cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weaponizing the weak: the role of children in terrorist groups

In recent years, non-state violent extremist organizations, also known as terrorist groups, have increasingly mobilized children. This provides such organizations with advantages, notably the element of surprise and increased media attention in what is seen as the breaching of a previously unbroken psychological barrier. This Chapter discusses children’s involvement in such groups. Although this Chapter focuses on ISIS, it offers readers an array of comparative insights and impressions from a multiplicity of groups. This Chapter unpacks the many stages of ISIS’ use of children: recruitment, socialization, desensitization, schooling, selection, training, specialization and stationing. Particular attention is given to social media and the cultivation of cultures of martyrdom. Many children are forced into terrorist movements: they become victimized and traumatized by their experiences in this process. In turn, however, they themselves exploit and harm others, thereby calling into question the binaries of victim and perpetrator.
Interest-rate causality between the federal funds rate and long-run market interest rates

This paper investigates empirical relations between the federal funds rate/federal funds future rate and long-run market interest rates, employing a cointegration technique, vector error-correction modeling, and the Granger causality test developed by Toda and Yamamoto (1995). As a result, stable long-run relationships between the federal funds rate and Treasury bond rates are identified in the form of bidirectional causalities that are supportive of the Structuralist position, while the findings indicate unidirectional causalities from the federal funds rate to the Treasury bond rates in the short run. Empirical evidence in this paper also rejects the Horizontalist view that the expected future federal funds rate is relevant to current movements of the long-run interest rates, demonstrating Moore (1991) and his followers' reverse interpretation on the causality from market rates to the federal funds rate to be inaccurate. An implication of such findings is that the current and the expected future federal funds rate do not have as much exogenous power on long-run market rates as claimed by Horizontalists, and the federal funds rate is, rather, endogenous to market rates for the 2004:2â€“2008:8 period.
Disentangling Indigenous Women’s Experiences with Intimate Partner Violence in the United States

Although violence against Indigenous women is a global human rights and social justice issue, it must be examined within the local context. This article focuses on Indigenous women’s experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV). These women reside in an Indigenous community in the United States that is traditionally matrilineal. The article explores how the power and status of women have been constrained to the extent that many women now experience epidemic rates of IPV. Through the use of the theoretical framework of Paulo Freire, this critical ethnography examined how IPV is situated within a broader context of historical oppression, filling a gap in the literature with respect to understanding Indigenous women’s experiences of IPV in the United States by understanding IPV from the voices of women themselves and connecting IPV experiences to a framework of historical oppression. As part of a critical ethnography, reconstructive analysis of 29 life history interviews with Indigenous women revealed an intergenerational cycle of violence, dehumanizing tactics, and women breaking free from violent relationships. The importance of social work practitioners and researchers examining the challenges experienced by Indigenous peoples within the broader historical context of historical oppression, as well as implementing policies that enable greater self-determination for Indigenous peoples are highlighted.
The Extent of the Market and Integration Through Factor Markets: Evidence from Wholesale Electricity

We document the influence of factor markets in determining the extent of the market, by appealing to the Mundell Hypothesis that trade in goods markets and factor markets are substitutes. We confirm this influence using the U.S. wholesale market for electric power. Although the Eastern, Western, and Texas regions cannot trade electricity, inputs such as natural gas move freely across these regions. Through both a set of price transmission ratios, and a supply model for natural gas, we find regional electricity shocks do propagate across regions. We conclude output markets institutionally in autarky are economically integrated through factor markets.
Scale bridging damage model for quasi-brittle metals informed with crack evolution statistics

Abstract Computationally efficient methods for bridging length scales, from highly resolved micro/meso-scale models that can explicitly model crack growth, to macro-scale continuum models that are more suitable for modeling large parts, have been of interest to researchers for decades. In this work, an improved brittle damage model is presented for the simulation of dynamic fracture in continuum scale quasi-brittle metal components. Crack evolution statistics, including the number, length, and orientation of individual cracks, are extracted from high-fidelity, finite discrete element method (FDEM) simulations and used to generate effective material moduli that reflect the material’s damaged state over time. This strategy allows for the retention of small-scale physical behaviors such as crack growth and coalescence in continuum scale hydrodynamic simulations. However, the high-fidelity simulations required to generate the crack statistics are computationally expensive. Thus, steps were taken to produce a flexible constitutive model to reduce the number of costly high-fidelity simulations needed to produce accurate results. A new stress based degradation criterion is introduced for the degradation of individual material zones. This allows for the development of a heterogeneous damage distribution within the bulk material. Then a flow stress model is added to the hydrodynamic simulation to account for plasticity in quasi-brittle materials. As a result, the effective moduli model can be applied to a larger range of materials. The effective moduli constitutive model is used to simulate beryllium flyer plate experiments. The results from the continuum scale simulations using statistics from a single high-fidelity simulation are found to be in excellent agreement with numerical and experimental velocity interferometer data. The same set of crack statistics are used to extrapolate the results of a higher rate flyer plate case using the effective moduli model. The extension of this model to higher rate cases shows promise for further reducing the number of costly high-fidelity simulations needed to generate crack statistics.
Current Health Issues of Performing Artists: Implications for Health Promotion

Performers frequently struggle with physical and emotional health issues that are at times debilitating. Numerous studies have documented the importance of health interventions for performing artists to prevent injuries and illnesses. In this report, a review of the current literature is discussed, with an emphasis on the primary health problems including musculoskeletal pain and injuries, anxiety and depression, eating disorders, and heart disease. Risk factors include irregular work hours, frequent travel, increased physical and emotional demands, overuse of muscle groups, poor physical activity, and inadequate dietary habits. Though performers’ awareness of health issues and preventive practices has improved in the past 30 years, many risk factors persist. The upside is that most of the risk factors are preventable. Since health problems typically surface when performers are in the stages of rigorous preparation, health promotion efforts should begin in the training programs that can set the tone for positive health habits throughout professional careers. Logical initiatives could include the development, analysis, and evaluation of professional training curricula to address health issues specific to this target population.
Home Modifications to Improve Function and Safety in the United States

In the United States, the older adult population will reach over 70 million by 2030. Impaired function and falls from unsupportive housing result in high healthcare costs. Due to the state of housi...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Maltreated Youth

The study of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in maltreated youth has received increased attention, though extensive comparisons to maltreated youth without PTSD and administrations of anxiety-based structured diagnostic interviews remain needed. We examined maltreated youth with or without PTSD using structured diagnostic interviews and standardized child self-report measures. We hypothesized that maltreated youth with PTSD, compared to their peers without PTSD, would experience significantly greater duration of abuse, diagnostic comorbidity, PTSD symptomatology, dysfunctional family environment, and avoidant coping styles. Results indicated that the group with PTSD did indeed experience significantly greater duration of abuse, diagnostic comorbidity, and PTSD symptomatology, though less so dysfunctional family environment or avoidant coping styles. The presence of a mood or anxiety disorder was highly predictive of PTSD in this sample. Results are discussed within the context of evolving etiologica...
Necrotizing neutrophilic dermatosis: A diagnostic challenge with a need for multi-disciplinary recognition, a case report

Abstract Introduction Necrotizing neutrophilic dermatoses can clinically resemble necrotizing fasciitis and therefore pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Given their similar presentations, misdiagnosis and inappropriate or delayed treatments are possible. Presentation of case We discuss the case of a woman with acute myeloid leukemia who presented with fevers, chills, cough, and a leg wound. She underwent amputation of her lower extremity after she was presumed to have necrotizing fasciitis; however, symptoms persisted. She was ultimately diagnosed with and treated for necrotizing Sweet's syndrome with notable clinical improvement. Discussion Both, necrotizing neutrophilic dermatoses and necrotizing fasciitis, grossly affect the skin and are associated with rapidly progressing systemic features including fevers, chills, leukocytosis, and elevated inflammatory markers. Recent literature in dermatology addresses these similarities and the appropriate approach to management; however, it is critical that medical and surgical subspecialties have an understanding of necrotizing neutrophilic dermatoses and their clinical presentations, diagnostic approaches, as well as therapeutic interventions. Familiarity with this entity can mitigate the risk of misdiagnosis, morbidity, and mortality. Conclusion With this report, we seek to review the features that are suggestive of and aid in the diagnosis of necrotizing neutrophilic dermatoses to help prevent significant and avoidable morbidity.
Establishing and comparing reference preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores in patients undergoing shoulder surgery.

Background The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) has become increasingly popular among orthopedic surgeons treating shoulder pathology. Despite this, there have been few studies that have described and compared preoperative reference scores for specific shoulder surgical procedures. The primary purpose of this study was to establish and compare baseline preoperative PROMIS scores for 3 common types of shoulder surgery: rotator cuff repair (RCR), total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), and labral repair (LR). The secondary goal was to stratify these operative groups by diagnosis and compare preoperative PROMIS scores. Methods In this cross-sectional study, adult and pediatric patients who underwent surgery for either RCR, TSA, or LR were included. PROMIS–Upper Extremity (UE), PROMIS–Pain Interference (PI), and PROMIS–Depression (D) scores that were collected at each patient's preoperative visit were reviewed. Continuous and categorical variables were compared between operative groups using analysis of variance and χ2 or Fisher exact tests, respectively. Multivariable general linear models were used to identify significant independent predictors of PROMIS scores when controlling for age, sex, and body mass index. Results A total of 413 patients were included in the study: 272 in the RCR group, 84 in the TSA group, and 57 in the LR group. The average PROMIS-UE score was 39.8 in the LR group vs. 29.9 in the RCR group (P Conclusion Patients undergoing shoulder LR had higher preoperative function scores and lower pain interference and depression scores than those undergoing TSA and RCR. These baseline PROMIS scores should be taken into consideration when tracking a patient's outcomes after surgery, as a certain score could mean drastically different functional and pain outcomes depending on the underlying pathology.
Management of Crohn Disease: A Review.

Importance Crohn disease, a chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disease, is increasing in incidence and prevalence in many parts of the world. Uncontrolled inflammation leads to long-term complications, including fibrotic strictures, enteric fistulae, and intestinal neoplasia. Therefore, early and effective control of inflammation is of critical importance. Observations The optimal management approach for Crohn disease incorporates patient risk stratification, patient preference, and clinical factors in therapeutic decision-making. First-line therapy generally consists of steroids for rapid palliation of symptoms during initiation of anti–tumor necrosis factor α therapy. Other treatments may include monoclonal antibodies to IL-12/23 or integrin α4β7, immunomodulators, combination therapies, or surgery. Effective control of inflammation reduces the risk of penetrating complications (such as intra-abdominal abscesses and fistulae), although more than half of patients will develop complications that require surgery. Adverse reactions to therapy include antibody formation and infusion reactions, infections, and cancers associated with immune modulators and biologics and toxicity to the bone marrow and the liver. Both Crohn disease and corticosteroid use are associated with osteoporosis. Vaccinations to prevent infections, such as influenza, pneumonia, and herpes zoster, are important components of health maintenance for patients with Crohn disease, although live vaccines are contraindicated for patients receiving immune suppression therapy. Conclusions and Relevance The treatment of patients with Crohn disease depends on disease severity, patient risk stratification, patient preference, and clinical factors, including age of onset and penetrating complications, and includes treatment with steroids, monoclonal antibody therapies, immunomodulators, and surgery. Physicians should be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each therapy to best counsel their patients.
Synucleinopathy-associated pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease and the potential for brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

The lack of disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is in part due to an incomplete understanding of the disease’s etiology. Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) has become a point of focus in PD due to its connection to both familial and idiopathic cases—specifically its localization to Lewy bodies (LBs), a pathological hallmark of PD. Within this review, we will present a comprehensive overview of the data linking synuclein-associated Lewy pathology with intracellular dysfunction. We first present the alterations in neuronal proteins and transcriptome associated with LBs in postmortem human PD tissue. We next compare these findings to those associated with LB-like inclusions initiated by in vitro exposure to α-syn preformed fibrils (PFFs) and highlight the profound and relatively unique reduction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in this model. Finally, we discuss the multitude of ways in which BDNF offers the potential to exert disease-modifying effects on the basal ganglia. What remains unknown is the potential for BDNF to mitigate inclusion-associated dysfunction within the context of synucleinopathy. Collectively, this review reiterates the merit of using the PFF model as a tool to understand the physiological changes associated with LBs, while highlighting the neuroprotective potential of harnessing endogenous BDNF.
In-person victimization, cyber victimization, and polyvictimization in relation to internalizing symptoms and self-esteem in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND There is mixed evidence for whether in-person victimization and cyber victimization are differentially linked to internalizing symptoms and self-esteem among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The goals of the present study were to (1) evaluate in-person victimization and cyber victimization in relation to internalizing symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression) and self-esteem and (2) examine differences in internalizing symptoms and self-esteem between in-person victimization, cyber victimization, and polyvictimization (i.e., both in-person victimization and cyber victimization). METHODS Participants were 78 adolescents (ages 13-17 years) diagnosed with ADHD who completed ratings of in-person victimization, cyber victimization, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Parents completed ratings of their adolescent's anxiety and depression. RESULTS Adolescents with ADHD reported experiencing higher rates of in-person victimization (64%) than cyber victimization (23%) in the last 30 days. In addition, 22% reported that they experienced polyvictimization. In-person victimization was associated with higher adolescent-reported anxiety symptoms, whereas cyber victimization was associated with higher parent-reported depressive symptoms; both were associated with lower adolescent-reported self-esteem. Adolescents who reported polyvictimization reported the highest anxiety and depressive symptoms and the lowest self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS Approximately one quarter of adolescents with ADHD report experiencing polyvictimization in the past month. Findings indicate that in-person victimization and cyber victimization are each uniquely associated with lower self-esteem and differentially associated with co-occurring internalizing symptoms among adolescents with ADHD. Polyvictimization is especially linked to higher internalizing symptoms and lower self-esteem. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the directionality of these associations.
The Problem with Hilbert's 6th Problem

This paper reviews earlier results of the author regarding the hydrodynamic limit problem for the Boltzmann equation. In particular the key points are that the work of Gorban&Karlin suggests that Korteweg hydrodynamics is implied by the Boltzmann equation and this correspondence is validated by comparison with experimental, analytical, and numerical results. But if the correspondence is indeed valid then passage to limiting compressible Euler equations will not be generally possible after any time for which the the Euler system fails to have smooth solutions. Dedicated to my friend Alexander Gorban on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday
The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell for the Space Shuttle Orbiter.

Recent developments in the General Electric solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell have demonstrated the capability of 2000 hours of maintenance-free life and the potential for 5000 to 10,000 hours of useful life with invariant performance. Hardware developments for a 5 kW fuel cell module directed toward NASA's Space Shuttle Orbiter application have demonstrated the capability of operation on propulsion-grade reactants, operation with simple stop/start procedures, and with a specific weight of 25 lb/kW for a complete module.
Quantifying the impact of data loss incidents on publicly-traded organizations

With the widespread adoption of electronic data collection and sharing technologies, data theft has gained prominence as a major problem. The convenience of services enabled by information technology is generally appreciated. However, improper handling of data can expose government agencies, corporate entities, and individuals to various forms of financial and identity fraud. Moreover, it is unclear if these risks are distributed among government, business, and private citizens. Given the complex technical nature of data theft and the lack of methods to systematically protect against such crime, it is natural that each of these stakeholders should seek to protect their own interests. This paper explores the hypothesis that increased investment in data security by the business sector may benefit both the company making the investment as well as their customers and clients. Toward this end, we applied statistical methods from the business research community on a historical database of data loss incidents to correlate the impact of data loss on the stock performance of publicly-traded organizations. Our results indicate that the negative impact of public disclosure of data loss is statistically significant. While the long term impacts such as decreased future sales resulting from a tarnished reputation are not addressed, our preliminary results suggest that businesses may seriously under invest in electronic data protection and that additional quantitative research is needed to help businesses identify an optimal level of investment in data security specific to the risk exposure posed by their online operations.
The antimicrobial protein, CAP37, is upregulated in pyramidal neurons during Alzheimer’s disease

Inflammation is a well-defined factor in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There is a strong need to identify the molecules contributing to neuroinflammation so that therapies can be designed to prevent immune-mediated neurotoxicity. The cationic antimicrobial protein of 37 kDa (CAP37) is an inflammatory mediator constitutively expressed in neutrophils (PMNs). In addition to antibiotic activity, CAP37 exerts immunomodulatory effects on microglia. We hypothesize that CAP37 mediates the neuroinflammation associated with AD. However, PMNs are not customarily associated with the pathology of AD. This study was therefore designed to identify non-neutrophilic source(s) of CAP37 in brains of AD patients. Brain tissues from patients and age-matched controls were analyzed for CAP37 expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC). To determine factors that induce CAP37 in AD, HCN-1A primary human neurons were treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) or amyloid β1−40 (Aβ) and analyzed by IHC. Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to confirm CAP37 expression in neurons and brain tissues. IHC revealed CAP37 in cortical neurons in temporal and parietal lobes as well as CA3 and CA4 hippocampal neurons in patients with AD. CAP37 was found in more neurons in AD patients compared with age-matched controls. qRT-PCR and Western blotting showed an increase in CAP37 transcript and protein in the AD temporal lobe, a brain region that is highly impacted in AD. qRT-PCR observations confirmed CAP37 expression in neurons. TNF-α and Aβ increased neuronal expression of CAP37. These findings support our hypothesis that neuronal CAP37 may modulate the neuroinflammatory response in AD.
Rethinking the partisan effects of higher turnout: So what's the question?

Controversy persists over the link between turnout and the likelihood of success of Democratic candidates (e.g., DeNardo, 1980, 1986; Zimmer, 1985; Tucker and Vedlitz, 1986; Piven and Cloward, 1988; Texeira, 1992; Radcliff, 1994, 1995; Erikson, 1995a, b). We argue that the authors in this debate have largely been talking past one another because of a failure to distinguish three quite different questions. The first question is: “Are low turnout voters more likely to vote Democratic than high turnout voters?” The second question is: “Should we expect that elections in which turnout is higher are ones in which we can expect Democrats to have done better?” The third question is the counterfactual: “If turnout were to have increased in some given election, would Democrats have done better?” We show the logical independence of the first two questions from one another and from the third, and argue that previous researchers have failed to recognize this logical independence – sometimes thinking they were answering question three when in fact they were answering either question one or question two. Reviewing previous research, we find that the answer to the first question once was YES but, for more recent elections at the presidential level, now appears to be NO, while, for congressional and legislative elections, the answer to the second question appears generally to be NO. However, the third question is essentially unanswerable absent an explicit model of why and how turnout can be expected to increase, and/or analyses of individual level panel data. Thus, the cross-sectional and pooled data analyses of previous research are of almost no value in addressing this third question.
LA IMAGEN Y LOS ECOS DEL LINGUISTA PROFESIONAL: LA CORRESPONDENCIA DE RODOLFO LENZ

Este estudio tiene el proposito de proporcionar una idea de la amplitud de intereses manifestados en la correspondencia del gran linguista aleman en Chile, Rodolfo Lenz (1863-1938), prestando atencion especial a tres areas: 1) sus corresponsales de afiliacion academica e institucional norteamericana; 2) su participacion en la Asociacion Fonetica Internacional; y 3) sus dialogos con Amado Alonso y Aurelio Espinosa, dos figuras cumbres de la dialectologia hispanoamericana. Al final del estudio se reproduce el texto de las cuatro cartas de Espinosa a Lenz. El estudio de las cartas de Lenz documenta tanto la profesionalizacion del linguista durante el periodo como el desarrollo de ese campo en sentido mas amplio.
Guided differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells on co-cultured cartilage and bone scaffolds

Focal chondral defects that result from traumatic injuries to the knee remain one of the most common causes of disability in patients. Current solutions for healing focal cartilage defects are mainly limited by the production of inferior cartilage-like tissue and subsequent delamination due to incomplete healing of the subchondral bone. In this experiment a polymeric osteochondral implant for guiding autologous bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) to populate the scaffold to create distinctive bone and cartilage tissue is used. The cartilage component presents bioactive aligned nanofibers containing chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid while the bone component includes hydroxyapatite to promote chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation of the rat BMSCs in vitro. The different cartilage and bone components resulted in the elevated expression of osteogenic markers such as bone sialoprotein, runt related transcription factor 2, and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in the deeper bone layer and chondrogenic markers such as collagen type II and aggrecan in the cartilage layer. Through immunofluorescence imaging, the alignment of the secreted collagen type II fibrils and aggrecan was visualized and quantified on the cartilage component of the scaffold. These current studies show that the biodegradable biphasic osteochondral implant may be effective in promoting more hyaline-like tissue to fill in chondral defects of the knee.
Paired-associate learning as a function of the association value of numbers

Rate of learning of two-digit numbers as a function of their rated association values was investigated. Two samples of numbers were selected representing the extremes of the Battig and Spera ratings and were used as responses in a paired-associate task. Two samples of adjectives were used as stimuli and were combined factorially with the numbers. Ten Ss served in each of the four conditions in the 2 × 2 factorial design. The results indicated that pairs containing high-association value numbers were learned faster than pairs containing low-association value numbers. The results were in agreement with previous research.
Stability and sensitivity for congestion control in wireless mesh networks with time varying link capacities

A critical challenge for wireless mesh networks is the design of efficient transport protocols that provide high bandwidth utilization and desired fairness in the multi-hop, wireless environment. While extensive efforts have been devoted to providing optimization based, distributed congestion control schemes for efficient bandwidth utilization and fair allocation in both wireline and wireless networks, a common assumption therein is fixed link capacities. This unfortunately will limit the application scope in wireless mesh networks where channels are ever changing. In this paper, we explicitly model link capacities to be time varying and investigate congestion control problems in multi-hop wireless networks. In particular we propose a primal-dual congestion control algorithm which is proved to be trajectory stable in the absence of feedback delay. Different from system stability around a single equilibrium point, trajectory stability guarantees the system is stable around a time varying reference trajectory. Moreover, we obtain sufficient conditions for the scheme to be locally stable in the presence of delay. Our key technique is to model time variations of capacities as perturbations to a constant link. Furthermore, to study the robustness of the algorithm against capacity variations, we investigate the sensitivity of the control scheme and through simulations to study the tradeoff between stability and sensitivity.
The oxalic acid biosynthetic activity of Burkholderia mallei is encoded by a single locus

Although it is known that oxalic acid provides a selective advantage to the secreting microbe our understanding of how this acid is biosynthesized remains incomplete. This study reports the identification, cloning, and partial characterization of the oxalic acid biosynthetic enzyme from the animal bacterial pathogen, Burkholderia mallei. The discovered gene was named oxalate biosynthetic component (obc)1. Complementation of Burkholderia oxalate defective (Bod)1, a Burkholderia glumae mutant that lacks expression of a functional oxalic acid biosynthetic operon, revealed that the obc1 was able to rescue the no oxalate mutant phenotype. This single gene rescue is in contrast to the situation found in B. glumae which required the expression of two genes, obcA and obcB, to achieve complementation. Enzyme assays showed that even though the two Burkholderia species differed in the number of genes required to encode a functional enzyme, both catalyzed the same acyl-CoA dependent biosynthetic reaction. In addition, mutagenesis studies suggested a similar domain structure of the assembled oxalate biosynthetic enzymes whether encoded by one or two genes.
Mechanisms of Political Radicalization: Pathways Toward Terrorism

This article conceptualizes political radicalization as a dimension of increasing extremity of beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in support of intergroup conflict and violence. Across individuals, groups, and mass publics, twelve mechanisms of radicalization are distinguished. For ten of these mechanisms, radicalization occurs in a context of group identification and reaction to perceived threat to the ingroup. The variety and strength of reactive mechanisms point to the need to understand radicalization—including the extremes of terrorism—as emerging more from the dynamics of intergroup conflict than from the vicissitudes of individual psychology.
Plant frequency, stem and root characteristics, and CO2 uptake for Opuntia acanthocarpa: elevational correlates in the northwestern Sonoran Desert

A common cylindropuntia in the northwestern Sonoran Desert, Opuntia acanthocarpa, was investigated for the following hypotheses: its lower elevational limit is set by high temperatures, so its seedlings require nurse plants; its upper elevational limit is set by freezing; spine shading is the least at intermediate elevations; and changes in plant size and frequency with elevation reflect net CO2 uptake ability. For four elevations ranging from 230 m to 1,050 m, the mean height of O. acanthocarpa approximately doubled and its frequency increased 14-fold. Nurse plants were associated with only 4% of O. acanthocarpa less than 20 cm tall at the two lower elevations compared with 57% at 1,050 m, where putative freezing damage was especially noticeable, suggesting that nurse plants protect from low temperature damage. Spine shading of the stem doubled from the lowest to the highest elevation. Net CO2 uptake, which followed a Crassulacean acid metabolism pattern, was maximal at day/night air temperatures of 25/15°C and was halved by 4 weeks of drought and by reducing the photosynthetic photon flux from 30 to 12 mol m-2 day-1. The root system of O. acanthocarpa was shallow, with a mean depth of only 9 cm for the largest plants. Root growth was substantial and similar for plants at 25/15°C and 35/25°C, decreasing over 70-fold at 15/5°C and 45/35°C. Based on cellular uptake of the vital stain neutral red, neither roots nor stems tolerated tissue temperatures below -5°C for 1 h while both showed substantial high temperature acclimation, roots tolerating 1 h at 61°C and stems 1 h at 70°C for plants grown at 35/25°C. The increase in height and frequency of O. acanthocarpa with elevation apparently reflected both a greater ability for net CO2 uptake and greater root growth and hence water uptake. This species achieves its greatest ecological success at elevations where it becomes vulnerable to low temperature damage.
Quantum Communication Through an Unmodulated Spin Chain

We propose a scheme for using an unmodulated and unmeasured spin chain as a channel for short distance quantum communications. The state to be transmitted is placed on one spin of the chain and received later on a distant spin with some fidelity. We first obtain simple expressions for the fidelity of quantum state transfer and the amount of entanglement sharable between any two sites of an arbitrary Heisenberg ferromagnet using our scheme. We then apply this to the realizable case of an open ended chain with nearest neighbor interactions. The fidelity of quantum state transfer is obtained as an inverse discrete cosine transform and as a Bessel function series. We find that in a reasonable time, a qubit can be directly transmitted with better than classical fidelity across the full length of chains of up to 80 spins. Moreover, our channel allows distillable entanglement to be shared over arbitrary distances.
The roles of hardness in the sliding behavior of materials

Abstract It is generally recognized that hardness is one of the key factors which influence the sliding behavior of different materials combinations. However, in many discussions the only hardness value considered is that of the softer of the two materials in a tribological pair. This is usually the case when a simple linear wear equation (Holm, Archard, Khruschov) is cited. Observations on many materials combinations demonstrate that the effects of hardness are much more complex. Hardness varies with position and time. It can depend on temperature, sliding speed and the chemical environment. The sign of hardness gradients adjacent to the sliding surface affects sliding behavior. Transfer and subsequent mechanical mixing strongly influence local hardness. Changes in hardness can affect transitions in friction and wear. Relative hardness values can help to explain differences in debris and in smooth and rough sliding. They can also help us to understand geometric effects such as those noted when materials are interchanged in a test system. Examples will be described.
Pseudoaneurysm of femoral artery after revision total hip arthroplasty with a constrained cup

Delayed vascular injury after revision total hip arthroplasty is a rare and unusual complication. We report a case of a mechanical complication in which migration of a constraining ring locking mechanism used during a revision total hip arthroplasty caused a pseudoaneurysm of the common femoral artery.
Coincidence interphase boundaries in MgO/Ni system

Analyse, avant et apres recuit a 600 C pendant 9 heures, par microscopie electronique en transmission des joints d'interphase dans le systeme MgO/Ni. Le nickel est une couche monocristalline de surface (100) dans laquelle sont deposees des particules cubiques de MgO (0,02 a 0,2 μm) de surfaces {100}. Les joints correspondent a des joints d'interphase de coincidence
High-bias quantum electron transport

High-bias, steady-state electron transport in small systems is modeled using the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism of Keldysh, Kadanoff and Baym. Using a model of local oscillators for the phonons simplifies the coupled equations for G≶, GR, Σ≶ and ΣR. The equations are numerically solved in real-space, r and r′ and energy, E. When an Einstein phonon spectrum is used for the oscillators, the local oscillator model corresponds precisely to dispersionless, deformation-potential, optical phonons. The electron-phonon interaction is treated in the self-consistent first- Born approximation. Example calculations are presented showing the effect of inelastic scattering on the energy dependence of the current density through a 1-D, multi-resonant-state, double-barrier structure and the occupation of an emitter quasi-bound state in a 3-D double-barrier structure.
Effect of Independently Rotating Wheels on the Dynamic Performance of Railroad Vehicles

In recent decades, there has been a considerable effort in improving railroad vehicle dynamic performance. This involves high operational speed with stable behavior, better curving performance, better ride quality, and increased life of the wheel and rail profiles. To achieve this goal, the use of independently rotating wheels (IRW) is proposed as one potential option. Using IRW either partially or totally decouples the pitch rotation of the two wheels of the “wheelset”, thereby reducing or eliminating the longitudinal creepage and thus wheelset hunting motion. On the other hand, the longitudinal creepage is no longer available to provide steering assistance in curves, and continuous flange contact during curving is expected. However, by judicious choice of wheel profile and careful truck design, the lateral force between wheel and rail during curving can be reduced, decreasing the wear on both the wheel and rail profiles. Therefore, such solution is assumed to achieve higher stable operational speed and improved curving behavior. In this paper, the effect of using IRW on railroad vehicle performance is examined. The equations of motion of a single wheelset model and a suspended wheelset model that use IRW are presented and compared with those for similar models that use a rigid wheelset. Using a newly developed general multibody code, a complete vehicle model that uses IRW is examined and compared with one that uses rigid wheelsets. The effect of the IRW system on vehicle dynamic performance is quantitatively presented. In addition, the ability of the contact formulations used in this multibody code for modeling the IRW system is confirmed.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Temporal Relationships Between Oxytocin and 13,14-Dihydro-15-Keto-Prostaglandin F2α Pulses in Ovariectomized Ewes

Abstract The primary objective was to evaluate the role of non-ovarian oxytocin in the initiation of pulses of PGF 2α , as measured by peripheral concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F 2α (PGFM). A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of estradiol and progesterone treatments was administered to groups of five ewes after ovariectomy on Day 12. Progesterone (10 mg) was administered at 0700 and 1900 hr on Day 12, and then either progesterone or its vehicle was administered on Days 13 and 14. Silastic implants, either empty or containing estradiol, was administered at ovariectomy. Oxytocin and PGFM were measured in jugular blood samples withdrawn from an indwelling catheter at 5-min intervals for 8 hr on Day 15. Statistically significant pulses of oxytocin, presumably of posterior pituitary origin, were detected in all ewes. Approximately one-half of the oxytocin pulses preceded a pulse in PGFM concentrations by 10 min or less. These pulses tended (P = 0.09) to have a longer duration than those not linked to pulses of PGFM. The number of PGFM pulses that followed or did not follow an oxytocin pulse by 10 min or less was similar (P > 0.2). The amplitude and duration of oxytocin-linked PGFM pulses were greater (P = 0.05) than non-linked pulses. Although several explanations for the lower than anticipated temporal relationship between oxytocin and PGFM pulses are possible, the finding that oxytocin-related PGFM pulses are distinguishable from other pulses is consistent with the concept that oxytocin initiates robust pulses in PGF 2α secretion.
Sub-Doppler-broadened magnetic field resonances in the resonant stimulated electronic Raman scattering of multimode laser light

Continuous-wave lasing without the use of any feedback mirrors is observed when atomic cesium is optically pumped to its second excited resonance state. Resonant enhancement of the lasing intensity is observed at certain magnetic fields when the atoms are pumped by multimode laser light. The resonances, with widths of only a few gauss, are shown to be due to frequency crossings in the peak gains of certain velocity groups of excited atoms.
Parent-completed developmental questionnaires: Effectiveness with low and middle income parents

Abstract The Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) are a series of parent-completed questionnaires designed to screen the developmental performance of children from 4 through 48 months of age. This study examined the use of the ASQ with parents from low and middle income backgrounds. Ninety-six parents completed the ASQ on their child from 4 through 30 months. Percent agreement between questionnaires completed by parents in the low income sample (N= 54) and a professionally-administered standardized assessment ranged from .80–.91 (X = .85); percent agreement for questionnaires completed by parents in the middle income sample (N = 42) ranged from .85–.93 (X = .89). In this longitudinal study, both middle and low income parents appeared able to complete developmental questionnaires with reasonable accuracy.
Protein reserves and muscle constituents of protein-depleted and repleted cocks.

1. Body-weight changes and nitrogen balance were studied, together with the concentration of various nitrogenous muscle components, in adult cocks before and after a 6-day period on a N-free diet and again after a 16-day repletion period on diets supplying various amounts and types of dietary N.2. In the first experiment a comparison was made during the repletion period between a fish-protein supplement and a supplement of glycine + glutamic acid added to an essential amino acid mixture.3. During the depletion period the muscle concentration of RNA, DNA and of two transaminase enzymes decreased significantly; during the repletion period these components increased again significantly, and usually to levels greater than the pre-depletion concentration. There were no differences in these responses obtained during repletion with the two N supplements, although the cocks given the glycine–glutamic acid supplement differed from those receiving fish protein in being in Negative N balance and in losing body-weight during the repletion period.4. In the second experiment one group of depleted cocks was given an essential amino acid mixture alone as the dietary N source and a second group this mixture supplemented by aspartic acid.5. A decrease in RNA and in the transaminase enzymes during depletion was followed by a significant increase during repletion, but the increase was greater for the group receiving the aspartic acid than for that receiving only the essential amino acid mixture.6. It was concluded that adding non-essential amino acids to a maintenance mixture of essential amino acids will permit greater repletion in mature cocks.7. The fluctuations in concentration of RNA and of certain enzymes with dietary protein supply may well be controlling factor in the regulation of N losses and accretions during protein deficiency and sufficiency.5. The relative constancy of muscle DNA in contrast to the fluctuations in other nitrogenous muscle constituents provides additional support for the concept of protein reserves.
The Epithelial Phenotype of Human Neuroblastoma Cells Expresses Bradykinin, Endothelin, and Angiotensin II Receptors That Stimulate Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis

The neuroblastoma line SK-N-SH consists of distinct and interconverting cell types, which include a neuroblast phenotype (SH-SY5Y), an epithelial phenotype (SH-EP), and an intermediate cell type (SH-IN). In SH-SY5Y cells, only muscarinic receptor activation produced stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover, whereas in SH-EP cells, where muscarinic receptors are not present, the peptides bradykinin, endothelin, and angiotensin II stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis with EC50 values of 16, 6, and 0.7 nM, respectively, and a rank order of maximal effects of bradykinin greater than endothelin greater than angiotensin II. Fetal calf serum at concentrations between 1 and 10% was also a potent stimulator of phosphoinositide hydrolysis in SH-EP cells but not in SH-SY5Y cells. In the intermediate cell clone, SH-IN, phosphoinositide hydrolysis was stimulated not only by muscarinic receptors, but also by endothelin, bradykinin, and serum, an indication that this cell type harbors all the kinds of receptors that are differentially expressed in the other two cell types. The effects of the three peptides--bradykinin, endothelin, and angiotensin II--on phosphoinositide hydrolysis in SH-EP cells were additive, a result suggesting that the three kinds of receptors may activate distinct transducer proteins and/or phospholipase C subtypes. Pretreatment of intact SH-EP cells with pertussis toxin under conditions sufficient to ADP-ribosylate 90-95% of the endogenous guanine nucleotide regulatory protein substrates did not impair the ability of any of the receptors to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis in any of the cell types. In contrast, short-term exposure to the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (1 microM) abolished the stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis mediated by peptide receptors in SH-EP cells and partially inhibited that by muscarinic receptors in SH-SY5Y cells. Prolonged incubation of SH-EP cells with phorbol ester resulted in a recovery of receptor responsiveness, the extent and rate of which were different for each receptor type. In contrast, there was no recovery of responsiveness for muscarinic receptors in SH-SY5Y cells. The pattern of phorbol ester-mediated effects depended on the cell rather than on the receptor type. In fact, muscarinic receptor responsiveness in SH-IN, the intermediate cell type, was desensitized by and recovered from treatment with phorbol esters in a manner more similar to peptide receptors in SH-EP than to muscarinic receptors in SH-SY5Y. These data suggest that the transduction mechanisms by which distinct receptor types are coupled to phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the three cell phenotypes differ in sensitivity to feedback regulation by protein kinase C.