cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Words on fire: Gemma Galgani and the power of authorial voice

With a focus on the archives of Gemma Galgani (1878–1903), lay Italian Catholic mystic, stigmatic, and first saint of the twentieth century, the current article highlights the ways in which Gemma cultivated relationships with the hierarchy, specifically through writing, which challenged the ‘traditional,’ clerically approved models of late nineteenth-century Catholic sanctity. With attention to Gemma’s writing, a saint who has otherwise been portrayed by her hagiographer as fitting neatly into the strictures of Italian Catholicism of her time, we see rhetoric that contests the assumption that submission is a necessary component of ‘piety.’ Attending to Gemma’s letters sent to her spiritual advisor, the current study underscores the ways in which we may understand Gemma as more than the quiet, humble, and wounded body for which she has been canonized. Gemma as author, as writing body, as I will show, weaves for herself an alternative system of agency that co-exists with – while at the same time reimagines – the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
Driving behavior at midblock crosswalks with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons: Hidden Markov model approach using naturalistic data

Abstract Pedestrian fatalities have increased in the U.S. with the largest increase being observed on urban arterials and away from intersections. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) has been widely implemented as a safety countermeasure to improve driver awareness and visibility of pedestrians, especially for midblock crosswalks. Studies show that drivers are more likely to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks with an RRFB. These studies are often based on a binary outcome of whether or not drivers yield to pedestrians. Nevertheless, it is also important to consider the drivers’ deceleration behavior as a dynamic process at these crosswalks and the impact of pedestrians being present or not. Understanding this dynamic behavior and the related circumstances can provide information on the design of alerting systems that help drivers make more appropriate decisions at these crosswalks to avoid a vehicle–pedestrian crash. This study examined this research topic using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) and data from a naturalistic study. More specifically, four HMMs were applied to the naturalistic brake and jerk data from the Safety Pilot Model Deployment (SPMD) program given drivers’ intention to slow down, the RRFB activation status, and the presence of pedestrians. The time-based data sequence was converted to distance-based through a moving window to enhance result comparison and interpretation. Grid-search was used to select the best moving window parameters and the optimal number of hidden states. This study confirmed the high compliance at an activated RRFB when pedestrians were present. Even without pedestrians, one in five traversals showed drivers slowing down to less than 8.94 m/s (20 mph) within 35 m of the crosswalk. Model results further indicate that drivers started braking as far back as 180 m before the crosswalk and stopped braking from 70 m before the crosswalk at an activated RRFB without pedestrians. When there were pedestrians, drivers would start braking 20 to 30 m later but would brake more firmly and for longer. Finally, drivers were not likely to brake or decelerate when RRFB was off and no pedestrians were present.
Privatization and Legal Accountability

Legal scholars have written extensively about the privatization of traditional government functions. Much of this literature focuses on the challenges privatization presents for constitutional and administrative law. Less attention has been paid to privatization’s relationship with other legal fields, such as contracts, property, and torts. This paper examines private law as it relates to three sets of private actors that carry out functions on a government’s behalf: defense contractors, prison management companies, and charter school organizations. By comparing the legal duties of these actors to those of their public counterparts, the paper explores the legal implications of privatization at the federal, state, and local levels. In so doing, the paper considers the degree to which civil liability may serve as an alternative to the political process in imposing control over private actors exercising government functions.
The management of symptomatic Schatzki ring: A report of 7 cases

Dysphagia due to lower esophageal webs or rings is often amenable to dilation combined with medical treatment of the associated hiatus hernia. Endoscopic evaluation is essential to selecting patients suited to this highly effective regimen.
Exploring the relationship between perceptions of social capital and enacted support online

Online social networking sites enable users to connect with large, heterogeneous groups of people. While extant research suggests individuals benefit psychologically from the perception that they are well connected, little is known about the nature of tangible resources embedded in these online networks. In this study 49 participants sent 588 requests for instrumental help to their Facebook friends to determine the accessibility of networked resources and online social capital. Almost 80% of these modest requests went unanswered, and perceived bridging and bonding capital did not explain enacted support. However, people who occupied socially prestigious positions were the most likely to benefit from their friend's help. These results suggest that expansive mediated networks may yield limited instrumental benefits. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Electrolytic cleavage of acyclic and cyclic aromatic esters: Case studies of the reductions of benzyl benzoate and phthalide

Abstract Cyclic voltammograms for reductions of benzyl benzoate and phthalide at a hanging mercury drop electrode in dimethylformamide containing tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate each show a single cathodic wave. For benzyl benzoate the reduction is only partially reversible even at a scan rate of 300 V s−1, whereas for phthalide the reduction is totally reversible when the scan rate is 5 V s−1. After an exhaustive, controlled-potential electrolysis of benzyl benzoate in the absence of added proton donor, the products are toluene, benzyl alcohol, and benzoic acid; for phthalide, the products are o-toluic acid and the starting material itself. In the presence of a tenfold excess of phenol, reduction of benzyl benzoate results in formation of toluene and benzoic acid, and electrolysis of phthalide under the same conditions yields o-toluic acid, cis-hexahydrophthalide, trans-hexahydrophthalide, and cis-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalide. These findings indicate that, in the absence of phenol, benzyl benzoate and phthalide are each reduced according to an ECE-DISP mechanism. For benzyl benzoate the rate-determining step (with a first-order rate constant of 1.2 × 103 s−1) is cleavage of the electrogenerated radical anion to form benzoate and the more readily reducible benzyl radical. For phthalide the rate-determining step (with a first-order rate constant of 1.0 s−1) is ring opening of the initially formed radical anion. In the presence of a tenfold excess of phenol, the pathway for reduction of phthalide changes, and protonation of the original electrogenerated radical anion is rate determining.
DNA base modifications in aging

Publisher Summary The arrangement of bases along the length of a DNA strand determines the genetic information for all cells. If DNA damage is defined as a change in the structure of DNA, then there is a multitude of possible forms of damage. There can be alterations of the bases, sugars, and phosphodiester linkages. Modifications can come in the form of covalent bond breakage and rearrangement or through the addition of groups to components of the repeating units of the polydeoxynucleotide. These covalent additions may range from small aliphatic groups and large bulky aromatic compounds to macromolecules. Among all the modifications to all the components of DNA, the bases appear to be exceptionally interesting because of their diversity, abundance, and possible functional consequences. This chapter discusses the data about the effects of aging on covalent modifications to the bases in DNA. The DNA bases are chemically reactive and therefore susceptible to covalent modification. Although related in structure, each DNA base has unique properties, such as relative chemical reactivity. Base modifications includes deaminations, oxidative adducts and ring openings, alkylation adducts, reactions with reducing sugars (glycation), bond formation with aldehydes, and reactions with proteins or other macromolecules. Base modifications result in several possible biological outcomes, depending on the base, on the modification, on where the damage is located, and on the way in which a cell responds to the damage.
Sorghum Improvement—Integrating Traditional and New Technology to Produce Improved Genotypes

Abstract Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a major cereal grain crop grown throughout the semi arid regions of the world. Depending on the region of production, the type of sorghum and the purpose for its production varies widely. Whether they are breeding varieties or hybrids, the primary focus of sorghum breeders throughout the world are yield, adaptation and quality. In addition to breeding for these factors, reducing losses due to stress is equally important. Most breeding programs consistently select for tolerance to abiotic stresses (such as drought and low temperatures) and biotic stresses (such as sorghum midge, grain mold, anthracnose, and charcoal rot). Finally, the integration of molecular genetic technology is enhancing sorghum improvement by providing a genetic basis for many important traits and through marker-assisted selection. Sorghum improvement in the future will require effective utilization of all the available tools in order to develop sorghum genotypes suitable for the needs of their producers and end-users.
The B7-2 (B70) costimulatory molecule expressed by monocytes and activated B lymphocytes is the CD86 differentiation antigen

T-cell activation is initiated after T-cell receptor binding to antigen, but also requires interactions between costimulatory molecules expressed on antigen-presenting cells. An important costimulatory molecule expressed by monocytes and activated B lymphocytes has been recently identified and termed B7-2 or B70. Independently, a new Cluster of Differentiation was defined in the Fifth International Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshop as CD86, a molecule predominantly expressed by monocytes and activated B lymphocytes. In this study, the two monoclonal antibodies that defined CD86, FUN-1 and BU-63, were shown to bind to cDNA transfected cells expressing B7-2/B70. The FUN-1 monoclonal antibody also completely blocked the costimulatory activity of B7-2/B70 in functional assays. Therefore, the serologically defined CD86 differentiation antigen is the B7-2/B70 molecule.
Evidence of T cell lymphopenia in the colonic mucosa in idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia patients (HEM4P.250)

Idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia (ICL) is a syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by low peripheral CD4 T cell counts and susceptibility to opportunistic infections. One hypothesis for its etiology is trapping of T cells in effector sites. 11 ICL patients and 16 healthy controls (HC) underwent colonic biopsies for CD3, CD4, and CD8 T cell enumeration by flow cytometry (FC) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in lamia propria (LP). Mucosal IL17+ CD4 T cells were assessed after PMA/ionomycin stimulation. Plasma levels of LPS (for microbial translocation), I-FABP (for gut epithelial integrity), sCD14 (for monocyte activation), D-dimer (for coagulation) and CRP, IL-6 and TNFalpha (for inflammation) were tested in 33 ICL patients and 44 HC. ICL patients had fewer CD3 (2.84-fold, P=0.0080), CD4 (3.04-fold, P=0.013) and CD8 (2.28-fold, P=0.043) T cells in the colonic mucosa compared to HC by FC and fewer CD3 (2.31-fold, P=0.036) and CD4 (3.81-fold, P=0.0003) T cells in LP by IHC. The proportion of IL-17+ CD4 T cells was higher in ICL compared to HC (6.04 vs 3.35%, P=0.013). Levels of sCD14 levels were slightly higher in ICL than in HC (1.42 vs 1.21 µg/ml, P=0.003). Levels of LPS, I-FABP, IL-6, TNFalpha, D-Dimer, and CRP levels were not significantly different between ICL and HC (all P>0.05). These data suggest that colonic mucosal lymphopenia accompanies peripheral T cell lymphopenia in ICL, albeit with preserved gut epithelial integrity and a lack of systemic inflammation.
Gating of a mechanosensitive channel due to cellular flows

A multiscale continuum model is constructed for a mechanosensitive (MS) channel gated by tension in a lipid bilayer membrane under stresses due to fluid flows. We illustrate that for typical physiological conditions vesicle hydrodynamics driven by a fluid flow may render the membrane tension sufficiently large to gate a MS channel open. In particular, we focus on the dynamic opening/closing of a MS channel in a vesicle membrane under a planar shear flow and a pressure-driven flow across a constriction channel. Our modeling and numerical simulation results quantify the critical flow strength or flow channel geometry for intracellular transport through a MS channel. In particular, we determine the percentage of MS channels that are open or closed as a function of the relevant measure of flow strength. The modeling and simulation results imply that for fluid flows that are physiologically relevant and realizable in microfluidic configurations stress-induced intracellular transport across the lipid membrane can be achieved by the gating of reconstituted MS channels, which can be useful for designing drug delivery in medical therapy and understanding complicated mechanotransduction.
Restoration success criteria

A decision must be made concerning which criteria to measure when designing an assessment program to evaluate the success of a restoration project. Each evaluation must be tailored to habitat type and site-specific conditions. At the same time, an, however, evaluations should share common criteria that allow a degree of comparability. The criteria should (1) enable a determination of the degree to which the restoration reestablishes the ecosystem structure and functions, disturbance regime, and abiotic services of the reference ecosystem; (2) Criteria need to be quantifiable such that the variance or uncertainty surrounding their measurement can be determined; (3) Criteria should be diagnostic in their ability to assist in the determination whether a habitat is restored; (4) Criteria also need to be responsive to any change in resource availability and/or habitat conditions; Finally, (5) Criteria should adequately identify the transitional stages that a healthy marine habitat goes through as it suffers impairment and as a system recovers from an impaired state. The general approach to evaluating the success of a restoration project is either to determine how effective the restoration attempt was in replicating the target habitat or to select from among competing restoration projects that one most likely to achieve success.
The Efficacy of Ankle-Foot Orthoses on Improving the Gait of Children With Diplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Multiple Outcome Analysis

Abstract Background Ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) prescriptions are common for patients diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP). Typical treatment objectives are to improve ankle-foot function and enhance general gait quality. Objective To determine the effectiveness of AFOs for improving the gait of children with diplegic CP. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting Primary clinical care facility. Participants Data were used from 601 visits for 378 individuals (age at visit: 9.8 ± 3.8 years [mean ± standard deviation]) who wore either a solid, hinged, or posterior leaf spring AFO design. Participants had a diagnosis of diplegic CP, wore the same AFO design bilaterally, and had 3-dimensional gait analysis data collected while walking both barefoot and with AFOs during a single session. Methods Differences between walking with AFOs and walking barefoot were used as outcome measures. Statistical analysis consisted of paired t -tests and multivariate analysis of variance scores to determine significance, main effects, and interactions of AFO design, ambulation type (walking with/without assistive devices), and barefoot level on each outcome. Minimal clinically important differences from the literature determined clinical significance. Outcome Measures Gait Deviation Index (GDI), ankle Gait Variable Score, knee Gait Variable Score, nondimensional speed, and nondimensional step length. Results Only step length exhibited clinically meaningful improvements for the average AFO user. Changes in step length, speed, and GDI all were statistically significant ( P Conclusions Current AFO prescription methodologies for children with CP result in consistent gait improvements for step length only. This study emphasizes the need to develop more effective AFO prescription algorithms in an effort to improve the efficacy of AFOs on general gait quality via optimizing patient selection or AFO design.
Privacy and/or Security: Take Your Pick

The concepts of privacy and security are distinct, but they're often considered synonymously when applied to computational systems. This article explores the conceptual differences between computational privacy and security and suggests four mutually exclusive models that define four different fundamental approaches to privacy and security during design. It's crucial that developers make a conscious and explicit decision how the two concepts should be approached early during system design.
Sensitivity to diethylstilbestrol-(DES)-induced abortions is influenced by the Whitten effect.

Abstract Group-housed female mice, when introduced to a male, will undergo a synchronized estrous cycle with a characteristic pattern of mating where the majority of animals mate on the third day. This phenomenon is termed the Whitten effect. Exposure of pregnant mice to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a potent nonsteroidal estrogen, is capable of inducing premature parturition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate abortion induced by a single injection of DES on day 15 of gestation and compare the sensitivity depending on the day of mating. Initial observations confirmed that those animals that mated on day 3 were significantly more susceptible to DES-induced abortion than animals that mated on any other day. The possibility that this increase in sensitivity to abortion may be the result of differences in number or size of embryos at the time of DES exposure was examined. No significant difference was observed in the number of embryos at day 4 of gestation, at day 15 of gestation, or at birth. There was no difference in the weight of embryos at day 15 of gestation or at birth. A significant increase in the ratio of embryos between uterine horns was observed in the animals that mated on day 3 (ratio = 2.13) compared to animals mating on other days (ratio = 1.23 to 1.48). The cause of increased sensitivity to DES in animals that mated on day 3 is unclear. Our results may indicate that the induction of ovulation associated with the Whitten effect causes unequal embryo distribution leading to functional differences in sensitivity of the pregnancy to exogenous stimuli. It is evident that it may be critical to control for the time of mating in toxicologic studies.
Single source impacts estimated with photochemical model source sensitivity and apportionment approaches

Abstract Some sources may need to estimate ozone and secondarily formed PM2.5 as part of the permit application process under the Clean Air Act New Source Review program. Photochemical grid models represent state-of-the-science gas- and particle-phase chemistry and provide a realistic chemical and physical environment for assessing changes in air quality resulting from changes in emissions. When using these tools for single source impact assessments, it is important to differentiate a single source impact from other emissions sources and to understand how well contemporary grid model applications capture near-source transport and chemistry. Here for the first time, both source apportionment and source sensitivity approaches (brute-force changes and high-order direct decoupled method) are used in a photochemical grid model to isolate impacts of a specific facility. These single source impacts are compared with in-plume measurements made as part of a well-characterized 1999 TVA Cumberland aircraft plume transect field study. The techniques were able to isolate the impacts of the TVA plume in a manner consistent with observations. The model predicted in-plume concentrations well when the observations were averaged to the grid scale, although peak concentrations of primary pollutants were generally underestimated near the source, possibly due to dilution in the 4-km grid cell.
Visual input to small-field and wide-field neurons in the postcruciate cortex of domestic cats☆

Abstract Extracellular recordings were made of single neurons in the contralateral forepaw focus of the lateral postcruciate gyrus (field 4γ of sensorimotor cortex) of chloralose-anesthetized cats. Neurons were classified according to their suprathreshold responses and their subthreshold effects to electrical stimulation of the four paws and to flashes of the light. Two-thirds of all neurons sampled were excited by light flashes. Moreover, 94% of m neurons (neurons with large excitatory somatic receptive fields) but only 12% of apparent sa neurons (neurons with small excitatory somatic receptive fields) had excitatory visual input. Only five of 17 well-defined sa neurons, which had either inhibitory or no facilitatory input from the off-focus paws, had excitatory visual input. This is further evidence for a dichotomy between sa and m neurons, which are now known to differ in at least 18 properties. Neurons with excitatory visual input tended to be isolated deeper in the cortex. Some neurons had excitatory visual input but no apparent excitatory cutaneous input; those that were completely tested for cutaneous interactions were suppressed by all four paws.
1439 REDUCING DURATION OF ANTIBIOTIC USE IN NEWBORNS

Newborns are often tested, then treated for presumptive bacterial infection. Inconclusive results may perpetuate unnecessary therapy. We studied 123 neonates prospectively evaluated for infection. Complete physical examinations including pneumatic otoscopy as well as chest radiographs were performed on all patients. Of 11 screening tests, only WBC, absolute band count, and CRP showed statistical differences (p<.05) between 32 patients with positive non-permissive (blood, CSF, suprapubic or catheter urine, needle aspirate, tracheal aspirate) cultures and 50 with negative cultures who had antibiotic therapy discontinued within 72 hours. 41 additional patients had therapy continued, despite negative cultures. Incomplete culture evaluations resulted in unconfirmed “pneumonia” in 24 of these patients. No statistical differences between the culture negative groups existed regardless of treatment status. Patients in the later group may not have required continued treatment. A complete bacteriologic work-up emphasizing non-permissive cultures should be done in newborns suspected of infection. When negative, antibiotics may be stopped. In equivocable cases, a negative CRP best supports stopping therapy. This approach can reduce the total duration of newborns' exposure to antibiotics by approximately 40%.
Determination of carbohydrates in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography and optical activity detection.

Abstract Improvements in a detector for liquid chromatography based on optical activity of the components have led to a detectability of 100 ng. This allows the simultaneous determination of six naturally occurring carbohydrates in 100-μl samples of human urine, which is injected directly except for a simple deionization step. The reproducibility and reliability of this method should allow better insight into the relation between urinary sugars and physiological conditions.
The Accidental Behaviorist: A Review Of The New Behaviorism By John Staddon.

Staddon contends that behavior analysis may profit from theory, by which he means theory that includes assumed elemental processes allowing derivation of observed patterns of results. Behavior analysts who consider that our field has matured to the point where we are secure in our descriptive grasp of a range of phenomena will tend to agree. Unfortunately, the book's positive message is almost lost in a morass of distracting criticisms of Skinner and behavior analysis in general. Instead of recognizing the growth and maturation of the field, Staddon writes as if the field has stagnated and blames that stagnation on what he takes to be Skinner's antipathy toward theory. Neither has behavior analysis become stagnated, nor should Skinner be blamed for any shortcomings. Instead of acknowledging Skinner's foundational contributions to the field, however, Staddon devotes most of this book to bashing Skinner and fails to distinguish his own view of theory based on internal states from theory in cognitive psychology, treating theoretical models and unseen processes as the “true” subject of inquiry and behavior as only an indicator.
iNOS inhibitor, L-NIL, reverses burn-induced glycogen synthase kinase-3β activation in skeletal muscle of rats

Objectives Recent studies suggest that activation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β may be involved in burn injury-induced metabolic derangements and protein breakdown in skeletal muscle. However, the mechanism for GSK-3β activation after burn injury is unknown. To investigate the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in this scenario, a major mediator of inflammation, we examined the effects of a specific inhibitor for iNOS, L-NIL, on GSK-3β activity in skeletal muscle of burned rats.
Mobilizing to Re-value and Re-skill Foodservice Labor in U.S. School Lunchrooms: A Pathway to Community-level Food Sovereignty?

School foodservice is a form of reproductive labor, which is a term meant to encompass various kinds of work—mental, manual, and emotional—aimed at providing the historically and socially, as well as biologically, defined care necessary to maintain existing life and to reproduce the next generation. The increasing reliance on part-time work, convenience foods, and privatization that began in the early 1970s prevents many lunchroom workers’ from performing critical acts of reproductive labor. The unintended consequences of this transformation are now becoming clear in terms of the quality of food served in the nation’s lunchrooms, the nature of school foodservice labor, and the ecological consequences of the industrial food system. For a radical food politics, reversing the devaluing and deskilling of school foodservice provides a tremendous opportunity to engage both workers and students in pursuit of a just and sustainable food system. Much is at stake – over thirty million children participate in the National School Lunch Program each day. Thus the critical question becomes one of how such a radical revaluing and reskilling can be initiated. One possible avenue is through organized labor. In this article, I analyze early efforts to drive such a transformation, drawn from twelve months of participatory research with UNITE HERE! during their “Real Food, Real Jobs” campaigns in three U.S. cities.
Effect of Cyhexatin (Plictran) on Growth, Conidial Germination And Sporulation of Cercospora arachidicola1

Abstract Growth of Cercospora arachidicola Hori, the causal agent of early leaf spot disease on peanuts, was completely inhibited on Czapek-Dox broth medium amended with the acaricide cyhexatin (Plictran) at ≤ 73.5 μg/ml; however, at 14.7 μg/ml traces of growth occurred after 6 weeks of incubation at 27±2C and continuous fluorescent light (800 lux). Aqueous preparations of cyhexation at ≤ 147.0 μg/ml completely inhibited the germination of conidia of C. arachidicola. At a concentration of cyhexatin ≤ 73.5 and 14.7 μg/ml, less than two percent of the conidia germinated as compared with more than 95 percent germination in distilled water. Misting of aqueous preparations of cyhexatin at ≤ 147.0 μg/ml on the adaxial or both surfaces of peanut leaflets with mature leafspot lesions was very effective in reducing the sporulating potential of C. arachidicola.
Multi-Region Finite-Difference Time-Domain (MR-FDTD) Based on Domain-Optimal Green's Functions

A multi-region (MR-) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme for solving two-dimensional sparsely-populated problems based on domain-optimal Green's functions is proposed. The scheme uses a discrete Green's function (DGF) on the FDTD lattice to truncate the local sub-regions and thus reduces reflection error on the local boundary. A continuous Green's function (CGF) is implemented to pass the influence of external fields into each FDTD region which mitigates the numerical dispersion and anisotropy of standard FDTD. Numerical results will demonstrate the accuracy of this approach.
Filtration of arboviruses through 'Millipore' membranes.

CURRENT attempts1,2 to fit the arboviruses within a universal system of classification have revealed severe deficiencies in the knowledge of the basic physical structural and biochemical properties of these agents, on which proposed systems are chiefly based.
Self-Consistent Pseudopotential Calculations on Si(111) Unreconstructed and (2×1) Reconstructed Surfaces

A recently developed method for the self-consistent calculation of localized configurations has been applied to the Si(111) surface. Results have been obtained for unrelaxed, relaxed, and (2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) reconstructed (buckled) surfaces. Densities of states and charge densities are presented and discussed. The salient experimental findings are reproduced.
Characterization Of Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Upon Loss Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperones

Characterization of growth factor receptor signaling upon loss of endoplasmic reticulum chaperones
Parents' Attitudes about Adolescents' Premarital Sexual Activity: The Role of Inter-Parent Consistency/Inconsistency in Sexual Outcomes.

Objective:Parents’ values about sexuality and about premarital sex play unique roles in the development of adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behaviours. However, research is scarce on the role of c...
Dynamic (S,S) Economies

In this paper we provide a framework to study the aggregate dynamic behavior of an economy where individual units follow (S,s) policies. We characterize structural and stochastic heterogeneities that ensure convergence of the economy's aggregate to that of its frictionless counterpart, determine the speed at which convergence takes place, and describe the transitional dynamics of this economy. In particular, we consider a dynamic economy where agents differ in their initial positions within their bands and face both stochastic and structural heterogeneity; where the former refers to the presence of (unit specific) idiosyncratic shocks, and the latter to differences in the widths of units' (S,s) bands and their response to aggregate shocks. We study the evolution of the economy's aggregate and the evolution of the difference between this aggregate and that of an economy without macroeconomic friction, where the latter pertains to a situation where individual units adjust with no delay to all shocks. We also examine the sensitivity of this difference to common shocks. For example, in the retail inventory problem the aggregate deviation and sensitivity to common shocks correspond to the aggregate inventory level and its sensitivity to aggregate demand shocks, respectively.
A case for the safety and efficacy of lipoabdominoplasty: a single surgeon retrospective review of 173 consecutive cases.

Background: The combination of liposuction and abdominoplasty has been slow to be accepted, primarily due to a perceived higher incidence of complications associated with the procedure. There has also been extensive debate about the combined procedure’s effects on flap vascularity and viability and the extent to which liposuction may be performed in conjunction with surgical abdominoplasty. Objective: The authors present data from their four-year experience supporting lipoabdominoplasty as a safe and effective procedure for body contouring. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed a case series of lipoabdominoplasties performed between 2004 and 2008 by the senior author (KK). A total of 173 consecutive patients who presented for abdominal contouring were included in the study. Each patient underwent a combined procedure beginning with liposuction utilizing the superwet technique, followed by an inverted V-pattern abdominoplasty. Results: Of the patients included in this study, 171 (98.8%) were women and two (1.2%) were men. The average age of the patients was 41.53 years, and the average body mass index was 26. The average amount of total lipoaspirate from the flanks was 2166.09 mL, and the average specimen weight resected was 972.80 g. Complications included partial dehiscence/skin necrosis (12 patients; 6.9%), infection requiring antibiotic therapy and/or intervention (13 patients; 7.5%), suture spitting (one patient; 0.5%), seroma (six patients; 3.4%), major fat necrosis requiring local debridement (one patient; 0.5%), and skin flap necrosis requiring readvancement of the abdominal flap (two patients; 1.1%). There was a revision rate of 8.0%: two patients required additional liposuction to smooth out unevenness, five patients required scar revision, and seven patients had dog-ears requiring intervention. All revisions were performed under local anesthesia. There were also five instances of confirmed deep vein thrombosis (2.8%) and two cases of pulmonary embolism requiring hospitalization (1.1%). Conclusions: The senior author’s (KK) lipoabdominoplasty technique, combined with his current preoperative and postoperative protocols, is believed to be a safe procedure that results in excellent cosmetic results. In contrast to some of the current literature, the data show a reduction of overall complications as compared to historical norms.
Bootstrap beacon creation technique for lower altitude and ground based targets

The task of delivering a sufficient amount of laser energy to the ground based targets and the targets located at lower altitudes is of a high interest. The laser beam propagating through atmosphere is significantly degraded by the turbulence. As a result, the laser beam arriving at the target does not have sufficient amount of power. To overcome the degradations induced by atmospheric turbulence the artificial beacon for probing the atmospheric conditions is needed. The current techniques implementing a Rayleigh beacon at the target or at some intermediate distance between the transmitter and the target provide some means of improvement. In this work we extend our work on earlier proposed bootstrap technique in- volving creating multiple beacons between the laser transmitter and the target. In the bootstrap technique, the light from each beacon is propagated back to the wavefront sensor located at the receiver. Signal from the wavefront sensor is processed to generate commands for the deformable mirror and the next beacon gets pre-compensated for the further distance. The process continues till the last beacon is created at the target. We have previously reported the results on implementation of the bootstrap techniques on ground based targets demonstrating noticeable improvement in the final laser beam power at the target. In this work we examine the possibility of using the bootstrap technique for cases when laser energy needs to be delivered over nearly horizontal propagation distances and at lower altitudes. The system performance is examined using both Hufnagel-Valley and Hufnagel/Andrews/Phillips models for structure constant C n 2 characterizing the strength of the index of refraction fluctuation, and compared with the sceneries when the beacon is generated directly on the target or at some intermediate positions between the transmitter and the target.
A parametric study of recycle membrane separators

Abstract The performances of recycle membrane permeators with feed introduced to the high-pressure side (recycle stripper) and to the low-pressure side (enricher recycle) were compared by numerical simulation over a range of membrane area to feed flow rate ratios. The effect of permselectivity on the performance of the recycle permeator for either feed arrangement was also examined. The results showed that an enricher recycle always performed inferior to a recycle stripper both in terms of Rony's separation index and compressor requirements.
Two-dimensional echocardiographic evaluation of discrete subaortic stenosis from the apical long axis view

Abstract M-mode and standard two-dimensional (2DE) left parasternal long axis echocardiographic examination of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) was evaluated exclusively with respect to its utility in identifying discrete subaortic stenosis (SUB-AS). Important details of the anatomy of the subaortic area may also be obtained from 2DE apical long axis imaging. Accordingly, 18 patients with discrete SUB-AS were prospectively evaluated by M-mode and 2DE. The M-mode findings included narrowing of the LVOT and early systolic closure of the aortic valve. However, these findings were variable and highly dependent upon scan speed, fluid flow dynamics, and beam angulation. 2DE findings varied using the standard long axis view at the left parasternal border, depending upon the type of obstruction present. A discrete membrane produced linear echoes adjacent and parallel to the interventricular septum beneath the aortic valve. Fibromuscular obstruction produced a localized dense ridge of echoes in the LVOT. These findings were not apparent in five patients studied. In these patients, the 2DE apical long axis view was employed to image the subaortic area. From this tomographic crosssection a fibrous membrane was imaged as a linear echo parallel to the aortic valve. The membrane extended across the LVOT from the ventricular septum to the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. The 2DE apical long axis view therefore provides an additional approach in the evaluation of patients with discrete SUB-AS.
Investigation of the affinity and selectivity of avian prion hexarepeat peptides for physiological divalent metal ions.

Abstract To further the understanding of the biological importance of metal-binding by avian prion proteins, we have investigated the affinity and selectivity of peptides Hx1 [Ac-HNPGYP- nh ] and Hx2 [Ac-NPGYPHNPGYPH- nh ] with a range of physiological metals via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and tyrosine fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Both the hexamer Hx1 and the “dimer” peptide Hx2 bind only one equivalent of Cu(II), although only the latter peptide binds copper with significant affinity (Hx1 K d = 150 ± 35 μM; Hx2 K d = 1.07 ± 0.78 μM, pH 7.0 in 3-( N -morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS) buffer). Both peptides are selective for Cu(II) over divalent Ca, Co, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Zn. Cyclic voltammetry was used to estimate Cu(II/I) solution potentials at pH 6.8, which were very similar for the two peptides (CuHx1 E° ′ = +350 mV, CuHx2 E° ′ = +320 mV vs. normal hydrogen electrode). These results suggest similar binding modes for the two peptides, and relative stabilization of Cu(I) relative to similar His-Gly-rich peptides in the literature.
Evidence for recent acidification of lentic soft waters in the Netherlands

During 1983–1984 about 90% of the Dutch soft waters appeared to be acid, and 35% of them showed pH-values below 4.0. The alkalinity of most waters (70%) was less than 0.1 meq.L−1. Evidence for recent acidification is derived from temporal trends in water quality, fish population status, shifts in aquatic biota and application of current empirical models for lake acidification. It has been concluded that at least 59% of the Dutch soft waters have been recently acidified. This is a conservative estimate. Depending on the criterion used for assessment of acidification this percentage might be as high as 96%.
Experimental Studies and Models for Ductile Fracture in ASTM A992 Steels at High Triaxiality

AbstractThis study presents the results of experimental investigation and models for ductile fracture in the ASTM A992 structural steels subjected to high stress triaxiality. To this end, uniaxial tension tests on the notched tensile specimens are conducted, and subsequent scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies are performed on the fractured surfaces. From this SEM analysis, the fracture initiation mechanism in ASTM A992 steels is found to be the ductile fracture; however, the fracture propagation mode can be either ductile or cleavage fracture. Nonlinear finite-element analysis of the notched specimens is carried out to obtain the stress triaxiality distributions, and the location of the peak stress triaxiality is found to be strongly correlated to the location of the ductile fracture initiation zones. Finally, two uncoupled ductile fracture prediction models, the void growth model (VGM) and the stress modified critical strain model (SMCS), are calibrated, and the model parameters are provided for A9...
Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of nitrogen dioxide and pans with luminol chemiluminescent detection.

Abstract Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs) and nitrogen dioxide are important atmospheric air pollutants in the troposphere. These atmospheric nitrogen species are strongly coupled chemically by a clearly temperature-dependent equilibrium in the troposphere. A chemical method that can measure both nitrogen dioxide and PANs rapidly and with sub-part-per-billion detection is described that is based upon a modified luminoldetection system coupled to a capillary gas chromatographic column by using helium as a carrier. The system can readily separate and detect nitrogen dioxide, peroxyacetyl nitrate, peroxyproprionyl nitrate, and peroxybutyrl nitrate with detection limits in the low tens of parts per trillion with total analysis time of less than 1 min. Calibration of PAN by thermal decomposition to nitrogen dioxide is demonstrated with PAN detection sensitivities approximately 75% of the sensitivities observed for NO2 luminol detection by using helium as a carrier gas. The advantages of this method for simultaneous measurement of nitrogen dioxide and PANs over ozone chemiluminescent detection and electron capture detection are discussed, as well as potential applications of this method for heterogeneous surface chemistry studies of PANs and nitrogen dioxide and for tropospheric measurements.
Remarks on determining off-shell ππ amplitudes from π−p → π−π+n: Absorptive effects☆

Abstract An absorption model for the three-body final-state reaction, π−p→π−π+n, is developed in a framework particularly suitable for including absorptive effects in analyses of ππ scattering in this reaction. The model is equivalent to the quasi-two-body absorption model in the narrow resonance approximation, an equivalence which requires minimally the Selleri-Jackson off-mass-shell dependence of the ππ scattering amplitudes. The model is used to investigate the effects of absorption on the decay asymmetry of the final π−π+ system when the dipion effective mass is in the ϱ-region. It is found that if strong absorption is operative, this asymmetry is rather insensitive to the off-mass-shell dependence of the ππ amplitudes and that recent experimental tests of the off-mass-shell dependence of these amplitudes are not conclusive.
Predicting the Response of Hyperkinetic Children to Stimulant Drugs: A Review.

The present review examines 36 previous research reports involving over 1,400 hyperkinetic children in an effort to determine which variables have proven useful in predicting which hyperkinetic children will respond favorably to stimulant drugs. The research is summarized under eight types of predictor variables: (1) psychophysiological, (2) neurologist, (3) familial, (4) demographic/sociological, (5) diagnostic category, (6) parent/teacher/clinician ratings, (7) psychological, and (8) profile types. The results of this review indicate that, to date, measures of attention span or concentration and its correlates have proven to be the most useful predictors of the response of hyperactive children to drugs. The results also suggest that hyperkinetic children are heterogeneous with respect to levels of CNS arousal and that this variable may prove useful in predicting their response to stimulant drugs. Problems involved in drawing conclusions in a review of this area of research as well as directions which future research might pursue also are briefly discussed.
Xenobiotic absorption and binding by proteins in hemolymph of the weevil Diaprepes abbreviatus

A synthetic coumarin, 7-amino-3-phenyl coumarin (coumarin-10), was used to study the uptake of ingested xenobiotics into hemolymph. Larvae were forcefed coumarin-10 in peanut oil, and hemolymph was extracted and analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy. Coumarin-10 entered hemolymph within 5 min, reaching a steady state of concentration within 1 h. Assayed 2 h after feeding, hemolymph titers of 1–5 ng/μl were proportional to log dose between 10 and 100 ng/mg body weight; hemolymph did not reach saturation. Fluorescence spectra of hemolymph in saline revealed that energy was readily transferred from hydrophobic residues of hemolymph proteins to coumarin-10. Ultracentrifugal density gradients revealed that 94% of absorbed coumarin-10 was bound to sedimenting proteins while 6% bound to lipophorin. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (N-PAGE) on minigels identified two major proteins responsible for binding. Though readily separated by native electrophoresis, these proteins were not fully separable by HPLC using a wide variety of columns. Gel permeation-HPLC of the sedimenting proteins from hemolymph revealed a single major peak of 480,000 Mr. When upper and lower electrophoretic bands were isolated by preparative N-PAGE, the upper band (band I) yielded subunits of 75,000 and 71,000 Mr, while the lower band (band II) yielded only one size subunit of 75,000 Mr on denaturing (SDS) PAGE. The fluorescent products bound by sedimenting proteins were identified by thin-layer chromatography and scanning fluorescence densitometry as coumarin-10 (80% of total) and a polar metabolite (20%). In addition, lipophorin-containing fractions contained an apolar metabolite (3% of total fluorescence). In vitro binding studies utilizing fluorescent energy transfer demonstrated saturation binding with a KD of 1.5 μM.
Improved surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae using chromogenic media with a broth enrichment

In this study, 238 rectal screening swabs for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) were compared using chromID CARBA plates and the CDC reference method. Direct inoculation of chromID CARBA plates only identified 53% of CRE, whereas meropenem broth enrichment increased the positive agreement to 88% and identified additional cases of CRE. Additionally, the chromID CARBA method allowed for faster results and decreased the number of colonies further tested.
Intersystem Crossing, Polarization, and Defect Formation Induced by Optical Excitation of Self-Trapped Excitons in Alkali Halides

Metastable relaxed excitons created by pulsed electron irradiation in alkali-halide crystals are excited to higher states by a laser pulse. Consequent changes in excitonic absorption and emission yield data on triplet-singlet conversion and on polarization of the optical transitions. It is found that $F$ centers are formed upon promotion of self-trapped excitons from the lowest metastable level to the second excited level in KCl.