cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bringing a Health Equity Perspective to the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Persistent inequities in risk for child abuse and neglect (CAN) may be reduced by using a health equity perspective in order to assure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full health and life potential. In support of this goal, we introduce the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health framework, including providing an overview of its theoretical underpinnings and major domains. Drawing on the US experience as an example, we then use the framework to explore possible mechanisms and pathways that contribute to current inequities in risk for CAN. Following this, we provide a concrete example of how this framework has been used to guide and monitor activities in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Essentials for Childhood Initiative. We close with thoughts about the future of this work in our collective efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect and other childhood adversities by assuring safe, stable, nurturing environments for all children and families. The approach discussed here is relevant for other countries interested in the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Epidemiology of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-obligate precursor to invasive breast cancer. With the growing use of screening imaging, the incidence of this entity is rising, but the clinical impact of finding these premalignant lesions on overall population health remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we discuss the trends in the incidence, detection, treatment, and outcomes of DCIS; along with surveying the literature regarding risk factors known to predispose to this condition.
TINGKAT KESUKAAN TILIAYA (MAKANAN TRADISIONAL GORONTALO) YANG MENGGUNAKAN JENIS TELUR BERBEDA

The Research aimed to knowing the effect of using different type eggs to favourite level of Tiliaya (Gorontalo traditional food), includes: texture, color, smell, taste and preference in general. The panelists used were 25 people of untrained category with range score 1 to 5. This research used a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments and four replications. The treatments was P1 (chicken eggs), P2 (free-range eggs), P3 (duck eggs) and P4 (quail eggs). Data analysis used analysis of variance and continued with Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT). The result of research showed that had a significant effect (P> 0,01) to treatments. About texture of Tiliaya, panelists gave highest score on treatment P3 (duck eggs) with average value of 4,14. Based on color, treatment P2 (free-range chicken eggs) gets highest average score of 4,22, while treatment P1 (chicken eggs) gets the highest average value in terms of smell, taste and preference. In conclusion, using different type eggs namely chicken eggs, free-range chicken eggs, duck eggs, and quail eggs had affect organoleptic characteristics both in terms of texture, color, smell, taste and pereference in general of Tiliaya (Gorontalo traditional food).
A Consultation Approach to Target Exclusionary Discipline of Students of Color in Early Childhood Education

Black students comprise approximately 19% of the preschool population, yet they represent 47% of school suspensions (U.S. Department of Education 2016). Although it is posited that most teachers seek to serve all children to the best of their abilities, research indicates that many school personnel engage in implicit biases that influence their perceptions, behaviors, and interactions with students (Boser et al. 2014). Studies have also found that racial ethnic minority status influences the quality of individual education and level of access to fair and appropriate accommodations a student receives (Farkas Teachers College Record 105:1119–1146, 2003; Magnuson and Waldfogel 2008). Thus, white privilege exerts itself at the start of schooling among our youngest and most vulnerable students and can contribute to increasing racial injustice as these children develop throughout the lifespan. In the current article, we present a multifaceted consultation approach intended to target factors that underlie disproportionate rates of preschool expulsion among black and other children of color. This approach incorporates (a) a systems and contextual perspective to collaborate with preschool programs in promoting effective equity and discipline practices; (b) data-based assessment and decision-making to obtain specific information about programs’ discipline practice and to advance the use of positive behavioral strategies; and (c) interventions to reduce implicit bias and address vulnerable decision points in discipline, with an emphasis on prevention and cultural competence.
Bayesian probabilistic prediction of precipitation behavior in Ni-Ti shape memory alloys

Abstract Ni-Ti alloys are the most popular shape memory alloys in different industrial applications due to their especial properties provided, for at least some variants, by the precipitation of secondary strengthening phases. Therefore, precipitation modeling and associated model calibration coupled with uncertainty estimations of their performance seem to be crucial for these alloys, particularly when the focus is on the design of precipitation schemes leading to optimal performance. In this work, the calibration and uncertainty quantification of influential model parameters (i.e. the parameters with strong effects on the response of the model) have been performed against individual and all available experimental data using a Bayesian approach based on the Markov chain Monte Carlo-Metropolis Hastings algorithm. Then, the resulting parameters’ uncertainties have been propagated to the uncertainty in model results through a forward model analysis. An empirical relationship for matrix/precipitate interfacial energy in terms of aging temperature and nominal composition has been introduced according to the values of interfacial energy obtained from the model calibration with each given experimental data individually. Using this equation for interfacial energy in the model, all experimental data has been used together to calibrate the other influential parameters in the model. After the probabilistic calibration of the model, the discrepancies between the model outcomes and the experimental data were the main reasons to apply co-Kriging surrogate modeling that takes advantage of an error correlation-based fusion of the model results and the experimental data for more precise prediction of precipitation behavior in this system.
Describing associations between child maltreatment frequency and the frequency and timing of subsequent delinquent or criminal behaviors across development: variation by sex, sexual orientation, and race

Child maltreatment has been linked to lower health, education, and income later in life, and is associated with increased engagement in delinquent or criminal behaviors. This paper explores trajectories of these behaviors from adolescence into early adulthood and tests maltreatment as a predictor, and whether observed patterns are consistent across different demographic groups. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents (in grades 7–12 in the 1994–95 school year), we ran linear mixed effects models to estimate growth curves of two dependent variables: violent and nonviolent offending behavior. We tested if maltreatment altered the intercept or slope of the curves and how the curves of these behaviors and the associations between them and maltreatment varied by sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The sample (n = 10,613) had equal proportions males and females, approximately one third identified as a race/ethnicity other than white, and over 10% were non-heterosexual. Experiences of maltreatment were highest for Native Americans and lowest for whites. Models indicated that males were more likely than females to engage in both violent and nonviolent offending and respondents who identified as non-heterosexual were more likely than their heterosexual peers to engage in nonviolent offending behavior. When maltreatment was included in models as a predictor, adolescents who experienced maltreatment had a more rapid increase in their non-violent offending behavior. For violent offending behavior, adolescents who experienced maltreatment had higher levels of offending and the levels progressively increased as maltreatment frequency did. Sex was a moderator; the relationship between maltreatment and predicted nonviolent offending was stronger for males than it was for females. Race/ethnicity and sexual orientation did not moderate the associations between maltreatment and offending behavior. This study provides insights from a nationally representative sample into the pattern of both delinquent and criminal behaviors in adolescence and young adulthood, describing not only how the pattern varies over time, but also by sociodemographics and offending type. Additionally, it highlights how the association between maltreatment and these behaviors varies by both offending type and sex.
Cognitive Behavior Modification of Mood Disorders

Depression is a disorder of the entire psychobiologic system including the emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and somatic functions. The emotional component is characterized by a blue mood involving feelings of sadness, anhedonia, guilt, irritability, and despair. The somatic symptoms include hypochrondriasis, insomnia or hypersomnia, weight gain or loss, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, and decreased libido. The behavioral changes are characterized by passivity, lethargy, inactivity, social isolation, withdrawal from work, and avoidance of pleasurable activities.
Bilingual Pre-service Teachers and Their Opportunities to Learn

We worked to identify how the availability of two languages, Spanish and English, facilitates the teaching of mathematics when instruction is centered on students’ mathematical thinking. We present...
Variable Practice Patterns for Management of Sickle Cell Retinopathy

Abstract A questionnaire regarding sickle cell retinopathy evaluation and management distributed to retina specialists revealed variable practice patterns and a need for clinical diagnostic and treatment guidelines.
A 29-day-old Infant with Poor Feeding and a Rash.

1. DeAnna J. Friedman-Klabanoff, MD* 2. James D. Campbell, MD, MS* 1. *Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 1. Address correspondence to DeAnna Friedman-Klabanoff, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, 685 W Baltimore St, Room 480, Baltimore, MD 21201. E-mail: defriedman{at}som.umaryland.edu At postnatal day 29 in early April, a female infant presents to an outside emergency department with her mother because of poor feeding. Her mother states that she just noticed a new area of redness and a lump on her neck as she was taking the infant out of her car seat (Fig 1A). She had no fevers at home. Her mother states that she was born at 34 weeks’ gestation via cesarean delivery due to prolonged premature rupture of membranes. During her 2-week stay in the NICU, she had bradycardia spells, but no need for intubation or antibiotics. No one in her family has been ill before her presentation. Figure 1. (A) Appearance of cellulitis upon presentation to the outside emergency department and (B) 4 hours later upon arrival to our pediatric intensive care unit. On initial assessment, the infant is lethargic and ill appearing with intermittent apnea and oxygen desaturations down to 80%, eventually requiring intubation. On physical examination, she has an area of well-circumscribed erythema overlying her right sternocleidomastoid muscle with underlying indurated nodules. She receives 30 mL/kg of normal saline for tachycardia and delayed capillary refill, and intravenous ampicillin and cefotaxime for presumed sepsis. Her white blood cell count is 10.8 × 103 cells per microliter with 60% segmented neutrophils and 28% bands. Her complete blood cell count is otherwise unremarkable. Her C-reactive protein is 121 mg/L. She is transferred to a tertiary referral hospital for further evaluation and management. On arrival to the PICU, she is hypothermic to 93.2°F (34°C). She undergoes lumbar puncture. The cell count shows 8 white blood cells per high-power field, which …
Romantic Partner Perspectives of the Relational Context of Weight Loss Support

Much of the research on romantic partner support of weight loss takes the perspective of targets pursuing weight loss. This study, however, assesses the perspectives of the partners providing support, and specifically their perceptions of the relational context and their support strategy use. An MTurk sample of 283 partners of individuals trying to lose weight reported on relational context characteristics (i.e., having a team effort, opposing approaches, and imposition regarding the weight loss pursuits) and their use of encouragement, direct influence, and coercion. Analyses largely supported the hypotheses regarding the associations between the relational characteristics and strategy use. For example, higher team effort and lower opposing approaches about weight management were linked with more encouragement, and greater opposing approaches and imposition were associated with more coercion. Four relational weight loss climates based on the collective of these characteristics were also linked with strategy use. All associations were found after accounting for general relationship satisfaction as well as other control variables. Overall, the findings suggest that perceptions of the weight loss in the context of the relationship were connected to the strategies partners employed in helping targets achieve weight loss. Because strategies vary in effectiveness, understanding which relational characteristics, as well as which broader relational climates, facilitate partner strategy choice can ultimately help augment individuals' weight loss success.
How do xylanase and hot acid stages differ at enhancing elemental chlorine-free bleaching of hardwood kraft pulp?

Hardwood kraft pulp contains relatively high hexenuronic acid content which increases unnecessary consumption of bleaching chemicals and has negative effects on pulp brightness stability. Hexenuron...
Researchers behaving badly

The question of "what pushes men and women to cross the line and commit crimes and misdeeds in the name of science" is the focus of The Icepick Surgeon, which explores several centuries9 worth of dubious research decisions, from morally compromised collectors of the past to forensic fraudsters of the present. It is an intriguing question, and the book—although sometimes imperfect in its logic—serves as an important reminder that science is ever a human enterprise.
Emplotting anticipatory resilience: An antenarrative extension of the communication theory of resilience

This work extended the communication theory of resilience by examining how individuals construct anticipatory resilience through narratives of disruptive life events. Guided by postmodern antenarra...
Asymmetric Visually Evoked Potentials in Human Albinos: Evidence for Visual System Anomalies

Behavioral, anatomic, and electrophysiologic studies indicate that the nondecussated optic system is functionally incompetent and anatomically disorganized in albino animals. The number of nondecussated optic nerve fibers from the retina to the lateral geniculate nuclei, pretectal nuclei, and superior colliculi is significantly reduced in albino mammals, and the laminae of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus are abnormal. Visually evoked potentials were recorded from both hemispheres of human albinos of four different genotypes and from normally pigmented human beings under conditions of binocular and monocular illumination. There was a significant asymmetry between the evoked potentiab recorded from each hemisphere of monocularly illuminated human albinos, as compared to normally pigmented human beings. The data suggest that there is a disorganization of the nondecussated optic fibers in the human albino similar to that observed in other albino mammals. The abnormalities of the nondecussated optic system are apparently associated with several forms of albinism which result in retinal hypopigmentation.
Dividend and Dividend Policies

Many corporations pay cash dividends to their shareholders and, despite the tax consequences of these dividends and the fact that these funds could otherwise be plowed back into the corporation for investment purposes, these dividends are often viewed as a signal of the corporation's future prosperity. Corporations may also “pay” stock dividends or split the stock, dividing the equity pie into smaller pieces, the announcement of which is often viewed as positive news by investors. Funds can be paid out to shareholders other than in the form of a cash dividend; corporation may repurchase their shares from shareholders through open market purchases, tender offers, or targeted block repurchases. Keywords: dividends; dividend policy; dividends per share; dividend payout; dividend reinvestment plan; stock dividend; stock split; dividend irrelevance theory; “bird in the hand” theory; signaling; agency theory; stock repurchases; tender offer
Threat Appraisal, Coping, and Emotions Across Pregnancy Subsequent to Perinatal Loss

Background- Pregnancies after perinatal loss are known to be anxiety-filled. Stress in pregnancy and the response to it, often seen as anxiety and depression, have known negative consequences for obstetric outcomes, parenting, and infant behaviors. Women have reported fluctuating emotions in response to events in their subsequent pregnancies, but these pregnancies have not been studied longitudinally. Objectives- To test Lazarus' theory of stress, coping, and emotions in this population, and to understand the patterns of threat appraisal, coping, and emotional states of women across pregnancy after perinatal loss. Methods- In this predictive correlational study, 82 women pregnant after loss (PAL) were followed, and the study was guided longitudinally by Lazarus' theory of stress, coping, and emotions. Obstetric and loss history, and assigned fetal personhood were gathered at intake (Time 1). Measures completed at 10-week intervals (one time each trimester) included Moneyham Threat Index (threat appraisal), Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised (relative coping), Pregnancy Anxiety Scale (pregnancy anxiety), Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised (emotional states), and Stress in Life (stress). Time 3 sample size was 70. Results- Threat appraisal was correlated with assigned fetal personhood and gestational age of past loss. Pregnancy subsequent to loss was perceived as a threat, and threat appraisal strongly predicted pregnancy anxiety. Pregnancy anxiety, reported at moderate levels on average, decreased over time; threat appraisal, coping, and other emotions were stable across pregnancy. Coping did not mediate these effects, but relative coping was correlated with emotional status as theorized, with problem-focused coping used more than emotion-focused coping. Discussion- Women find pregnancy after loss stressful and a threat, and this appraisal remains across pregnancy. Because pregnancy anxiety is common, and highest in early pregnancy, providers should address worries and fears with all women early in PAL. Interventions must be tested in future studies.
Validation of the methotrexate-first strategy in patients with early, poor-prognosis rheumatoid arthritis: results from a two-year randomized, double-blind trial.

Objective Methotrexate (MTX) taken as monotherapy is recommended as the initial disease-modifying antirheumatic drug for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes of a blinded trial of initial MTX monotherapy with the option to step-up to combination therapy as compared to immediate combination therapy in patients with early, poor-prognosis RA. Methods In the Treatment of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (TEAR) trial, 755 participants with early, poor-prognosis RA were randomized to receive MTX monotherapy or combination therapy (MTX plus etanercept or MTX plus sulfasalazine plus hydroxychloroquine). Participants randomized to receive MTX monotherapy stepped-up to combination therapy at 24 weeks if the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) was ≥3.2. Results Attrition at 24 weeks was similar in the MTX monotherapy and combination groups. Of the 370 evaluable participants in the initial MTX group, 28% achieved low levels of disease activity and did not step-up to combination therapy (MTX monotherapy group). The mean ± SD DAS28-ESR in participants continuing to take MTX monotherapy at week 102 was 2.7 ± 1.2, which is similar to that in participants who were randomized to immediate combination therapy (2.9 ± 1.2). Participants who received MTX monotherapy had less radiographic progression at week 102 as compared to those who received immediate combination therapy (mean ± SD change in modified Sharp score 0.2 ± 1.1 versus 1.1 ± 6.4). Participants assigned to initial MTX who required step-up to combination therapy at 24 weeks (72%) demonstrated similar DAS28-ESR values (3.5 ± 1.3 versus 3.2 ± 1.3 at week 48) and radiographic progression (change in modified Sharp score 1.2 ± 4.1 versus 1.1 ± 6.4 at week 102) as those assigned to immediate combination therapy. The results for either of the immediate combination approaches, whether triple therapy or MTX plus etanercept, were similar. Conclusion These results in patients with early, poor prognosis RA validate the strategy of starting with MTX monotherapy. This study is the first to demonstrate in a blinded trial that initial MTX monotherapy with the option to step-up to combination therapy results in similar outcomes to immediate combination therapy. Approximately 30% of patients will not need combination therapy, and the 70% who will need it are clinically and radiographically indistinguishable from those who were randomized to receive immediate combination therapy.
Overview of the InterGroup Protocols

Existing reliable ordered group communication protocols have been developed for local-area networks and do not, in general, scale well to large numbers of nodes and wide-area networks. The InterGroup suite of protocols is a scalable group communication system that introduces a novel approach to handling group membership, and supports a receiver-oriented selection of service. The protocols are intended for a wide-area network, with a large number of nodes, that has highly variable delays and a high message loss rate, such as the Internet. The levels of the message delivery service range from unreliable unordered to reliable group timestamp ordered.
Comparison of ARMA modeling methods in the time domain

Several ARMA (autoregressive moving average) modeling methods are compared for their ability to model the time response of systems characterized by exponentially damped resonant frequencies. Results are discussed for known ARMA systems with added noise and samples of recorded short-duration acoustic data. It is demonstrated that there are currently available techniques which, when properly applied, are highly effective at modeling even highly structured real-world acoustic signals. In particular, iterative prefiltering was effective at modeling signals with unknown model order, unknown initial conditions, unknown time shifts, and noise present. Effective initial estimates were achieved using overdetermined modified Yule-Walker equations in conjunction with singular value decomposition to estimate model poles and Shank's method to estimate model zeros. >
Identification of an essential Schizosaccharomyces pombe RNA homologous to the 7SL component of signal recognition particle.

Abstract We have cloned the gene encoding a novel small cytoplasmic RNA from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Four lines of evidence support the idea that this RNA is a homolog of the 7SL RNA component of mammalian signal recognition particle (SRP), which targets presecretory proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. First, it shares limited but significant primary sequence homology with previously identified 7SL RNAs and can be folded into a similar secondary structure. Second, it possesses the 5' triphosphate characteristic of unprocessed RNA polymerase III transcripts, and moreover, it is the only fission yeast RNA in this size range with such a terminus. Third, its behavior in cell fractionation experiments suggests that it is part of a small ribonucleoprotein which forms salt-labile contacts with larger structures. Fourth, the particle containing S. pombe 7SL RNA resembles mammalian SRP in both size (11S) and affinity for DEAE-Sepharose. Disruption of the single-copy gene, designated slr1+, reveals that the RNA is indispensable for growth in fission yeast. This result is not surprising, since secretion is an essential cellular process.
New Statistical Tests of Neutrality for DNA Samples from a Population

The purpose of this paper is to develop statistical tests of the neutral model of evolution against a class of alternative models with the common characteristic of having an excess of mutations that occurred a long time ago or a reduction of recent mutations compared to the neutral model. This class of population genetics models include models for structured populations, models with decreasing effective population size and models of selection and mutation balance. Four statistical tests were proposed in this paper for DNA samples from a population. Two of these tests, one new and another a modification of an existing test, are based on EWENS' sampling formula, and the other two new tests make use of the frequencies of mutations of various classes. Using simulated samples and regression analyses, the critical values of these tests can be computed from regression equations. This approach for computing the critical values of a test was found to be appropriate and quite effective. We examined the powers of these four tests using simulated samples from structured populations, populations with linearly decreasing sizes and models of selection and mutation balance and found that they are more powerful than existing statistical tests of the neutral model of evolution.
Postseismic relaxation theory on the spherical earth

Abstract Postseismic displacements and strains observed at the earth9s surface can be explained through the relaxation of a viscoelastic asthenosphere underlying a purely elastic crust. A theory is presented for modeling the effects of postseismic relaxation on a spherically symmetric earth. For an earthquake point source located in the upper elastic layer, the displacement field is decomposed into its toroidal and spheroidal components. A linear (Maxwell) rheology in the viscoelastic layers is assumed, enabling the use of the correspondence principle for the solutions of the equations of static equilibrium. Displacement and strain fields are then calculated using normal mode summation. Computational results are presented for two simple earthquake sources: a strike slip fault and a uniaxial thrust fault. The patterns of postseismic displacements and strains are found to depend strongly on both the earth model and earthquake source geometry. In particular, the elastic plate thickness, asthenosphere thickness, fault type, and fault length each play a major role in determining the spatial pattern of postseismic relaxation effects. Asthenospheric viscosity controls the temporal pattern of relaxation.
Modification of the Marine Layer over Coastal Southern California

Abstract The modification and eventual destruction of the marine layer by heating from below is documented by measuring the temperature and humidity fields in a vertical section from the coast of Southern California inland along the trajectory of the air. An instrumented light aircraft is used as the meteorological probe. The base of the temperature inversion near the top of the marine layer is seen to propagate downward into the marine layer as a result of the accumulation of convective debris at the top of the layer. At the inland extremity of the vertical section the marine air is observed to have warmed to the point where convective elements originating at the ground are able to escape the layer and rise into the warm dry air above. Implications of these results on the accumulation and distribution of air pollution are discussed.
Synchronized chaos in extended systems and meteorological teleconnections

While synchronized chaos is familiar in low-order systems, the relevance of this paradigm to natural phenomena and spatially extended systems is questionable because of the time lags introduced by finite signal propagation speeds. A form of partially synchronized chaos is here demonstrated in a low-order numerical model of the coupled large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns in the northern and southern hemispheres. The model is constructed using a Green's function method to represent the time-lagged boundary forcing of the flow in each hemisphere by Rossby waves emanating from the opposite hemisphere. The two hemispheric subsystems are semiautonomous because Rossby waves cannot penetrate the tropics except in narrow longitudinal bands where the background winds are westerly. Each hemisphere has previously been described by a 10-variable model, derived from a spectral truncation of the barotropic vorticity equation. The model exhibits dynamical regimes corresponding to ``blocked'' and ``zonal'' atmospheric flow patterns in the hemisphere. Applying the same spectral truncation to the Green's functions that define the coupling, we construct a 28-variable model of the coupled flow on a planet with simplified geometry and background wind field. Partial synchronization is manifest in a significant tendency for the two hemispheric subsystems to occupy the same regime simultaneously. This tendency is observed in actual meteorological data. Partial synchronization of this form can be viewed as an extension of on-off intermittency in a system with a synchronization manifold, to a region of parameter space that is far from the bifurcation point at which this manifold loses stability.
Effect of interfacial oxygen on the microstructure of MBE-grown homoepitaxial N-polar GaN

Abstract We have investigated the microstructure of homoepitaxial N-polar GaN layers grown by rf-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on freestanding GaN substrates. The structural quality of the epitaxial layers improves when the sheet density of oxygen present on the substrate surface diminishes. An initial sheet density of oxygen of ~0.5 monolayer (ML) results in a highly defective epitaxial layer, while an epitaxial layer with no visible threading dislocations was grown on a substrate with an initial oxygen sheet density of ~0.08 ML. The significant reduction in oxygen was achieved by using several cycles of Ga deposition and thermal desorption prior to the start of epitaxial growth combined with an initial ultrathin 15-A AlN nucleation layer. These results indicate that reducing the density of oxygen on the surfaces of freestanding N-polar GaN substrates is vital for obtaining high quality homoepitaxial N-polar GaN layers.
Natural-background-oriented schlieren imaging

The background-oriented schlieren (BOS) flow visualization method has the potential for large-scale flow imaging outside the laboratory by using natural backgrounds instead of the artificial patterns normally used indoors. The natural surroundings of an outdoor test site can sometimes be used as such a background, subject to criteria of fine scale, randomness and contrast that are developed here. Some natural backgrounds are more appropriate than others for a given application. Backgrounds used here to visualize both high- and low-speed schlieren disturbances include a sunlit cornfield and a backlit grove of trees. A range of image post-processing methods is considered for qualitative BOS. It is found that high sensitivity and a broad measuring range are in conflict here, much as they are in traditional schlieren instruments. Applications of natural-BOS include explosive characterization, firearms and artillery testing, chemical and natural-gas leak detection, and related phenomena.
Cutting Edge Issues in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic inflammatory liver disease characterized by the destruction of medium- to large-sized bile ducts and intense concentric fibrosis. Complications from PSC include bacterial cholangitis, cirrhosis, and cholangiocarcinoma and a therapy that might alter the natural history of the disease remains lacking. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of PSC also remains rudimentary but the strong association between PSC and inflammatory bowel disease suggest causal links between the diseases. The male predominance in PSC, lack of a defined, pathogenic auto-antigen, and the potential role of the innate immune system suggest that PSC may be due to dysregulation of immunity rather than a classic autoimmune disease. However, PSC shares several genetic susceptibility loci with other autoimmune diseases including the human leukocyte antigen DRB01*03 haplotype. The precise immune response of PSC is largely unknown but likely involves activation of the innate immune system by bacterial components delivered to the liver via the portal vein. Induction of adhesion molecules and chemokines leads to the recruitment of intestinal lymphocytes. Bile duct injury results from the sustained inflammation and production of inflammatory cytokines. Biliary strictures may cause further damage as a result of bile stasis and recurrent secondary bacterial cholangitis. Progress in our basic understanding of PSC is desperately needed in order to rationally design new therapeutic approaches to this disease.
Operational set theory and small large cardinals

A new axiomatic system OST of operational set theory is introduced in which the usual language of set theory is expanded to allow us to talk about (possibly partial) operations applicable both to sets and to operations. OST is equivalent in strength to admissible set theory, and a natural extension of OST is equivalent in strength to ZFC. The language of OST provides a framework in which to express ''small'' large cardinal notions-such as those of being an inaccessible cardinal, a Mahlo cardinal, and a weakly compact cardinal-in terms of operational closure conditions that specialize to the analogue notions on admissible sets. This illustrates a wider program whose aim is to provide a common framework for analogues of large cardinal notions that have appeared in admissible set theory, admissible recursion theory, constructive set theory, constructive type theory, explicit mathematics, and systems of recursive ordinal notations that have been used in proof theory.
PI 3—kinase and cancer metabolism

ABSTRACT Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-Kinase) generates phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) at the plasma membrane in response to stimulation of cells with growth factors and hormones. This lipid recruits certain signal transduction proteins to the membrane, initializing cellular signaling cascades that control glucose uptake, cell metabolism, protein synthesis and cell growth. A central mediator of PI 3-Kinase signaling is the protein-Ser/Thr kinase, AKT. Over the past six years signaling networks downstream of AKT have been elucidated that regulate protein synthesis and glucose metabolism, in part via activation of mTOR. Importantly, we have found that while growth factor receptors enhance glucose uptake and glucose metabolism, they decrease the activity of pyruvate kinase, the last step in the pathway. Our studies indicate that the inhibition of pyruvate kinase allows cells to divert intermediates in glycolysis into pathways for synthesis of DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids that are needed for cell growth. Disclosure Dr. Cantley is a founder and member of the BOD of Agios Pharmaceuticals, a company that targets metabolic enzymes for treating cancer. Dr. Cantley consults for Novartis and GSK, companies developing drugs that target PI3K.
An Evaluation of State-of-Charge Limitations and Actuation Signal Energy Content on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Vehicle-to-Grid Reliability, and Economics

Researchers have proposed that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) performing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) ancillary services can accrue significant economic benefits without degrading vehicle performance. However, analyses to date have not evaluated the effect that automatic generator control signal energy content and call rate has on V2G ancillary service reliability and value. This research incorporates a new level of detail into the modeling of V2G ancillary services by incorporating probabilistic vehicle travel models, time-series automatic generation control signals, and time series ancillary services pricing into a non-linear dynamic simulation of the driving and charging behavior of PHEVs. Stochastic results are generated using Monte-Carlo methods. Results show that in order to integrate a V2G system into the existing market and power grid the V2G system will require: 1) an aggregative architecture to meet current industry standard reliability requirements; 2) the construction of low energy automatic generation control signals; 3) a lower percent call for V2G even if the pool of contracted ancillary service resources gets smaller; 4) a consideration of vehicle performance degradation due to the potential loss of electrically driven miles; and 5) a high-power home charging capability.
Global convergence of the Locally Competitive Algorithm

The Locally Competitive Algorithm (LCA) is a continuoustime dynamical system designed to solve the problem of sparse approximation. This class of approximation problems plays an important role in producing state-of-the-art results in many signal processing and inverse problems, and implementing the LCA in analog VLSI may significantly improve the time and power necessary to solve these optimization programs. The goal of this paper is to analyze the dynamical behavior of the LCA system and guarantee its convergence and stability. We show that fixed points of the system are extrema of the sparse approximation objective function when designed for a certain class of sparsity-inducing cost penalty. We also show that, if the objective has a unique minimum, the LCA converges for any initial point. In addition, we prove that under certain conditions on the solution, the LCA converges in a finite number of switches (i.e., node threshold crossings).
Resource use and technological progress in agriculture: a dynamic general equilibrium analysis

We analyze the global effects of economic and population growth and the impact of a slowdown in agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) on agriculture and forest resources using a dynamic multi-region computable general equilibrium model with land use and cover detail. Given the current consensus about the growth of the world economy, our results suggest that food security will not be threatened and agricultural activities will not encroach on forest resources over the next decade. A slowdown in agricultural TFP growth might lead to higher crop prices in all regions, with South East Asia facing the steepest increases. A slowdown in agricultural TFP growth also might be accompanied by higher conversion rates of forestland to farmland as well as by greater environmental or ecological damages on the remaining forestland.
A hybrid diffraction technique--General theory and applications

A new method is presented for calculating the current on a perfectly conducting body. The starting point of the method is in the assumption that the dominant current on the scattering body is an optics type current close to 2\hat{n} \times \bar{H}^{i} . Near shadow boundaries, the current is represented by the moment method such that the total current in the vicinity of a shadow boundary is the sum of the optics current and the moment method current. (In this sense the method may be equivalent to the physical theory of diffraction.) The magnetic field integral equation is then used in an iterative procedure to obtain the correct current in the asymptotic regions (away from shadow boundaries) and in the moment method region. Because the iterative process starts with a current close to the true current, convergence is rapid with two or three iterations being typical. The general theory is presented and then applied to the infinite wedge problem and to the problem of a two-dimensional square cylinder. Results are compared with other independent solutions, and excellent agreement is demonstrated. A comparison is made with conventional physical optics. Application of the hybrid diffraction method to curved surfaces is discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of the method are also discussed.
WISDM primary and secondary dependence motives: associations with self-monitored motives for smoking in two college samples.

The Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM) assesses 13 domains of smoking motivation emphasized by diverse theoretical perspectives. Emerging findings support a distinction between four primary dependence motives (PDM) indexing core features of tobacco dependence and nine secondary dependence motives (SDM) indexing accessory features. The current study explored the validity of this distinction using data from two samples (Ns = 50 and 88) of college smokers who self-monitored their reasons for smoking with electronic diaries. PDM scores were associated with diary endorsement of habitual or automatic motives for smoking individual cigarettes, which are conceptually consistent with the content of the PDM subscales. SDM did not clearly predict conceptually related self-monitored motives when tested alone. However, when these two correlated scale composites were co-entered, PDM predicted being a daily vs. nondaily smoker, being higher in nicotine dependence, and smoking individual cigarettes because of habit or automaticity. Conversely, after PDM-SDM co-entry, the unique variance in the SDM composite predicted the tendency to report smoking individual cigarettes for situational or instrumental motives (e.g., to control negative affect). The results suggest that the PDM composite may reflect core motivational features of nicotine dependence in these young smokers. The relative prominence of primary motives in advanced or dependent use may be even clearer when motives for smoking are assessed in real time rather than reported via questionnaire.
Changes in noradrenergic neurotransmission in rat cerebellum during aging

This study compared the electrophysiological effects of locally applied cyclic adenosine-mono-phosphate (N6cAMP) between Purkinje neurons from young (4-month) and old rats (15-months and older). Purkinje neurons from young rats were significantly more sensitive to locally applied norepinephrine and N6cAMP than neurons from old rats. GABA sensitivity between the two groups was unaltered. Our results suggest that the locus of the adrenergic subsensitivity observed in older animals may reside to a large extent at or beyond the level of cAMP generation.
On sacrificial heroism

For thousands of years people have saved their loudest praise for individuals who made ‘the ultimate sacrifice.' Recently, however, many people have begun to equate suicide terrorism with sacrificial heroism. These assertions benefit from a general lack of conceptual clarity regarding the nature of sacrificial heroism itself. Therefore, this paper aims to explore, describe, and define sacrificial heroism, arguing that it requires two primary things: the risk of something highly valued; and the attempt to achieve a directly morally positive result. The paper then reviews four representative scenarios, including two types of suicide terrorism and two types of sacrificial heroism, in order to highlight several critical differences between those actions that deserve to be praised as supremely heroic and those which clearly do not.
Attack at coordinated carbon monoxide in a set of dihydrido triosmium carbonyl clusters

Abstract Methoxide reacts with triosmium carbonyl clusters of formula (μ-H) 2 Os 3 (CO) 9 (μ 3 ,η 3 -O 3 ER) (E = S, R = O ( 1 ); E = P, R = OH ( 2 ), Ph ( 3 ); E = As, R = Ph ( 4 )) at a coordinated CO ligand to form methoxycarbonyl adducts. For the sulfate ( 1 ), phenylphosphonate ( 3 ), and phenylarsonate ( 4 ) compounds one equivalent of base is consumed to give anionic clusters of formula [(μ-H) 2 Os 3 (CO) 8 (C(O)OMe)(μ 3 ,η 3 -O 3 ER] − . For the hydrogen phosphate cluster ( 2 ) two equivalents of base are consumed to give the dianion [(μ-H) 2 Os 3 (CO) 8 (C(O)OMe)(μ 3 ,η 3 -O 3 PO)] 2- . The salts of two adducts, [ n Bu 4 N][(μ-H) 2 Os 3 (CO) 8 (C(O)OMe)(μ 3 ,η 3 -O 3 SO)] ( 5 ) and [PPN][(μ-H) 2 Os 3 (CO) 8 (C(O)OMe)(μ 3 ,η 3 -O 3 PPh)] ( 6 ), were isolated. A proposed site of adduct formation, based on 13 C NMR spectra, is presented.
Understanding the Windows EAL4 evaluation

On29 October 2002, Microsoft and Science Applications International Corporation issued press releases announcing that Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 had received Evaluation Assurance Level 4 certification under the Common Criteria evaluation process. The Microsoft certification is sure to come up in many purchasing discussions over the next few years, so the question arises: What does this mean in plain English?.
The utility of a data-logging device for measuring adherence to home phototherapy.

Background: Treatment adherence to home phototherapy is not well characterized. Purpose: To develop an accurate measure of home phototherapy unit usage. Methods: We tested a commercially available data logger containing a photo-sensor on two home phototherapy units. Results: The data logger accurately recorded actual usage and did not record stray light sources over the study period. Conclusion: A data logger can accurately capture usage patterns for a home phototherapy unit. These devices could potentially be used in clinical trials to measure adherence to home phototherapy treatment regimens.
Toward a network perspective for understanding resilience and sustainability in industrial symbiotic networks

Industrial symbiotic (IS) networks attempt to mimic ecological systems in order to develop synergistic networks where waste equals food. Overall, such complex systems are observed to have high efficiency, performance, and robustness but are often fragile and vulnerable to unanticipated perturbations. As most IS networks are based on ad-hoc opportunities rather than strategic planning, gaining insight into disruptive scenarios and their impact is pivotal for understanding the balance between resilience and sustainability, and designing efficient and robust networks. Much of the existing work on network analysis of IS complexes has focused on studying the resource flows with little to no emphasis on understanding tradeoffs between resilience and sustainability. The present work focuses on employing network analysis to fill this void. Considering the industries as nodes and flows of water and steam as edges, we construct a network of the IS complex in Kalundborg, Denmark. From our analysis of the Kalundborg Industrial Symbiosis, it is evident that the power plant is the most vulnerable industry and a single point of failure in the network. Increasing the flexibility of the interactions between the industries can increase the resilience of the network.
Further characteristics of hippocampal CA1 cells in vitro

Abstract The effects of intracellular current injection on synaptic potentials and spike initiation were studied in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in the in vitro slice preparation. Measures of cell charging time constant, resistance, and rheobase level were similar to those reported by other investigators working with intact preparations. Studies of spike initiation induced by injection of depolarizing ramp currents gave little evidence for a threshold accomodation in CA1 cells. Small amplitude fast-rising spike potentials occurred spontaneously and in association with synaptic excitation of neurons. It is argued that these potentials reflect active spike generation in the dendrites.