cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examining Relationships among Contextual, Motivational and Wellbeing Variables of Immigrant Language-Minority College Students

The number of immigrant undergraduate students with diverse ethnicities and native languages has been continuously increasing. As a result, Immigrant Language-Minority (ILM) college student wellbeing and retention is the focus of many higher education institutions. The purpose of the present exploratory study was to examine relationships among personal (e.g., self-efficacy for learning, self-regulation), contextual (e.g., stereotype threat, sense of belonging), and wellbeing (e.g., negative affect, positive affect, academic satisfaction and life satisfaction) variables with 502 ILM undergraduate students. Grounded in the social-cognitive perspective, a model was proposed where contextual variables influence personal beliefs and in turn student wellbeing perceptions. Using structural equation modeling, data showed that sense of belonging directly predicted student self-regulation, self-efficacy, positive affect, negative affect, and academic and life satisfaction, whereas stereotype threat directly predicted self-efficacy and negative affect. Moreover, findings also showed that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between sense of belonging, stereotype threat, and academic satisfaction. Overall, the proposed model predicted 54% of variance in life satisfaction. Implications for ILM undergraduate student wellbeing and retention are discussed.
Using ECHO as a decision support tool to manage coastal systems subject to physical changes

Abstract Physical changes in coastal systems, caused by human or natural processes, lead to changes in flow patterns and salinity, temperature and sediment distributions. These changes can affect the health of an ecosystem. This paper demonstrates the use of the model ECHO (coastal ECosystem Health assessment model using Oysters as the indicator species) for the assessment of the impacts on spatial distribution of the oyster zones. ECHO uses outputs of a 3-D hydrodynamic model to delineate zones hospitable to oysters; its outputs are much more concise than the extensive spatial and temporal outputs of the hydrodynamic models typically employed to simulate physical changes in a coastal environment. This study used ECHO to investigate the impacts of two hypothetical physical changes which altered hydrodynamics in a bay; the impacts were determined by examining the changes in the spatial extents of the delineated oyster zones. For the test cases, a region of a decreased water depth results in improved conditions for oysters, whereas adding an increased amount of freshwater inflow to the bay decreases the prevalence of oyster zones throughout the bay. ECHO reveals that the predominant reason for changes in the spatial extents of oyster zones in the latter case is prolonged stratification. By examining the spatial and temporal behavior of shear and density effects, we conclude that the Richardson number is a better means of quantifying stratification in a complicated tidal system than density gradients alone.
Torso vascular trauma

Abstract Vascular injury within the chest or abdomen represents a unique challenge to the pediatric general surgeon, as these life- or limb-threatening injuries are rare and may require emergent treatment. Vascular injury may present as life-threatening hemorrhage, or with critical ischemia from intimal injury, dissection, or thrombosis. Maintaining the skillset and requisite knowledge to address these injuries is of utmost importance for pediatric surgeons that care for injured children, particularly for surgeons practicing in freestanding children's hospitals that frequently do not have adult vascular surgery coverage. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of torso vascular trauma, with a specific emphasis in rapid recognition of torso vascular injury as well as both open and endovascular management options. Specific injuries addressed include blunt and penetrating mediastinal vascular injury, subclavian injury, abdominal aortic and visceral segment injury, inferior vena cava injury, and pelvic vascular injury. Operative exposure, vascular repair techniques, and damage control options including preperitoneal packing for pelvic hemorrhage are discussed. The role and limitations of endovascular treatment of each of these injuries is discussed, including endovascular stent graft placement, angioembolization for pelvic hemorrhage, and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in children.
Centenario del American College of Physicians

Entre los dias 30 de abril y 2 de mayo de 2015 se celebro la reunion anual del American College of Physicians (ACP), en la ciudad de Boston, Massachusetts, EE. UU. de NA. Este ano se cumplieron cien anos de la fundacion de esta Sociedad. Hubo 8500 asistentes, de los cuales 1337 fueron extranjeros y provinieron desde paises de los cinco continentes. Chile tuvo una gran asistencia (cerca de la treintena) en la que destacaron el actual Gobernador (Dr. Guillermo Conte), el Gobernador electo (Dr. Luis Miguel Noriega), los Past Governors (Dres. Jose Adolfo Rodriguez Portales, Guillermo Acuna Leiva y Maria Eugenia Pinto Claude), la Secretaria de la Mesa Directiva de la Sociedad Medica de Santiago (Dra. Luz Maria Letelier) y varios Fellows, algunos de los cuales fueron investidos en tal condicion, como el Dr. Vicente Valdivieso Davila (ex Presidente de la Sociedad Medica de Santiago). En el evento hubo mas de 200 actividades cientificas, ocho de las cuales tuvieron traduccion simultanea al espanol (primera vez que se realiza en esa institucion). En la Ceremonia de Convocacion se invistieron 600 nuevos Fellows, provenientes de 28 paises. La delegacion chilena destaco por lo numerosa y fue encabezada por la Past Gobernadora Dra. Maria Eugenia Pinto Claude, quien reemplazo en esta funcion al Dr. Guillermo Conte, ya que este ocupo el rol de Marshall en la ceremonia (primera vez en la historia del ACP que un medico chileno desempena este importante papel). Desfilaron numerosos medicos chilenos que fueron investidos como Fellows, algunos provenientes de provincias, como los Drs. Hans Muller y Carlos Zuniga). En la testera del enorme auditorio donde se celebro la Ceremonia de Convocatoria estuvieron, ademas de las maximas autoridades del College y nuestro Gobernador (en calidad de Marshall), los Presidentes de mas de 50 Sociedades M?dicas mundiales, incluyendo la Sociedad Medica de Santiago (Sociedad Chilena de Medicina Interna), representada por su actual Presidente, autor de esta Cronica.
CT-Guided Transgluteal Biopsy for Systematic Random Sampling of the Prostate in Patients Without Rectal Access.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to review our experience with CT-guided transgluteal prostate biopsy in patients without rectal access. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Twenty-one CT-guided transgluteal prostate biopsy procedures were performed in 16 men (mean age, 68 years; age range, 60–78 years) who were under conscious sedation. The mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value was 11.4 ng/mL (range, 2.3–39.4 ng/mL). Six had seven prior unsuccessful transperineal or transurethral biopsies. Biopsy results, complications, sedation time, and radiation dose were recorded. The mean PSA values and number of core specimens were compared between patients with malignant results and patients with nonmalignant results using the Student t test. RESULTS. The average procedural sedation time was 50.6 minutes (range, 15–90 minutes) (n = 20), and the mean effective radiation dose was 8.2 mSv (median, 6.6 mSv; range 3.6–19.3 mSv) (n = 13). Twenty of the 21 (95%) procedures were technically successful. The only complicati...
Replication of initiated polyriboadenylic acid by mammalian low molecular weight deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase.

Abstract The low molecular weight DNA polymerases isolated from the chromatin and from the cytoplasmic fraction of human, rabbit, bovine, and rat tissues were tested for their ability to use r(pA)n·d(pT)11 as template. The enzyme from all of these tissues can utilize r(pA)n·d(pT)11 as template with almost the same efficiency as d(pA)n·d(pT)11. The polyriboadenylate activity co-purified with the low molecular weight DNA polymerase throughout purification, and showed some relative increase with purification. Replication of r(pA)n· d(pT)11 by the low molecular weight DNA polymerase was extensive, and the product of the replication was a double-stranded hybrid polymer. Analysis of the product of r(pA)n·d(pT)11 replication in the presence of noncomplementary deoxynucleoside triphosphate indicated that the replication is highly accurate, with a misincorporation of deoxycytidylate in polyriboadenylate replication occurring less than 1 in 3 x 105 thymidylates. In the presence of oligothymidylate, the low molecular weight DNA polymerase cannot replicate the heteropolymeric regions of natural RNAs such as chick hemoglobin mRNA or yeast tRNA with polyriboadenylates added at the 3' terminus.
Equilibrium Unemployment in a Generalized Search Model

We present a generalization of the standard Diamond-Mortensen-Pissaridesundirectedsearch model of unemployment in which the hiring process is time-consuming as well as costly. We follow Stole and Zwiebel (1996a,b) and assume that wages are determined by continuous bargaining between the firm and its employees. This generates a non-trivial dispersion of firm sizes; when firms’ production technologies exhibit decreasing returns to labor, it also generates wage dispersion, even though all firms and all workers are ex ante identical. We characterize the steady-state equilibrium of the model; some important special cases are characterized in closed form. We characterize the out-of-steady state dynamics of employment and wages of the economy in response to productivity shocks. A feature of the model is the ability of the economy to respond to shocks on both an intensive margin (a change in the intensity of vacancy posting of incumbent firms) as well as an extensive margin (a change in the number of active firms); we show that both margins, as well whether there are decreasing returns to labor at the firm level, are important for the qualitative behavior of the unemployment rate and of the distribution of employment and wages across firms.
Adaptive stabilization of nonlinearly parameterized systems by C/sup 0/ partial-state feedback

Under an appropriate ISS condition, it is shown that global adaptive stabilization of a class of cascade systems with non-linear parameterization is achievable by non-Lipschitz continuous partial-state adaptive regulator. This result complements the earlier work on adaptive control of uncertain nonlinear systems with uncontrollable unstable linearization, which are impossible to be dealt with by any smooth adaptive control scheme.
Comparison of Indexes for Prioritizing Placement of Water Quality Buffers in Agricultural Watersheds1

Dosskey, Michael G. and Zeyuan Qiu, 2011. Comparison of Indexes for Prioritizing Placement of Water Quality Buffers in Agricultural Watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):662-671. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00532.x Abstract: Five physically based, spatially distributed, empirical indexes were compared for the degree to which they identified the same or different locations in watersheds where vegetative buffers would function better for reducing agricultural nonpoint source pollution. All five indexes were calculated on a 10 m × 10 m digital elevation grid on agricultural land in the 144-km2 Neshanic River watershed in New Jersey. The indexes included the topography-based Wetness Index (WI) and Topographic Index (TI) and three soil survey-based indexes (sediment trapping efficiency [STE], water trapping efficiency [WTE], and groundwater interaction [GI]). Results showed that each index associated higher pollution risk and mitigation potential to a different part of the landscape. The WI and TI identified swales and riparian areas where runoff converges, whereas STE and WTE identified upland sites. The STE and WTE lack the fine scale of slope resolution and the accounting for convergent runoff patterns that can be important for properly locating buffers in some watersheds. The GI index indicates the existence of a shallow water table but the correspondence with WI- and TI-identified sites was only modest. For watersheds where pollutant loading is generated by both saturation-excess (emphasized by TI and WI) and infiltration-excess processes (emphasized by STE and WTE), the indexes could be complementary. However, techniques would be needed for properly apportioning priority among sites identified by each index.
Heteromeric TASK-1/TASK-3 is the major oxygen-sensitive background K+ channel in rat carotid body glomus cells

Carotid body (CB) glomus cells from rat express a TASK-like background K+ channel that is believed to play a critical role in the regulation of excitability and hypoxia-induced increase in respiration. Here we studied the kinetic behaviour of single channel openings from rat CB cells to determine the molecular identity of the ‘TASK-like’ K+ channels. In outside-out patches, the TASK-like background K+ channel in CB cells was inhibited >90% by a reduction of pHo from 7.3 to 5.8. In cell-attached patches with 140 mm KCl and 1 mm Mg2+ in the bath and pipette solutions, two main open levels with conductance levels of ∼14 pS and ∼32 pS were recorded at a membrane potential of −60 mV. The K+ channels showed kinetic properties similar to TASK-1 (∼14 pS), TASK-3 (∼32 pS) and TASK-1/3 heteromer (∼32 pS). The presence of three TASK isoforms was tested by reducing [Mg2+]o to ∼0 mm, which had no effect on the conductance of TASK-1, but increased those of TASK-1/3 and TASK-3 to 42 pS and 74 pS, respectively. In CB cells, the reduction of [Mg2+]o to ∼0 mm also caused the appearance of ∼42 pS (TASK-1/3-like) and ∼74 pS (TASK-3-like) channels, in addition to the ∼14 pS (TASK-1-like) channel. The 42 pS channel was the most abundant, contributing ∼75% of the current produced by TASK-like channels. Ruthenium red (5 μm) had no effect on TASK-1 and TASK-1/3, but inhibited TASK-3 by 87%. In CB cells, ruthenium red caused ∼12% inhibition of TASK-like activity. Methanandamide reduced the activity of all three TASKs by 80–90%, and that of TASK-like channels in CB cell also by ∼80%. In CB cells, hypoxia caused inhibition of TASK-like channels, including TASK-1/3-like channels. These results show that TASK-1, TASK-1/3 and TASK-3 are all functionally expressed in isolated CB cells, and that the TASK-1/3 heteromer provides the major part of the oxygen-sensitive TASK-like background K+ conductance.
Learning Left-to-Right and Right-to-Left Iterative Languages

The left-to-right and right-to-left iterative languages are previously unnoticed subclasses of the regular languages of infinite size that are identifiable in the limit from positive data. Essentially, these language classes are the ones obtained by merging final states in a prefix tree and initial states in a suffix tree of the observed sample, respectively. Strikingly, these classes are also transparently related to the zero-reversible languages because some algorithms that learn them differ minimally from the ZR algorithm given in Angluin (1982). Second, they are part of the answer to the challenge provided by Muggleton (1990), who proposed mapping the space of language classes obtainable by a general state-merging algorithm IM1. Third, these classes are relevant to a hypothesis of how children can acquire sound patterns of their language--in particular, the hypothesis that all phonotactic patterns found in natural language are neighborhood-distinct (Heinz 2007).
Yeasl alcohol dehydrogenase. I. The effect of pyridine derivatives on the reaction

Abstract The effect of pyridine derivatives on yeast alcohol dehydrogenase has been described. These compounds have been found to compete with DPN or DPNH for the active site on the enzyme. Three classes of compounds have been studied: pyridine bases, N1-methylpyridinium salts, and analogues of DPN. A number of pyridine compounds have been found to show inhibitory powers different for the DPN reduction than for the DPNH oxidation. The inhibition of pyridine bases appears to be due to their ionized forms. Although pyridine bases inhibit the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase reaction, some of these compounds could actually, at low concentrations, stimulate the rate of reaction. A partial reaction sequence and an enzyme-coenzyme model are proposed to explain the experimental data.
Regarding the Deceleration of the Universe

A proposed strategy for determining the deceleration parameter entails measuring the deviation from a linear (Hubble) distance-red shift relation. However, even at moderate red shifts, z > 0.2, the deviation does not depend on q_0 alone, but also on the equation-of-state of the universe.
Plasma C - reactive Protein and Risk of Breast Cancer in two Prospective Studies and a Meta-analysis

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been evaluated as a risk factor for breast cancer in epidemiologic studies. However, results from prospective studies are inconsistent. Methods: We evaluated the association using prediagnostic blood samples in a case–control study nested within the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the full cohort of the Women's Health Study (WHS). A total of 943 cases in the NHS and 1,919 cases in the WHS contributed to the analysis. Conditional logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards model were used in the NHS and WHS, respectively. We pooled our results with prior prospective studies using random effect meta-analysis. Results: In the NHS, higher CRP levels were associated with a suggestively increased risk of breast cancer [quintile 5 vs. 1: relative risk (RR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93–1.73; P trend = 0.02]; results did not vary significantly by tumor invasiveness or hormone receptor status. However, no association was observed in the WHS for overall risk (quintile 5 vs. 1: RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.76–1.06; P trend = 0.38) or by tumor invasiveness or hormone receptor status. The meta-analysis (including 5,371 cases from 11 studies) showed a modestly increased risk among women in the highest versus lowest categories of CRP (RR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.07–1.49). Conclusions: Existing data from prospective studies suggest that CRP, a nonspecific marker of inflammation, is modestly positively associated with breast cancer risk. Impact: Our findings provide support to the concept that inflammation can influence breast cancer development. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(8); 1199–206. ©2015 AACR .
2‐Formyl‐4‐pyrrolidino Pyridine

[184304-16-3] C10H12N2O (MW 176.23) InChI = 1S/C10H12N2O/c13-8-9-7-10(3-4-11-9)12-5-1-2-6-12/h3-4,7-8H,1-2,5-6H2 InChIKey = LLTQGXBIVPBBJI-UHFFFAOYSA-N (catalyst used for the selective methanolysis of α-hydroxy esters) Physical Data: light-yellow crystalline solid; mp 98–99 °C. Solubility: soluble in most common organic solvents. Not soluble in water. Form Supplied in: not commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR, 13C NMR. Preparative Methods: this catalyst has been prepared from the isopropyl amide of 2-picolinic acid by metalation with n-BuLi and trapping with iodine, followed by an halogen-dance reaction with LDA to provide the 4-iodo derivative. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution of the iodide for a pyrrolidine in refluxing pyrrolidine is followed by DIBAL reduction of the amide to provide the aldehyde in 34% overall yield for the four steps.1 Alternatively, it can be prepared from 4-pyrrolidino pyridine (PPY) by metalation of the BF3 complex and trapping with DMF.2 Purification: flash chromatography. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: no special instructions for storage and handling are mentioned in the literature. Use in a fume hood.
General word recognition using approximate segment-string matching

Focuses on the problem of isolated off-line general word recognition using an approximate stroke-segment/string matching algorithm. Several recently proposed word recognition algorithms use the strategy of directly matching the stroke segments (with OCR estimates) to the sequence of characters in each lexicon word. This idea works very well under ideal conditions; however, many applications require the recognition of text in the presence of document noise, poor handwriting and lexicon errors. These factors require careful design of the matching strategy such that a moderate amount of any form of degradation does not cause a recognition failure. A segment-to-string matching algorithm is proposed which robustly recovers from moderate levels of noise and system errors. This algorithm is developed in the context of a complete word recognition system and serves as its final post-processing module.
Analysis of decarburization of hypereutectoid FeC alloys and its application in evaluating the processing steps used to make Damascus steel swords

Abstract The decarburization of a hyperecutectoid FeC alloy at temperatures below the solubility limit of cementite (the A cm composition of the alloy) and above the pearlite temperature will produce two distinct diffusion layers at the decarburized surface. The first layer will be pure ferrite and the second layer will be austenite which will have transformed into pearlite on cooling (or martensite in quenched samples). A mathematical solution is presented here for the diffusion control of this decarburization process and it is shown that the relative thicknesses of the two layers is a fairly strong function of the temperature at which the decarburization is carried out. Damascus swords have a decarburized fold down their back side and this analysis is applied to one Damascus blade. It is demonstrated that metallographic analysis of the fold region allows an estimation of the forging temperature and the forging time for this blade.
Evaluation of System Performance Degradation of a Mismatched CGN Channel Using Convex Optimization Method

Consider a binary baseband vector-valued communication channel modeled by a zero-mean CGN vector N with a non-singular covariance matrix Lambda. We study the maximum loss of system performance using the metric of a decrease of P_D for a fixed P_{FA}. Under H_0, the observed vector is given by x = n, while under H_1, x = s + n. The optimum receiver compares the statistic x^{T} Lambda^{-1}s to a threshold gamma determined by P_{FA}. However, in a mismatched system, the sub-optimum receiver assumes a WGN vector using the statistic x^{T}s such that the {math}, which is equivalent to {math}, which is satisfied by Schwarz Inequality. For a given Lambda, the solution for the smallest {math} is equivalent to finding the signal vector s that attains the largest value of {math}, which can be obtained using convex optimization method based on the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker condition. Various explicit examples are given.
Male/female language differences and effects in same‐sex and mixed‐sex dyads: The gender‐linked language effect

Ninety‐six university students (48 males, 48 females) were randomly assigned a partner (whom they did not know well), forming two dyad conditions: (a) same‐sex, and (b) mixed‐sex. The 48 dyads were audiotape‐recorded in 20‐minute problem solving interactions, from which 300‐word language samples were transcribed for analysis. In Study 1, 9 trained observers coded 12 language variables previously shown to distinguish male from female language use. Discriminant analysis results demonstrated that a weighted combination of 8 variables could differentiate male from female interactants: male indicators—interruptions, directives, and conjunctions/ fillers begin sentence; female indicators—questions, justifiers, intensive adverbs, personal pronouns, and adverbials begin sentence. An analysis of variance of individuals’ gender discriminant function scores showed greater differences in gender‐linked language behavior in same‐sex than in mixed‐sex dyads. In Study 2, 231 naive observers rated the 96 interactants, usi...
Black holes, quantum information, and unitary evolution

The unitary crisis for black holes indicates an apparent need to modify local quantum field theory. This paper explores the idea that quantum mechanics and, in particular, unitarity are fundamental principles, but at the price of familiar locality. Thus, one should seek to parameterize unitary evolution, extending the field theory description of black holes, such that their quantum information is transferred to the external state. This discussion is set in a broader framework of unitary evolution acting on Hilbert spaces comprising subsystems. Here, various constraints can be placed on the dynamics, based on quantum information-theoretic and other general physical considerations, and one can seek to describe dynamics with minimal departure from field theory. While usual spacetime locality may not be a precise concept in quantum gravity, approximate locality seems an important ingredient in physics. In such a Hilbert-space approach an apparently coarser form of localization can be described in terms of tensor decompositions of the Hilbert space of the complete system. This suggests a general framework in which to seek a consistent description of quantum gravity, and approximate emergence of spacetime. Other possible aspects of such a framework---in particular, symmetries---are briefly discussed.
The Torsion Submodule Splits Off

A classical question for modules over an integral domain is, "When is the torsion submodule t(A) of a module A a direct summand of AT' A module is said to split when its torsion submodule is a direct summand. Kaplansky has shown [-14] that if R is a Dedekind domain, then every module whose torsion submodule is of bounded order splits. The converse of this result has been shown by Chase [5]. Results of [15] and [3] show that every finitely generated module splits if and only if R is a Priifer domain. Finally, if every R-module splits, then Rotman has shown [19] that R must be a field. Recently, many concepts of torsion have been proposed for modules over arbitrary associative rings with identity. Almost all of these are special cases of "torsion theories" in the sense of Dickson [6]. Moreover, most of these torsion theories are hereditary (i.e., the submodule of a torsion module is torsion); and hereditary torsion classes are classes of negligible modules associated with a topologizing and idempotent filter of left ideals in the sense of Gabriel [12] (also see [17]). Some recent papers ([4], [7], and [11]) have dealt with splitting results for specific hereditary torsion theories over certain commutative rings. The main purpose of this paper is to continue the investigation of the splitting properties of a torsion theory of modules over a commutative ring. Some characterizations for the splitting of modules, whose torsion submodules have bounded order, are obtained (see definition of bounded order below and Theorems 2.2 and 4.6). In particular, these results generalize the abovementioned theorems of Chase [5] and Kaplansky [14]. Our results show that the splitting of modules whose torsion submodules have bounded order frequently forces non-zero torsion modules to have non-zero socles. This increases our interest in the smallest hereditary torsion class 6e containing the simple modules. The class ow has previously been used in the study of commutative Noetherian rings and (left) perfect rings (e.g., see [7] and [10] and their references). For a commutative ring R, we show that 6e(A) is a summand of each R-module A if and only if non-zero R-modules have non-zero socles. This generalizes the main results of [7] and [11]; moreover, in case R is a Dedekind domain, our result coincides with the above result of Rotman. We also examine the properties of a splitting hereditary torsion theory of modules over a local ring R (unique maximal left ideal). We show that if R possesses a non-trivial torsion theory (~--, #-) such that every finitely generated module splits, then R is an integral domain, and (Y-, ~ is Goldie's torsion
Molecules and morphology: Congruence of data in Columnea ( Gesneriaceae )

The cladistic analysis and comparison of molecular and morphological data has been the source of much recent debate. In this study, independent analyses of molecular and morphological data fromColumnea L. sects.Pentadenia andStygnanthe (Gesneriaceae) are compared. Comparative methods include consensus, visually comparing trees from independent analyses and combined data analysis. Consensus methods provided little resolution. Comparison of trees obtained from the independent analyses revealed some differences although the trees are highly similar. However, a combined analysis found that the level of incongruence between the two data sets was low. The tree resulting from the combined data has aspects of both the morphological and molecular trees despite the larger number of molecular characters. In addition, the combined data tree has greater resolution than either of the two data sets singly, indicating that the two types of data are congruent, and complementary to each other.
Poisson's Ratio of Monodomain Liquid Crystalline Elastomers

Monodomains of smectic C liquid crystalline elastomers were prepared by controlled stretching of a polydomain thin film. Specimens were prepared from this film for stress-strain study. A Poisson's ratio of zero was found at small strains for uniaxial stretching perpendicular to the director. For uniaxial strain parallel to the director, Poisson's ratios of approximately 0.4-0.5 were found (by extrapolation) for very small strains. A modulus anisotropy of 8 was found for stretching parallel versus perpendicular to the director.
Application of quality by design to formulation and processing of protein liposomes

Abstract Quality by design (QbD) principles were explored in the current study to gain a comprehensive understanding of the preparation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) containing liposome formulations prepared using freeze-and-thaw unilamellar vesicles (FAT-ULV). Risk analysis and D-optimal statistical design were performed. Of all the variables investigated, lipid concentration, cholesterol mol%, main lipid type and protein concentration were identified as critical parameters affecting SOD encapsulation efficiency, while the main lipid type was the only factor influencing liposome particle size. Using a model generated by the D-optimal design, a series of three-dimensional response spaces for SOD liposome encapsulation efficiency were established. The maximum values observed in the response surfaces indirectly confirmed the existence of a specific SOD–lipid interaction, which took place in the lipid bilayer under the following optimal conditions: (1) appropriate membrane thickness and curvature (DPPC liposomes); and (2) optimal “pocket size” generated by cholesterol content. With respect to storage stability, the prepared SOD liposomes remained stable for at least 6 months in aqueous dispersion state at 4 °C. This research highlights the level of understanding that can be accomplished through a well-designed study based on the philosophy of QbD.
Magnetic-flutter-induced pedestal plasma transport

Plasma toroidal rotation can limit reconnection of externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields δB on rational magnetic flux surfaces. Hence it causes the induced radial perturbations δBρ to be small there, thereby inhibiting magnetic island formation and stochasticity at the top of pedestals in high (H-mode) confinement tokamak plasmas. However, the δBρs induced by RMPs increase away from rational surfaces and are shown to induce significant sinusoidal radial motion (flutter) of magnetic field lines with a radial extent that varies linearly with δBρ and inversely with distance from the rational surface because of the magnetic shear. This produces a radial electron thermal diffusivity that is (1/2)(δBρ/B0)2 times a kinetically derived, electron-collision-induced, magnetic-shear-reduced, effective parallel electron thermal diffusivity in the absence of magnetic stochasticity. These low collisionality flutter-induced transport processes and thin magnetic island effects are shown to be highly peaked in the vicinity of rational surfaces at the top of low collisionality pedestals. However, the smaller but finite level of magnetic-flutter-induced electron heat transport midway between rational surfaces is the primary factor that determines the electron temperature difference between rational surfaces at the pedestal top. The magnetic-flutter-induced non-ambipolar electron density transport can be large enough to push the plasma toward an electron density transport root. Requiring ambipolar density transport is shown to determine the radial electric field, the plasma toroidal rotation (via radial force balance), a reduced electron thermal diffusivity and increased ambipolar density transport in the pedestal. At high collisionality the various flutter effects are less strongly peaked at rational surfaces and generally less significant. They are thus less likely to exhibit flutter-induced resonant behaviour and transition toward an electron transport root. Magnetic-flutter-induced plasma transport processes provide a new paradigm for developing an understanding of how RMPs modify the pedestal structure to stabilize peeling–ballooning modes and thereby suppress edge localized modes in low collisionality tokamak H-mode plasmas.
Vps1 in the late endosome-to-vacuole traffic

Vacuolar protein sorting 1 (Vps1), the yeast homolog to human dynamin, is a GTP hydrolyzing protein, which plays an important role in protein sorting and targeting between the Golgi and late endosomal compartments. In this study, we assessed the functional significance of Vps1 in the membrane traffic towards the vacuole. We show here that vps1Δ cells accumulated FM4-64 to a greater extent than wild-type (WT) cells, suggesting slower endocytic degradation traffic toward the vacuole. In addition, we observed that two endosome-to-vacuole traffic markers, DsRed-FYVE and Ste2-GFP, were highly accumulated in Vps1-deficient cells, further supporting Vps1’s implication in efficient trafficking of endocytosed materials to the vacuole. Noteworthy, a simultaneous imaging analysis in conjunction with FM4-64 pulse-chase experiment further revealed that Vps1 plays a role in late endosome to the vacuole transport. Consistently, our subcellular localization analysis showed that Vps1 is present at the late endosome. The hyperaccumulation of endosomal intermediates in the vps1 mutant cells appears to be caused by the disruption of integrity of HOPS tethering complexes, manifested by mislocalization of Vps39 to the cytoplasm. Finally, we postulate that Vps1 functions together with the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) complex at the late endosomal compartments, based on the observation that the double mutants, in which VPS1 along with singular ESCRT I, II and III genes have been disrupted, exhibited synthetic lethality. Together, we propose that Vps1 is required for correct and efficient trafficking from the late endosomal compartments to the vacuole.
Patterns of regional and distant metastasis in patients with conjunctival melanoma: Experience at a cancer center over four decades

Abstract Objective The regional lymph nodes generally are believed to be the most common first site of metastasis for conjunctival malignant melanoma, but the pattern of nodal metastasis in this disease has not been well established. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency, location, and timing of regional lymph node metastasis in patients with conjunctival melanoma treated at one cancer center over four decades. Design Retrospective case series. Participants Twenty-seven patients. Methods The clinical records of 27 patients with conjunctival malignant melanoma were reviewed retrospectively. Main outcome measures The rates of local conjunctival recurrence, regional nodal metastasis, and distant metastasis were analyzed along with overall survival. The follow-up time ranged from 2.5 to 17 years (median, 6 years). Results Eleven patients (41%) experienced clinical regional lymph node metastasis 1.5 to 6.0 years (mean, 3.2 years) after the initial diagnosis. The involved lymphatics were the preauricular (parotid) nodes in 8 patients (73%), the submandibular nodes in 1 patient (9%), and the deeper cervical nodes in 2 patients (18%). In seven patients (26%), distant metastasis developed without evidence of prior or concurrent regional nodal disease. Patients in whom distant metastasis developed without clinical evidence of regional nodal involvement were more likely to have had local conjunctival recurrence ( P = 0.03) and a higher number of local recurrences ( P = 0.05) compared with patients with regional lymph nodes as the site of first metastasis. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 74% and 41%, respectively. Conclusions Regional lymph node metastasis occurred in a higher percentage of patients with conjunctival malignant melanoma than has been reported previously. Preauricular lymph nodes were most commonly involved. Distant metastasis without prior or concurrent lymph node involvement was not a rare event.
ON THE GENERAL THEORY OF STABILITY FOR ELASTIC BODIES

This paper deals with the stability of loaded equilibrium configuration of elastic bodies, within the framework of nonlinear thermoelasticity. Although most of the results are obtained in the context of thermo-mechanical stability, the parallel developments for the purely mechanical stability are also considered. By use of an appropriate thermodynamic restriction, several theorems are proved concerning a sufficient condition for stability of the equilibrium configuration. These theorems hold under a general class of motions and their validity is not limited to small motions and small temperature changes from a loaded equilibrium state. Various generalizations of our main results are discussed and the reasonableness of the proposed stability criterion is demonstrated.
An adaptive control design for 3D curve tracking based on robust forward invariance

We study a class of adaptive controllers for three dimensional (3D) curve tracking under control uncertainty and unknown control gains. Using robust forward invariance and a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, we prove input-to-state stable tracking and parameter identification under input delays and a class of polygonal state constraints. This yields predictable tolerance and safety bounds, and compensation of arbitrarily long input delays in the important case where the delays only occur in the speed measurements in the controls.
The Systemic Impacts of New York's Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program: A Response to Ackerman, Apple, Barnett, and Goffin.

We thank Debra J. Ackerman, Peggy L. Apple, W. Steven Barnett, and Stacie G. Goffin for their thoughtful commentaries on our article “Implementing New York's Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program: An Exploratory Study of Systemic Impacts” (this issue). Our response focuses on two main themes that emerged from the commentaries: (a) the generalizability of the sample and the study's methodological limitations and (b) protectionism of the existing early care and education system. In light of our study and the commentators' main points, we provide a set of policy recommendations for improving quality, accessibility, and affordability in the current early care and education system.
Links among growth factors, hormones, and nuclear factors with essential roles in bone formation.

Research performed during the last several years implicates important roles for a variety of growth factors that affect osteoblasts or their precursors during bone development, remodeling, or repair. Of these, three families of growth factors in particular-the transforming growth factor betas (TGF-βs), insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)-are considered to be principal local regulators of osteogenesis, although none is specific for cells of the osteoblast lineage. Therefore, mechanisms to induce skeletal tissue specificity might occur through interactions among these growth factors, with circulating hormones, or through specific intracellular mediators. In the latter case, even more recent studies point to two nuclear transcription factors, termed Core Binding Factor al (CBFal) and CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Protein 8 (C/EBP8), as significant regulators of the expression or activity of specific bone growth factors or their receptors. Perhaps more importantly, events that ...
Does Inflation Lower Productivity? Time Series Evidence on the Impact of Inflation on Labor Productivity in 12 OECD Nations

According to proponents of zero-inflation policies, even low rates of inflation create distortions in capital allocation and in price signals, which result in lower rates of productivity growth. This paper tests the hypothesis that inflation has a causal impact (in the Granger sense) on labor productivity growth in manufacturing for 12 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In bivariate tests of inflation and productivity and in multivariate tests using controls for cyclical effects, there is no evidence of a consistent relationship between inflation and productivity growth with regard to either sign or magnitude. Therefore, the present analysis does not support the view that further reductions in inflation from already low single-digit levels would have a positive impact on labor productivity growth for major industrial countries.
Developing a downscaling method from global to regional ozone modeling: application for linking RAQMS and CMAQ

The goal of this study is to assess the impact of the downscale linkage of global model output on the simulated regional scale O3 vertical/horizontal structure. In this research, we incorporated the analysis and forecasting of a global model with the regional model utilizing a specially designed satellite ozone data assimilation process. Two different methods can be applied to incorporate the satellite measurements in the regional ozone modeling. One is a method that utilizes the best-optimized analysis field directly as the initial conditions for the simulation, and the other is the downscale linkage of the output of a global scale model into which the satellite observations have been already assimilated. In this work, we focus on the second indirect method with the global RAQMS (NASA Langley Research Center and University of Wisconsin Regional Air Quality Modeling System), which adopts a simple optimal interpolation approach (SDF; Statistical Digital Filter), to conduct the TOMS column and solar occultation assimilation procedure. To do this, a linking tool to ingest the global RAQMS simulations into CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality) model has been developed. We performed two sets of CMAQ simulations; one with the predefined lateral boundary condition (BC) profile and the other with the lateral BC generated from RAQMS outputs for the 1999 Southern Oxidant Study (SOS-99) period (Jun. 15-Jul. 14, 1999). The two simulation results were compared and evaluated with several ozone soundings and national wide surface observations (AIRS/EPA) in U.S. and Canada. In the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, CMAQ simulations with the predefined BC profile failed to simulate the so-called "chemical tropopause" above which O3 concentrations rapidly increase with height. On the other hand, the simulation with BC provided with the global RAQMS outputs showed good agreement with the ozone soundings. However, there were no significant differences between the two in the spatial distributions of surface O3. These results indicate that the usage of BC generated from global simulations with a satellite data assimilation procedure certainly improves the performance of regional models above the middle troposphere in the northern part of the U.S. continent and Canada. In future work, we will apply both SDF and 3DVAR methods for CMAQ modeling with GOES ozone column and make a comparison with current results.
Muon bundles in underground detectors

Abstract We give a simple set of parametrizations that can be used as the basis for Monte Carlo simulations of multiple, coincident cosmic ray muons as detected with deep, sub-surface detectors such as those designed to search for nucleon decay, monopoles, etc. The simulations are relevant to design studies, systematic intercomparison of different experiments and preliminary data analysis.
Primary central nervous system lymphoma in a child with acute B‐cell lymphoblastic leukaemia: consecutive Epstein‐Barr virus‐related malignancies

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), observed among immunocompromised AIDS patients, has not been reported during chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We report a case of PCNSL occurring in a child receiving intensive multiagent chemotherapy for B-cell ALL. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated Epstein-Barr virus genome in both tumours, suggesting a possible link between the two diseases. The clinical response of the PCNSL to conservative therapy highlights the importance of accurately diagnosing such EBV-related disorders, especially in patients where immune compromise can be reversed.
Inositol hexakisphosphate and Gle1 activate the DEAD-box protein Dbp5 for nuclear mRNA export.

Regulation of nuclear mRNA export is critical for proper eukaryotic gene expression. A key step in this process is the directional translocation of mRNA–ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) that are embedded in the nuclear envelope1. Our previous studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae defined an in vivo role for inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6) and NPC-associated Gle1 in mRNA export2. Here, we show that Gle1 and InsP6 act together to stimulate the RNA-dependent ATPase activity of the essential DEAD-box protein Dbp5. Overexpression of DBP5 specifically suppressed mRNA export and growth defects of an ipk1 nup42 mutant defective in InsP6 production and Gle1 localization. In vitro kinetic analysis showed that InsP6 significantly increased Dbp5 ATPase activity in a Gle1-dependent manner and lowered the effective RNA concentration for half-maximal ATPase activity. Gle1 alone had minimal effects. Maximal InsP6 binding required both Dbp5 and Gle1. It has been suggested that Dbp5 requires unidentified cofactors3,4. We now propose that Dbp5 activation at NPCs requires Gle1 and InsP6. This would facilitate spatial control of the remodelling of mRNP protein composition during directional transport and provide energy to power transport cycles.
Liver and intestinal metallothionein: function in acute cadmium toxicity.

Abstract The role of liver and intestinal metallothionein (MTN) in the detoxification of an acute dose of cadmium was investigated. Rats given an oral dose of either 20 mgm Cd 2+ /kgm (predosed) or H 2 O (nonpredosed) 24 hr prior to an oral dose of 100 mgm Cd 2+ /kgm were sacrificed 1, 3, or 5 hr after the second cadmium dose. Uptake of the 100 mgm/kgm dose of cadmium by the liver, kidneys, and testes was greater in the predosed animals. Liver cadmium was associated entirely with MTN in predosed rats at all time points examined. In nonpredosed animals, however, the metal was associated with high molecular weight proteins at the 1- and 3-hr periods but by 5 hr was bound entirely by MTN. Studies in which rats were injected with [ 35 S]cystine along with a 100 mgm/kgm dose of cadmium indicated that MTN synthesis occurred following cadmium exposure and was increased in predosed animals. It is proposed that a part of the decreased toxicity of cadmium in previously exposed animals could be due to increased cadmium uptake by MTN containing organs relative to other organs. Intestinal cadmium was also associated primarily with MTN in predosed animals and, by 5 hr after the 100 mgm/kgm dose, in the nonpredosed group. It is suggested that intestinal MTN may play a role in preventing cadmium absorption during low level cadmium exposure.