cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectrum of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Experience.

Abstract Purpose We reviewed the clinical experience of kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in order to understand the impact of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic infection on transplant recipients. Given that early reports from heavily affected areas demonstrated a very high mortality rate amongst kidney transplant recipients, ranging between 30% and 40%, we sought to evaluate outcomes at a center with a high burden of cases but not experiencing acute crisis due to COVID-19. Procedures In this single center retrospective observational study, medical records of all kidney transplant recipients at the UCLA Medical Center were reviewed for a diagnosis of COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction, followed by chart review to determine kidney transplant characteristics and clinical course. Main findings A total of 41 kidney transplant recipients were identified with COVID-19 positive polymerase chain reaction. Recipients had been transplanted for a median of 47 months before diagnosis. The large proportion of infected individuals were minorities (Hispanic 65.9%, black 14.6%), on prednisone, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil (95.1%, 87.8%, and 87.8%, respectively), and had excellent allograft function (median 1.25 mg/dL). The most common presenting symptoms were fever, dyspnea, or cough. Most patients were hospitalized (63.4%); mortality was 9.8% and occurred only in patients in the intensive care unit. The most common treatment was reduction or removal of antimetabolite (77.8%). Approximately 26.9% presented with AKI. Conclusions COVID-19 infection in kidney transplant recipients results in a higher rate of hospitalization and mortality than in the general population. In an area with a high number of infections, the mortality rate was lower compared with earlier reports from areas experiencing early surge and strain on the medical system. Minorities were disproportionately affected. Future studies are needed to determine optimal approach to treatment and management of immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 infection.
It's a Phase That EBF1 Is Going Through.

EBF1 is a pioneer transcription factor involved in B lymphocyte specification. In this issue of Immunity, Wang et al. localize EBF1's pioneering activity to a prion-like domain that mediates recruitment of the nucleosome remodeler Brg1 and FUS-assisted liquid-liquid phase separation.
Redshifted 21 Centimeter Emission from Minihalos Before Reionization

Before reionization, the intergalactic medium (IGM) may have been sufficiently cold for low-mass "minihalos" to condense out of the gas and subsequently affect reionization. Previous work has shown that minihalos generate reasonably large 21 cm fluctuations. Here we consider this signal in its proper cosmological context and show that isolating minihalos from the rest of the IGM is extremely difficult. Using the well-known halo model, we compute the power spectrum of 21 cm fluctuations from minihalos and show that the signal decreases rapidly as feedback increases the Jeans mass. We then show that even a small Lyman-alpha background increases the 21 cm fluctuations of the diffuse IGM well beyond those of the minihalos; because the mass fraction in the IGM is much larger, minihalos will lie buried within the IGM signal. The distinctive signatures of non-linear bias and minihalo structure emerge only at much smaller scales, well beyond the resolution of any upcoming instruments. Using simple, but representative, reionization histories, we then show that the required Lyman-alpha background level is most likely achieved at z>15, while minihalos are still rare, so that they are almost always degenerate with the diffuse IGM.
Utilization of substance use treatment among criminal justice-involved individuals in the United States.

Abstract Over six million individuals are involved with the criminal justice system in the United States, of which a large proportion report extensive substance use. We examined the extent to which criminal justice-involvement affects substance use treatment utilization among participants from one of the largest annual surveys on substance use in the U.S., the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that criminal justice involvement was significantly associated with receiving substance use treatment in the past year (AOR 8.00, 95% CI: 6.23–10.27, p
Regulated underexpression of the FliM protein of Escherichia coli and evidence for a location in the flagellar motor distinct from the MotA/MotB torque generators.

The FliM protein of Escherichia coli is essential for the assembly and function of flagella. Here, we report the effects of controlled low-level expression of FliM in a fliM null strain. Disruption of the fliM gene abolishes flagellation. Underexpression of FliM causes cells to produce comparatively few flagella, and most flagella built are defective, producing subnormal average torque and fluctuating rapidly in speed. The results imply that in a normal flagellar motor, multiple molecules of FliM are present and can function independently to some degree. The speed fluctuations indicate that stable operation requires most, possibly all, of the normal complement of FliM. Thus, the FliM subunits are not as fully independent as the motility proteins MotA and MotB characterized in earlier work, suggesting that FliM occupies a location in the motor distinct from the MotA/MotB torque generators. Several mutations in fliM previously reported to cause flagellar paralysis in Salmonella typhimurium (H. Sockett, S. Yamaguchi, M. Kihara, V.M. Irikura, and R. M. Macnab, J. Bacteriol. 174:793-806, 1992) were made and characterized in E. coli. These mutations did not cause flagellar paralysis in E. coli; their phenotypes were more complex and suggest that FliM is not directly involved in torque generation.
Long-Run Growth in Open Economies: Export-Led Cumulative Causation or a Balance-of-Payments Constraint?

The post-Keynesian tradition contains two different models of long-run growth in open economies -- the model of export-led cumulative causation (ELCC) originally conceived by Nicholas Kaldor and the model of balance-of-payments-constrained growth (BPCG) developed by A.P. Thirlwall. These models diverge significantly in their core underlying assumptions. For example, they disagree about whether long-term gains in relative price competitiveness are possible and whether import demand constrains long-run growth. The two modeling approaches also yield conflicting policy implications. For example, some ELCC models imply that a domestic demand stimulus can boost long-run growth by sparking a virtuous circle of cumulative causation (including an endogenous increase in productivity growth), while most BPCG models imply that only policies that raise the income elasticity of export demand or lower the income elasticity of import demand can permit faster growth in the long run. The fact that both models have found econometric support suggests that each contains empirically supported elements, but the tests that have been conducted to date have not had sufficient power to distinguish between them. This paper will present both models in a common analytical framework to compare their theoretical differences and policy implications. The paper will argue that a generalized BPCG model that allows for financial flows and relative price effects can incorporate the cumulative causation feedbacks from the ELCC approach while also imposing the balance of payments equilibrium condition that is missing from the latter. The paper will also explore under what conditions different versions of the models apply.
Red blood cell distribution width is a predictor of readmission in cardiac patients.

Background Three-quarters of rehospitalizations ($44 billion yearly estimated cost) may be avoidable. A screening tool for the detection of potential readmission may facilitate more efficient case management. Hypothesis An elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is an independent predictor of hospital readmission in patients with unstable angina (UA) or non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Methods The study is a retrospective observational cohort analysis of adults admitted in 2007 with UA or NSTEMI. Data were gathered by review of inpatient medical records. The rate of 30-day nonelective readmission and time to nonelective readmission were recorded until November 1, 2011, and compared by RDW group using the 95th percentile (16.3%) as a cutoff. Results The median follow-up time of the 503 subjects (average age, 65 ± 13 years; 56% male) was 3.8 years (interquartile range: 0.3–4.3 years). Those readmitted within 30 days were older, had more comorbidities and higher RDW and creatinine levels, and were more likely to have had an intervention. At 3.8 years of follow-up, subjects with high RDW (>16.3%) were more likely to be readmitted compared to those with normal RDW (≤16.3%) (72.28% vs 59.95%, P = 0.003). In multivariable analyses, high RDW was a statistically significant predictor of readmission in general (hazard ratio: 1.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.02-1.79), P = 0.033) but not of 30-day rehospitalization (odds ratio: 1.34 (95% CI: 0.78-2.31), P = 0.292). Its area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.54 (sensitivity 23% and specificity 85%). Conclusions An elevated RDW is an independent predictor of hospital readmission in patients with UA or NSTEMI.
An analysis of private browsing modes in modern browsers

We study the security and privacy of private browsing modes recently added to all major browsers. We first propose a clean definition of the goals of private browsing and survey its implementation in different browsers. We conduct a measurement study to determine how often it is used and on what categories of sites. Our results suggest that private browsing is used differently from how it is marketed. We then describe an automated technique for testing the security of private browsing modes and report on a few weaknesses found in the Firefox browser. Finally, we show that many popular browser extensions and plugins undermine the security of private browsing. We propose and experiment with a workable policy that lets users safely run extensions in private browsing mode.
Assessing the Design of Instructional Software

AbstractThe EDUCOM/NCRIPTAL Higher Education Software Awards program was established to foster the development of high-quality instructional software. Achieving this goal entails the creation and dissemination of criteria for software evaluation, identification of specific software of sound design, and the granting of rewards to developers who might not otherwise receive support for their work. This article describes the rationale for procedures and evaluative criteria used in the first year of the awards program. The criteria constitute a coherent and theoretically grounded evaluative framework for software developers as well as researchers and educators who study or select educational software.
Effect of Processing on Strength of Nicalon Fibers in Nicalon Fiber‐Sic Matrix Composites

Degradation of strength of Nicalon (silicon carbide) fibers during processing of Nicalon fiber-SiC matrix composites was studied. Strength distribution of as-fabricated Nicalon fibers was obtained via bundle tests. Whereas, strengths of fractured fibers in Nicalon fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composite specimens were estimated by measuring fracture mirror radii. Comparison of fracture probability plots indicate significant differences in the behavior of the as-fabricated fibers and those in the composite. Possible causes leading to these differences are discussed.
Short-Lived Radioactivities and the Birth of the Sun

Now extinct short-lived radioactive isotopes were apparently extant in the early solar system. Their abundances can be inferred from isotopic effects in their daughter nuclei in primitive meteorites, and the deviation of these abundances from expectations from continuous galactic nucleosynthesis yields important information on the last nucleosynthetic events that contributed new nuclei to the solar system and on the general circumstances of the Sun’s birth. In this paper we present a rudimentary model that attempts to reconcile the abundances of ten short-lived radioactivities in the early solar system. In broad outlines, the picture requires 1) that Type Ia Supernovae maintained a steady ISM supply of 53Mn and 146Sm, 2) that the r-process events that slowly admixed new 107Pd, 129I, 182Hf, and 244Pu nuclei to the solar system occurred over an interval of several hundred million years prior to solar system formation, and 3) that a massive star, by injecting only material outside its helium-exhausted core into the proto-solar nebula, contributed 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 60Fe, and 182Hf no more than one million years prior to the Sun’s birth. In this picture, the live 182Hf present in the early solar system was not due to r-process production but rather to a fast s-process in helium or carbon burning shell in the massive star. We conclude with a possible chemical-memory explanation for the putative 53Cr/52Cr gradient in the solar system.
Design and Structural Analysis for the Vacuum Vessel of Superconducting Tokamak JT-60SC

A modification of the JT-60 is planned to be a superconducting tokamak (JT-60SC) in order to establish steady-state operation of high beta plasma for 100 s, and to ensure the applicability of ferri...
A novel prognostic model for patients with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma

Objective To demonstrate sarcomatoid differentiation is an independent prognostic feature for patients with grade 4 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with or without distant metastases. To identify independent predictors of survival, evaluate the correlation between the amount of sarcomatoid differentiation and cancer-specific survival (CSS), and to design a multivariate prognostic model for patients with sarcomatoid RCC. Patients and Methods We used the Mayo Clinic Nephrectomy Registry to identify 204 post-nephrectomy patients with sarcomatoid-variant RCC, as well as 207 patients with unilateral grade 4 RCC without sarcomatoid features for comparison. All slides were reviewed by one pathologist. CSS was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. The associations of clinical and pathological features with death from RCC were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results For all patients with grade 4 RCC, the presence of sarcomatoid differentiation was associated with a 58% increased risk of death from RCC (P < 0.001). For patients with grade 4 non-metastatic (M0) RCC, the presence of sarcomatoid differentiation was associated with an 82% increased risk of death from RCC (P < 0.001). For patients with sarcomatoid RCC, the 2009 primary tumour classifications, presence of regional lymph nodes and distant metastases, coagulative tumour necrosis, and the amount of sarcomatoid differentiation were each significantly associated with death from RCC in a multivariate setting. After adjusting for other prognostic variables, each 10% increase in the amount of sarcomatoid differentiation was associated with a 6% increased risk of death from RCC (P = 0.028). Patients whose tumours contained ≥30% (median amount) sarcomatoid differentiation were 52% more likely to die from RCC compared with patients whose tumours contained <30% sarcomatoid differentiation (hazard ratio 1.52; P = 0.018). Conclusions Among patients with grade 4 RCC, either with or without distant metastases at surgery, sarcomatoid differentiation is significantly associated with adverse survival in a multivariate setting. We also suggest for the first time that the percentage of sarcomatoid differentiation is an independent prognostic feature in a multivariate setting. The 2009 primary tumour classifications, regional lymph node status, the presence of distant metastases classifications, coagulative tumour necrosis, and the amount of sarcomatoid differentiation are independent predictors of survival for patients with sarcomatoid RCC.
Unified Natural Hazard Management: Lessons from Flooding

In the United States, authority for flood loss reduction programs is fragmented among thousands of federal, state, local and private sector entities. Experience of the National Flood Insurance Program, has demonstrated the merit of pursuing a unified national program to coordinate the activities of these entities. This experience is applicable to the mitigation of earthquake and hurricane hazards which are often geographically coincident with flood hazards. Lessons from flood experience suggest that the coordination of standards and application of technology are insufficient to achieve unified natural hazards management. In addition, national goals are essential to provide focus and cultural values must be explicitly recognized and accommodated or modified.
A possible association between breast cancer, bronchiectasis and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease

Background Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections in the U.S. occur predominantly in women with bronchiectasis and a characteristic phenotype that includes thin body habitus, scoliosis and mitral valve prolapse. The explanation(s) for this association is unclear, but may be related to hormone regulation. We hypothesized that women with bronchiectasis and NTM lung infection are also predisposed to hormonally mediated tumors such as breast cancer. Methods We identified age appropriate women from our outpatient clinic who were diagnosed with bronchiectasis and asked them to respond by telephone questions focused on hormone regulation and hormone associated malignancies such as breast cancer. Results A total of 113 surveys were completed. NTM lung disease was present in 110/113 (97.3%) of respondents. 21/113 (18.6%) of respondents had a history of breast cancer. (Women have a 12.4% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer in the U.S.) 30/113 (26.5%) had a first degree relative with breast cancer. The average age of breast cancer diagnosis was 59.9 +/- 4 yrs. Osteoporosis was present in 9/21 (42.9%) and in 42/92 (45.7%) of respondents with and without breast cancer respectively. 13/21 (62%) of respondents with breast cancer vs 60/92 (65%) of respondents without breast cancer had at least a partial hysterectomy. The average age at menopause was 47 +/- 4.8 yrs vs 46 +/- 5 yrs in the breast cancer and non-breast cancer groups respectively. Conclusions Women with bronchiectasis and NTM lung disease may also be at increased risk for the development of breast cancer. Corroboration of this observation and investigation of common pathophysiologic links requires more study.
Shakespeare and Disability Studies

This essay examines burgeoning scholarly interest in William Shakespeare’s representations of disability. In contrast with scholarship that identifies the 18th and 19th centuries as the genesis for identity-categories of disability, this essay explores the competing discourses relating to non-normative selfhood in the early modern period (the 16th and 17th centuries). In Shakespeare’s work, such discourses tend to function politically in situating disability at the nexus of the particularities of oppression and the construction of the subject, in that they often derive from classical concepts of the aesthetic; medieval concepts of the marvelous; theological concepts involving the radical reordering of personhood wrought by the Reformation; and medical concepts of pathology hinging on the supple explanatory system of humoral theory. The essay then offers concise overviews of three representative readings that illustrate the range of Shakespearean disability scholarship: the first, focusing on demonstrable forms of disability (2 Henry VI); the second, on ostensibly non-legible forms of disability (Julius Caesar); and the third, on the performance-history of disability (The Taming of the Shrew).
Ex-Yugoslav masculinities under female gaze, or why men skin cats, beat up gays and go to war

The Serbian Orthodox Church publicly and officially tells Serbian mothers who lost their only sons in the wars not to weep bitterly, but to “blame themselves for not giving birth to more than one c...
Theoretical explorations of cognitive robotics using developmental psychology

Abstract How can cognitive robotics inform developmental psychology researchers and what can developmental psychology tell us about creating robots? More importantly, how can cognitive robotics and developmental psychology nourish each other to become a symbiotic relationship for future research? We address the theoretical underpinnings of developmental change using a cognitive architecture implemented on a robotic system and how our theories of knowledge representation relate to critical periods of infant development. Next, we will show how descriptive theories of cognitive development, specifically Zelazo's Levels of Consciousness (LOC; Zelazo, 2000 , Zelazo, 2004 , Zelazo and Jacques, 1996 ), can be mapped onto a computational cognitive architecture (ACT-R; Anderson & Lebiere, 1998 ). Following our discussion of Zelazo's theory, we will apply the ACT-R architecture specifically to the problem of object permanence. Finally, we will address how cognitive robotics can serve as a computational proving ground of developmental psychology for future research.
Molecular dissection of nuclear entry-competent SV40 during infection.

Abstract To establish viral infection, SV40 must expose nuclear localization signals (NLSs) that are internal in the virion architecture in order to enter the nucleus via interaction with the host's nuclear import machinery, which includes importin α and importin β. The time course for SV40 association with the importins in infected cells was examined. The viral DNA associated with importin α by 1.5 h post infection, before associating with the importin β nuclear import receptor, by 3 h post infection. Only a small fraction of cell-internalized SV40 that contained viral DNA was bound by the two importins. This fraction, termed “nuclear entry-competent SV40,” was slightly smaller than the virion but, importantly, was larger than the viral chromatin and contained both Vp1 and Vp3. Furthermore, the internalized viral DNA in either anti-importin or anti-Vp3 immune complexes was sensitive to DNase I, whereas the viral DNA in mature virions was resistant. All these results suggest that once SV40 enters the cytoplasm, it undergoes an architectural modification that exposes the virion's NLSs for nuclear entry.
Toward a Model of Cyberbullying in the Workplace: An Online Disinhibition Perspective

Employees and organizations are using information and communication technology (ICT) such as cellphones, instant messaging, email, blogs, virtual communities, and social network sites with increasi...
Radioimmunoassay of 15α-hydroxyestriol (estetrol) in pregnancy serum

Abstract A more specific antisera against 15α-hydroxyestriol (estetrol) was produced in rabbits by immunization with 6-oxoestetrol-6-carboxymethyloximino-bovine serum albumin. The synthesis of estetrol tetraacetate was greatly improved. Characterization of estetrol antisera revealed that it is more specific than those formerly obtained. A simple method of extraction of estetrol with alcohol from serum with high recovery is described. A radioimmunoassay method for pregnancy serum is characterized in regard to its specificity, accuracy, sensitivity and precision. The method is able to measure as little as 50 pg/ tube or 167 pg/ml of serum. The intraasaay coefficient of variation is 7.8% and that for interassay including personnel variation is 14.2%Accuracy of the method, as determined by the recovery of non-radioactive estetrol (1 ng/ml) added to non-pregnancy serum, is found to be 89 ± 8 (SD)%, CV = 8.7%, without correction for experimental losses. One hundred twelve pregnancy sera were analysed; the values obtained from normal subjects in the third trimester ranged from 240–950 pg/ml. The values obtained by this method are somewhat lower than those reported previously, presumably due to the higher specificity of the antibody.
Disruption of Interleukin-1 Signaling Improves the Quality of Wound Healing

In this study, we investigated the role of interleukin (IL)-1 signaling in wound healing. IL-1 receptor type I (IL-1R) knockout (KO) mice showed reduced fibrosis in both cutaneous and deep tissue wounds, which was accompanied by a reduction in inflammatory cellular infiltration in cutaneous but not in deep tissue wounds. There were no differences in either total collagenolytic activity or in the expression of selected matrix metalloproteinases or tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases between the wound fluids from wild-type or IL-1R KO mice. However, wound fluids from IL-1R KO mice contained lower levels of IL-6 compared with wild-type controls. In addition, the infusion of IL-6 into wounds in IL-1R KO mice did not increase fibrosis. Skin wounds in IL-1R KO animals had lower levels of collagen and improved restoration of normal skin architecture compared with skin wounds in wild-type mice. However, neither the tensile strength of incisional skin wounds nor the rate of closure of excisional wounds differed between IL-1R KO and wild-type animals. The reduced fibrotic response in wounds from IL-1R KO mice could be reproduced by the administration of an IL-1R antagonist. These findings suggest that pharmacological interference with IL-1 signaling could have therapeutic value in the prevention of hypertrophic scarring and in the treatment of fibrotic diseases.
Complications of extended-field therapy for cervical carcinoma without prior surgery

This study is designed to analyze the complications of extended-field radiotherapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix uncomplicated by recent prior surgery. Forty-two patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix and lymph node metastases established by unequivocally positive bipedal lymphangiograms were treated with extended-field radiotherapy. External beam radiation to extended pelvic portals was limited to 4500 cGy using the linear accelerator and approximately 6000 mg-hr brachytherapy. Nodal boosts up to 500 cGy were generally limited to fields measuring less than 50 cm2. Higher doses were administered in 12 patients because of poor tumor regression. Eleven of these 12 patients experienced severe complications, and only three achieved control of their tumor. The type of treatment complication appeared to be directly related to specific modifications of the initial treatment plan. Treatment failures occurred within and outside of treatment portals with equal frequency.
Dichoptic metacontrast masking reveals a central basis for monoptic chromatic induction

Using a magnitude estimation method, an assessment was made of the nature and strength of the hue induced into an initially white test field by an adjacent chromatic inducing field delivered to the same eye. On half the trials, a metacontrast mask, seen as flanking the inducing field but delivered to the other eye, eliminated the perception of the inducing field without having any direct effect upon the appearance of the test. Strength of induction with the mask was only a small fraction of its unmasked value. Because the mask could not have affected any retinal component of induction, it is concluded that the basis of the chromatic induction is largely or entirely nonretinal.
Modeling collaboration using shared objects

Many object-oriented toolkits and frameworks for groupware development provide shared objects as a basic service. This relieves developers of a lot of problems originating from the field of distributed systems. However, there is little support on how to use shared objects to actually build collaborative applications. In this paper we propose an object-oriented model for applications using shared objects. The model is discussed with respect to object-oriented reusability aspects and its applicability is tested against CSCW-specific aspects like the provision of group-awareness and coupling control. Furthermore, concrete model examples derived from an example application are shown for illustration.
Construction Of Low Noise Correlation Filters

Synthetic discriminant functions (SDF's) for matched filters have potential use for pattern recognition. However, these filters have been plagued with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); i.e., these filters have no trouble correlating very well with true targets, but very often give high (even major) correlations with false targets. In fact, numerical experiments by the author and others show that the standard recipe for manufacturing SDF's gives filters with an SNR close to 1.00, even on a training set of imagery which has been edge-enhanced and energy-normalized. The author has introduced a new recipe for manufacturing SDF filters. These filters have an SNR of over 7.37 against their training sets and have proved to be very accurate in picking targets from extremely cluttered backgrounds, in fact much more accurate than the filter made from the standard recipe. The purpose of this note is to concisely recall the author's new recipe for these filters and to report on recent numerical experiments in which the difference in performance between filters made from the new and old recipes is, if anything, even more pronounced.
Approximation properties and continuous differentiability of a class of SISO fuzzy systems

The goal of the present paper is to investigate approximation and smoothness properties of Larsen type single input single output (SISO) fuzzy systems, that is, fuzzy logic systems using the maximum as aggregation for the individual rule outputs, product (Goguen) t-norm as the conjunctive operator and center of gravity defuzzification. We prove that the function providing the output of the above considered Larsen type fuzzy system is capable of approximating any continuous function. Also, it is continuously differentiable under very relaxed conditions as e.g. continuous differentiability of the antecendents except at their core, and continuous differentiability of the consequences of fuzzy rules except at their core and the enpoints of their support. We show practical examples regarding the approximation and smoothness of the Larsen type operators, showing also by an example that the conditions on the antecedent part cannot be in general weakened further without loosing continuous differentiability. The present paper provides a theoretical background for claims in literature stating that the output of a fuzzy control system of this type is smooth.
Scale Locality and the Caribbean Historical Archaeology

Historical archaeologists have become increasingly concerned with regional analysis focusing on the interconnections between different archaeological sites in order to develop a better sense of social relations. This development is in part due to the realization of many years of research and subsequent topical and theoretical syntheses. It also reflects a shifting concern in research towards fluidity of landscape and translocality (Hicks in World Archaeol 37:373–391, 2005; Lightfoot K (2005). University of California, Berkeley; Orser CE Jr (1996) A historical archaeology of the modern world. Plenum, New York; Wilkie LA, Farnsworth P (2005) Sampling many pots: an archaeology of memory and tradition at a Bahamian Plantation. University Press of Florida, Gainesville). The Caribbean as a world area highlights the need for broader regional analyses where tensions between local specificities and global/translocal processes are mediated. These tensions have been explored through discussions of identity, agency, colonialism and political economy. In this volume we explore the utility of scale of analysis in the framing of colonial landscapes between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries in the Caribbean. Contributors to this volume have concentrated on the ways in which scale as a concept is explicitly analyzed or implicitly employed to shape how we as archaeologists focus on topics associated with the African Diaspora in the Caribbean to draw out narratives of everyday life.
Apparatus-dependent contributions to g-2?

The University of Washington g-2 experiments have progressed to the marvelous precision of ${10}^{12}$ in their measurement of the magnetic moment of the electron. A further improvement of a factor of 10 should occur in the near future. Concomitant with this accuracy is the necessity of understanding small corrections. These experiments employ a Penning trap whose electrodes behave as conducting walls for a microwave cavity. We investigate the effect of this cavity on the spin and cyclotron frequencies. Previous work, employing calculations that are not gauge invariant, implies that the present level of accuracy cannot be exceeded because of cavity effects on the spin-precession frequency. In contrast to this work, we find no significant correction to the spin-precession frequency, but we do find a correction to the cyclotron frequency which may be important.
Reversible dimerization of the anion radicals of some dicyanonaphthalenes

Abstract The electrochemical reduction of 7 of the 10 isomeric dicyanonaphthalenes has been studied in N , N -dimethylformamide. The studied compounds were 1,2-, 1,3-, 1,4-, 2,3-, 1,8-, 2,6- and 2,7-dicyanonaphthalene. For most of the isomers, the one-electron reduction to the anion radical occurred as a simple, reversible reduction without complications from coupled chemical reactions. However, for 1,3-, 2,3- and 2,7-dicyanonaphthalene, the reduction was affected by a reversible dimerization of the anion radicals. Dimerization equilibrium constants were determined at various temperatures. DFT calculations of the anion radicals of all 10 isomers provided spin densities at ring carbons 1–8. The highest spin density for carbons 1–8 not bearing a cyano group was largest for the three isomers with detectable dimerization. Not only do these calculations suggest the site of dimerization, it was found that the free energy change for dimerization varies in an approximately linear fashion with spin density.
Application of a second-moment closure model to mixing processes involving multicomponent miscible fluids

A second-moment closure model is proposed for describing turbulence quantities in flows where large density fluctuations can arise due to mixing between different density fluids, in addition to compressibility or temperature effects. The turbulence closures used in this study are an extension of those proposed by Besnard et al., which include closures for the turbulence mass flux and density-specific-volume covariance. Current engineering models developed to capture these extended effects due to density variations are scarce and/or greatly simplified. In the present model, the density effects are included and the results are compared to direct numerical simulations (DNS) and experimental data for flow instabilities with low to moderate density differences. The quantities compared include Reynolds stresses, turbulent mass flux, mixture density, density-specific-volume covariance, turbulent length scale, turbulence and material mix time scales, turbulence dissipation, and mix widths and/or growth rates. The...
The uranium and thorium decay series nuclides in Mt. St. Helens effusives

Abstract The concentrations of the radionuclides 238 U, 230 Th, 226 Ra, 210 Pb, 210 Po, 232 Th, 228 Ra and 228 Th and the abundances of major elements were determined in samples from all major eruptions of Mt. St. Helens from May 18, 1980 through June 21, 1981. During this time the effusives changed from plagioclase-phyric dacite to a more andesitic composition but the concentrations of U and Th series nuclides were measurably invariant. The average 232 Th/ 238 U weight ratio in the rocks is 2.4 and the 230 Th/ 232 Th activity ratio equals the 238 U/ 232 Th activity ratio indicating no fractionation of U from Th during magma genesis. 226 Ra activity is in excess (∼40% on average) of its parent 230 Th whereas 228 Ra is in radioactive equilibrium with its parent 232 Th, constraining the time of magma formation between 30 and 10 4 years prior to eruption. The 210 Pb/ 226 Ra activity ratios in the samples average 1.0, with a 20% scatter on either side, but allowing for volatile 210 Pb loss at time of eruption excess 210 Pb over 226 Ra is inferred, indicating that the time of magma formation was within the last 150 years. 210 Po was virtually absent in the samples immediately after eruption, indicating its total loss by volatilization during eruption. The quantity of 210 Po volatilized during the May 18, 1980 event is estimated to be in the range of 300 Ci from the effusives and as much as 5000 Ci total including losses from heated slide material. The 222 Rn activity volatilized should have been comparable to the 210 Po activity released.
Langmuir-Blodgett film passivation of unpinned n-type gallium arsenide surfaces

This letter reports the results of the passivation of photochemically unpinned GaAs surfaces using Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films. Metal‐insulator‐semiconductor structures are fabricated with LB films as the insulator. The high‐frequency capacitance versus voltage measurements show an order of magnitude decrease in the interface trap density (1011 cm−2 eV−1) as compared to the GaAs/anodic oxide interface. The hysteresis in the capacitance versus voltage curves was reduced from a 3‐V shift in the flatband voltage, to about a 1‐V shift, a level which has been seen in Si/LB film metal‐insulator‐semiconductor structures. Passivation with LB films is of interest because of their interesting electrical, chemical, and optical properties that can be used in GaAs‐based devices.
Chronic occupational exposure to arsenic induces carcinogenic gene signaling networks and neoplastic transformation in human lung epithelial cells

Chronic arsenic exposure remains a human health risk; however a clear mode of action to understand gene signaling-driven arsenic carcinogenesis is currently lacking. This study chronically exposed human lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells to low-dose arsenic trioxide to elucidate cancer promoting gene signaling networks associated with arsenic-transformed (B-As) cells. Following a 6month exposure, exposed cells were assessed for enhanced cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion ability and in vivo tumor formation compared to control cell lines. Collected mRNA was subjected to whole genome expression microarray profiling followed by in silico Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to identify lung carcinogenesis modes of action. B-As cells displayed significant increases in proliferation, colony formation and invasion ability compared to BEAS-2B cells. B-As injections into nude mice resulted in development of primary and secondary metastatic tumors. Arsenic exposure resulted in widespread up-regulation of genes associated with mitochondrial metabolism and increased reactive oxygen species protection suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction. Carcinogenic initiation via reactive oxygen species and epigenetic mechanisms was further supported by altered DNA repair, histone, and ROS-sensitive signaling. NF-κB, MAPK and NCOR1 signaling disrupted PPARα/δ-mediated lipid homeostasis. A 'pro-cancer' gene signaling network identified increased survival, proliferation, inflammation, metabolism, anti-apoptosis and mobility signaling. IPA-ranked signaling networks identified altered p21, EF1α, Akt, MAPK, and NF-κB signaling networks promoting genetic disorder, altered cell cycle, cancer and changes in nucleic acid and energy metabolism. In conclusion, transformed B-As cells with their whole genome expression profile provide an in vitro arsenic model for future lung cancer signaling research and data for chronic arsenic exposure risk assessment.
Multiple scattering in the Compton effect. V. Bounds on errors associated with multiple-scattering corrections

The operator formalism developed in the previous paper is used to derive upper and lower bounds on the maximum error associated with multiple-scattering corrections to experimental Compton profiles. In some cases it may be possible to use these bounds to deduce the amount of multiple scattering in the experimental profile.
ANOMALOUS LENGTH DEPENDENCE OF THE CONDUCTANCE OF A 2D CHANNEL NEAR THE THRESHOLD

The modification of the potential profile in the channel of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, caused by electrons in n+ contacts attracted to the surface by the gate voltage, is considered. Effective narrowing of the channel region, in which the transport is due to the phonon-assisted tunneling, could be responsible for the dramatic increase of the conductance with channel length in the strongly localized regime, as observed by Popovic, Fowler, and Washburn.1
A Smad Transcriptional Corepressor

Following TGFbeta receptor-mediated phosphorylation and association with Smad4, Smad2 moves into the nucleus, binds to target promoters in association with DNA-binding cofactors, and recruits coactivators such as p300/CBP to activate transcription. We identified the homeodomain protein TGIF as a Smad2-binding protein and a repressor of transcription. A TGFbeta-activated Smad complex can recruit TGIF and histone deacetylases (HDACs) to a Smad target promoter, repressing transcription. Thus, upon entering the nucleus, a Smad2-Smad4 complex may interact with coactivators, forming a transcriptional activation complex, or with TGIF and HDACs, forming a transcriptional repressor complex. Formation of one of these two mutually exclusive complexes is determined by the relative levels of Smad corepressors and coactivators within the cell.
Evaluating and Improving Resource Allocation for Navy Recruiting

The recruitment of enlisted men and officers under the All-Volunteer Force concept costs approximately $620 million per year; of this amount approximately $100 million are in advertising expenditures. However, recently Congress and the General Accounting Office have expressed considerable concern over the lack of justification for such expenditures. The issue is further complicated by the recent recruiting shortfalls by all the services and the debate surrounding registration and a possible return to the draft. Finally, results of most profit-oriented sales research are difficult to apply to improving military recruiting efficiency due to the difference in the levels of rapport and credibility necessary to convince a potential recruit to invest several years of his life. This paper reports on modeling and implementation experience geared towards determining the proper allocation of resources between advertising and recruiters. This mix is especially crucial since Congress does not permit funds appropriated for advertising to be used for manpower or vice versa. The study consists of two parts: generation of response functions to estimate the number and mix of enlistments over time and geographically as a function of the various demographics, advertising expenditures and the number of recruiters; a nonlinear programming resource allocation model to improve the budget generation and budget execution capabilities in meeting and assessing the impact of the various multi-faceted quantity and quality goals. The basic model, with updating of the response function parameters, is being used by the Navy to aid in the generation and defense of its annual budget appropriations. Numerical results are given which are compared to the past allocations of the Navy and to results observed in industrial product marketing.
Mapping Ada onto embedded systems: memory constraints

Running Ada programs on a self-targeting system with "virtually" unlimited memory (such as a mainframe), is quite different from running Ada on an embedded target. On self-targeting systems, the compiler and linker will automatically distribute the code, data, constants, and task-stacks onto available resources; the user need not worry about the details. On the other hand, the Ada developer in an embedded environment must understand how to explicitly instruct the development system to allocate resources. For example, to override default settings, (usually set to make the compiler look good on small benchmark programs), 'STORAGE_SIZE length representation settings must be given for task and access types, and linker directives must be given for size and location of code, data, heap, and stack areas. While embedded system technology has always required such settings, many of the parameters could be determined using the programmer's knowledge of implementation details. With Ada, the compiler and linker hide the implementation and the user is faced with setting these parameters with little or no guidance.Unfortunately, few, if any, Ada texts deal with how to set embedded system parameters. In addition, CASE tools usually do not help in these areas. To further complicate matters, even Ada compiler manuals do not adequately describe how to set embedded system parameters solely as a function of Ada constructs. Instead, compiler manuals provide guidelines based not only on Ada constructs but also on other parameters that only run-time system experts understand. Substantial time can be wasted trying to derive the setup values. Incorrect guesses may necessitate recompiling those portions of the program that are affected by representation clause changes.This article will develop formulas that will help estimate the minimum memory and CPU execution needs of an Ada program as a function of source code constructs. The formulas should, 1) help designers and programmers to better assess whether Ada programs will fit in a target environment, 2) reduce recompilation time when representation specifications are present in the specification portion of packages, and 3) remind programmers of the execution costs of various Ada language constructs.
Minimally Invasive Reoperative Isolated Valve Surgery: Early and Mid‐Term Results

OBJECTIVE Minimally invasive, nonsternotomy approaches for valve procedures may reduce the risks associated with cardiac surgery after prior sternotomy and may improve outcomes. We analyzed our institutional experience to test this hypothesis. METHODS Between 1995 and 2002, 498 patients with previous cardiac operations via sternotomy underwent isolated valve surgery: 337 via median sternotomy (aortic = 160; mitral = 177) and 161 via mini-thoracotomy (aortic = 61; mitral = 100). Data were collected prospectively using the New York State Cardiac Surgery Report Form. RESULTS Preoperative incidences of congestive heart failure, renal disease, and nonelective procedures were higher in the sternotomy group. Hospital mortality was significantly lower with the minimally invasive approach, 5.6% (9/161) versus 11.3% (38/337) (univariate, p = 0.04). However, multivariate analysis (odds ratio: 95% confidence intervals, p value) revealed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.6: 1.4 to 3.1, p = 0.001), renal disease (4.1: 1.52 to 11.2, p = 0.01), cerebrovascular disease (2.2: 1.03 to 4.78, p = 0.04), and ejection faction <30% (1.5: 0.96 to 5.5, p = 0.06) were associated with increased mortality. While mean bypass time, cross-clamp times, and stroke rates were comparable between groups, patients undergoing minimally invasive valve surgery had no deep wound infections (0% vs 2.4%, p = 0.05), less need for blood products (p = 0.02), and shorter hospital stays (p = 0.009). Five-year survival was higher with minimally invasive techniques as compared to a sternotomy approach (92.4 +/- 2% and 86.0 +/- 2%, respectively, p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS Reoperative valve surgery can be safely performed using a nonsternotomy, minimally invasive approach, with at least equal mortality, less hospital morbidity, decreased hospital length of stay, and slightly favorable mid-term survival as compared to sternotomy.