cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health care delivery and the concerns of gay and lesbian adolescents.

Abstract One hundred twenty-one self-identified homosexual adolescents presenting to a New York City gay/lesbian community clinic were questioned over a period of 18 months concerning their perceived needs and health care requirements. These individuals reported using various traditional and nontraditional methods to learn about the homosexual lifestyle. Through this socialization many developed a Stereotypic view of homosexuality and its associated lifestyle. Family discovery and other specific concerns of these patients are detailed. The implications of this psychosocial process are important to professionals who provide health care to adolescents.
Incoherent saturation study of the selenium donor in AlSb

Abstract The technique of incoherent laser saturation has been used to probe the 1s(A1) → 1s(T1) transition of the Se donor in AlSb at liquid helium temperatures. The intensity dependence of the absorptivity is described by a cascade excitation process in which at high flux two photons promote the electron into the conduction band. The 1s(T1) lifetime is determined to be between 1 and 5 psec which is about three orders of magnitude smaller than found for shallow levels in three-five compounds.
The NRC watt balance project

In 2009 NRC purchased the NPL watt balance and associated equipment and shipped it to a new purpose built laboratory in Ottawa, where the balance is being reassembled. In this paper we will describe the laboratory, give details of the rebuilding program and outline our plans and a tentative timetable for the determination of a value for Planck's constant (h).
Expression of MAP3 kinase COT1 is up-regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in parallel with activated c-jun during differentiation of human myeloid leukemia cells

The role of MAP kinase pathways in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D)-induced differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells is well established, but the mechanisms by which 1,25D activates these pathways are not entirely clear. Following the finding that kinase suppressors of ras (KSR) 1 and 2 are directly regulated by 1,25D and participate in the monocytic differentiation process, we investigated if the COT1 oncogene (Tpl2 in the rat), known to interact with human KSR2 (hKSR2), is also involved in 1,25D-induced differentiation in leukemia cells. Here we report that the exposure of HL60 and U937 myeloid leukemia cells to 1,25D increases COT1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. However, COT1 appears to have a differentiation-limiting role in these cells, as an exposure of HL60 and U937 cells to a pharmacological inhibitor of COT1 kinase activity, 4-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenylamino)-6-(pyridin-3-yl-methylamino-3-cyano-[1-7]-naphthyridine, results in increased 1,25D-induced differentiation. These findings provide an additional insight into the 1,25D-regulation of MAPK pathways that contribute to monocytic differentiation process of myeloid leukemia cells.
Comparative efficiency of nuclepore filters of various pore sizes as used in digestion studies of tissue

Some of the widely used techniques employed in assessing asbestos load in lung tissue include the use of digestion techniques, in which particulates are entrapped on a filter surface. However, the actual filtering efficiency of various pore sizes as applicable to collecting fibrous material has not been tested. The present study evaluates such filtration efficiency by using a series of back-to-back filters of various sizes. It was confirmed that fibers pass through the pores and that with the larger pore sizes an appreciable loss of small fibers can occur. It is suggested that a filter with 0.2-μm pore size offered a reasonable compromise for both filtration efficiency as well as sufficiently rapid filtration rates for most studies.
Regenerated fibers of the lamprey spinal cord can coordinate fictive swimming in the presence of curare

Recently evidence was presented that, following transection, spinal cords of larval lampreys could regenerate functional connections. The demonstration in isolated spinal cord-notochord preparations consisted of fictive swimming coordinated across the lesion site. In the study reported here curare was added to the bath to eliminate the possible contribution from reflexes mediated by contractions from any remaining muscle fibers attached to the notochord. Coordination remained in the presence of curare, adding further evidence that indeed the regenerated fibers formed functionally appropriate connections.
Effect of specimen thickness on subcritical crack growth under sustained load

Abstract Subcritical crack growth under sustained load in annealed Ti - 4Al - 3Mo - 1V (117 k.s.i. yield strength) was measured using compact tension specimens of three thicknesses, 0.75, 0.25 and 0.13 inch. Crack growth terminating in failure occurred under constant load in all three specimens at initial stress intensities well below the critical stress intensity as measured in rising load tests. Time to failure at low initial stress intensity was considerably increased by increased mixed mode stress conditions; it was appreciable longer in 0.13 than in 0.25 inch thick specimens. However, time to failure was about the same in 0.75 inch thick specimens, tested under linear elastic plane strain conditions, as in 0.25 inch thick specimens. Specimens size affected the kinetics of crack growth and the shape of the crack surface developed under sustained load. Up to the point of final unstable failure, fracture occurred almost exclusively in material under triaxial stress, resulting in a considerable amount of crack front bowing.
SYNTHESIS OF (PYRIDIN-2-YL)HYDRAZONE RHENIUM(I) TRICARBONYL COMPLEXES THAT EXHIBIT pH SENSITIVE FLUORESCENCE

There is great potential for novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents that combine multiple imaging modalities. The combination of optical and radionuclide imaging systems is particularly promising for the improved management of cancer. We describe a new heteroorganometallacyclic system containing the (2-pyridyl)hydrazono-Re(CO)3 that exhibits pH-sensitive photophysical properties. This optical reporter group was easily incorporated into a novel synthetic probe for targeting estrogen receptors in cancer. The efficient complexation conditions are expected to be compatible with 99mTc-radiolabeling to obtain dual function imaging probes.
Stochastic hybrid inclusions with diffusive flows

Recent work has considered a class of stochastic hybrid inclusions that allows for the interaction of random and worst case effects through the combination of constrained non-stochastic differential inclusions and constrained stochastic difference inclusions. In this work, we extend those models by allowing the flows to come from constrained stochastic differential inclusions (SDIs). As part of this program, we present hybrid filtrations, hybrid stopping times, a hybrid Ito's rule, and a hybrid Dynkin's formula. Subsequently, these results are used to establish Lyapunov-based sufficient conditions for uniform global asymptotic stability in probability of compact sets and uniform global recurrence in probability of open, bounded sets. The conclusion emphasizes the need for sequential compactness results for constrained SDIs, in order to extend recent sequential compactness results for a class of stochastic hybrid inclusions to the case with diffusive flows.
Pattern based map comparisons

Map comparison techniques based on a pixel-by-pixel comparison are useful for many purposes, but fail to reveal important aspects of map similarities and differences. In contrast, pattern based map comparison techniques address the question of structural similarity, although with these approaches the comparison problem becomes open ended, since there is an unlimited number of ways to characterise a pattern. Two types of pattern based technique are used here to analyse the test sets of maps. The first, a fuzzy polygon based matching technique, focuses on the meso-scale aspects of pattern. It is based on the areal intersection of land use polygons on the two maps being compared. The areal intersection, areal complement, and polygon size values are fuzzified into an appropriate set of categories, a set of fuzzy inference rules is applied to derive memberships in local matching categories, and finally the local matching category memberships are defuzzified to yield local matching values for each land use polygon on the reference map. The second approach, fractal analysis, captures macro-scale or global qualities of the maps. Two measures are calculated here: the radial dimension and the cluster size—frequency dimension. The polygon matching approach provides only limited insight when applied to the case of the map set representing differences in classification. It proves much more effective when applied to the problem of change detection, revealing areas where the pattern has changed and giving local measures of the degree of change. The approach is particularly useful in the case where there is a considerable degree of random change at the pixel level, as changes in the underlying pattern are extracted from the noise, while pixel based approaches largely detect the noise.
SU‐E‐T‐266: Propagation of Human Error within a Radiation Oncology Department

Purpose: To study propagation of human error in EBRT in a small radonc department. Methods:While reporting of medical events is mandatory, reporting of other human errors needs encouragement. A mechanism of voluntary reporting 1 was adopted. Specifically, one coordinator was assigned to collect and de‐identify all non‐medical‐event errors. Each error is categorized according to place of origin, how it was caught, and clinical impact. Each error is assigned severity score on a 5 point scale. The EBRT process is modeled into stages of a mostly serial flow: Front Desk, Nursing, MD Consultation and Rx, CT‐Sim, Treatment Planning, Pre‐Tx Physics Chart Check, Pre‐Tx RTT check, Delivery, Weekly Chart Check, and Completion Physics Chart Check. When an error propagates beyond one stage, its severity gets multiplied 2, 3… times as the missed stages increase. Error Severity SUM = Incidence × Severity Score × Propagation Multiplier. Results: On the map of error propagation are 21 recorded incidences for Jan–Feb of 2011: 17 originated in Delivery, 7 in Treatment Planning. Three errors propagated beyond one stage. The error severity map shows a different pattern of hot spots: Treatment Planning (severity score 22), Delivery (17), MD Consult (10). MD Consult's increased rank in severity is due to its potential to cause medical events. Pre‐Tx Physics Chart Check and Weekly Chart Check are effective error catchers as most errors end in them on the error maps. Conclusions: Map of error propagation can be used to indentify hot spots of error origination and traps for catching errors and thus be an effective tool for quality control.
Neuropsychological evidence supporting a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia: a longitudinal study

The stability of neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia and its relationship to clinical change was contrasted between 60 patients with schizophrenia (30 first-episode, 30 previously treated) and 38 healthy controls using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and clinical scales administered at intake and at a 19-month follow-up. Consistent with the neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, patients demonstrated deficits in cognitive performance at initial testing and did not show decline at follow-up. There were no differences in neuropsychological performance over time between first-episode and previously treated patients, nor between male and female patients or controls. As expected, patients improved clinically with treatment with respect to both positive and negative symptoms. First-episode patients improved more on the positive symptoms of hallucination and delusion; male and female patients showed equivalent clinical improvement. Clinical improvement correlated positively with neuropsychological change, with improved negative symptomatology accounting for most of the significant correlations.
Cycloheximide affects Memory within Minutes after the Onset of Training

WHEN mice are given brief discrimination training in a T-maze following intracerebral or subcutaneous administration of the protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide or acetoxycyclo-heximide, their learning curves are indistinguishable from saline-injected controls1,2. Retention measured 3 h after training is also identical in the drug-treated and control groups, but 6 h after training the drug-treated mice exhibit a striking impairment of retention1,2. These results suggested that cerebral protein synthesis is not required for retention for at least 3 h after training. We now report that using an alternative training procedure a cycloheximide-sensitive component of memory storage can be detected within minutes after the beginning of training. This suggests that in some circumstances cerebral protein synthesis may be required for normal expression of memory within minutes after learning has begun.
Team Sport Participation and Smoking: Analysis with General Growth Mixture Modeling

Objective To assess the likelihood of smoking among adolescents with different patterns of team sport participation, grades 9-11. Methods Adolescents (N = 1,098) participating in a longitudinal study of the biobehavioral predictors of smoking adoption completed items assessing various health-related behaviors, including team sport participation and smoking practices. General growth mixture modeling (GGMM) was used to analyze the data. Results Four patterns of team sport participation were found. Adolescents with decreasing or erratic participation were nearly three times more likely than adolescents with high participation to be current smokers in eleventh grade. Nonwhites were at particular risk for decreasing and erratic patterns of participation, and later smoking. Females were at high risk for low team participation. Conclusion Results suggest that multiple patterns of team sport participation can be identified with GGMM and that these patterns may be useful in characterizing individuals at particular risk for future smoking.
An evaluation of the TRIPS computer system

The TRIPS system employs a new instruction set architecture (ISA) called Explicit Data Graph Execution (EDGE) that renegotiates the boundary between hardware and software to expose and exploit concurrency. EDGE ISAs use a block-atomic execution model in which blocks are composed of dataflow instructions. The goal of the TRIPS design is to mine concurrency for high performance while tolerating emerging technology scaling challenges, such as increasing wire delays and power consumption. This paper evaluates how well TRIPS meets this goal through a detailed ISA and performance analysis. We compare performance, using cycles counts, to commercial processors. On SPEC CPU2000, the Intel Core 2 outperforms compiled TRIPS code in most cases, although TRIPS matches a Pentium 4. On simple benchmarks, compiled TRIPS code outperforms the Core 2 by 10% and hand-optimized TRIPS code outperforms it by factor of 3. Compared to conventional ISAs, the block-atomic model provides a larger instruction window, increases concurrency at a cost of more instructions executed, and replaces register and memory accesses with more efficient direct instruction-to-instruction communication. Our analysis suggests ISA, microarchitecture, and compiler enhancements for addressing weaknesses in TRIPS and indicates that EDGE architectures have the potential to exploit greater concurrency in future technologies.
Time accelerated Monte Carlo simulations of biological networks using the binomial τ-leap method

Summary: Developing a quantitative understanding of intracellular networks requires simulations and computational analyses. However, traditional differential equation modeling tools are often inadequate due to the stochasticity of intracellular reaction networks that can potentially influence the phenotypic characteristics. Unfortunately, stochastic simulations are computationally too intense for most biological systems. Herein, we have utilized the recently developed binomial τ-leap method to carry out stochastic simulations of the epidermal growth factor receptor induced mitogen activated protein kinase cascade. Results indicate that the binomial τ-leap method is computationally 100--1000 times more efficient than the exact stochastic simulation algorithm of Gillespie. Furthermore, the binomial τ-leap method avoids negative populations and accurately captures the species populations along with their fluctuations despite the large difference in their size. Availability:http://www.dion.che.udel.edu/multiscale/Introduction.html. Fortran 90 code available for academic use by email. Contact: vlachos@che.udel.edu Supplementary information: Details about the binomial τ-leap algorithm, software and a manual are available at the above website.
Domestic Violence and Rape

No compilation of women's health care is complete without confronting domestic violence and sexual assault. Long recognized as a health care and physician issue, intimate partner violence continues to be one of the most frequent causes for injury and death to women in the United States and worldwide. According to the Commonwealth Fund survey in 1998, 31% of women reported either physical or sexual abuse from a husband or boyfriend. One in five American women also reported being raped during their lifetime. Careful assessment and universal screening are important tools for the primary care physician.
A Research Platform for Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Control Study

The split-cycle constant-period frequency modulation for flapping wing micro air vehicle control in two degrees of freedom has been proposed and its theoretical viability has been demonstrated in previous work. Further consecutive work on developing the split-cycle based physical control system has been targeted towards providing on-the-fly configurability of all the theoretically possible split-cycle wing control parameters with high fidelity on a physical Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle (FWMAV). Extending the physical vehicle and wing-level control modules developed previously, this paper provides the details of the FWMAV platform, that has been designed and assembled to aid other researchers interested in the design, development and analysis of high level flapping flight controllers. Additionally, besides the physical vehicle and the configurable control module, the platform provides numerous external communication access capabilities to conduct and validate various sensor fusion study for flapping flight control.
Proposed Modification of Nodal Status in AJCC Esophageal Cancer Staging System

Background The current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) esophageal cancer staging for nodal status is difficult to interpret and is based solely on lymph node location relative to the primary tumor's esophageal location. Recent reports suggest that the number of lymph nodes involved is also an important factor. We reviewed our esophageal experience to propose an improved nodal staging system. Methods In all, 1,027 patients with resected esophageal cancer from 1970 to 2005 were reviewed. Lymph nodes stations were assigned according to AJCC criteria. Overall survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The impact of location, number of involved lymph nodes, and use of preoperative chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or both, was assessed. Results Nonregional nodal involvement (n = 17) was associated with decreased survival compared with regional (n = 441) or celiac nodal (n = 73) involvement (3-year: 0% versus 24% and 23%; p p p p p = 0.67). The use of induction before surgical resection did not alter the predictive effect of the new nodal staging system. Conclusions Modification of the AJCC nodal classification system to incorporate the number of involved lymph nodes with regional and nonregional node location simplifies and better predicts long-term survival than does the current AJCC nodal system.
Ventral branchial musculature and synapomorphies questioned

A number of statements made by Wiley are examined in terms of the structure of branchial muscles and their innervation. His account falls short of what one would expect in terms of anatomical accuracy, method of analysis, and interpretation of observations.
Characteristics of visual loss by scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry in eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration on functional parameters obtained by scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry. Design Retrospective observational case series and cross-sectional study. Methods At the Doheny Retina Institute and Wilmer Eye Institute a consecutive series of 179 eyes of 175 patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration was studied. The onset of visual symptoms, best-corrected visual acuity, fluorescein angiography, evaluation of fundus microperimetry and fixation pattern using the Rodenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope were obtained for each patient. The main outcome measures were central retinal sensitivity and fixation pattern (fixation location and fixation stability) in eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization and their relationship to the length of disease, type and characteristics of choroidal neovascularization, and visual acuity. Results Of 179 eyes, 135 (75%) had central fixation, 27 (15%) had poor central fixation, and 17 (9%) had predominantly eccentric fixation. Seventy-six eyes (42%) had stable fixation, 70 eyes (39%) had relatively unstable fixation, and 33 eyes (18%) had unstable fixation. In 50 eyes (28%) a dense central scotoma was noted. Eighty-nine of 100 eyes (89%) with length of symptoms of less than 3 months had predominantly central fixation and 58 (58%) had stable fixation; 14 of 34 eyes (41%) with length of symptoms of more than 6 months had predominantly central fixation, and 5 eyes (15%) had stable fixation. In 15 eyes of patients who elected not to receive treatment, successive scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry were obtained over time (follow-up of 18 months after onset of symptoms). Three months or less after the onset of symptoms, 13 eyes (87.7%) had predominantly central fixation and 9 eyes (60%) had stable fixation. More than 3 months and 6 months or less after the onset of symptoms, 10 eyes (66.7%) had predominantly central fixation and 7 eyes (46.7%) had stable fixation. This trend was further demonstrated in eyes more than 6 months after the onset of symptoms. Conclusions We conclude that the sequence of events leading to visual function deterioration appears to involve an initial mild decrease in central retinal sensitivity and visual acuity followed by progressive fixation instability and, ultimately, development of an absolute central scotoma with totally eccentric fixation. Increased length of disease is associated with worse fixation pattern and retinal sensitivity deterioration as assessed by scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry. A better understanding of the characteristics of visual loss assessed by fixation pattern evaluation and microperimetry in age-related macular degeneration may help optimize timing, patient selection, and treatment options in eyes with this condition.
CO 2 air-sea exchange due to calcium carbonate and organic matter storage: pre-industrial and Last Glacial Maximum estimates

Release of CO 2 from surface ocean water owing to precipitation of CaCO 3 and the imbalance between biological production of organic matter and its respiration, and their net removal from surface water to sedimentary storage was studied by means of a model that gives the quotient θ=(CO 2 released to the atmosphere)/(CaCO 3 precipitated). The surface ocean layer is approximated by a euphotic zone, 50 m thick, that includes the shallower coastal area and open ocean. θ depends on water temperature, CaCO 3 and organic carbon mass formed, and atmospheric CO 2 concentration. At temperatures between 5 and 25°C, and three atmospheric CO 2 pressures – 195 ppmv corresponding to the Last Glacial Maximum, 280 ppmv for the end of pre-industrial time, and 375 ppmv for the present – θ varies from a fraction of 0.38 to 0.79, increasing with decreasing temperature, increasing atmospheric CO 2 content, and increasing CaCO 3 precipitated mass (up to 45% of the DIC concentration in surface water). For a surface ocean layer that receives input of inorganic and organic carbon from land, the calculated CO 2 flux to the atmosphere at the Last Glacial Maximum is 20 to 22×10 12 mol/yr and in pre-industrial time it is 45 to 49×10 12 mol/yr. In addition to the environmental factors mentioned above, flux to the atmosphere and increase of atmospheric CO 2 depend on the thickness of the surface ocean layer. The significance of these fluxes and comparisons with the estimates of other investigators are discussed. Within the imbalanced global carbon cycle, our estimates are in agreement with the conclusions of others that the global ocean prior to anthropogenic emissions of CO 2 to the atmosphere was losing carbon, calcium, and total alkalinity owing to precipitation of CaCO 3 and consequent emission of CO 2 . Other pathways of CO 2 exchange between the atmosphere and land organic reservoir and rock weathering may reduce the imbalances in the carbon cycle on millenial time scales.
Differential Transactivation by Alternative EWS-FLI1 Fusion Proteins Correlates with Clinical Heterogeneity in Ewing’s Sarcoma

The t(11;22)(q24;q12) translocation is present in up to 95% of cases of Ewing's sarcoma and results in the formation of an EWS-FLI1 fusion gene which encodes a chimeric transcription factor. The proximate role of EWS-FLI1 in the pathogenesis of Ewing's sarcoma is thought to involve the activation of as yet largely unknown target genes. Many alternative forms of EWS-FLI1 exist because of variations in the locations of the EWS and FLI1 genomic breakpoints. The most common form, designated "type 1," consists of the first seven exons of EWS joined to exons 6-9 of FLI1 and accounts for approximately 60% of cases. The "type 2" EWS-FLI1 fusion also includes FLI1 exon 5 and is present in another 25%. We and others have observed previously that the type 1 fusion is associated with a significantly better prognosis than the other fusion types. Because EWS-FLI1 is an aberrant transcription factor, we investigated whether these differences in clinical behavior may be correlated to functional differences by comparing transactivation by the type 1 EWS-FLI1 with other types in both heterologous cells (HeLa, NIH3T3) and homologous cells (Ewing's sarcoma cell lines). In a panel of seven Ewing's sarcoma cell lines, we found transactivation of a transiently transfected FLI1-responsive reporter construct to be significantly lower in cell lines with the type 1 fusion than in cell lines with the type 2 fusion (P = 0.003). Cotransfection of the same reporter construct with each of a series of seven EWS-FLI1 expression constructs (corresponding to the two major fusion types and five less common types) also showed that type 1 EWS-FLI1 was a significantly weaker transactivator than the type 2 product in both HeLa and NIH3T3 cells (P = 0.003, and P = 0.033, respectively). Electromobility shift assays showed equivalent binding of the type 1 and type 2 EWS-FLI1 to the consensus FLI1-responsive binding site, indicating that differences in transactivation were not due simply to differences in DNA binding affinity. The finding that the type 1 EWS-FLI1 fusion, associated with less aggressive clinical behavior, encodes a less active chimeric transcription factor may provide the basis for a molecular explanation of clinical heterogeneity in Ewing's sarcoma.
SITUATIONAL VARIABILITY IN THE SPEECH OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

A common observation among psychologists, dating back at least to the 1920s (cf. Issacs, 1930; Piaget, 1923; Vygotsky, 1978), is that children appear to talk in a more sophisticated way and to accomplish more complicated intellectual acts in the course of spontaneous interactions with their social and physical environments than they do when they are being interrogated by adults. There are, generally speaking, two lines of explanation for this observation. Arguing from somewhat different developmental perspectives, Piaget and Vygotsky both claimed that spontaneous problem-solving was, in general, easier than problem-solving at the instigation of adults, which requires that the child respond in terms of special rules that restrict her response options in various ways. Although she did not take up this topic in a formal fashion, Issacs interpreted performance differences associated with spontaneous and elicited problem solving differently. She believed that the young child performed better in spontaneously generated, everyday interactions because the contents of those interactions are things the child knows and cares about (in contrast with the content of adult questions used for cognitive assessments, which are arbitrary, uninteresting, and perhaps alien in content as well). This issue has taken on considerable contemporary importance for both practical and theoretical reasons. Practically, the search for cognitive assessment devices that would be valid across different ethnic and language groups has led to repeated reassessments of the standardized cognitive and linguistic tests used to screen young children entering educational programs or for evaluation of those programs (cf. Raizen and Bobrow, 1974). A common claim by critics of standardized tests echoes Issac’s dissatisfaction with Piaget many years ago: in the modern context, it is claimed that minority-group youngsters know less and care less about the contexts of standardized tests than do their Anglo, middle-class counterparts. In effect, the argument goes, tests are biased against minority group youngsters because of test content and language. There is also widespread feeling that the social interactions embodied in standardized testing situations are themselves a source of performance differences. This latter claim has been made most forcefully by William Labov, who stated that failure of Black English Vernacular speakers is not the result of a deficit in the children but of failures in the educational system itself: (1) the failure to take into account the child’s dialect; (2) the failure to assess Black children’s intellectual competence accurately; and (3) the failure to implement policies to remedy (1) and (2).
High current densities in superconducting films from magnetization

An experimental study indicates that epitaxial thin films of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ made by laser ablation have the CuO planes parallel to the film surface. In the CuO plane critical currents of J/sub c/ approximately=40*10/sup 6/ A/cm/sup 2/ were found at 5 K in zero field. Multilayered films with Gd replacing Y, each 0.01 mu m in thickness, have a J/sub c/ nearly equal to 140*10/sup 6/ A/cm/sup 2/. This higher value is perhaps due to additional point defects. Perpendicular to the CuO planes, Magnetization studies indicate strong pinning effects attributed to the CuO planes acting as barriers to flux motion. >
A conservative algorithm for computing the flow of permissions in Java programs

Open distributed systems are becoming increasingly popular. Such systems include components that may be obtained from a number of different sources. For example, Java allows run-time loading of software components residing on remote machines. One unfortunate side-effect of this openness is the possibility that "hostile" software components may compromise the security of both the program and the system on which it runs. Java offers a built-in security mechanism, using which programmers can give permissions to distributed components and check these permissions at run-time. This security model is flexible, but using it is not straightforward, which may lead to insufficiently tight permission checking and therefore breaches of security.In this paper, we propose a data flow algorithm for automated analysis of the flow of permissions in Java programs. Our algorithm produces, for a given instruction in the program, a set of permissions that are checked on all possible executions up to this instruction. This information can be used in program understanding tools or directly for checking properties that assert what permissions must always be checked before access to certain functionality is allowed. The worst-case complexity of our algorithm is low-order polynomial in the number of program statements and permission types, while comparable previous approaches have exponential costs.
Cerebral aneurysm treatment is beginning to shift to low volume centers

Background and purpose A recent expansion of the neurointerventional workforce in the USA could lead to a trend toward cerebral aneurysms being increasingly treated at low volume centers. Such a trend could have a negative impact on patient care as higher volume centers are known to have better outcomes. Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we evaluated trends in aneurysm treatment in the USA from 2001 to 2010. Annual volumes of both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms were counted, as well as annual percentages of cases treated at high volume centers (≥50 aneurysms/year clipped or coiled). Results The number of ruptured aneurysms treated per year has fluctuated between 9000 and 12 000 from 2003 to 2010. In 2001–2002, 27.4% of intracranial aneurysm patients were treated with clipping or coiling at high volume centers, with a peak of 70.1% in 2007–2008. This proportion dropped to 61.8% in 2009–2010. The proportion of patients clipped at high volume centers was 23.3% in 2001–2002 and peaked at 65.0% in 2007–2008. In 2009–2010, the proportion dropped to 58.6%. For coiling patients, 46.4% were treated at high volume centers in 2001–2002, with a peak of 70.1% in 2007–2008, and a drop to 61.8% in 2009–2010. Conclusion A trend toward less cerebral aneurysms being treated in high volume centers in 2009 and 2010 is worrisome because high volume centers are known to tend to have better outcomes. This trend is likely due to recent expansion of the neurointerventional workforce.
Alterations in Early Action Potential Repolarization Causes Localized Failure of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Release

Depressed contractility of failing myocytes involves a decreased rate of rise of the Ca2+ transient. Synchronization of Ca2+ release from the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is responsible for the rapid rise of the normal Ca2+ transient. This study examined the idea that spatially and temporally dyssynchronous SR Ca2+ release slows the rise of the cytosolic Ca2+ transient in failing feline myocytes. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with and without heart failure (HF) was induced in felines by constricting the ascending aorta. Ca2+ transients were measured in ventricular myocytes using confocal line scan imaging. Ca2+ transients were induced by field stimulation, square wave voltage steps, or action potential (AP) voltage clamp. SR Ca2+ release was significantly less well spatially and temporally synchronized in field-stimulated HF versus control or LVH myocytes. Surprisingly, depolarization of HF cells to potentials where Ca2+ currents (ICa) were maximal resynchronized SR Ca2+ release. Correspondingly, decreases in the amplitude of ICa desynchronized SR Ca2+ release in control, LVH, and HF myocytes to the same extent. HF myocytes had significant loss of phase 1 AP repolarization and smaller ICa density, which should both reduce Ca2+ influx. When normal myocytes were voltage clamped with HF AP profiles SR Ca2+ release was desynchronized. SR Ca2+ release becomes dyssynchronized in failing feline ventricular myocytes because of reductions in Ca2+ influx induced in part by alterations in early repolarization of the AP. Therefore, therapies that restore normal early repolarization should improve the contractility of the failing heart.
Dendroclimatic Reconstruction with Time Varying Predictor Subsets of Tree Indices

Abstract Tree-ring site chronologies, the predictors for most dendroclimatic reconstructions, are essentially mean-value functions with a time varying sample size (number of trees) and sample composition. Because reconstruction models are calibrated and verified on the most recent, best-replicated part of the chronologies, regression and verification statistics can be misleading as indicators of long-term reconstruction accuracy. A new reconstruction method is described that circumvents the use of site chronologies and instead derives predictor variables from indices of individual trees. Separate regression models are estimated and cross validated for various time segments of the tree-ring record, depending on the trees available at the time. This approach allows the reconstruction to extend to the first year covered by any tree in the network and yields direct evaluation of the change in reconstruction accuracy with tree-ring sample composition. The method includes two regression stages. The first is to ...
The characterization of Al2O3 and TiO2 antireflection coatings with a novel X-Ray reflectivity method and other experimental techniques

Al2O3/TiO2/Al2O3 multilayer antireflection stacks used for broadband antireflection coatings and TiO2 and Al2O3 single layers were characterized by a novel combination of an X-ray reflectivity layer extraction algorithm, X-ray reflectivity simulations, spectroscopic ellipsometry, broadband optical reflectance, glancing incidence X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Single-layer TiO2 and Al2O3 antireflection coatings were also measured by glancing incidence small angle X-ray scattering. Layer thicknesses and surface and interface roughnesses with a few A precision, densities normalized to bulk densities with less than one percent uncertainty, and differences in pore-induced scattering were assessed. These parameters are key to understanding the role of deposition and processing conditions on the performance of broadband antireflection coatings. Additionally, the effect of air annealing at 400 °C for 10 min and 40 min on the structural and optical properties of single-layer TiO2 and Al2O3 antireflection coatings was also revealed.
The Synthetic Control Method for Comparative Case Studies: An Application Estimating the Effect of Managerial Discretion Under Performance Management

ABSTRACTPublic management researchers are often interested in estimating the effects of aggregate-level management reforms and policy changes, but they frequently rely on observational data that pose a number of threats to internal validity. The synthetic control method for comparative case studies (SCM) has great potential for advancing public management scholarship by addressing some of the methodological challenges associated with observational data and providing intuitive graphical results that help researchers communicate their findings to audiences unfamiliar with quantitative methods. SCM uses a transparent, data-driven algorithm for selecting a weighted combination of control units that act as a plausible counterfactual for estimating causal effects. This article demonstrates SCM by investigating the effect of enhancing managerial discretion under performance accountability systems in the context of public education. The article also provides a number of possible avenues for future public manageme...
Time Off for Military Families: An Emerging Case Study in a Time of War . . . And the Tipping Point for Future Laws Supporting Work-Life Balance?

On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008, the first ever expansion of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The amended FMLA contains two new categories of job-protected time off designed to support military families. This piece begins by explaining the substance and genesis of these military family leave provisions. It then explores whether the enactment of this law is “The Tipping Point” in the larger work-life movement. Does the law represent a paradigm shift in the way legislators (and society) thinks about work-life policy, serving to unify a confluence of other events and activities to change the way society views the role of law and policy in supporting these needs? Or is the law just another incremental step in a larger movement whose time is approaching, but has not yet arrived?
Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease: pathophysiological insights and clinical advances

Asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis are heterogeneous airway diseases of the lower and upper airways, respectively. Molecular and cellular studies indicate that these diseases can be categorized into unique endotypes, which have therapeutic implications. One such endotype is aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), which encompasses the triad of asthma, aspirin (or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) hypersensitivity, and nasal polyposis. AERD has unique pathophysiological features that distinguish it from aspirin-tolerant asthma and other forms of chronic rhinosinusitis. This review details molecular and cellular features of AERD and highlights current and future therapies that are based on these insights.
Unintended Consequences - a Philosophical Argument Against Economic Sanctions, and for Armed Conflict, in North Korea

This paper explores the unintended impact which economic sanctions has on North Korea. In doing so, philosophical theories developed by Eric Voegelin in the post WWII era are lent to the present day issues to highlight the similarities between North Korea and Germany in the period between the end of the First World War and the end of World War II. Additionally, this paper explains the negative outcomes of economic sanctions through comparisons with Iraq in the 1990's until the 2003 invasion, in order to argue for armed conflict to resolve the North Korea problem; in a just manner.
The use of monoclonal antibody Y1/82A in the identification of acute myeloblastic and monocytic leukemias.

A newly developed monoclonal antibody (Y1/82A), which binds a cytoplasmic antigen in peripheral blood monocytes and tissue macrophages, was tested for its ability to detect monocytic differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia, i.e., to distinguish French-American-British (FAB) groups M4 and M5 from FAB groups M1, M2, M3, M6 and M7. Staining was performed by the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase (APAAP) immunocytochemical technic on bone marrow smears from 29 cases of acute myeloid leukemia, on 17 normal peripheral blood and/or bone marrow smears, on bone marrows from 10 cases of lymphoid leukemia, and on lymph nodes of 13 patients with lymphoma. Neoplastic cells from 11 of 11 patients with either M4 or M5 leukemia had positive results, whereas only 2 out of 18 cases of M1, M2, M3, M6, and M7 leukemia had positive results. In normal samples, only peripheral blood monocytes, bone marrow macrophages, and megakaryocytes stained. Lymphoid neoplasms were unreactive. These results suggest that monoclonal antibody Y1/82A may be a useful reagent in detecting cases of M4 and M5 acute myeloid leukemia and that it offers a valuable alternative to nonspecific esterase cytochemistry.
Serial Argument Goals and Changes in Perceived Conflict Resolution: A Dyadic Analysis

Prior research on serial arguments has generally been retrospective and cross-sectional in nature. Accordingly, little is known about the extent to which features of single argumentative episodes may impact arguers’ progress toward successfully resolving serial arguments. This study utilized self-reports of serial argument goals from 75 heterosexual couples engaged in live argumentative episodes to assess associations between serial argument goals and the degree of change in perceived resolution from preargument to postargument. Results illustrated that the importance and valence of actors’ and partners’ serial argument goals were associated with perceived changes in resolution.
The Political Heirs of Ricardo Flores Magón

AbstractFor an appreciation of the influence of Ricardo Flores Magon on Mexican political history, it is not enough to examine how his July 1906 program shaped the course of the Revolution of 1910–20 and became institutionalized in the 1917 Constitution. One must also consider the impact of his September 1911 program for a revolution in the revolution, first, in challenging reformist tendencies within the Mexican Communist Party during its fitful history and, second, in inspiring the insurgent Left since World War II. Such a study reveals that the Magonist legacy did not exhaust itself during the early years of the Revolution, but continued to be consequential outside the political mainstream until at least the 1970s. It was a contradictory legacy with contradictory results.
Everybody’s All-American: The Posthumous Rebranding of Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando has been canonized as one of the greatest actors of all time, but the reflections of critics and fans also fixate on the decadence and decline that characterized the final decades of Brando’s life. In the years since his death, the early Brando has resurfaced as the dominant image of Brando’s stardom. In a striking example, a commercial for the Mastercard ‘Priceless’ campaign features footage of Marlon Brando from The Wild One (1953) as the visual complement to the tagline, ‘The perfect pair of jeans—priceless’. This essay uses this commercial as the point of entry for an analysis of Brando’s career and its posthumous reframing, arguing that the endurance of Brando’s celebrity is tied to questions of nationality, masculinity, and class.
The Impossible Process: Thermodynamic Reversibility

Standard descriptions of thermodynamically reversible processes attribute contradictory properties to them: they are in equilibrium yet still change their state. Or they are comprised of non-equilibrium states that are so close to equilibrium that the difference does not matter. One cannot have states that both change and no not change at the same time. In place of this internally contradictory characterization, the term “thermodynamically reversible process” is here construed as a label for a set of real processes of change involving only non-equilibrium states. The properties usually attributed to a thermodynamically reversible process are recovered as the limiting properties of this set. No single process, that is, no system undergoing change, equilibrium or otherwise, carries those limiting properties. The paper concludes with an historical survey of characterizations of thermodynamically reversible processes and a critical analysis of their shortcomings.