cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The divestiture of acquired subunits: A resource dependence approach

Resource dependence theory has been widely applied to explain interindustry acquisitions, but little is known about how external and internal dependence conditions affect the divestiture of formerly acquired subunits. We argue that subunit divestiture may be a strategic response to mutual dependence and subunit power following acquisition. Our results, based on a sample of divested subunits by U.S. public firms, show that mutual dependence and increased subunit power both reduce the hazard of subunit divestiture. However, the negative effect of mutual dependence diminishes to the extent that subunit power increases, suggesting that increased subunit power may shift away from the mutual-dependence logic. We discuss the implications of these findings to advance the theory of interindustry divestiture. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Zermelo—Fraenkel Axioms

In this chapter, I develop an axiomatic framework for set theory. For the most part, the axioms will be simple existence assertions about sets, and it may be argued that they are all self-evident ‘truths’ about sets. But why axiomatize set theory in the first place? Well, for one thing, it is well known that set theory provides a unified framework for the whole of pure mathematics, and surely if anything deserves to be put on a sound basis it is such a foundational subject. “But surely,” you say, “the concept of a set is so simple that nothing further need be said. We simply regard any collection of objects as a single entity in its own right, and that provides us with our set theory.” Alas, nothing could be further from the truth. Certainly, the idea of being able to regard any collection of objects as a single entity forms the very core of set theory. But a great deal more needs to be said about this.
Surgical management of an intussuscepted duodenal duplication cyst in a pediatric patient with heterotaxy

Duodenal duplication cysts are rare congenital abnormalities. We report the case of a 16 year old female who presented with pancreatitis and duodenal intussusception and was subsequently diagnosed with heterotaxy, malrotation and a duodenal duplication cyst. She underwent open surgical management with successful excision of the cyst. The literature is reviewed and discussed.
Does it make sense to speak of neuroethics? Three problems with keying ethics to hot new science and technology.

The field of bioethics has been split into subspecialties over the past few decades. In some cases, it was divided in terms of social domains, such as clinical ethics, research ethics and public‐health ethics. In other cases, it was separated in terms of methodological approaches, including principle‐based bioethics, virtue ethics and narrative ethics. Yet more divisions were made in terms of medical specialties, such as paediatric ethics, surgical ethics and psychiatric ethics. A more recent trend is to identify subfields in terms of new lines of scientific or technological investigation, such as genethics, nanoethics and neuroethics. > …the basic ethical concerns about threats to identity are not different in the context of neuroscience or genetics… Given the rich history of bioethics, we would not suggest that there is only one correct way forward or that speaking of new subfields is completely wrong. Indeed, Adina Roskies recently made a strong case specifically for neuroethics: “although neuroethics may appear to consist of a collection of diverse and unrelated concerns, the various issues emerging from the confluence of neuroscience and ethics are so densely interconnected that it is defensible, and may even be profitable, to consider them as a unified whole” (Roskies, 2006). Because no one has the infinite energy necessary to consider all aspects of bioethics, limiting oneself to a quasi‐discrete scientific arena can help to focus attention. Moreover, because studying ethics requires a firm grip on the science—and it will take ethicists time to catch up with the latest research in fields as complex as genetics, nanoscience and neuroscience—we can appreciate the case for speaking of bioethical subfields. Nevertheless, although we grant that speaking in such terms can be reasonable, we also want to call attention to some of the dangers associated with carving up bioethics into ever more specialized subfields that …
Time-dependency and static mechanics of immature airways and saccules.

Abstract Immature rabbit lungs were inflated, then deflated from the fetal pulmonary fluid (FPF)-filled state. Stereomicroscopic observation and measurement of volume change (ΔV) during each pressure step and after 15 and 120 sec at each pressure revealed the following: (1) Only airways inflate from atmospheric pressure (P0) to P25. Significant time-dependence here is due to FPF flow through the narrowest airways, airways dilation and recruitment as functions of tissue and surface forces, and, perhaps, interfacial adsorption of surfactants. (2) Saccular recruitment and distention are the principal transformations from P30 to P35. Time-dependency here is the result of FPF flow and labile bubble production. (3) Time-dependency during deflation from P25 to P10 is due to diminishing influence of inflation processes and to decreasing radii of curvature at air/liquid interfaces as FPF refills the saccular air-spaces. Redistribution of air and hypophase liquid probably also play a role. (4) Deflation from P10 to P0 is determined by FPF flow through the smallest airways, interfacial forces, and recoil of previously distented as liquid locks are formed. Some implications are that FPF flow through the smallest airways is a gate to saccular ventilation; time-dependent processes place airspaces at risk to rupture; and different time constant of saccules and airways renders 120 sec pressure steps adequate for evaluation of the latter but not the former.
Perioperative Facility Planning Considerations

Facility planning for perioperative services is no longer limited to clinical areas directly in support of operating room surgical cases. For example, the advent of interventional procedures requiring various levels of conscious sedation and anesthesia in specialties such as gastroenterology, radiology, and urology impact support areas such as preadmissions, preoperative processing, and the postanesthesia care unit. Additionally, the health care facility venue in which perioperative services is provided impacts facility planning for these same support areas. This article explores required health care facility planning for perioperative services before the development of the facility design to ensure all users of perioperative support spaces are planned for adequately.
Extended view of classical contact transformations

Classical contact transformation theory is reconstructed from the concept of explicit rather than implicit transformation equations. This proves the existence of contact transformations from any given Hamiltonian to any prescribed Hamiltonian (with the same number of degrees of freedom).
Is policing for profit? Answers from asset forfeiture

Research Summary Critics have argued that asset forfeiture encourages policing for profit, but their arguments have yet to transcend the anecdotal arena. We gathered data on asset forfeiture payments from a multistate sample of 572 law enforcement agencies and tested two hypotheses aimed at answering the question, is policing for profit? Although we found no clear evidence of more forfeiture in states that permit local agencies to receive the most proceeds, we did find that local law-enforcement agencies circumvent restrictive state laws (those placing limits on the proceeds they can receive) by teaming up with federal officials to participate in so-called adoptive forfeitures, which permit them to receive equitable sharing payments. This latter finding was robust to numerous specifications, not altered in models estimated on various subsamples, and not affected by extreme values. Policy Implications Our study lends a measure of support to the arguments espoused by forfeiture's critics, namely that forfeiture may be pursued for financial reasons. We cannot, however, assert that policing for profit is necessarily problematic, as it is difficult to fault financially strapped public agencies for seeking needed resources. Nor can we assert that forfeiture supersedes other criminal justice goals, such as enforcement of antidrug laws.
Raman spectral analysis of the 1300 cm−1 region for lipid and membrane studies

Abstract The Raman spectra of fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters and several membrane lipids are analyzed in the 1300 cm−1 region. The ratio of peak intensities at 1303/1267 cm−1 varies linearly with the ratio of methylene to vinyl groups in the hydrocarbon chain. This parameter should be useful for estimating the degree of unsaturation in isolated lipids and lipids in membranes.
Influence of gestational overfeeding on cardiac morphometry and hypertrophic protein markers in fetal sheep

Intrauterine overnutrition is associated with development of cardiovascular disease in adulthood although the underlying mechanism has not been precisely elucidated. This study evaluated the effects of maternal overnutrition on fetal cardiac morphometry and hypertrophy-related mRNA/protein expression. Multiparous ewes were fed either 150% of National Research Council (NRC) nutrient requirements (overfed group) or 100% of NRC requirements (control group) from 60 days before mating to Day 75 (D75) of gestation, when ewes were euthanized. Cardiac morphometry, histology and expression of Akt, forkhead-3a (Foxo3a), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), NFATc3 and GATA4, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), calcineurin A and caspase-8 were examined. Crown rump length, left and right ventricular free wall weights and left ventricular wall thickness were increased in D75 overnourished fetuses. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed irregular myofiber orientation and increased interstitial space in heart tissues from overfed group. Masson's trichrome staining displayed myofiber hypertrophy and fascicular disarray in heart tissues from overfed group. Overfeeding significantly enhanced Foxo3a phosphorylation in both ventricles, while protein expression of Akt, Foxo3a, GSK3β and caspase-8 as well as phosphorylated Akt and GSK3β in either ventricle was unaffected. Overfeeding increased left ventricular mTOR, NFATc3 (both total and phosphorylated) and calcineurin A. GATA4, pGATA4 and ANF expression were unchanged in both ventricles. Collectively, our data suggested that overfeeding during early to mid gestation (D75) leads to morphometric changes without overt pathology which may be related to elevated expression of mTOR, NFATc3, calcineurin A and phosphorylation of Foxo3a, mTOR and NFATc3.
Glucocorticoid therapy in the intensive care unit.

Acute adrenal insufficiency, a rare cause of shock, is manifested as shock that is poorly responsive to fluid resuscitation and pressors, not unlike cardiogenic or septic shock. It is almost always associated with a history of supraphysiologic glucocorticoid administration or primary adrenal cortical disease. The best single test for the evaluation and diagnosis of this disorder is based on the ability of the adrenal glands to respond to a challenge with synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (250 μg of cosyntropin administered as an intravenous bolus, followed by the measurement of plasma cortisol levels 30 and 60 minutes later). Normally, the plasma cortisol . . .
Determination of plasma catecholamines in dogs after experimental gingival retraction with epinephrine-impregnated cord

Blood catecholamine levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography after placement of the cord around two teeth in a random sequence of the following treatments: (1) untreated cord to intact gingival crevice (C), (2) epinephrine cord to intact crevice (E1), and (3) epinephrine cord to a crevice disrupted with a tapered diamond bur to simulate a subgingival procedure such as in crown preparation (E2). Each cord was left in place for 30 min while blood was drawn from the external jugular vein at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 min, and at 10 and 30 min after removal of the cord. Catecholamine values were compared to baseline (time 0) measurements. Treatment C resulted in no significant change in blood catecholamines. Treatment E1 caused a significant increase (p < 0.01) in blood epinephrine levels reaching a 641 per cent increase at 30 min. Treatment E2 produced a highly significant increase (p < 0.001) in blood epinephrine with a greater than 5000 per cent increase 10 min after cord removal. Norepinephrine and dopamine levels were not significantly altered by any of the treatments.
The behavioral ecology of mating in harvester ants hymenoptera formicidae pogonomyrmex

1. The four sympatric species of Pogonomyrmex (P. barbatus, P. desertorum, P. maricopa and P. rugosus) frequently conduct their nuptial flights on the same days; however the daily timing rhythms of their mating swarms differ strongly. 2. Mating takes place on species-specific, perennial mating sites. In our study area the mating sites of P. barbatus and P. rugosus were located on the ground, those of P. desertorum and P. maricopa on bushes and trees. 3. Males mark these mating sites with the secretions of their mandibular glands. Apparently additional males as well as females are attracted by these secretions. 4. During mating activities a strong male competition exists. In P. barbatus and P. rugosus an average of 4–5 males, in P. desertorum and P. maricopa an average of 2–3 males simultaneously, compete, for access to one female. 5. Multiple matings have been observed in all four Popogonomyrmex species. 6. Sexual behavior is regulated by a stimulation pheromone produced in the female's poison glands and apparently also by a species-specific surface pheromone which the males perceive only when they approach closely enough to make direct antennal contact. 7. The combination of distinct daily activity rhythms, partial mating site isolation together with the ability of males to discriminate conspecific females from females of the other species isolates the sympatric Pogonomyrmex species from each other. 8. The mating aggregations of Pogonomyrmex are compared with the lek behavior of vertebrates.
Adding Insult to Injury: Bullying Experiences of Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This study tested the hypothesis that self-reported bullying and peer victimization in pediatric populations (n = 238) diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) would exceed that of peers with no diagnosis. Higher rates of victimization were reported by the youth with ADHD, but bullying rates were comparable for youth with ADHD and peers. Results suggest that students diagnosed with ADHD are at significantly higher risk for peer victimization, and its psychological impact on youth with ADHD who experience bullying—as victims, perpetrators, or both—are more likely to show psychosocial problems above and beyond their attention and social competence difficulties.
Implementing projection pursuit learning

This paper examines the implementation of projection pursuit regression (PPR) in the context of machine learning and neural networks. We propose a parametric PPR with direct training which achieves improved training speed and accuracy when compared with nonparametric PPR. Analysis and simulations are done for heuristics to choose good initial projection directions. A comparison of a projection pursuit learning network with a single hidden-layer sigmoidal neural network shows why grouping hidden units in a projection pursuit learning network is useful. Learning robot arm inverse dynamics is used as an example problem.
Hierarchies, Heterarchies, and Urbanization Processes: The View from Bronze Age Cyprus

Neo-evolutionist models of the rise of civilizations have attracted increasing criticism because the hierarchical, centrally organized politico-economic systems which they posit (i.e. chiefdoms and states) are not always evident in the archaeological record of societies in transition to urbanism or other modes of social complexity. Alternative models based on the concept of hierarchy, or complexity that is not necessarily associated with highly centralized socio-political hierarchies, offer a new way of analyzing and interpreting such cases. In this paper I consider urbanization processes in Late Bronze Age Cyprus, which diverge from the paradigm of hierarchy inasmuch as they seem to have begun in the absence of prior 'chiefdom' societies and culminated in the emergence of a number of autonomous regional polities with a diversity of hierarchical and hierarchical characteristics. I discuss the differing patterns of internal organization which these polities display and explore the possible reasons for those differences, focusing on variations in local settlement histories and geographical or logistical factors such as proximity to important copper resources.
Interspeaker Variation in Habitual Speaking Rate: Additional Evidence

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that talkers previously classified by Y.-C. Tsao and G. Weismer (1997) as habitually fast versus habitually slow would show diffe...
Aspirin: Action on Receptor in the Tooth

Impulse frequency recorded from dentinal receptors in the cat's tooth provided an indication of sensory excitation. Topical application of aspirin to the dentin promptly inhibited both steady-state discharge and response to a brief heat stimulus. When the drug was washed out, the initial excitability was restored in 15 minutes.
Welcome Back Harvard ROTC: Forty Years of Political, Legal, and Cultural Conflict

This article concerns the repeal of a United States law which banned homosexuals from openly serving in its military and the subsequent return of military training at Harvard University. It contends that the standoff between the U.S. military and Harvard was more than a single policy dispute, but a cross-cultural conflict lasting decades. Credit for the recent progress in relations is attributed to new leadership in both administrations.
Pollen nutritional content and digestibility for animals

This paper reviews the literature concerning digestion and nutrient content of pollen. Four topics are addressed in detail: 1) The mechanism of pollen digestion by animals; 2) The efficiency of mechanical and digestive removal of pollen content by various animals; 3) Range and taxonomic distribution of pollen nutrients, and 4) Adaptive hypotheses proposed to associate pollen chemistry with pollinator reward. Studies on the mechanism(s) of pollen digestion remain inconclusive, but suggest that differences in digestibility among pollen types may reflect differences in pollen wall porosity, thickness, and composition. Although hummingbirds reportedly digest pollen very poorly, most animals studied, including those that do not regularly consume pollen, can digest 50–100% of ingested grains. Overlooked and recent research of pollen protein content shows that pollen grains may contain over 60% protein, double the amount cited in some studies of pollen-feeding animals. Adaptive hypotheses that associate pollen starch and pollen caloric content with pollinator reward remain unsubstantiated when critically viewed through the lens of phylogeny.
Model filled polymers. VIII. Synthesis of crosslinked polymeric beads by seed polymerization

Abstract : Monodisperse crosslinked polystyrene (PS) and polymethacrylate (PMA) beads of sizes greater than 1 micron in diameter are prepared by particle nucleation onto pre-existing polymer seeds in a multistage emulsion polymerization, in the absence of emulsifier. An adequate seed concentration, which decreases with increasing seed size, is necessary to achieve monodisperse beads. Monodisperse multicomposition beads are prepared by polymerizing styrene onto PMA seeds, but not by polymerizing methyl methacrylate onto PS seeds. Free radical capture by growing seed particles with surface polymerization may lead to the formation of asymmetric shaped particles.
Revisiting Vietnam: Memoirs, Memorials, Museums by Julia Bleakney

Revisiting Vietnam: Memoirs, Memorials, Museums Julia Bleakney. New York: Routledge, 2006. Bleakney's study examines contemporary attempts to memorialize the Vietnam War. She is not interested in the historical facts per se, but rather in "the processes that create new meanings of it." Her task, more specifically, is "to call attention to the ways the war is continually reconstructed and reimagined in the present" (2-3). There is more to understanding these creative processes than meets the eye. There is, for example, the political aspect: various veterans groups narrate different stories for different reasons. Furthermore, "because these processes evolve over time, understanding how, where, and why they occur is as important as the meanings produced" (3). To complicate matters even more, cultural memory shapes our social understandings of the war "as much if not more than published history" (3). Indeed, Bleakney proceeds on the premise that "memory increasingly is validated as the authentic representation of the war," even as she attempts to "problematize the notion of authenticity," as well as the cultural practice that privileges the personal experience of veterans. Despite the complexity of the subject, Bleakney's exploration of memory and meaning yields some worthwhile insights. In what is perhaps the best chapter in the book, "Returning to Vietnam," she shows how the returning veteran's experience is shaped by the flow of capitalist investment into that segment of the Vietnamese economy that caters to American tourists trying to reconnect to the past. As a piece of scholarship, however, this study poses significant difficulties for the reader. The discussion ranges breathlessly over a broad and constantly redefined terrain. Too many secondary sources are gratuitously quoted without any depth of critical engagement; and the boundaries between individual and corporate memory, as well as between memory, fiction, and history, are all destabilized to some extent. The main problem is that Bleakney's methodological approach is not clearly defined. She moves in and out of theoretical perspectives from various disciplines, but commits to none of them. In fact, she spends an inordinate amount of space problematizing her analysis-a tendency that is signaled early in the book: To position memoirs in the larger cultural context of public war memorializing, I observed visitors at museums and replica walls in the United States and Vietnam; read postings at online memorial sites and publications from memorials, museums, and tourist agencies in both countries; talked to museum staff; and took photographs. …
Urbach tails of amorphous silicon

In earlier work, we showed that exponential (Urbach) band-edge states were localized on connected subnetworks of short bonds for the valence tail and long bonds for the conduction tail for high-quality continuous random network models of amorphous silicon. Here, we study size effects by computing the electronic density of states for a 10${}^{5}$-atom model of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Si proposed by G. T. Barkema and N. Mousseau [Phys Rev. B 62, 4985 (2000)] and show that the model indeed possesses exponential tails, consistent with earlier calculations on a 4096-atom system. Next, we study the structure of the network near the shortest bonds. These bonds consistently create a slightly densified region, and we discuss the strain field associated with these defects. The dynamics of the short-bond clusters is briefly examined next. We show that there are significant fluctuations in the atoms with instantaneous short bonds, even at 300 K, and we compare the electronic density of states and valence edges between models with filaments and without filaments. We close with speculations on how to determine if the connected subnetwork hypothesis is unique in its ability to produce exponential tails.
An examination of shopping behavior of visitors to Tennessee according to tourist typologies

The overall objective was to determine tourist typologies and if differences exist with souvenir purchases, sources of information used by tourists to select a place to shop, and shopping behavior. Potential visitors to Tennessee were grouped into categories labeled City, Historical, Active, Alone, and Tour Groups. Data from the survey indicated City individuals spent the most time and money shopping while Active individuals spent the least amount of time. Word-of-mouth recommendation from family or friends was the most important factor in choosing where to shop. Crafts, maps, and books from the area were important to purchase. The determination of tourist styles may aid tourism promoters in souvenirs to offer.
Release of volatile mercury from soils and non-vascular plants

Abstract Vegetation plays a significant role in the biogeochemical cycling of mercury. This conclusion is drawn from data presented here on bioaccumulation and subsequent release of volatile mercury from non-vascular plants together with the results of previous work. There is no obvious relation between total plant Hg or soil Hg and rate of release from the plant. Heat of vaporization for Hg 0 was calculated at 13.99 kcal/g-atom; from soil it was experimentally determined at 13.81 kcal/g-atom but from the most active vascular plant was only 9.49 kcal/g-atom.
Interference of210Bi in the determination of99Mo from a uranium assembly

Low level radioactive determinations of spontaneous fission produced99Mo were attempted on 0.77 kg of natural uranium. The radioactivity observed in these samples indicated higher equilibrium values than reported earlier. Because these activities are extremely low, it is possible that the 66.7 h99Mo activity with a long-lived component can be confused with210Bi/210Po activity contamination from the uranium series.
Combining functional and tubular damage biomarkers improves diagnostic precision for acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery

Abstract Background Increases in serum creatinine (ΔSCr) from baseline signify acute kidney injury (AKI) but offer little granular information regarding its characteristics. The 10th Consensus Conference of the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) suggested that combining AKI biomarkers would provide better precision for AKI course prognostication. Objectives This study investigated the value of combining a functional damage biomarker (plasma cystatin C [pCysC]) with a tubular damage biomarker (urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin [uNGAL]), forming a composite biomarker for prediction of discrete characteristics of AKI. Methods Data from 345 children after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were analyzed. Severe AKI was defined as Kidney Disease Global Outcomes Initiative stages 2 to 3 (≥100% ΔSCr) within 7 days of CPB. Persistent AKI lasted >2 days. SCr in reversible AKI returned to baseline ≤48 h after CPB. The composite of uNGAL (>200 ng/mg urine Cr = positive [+]) and pCysC (>0.8 mg/l = positive [+]), uNGAL+/pCysC+, measured 2 h after CPB initiation, was compared to ΔSCr increases of ≥50% for correlation with AKI characteristics by using predictive probabilities, likelihood ratios (LR), and area under the curve receiver operating curve (AUC-ROC) values. Results Severe AKI occurred in 18% of patients. The composite uNGAL+/pCysC+ demonstrated a greater likelihood than ΔSCr for severe AKI (+LR: 34.2 [13.0:94.0] vs. 3.8 [1.9:7.2]) and persistent AKI (+LR: 15.6 [8.8:27.5] versus 4.5 [2.3:8.8]). In AKI patients, the uNGAL−/pCysC+ composite was superior to ΔSCr for prediction of transient AKI. Biomarker composites carried greater probability for specific outcomes than ΔSCr strata. Conclusions Composites of functional and tubular damage biomarkers are superior to ΔSCr for predicting discrete characteristics of AKI.
Promoting a Juvenile Awards Approval Plan: Using Collaboration and Selected Projects for Improved Visibility and Findability to Promote Juvenile Collections in Academic Libraries

This article describes a project to promote an approval plan for purchasing award-winning juvenile books. The overall project utilizes a combination of projects for promoting awareness and use of the awards books and the juvenile collection in general. The promotion plan includes collaborative work with teacher education faculty, projects to increase the visibility of the juvenile collection in the library, and projects to improve the findability of the juvenile books via the online catalog and an online subject guide. Initial assessment of the plan indicates some success with increased book circulation and increased use of the online guide.
New scheme for digital multisignatures

When two individual users wish to carry on a secure conversation, they can use the well-known RSA public key cryptosystem in doing so. This cryptosystem provides to these users both data secrecy and digital signature in a very efficient manner. However, in many applications, multiple users need to sign a document. In this letter, we propose a modified scheme, based on the RSA scheme, which will allow any number of users to sign a document and send it secretly to the receiver. The length of ciphertext remains constant, no matter how great the number of signatories. The trade-off is that the processing times required for generating the multisignature, and for verifying multisignatures, depend on the number of signatories.
High Resolution and Far-Infrared Magneto-Optical FTS with Synchrotron Light

The facility for magneto-optical spectroscopy (SPS200 and Bruker 125HR spectrometers and a 16T Oxford Instruments superconducting magnet), installed at the U12IR beamline of the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory is reviewed.
INDWELLING STRATEGIC THINKING: MINDSETS AND SENSEMAKING

While the conventional portrayed strategy formulation emphasizing rationality, analysis, and linearity, this paper reexamines the thinking about strategy from a sense‐making perspective. Utilizing the organization's dominant coalition as the focus of analysis and its shared mindset as the key frame for sense‐making, we highlight strategic thinking as planned change and as much more emotional and recursive as well as socially implemented than is usually conceived.
Kinase suppressor of Ras 1 is not required for the generation of regulatory and memory T cells

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is a critical regulator of the differentiation of helper and regulatory CD4+ T cells, as well as memory CD8+ T cells. In this study, we investigated the role of the ERK signaling pathway in regulating mTOR activation in T cells. We showed that activation of ERK following TCR engagement is required for sustained mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activation. Absence of kinase suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1), a scaffold protein of the ERK signaling pathway, or inhibition of ERK resulted in decreased mTORC1 activity following T cell activation. However, KSR1-deficient mice displayed normal regulatory CD4+ T cell development, as well as normal memory CD8+ T cell responses to LCMV and Listeria monocytogenes infection. These data indicate that despite its role in mTORC1 activation, KSR1 is not required in vivo for mTOR-dependent T cell differentiation.
Opposing Effects of δ and ξ PKC in Ethanol-induced Cardioprotection ☆

Abstract Low amounts of ethanol reduce cardiac damage induced by ischemia. The protection from ischemic damage by acute exposure to low amounts of ethanol in isolated myocytes and intact heart have been attributed to activation of protein kinase C (PKC). We previously found that two PKC isozymes, δ and ξ, are activated by ethanol in several cell models. Here, we perfused isozyme-selective agonist and antagonist peptides that we have generated into intact heart to determine the role of these two isozymes in ethanol-induced protection from transient ischemia. Whereas ξ PKC activation was required for ethanol-induced protection, δ PKC activation led to further damage. These data explain the conflicting reports on the role of acute exposure to ethanol in protection from cardiac ischemia. The clinical implications of these findings are also discussed.
Growth of thin Cu films on MgO(001)

We have studied the growth of Cu thin films on MgO(001) surfaces using medium energy ion scattering. Our results show that at room temperature, the growth follows the Volmer-Weber mode, in contrast with results of others.
The multiple melting endotherms from poly(butylene terephthalate)

The melting behavior of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) has been investigated, and a simulation has been performed to determine whether the multiple melting endotherms observed during the thermal analysis of PBT can be explained by the simultaneous melting and recrystallization of an initial distribution of crystal melting temperatures that contains only one maximum and two inflection points. Specimens that were cooled at constant rates from the melt showed between one and three melting endotherms upon heating in a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The position and breadth of the crystallization exotherms upon cooling from the melt and small-angle x-ray scattering showed that as the cooling rate is increased, the distribution of melting temperatures broadens and shifts to lower temperatures. By combining temperature-dependent recrystallization with an initial distribution of melting temperatures, simulated DSC curves were produced that agreed well with experimental DSC curves. In instances of triple peaked curves, the high temperature peak was due to crystals formed during the scanning process, and the middle and low temperature peaks were due to crystals originally present in the material. Satisfactory agreement between the experimental and simulated curves was found without considering additional crystallization from the amorphous regions during the scanning process.
Patient Tales: Case Histories and the Uses of Narrative in Psychiatry, by Carol Berkenkotter

Carol Berkenkotter, Patient Tales: Case Histories and the Uses of Narrative in Psychiatry (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2008), xvii+201 pp. $39.95 (cloth). Carol Berkenkotter's Pat...
Empirical likelihood-based hot deck imputation methods

The non-response problem commonly exists in survey data and has been investigated by various methods. We propose an empirical likelihood-based hot deck imputation method, which resamples the observed data by using the weights from the empirical likelihood ratio for missing values. We demonstrate that the estimator of the mean is unbiased and the corresponding variance estimator of the mean is asymptotically unbiased under mild conditions. Next, we extend our method for U-statistic estimators and show that the estimator converges to the real U-statistic in probability. The proposed method can also incorporate multiple imputations and/or regression imputations easily. Simulations and a real example illustrate that our method outperforms some of the existing approaches, such as simple hot deck imputation and fractional hot deck imputation. We conclude with a discussion of the advantages of the empirical likelihood-based hot deck imputation method.
Polymorphisms in the K13-Propeller Gene in Artemisinin-Susceptible Plasmodium falciparum Parasites from Bougoula-Hameau and Bandiagara, Mali

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria has been documented in southeast Asia and may already be spreading in that region. Molecular markers are important tools for monitoring the spread of antimalarial drug resistance. Recently, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PF3D7_1343700 kelch propeller (K13-propeller) domain were shown to be associated with artemisinin resistance in vivo and in vitro. The prevalence and role of K13-propeller mutations are poorly known in sub-Saharan Africa. K13-propeller mutations were genotyped by direct sequencing of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons from dried blood spots of pre-treatment falciparum malaria infections collected before and after the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as first-line therapy in Mali. Although K13-propeller mutations previously associated with delayed parasite clearance in Cambodia were not identified, 26 K13-propeller mutations were identified in both recent samples and pre-ACT infections. Parasite clearance time was comparable between infections with non-synonymous K13-propeller mutations and infections with the reference allele. These findings suggest that K13-propeller mutations are present in artemisinin-sensitive parasites and that they preceded the wide use of ACTs in Mali.
The Green Book: “Safe Spaces” from Place to Place

Geographers have much to contribute to our understanding of how space is partitioned or governed by racial, ethnic, or other demographic characteristics, both historically and in the present. Herei...
Critical Assessment of Measuring Concrete Joint Faulting Using 3D Continuous Pavement Profile Data

AbstractFaulting has traditionally been collected by using manual methods, which are labor intensive, time-consuming, and hazardous to workers and drivers. Therefore, alternative methods for effectively and safely collecting faulting data are needed. With emerging laser technology originally designed for crack detection, high-resolution, full lane-width coverage, three-dimensional (3D) continuous pavement profile data can now be acquired. This paper critically assesses the feasibility of using this 3D continuous pavement profile data for measuring faulting with a special focus on accuracy and repeatability. Controlled field tests were conducted to evaluate the accuracy for faulting in different ranges. Field tests were conducted at highway speeds on I-16 in Georgia to evaluate the repeatability and feasibility of the proposed method. Results show the proposed method can estimate faulting with an average error of less than 1 mm compared with those measured using the Georgia fault meter, and it can achieve ...
An emergency department intervention to increase warfarin use for atrial fibrillation

Background Emergency department (ED) encounters represent lost opportunities to facilitate anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). However, screening of warfarin eligibility in the ED may not be feasible. We evaluated whether a practical quality improvement initiative increased postdischarge warfarin use in ED patients with AF. Methods This quasiexperimental study was conducted in a single academic health system. Eligible subjects were consecutive patients with AF identified by electrocardiogram during an ED evaluation who were discharged from the ED or the subsequent hospitalization off warfarin. The study consisted of data collection during 2 time periods: (1) preintervention (October 2009 to April 2010), serving as a baseline, and (2) intervention (June 2010 to December 2010). The intervention consisted of a mailing to the subjects and their primary care physicians. The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects taking warfarin 1 month after ED presentation. Differences between the proportion of preintervention and intervention subjects taking warfarin and warfarin or aspirin were compared with Chi-square tests. Results At 1 month, 111 of 204 (55%) of the eligible preintervention and 90 of 160 (56%) of the eligible intervention group patients participated. There was no difference between the preintervention and intervention groups in the proportion of subjects taking warfarin at 1 month (12% v 9%; P = .54) or the proportion of subjects taking either aspirin or warfarin at 1 month (72% v 75%; P = .59). Conclusions This practical stroke prevention quality improvement initiative was not associated with an increase in warfarin use among ED patients with AF.
Political crime and repression in Europe and America: A review essay

In comparison to the plethora of research on expressive deviance (e.g., sexual deviance, drug use) and non-political instrumental crime (e.g., property crime, personal crime), the academic disciplines of criminology and the sociology of deviance have given curiously little attention to the important phenomena of political crime and state repression [ 1]. Systematic examinations of political crime, like the two under review here, are therefore more than welcome. The relatively small body of previous literature treating political crime has been plagued by a number of serious conceptual difficulties. One especially glaring problem is the lack of common agreement on the very definition of political crime. Political crime tends to be conceptualized either too broadly or too narrowly. Some maintain that all crime is essentially political because it involves the potentiality of state repression or because it is a conscious or unconscious response to an oppressive social system. In similar fashion, it is claimed that all prisoners are in the final analysis political prisoners. Another all-embracing depiction sees political crime as co-extensive with crimes of domination. In this vein, one recent writer designates rape and forced prostitution as political crimes since they entail domination [2]. Other formulations circumscribe political crime too narrowly. The manner in which political crime is presented may be biased against offenders either on the left or right. It is problematic, for instance, whether Klan and neoNazi terrorism fits with the general claim that the political offender's "acts reveal a concern for human happiness and welfare" [3]. While political criminals act out of a concern for some "higher purpose" than mere self-interest, the content of those transcendent motivations exhibits considerable variation across different groups. Other incomplete treatments of political crime must likewise be rejected. Since political crime is excluded from the lexicon of the law in some nations (England, America), except for extradition law,
Clinical Diagnosis of Pigmented Lesions Using Digital Epiluminescence Microscopy: Grading Protocol and Atlas

• Background and Design.— Epiluminescence microscopy (ELM) is a clinical technique that permits in vivo visual inspection of pigmented anatomic structures of the epidermis, dermoepidermal junction, and papillary dermis. A protocol is proposed for systematic visual inspection of pigmented lesions. Seventy pigmented lesions were imaged with a digital ELM camera system. Images were visually inspected for eight "global" ELM features, 23 "local" ELM features, and 18 network features. An atlas of the most clinically significant ELM features is presented with pilot estimates of their sensitivity and specificity for detecting melanoma. Results.— Preliminary data suggest that ELM features that may be most specific for melanoma include multicomponent pattern, nodular pattern, pseudopods, radial streaming, blue-gray areas, whitish veil (milky way), and sharp network margins. Epiluminescence microscopic features that may be most sensitive for melanoma include pigment dots, peripheral erythema, peripheral dark network patches, marked mean network irregularity, network line thickness variability, radial streaming, blue-gray areas, and whitish veil (milky way). Epiluminescence microscopic features that may be most sensitive for severe melanocyte atypia include pigment dots, peripheral erythema, hypopigmented network patches, peripheral dark network patches, marked mean network irregularity, and focal absence of network. In addition, features that may have a very high specificity for benign lesions include saccular pattern (suggests hemangioma), globular pattern (suggests a compound or dermal nevus), and multiple comedolike openings (suggests seborrheic keratosis). Conclusions.— Features most sensitive for severe atypia and melanoma could form the basis for a screening test for considering biopsy. Features most specific for melanoma then could be applied to further triage management of pigmented lesions that meet initial screening criteria. In addition, features with very high specificity for benign lesions may help develop ELM criteria to avoid unnecessary surgery. ( Arch Dermatol. 1993;129:157-174)
Effect of thiram on avian growth plate chondrocytes in culture

Thiram is a dithiocarbamate pesticide that causes tibial dyschondroplasia (TD), a growth plate defect, in poultry. Deaths of transitional zone chondrocytes appear to interrupt endochondral bone development leading to the broadening of growth plate. The mechanism of action of thiram on chondrocytes is not well understood. Since proteins play major roles in different aspects of cell's metabolism, growth, and survival, the objective of this study was to find whether thiram produces proteomic changes that could impair the development of chondrocytes. The chondrocytes, isolated from proximal tibial growth plates, were cultured with or without a sub-lethal concentration of thiram for 48 hr, and the cell proteins were extracted, and subjected to 2-D gel electrophoresis. The gel images were compared and statistically evaluated using Melanie software to identify differentially expressed protein spots. Of a total of 72 identifiable spots 3 were down-regulated and 2 up-regulated in thiram treated chondrocytes. In-gel trypsin digestion of the protein spots followed by their characterization by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of- flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry identified 25 spots comprising of 23 proteins. Two of 3 down-regulated proteins were identified as a heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) and a GALE (UDP-galactose-4 epimerase) protein isoform I. The up-regulated proteins were Serpin H1, a protein involved in collagen metabolism and a redox sensor NmrA-like (NMRAL) family domain protein-1. Both GALE and NMRAL proteins are implicated in energy metabolism and redox regulation whereas the HSP 70 protects cells against stress, and implicated in chondrocyte hypertrophy, an important event in endochondral bone formation. The failure of chondrocyte protective mechanisms such as associated with protection against cellular stress and energy metabolism appear to be the likely cause for chondrocyte death induced by thiram.
LAD syndromes: FERMT3 kindles the signal

LAD syndromes are uncommon but important genetic disorders of host defense. In this issue of Blood , Kuijpers and colleagues now report that one of them, LAD-I variant (LAD-Iv; also called LAD-III) is caused by mutations in FERMT3 , a gene that encodes an intracellular protein that interacts with
Information literacy program assessment: one small college takes the big plunge

Managing a library instruction program at a small liberal‐arts college has many challenges. Programs at such institutions often have limited financial resources and are maintained under difficult staffing conditions. This study examines the effectiveness of an instruction program offered at a four‐year liberal‐arts college with fewer than 3,000 students. The research was designed to assess the effectiveness of the current program and measure it against a pilot group of students exposed to enhanced information literacy opportunities based on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Working with five faculty members, information literacy goals were clearly articulated and implemented into nine sections of first‐year writing and speaking courses. Bibliographic analysis, an information literacy questionnaire, and an in‐class writing exercise were used to determine whether students in the pilot groups performed better than students...