cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bereavement among widowed Latinos in the United States: A systematic review of methodology and findings.

This study systematically reviewed the methodology and findings of 19 peer-reviewed studies on the experience of bereavement among widowed Latinos, including risk and protective factors to the health of this vulnerable population. Of these studies, 10 included quantitative data, 3 were qualitative studies, and 6 were narrative reviews. Results emphasized the relevance of cultural beliefs about death, rituals, religion, and Latino values (i.e., familismo, respeto, simpatia, personalismo) as common themes in the included studies, along with expressions of grief (e.g., Ataque de nervios, somatization) that vary by gender and acculturation. Risk factors associated with diminished well-being in this population included being a male, financial strain, cultural stressors, having an undocumented legal status, experiencing widowhood at a younger age, and having poor physical health. Effective coping strategies identified included having adequate social support primarily from family, religion and religious practices, the use of folk medicine, volunteering, and the use of emotional release strategies. Moreover, the results highlight that researches informing the health needs of widowed Latinos in the US is limited, and studies with enhanced methodological rigor are needed to better understand the complex needs of this vulnerable population.
Partition-Based Parametric Active Model Discrimination with Applications to Driver Intention Estimation

In this paper, we propose a partition-based parametric active model discrimination approach that distinguishes among a set of discrete-time affine time-invariant models with uncontrolled inputs, model-independent parameters that are revealed in real-time and noise. By partitioning the operating region of the parameters, the problem turns into a sequence of offline optimization problems. Thus, at each time instant, we only need to determine which subregion in the resulting partition tree the revealed parameters lie in and select the corresponding pre-computed inputs. The offline optimal input design problem is formulated as a bilevel problem and further cast as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP). Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for estimating driver intention in a lane-changing scenario.
Evolution and outcomes of sentinel lymph node mapping in vulvar cancer.

Objectives To characterize our institutional experience with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in patients with vulvar cancer. We describe the oncologic outcomes of these patients and the utilization of SLN detection techniques over time. Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent inguinofemoral SLN biopsy as part of their treatment for vulvar cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from January 1, 2000 to April 1, 2019. Patients were included in this analysis if they underwent inguinofemoral SLN biopsy for vulvar cancer, irrespective of presenting factors such as histology, tumor size or laterality. An “at-risk groin” was defined as either the right or left groin for which SLN biopsy of inguinofemoral lymph nodes was performed. Results A total of 160 patients were included in our analysis, representing 265 at-risk groins. 114 patients had squamous cell histology representing 195 at-risk groins. Of the 169 negative groins in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the 2 year isolated groin recurrence rate was 1.2%. SLN detection rate, irrespective of modality, was 96.2%. Technetium-99 (TC-99) + blue dye detected SLNs in 91.8% of groins; TC-99 + indocyanine green detected SLNs in 100% of groins (p=0.157). Among the 110 groins that underwent mapping with TC-99 and blue dye, 4 patients had failed mapping with blue dye and mapped with TC-99 alone (3.6%). Among the 96 groins that underwent mapping with TC-99 and ICG, 14 patients failed to map with TC-99 and mapped with indocyanine green alone (14.6%). Conclusions SLN mapping in vulvar cancer is reliable and oncologically effective. The utilization of indocyanine green for mapping has increased over the past decade and is associated with high rates of SLN detection.
A two-layer model describes the spatiotemporal properties of spontaneous retinal waves

In the developing mammalian retina, spontaneous waves of action potentials are present in the ganglion cell layer weeks before vision. Fluorescence imaging reveals that this highly correlated activity spans spatially restricted domains, which cover the entire retina with shifting mosaic patterns. Here we present a novel dynamical model consisting of two coupled populations of cells that quantitatively reproduces the experimentally observed domain sizes, interwave intervals, and wavefront velocity profiles. Model and experiment together show that the highly correlated activity generated by retinal waves can be explained by a combination of random spontaneous activation of cells and the past history of local retinal activity. These results were originally published in Neuron 19: 293–306(1997).1
Insights to the neural response to food cues in class III compared with class I and II obese adults using a sample of endometrial cancer survivors seeking weight loss.

The rates of severe or Class III obesity (BMI ≥ 40.0 kg/m2) and endometrial cancer (EC) incidence and mortality have been increasing significantly in the United States. Adults with severe obesity are more likely to die and women with severe obesity have a higher risk of EC development and mortality than those with Class I/II obesity (BMI: 30–<40 kg/m2). However, no prior studies have evaluated the neural response to food cues by obesity severity/class in adults with or without cancer. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging visual food cue task in 85 obese Stage I EC survivors who were seeking weight loss in a lifestyle intervention at baseline. We evaluated the neural response to high-calorie vs. non-food images after an overnight fast (fasted state) and after eating a standardized meal (fed state), and grouped patients by obesity class (Class I/II: n = 38; Class III: n = 47). In the fasted state, we found increased activation in several regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in Class III and Class I/II patients (whole brain cluster corrected (WBCC), p < 0.05), which was significantly higher in Class III vs. Class I/II (p < 0.05). We found decreased activation in the insula in the fasted state, which was significantly lower in Class I/II vs. Class III (p = 0.03). In the fed state, we found increased activation in the DLPFC in Class III and Class I/II (WBCC, p < 0.05). The increased activation in cognitive control/inhibition regions (DLPFC) is consistent with the summative literature; however, the decreased activation in taste information processing regions (insula) was unexpected. Our results provide novel insights on food cue response between different classes of obesity and highlight the importance of targeting the DLPFC in weight loss interventions, particularly in severely obese patients. Additional studies examining food-related neural circuitry between different classes of obesity are needed.
Recent results on event-by-event fluctuations from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan program in the STAR experiment

Event-by-event fluctuations of global observables in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are studied as probes for the QCD phase transition and as tools to search for critical phenomena near the phase boundary. Dynamical fluctuations in mean transverse momentum, identified particle ratios and conserved quantities (such as net-charge, net-baryon) are expected to provide signatures of a de-confined state of matter. Non-monotonic behavior in the higher-moments of conserved quantities as a function of beam energy and collision centrality are proposed as signatures of the QCD critical point. To study the QCD phase transition and locate the critical point, the STAR experiment at RHIC has collected a large amount of data for Au+Au collisions from p sNN = 7.7 200 GeV in the RHIC Beam Energy Scan (BES) program. We present the recent beam energy scan results on dynamical fluctuations of particle ratios and two-particle transverse momentum correlations at mid-rapidity. Higher-moments of the net-charge and net- proton multiplicity distributions as a function of beam energy will be presented. We give a summary of what has been learnt so far and future prospectives for the BES-II program.
The Educative Potential of Ecological Militancy in an Age of Big Oil: Towards a Marcusean Ecopedagogy

This article begins by tracing the conjunction between the birth of radical ecological politics and the New Left, then moves to a reconsideration of whether a Marcusean politics and culture of intolerance and resistance are legitimate under contemporary circumstances. The article then outlines a call for the reconstruction of a Marcusean ‘pro-life’ politics, and then closes with a discussion of how Marcuse provides ecological educators with a theory of politics as education and a revolutionary conception of humanitas, through which Marcuse sought to work to overcome the historical struggle and dichotomy between culture and nature, as well as the human and non-human animal. The conclusion offered is that Marcuse is a founding figure of a revolutionary ecopedagogy that seeks an end to the violent destruction of the earth, as it works to manifest a critical, utopian post-humanism based upon new life sensibilities that attempts to displace domination and repression broadly conceived with ecological and just s...
Multi-period competitive cheap talk with highly biased experts

Abstract Each of n experts communicates with a principal about the privately observed quality of the expert's own project via cheap talk, with new independently drawn projects available each period until the principal adopts one. Even when experts are highly biased in that they only receive a positive payoff if their own project is selected, we show that informative equilibria may exist, characterize a large class of stationary equilibria, and find the Pareto dominant symmetric equilibrium. Experts face a tradeoff between inducing acceptance now versus waiting for a better project should the game continue. When the future is more highly valued experts send more informative messages, increasing the average quality of an adopted project and resulting in a Pareto improvement, while communication is harmed and payoffs can decline when there is more competition between experts.
Maximum Likelihood Recursive State Estimation using the Expectation Maximization Algorithm.

A Maximum Likelihood recursive state estimator is derived for non-linear and non-Gaussian state-space models. The estimator combines a particle filter to generate the conditional density and the Expectation Maximization algorithm to compute the maximum likelihood state estimate iteratively. Algorithms for maximum likelihood state filtering, prediction and smoothing are presented. The convergence properties of these algorithms, which are inherited from the Expectation Maximization algorithm, are proven and examined in two examples. It is shown that, with randomized reinitialization, which is feasible because of the algorithm simplicity, these methods are able to converge to the Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) of multimodal, truncated and skewed densities, as well as those of disjoint support.
Congenital Neck Mass

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 38 weeks’ gestation shows a large soft tissue mass involving the anterior neck with mass effect causing narrowing of the trachea/subglottic airway (Fig 1). Figure 1. A. Coronal view on fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing a large, soft tissue neck mass measuring 5.3×6×4.9 cm (anteroposterior × transverse × craniocaudal dimensions). B. Sagittal view on fetal MRI showing the anterior neck mass relative to the fetal upper lip/nose complex (white arrow), fetal tongue (asterisk), and oropharyngeal fluid column (yellow bar) with a compressed trachea/subglottic airway caused by mass effect. ### Prenatal and Birth Histories ### Presentation (Newborn Day) Physical examination reveals a large nodular anterior neck mass, …
The foramen ovale “mirage” and how this impacts percutaneous cannulation for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: a report of two cases

Percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency rhizotomy (PSR) for trigeminal neuralgia most commonly utilizes 2D fluoroscopy for intraoperative needle guidance into the foramen ovale (FO). We describe two cases in which needle advancement into FO was unachievable despite appropriate needle placement on biplane fluoroscopy. Intraoperative multiplanar reconstruction was helpful in more accurately depicting foraminal anatomy which allowed the manipulation of the tip of the needle, which was followed by successful FO cannulation. We propose that this “mirage” is likely created by the inherent nature of X-ray-based fluoroscopy in which the FO appears to be readily penetrable, when in fact the 3D anatomy actually prevents cannulation.
“Not the Paradise We Imagined”: The Discursive Politics of the “True Self” in Queer Middle Eastern Refugee Migrations

The use of “true self” in western media coverage of queer Middle Eastern refugees is a contradictory, unattainable identity for queer Middle Eastern refugees. This “true self” suggests that queer Middle Eastern refugees are only able to live out their essential queer selves after receiving asylum and moving to the west. This narrative of true selfhood ignores the rupturing, transformative process of refugeehood, as well as the geographical-historical conceptions of identity, and relational, place-based making of self in which refugees become refugees. True selfhood, disguised as western freedom, serves as merely another normative script in which queers in the west must present their identities as legitimate to a heteronormative, cisnormative society that does not conceptualize of other formations of self. Here, the contradiction between true selfhood and queer Middle Eastern refugeehood becomes a site where the logic of political asylum regimes breaks down, and where other understandings of queer Middle Eastern refugee selfhood may start to emerge.
The Use of an Aspirating/Resecting Device to Reduce Stoma Closure Following Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy for Aqueductal Stenosis.

Background Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is commonly used to treat obstructive hydrocephalus. Closure of the stoma can be associated with symptom recurrence and need for further surgical intervention. Objective To describe the use of a side-cutting aspiration device for treatment of aqueductal stenosis in patients undergoing ETV. Methods A retrospective review of 30 consecutive adults with aqueductal stenosis treated with ETV using an adjunct side-cutting aspiration device between 2011 and 2013 was performed. Patients included in the study ranged from 35 to 64 years of age. ETV success was determined by the absence of stoma closure (aqueductal and cisternal flow assessed by high-resolution, gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging), post-ETV symptom recurrence, and need for subsequent surgical intervention. Results Patients treated by using a side-cutting aspirator had no observed stoma closure (0%) and a 10% (n = 3) rate of post-ETV symptom recurrence. Three patients (10%) demonstrated a need for surgical revision following initial ETV with the side-cutting aspirator. Conclusion Adult patients with obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to aqueductal stenosis exhibited a low rate of stoma closure with the use of a side-cutting aspiration device, and a rate of complications comparable to the known literature. Likewise, patients treated with a side-cutting aspirator may have lower symptom recurrence post-ETV and require fewer revisions in comparison with the known literature. As such, a side-cutting aspirator may be considered as a useful adjunct to traditional ETV for the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to aqueductal stenosis.
Tighter upper bounds for the average message delay in a Geom/sup /spl lsqb/X/spl rsqb///Geom/N queueing system

In a previous paper by Rubin and Zhang (see ibid., vol.39, no.6, p.905-14, June 1991) upper and lower bounds for the average message system-size and delay in a Geom/sup /spl lsqb/X/spl rsqb///Geom/N queueing system are presented. However, the upper bound for the average message delay is not tight in the low utilization range. In this note, the author presents much tighter upper bounds for the average message delay and system-size, using the convex property of the mean delay with respect to the mean arrival rate. >
A systematic approach to disassembly line design

The increasing importance of a product's relationship and effects on the environment has prompted active research in demanufacturing systems. A disassembly process is a critically important part of a demanufacturing system. Its design and improvement is of great significance to achieve the best use of resources (labor, money and time). This paper addresses the disassembly line-balancing problem. An algorithm is developed to facilitate the disassembly line design and optimization, which dynamically configures a large system into many disassembly lines, based on system status and demand sources, guarantees the line balance and efficiency. An example is given to illustrate this methodology.
A fast approximate covariance-model-based database search method for non-coding RNA

A covariance-model-based search method for non-coding RNA genes is proposed which is much faster than dynamic programming, but which is shown to be very effective in experimental tests. The method incorporates secondary structure information in the entire first pass of the database, unlike the usual primary-sequence-only pre-filters applied when using dynamic programming. An iterative alignment refining algorithm which starts at an ungapped alignment and successively selects alignment breakpoints gives only an approximation to the optimal alignment, but appears to be sufficient for gene localization.
Water Needs for Freshwater Fisheries Management

Fisheries management is manipulating fisheries resources, both fish and their aquatic habitats, to produce sustainable benefits for people. Suitable water quality and appropriate water quantity are essential to diverse and productive fisheries. Many aquatic habitats have been altered to various extents to achieve social and economic benefits for people. These alterations of aquatic habitats range from obvious changes, such as impoundment of streams and rivers for water supply, flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and navigation, to less apparent impacts of land use changes and other activities on watersheds. A relatively new and significant threat to fisheries resources is introduced aquatic species. The waterways that support public-access freshwater fisheries are multiuse resources, and management priorities for these resources focus on social and economic benefits that often conflict with maximum fishery benefits. However, resource managers are becoming more sensitive to fishery needs. Fishery managers are now aware that the lakes, reservoirs, and streams they manage are parts of larger ecosystems and increasingly seek holistic management strategies. Keywords: water quality; water quantity; habitat alteration; biotic pollution; ecosystem management
Advanced Microelectronics: the role of SOI

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology has been developed for electronics in harsh environments and more recently for low power electronics. Over the past few years, DARPA's Advanced Microelectronics Program has sponsored considerable research on 25 nm silicon transistors suitable for highly integrated circuits. Many of the device research efforts under the program are exploiting SOI. The program is described here.
Extraction of the One-Component Plasma Bridge Function from Computer Simulation Data

What follows is motivated by the classical inverse problem for homogeneous highly correlated systems: Given complete structural information [at the pair level this will be the static structure factor S(k) for all k], find the effective pair-potential o (r) that will generate that structure. There is a unique functional relationship βo(r) = F[S(k)] [with β the inverse temperature l/(kT)], between the pair-potential and the static structure factor. However, in practice this is a very difficult problem to solve, in part, because of the extreme sensitivity of the resultant βo (r) to the input functions S(k).
DEVELOPING SCENARIOS OF TEMPERATURE THRESHOLDS

Scenarios of future climates must be made so that the potential impacts of climatic change can be assessed. A simple method is presented for developing regional scenarios of the number of days per month above a selected temperature. The method uses the observational record of daily maximum temperatures to develop linear regressions between monthly average temperature and the number of days above the threshold. The relationships are then extrapolated to the average temperature conditions estimated by General Circulation Models (GCMs) and the new number of days determined. The method is demonstrated by developing a set of scenarios for the United States for a 90° F threshold. The validity of the approach, including consideration of the linearity of the relationships and the amount of extrapolation needed, is discussed. The regional variability of the results can be explained in climatological terms while local variations are associated with topographic and hydrologic effects. The results are in general agre...
Low-energy x-ray interaction coefficients: Photoabsorption, scattering, and reflection: E = 100–2000 eV Z = 1–94

Abstract The primary low-energy x-ray interactions within matter are photoabsorption and coherent scattering, which can be efficiently described for photon energies outside the threshold regions by using atomic scattering factors. These may be uniquely determined through quantum dispersion relations from photoabsorption data. With the available fittings of the photoabsorption cross sections and with a new compilation of such data for the region 30–300 eV, continuous sets of the photoabsorption cross sections from 30 to 10 000 eV have been determined for 94 elements. With these, for the region 100–2000 eV, atomic scattering factors which are independent of scattering angle and which include the relatively strong anomalous dispersion structures have been obtained. Methods are reviewed and currently important examples of the application of atomic scattering factors to the detailed characterization of selected x-ray mirror monochromators and of Bragg multilayer and crystal analyzers for low-energy x-ray analysis are presented.
An Argonaute-Like Protein Is Required for Meiotic Silencing

We demonstrate the involvement of suppressor of meiotic silencing-2 (sms-2(+)), a Neurospora gene coding for an Argonaute-like protein, in meiotic silencing and normal sexual development.
Contribution of the mitochondrial permeability transition to lethal injury after exposure of hepatocytes to t-butylhydroperoxide

We have developed a novel method for monitoring the mitochondrial permeability transition in single intact hepatocytes during injury with t-butylhydroperoxide (t-BuOOH). Cultured hepatocytes were loaded with the fluorescence probes, calcein and tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM). Depending on loading conditions, calcein labelled the cytosolic space exclusively and did not enter mitochondria or it stained both cytosol and mitochondria. TMRM labelled mitochondria as an indicator of mitochondrial polarization. Fluorescence of two probes was imaged simultaneously using laser-scanning confocal microscopy. During normal incubations, TMRM labelled mitochondria indefinitely (longer than 63 min), and calcein did not redistribute between cytosol and mitochondria. These findings indicate that the mitochondrial permeability transition pore ('megachannel') remained closed continuously. After addition of 100 microM t-BuOOH, mitochondria filled quickly with calcein, indicating the onset of mitochondrial permeability transition. This event was accompanied by mitochondrial depolarization, as shown by loss of TMRM. Subsequently, the concentration of ATP declined and cells lost viability. Trifluoperazine, a phospholipase inhibitor that inhibits the permeability transition in isolated mitochondria, prevented calcein redistribution into mitochondria, mitochondrial depolarization, ATP depletion and cell death. Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a mitochondrial uncoupler, also rapidly depolarized mitochondria of intact hepatocytes but did not alone induce a permeability transition. Trifluoperazine did not prevent ATP depletion and cell death after the addition of CCCP. In conclusion, the permeability transition pore does not 'flicker' open during normal incubation of hepatocytes but remains continuously closed. Moreover, mitochondrial depolarization per se does not cause the permeability transition in intact cells. During oxidative stress, however, a permeability transition occurs quickly which leads to mitochondrial depolarization and cell death.
Generation of broadband radially polarized terahertz radiation directly on a cylindrical metal wire

We demonstrate the ability to directly generate broadband THz surface plasmons via optical rectification on a cylindrical metal wire. This is accomplished by milling a single circumferential groove into the wire and overcoating it with a poled polymer that exhibits a bulk second order susceptibility. An attractive feature of this approach is the potential to generate THz pulses that are limited in duration only by the duration of the optical pump pulse. While a photoconductive detector is used in the present demonstration, we discuss further refinements to the system that should allow for significant enhancement of the nonlinear optical conversion efficiency and detection bandwidth.
Planck–Benzinger thermal work function in biological systems

The Planck-Benzinger methodology provides a means of determining the innate temperature-invariant enthalpy and thermal agitation energy, or the heat capacity integrals, ∫ T 0 ΔCp°(T)dT, and allows precise determination of (T C p ), (T h ), (T s ), and (T m ). It is a method for evaluating [ΔH o 2 9 8 - ΔH°(T 0 )], the heat of reaction for biological molecules at room temperature. The results imply that the negative Gibbs free energy change minimum at a well-defined stable temperature, (T s ), where the bound unavailable energy TAS° = 0, has its origin in the sequence-specific hydrophobic interactions. Each case confirms the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch wherein a change of sign in ΔCp°(T) r e a c t i o n leads to true negative minimum in the Gibbs free energy change of reaction and, hence, a maximum in the related equilibrium constant, K e q . At this temperature, (T s ), ΔH°(T S )(-) = ΔG°(T S )(-) m i n , the maximum work can be accomplished in biological systems. Application of the Planck-Benzinger methodology to biological systems has demonstrated a basic rule for life processes, in that there is a lower cutoff point, (T h ), where entropy is favorable but enthalpy is unfavorable, that is, ΔH°(T h )(+) = TΔS°(T h )(+), and an upper cutoff, (T m ), above which enthalpy is favorable but entropy unfavorable, that is, ΔH°(T m )(-) = TΔS°(T m )(-). Only between these two limits, that is, where ΔG°(T) = 0, is the net chemical driving force favorable for such biological processes as protein folding; protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid or protein-membrane interactions; and protein-self-assembly. Indeed, all interacting biological systems examined using the Planck-Benzinger methodology have shown such a thermodynamic switch at the molecular level, suggesting that its existence may be universal.
Expansion of potentially harmful algal taxa in a Georgia Estuary (USA)

Abstract Evidence is widespread that species of harmful algae are showing up in new locations and that toxic bloom events may be increasing in magnitude and frequency. These trends are sometimes but not exclusively associated with cultural eutrophication. On the southeast coast of the USA, harmful species, bloom events, and deleterious ecosystem impacts were restricted to eutrophic estuaries and adjacent shelf waters of North Carolina and Florida prior to 2000. Specifically, Georgia and South Carolina waters either lacked HAB species or contained unremarkable concentrations. Beginning in 2000, however, numerous HAB taxa were collected in South Carolina coastal ponds and estuaries, and were associated with fish kills there. The present study documents the new appearance of HAB species in Georgia, in the Skidaway estuary, which has been sampled weekly for 22 years. Four HAB taxa were initially present when sampling began in 1986–1987, five new species appeared sporadically over the next 15 years, and then seven additional new taxa appeared between 2002 and 2008. Eleven of the sixteen taxa were dinoflagellates (species of Cochlodinium, Dinophysis, Gyrodinium, Heterocapsa, Karenia, Karlodinium, Kryptoperidinium, and Prorocentrum), four were raphidophytes (Chattonella, Fibrocapsa, and Heterosigma species), with one diatom (Pseudo-nitzschia). Notably, only two species occurred at concentrations exceeding 103 cells ml−1: Heterosigma akashiwo and Heterocapsa rotundata. One species, H. akashiwo, was present every spring/summer and in sufficient concentrations to discern temporal trends. H. exhibited significant increases in annual mean and peak abundances over the 22-year sample period. This increasing trend was significantly correlated with nutrient concentrations, specifically NH4 and DON. Whereas factors responsible for the initial appearance of new HAB taxa in these waters are unknown, the evidence suggests their establishment is related to cultural eutrophication. If current trends of increasing number and abundance of HAB species continue, estuaries in Georgia can expect to exhibit the detrimental ecological manifestations commonly observed elsewhere.
Quenching, depolarization, and transfer of spin polarization in Rb- N 2 collisions

We have studied the transfer of electronic and nuclear spin polarization from the $5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state of Rb to the $5^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state caused by quenching collisions of Rb atoms with ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ molecules. We evaluate the dependence of such polarization transfer upon the strength of the hyperfine interaction in the excited state. The nuclear spin independent relative probabilities connecting $J$, ${m}_{J}$ sublevels of the $5^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state with the $S$, ${m}_{S}$ sublevels of the $^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state are ${K}_{1}(^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}},{m}_{J}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{1}{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}},{m}_{S}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{1}{2})=0.33\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15,$ ${K}_{2}(^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}},{m}_{J}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{1}{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}},{m}_{S}=\ensuremath{\mp}\frac{1}{2})=0.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15.$ The results suggest that the quenching interaction is a sudden perturbation in which the orientation of the electronic spin is preserved. The experiment provides a determination of the cross section for the destruction of orientation within the $^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\frac{1}{2}}^{1}$:${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\frac{1}{2}}^{1}(\mathrm{Rb}^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}},{\mathrm{N}}_{2})=(105\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}25)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.The value of ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\frac{1}{2}}^{1}$ for Rb in ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ is considerably larger than corresponding values for Rb in the noble gases. The experimental and theoretical results provide insight into the influence of quenching collisions on the efficiency of optical-pumping processes. They show why a small amount of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ added to an optical-pumping cell improves pumping efficiency, whereas a large amount of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ reduces it.
Who shall be excluded: The influence of personal attributes in community reaction to the mentally ill

This study tests three hypotheses concerning types of individuals who are likely to be excluded from a community for mental illness. An “exclusion index” is developed, based on the ratio of involuntary to voluntary commitments to mental hospitals with high ratios indicating high rejection or low community tolerance of deviance. The patient sample consists of 14,304 first admissions to the three State Mental Hospitals in Washington State, for the period 1957–1964.1. Communities have a greater propensity to exclude for deviance lower class persons and members of low status racial-ethnic groups. The findings indicate a substantially higher propensity to isolate nonwhite deviants. In addition, the community tendency to exclude members of six major racial-ethnic groups in the state (Caucasians, Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Japanese, and Negroes) varied directly with a group's social distance from the dominant Caucasian population. 2.Those who lack close social ties in the community are more likely to be excluded for deviance than those with such ties. Persons who lived alone or with non-relatives had higher exclusion rates than persons living with their own families. The nonmarried are more likely to be excluded than the married, and persons not in the labor force are more likely to be excluded than those in the labor force.3. Communities have a greater propensity to exclude males for deviance than females. The current findings have implications for at least three current etiological theories of mental illness: the “social isolation hypothesis” the “socioeconomic deprivation hypothesis”; and the “sociocultural fit hypothesis”. Differential community reaction to mental deviance may account for at least some of the observed excess incidence of hospitalized mental disorders among the socially isolated, the economically deprived as well as among culturally different members of the community.
Perioperative management of the geriatric patient. Part I: respiratory system

The population of the United States is aging. It is expected that the population age 65 and older will increase to nearly 60 million by the year 2030 and those age 85 and over to nearly 11 million. Patients over age 65 are more than twice as likely to undergo surgical procedures than patients 40 to 65. Structural and physiologic changes associated with advancing age, combined with the increased likelihood of major disability or disease, significantly increase the risk of perioperative complications. These articles review the major age-related changes and the effect they have on the perioperative management of these patients.
MEASURING QUALITY CHANGE IN QUOTA-CONSTRAINED IMPORT MARKETS The Case of U.S. Footwear

Abstract Theoretical models predict that quantitative import restrictions, such as orderly marketing agreements (OMAs), lead to substitution into higher quality products within the quotaconstrained import category. The country specific nature of OMAs results in further substitution among supplying countries. Using index number techniques, this paper measures the impact of product and country substitution on the price of U.S. footwear imports in the period surrounding the 1977–1981 footwear OMA with Korea and Taiwan. Upgrading of the import bundle was observed in most quota categories throughout the OMA period and accounted for 12 percent of the observed rise in the average price of footwear imports.
Biological Modifier Therapy for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The recent elucidation of pathogenic processes involving tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-1β in the pathogenesis and persistence of rheumatoid arthritis led to the development of biological modifier agents that have had significant impact on disease severity and progression. These agents—etanercept, infliximab, and anakinra—produce a dramatic reduction in RA disease activity with relatively low toxicity compared with currently available disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The main prohibition to their broader utilization is cost. The success of these agents underscores the investigative approaches to the pathogenesis of RA and the appropriate design of pharmaceutical agents to target specific proinflammatory molecules.
Bone health across the generations: a primer for health providers concerned with osteoporosis prevention.

Abstract Osteoporosis represents a major public health problem by virtue of later life association with fragility fractures which may indeed be the first sign of this “silent epidemic”. While as prevalent as cardiovascular and other age-related chronic diseases, efforts at osteoporosis prevention have been less successful due to limited commitment among the public to take steps to maintain their “bone health”, and fragmentation of osteoporosis management among different health specialties, indeed with many reports of deficient physician knowledge of the subject. This paper presents a survey of the factors that contribute to bone loss or accrual in women across the generations, including adolescence, the reproductive years, the menopause inception, and the decades thereafter. Health providers in a variety of disciplines aware of and inquiring about the spectrum of bone changes in their patients over the generations may intervene effectively in a more timely manner to limit future fracture occurrence.
Selective plating without masking

Electroless deposition indicates promising technology for surface microfabrication. In the magnetic recording industry, coil packing density determines the size of the recording head and the magnitude of the current that magnetizess the recording media. In this paper, a new method is presented to fabricate coils having a high packing density by using electroless deposition processes and thin insulators between the turns of the coil.
Integrating digital image management software for improved patient care and optimal practice management.

BACKGROUND Photographic images provide vital documentation of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative results in the clinical dermatologic surgery practice and can document histologic findings from skin biopsies, thereby enhancing patient care. Images may be printed as part of text documents, transmitted via electronic mail, or included in electronic medical records. OBJECTIVES To describe existing computer software that integrates digital photography and the medical record to improve patient care and practice management. CONCLUSIONS A variety of computer applications are available to optimize the use of digital images in the dermatologic practice.
Shaky Foundations and Sustainable Exploiters Problems With National Weak Sustainability Measures in a Global Economy

Macroeconomic sustainability indicators are often applied at the national level. This national-level focus is problematic given the importance of trade in the global economy. This article uses one measure of economic weak sustainability, Genuine Savings, to highlight three issues: (a) the national-level measure is empirically unsound because it does not provide a reliable indicator of weak sustainability for any trade-dependent nation; (b) it is normatively suspect because a nation can be labeled weakly sustainable even when its sustainability derives from the unsustainability of its trade partners; and (c) purported “sustainable” signals can encourage exploitative national policies. This article illustrates these conceptual problems, provides empirical case studies to establish their real-world relevance and importance, and discusses the implications for the indicator’s application.
Mitochondrial cation transport: A progress report

This report summarizes recent work in our laboratory aimed at understanding protein-mediated mitochondrial cation transport. We are studying three distinct cation cycles that contain porters catalyzing influx and efflux of cations between cytosol and mitochondrial matrix. Each of these cation cycles plays a major physiological role in the overall energy economy. The K+ cycle maintains the integrity of the vesicular structure and includes the K+/H+ antiporter, the KATP channel, and K+ leak driven by the high membrane potential. The Ca2+ cycle relays the signals calling for modulation of ATP production and includes the Ca2+ channel, the Na+/Ca2+ antiporter, and the Na+/H+ antiporter. The H+ cycle of brown adipose tissue mitochondria provides heat to hibernating and newborn mammals and consists of the uncoupling protein, which catalyzes regulated H+ influx.
Comparison of next generation sequencing technologies for transcriptome characterization

Background We have developed a simulation approach to help determine the optimal mixture of sequencing methods for most complete and cost effective transcriptome sequencing. We compared simulation results for traditional capillary sequencing with "Next Generation" (NG) ultra high-throughput technologies. The simulation model was parameterized using mappings of 130,000 cDNA sequence reads to the Arabidopsis genome (NCBI Accession SRA008180.19). We also generated 454-GS20 sequences and de novo assemblies for the basal eudicot California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and the magnoliid avocado (Persea americana) using a variety of methods for cDNA synthesis.
Expression and Purification of Aspartate β-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase from Infectious Microorganisms

Abstract l-Aspartate-β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASA DH) lies at the first branch point in the aspartate metabolic pathway that leads to the formation of the amino acids lysine, isoleucine, methionine, and threonine in most plants, bacteria, and fungi. Since the aspartate pathway is not found in humans, but is necessary for bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, the enzymes in this pathway are potential targets for the development of new antibiotics. The asd gene that encodes for ASA DH has been obtained from several infectious organisms and ligated into a pET expression vector. ASA DHs from Haemophilus influenza, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio cholerae were expressed as soluble proteins in Escherichia coli, while ASA DH from Helicobacter pylori was obtained primarily as inclusion bodies. The V. cholerae genome contains two asd genes. Both enzymes have been expressed and purified, and each displays significant ASA DH activity. The purification of highly active ASA DH from each of these organisms has been achieved for the first time, in greater than 95% purity and high overall yield. Kinetic parameters have been determined for each purified enzyme, and the values have been compared to those of E. coli ASA DH.
Spontaneous and alloantigen-induced cytotoxicity by human T-lymphocyte subpopulations.

Abstract Freshly isolated human T lymphocytes were separated into two subpopulations on the basis of their ability to form E rosettes after treatment with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, theophylline. T cells that retained the ability to form E rosettes (T-res cells) and those that failed to form E rosettes (T-sens cells) were assayed for natual killer (NK) cell activity against 51Cr-labeled K562 tumor cells and for the ability to proliferate and kill allogeneic cells in mixed-lymphocyte culture (MLC). T-sens cells were highly enriched for NK activity. In contrast, T-res cells exhibited much less activity than either T-sens or unseparated T cells (T-sens > unseparated T cells ⋍ unseparated PBL ⋍ non-T cells > T-res cells). T-sens cells were poorly responsive to allogeneic cells in proliferation assays and demonstrated greater levels of cytotoxicity against allogeneic cells than T-res cells. T cells stimulated with allogeneic lymphocytes for 7 days were cytotoxic for K562 targets while comparably stimulated non-T cells and T cells cultured with medium were not cytotoxic. Cold target inhibition experiments suggested that within the T-sens subset there are overlapping populations which mediate cytotoxicity against K562 and allogeneic cells. These studies demonstrate that freshly isolated human T cells are composed of heterogeneous populations which differ in their ability to mediate NK and to generate cytotoxic T lymphocytes in culture.
Political behavior, social responsibility, and perceived corruption: a structuration perspective

This study unites the three lenses – political behavior, corporate social responsibility, and corruption – and evaluates the way in which multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage political and social forces in a foreign emerging market. Using the theory of structuration as the conceptual foundation, we propose that an MNE's propensity to cooperate with the host government is positively related to its philanthropic contribution and resource accommodation, whereas its propensity to be assertive with the host government is positively associated with its emphasis on ethics and organizational credibility. We argue that when perceived corruption in the business segment increases, an MNE's propensity to cooperate and be assertive with the government decreases, its focus on ethics heightens, and its philanthropic contribution diminishes. As to the three-way interactions, when perceived corruption in the business segment increases, MNEs that focus more on ethics have a greater propensity to use arm's length bargaining to deal with the government, whereas those focusing less on ethics have a greater propensity to use social connections to deal with the government. Our analysis of sample MNEs in China generally supports these propositions.
Implicit fairing of irregular meshes using diffusion and curvature flow

In this paper, we develop methods to rapidly remove rough features from irregularly triangulated data intended to portray a smooth surface. The main task is to remove undesirable noise and uneven edges while retaining desirable geometric features. The problem arises mainly when creating high-fidelity computer graphics objects using imperfectly-measured data from the real world. Our approach contains three novel features: an implicit integration method to achieve efficiency, stability, and large time-steps; a scale-dependent Laplacian operator to improve the diffusion process; and finally, a robust curvature flow operator that achieves a smoothing of the shape itself, distinct from any parameterization. Additional features of the algorithm include automatic exact volume preservation, and hard and soft constraints on the positions of the points in the mesh. We compare our method to previous operators and related algorithms, and prove that our curvature and Laplacian operators have several mathematically-desirable qualities that improve the appearance of the resulting surface. In consequence, the user can easily select the appropriate operator according to the desired type of fairing. Finally, we provide a series of examples to graphically and numerically demonstrate the quality of our results.
Optimization of a hydrocarbon fuel ignition model for two single component surrogates of diesel fuel

Abstract The auto-ignition predictions of the Shell hydrocarbon fuel ignition model have been improved for initial conditions similar to those in diesel engine environments. A series of modifications were made to the model, including a more accurate calculation of the heat release of the fuel, a new mass balance for the products of the termination reactions, and the enthalpies of the Shell model species, R∗, B and Q were revised. In addition the twenty-six kinetic parameters of the revised model were determined using a genetic algorithm optimization methodology guided by auto-ignition results obtained from a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism. The optimization was performed for a broad range of conditions that is representative of the operating conditions in diesel engines at the start-of-injection (SOI). This range includes: equivalence ratios from 0.5–4.0, initial pressures from 40–120 bar, initial temperatures from 650 K to 1175 K and EGR percentages from 0–75%. The model constants were optimized for two single component hydrocarbons species, n-heptane and tetradecane, that are representative of diesel fuel. Finally, the model was implemented into the KIVA-3V CFD code and a series of engine simulations was performed in order to assess its agreement with experimental data for engine applications. The results were found to be promising in both cases of short and long ignition delays.