geochemical parameters are used to identify gas migration and associate transport mechanisms in the caprock formation. Gas samples extracted from the core contain alkane gas components (C1–C5) and show a systematic variation in carbon isotope ratios of methane along depth. An analytical model is proposed to interpret the observed carbon isotope trend on the basis of coupled processes of diffusion and adsorption. At a ratio of retardation of 0.99 between 12CH4 and 13CH4 (with 12CH4 having a preferential bonding with the clay mineral) and a diffusion time of 1.5 Ma, the modeled curve fits well with observed upward increasing δ13CCH4 values. This study demonstrates the isotope effect of adsorption in a natural system and its importance in quantifying gas-migration rate and distance in low-permeability systems.
Competence valuation as a strategic intrinsic motivation process.

This research investigated the strategic use of competence valuation in achievement settings and examined the consequences of implementing this self-enhancement strategy for intrinsic motivation. In two studies, participants reported higher competence valuation following positive feedback; in turn, competence valuation was positively related to intrinsic motivation. Competence valuation mediated the direct relationship between feedback and intrinsic motivation, and this mediation was independent of perceived competence, which also served a mediational function. Study 2 identified the specific nature of the observed effects. Participants receiving positive feedback reported higher competence valuation (and perceived competence), which led to enhanced intrinsic motivation; the reciprocal processes were not operative for those receiving negative feedback.
Recombinant Human Interferon γ: Adverse Effects in High-risk Stage I and II Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

Author(s): Meyskens, FL; Kopecky, K; Samson, M; Hersh, E; Macdonald, J; Jaffe, H; Crowley, J; Coltman, C
Diagnosing warm‐season rainfall variability in Mexico: a classification tree approach

Many observational studies provide evidence that connects seasonal rainfall variations over parts of the subtropical and tropical Americas with the behaviour of large-scale climate modes. This paper extends these claims based on analysis of a fairly extensive historical rainfall data set (1943–2006) from several locations in Mexico. The paper applies classification tree (CT) analysis to link warm-season rainfall variability to climate indices, which characterize ENSO state, the NAO, and sea-level pressure in the eastern North Pacific. While the results generally indicate that a significant part of the variability in warm-season rainfall over Mexico is conditioned by large-scale climate modes, there is only limited evidence of simple lag relationships involving Mexican rainfall and antecedent climate behaviour. The main implication here is that advances in warm seasonal rainfall prediction are likely to depend partially on improved capabilities to foreshadow the behaviour of large-scale climate modes a season or more in advance. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Cystic fibrosis genetics: from molecular understanding to clinical application

The availability of the human genome sequence and tools for interrogating individual genomes provide an unprecedented opportunity to apply genetics to medicine. Mendelian conditions, which are caused by dysfunction of a single gene, offer powerful examples that illustrate how genetics can provide insights into disease. Cystic fibrosis, one of the more common lethal autosomal recessive Mendelian disorders, is presented here as an example. Recent progress in elucidating disease mechanism and causes of phenotypic variation, as well as in the development of treatments, demonstrates that genetics continues to play an important part in cystic fibrosis research 25 years after the discovery of the disease-causing gene.
Abstract 3809: Effects of honokiol on UACC-62 and SKMEL-2 melanoma cell lines

Honokiol is a plant lignan extracted from the magnolia bark tree, previous studies from our laboratory showed its chemopreventive effects in a UVB-induced skin cancer model, as well as pro-apoptotic effects in A431 squamous cancer cell line. Studies from other groups have reported antineoplastic effects in different cancer models as well. In this study, the antineoplastic effects of honokiol were evaluated in vivo and in vitro against UACC-62 cell line that harbors mutated BRAF, CDK4i, PTEN and against SKMEL-2 cell line that presents NRAF, and TP53 mutated genes. For the in vivo studies, nude male mice were injected subcutaneously with 5x106 UACC-62 or SKMEL-2 cells. The next day animals were randomized into control and treatment groups, each group containing 20 animals. The control group received 250 αl of sesame oil intraperitoneally (IP), the treatment groups received honokiol dissolved in sesame oil; 1.25 mg (IP) in the UACC-62 group and 50 mg/kg (IP) in the SKMEL-2 injected mice. Animals were treated three times a week, for 5-7 weeks. Tumors’ incidence, multiplicity and volume were recorded every three days, mice9s weights and external signs of toxicity were also closely monitored. Tumor tissues were collected for histopathology, Western blots, and PCR arrays. For the in vitro studies, both cell lines were evaluated for cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis by TUNEL assay, cell cycle arrest by propidium iodide staining, and Western blots for proteins expressions. Honokiol treatment significantly reduced (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3809. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3809
From Ischochymia to Gastroparesis: Proposed Mechanisms and Preferred Management of Dyspepsia Over the Centuries

Dyspeptic symptoms are common with most patients suffering functional disorders that remain a therapeutic challenge for medical practitioners. Within the last three decades, gastric infection, altered motility, and hypersensitivity have gained and lost traction in explaining the development of functional dyspepsia. Considering these shifts, the aim of this review was to analyze changing understanding of and approaches to dyspepsia over a longer time period. Monographs, textbooks, and articles published during the last three centuries show that our understanding of normal gastric function has improved dramatically. With increased insight came new ideas about disease mechanisms, diagnostic options, and treatments. Despite shifts over time, the importance of functional abnormalities was recognized early on and explained in the context of societal influences and stressors, anxieties, and biological influences, thus resembling the contemporary biopsychosocial model of illness. Symptoms were often attributed to changes in secretion, motility, and sensation or perception with technological innovation often influencing proposed mechanisms and treatments. Many of the principles or even agents applied more than a century ago are still part of today’s approach. This includes acid suppression, antiemetics, analgesics, and even non-pharmacologic therapies, such as gastric decompression or electrical stimulation of the stomach. This historical information does not only help us understand how we arrived at our current state of knowledge and standards of care, it also demonstrates that enthusiastic adoption of various competing explanatory models and the resulting treatments often did not survive the test of time. In view of the benign prognosis of dyspepsia, the data may function as a call for caution to avoid the potential harm of overly aggressive approaches or treatments with a high likelihood of adverse effects.
Amphetamine-induced enhancement of ethanol consumption: role of central catecholamines.

Rats administered continuous low levels of amphetamine increase their free choice consumption of a 10% ethanol solution. The present experiment sought to determine the roles of central catecholamines in producing this effect by comparing the changes of ethanol consumption in rats implanted with control pellets or amphetamine pellets following intracerebral injections of 2×250 μg of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 6-OHDA preceded by 25 mg/kg of desipramine (to protect noradrenergic neurons from damage), or vehicle. The increase of ethanol consumption associated with continuous amphetamine administration was prevented by intracerebral 6-OHDA administration, but not by intracerebral 6-OHDA preceded by desipramine. There were no significant changes of ethanol consumption in animals receiving either 6-OHDA regimen followed by control pellet implantation. These data indicate that the increased consumption of ethanol obtained with continuous amphetamine administration is mediated by central noradrenergic systems.
Chronic neuropathic pain. Mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Background:The management of chronic pain represents a significant public health issue in the United States. It is both costly to our health care system and devastating to the patient's quality of life. The need to improve pain outcomes is reflected by the congressional declaration of the present de
Does frequency count? Parental input and the acquisition of vocabulary.

Studies examining factors that influence when words are learned typically investigate one lexical category or a small set of words. We provide the first evaluation of the relation between input frequency and age of acquisition for a large sample of words. The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory provides norming data on age of acquisition for 562 individual words collected from the parents of children aged 0;8 to 2;6. The CHILDES database provides estimates of frequency with which parents use these words with their children (age : 0 ;7–7;5; mean age: 36 months). For production, across all words higher parental frequency is associated with later acquisition. Within lexical categories, however, higher frequency is related to earlier acquisition. For comprehension, parental frequency correlates significantly with the age of acquisition only for common nouns. Frequency effects change with development. Thus, frequency impacts vocabulary acquisition in a complex interaction with category, modality and developmental stage. [*] Preparation of this article was made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (BCS-0131829) to PL. We thank Shihfen Tu for the initial calculations of age of acquisition from the CDI database and Janet Patterson for her helpful comments on the manuscript. We are grateful to the many child language researchers who contributed data to the CHILDES database that made possible the estimates of
When Self-Interest Matters

The relative influence of self-interest and values on policy preferences was assessed experimentally in a national survey that posed questions about three contemporary political issues—Social Security reform, the home mortgage interest tax deduction, and health care benefits for domestic partners. For each issue, respondents were randomly assigned to one of three priming conditions that influenced the frame of reference for their policy evaluations. The results show that people are more likely to recognize their own self-interest, and to act upon it, when their stakes in the policy are clear or when they have been primed to think about the personal costs and benefits of the policy. This relationship is somewhat weakened but not eliminated when sociotropic considerations are primed. People with a smaller stake in an issue are less likely to behave on the basis of self-interest and more likely to be influenced by their values and symbolic predispositions, especially when exposed to information that cues sociotropic concerns, group identifications, or value orientations.
Hypoxia Tolerance in Adult and Larval Cicindela Tiger Beetles Varies by Life History but Not Habitat Association

Flooding exposes terrestrial organisms to severe hypoxia. Among the best-studied insects that are frequently exposed to sooding are tiger beetle (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) larvae. In previous studies with a limited number of species, a correlation was found between habitat and hypoxia tolerance. In the current study, we examined hypoxia tolerance among third instars of six Cicindela species that vary in habitat association; we also tested adult survival of these species. We found that larvae of the different species survived an average of between 60 and 120 h of submersion in severely hypoxic water at 20C, with larvae that occur in dry sand having somewhat lower survival times. However, among larvae, there was no correlation between survival times and habitat risk of sooding. We found surprisingly high survival times among adult tiger beetles with a range of 10 h to 46 h. Adult Cicindela formosa formosa Say that are associated with dry sand and are active in the spring and fall survived submersion for 40 h, longer than any previously reported adult terrestrial insect exposed to hypoxia at moderate environmental temperatures. The lengthy survival times of adult tiger beetles are likely a result of adaptations to immersion during periods of inactivity. Our study suggests that additional insect species and life stages should be examined for hypoxia tolerance regardless of perceived threat of immersion.
Performance of HVDC Insulators under Contaminated Conditions

A review is presented on the performance of outdoor HVDC insulators in a polluting environment. Results from several recent studies have been included. Physical conditions and processes that lead to electrical breakdown are delineated. Both field and laboratory test results are presented to demonstrate the effects of ambient weather conditions and the contamination process on the flashover characteristics of an insulator. In particular, recent field test data from the Pacific HVDC Intertie has been included. Particle deposition mechanisms under the influence of electric field are also summarized. Lastly, leading theories pertaining to this field are reviewed.
The interaction of lightning with airborne vehicles

We review the available information on the mechanisms of lightning-aircraft interactions based primarily on studies involving four different instrumented aircraft. Further, we present available statistics on lightning-related aircraft incidents as a function of aircraft altitude and of ambient temperature. Finally, we examine the most significant aircraft and launch vehicle accidents attributed to lightning. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Herbals Used for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome

Diabetes mellitus and particularly noninsulin-dependent diabetes (type 2 diabetes) is an increasingly prevalent condition worldwide with serious consequences of multiorgan involvement and in particular cardiovascular and renal disease. Obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and its incidence has doubled in the past 2 decades among younger adults, adolescents, and children globally. Inflammation and insulin resistance are the underlying mechanisms for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its increased risk of cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary morbidity and mortality. MetS is affecting younger populations with adverse consequences seen in later years. Dietary supplements and herbals are often marketed for these conditions. This article review common herbals and supplements marketed or used by patients with diabetes, obesity, and MetS.
Risk of prostate cancer for young men with a prostate specific antigen less than their age specific median.

Purpose: We previously reported that the median prostate specific antigen for men 40 to 49 years old is 0.7 ng/ml and that a baseline prostate specific antigen between 0.7 and 2.5 ng/ml is associated with a 14.6-fold increased risk of prostate cancer. Although this suggests the need for close followup of men in their 40s with a prostate specific antigen level greater than 0.7 ng/ml, the appropriate screening strategy for men with a level less than the age specific median is unclear.Materials and Methods: From a large prostate cancer screening study 581 participants 40 to 49 years old with a baseline prostate specific antigen level less than 0.7 ng/ml were identified. All men were classified as high risk due to a positive family history and/or black heritage. Changes in prostate specific antigen over time, the cancer detection rate and pathological tumor features were examined as a function of the baseline prostate specific antigen.Results: At a median followup of 13 months 2 patients with an initial prost...
Single dose and multiple dose studies of itraconazole nanoparticles.

The objective of this study was to determine and compare the lung and serum concentrations in mice following oral and pulmonary dosing of amorphous nanoparticulate itraconazole (ITZ) compositions as well as the Sporanox® oral solution (itraconazole/Janssen). Second, the steady state partitioning of ITZ in lung tissue and circulatory compartments following repeated oral and pulmonary dosing was determined. The pulmonary formulation (ITZ-pulmonary) consisted of ITZ, polysorbate 80, and poloxamer 407 in a 1:0.75:0.75 ratio and the oral formulation (ITZ-oral) consisted of ITZ, PEG 8000, poloxamer 188, and sorbitan monooleate 80 in a 1:1:2:1 ratio. Mice were dosed every 12 h by nebulization with ITZ-pulmonary, or by oral gavage with ITZ-oral or Sporanox oral solution (n = 12 per study arm). ITZ-pulmonary achieved significantly greater (>10-fold) lung tissue concentrations compared to the Sporanox oral solution and ITZ-oral. There were no statistical differences between the two oral formulations. ITZ-pulmonary achieved significantly greater lung levels per unit serum concentration compared to the orally dosed ITZ compositions. High and sustained lung tissue concentrations were achieved via inhalation of an amorphous nanoparticulate ITZ-pulmonary composition while maintaining serum levels which are above the minimum lethal concentration (MLC) of Aspergillus fumigatus.
ELECTRONIC AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF IRON FILMS EPITAXIALLY GROWN ON Cu SINGLE CRYSTALS

The crystallographic and electronic structure of iron films epitaxially grown on Cu single crystals was investigated by LEED, AS, EELS and UPS. The Cu(100), Cu(110) and Cu(111) faces were used as substrates for the growth of the iron films. In our study emphasis was placed on the modification of surface properties due to the Fe/Cu interface. Significant variation with respect to α-Fe was observed in the electronic structure of fcc iron formed on the various crystal faces.
Transparent microcavity plasma devices for high resolution flexible display application

Lightweight and optically transparent microcavity plasma devices have been fabricated on plastic substrates by replica molding techniques. Polymer-based replica molding processing enables precisely controlled fabrication of complex arrays in an inexpensive, transparent, and flexible substrate that is both disposable and recyclable.
The impact of new biologicals in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

The past decade has seen a shift in the paradigm for RA management. DMARDs have been introduced at earlier stages of disease in an effort to slow or stop radiographic disease progression before irreversible joint damage, work disability, functional decline and other adverse outcomes are seen. Although often effective, DMARDs have been limited in treatment durability over the long term due to side-effects and declining efficacy. Combination regimens, often involving weekly methotrexate as the anchor drug, have been used increasingly to overcome the limitations of DMARD monotherapy. The advent of biological therapies that specifically target key proinflammatory cytokines, believed to be important in disease pathogenesis, provides several new treatment options. In controlled clinical trials, the IL-1 blocker anakinra (r-metHuIL-1ra) significantly reduced the clinical signs and symptoms of RA when used alone or in combination with weekly methotrexate. The TNF inhibitors etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab have shown similar efficacy; indeed, higher response rates for clinical and radiological parameters have been seen with the TNF blockers. Importantly, each of these biological response modifiers significantly reduced radiographic disease progression in 6- to 12-month studies, and some radiographic data extend to 24 months. Despite these promising findings, it remains to be determined whether slowing radiographic progression will translate into significant improvements in long-term outcomes.
Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy Study of Interfacial Defects Formed by Anodic Oxidation of Aluminum

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) measurements were carried out to characterize open-volume defects associated with anodic oxidation of aluminum. The annihilation fractions with low and high momentum electrons (S and W spectral lineshape parameters, respectively) of the annihilation photopeak were determined, as a function of the positron beam energy. A subsurface defect layer, containing nanometer-scale voids in the metal near the metal/oxide film interface, was found after oxide growth, and was shown to contain new voids created by anodizing. Such interfacial voids in the metal are of interest because of their possible role as corrosion initiation sites. The S parameter characterizing the defect-containing layer (S d ) was obtained by simulation of the S-energy profiles. On samples with two different surface conditions, S d remained constant at its initial value during anodizing. Because S d is related to the void volume fraction in the interfacial metallic layer containing the voids, that result suggests that formation of metallic voids, and their subsequent incorporation into the growing oxide layer, occurred repeatedly at specific favored sites.
THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ON ROBBERY AND PROPERTY CRIME: THE ROLE OF CONSUMER SENTIMENT*

Despite its long history in criminology, research on the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and rates of common crime remains limited. That is in part because many analysts doubt that any systematic relationship exists and in part because of disagreement with regard to the validity of the indicators typically used to measure economic conditions. We argue in this article that good theoretical reasons exist to expect macroeconomic effects on crime rates, but many theories imply that collective perceptions of economic hardship should have effects on crime that are independent of those of more “objective” economic indicators. To evaluate this argument, we examine the relationships between the Index of Consumer Sentiment and regional robbery, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft rates in the United States between 1970 and 2003, which was a period of large swings in both consumer sentiment and instrumental crime. Controlling for several factors thought to influence temporal variation in crime rates, we find that consumer sentiment had significant effects on robbery and property crime rates over the period that were largely independent of the effects of unemployment and economic growth. We also find that consumer sentiment accounted for a sizable fraction of the crime decline during the 1990s and yields reasonably accurate predictions of changes in the four offenses in 2004 and in two of the four offenses in 2005. We conclude that the effects of collective economic perceptions should become an important focus of future research on crime trends.
Young children's post tantrum affiliation with their parents

In our database of 331 parental narratives of tantrums had by children 18-60 months old, 29% of the tantrums were followed by child-initiated affiliation with parents. Four variables increased the probability of children's post tantrum affiliation (PTA): age, prolonged screaming, physiological stress, and parent-initiated separation from the child during the tantrum. The age effect may he due to increasing post tantrum persistence of negative affect, to the emergence of shame, guilt, and embarrassment over this developmental period, and/or to increasing cognitive ability, empathic capacity, or socialization. Screaming, which may be analogous to the defensive vocalizations of nonhuman primates, increases PTA when prolonged for 6 min or more. Physiological stress (indicated by autonomic activation or respiratory distress) appears linked to prolonged screaming and may mediate its effects by increasing the child's dysphoria and need for consolation. Separation (parents' departure from the scene of the tantrum or their imposition of a time out) also appears linked to prolonged screaming and may reflect parents' response to an aversive auditory stimulus. There was no evidence that PTA was associated with the presence or degree of physically expressed anger in the tantrum. PTA may be associated with distress during the tantrum. The post conflict reconciliation which occurs in several domains of human social life may be first experienced by children in the aftermath of their tantrums.
Mobilization, Participation, and Solidaridad: Latino Participation in the 2006 Immigration Protest Rallies

This article tests multiple hypotheses regarding participation in the 2006 immigration rallies in American cities. Specifically, the authors test whether the movement was widespread among Latinos or limited to Mexican immigrants, as speculated by the media, or whether group solidarity can be credited with mobilizing participation and support of Latino citizens for a largely immigrant cause. The consistent findings using both qualitative and quantitative approaches provide robust support for the conclusion that Latino support for the protests was strong across the population as a strong sense of solidarity unified the population around the immigration issue.
Outbreak of Adenovirus Genome Type 7d2 Infection in a Pediatric Chronic-Care Facility and Tertiary-Care Hospital

An outbreak of adenovirus infection that involved residents of a pediatric chronic-care facility, staff of a tertiary-care hospital, and a nosocomial hospital case was studied. In the pediatric facility, 31 (33%) of 93 residents had adenovirus infection, and 8 died. Risk factors for illness were an age of < 7 years (P = .004), presence of a tracheostomy (P = .015), and residence on a particular floor (P < .001). In the tertiary-care hospital, 36 health care workers had adenovirus infection; 26 (72%) had failed to follow strict contact and droplet precautions, and 30 (83%) continued to care for patients while they had symptoms. A 5-month-old patient with underlying lung disease acquired severe adenovirus infection in this hospital. All isolates were adenovirus type 7 (Ad7). DNA restriction analysis revealed the band patterns of all isolates to be identical and characteristic of the genome type d2. Thus, Ad7d2 caused significant morbidity and mortality in persons in the pediatric chronic-care facility and tertiary-care hospital. This is the first published description of Ad7d2 strains in the United States.
Hardware Implementation of a Backtracking-Based Reconfigurable Decoder for Lowering the Error Floor of Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes

Emerging applications such as flash-based storage systems and 10 gigabit Ethernet require that there is no error floor even at bit error rates as low as 10-12 or so. It has been found that trapping sets are responsible for the error floors of many LDPC codes with AWGN channels. This paper presents a hardware based backtracking scheme to break the trapping sets at runtime for lowering the error floor of quasi-cyclic LDPC codes. Backtracking is implemented as a self-contained module that can be interfaced to any generic reconfigurable iterative decoder for QC-LDPC codes. The backtracking module and a reconfigurable decoder are implemented with a FPGA and an 180 nm standard cell library. The results indicate that the overhead of backtracking is modest - about 5% in terms of logic and 13% in terms of memory for the first level backtracking and 14% in terms of logic and 46% in terms of memory for a two-level backtracking scheme. Furthermore, it is shown that the increase in latency due to backtracking is modest in the average case and can be controlled by the system designer by choosing the appropriate values for the number of trials and the number of iterations of the backtracking module.
How Getting into College Led Me to Study the History of Getting into College

I decided to study the history of American higher education shortly after May 1, 1968. Early that morning, over a thousand New York City police officers had cleared the Columbia University campus of demonstrators and the occupants of five university buildings. Upwards of 800 were arrested; perhaps the same number of students, faculty, and police needed medical attention. The next afternoon, the leaders of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) gathered on the balcony of the Columbia Law School building, looking at over a thousand demonstrators protesting the police action. The images of the police action initiated by the Columbia administration still haunt me. But so does the triumph of “manipulatory democracy” practiced by SDS members.
Impacts of contaminant storage on indoor air quality: Model development

Abstract A first-order, lumped capacitance model is used to describe the buffering of airborne chemical species by building materials and furnishings in the indoor environment. The model is applied to describe the interaction between formaldehyde in building materials and the concentration of the species in the indoor air. Storage buffering can decrease the effect of ventilation on the indoor concentration, compared to the inverse dependence of indoor concentration on the air exchange rate that is consistent with a constant emission rate source. If the exposure time of an occupant is long relative to the timescale of depletion of the compound from the storage medium, however, the total exposure will depend inversely on the air exchange rate. This lumped capacitance model is also applied to moisture buffering in the indoor environment, which occurs over much shorter depletion timescales of the order of days. This model provides a framework to interpret the impact of storage buffering on time-varying concentrations of chemical species and resulting occupant exposure. Pseudo-steady-state behavior is validated using field measurements. Model behavior over longer times is consistent with formaldehyde and moisture concentration measurements in previous studies.
Sector-based policy generation and enforcement for cognitive radios

The policy-managed radio model offers a way to force cognitive radios to comply with transmission restrictions and regulations. Policies that implement radio regulations are written in a policy language, and used by the policy engine to approve or deny transmission parameters. Since decision speed is one of the primary design requirements of cognitive radios, policy engines and reasoners can easily bottleneck the radio's operation. In this paper, we propose a policy generation and enforcement model for policy-managed cognitive radio systems designed with speed as its top priority. The model is based on the idea of splitting a resource into minimum-sized usable sectors. Policy is preprocessed and compiled for each of the sectors, thus creating a single static policy for each sector of the resource. This model drastically decreases runtime policy comparisons, thus speeding up the policy engine's operation. Another effect of this design is a simplified policy language model. We discuss design considerations and challenges for policy languages and policy engines, ways in which a slow policy engine can bottleneck a cognitive radio's operation, and assert that operational speed should be the top design priority when considering policy engines and reasoners. In addition, we analyze the on-disk storage required by this model, and suggest possible optimizations.
Narrow-Band Sampled-Data Techniques for Detection via the Underwater Acoustic Communication Channel

Utilization of the fast Fourier transform to detect and classify signals generated in the underwater acoustic channel is considered. A quadrature sampling technique is developed that permits efficient coefficient representation of narrow-band signals. A spatially distributed target composed of Gaussian scatterers is used to derive optimum detection and classification techniques. The optimum detector for spatially distributed targets is presented. In addition, cepstrum analysis is employed to extract significant classification clues such as target size and highlight structure. Typical experimental results of target echo, envelope, spectrum, and cepstrum are presented.
Effects of Atmospheric Pressure Trends on Calling, Mate-Seeking, and Phototaxis of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

ABSTRACT Insects and other animals sometimes modify behavior in response to changes in atmospheric pressure, an environmental cue that can provide warning of potentially injurious windy and rainy weather. To determine if Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) calling, mate-seeking, and phototaxis behaviors were affected by atmospheric pressure, we conducted analyses to correlate responsiveness with pressure trends over periods up to 48 h before laboratory bioassays. Mean responsiveness increased or decreased depending on the magnitudes and directions of pressure changes measured over different periods up to 24 h before bioassays, and changed differently in calling and mate-seeking bioassays than in phototaxis bioassays. For example, mean responsiveness decreased in mating behavior bioassays but increased in phototaxis bioassays when atmospheric pressure changed more than one standard deviation over a 24-h period. Such a result is consistent with a hypothesis that there may be survival benefits to focusing...
Toughening of unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins with liquid rubbers

A comprehensive study of toughening unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins by addition of liquid rubbers was carried out by considering the effects of cure temperature and gel time on final resin/rubber morphology. The objective was to produce a dispersed rubber phase consisting of particles less than 15 μm in diameter with the addition of limited amounts of rubber, so as not to seriously reduce the modulus and strength of the base resin. A variety of liquid rubbers was used including those based on poly(butadiene acrylonitrile), poly(epichlorohydrin). and two poly(acrylates). Fracture toughness of unmodified and rubber modified materials was measured using the compact tension (CT) test geometry. Significant improvements in fracture toughness were achieved with little to no change in Young's modulus or glass transition temperature. With modest rubber additions, the fracture toughness increased up to 62% for the polyester resin and up to 116% for the vinyl ester resin. In general, fracture toughness increases with increases in volume fraction of rubbery second-phase particles. However, results suggest that two-phase particles may be more effective tougheners than single-phase particles. The toughening mechanism appears to depend on the type of rubbery particle morphology present.
Convective Heat and Mass Transfer: Flow and Heat Transfer in Miniature Flow Passages

Miniature flow passages, defined here as passages with hydraulic diameters smaller than about 1 mm, have numerous applications. Some current applications include monolith chemical reactors, inkjet print-heads, bioengineering and biochemistry (lab-on-the-chip; drug delivery with ultrathin needles, etc.), microflow devices (micropumps, micro heat exchangers, etc.), and cooling systems for microelectronic and high-power magnets, to name a few. Miniature flow passages are an essential part of microfluidic devices , in which can be broadly defined as devices in which minute quantities of fluid are applied. Cooling systems based on microchannels can provide very large volumetric heat disposal rates that are unfeasible with virtually any other cooling technology. Their widespread future applications may in fact revolutionize some branches of medicine and industry. The serious study of flow in capillaries (tubes with D ≈ 1 mm) goes back to at least the 1960s. The application of microchannels for cooling of high-power systems is relatively new, however (Tuckerman and Pease, 1981). The literature dealing with flow in microtubes is extensive. Useful reviews include those of Papautsky et al. (2001), Morini (2004), Krishnamoorthy et al. (2007), and Fan and Luo (2008). The field of flow in miniature channels, in particular with respect to very small channels (microfluidics and nanofluidics) is a rapidly developing one. In this chapter we review the flow regimes and size-based miniature flow passage categories, and we discuss the limitations of the classical convection heat and mass transfer theory with respect to its application to miniature flow passages.
Risk of Adverse Infant Outcomes Associated with Maternal Tuberculosis in a Low Burden Setting: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

Background. Maternal tuberculosis (TB) may be associated with increased risk of adverse infant outcomes. Study Design. We examined the risk of low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and preterm birth (<37 weeks) associated with maternal TB in a retrospective population-based Washington State cohort using linked infant birth certificate and maternal delivery hospitalization discharge records. We identified 134 women with births between 1987 and 2012 with TB-associated ICD-9 diagnosis codes at hospital delivery discharge and 536 randomly selected women without TB, frequency matched 4 : 1 on delivery year. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the risk of LBW, SGA, and preterm birth between infants born to mothers with and without TB. Results. Infants born to women with TB were 3.74 (aRR 95% CI 1.40–10.00) times as likely to be LBW and 1.96 (aRR 95% CI 0.91–4.22) as likely to be SGA compared to infants born to mothers without TB. Risk of prematurity was similar (aRR 1.01 95% CI 0.39–2.58). Conclusion. Maternal TB is associated with poor infant outcomes even in a low burden setting. A better understanding of the adverse infant outcomes associated with maternal TB, reflecting recent trends in US TB epidemiology, may inform potential targeted interventions in other low prevalence settings.
Influence of pregnancy and cortisone treatment on brown adipose tissue in bats.

SummaryThe interscapular brown adipose tissue of the bat (Tadarida b. mexicana) undergoes significant fluctuations in lipid content during the reproductive cycle. There is a progressive accumulation of lipid in the brown fat cells, beginning in early pregnancy and reaching a maximum level late in the gestation period. In contrast, during and shortly after parturition the brown adipose tissue is essentially deplete of lipid, while 2 weeks following delivery lipid can again be found in the brown fat cells. Cortisone treatment of non-gravid bats results in increased lipid accumulation in the brown fat similar to that observed in the pregnant animal. A gradual increase in weight of brown fat parallels lipid hypertrophy. The role of adrenal activity in directing alterations in the lipid content of the interscapular brown adipose tissue of bats during the reproductive cycle is discussed.
ChipScope: Actually, That Funny Way of Looking at it Works Pretty Well

In this article, the author describes and reflects on a kind of vision that is unique to Bertram C. (‘Chip’) Bruce. This ‘funny way of looking at it’ includes a way of seeing the world as it is made in myriad connections, a way of seeing the world imaginatively and metaphorically, and a way of seeing the world with optimism and empathy.