cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intimate partner violence

Scholars have identified many dozens of risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, but they have been less successful at establishing the processes through which these risk factors promote IPV perpetration and at elucidating the interplay among the corpus of established risk factors. The present chapter reviews this sprawling, unruly literature from the perspective of I 3 theory (pronounced “I-cubed theory”), a novel framework designed to impose theoretical coherence on IPV risk factors and to stimulate new research. I 3 theory identifies three processes through which risk factors promote IPV perpetration: instigation , which encompasses discrete situational events that normatively trigger an urge to aggress; impellance , which encompasses factors that alter individuals’ “urge-readiness” at the moment they encounter instigation; and inhibition , which encompasses the counteraction to the urge to aggress. IPV perpetration is most likely, and most severe, when instigating and impelling forces are strong and inhibiting forces are weak.
Distributed processing of sensory information in the leech. I. Input- output relations of the local bending reflex

Sensory processing in the local bending reflex of the leech (Hirudo medicinalis) was studied by examining the input-output relations of the reflex. Sensory cells (P cells) were stimulated singly and in pairs and the responses of the longitudinal muscle motor neurons were recorded. Each pattern of single and paired P cell stimulation produced a unique pattern of motor neuron response. In general, motor neuron response patterns were consistent with the behavioral response of the whole animal.
Alive and Kicking: Collusion Theories in Merger Analysis at the Federal Trade Commission

This paper explores the use of collusion theories in merger analysis at the Federal Trade Commission. The 1992 Merger Guidelines focuses on unilateral effect, relegating collusion analysis to a second tier theory. Both structural and behavioral conditions conducive to establishing or maintaining an arrangement to restrict competition are listed in the Guidelines. This paper undertakes a systematic review of 75 merger decisions filed between 1993 and 2005 to identify the conditions that are found to increase the likelihood of a collusion finding. Standard structural concerns are readily identified, while behavioral factors defy characterization. Instead, the analysis seems to develop a Folk Theorem in which structural concerns are validated with some type of performance evidence. Further work finds allegations of maverick conduct add little to the analysis, while the Bush administration appears slightly more likely to identify a collusion problem than the Clinton regulators.
SIR GEORGE FOSTER'S “IMPERIAL JUNKET”: THE FAILURE TO PROMOTE IMPERIAL ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION, 1912–1917

Abstract In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Sir George Foster was one of the most ardent Canadian proponents of imperial economic organization. For years he and other Canadian and British imperialists tried to persuade the British government to abandon its traditional freetrade policies in order to extend tariff preferences to the Empire. But their efforts were futile, and by 1911 only Foster and a few other dedicated imperialists were still actively pursuing the issue.
Rough surface inverse scattering within the Rytov approximation

A method is presented for determining the surface profile of a deterministic, perfectly conducting rough surface boundary from fixed-frequency scattering data. The proposed inversion scheme is based on the use of a perturbation expansion of the phase of the wave scattered from the surface and, as such, is analogous to the use of the Rytov approximation in inverse scattering from penetrable scatterers. A simple algorithmic procedure is derived for determining the surface profile from the scattering amplitude of the surface, and a number of examples illustrating the procedure are presented.
Materials with fluid-filled pores of various shapes: Effective elastic properties and fluid pressure polarization

Abstract Three-dimensional solids with ellipsoidal pores of various shapes filled with compressible fluid are analyzed in the “undrained” approximation. Fluid pressures in cavities, induced by externally applied loads, depend on cavity shapes and cavity orientations with respect to the applied loads. This phenomenon (“pressure polarization”) is coupled with the overall elastic response. The analysis covers mixtures of cavities of diverse shapes and arbitrary orientational distributions. Identification of the proper parameters of cavity density plays the key role in the analysis.
Swine influenza A (H1N1) strikes a potential for global disaster.

As of April 25 th 2009, 11.00 AM, eight human cases of swine influenza A virus infection have been identified in the United States in California and Texas. There is also established evidence of similar cases across the United States border in Mexico. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with World Health Organization and public health experts from Canada and Mexico are leading an exhaustive investigation to find the source of infection and infected people. We present a profile of this illness from the available literature.
Social context influences androgenic effects on calling in the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea).

Courtship behavior in frogs is an ideal model for investigating the relationships among social experience, gonadal steroids, and behavior. Reception of mating calls causes an increase in androgen levels in listening males, and calling, in turn, depends on the presence of androgens. However, previous studies found that androgen replacement does not always restore calling to intact levels, and the relationship between androgens and calling may be context dependent. We examined the influence of androgens on calling behavior in the presence and the absence of social signals in male green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea). We categorized calling during an acoustic stimulus (mating chorus or tones) as evoked and calling in the absence of a stimulus as spontaneous. Intact males received a cholesterol implant, castrated males were castrated and received a cholesterol implant, and T-implanted males were castrated and received a testosterone implant. The androgen levels (mean ± SE ng/ml of plasma) achieved by the implants were as follows: castrated males, 1.2 ± 0.2; intact males 21.9 ± 7.0; T-implanted males, 254.6 ± 39.5. As in other frogs, calling depends on the presence of androgens, as castration abolished and T replacement maintained calling. However, among intact and T-implanted males, the influence of androgens on calling differed between spontaneous and evoked calling. There was a positive effect of androgen treatment on spontaneous call rate and a positive correlation between spontaneous call rate and androgen levels. The influence of androgen levels on evoked call rate was more complex and interacted with acoustic treatment. Surprisingly, T implants suppressed the chorus-specific increase in calling that is evident in intact males. In addition, in response to the chorus, T-implanted males called less than did intact males, in spite of higher androgen levels. Furthermore, variation in androgens did not explain variation in evoked call rate. These data indicate that androgens influence the motivation to call, but that, when socially stimulated, androgens are necessary but insufficient for calling.
Graphene optical modulator

Data communications have been growing at a speed even faster than Moore's Law, with a 44-fold increase expected within the next 10 years. Data Transfer on such scale would have to recruit optical communication technology and inspire new designs of light sources, modulators, and photodetectors. An ideal optical modulator will require high modulation speed, small device footprint and large operating bandwidth. Silicon modulators based on free carrier plasma dispersion effect and compound semiconductors utilizing direct bandgap transition have seen rapid improvement over the past decade. One of the key limitations for using silicon as modulator material is its weak refractive index change, which limits the footprint of silicon Mach-Zehnder interferometer modulators to millimeters. Other approaches such as silicon microring modulators reduce the operation wavelength range to around 100 pm and are highly sensitive to typical fabrication tolerances and temperature fluctuations. Growing large, high quality wafers of compound semiconductors, and integrating them on silicon or other substrates is expensive, which also restricts their commercialization. In this work, we demonstrate that graphene can be used as the active media for electroabsorption modulators. By tuning the Fermi energy level of the graphene layer, we induced changes in the absorption coefficient of graphene at communication wavelength and achieve a modulation depth above 3 dB. This integrated device also has the potential of working at high speed.
Heterologous immunity and the CD8 T cell network

Over the course of a lifetime individuals develop a large complex pool of memory T cells that are specific for a variety of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. The obvious role for memory T cells is to provide enhanced protection for an individual upon re-exposure to the original pathogen. Future epidemics of some infectious diseases such as measles have been prevented by increasing the immunity level (herd immunity) of groups of susceptible people by means of vaccination programs [53]. Therefore, over the years scientific research has focused on studying the induction, regulation and function of memory T and B cells in an effort to assist in developing effective vaccines that are essential in protecting individuals and society from devastating diseases [2, 20]. Understanding exactly how memory T cells are activated would further our insight into the role memory T cells play in protecting us from future infections. It would appear that the activation of memory T cells can occur by antigen-driven T cell receptor (TCR) interactions, by “bystander” non-TCRdependent events such as cytokine stimulation or through some combination of the two. Re-exposure to the original virus results in a rapid antigen-driven proliferation and functional activation of memory T cells that is characteristic of a secondary immune response [20]. This rapid memory T cell response to the original antigen occurs due to an increased frequency of these antigen-specific T cells [26, 32, 50, 65], which are at a higher activation state than naive T cells [10, 18, 54, 75, 85]. In fact, some memory T cells are constitutively cytolytically active in a resting immune host [45, 66]. As memory T cells also express increased levels of cytokine receptors and adhesion molecules, this would further enhance their ease of activation [20, 47, 56]. However, memory CD8 T cells are not in dormant pools awaiting re-exposure to their original antigen, but instead are continuously being “tickled” and slowly turning over in a resting immune host [56, 71]. It would appear that cytokines such as IFN-α/β, IL-7, and IL-15 play a role in this homeostatic maintenance of memory T cells [38, 48, 55, 80]. This highly complex network of memory T cells of diverse specificities exists within a tightly controlled lymphoid system and with each new infection needs to accommodate even more memory T cells. One means of using this limited space more efficiently would be retention of dual reactive memory T cells. Recent evidence suggests that memory T cells specific to an earlier virus infection can be activated by
Optimization for performance and energy for batched matrix computations on GPUs

As modern hardware keeps evolving, an increasingly effective approach to develop energy efficient and high-performance solvers is to design them to work on many small size independent problems. Many applications already need this functionality, especially for GPUs, which are known to be currently about four to five times more energy efficient than multicore CPUs. We describe the development of the main one-sided factorizations that work for a set of small dense matrices in parallel, and we illustrate our techniques on the LU and Cholesky factorizations. We refer to this mode of operation as a batched factorization. Our approach is based on representing the algorithms as a sequence of batched BLAS routines for GPU-only execution. The goal of avoiding multicore CPU use, e.g., as in the hybrid CPU-GPU algorithms, is to exclusively benefit from the GPU's significantly higher energy efficiency, as well as from the removal of the costly CPU-to-GPU communications. Furthermore, we do not use a single symmetric multiprocessor (on the GPU) to factorize a single problem at a time. We illustrate how our performance analysis and the use of profiling and tracing tools guided the development and optimization of batched factorizations to achieve up to 2-fold speedup and $3$-fold better energy efficiency compared to our highly optimized batched CPU implementations based on the MKL library (when using two sockets of Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs). Compared to a batched LU factorization featured in the CUBLAS library for GPUs, we achieved up to 2.5 speedup on the K40 GPU.
Migration of chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents through Coventry sandstone rock columns

The migration in the Coventry sandstone aquifer system of aqueous solutions of various chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (CHSs) (1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (TeCE)) was studied by means of percolation experiments with undisturbed rock cores. The retardation factor (Rf) was very low (always less than 2 for TCA, less than 3 for TCE and less than 5 for TeCE). The Rf varied slightly according to the nature of the solid sample but could not be related to the solid organic carbon content. The solvent adsorption was always almost completely reversible and little affected by the percolation flow rate (0.08–0.56 m day−1). The CHS breakthrough curves were typical of non-equilibrium processes (caused by sorption by the solids and possibly by diffusion between mobile and immobile water). The Rf values obtained experimentally were much lower than those calculated from batch adsorption studies, showing that percolation experiments are necessary to evaluate the filtering properties of consolidated rocks. These results indicate that in the Coventry sandstone aquifer (relatively high vertical and, especially, lateral hydraulic conductivities), two-carbon CHS aqueous solutes should migrate readily with water with very little retardation.
Corrected inputs: a method for improved hybrid simulation

The purpose of this paper is to describe a programming procedure which is designed to minimize some of the difficulties often encountered in hybrid simulations. The method has been worked out for the hybrid system at General Electric's Re-Entry Systems Department, in Philadelphia. This system consists of general purpose analog and digital machines, connected by analog to digital (A-D) and digital to analog (D-A) converters, and associated logical elements. The procedure itself will be referred to as the method of corrected inputs. It is designed to minimize three major sources of error connected with data transfer.
Impressions of Hand Movements: Self-Touching and Gestures:

Two studies addressed the question of observers' impressions of physicians and patients who displayed self-touching, a behavior reported to indicate negative affect. In Study 1 self-touching was re...
Effective Literacy Instruction for Adolescents

This article, written for a general audience, focuses on the importance of keeping adolescents' interests and needs foremost in mind when designing literacy instruction at the middle and high schoo...
Utility least cost planning and the Washington Gas integrated model

Abstract Washington GAS (WGAS) was ordered in 1988 by the District of Columbia Public Service Commission (DCPSC) to construct a least cost plan for the District of Columbia. As part of this order, WGAS was required to reduce natural gas consumption to specific target levels in Washington DC by the year 2000. To comply, WGAS constructed a long-range planning model with supply and demand components to mimic the local energy marketplace. A selection algorithm was also constructed to pick the least costly combination of energy conservation programs to meet the gas reduction targets. This algorithm was incorporated into the long-range planning model. This article reviews the algorithms and the long-range planning model currently being used by WGAS. By using the energy conservation selection algorithm within the long-range planning model, WGAS can determine the least costly combination of energy conservation programs required to meet a particular reduction target, what level of program participation is required, and what are the estimated energy conservation costs. §
Targeting HIF-1 for cancer therapy

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) activates the transcription of genes that are involved in crucial aspects of cancer biology, including angiogenesis, cell survival, glucose metabolism and invasion. Intratumoral hypoxia and genetic alterations can lead to HIF-1alpha overexpression, which has been associated with increased patient mortality in several cancer types. In preclinical studies, inhibition of HIF-1 activity has marked effects on tumour growth. Efforts are underway to identify inhibitors of HIF-1 and to test their efficacy as anticancer therapeutics.
Slave missions and the Black church in the antebellum South

This volume examines the interactions between white missionaries and slaves in the 1840s and 1850s, and the ways in which blacks used the missions to nurture the formation of the organized black church. The author uses church records, slave narratives, and autobiographies in her research.
Familial transmission of a presumptive D/E (13-15/17-18) short arm translocation.

Extract: This paper reports a family possessing a presumptive D/E translocation in which only the short arm of each chromosome is involved. Karyotypes of the propositus, his mother and sister were abnormal, evidencing an obvious satellited member among the chromosomes of pairs No. 17-18. This marker chromosome was often found at the periphery of the metaphase plate and entered into satellite associations with the other satellited acrocentrics. In addition to the E group marker, one D group element in these individuals appeared to possess a ‘knobby’ short arm and could be identified in almost all cells. This chromosome did not show satellite association with the other acrocentric chromosomes. The most likely interpretation of the karyotypic finding in this case is that of a balanced reciprocal translocation involving the short arm of a D and E group chromosome.
Growth of Hatchery-Reared Penaeus Aztecus on Experimental Diets1

During experimentation designed to determine the requirements for sexual maturation of brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) a series of diets were tested on juvenile and subadult shrimp. These diets were formulated from a series of compounds expected to provide the essential nutrients for growth and sexual maturation. Both natural and prepared foods (i.e., foods which have been processed for storage at room temperature) were tested. The ingredients of the foods tested and the processing methods used to stabilize the foods are described. Growth rates and amounts of food consumed for shrimp reared on these diets are discussed, and growth is compared with that observed for wild shrimp. Implications of these growth rates to shrimp cultures are discussed. Experimental stunting of juvenile shrimp was investigated as a means of storing excess animals temporarily.
Efficient, MHz frequency, resonant converter for sub-meter (30 cm) distance wireless power transfer

This work investigates efficient power converters for MHz frequency wireless power transfer. MHz operation is used to reduce the magnetic field strength to very low levels in the space between the coils. A design methodology is developed for the selection of the power amplifier topology along with the resonant tank compensation for the transmitting and receiving coils. The Class E power amplifier with a series-series resonant tank configuration is selected for the design of a 50 W, 30 cm air gap, 3.45 MHz wireless power transfer system with a system level peak efficiency of over 80%. The design is verified via simulation and methods for manipulating the output power are compared. A physical system is built to better understand the challenges specific to the MHz frequency power converter for wireless systems. An experimental evaluation of system performance and design limitations is presented.
A parallel `make' utility based on Linda's tuple-space

We describe a prototype of a parallel `make' utility that executes on multiple workstations and achieves a significant real-time speedup. This utility is implemented by means of logically shared memory based on the Linda system's tuple space. It makes work with distributed computing easy to conduct, since it can be built on top of an existing operating systems without modifying it, and since it permits easy experimentation with strategies for distributing the work.
Evidence for oxidative stress in sugar maple stands growing on acidic, nutrient imbalanced forest soils

Soil acidification and the disruption of nutrient cycles appear to be important factors that weaken sugar maple resistance to both abiotic and biotic stresses and predispose it to decline symptoms. Although connections between edaphic stress and decline symptoms have been identified, very little is known about the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that underlie this relationship. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that foliar nutrient imbalances impair the photosynthetic apparatus of sugar maple through oxidative stress. We examined leaf nutrition, photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity (a biomarker of oxidative stress) from early June to late August in three-paired overstory sugar maple stands on Pennsylvania's Allegheny Plateau that contrast in soil nutrient availability according to slope position. Beginning in early June, trees on upper slopes (nutrient-poor) had significantly lower foliar Ca and Mg concentrations and significantly higher foliar Mn concentrations than trees on lower slopes. These differences increased throughout summer peaking in late August. Photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity closely reflected changes in foliar nutrient status throughout the summer. In the latter half of the summer, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll content were significantly lower and antioxidant enzyme activity was significantly higher in stands on upper slope soils. At the end of August, leaf nutrient imbalances corresponded with lower rates of photosynthesis and higher antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting that foliar nutrient imbalances may impair sugar maple function through mechanisms of oxidative stress.
The influence of ionic strength on the interaction of viruses with charged surfaces under environmental conditions

The influence of ionic strength on the electrostatic interaction of viruses with environmentally relevant surfaces was determined for three viruses, MS2, Q beta, and Norwalk. The virus is modeled as a particle comprised of ionizable amino acid residues in a shell surrounding a spherical RNA core of negative charge, these charges being compensated for by a Coulomb screening due to intercalated ions. A second model of the virus involving surface charges only is included for comparison. Surface potential calculations for each of the viruses show excellent agreement with electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential measurements as a function of pH. The environmental surface is modeled as a homogeneous plane held at constant potential with and without a finite region (patch) of opposite potential. The results indicate that the electrostatic interaction between the virus and the oppositely charged patch is significantly influenced by the conditions of ionic strength, pH and size of the patch. Specifically, at pH 7, the Norwalk virus interacts more strongly with the patch than MS2 (approximately 51 vs approximately 9kT) but at pH 5, the Norwalk-surface interaction is negligible while that of MS2 is approximately 5.9kT. The resulting ramifications for the use of MS2 as a surrogate for Norwalk are discussed.
Combination of Project Cost Forecasts in Earned Value Management

Reliable cost estimates are essential for effective project control and the management of cash flows within the project and at the company level. Conventional approaches to project cost forecasting, which rely on detailed information developed for a specific project (the bottom-up estimate or inside view), often result in cost overruns. It is argued here that the inside-view project cost estimates should be adjusted by combining them with the outside (or top-down) view of the project, which is based on statistical models of historical project data. This paper presents a probabilistic cost forecasting method and a framework for an adaptive combination of the inside view and the outside view forecasts of project cost using Bayesian inference and the Bayesian model averaging technique. During the project execution phase, the Bayesian adaptive forecasting method incorporates into the predictions the actual performance data from earned value management and revises preproject cost estimates, making full use of ...
Synthesis and characterization of chelating triamide complexes of bismuth and antimony.

Reactions of HC[Me2SiN(Li)tBu]3 with BiCl3 and SbCl3 yield the chelating triamide complexes Bi[N(tBu)SiMe2]3CH and Sb[N(tBu)SiMe2]3CH, respectively. The complexes were characterized by mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.
Invasive papillary adenocarcinoma of the colon.

Colonic adenocarcinomas are among the most common type of tumors. In this report, we present the morphologic, immunohistochemical, and microsatellite findings of 2 cases with a distinct invasive papillary component. Both tumors arose from polyps in middle-aged patients, followed an aggressive course, and showed a superficial adenomatous component. The immunohistochemical stains showed that the tumor cells were negative for p27 and p53; both tumors were microsatellite stable, that is, with no microsatellite instability in the 6 markers studied, and there was no loss of the mismatch repair proteins hMSH2 or hMLH1. These findings suggest that these tumors follow the tumor-suppressor pathway and represent an aggressive subtype of colonic adenocarcinoma.
Effect of manifest anxiety on a form-discrimination and a size-estimation task.

The present study examined two methodological aspects of the form-discrimination and size-estimation tasks employed in the literature dealing with the deficit performance of schizophrenics. The results indicated that the tasks were relatively independent although level of anxiety was related to a decrease in performance level on each task. In comparing the two discriminative dimensions of angle size and horizontal distance, it was found the horizontal distance was more difficult especially for high-anxiety normals. This result was discussed in terms of the studies with schizophrenics which used discriminative tasks and found more errors on an angular dimension.
Cellular ion content changes during and after hyperthermia

Abstract The potassium (K) level in mouse mastocytoma P815 cells undergoes a 40% reduction within 30 minutes of incubation at 43°C. It decreases further when the cells return to 37°C after a 60 minute 43°C incubation. A smaller change (20%) occurs after a 60 minute incubation at 41°C. Furthermore, nearly all of the lost K recovers in two hours after a subsequent incubation at 37°C. On the other hand, the sodium level in the cells increases by an amount much smaller than the potassium changes. However, the net loss of cations from the cells undergoing hyperthermia does not induce a simultaneous reduction of intracellular water volume.
Suppressor T-lymphocytes in the spinal cord of Lewis rats recovered from acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

Abstract The quantity and distribution of T-lymphocyte phenotypes in the spinal cord of Lewis rats which have recovered from acute encephalomyelitis (EAE) were studied. Lymphoid cells were detected in the spinal cords of all the recovered, asymptomatic rats for periods up to 4 months after recovery. The major difference between the T-lymphocyte populations found in acute EAE compared to the asymptomatic chronic condition was the increase of OX-8 (suppressor) T cells. Thus, the cellular infiltration of the CNS in EAE in the rat appears to be persistent after clinical recovery. Furthermore, the association between OX-8 cells in the spinal cord and the symptomfree stage of the disorder suggests that these suppressor cells exert an effect at the level of the target organ.
The relationship of family proximity and social support to the mental health of older rural adults: The Appalachian context

Abstract Consistent support has been reported for the buffering effects family members provide rural elders (Beaver 1986; Bryant 1981; Schwarzweller, Brown, and Mangalam 1971; Weller 1965). Similarly, proximity to family members has been found to increase the amount and type of support available to older rural adults (Kivett 1988; Mercier, Paulson, and Morris 1988). Few studies, however, have examined the relationship of family proximity and social support to multiple measures of mental health among older rural adults, particularly in areas such as Appalachia where strong informal network values are expected to be the norm. This study had two purposes: (1) to examine the relationship of proximity, including children and siblings, to older rural Appalachian adults ' perceptions of social support; and (2) to examine the relationship of family proximity and social support to older rural Appalachian adult depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and affect. The sample for the study consisted of 100 older rural Appalachian adults randomly selected to participate in a pilot project examining the effects of social risks and resources on older adult physical and mental health. Hierarchical multiple regression techniques were used to examine these relationships. Results showed that: (1) family proximity was not significantly related to older rural Appalachian adult perceptions of social support; (2) family proximity was not significantly related to aspects of mental health among older rural Appalachian adults; and (3) social support was a significant predictor of mental health outcomes.
A Classroom Demonstration To Communicate Vulnerability of Contracting a Sexually Transmitted Disease.

Communicating the likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an important objective for instructors teaching particular psychology courses. This article describes a classroom demonstration for stimulating consideration of personal vulnerability for contracting an STD during one's lifetime. The demonstration utilizes class participation, holds student interest, stimulates subsequent class discussion, and has resulted in generally positive feedback from students.
The effect of endotoxin on the neonatal erythrocyte

Abstract Intestinal ischemia is considered a major factor in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Despite this, the majority of affected infants lack documentation of clinical events associated with obvious gut hypoperfusion. Recent evidence in adults suggests that endotoxin may impair flow in the microcirculation through alterations in erythrocyte deformability. As the gut serves as a semipermeable reservoir of endotoxin in the stressed neonate, such localized activity may result in intestinal ischemia at the microcirculatory level through alterations in the red cell membrane. This study evaluates the role of endotoxin on neonatal erythrocyte membrane viscosity. Paired anticoagulated whole blood specimens were obtained from the umbilical cord of 10 neonates at delivery. Samples were incubated with either 2 μg/mL of E coli endotoxin (LPS) or an equal volume of saline (control). Following incubation, erythrocytes were isolated, washed, and incorporated with the fluorescent membrane probe TMA-DPH. Membrane viscosity was assessed by spectroscopic analysis of the fluorescent emissions induced by excitation of the probe at 365 nm. Results were calculated as anisotropy and analyzed for differences by ANOVA. Endotoxin resulted in a significant increase in red cell membrane viscosity as compared to control (LPS 291.2 ± 5.1 sv Control 271.7 ± 3.3, P v Control 292.2 ± 4.7, P = NS). Endotoxin results in increased membrane viscosity in the neonatal erythrocyte. These changes are modulated by the WBC. Such membrane alterations may impair flow in the intestinal microcirculation and serve as a potential inciting event in the development of NEC.
Conditional Influence Diagrams in Risk Management

This paper introduces conditional influence diagrams into risk management. A contaminated-site cleanup involving two stakeholders is used as a hypothetical case study. The treatment choices must satisfy several conflicting objectives. Any decision made by one stakeholder will affect the choices of the other stakeholder. In building the influence diagrams for each of the stakeholders, the logical relationship of all relevant factors is determined and the values of these factors are analyzed. The influence diagram for each stakeholder is conditional on the options available to the other stakeholder. The influence diagrams are, then, used to evaluate the possible choices of each stakeholder based on decision options of the other stakeholder. These results are analyzed using game theory methods to gain insights useful to risk management and to demonstrate how mutual trust and cooperation can lead to decisions benefiting both stakeholders.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Multifaceted Response to the Nineteenth-Century Woman Question

Harriet Beecher Stowe drew upon both suffrage and antisuffrage ideals to create an optimistic and multidimensional vision of progressive womanhood. In My Wife and I, her opus on the woman question, Stowe reinforces the home as America's essential space, illustrates how women exert control, and endorses women pursuing careers.
Hydraulic fracturing not responsible for methane migration

Although Osborn et al. (1) provided important geochemical measurements of dissolved methane in a portion of the Appalachian basin, their report does not fully appreciate the geologic history of this region and misrepresents potential risks of modern drilling and completion techniques used to develop shale-gas resources. The fear that hydraulic fracturing is responsible for methane migration from the Marcellus shale into shallow groundwater is contrasted by direct observations in microseismic studies that even the longest fractures induced by the hydraulic fracturing process remain thousands of feet below groundwater resources (2).
Mixing of a Point Source Pollutant by Natural Convection Flow within a Room

Indoor air quality models are commonly based on the assumption of instantaneous and complete air mixing within a zone. Such an assumption is not appropriate for all circumstances, such as investigating the utility of segregating smokers to reduce nonsmoker exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. This experimental study characterizes quantitatively the rate at which smoke from a cigarette disperses within an unoccupied, 31-m3, low air-exchange rate room under natural convection flow conditions. Sidestream smoke from a smoldering cigarette was simulated with a pulsed release of a tracer gas – a neutrally buoyant mixture of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in helium – above an electrically heated coil. During each experimental run, sequential air samples were collected remotely, using gas-tight syringes, from 41 locations within the room. After each run, these samples were analyzed for SF6 content using a gas chromatograph with an electron-capture detector. Duplicate runs were conducted under three conditions: nearly isothermal surfaces; convection from a 500–watt heater; and convection from incoming solar radiation. Characteristic mixing times ranged from 7–10 minutes for the solar radiation case to 80–100 minutes for the nearly isothermal case.
Many-Electron Effects for Deep Levels in Solids: The Lattice Vacancy in Diamond

The neutral lattice vacancy in diamond is simulated by the clusters ${\mathrm{C}}_{4}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{4}$${\mathrm{H}}_{12}$, and ${\mathrm{C}}_{16}$. Many-electron effects within the ground configuration are estimated using the self-consistent-field $X\ensuremath{\alpha}$ scattered-wave method. The resulting term splittings are found to decrease precipitously as the size of the cluster increases, in contrast to the conclusions of Coulson and Larkins. It is concluded that in a real crystal these effects should, therefore, be small and that simple one-electron methods represent valid first-order treatments to the problem.
Proposed Extent of Late Wisconsin Laurentide Ice on Eastern Baffin Island

The apparent outer limit of late Wisconsin Laurentide ice on eastern Baffin Island (roughly correlative with the “classical” Wisconsin of the southern Laurentide margin) is delimited in broad terms on the distal side by the presence of undisturbed glaciomarine deposits for which associated molluscan fauna have 14 C ages beyond the useful radiocarbon age range. This is supported by the distribution of drowned cirques, submerged late Wisconsin glaciomarine deltas, moraines from local ice sources of comparable age, and the absence of main fiord ice moraines. Within this maximum outer limit of late Wisconsin glaciation, only the previously mapped Cockburn Moraine System is associated with marine deposits of finite 14 C age. This system forms a largely continuous and prominent end and lateral moraine overlying till showing extensive tundra polygon development, and it is associated with ice-contact raised marine features dating between 7,500 and 8,500 14 C yr B.P. A map depicting the late Wisconsin ice margin based on these criteria shows that most of the eastern coastal margin of Baffin Island remained ice free throughout the last glacial stade (approximately 8,000 to 25,000? yr B.P.). This interpretation is supported by the occurrence of deposits dated more than 25,000 yr B.P., 30 to 60 km inland from the outer coast, which have not been glacially overridden; the pattern of postglacial isostatic uplift since 8,000 yr B.P.; and the complete absence of features dating between 10,500 and 25,000 yr B.P., despite more than 160 finite dates. Of 66 marine limit dates from the region, 44 percent lie between 7,500 and 8,500 yr B.P., whereas less than 8 percent are between 9,000 and 10,500 yr old. A consideration of the pattern of atmospheric circulation at the last glacial maximum suggests that few cyclonic disturbances penetrated the North American Arctic and that consequent decreased precipitation allowed only minimal glacial expansion.
Capture of Magnetic Microspheres in Electrokinetic Flow for Application in Lab-on-Chip Devices

Isolation of bio-molecules, cells and pathogens for immunoassays is a critical component in micro total analysis systems (μTAS). Magnetophoretic technique is often used for separation of such target species, where magnetic beads tagged with specific antibodies against cell surface epitopes, are captured in the microfluidic device. In this study, a numerical model is developed for capture of beads under an external magnetic field in electrokinetically driven flow. The results indicate an increase in the number of beads captured when the magnetic field is higher and the flow is driven by lower electric fields.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Effects of human neutrophil chemotaxis across human endothelial cell monolayers on the permeability of these monolayers to ions and macromolecules.

We have developed a method for studying the permeability properties of human endothelia in vitro. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured on a substrate of human amnion. Confluent monolayers of these cells demonstrated 6-12 delta.cm2 of electrical resistance (a measure of their permeability to ions) and restricted the transendothelial passage of albumin from their apical to their basal surface. To determine whether leukocyte emigration alters endothelial permeability in this model, we examined the effects of migrating human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) on these two parameters. Few PMN migrated across the HUVEC monolayers in the absence of chemoattractants. In response to chemoattractants, PMN migration through HUVEC monolayers was virtually complete within 10 minutes and occurred at random locations throughout the monolayer. PMN migrated across the monolayer via the paracellular pathway. Although one PMN migrated across the monolayer for each HUVEC, PMN migration induced no change in electrical resistance or albumin permeability of these monolayers. At this PMN:HUVEC ratio, these permeability findings were correlated morphologically to measurements that HUVEC paracellular pathway size increases by less than 0.22% with PMN migration. This increase is insufficient to effect a measurable change in the electrical resistance of the endothelial cell monolayer. These findings demonstrate that increased permeability of cultured endothelial cell monolayers is not a necessary consequence of PMN emigration.
Consumer research sheds light on all aspects of resort timesharing business.

Abstract Resort timesharing involves many interacting components—marketing and sales, products design, financial analysis, and resort management to name a few. This article aims to apply relevant findings in Ragatz Associates’ recent consumer research to the functionality of timeshare industry professionals. Included are relevant statistics regarding demographics of timeshare purchasers, how purchasers were prompted to attend a sales presentation, how many presentations they attended before purchasing, hesitations about purchasing, pricing averages, average maintenance fees, owner usage patterns, visitor party characteristics, and community benefits associated with timeshare development.
The spectrum of virus resistance of a KB cell strain resistant to diphtheria toxin.

Abstract KB-R2A, a variant strain of the KB cell line, is highly resistant to the lethal effects of diphtheria toxin. It has proven to be restrictive in the replication of certain viruses as well. The resistance of KB-R2A to 12 different virus types, representing RNA, DNA, enveloped and nonenveloped viruses, is shown. A wide variation in response, from highly restrictive to totally permissive replication, was observed.
Ethyl-3-Indoleacetate: an Artefact in Extracts of Immature Corn Kernels

THE isolation and identification of 3-indoleacetic acid in corn kernels has been well established1. While characterization of ethyl-3-indoleacetate in ethanol extracts of corn kernels, Zea mays, variety Golden Cross, has been reported from this laboratory2, it has been suggested that ethanol extraction may have resulted in the formation of an artefact3.
Evaluation of polyamine levels in cerebrospinal fluid of children with brain tumors.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polyamine levels were analyzed retrospectively in 21 pediatric patients with different types of intracranial malignant tumors to determine the benefit of following these markers during the clinical management of brain tumors. The tumors included 16 medulloblastomas and 1 each of germinoma, ependymoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, astrocytoma, and malignant teratoma. The clinical course of each patient was followed by neurologic examination, cranial computed tomography, CSF cell count, and cytology after cytocentrifugation. The correlation of CSF putrescine and spermidine levels with the clinical course of the brain tumors was analyzed. The following results were obtained: (1) A significant increase in CSF putrescine levels was observed in children with medulloblastoma when there was recurrent or metastatic disease in the sites close to the CSF pathway compared with the children whose disease status was stable after successful treatment (P < 0.005). (2) The increase of CSF putrescine levels was the earliest predictor of recurrence or metastasis near the CSF pathway. (3) In tumors other than medulloblastoma, the levels of polyamines were not predictive of disease activity with the possible exception of germinoma. (4) Spermidine levels in the CSF were of limited clinical importance for patients with brain tumors. CSF putrescine levels may be the earliest and most sensitive quantitative marker of the progression of medulloblastoma, and their evaluation should be included in the diagnostic work-up and follow-up examination of children with medulloblastoma.
Human von Economo Neurons Express Transcription Factors Associated with Layer V Subcerebral Projection Neurons

The von Economo neurons (VENs) are large bipolar Layer V projection neurons found chiefly in the anterior cingulate and frontoinsular cortices. Although VENs have been linked to prevalent illnesses such as frontotemporal dementia, autism, and schizophrenia, little is known about VEN identity, including their major projection targets. Here, we undertook a developmental transcription factor expression study, focusing on markers associated with specific classes of Layer V projection neurons. Using mRNA in situ hybridization, we found that VENs prominently express FEZF2 and CTIP2, transcription factors that regulate the fate and differentiation of subcerebral projection neurons, in humans aged 3 months to 65 years. In contrast, few VENs expressed markers associated with callosal or corticothalamic projections. These findings suggest that VENs may represent a specialized Layer V projection neuron for linking cortical autonomic control sites to brainstem or spinal cord regions.
Static Representation of Object Motion

Displaying motion information is useful in dynamic tasks, such as tracking or predicting the course of moving objects or systems (e.g., unmanned ground or air vehicles, troops, or weather). Static representations of object motion may be useful when technological limitations prevent use of dynamic displays. The present experiment examined people's interpretations of a variety of static cues to represent object motion. Participants viewed and rated two static types of representation of object motion – motion lines and arrows. The features of object motion that participants rated were distance traveled, direction, path, speed, and acceleration. The results show that observers reliably interpret certain static cues to represent features of object motion, especially distance, direction, path and speed; the cues examined were not interpreted as representing acceleration. The results are interpreted as guidelines for design of displays that include object motion information.
Parental Locus of Control and Externalizing Behavior Problems Among Mexican American Preschoolers

Research conducted with non-Hispanic Whites indicates that parents of preschoolers with behavioral problems are more likely to have an external locus of control regarding parenting than parents whose preschoolers are free of such problems. However, it is unclear whether such research can be generalized to Mexican American families, especially given research suggesting that Mexican Americans tend to have a more external locus of control normatively. To address this question, the authors compare parental locus of control (PLOC) among parents of clinic-referred Mexican American preschoolers to parents of nonreferred Mexican American preschoolers. Results demonstrate that referred Mexican American parents exhibited a more external PLOC than nonreferred Mexican American parents across a number of domains. Thus, similar to non-Hispanic Whites, preschoolers' behavioral problems are associated with an external PLOC among Mexican Americans. Implications for the design of culturally sensitive interventions for Mexi...