cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mental and emotional health: impediments to the education of New York City’s homeless children

ABSTRACTThis brief asserts that New York City’s (NYC) public schools best support the education of homeless students by prioritizing their emotional and mental health through expanding counselors’ ...
Viscous flow sensing using micro-beam arrays

Thin, compliant fibers have been shown to provide a remarkably accurate means of detecting sound [Zhou et al., “Sensing fluctuating airflow with spider silk,” Proc. Natil. Acad. Sci., 201710559 (2017) ]. The present study extends these results by examining the forces due to air-borne sound on a periodic array of infinitely long and thin micro-beams having rectangular cross section. Results obtained using both the Finite Element Method and analytical solutions to Stokes’ equations are shown to be in excellent agreement. It is found that viscous forces are dominant when the width of the beams is less than 10 μm. Unlike typical MEMS resonators, which perform best in the absence of air, the dominance of viscous damping forces is desirable in directional acoustic flow sensors using these micro-beams. Furthermore, the frequency independent characteristic of these forces promises a flat response across a wide range of frequencies. It is predicted that smaller beams with wider gaps provide better sensitivity. For beams that are sufficiently thin, their thickness is found to have minimal influence on their performance.
Faulty homocysteine recycling in diabetic retinopathy

Although hyperglycemia is the main instigator in the development of diabetic retinopathy, elevated circulating levels of a non-protein amino acid, homocysteine, are also associated with an increased risk of retinopathy. Homocysteine is recycled back to methionine by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and/or transsulfurated by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) to form cysteine. CBS and other transsulfuration enzyme cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), through desulfuration, generates H2S. Methionine cycle also regulates DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification associated with the gene suppression. The aim of this study was to investigate homocysteine and its metabolism in diabetic retinopathy. Homocysteine and H2S levels were analyzed in the retina, and CBS, CSE and MTHFR in the retinal microvasculature from human donors with established diabetic retinopathy. Mitochondrial damage was evaluated in retinal microvessels by quantifying enzymes responsible for maintaining mitochondrial dynamics (fission-fusion-mitophagy). DNA methylation status of CBS and MTHFR promoters was examined using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation technique. The direct effect of homocysteine on mitochondrial damage was confirmed in human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) incubated with 100 μM L-homocysteine. Compared to age-matched nondiabetic control human donors, retina from donors with established diabetic retinopathy had ~ 3-fold higher homocysteine levels and ~ 50% lower H2S levels. The enzymes important for both transsulfuration and remethylation of homocysteine including CBS, CSE and MTHFR, were 40–60% lower in the retinal microvasculature from diabetic retinopathy donors. While the mitochondrial fission protein, dynamin related protein 1, and mitophagy markers optineurin and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3), were upregulated, the fusion protein mitofusin 2 was downregulated. In the same retinal microvessel preparations from donors with diabetic retinopathy, DNA at the promoters of CBS and MTHFR were hypermethylated. Incubation of HRECs with homocysteine increased reactive oxygen species and decreased transcripts of mtDNA-encoded CYTB. Compromised transsulfuration and remethylation processes play an important role in the poor removal of retinal homocysteine in diabetic patients. Thus, regulation of their homocysteine levels should ameliorate retinal mitochondrial damage, and by regulating DNA methylation status of the enzymes responsible for homocysteine transsulfuration and remethylation, should prevent excess accumulation of homocysteine.
Factors associated with parental knowledge of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1): Parental affected status and genetic counseling.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic condition characterized by various cutaneous, neurological and psychological manifestations. The present study examined whether parental knowledge of NF1 is associated with a parent's NF1 status, affected or unaffected, and exposure to genetic counseling. Parents of children with NF1 were invited to complete an online survey answering true or false and multiple-choice questions to evaluate their overall knowledge of NF1. The study included 274 respondents, of which NF1 knowledge scores were significantly higher for unaffected parents (p < .001), and for parents who reported previously meeting with a genetic counselor (p < .001). Items pertaining to NF1-related cancer were least likely to be answered correctly. The results of the current study revealed lower overall NF1 knowledge in affected parents and knowledge gaps identifying areas where focused NF1 education may be beneficial.
Worldwide Status of Advanced Reactors (GEN IV) Research and Technology Development

Abstract The article is an introductory article and presents the rationale for pursuing innovative reactor research, technology development and design. The six Generation IV (GEN IV) nuclear energy systems are introduced and their main characteristics summarized.
Data Visualization in Local Accounting Firms: Is Slow Technology Adoption Rational?

We survey highly-experienced professionals from local accounting firms regarding the adoption of and perceived benefits from data visualization in audit practice. Although the majority of responden...
Association of Lean Body Mass to Menopausal Symptoms: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of lean body mass (LBM) to the development of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) as women transition through menopause. This study is a secondary use of data available for public use from follow up visits six through 10 for participants in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. The study examined 2533 women, between the ages 42–52 years, each year over a10-year period. Data was modeled for associations of lean body mass and VMS. Changes in LBM since prior visit and since baseline were also modeled along with differences in means using binary logistic regression, adjusting for covariates. LBM was significantly associated to concurrent VMS (p = .036), percent change in LBM since prior visit (p = .003), percent change since baseline (p < .001), and overall means associations (p = .023). LBM was not significant for VMS at individual visit measures. In mixed regression modeling, time was significant (p < .0001) at all visits. The estimated probability of developing VMS decreases significantly as LBM increases. Lean body mass is negatively associated with incident VMS. Our data suggests that maintaining higher levels of LBM during the menopausal transition may be protective against the development of VMS. Every woman will experience menopause in her life and the ability to potentially prevent the onset of specific symptoms through basic interventions, such as resistance training to increase lean body mass, may positively impact this large population.
Impact of a Medical Scribe Program on Outpatient Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic

OBJECTIVES Medical scribes may offer a route to improve physician productivity and workflow efficiency with reduced physician time for documentation. To our knowledge, there is no prior literature on medical scribe impact on outpatient pediatric gastroenterology clinic operations. The primary aim of our study was to address this knowledge gap. METHODS Data were collected on encounters conducted by pediatric gastroenterology physicians at a tertiary center, during a summer scribe program. Scribes were trained and attended clinics in a nonrandomized fashion. Clinic efficiency was assessed by patient flow, tracked via the electronic medical record system. Medical note complexity codes, associated work relative value units (wRVUs), and note delinquency were compared between encounters with and without scribes. Patient satisfaction survey scores were compared between groups. RESULTS One thousand nine hundred seventy encounters were included. Documented medical note complexity (and wRVUs), note delinquency, patient satisfaction, and perceived overall quality of service were similar between groups. Clinic time for established encounters was statistically shorter with scribes (median 18 vs 21 minutes, P = 0.01), a 14% reduction. No significant difference was noted in new encounter clinic time. The time to note completion was shorter for new encounters with scribes (2 vs 3 days, P = 0.048). More notes were finalized by the third day postencounter when a scribe was present (63% vs 57%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS The presence of medical scribes was associated with significantly more efficient clinic flow for established encounters and modest improvements in note completion rate. There were no measurable negative effects on documented medical note complexity or patient satisfaction scores.
Three-dimensional aneurysm volume measurements show no correlation between coil packing density and recurrence

Abstract Objective Endovascular treatment is the mainstay therapy for brain aneurysms. About 15% of patients need re-treatment within six months due to early recanalization. In this study, we investigate risk factors associated with treatment failure. Methods This retrospective cohort study includes endovascularly treated aneurysm cases between July 2012 and December 2015 at the University of California Davis Medical Center with pre-treatment and early post-treatment imaging. Thin cut 3D aneurysm volume rendering was used for morphologic analyses. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate differences between patients and clinical factors by treatment failure. Results Of the 50 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 41 (82.0%) were female, with an average age of 61 years. Most aneurysms were on the anterior communicating artery (40%) or posterior communicating artery (22.0%), and 34 (68%) aneurysms were ruptured. Early treatment failure was observed in 14 (28.0%) of endovascularly treated patients. Raymond-Roy class (RRC) was significantly associated with treatment failure (p = 0.0052), with 10 out of the 14 cases (71.4%) with early recanalization having an RRC of 3. Coil packing density did not associate with aneurysm recanalization (p = 0.61). Conclusion In our single institution series, patient characteristics, aneurysm characteristics, or coil packing density did not affect early aneurysm recanalization. RRC was the best predictor of early recanalization; however, further confirmation with additional studies are required. Although this study focused on early treatment failure, late recanalization has been shown with longer follow up. Further investigation into factors associated with late treatment failure will need further investigation. New intrasaccular devices and flow diverters will also likely play a role in reducing recurrence in the future as these treatments gain usage.
The effect of impact parameter on tidal disruption events

Stars that pass too close to a supermassive black hole are disrupted by the black hole's tidal gravity and leads to some debris being ejected while the remainder accretes into the black hole. To better study the physics of this debris, we use the moving mesh code MANGA to follow the evolution of the star from its initial encounter to its complete destruction. By varying the impact parameter ($\beta$) of the star, we studied the energy distribution of the remaining material and the fallback rate of the material into the black hole as a function of time. We show that the spread of energy in the debris and peak luminosity time ($t_{\rm peak}$) are both directly related to the impact parameter. In particular, we find a $\beta^{1/2}$ scaling for the energy spread for $\beta=2-10$ and a frozen evolution for $\beta\gtrsim 10$. We discuss implication of this scaling for the rise time of the light curve and broadness of the luminosity peak for these lower $\beta$'s. These relationships provide a possible means of inferring the impact parameters for observed TDEs.
Mechanism and Origins of Enantioselectivity in the Rh(I)-Catalyzed Pauson–Khand Reaction: Comparison of Bidentate and Monodentate Chiral Ligands

The narrow substrate scope of the asymmetric Pauson–Khand reaction (PKR) presently limits its synthetic utility. We recently reported an example of an enantioselective PKR with a precursor not comp...
Evaluation of the safety and tolerability of spironolactone in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease

Spironolactone reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF) and decreases hospitalizations in HF with preserved EF. To minimize the risk of hyperkalemia, patients must have an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and potassium 40% and 47.9% (n = 58) had an EF ≤ 40% with 69.4% (n = 84) CKD stage 3, 24.8% (n = 30) stage 4, and 5.8% (n = 7) stage 5. Spironolactone was initiated prior to admission (PTA) for 54.5% (n = 66) of patients, while 45.5% (n = 55) of orders were initiated during hospitalization. Eight patients (6.6%) experienced inpatient hyperkalemia—all with PTA spironolactone. Patients who experienced inpatient hyperkalemia had a numerically lower eGFR that was not statistically significant (35.40 vs. 38.22 mL/min/1.73 m2; p = 0.730). Patients with CKD stage 3 (n = 4) had numerically higher rates of inpatient hyperkalemia than stages 4 (n = 1) or 5 (n = 3) (50%, 12.5%, and 37.5% respectively; p < 0.05). Spironolactone may be safe to initiate in hospitalized patients with HF and CKD; however, appropriateness of therapy must be assessed upon admission to the hospital. Larger studies are needed for conclusive results.
Severe urticarial rash as the initial symptom of COVID-19 infection.

A 54-year-old woman presented with pruritic rash and hives of 3 days' duration followed by shortness of breath for 1 day. SARS-CoV-2 PCR test for COVID-19 was positive. Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 include acral lesions, urticarial rash, erythematous maculopapular rash, vascular rashes and vesicular rash. The cutaneous manifestations are mostly described as self-limiting. Urticarial rashes are not reported as the initial presentation symptom of COVID-19 infection but mostly noted to occur at the same time or after the onset of non-cutaneous symptoms. Management of cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 affecting quality of life has not been well studied. Antihistamine therapy is the primary recommended therapy. Role of antiviral therapy for severe cases of rash needs to be further assessed.
Tridiagonal pairs of $q$-Serre type and their linear perturbations

A tridiagonal pair is an ordered pair of diagonalizable linear maps on a nonzero finite-dimensional vector space, that each act on the eigenspaces of the other in a block-tridiagonal fashion. We consider a tridiagonal pair $(A, A^*)$ of $q$-Serre type; for such a pair the maps $A$ and $A^*$ satisfy the $q$-Serre relations. There is a linear map $K$ in the literature that is used to describe how $A$ and $A^*$ are related. We investigate a pair of linear maps $B=A$ and $B^* = tA^* + (1-t)K$, where $t$ is any scalar. Our goal is to find a necessary and sufficient condition on $t$ for the pair $(B, B^*)$ to be a tridiagonal pair. We show that $(B, B^*)$ is a tridiagonal pair if and only if $t \neq 0$ and $P \bigl( t(q-q^{-1})^{-2} \bigr)\not=0$, where $P$ is a certain polynomial attached to $(A, A^*)$ called the Drinfel'd polynomial.
Archive for Research in Child Health (ARCH) and Baby Gut: Study Protocol for a Remote, Prospective, Longitudinal Pregnancy and Birth Cohort to Address Microbiota Development and Child Health

The infant gut microbiome is shaped by numerous factors such as diet and the maternal microbiota and is also associated with later atopy and obesity. The Archive for Research in Child Health and Baby Gut (ARCHBG) cohort was established in 2015 to (1) understand how the development of the infant gut microbiota is associated with atopy, obesity, and gastrointestinal disease and (2) characterize the associations of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant diet with the development of the gut microbiota. Study participants for ARCHBG are convenience samples recruited through two pipelines in Lansing and Traverse City, Michigan: (1) Archive for Research in Child Health (ARCHGUT) and (2) BABYGUT. A total of (n = 51) mother-infant dyads have been enrolled to date. This prospective cohort study collects maternal pre-pregnancy fecal samples, maternal data, child fecal samples at four timepoints (one week, six months, 12 months, and 24 months), and child data up to five years of age. All samples and data are collected remotely by mail, phone, or drop-off at select locations. Of all participants enrolled, 76.5% (n = 39) of infants have a complete record of stool samples. At least 88.2% (n = 45) of fecal samples were submitted at each timepoint. ARCHBG will allow for a nuanced understanding of the temporal development of the infant gut microbiome and numerous child health outcomes.
Restoring Reputation: Firm Response Strategies for Managing a Discrimination Crisis

Class-action discrimination lawsuits impact organizations both in cost and in reputation. Despite the frequency - and, in many cases, notoriety - of these suits, researchers have not explicitly or systematically examined firm response strategies for managing this type of crisis. Using a qualitative research design, we develop a response typology that identifies both verbal rhetoric and behavioral responses to a class-action discrimination lawsuit. In addition, drawing on patterns in the data and insights from the legal field, we theorize about how and why several contextual factors - including initial verbal rhetoric, type of discrimination, and the presence of antifirm stakeholder mobilization activity - influence firm response strategy.
Implementing and evaluating crime prevention and control programs and policies

The history of crime prevention and control efforts in the United States has demonstrated little progressive improvement in our ability to deter crime. The major obstacles to implementing effective interventions and policies have been a weak scientific knowledge base about how to prevent crime, the research community's inability to effectively disseminate what is known about the causes of crime and to translate this knowledge into operational programs and policies, and a resistance on the part of practitioners and policy makers to evaluate programs and policies and to use this information in the development of new programs and policies. In the last decade, there have been major advances in our understanding about the causes of crime and we have now demonstrated the effectiveness of selected prevention programs. But there is little evidence that this scientific knowledge is informing current practice or policy. Problems in the dissemination of this information and the resistance to utilizing it remain. These problems are discussed and suggestions are made for addressing them. Our knowledge base remains modest, but it is now sufficient to inform policy and practice. The research community must work to do a better job of disseminating this information and overcoming the resistance to utilizing it before we will be successful in implementing effective crime prevention programs and policies.
Genetic Models of Diabetes Insipidus

The sections in this article are: 1 Classification of Diabetes Insipidus 2 Hypothalamic Diabetes Insipidus 2.1 History of the Brattleboro Rat 2.2 Biosynthesis of Vasopressin 2.3 Pathophysiology of Hypothalamic Diabetes Insipidus 3 Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus 3.1 Description of Mouse Strains 3.2 Causes: Corticopapillary Gradient vs. Water Permeability 3.3 Defects in the Mouse Strains 3.4 Pathophysiology of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus 4 Other Applications of the Models 4.1 Amount of Water Reabsorbed from Collecting Ducts 4.2 The Running Start 4.3 Hyponatremia during Sodium Depletion 4.4 Essentiality of Vasopressin 5 Use of Both Models Simultaneously 5.1 Nephron Heterogeneity 5.2 Innervation of Vasopressin Neurons 5.3 Alcohol Preference 6 Summary and Concluding Remarks
Petrographic, Stratigraphic, and Structural Study of Smackover Gray Sand (Jurassic), North Louisiana: ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT The Smackover Gray Sand is the target of intense exploration activity in the north Louisiana area. The gas-producing Gray Sand, a dark gray to black, very fine-grained sand, occurs as three sand tongues in the lower member of the Smackover Formation in the subsurface of Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, and Lincoln Parishes, Louisiana. The majority of Gray Sand wells have been drilled in Bossier and Webster Parishes. However, the most active exploration presently is to the east in Claiborne and Lincoln Parishes. Samples of the Gray Sand are classified as subchertarenites because of their high percentage of quartz and the dominance of chert fragments over plagioclase. Additional mineral constituents include muscovite and biotite; oolites are also present. A flaser-bedded silty shale facies indicates deposition on a mid-tidal flat environment. Smackover deposition during the Jurassic in the study area was located on the gently dipping slope between a broad coastal shelf to the north and a basin to the south. The Gray Sand was deposited over the Norphlet Formation and Louann Salt before flowage and swellng of the Louann Salt began. Uplift and swelling of the Louann Salt later in the Jurassic created growing anticlines; sediment slumped off the structural highs of the growing salt anticlines into basinal muds and silts. By superimposing the isopachous map of the Gray Sand interval over the structure map of the Gray Sand, it can be seen that the thickest Gray Sand intervals lie on the flanks of the anticlinal structures in South Sarepta, Ivan, and Cotton Valley fields. Absence of the Gray Sand between Ivan and Cotton Valley fields indicates a facies pinchout due to localized deposition of sand tongues on the structural highs. The Gray Sand, because of its low porosity (7-10,%) and permeability (.5 Md.), must be stimulated to be productive. Seismic exploration locates favorable structures for Gray Sand production in Lincoln Parish fields. The Smackover Gray Sand however continues to challenge exploration geologists because of the lateral pinch out of its sand tongues.
Status of the Evidence for a Magnetic Monopole

In August, 1975, E. K. Shirk, W. Z. Osborne, L. S. Pinsky and I reported evidence1 that we had detected a moving magnetic monopole, using a balloon-borne array of track detectors shown in Fig. 1. The Conference organizers have asked me to discuss the status of our evidence. I have agreed to do so, somewhat reluctantly since much remains to be done before the measurements of the accompanying ultraheavy cosmic rays are completed with all three types of detectors.
Dialysate Quality: New Standards Require a New Approach to Compliance

Substances commonly found in drinking water can injure hemodialysis patients if they are not removed from the water during the preparation of dialysate. Standards have been developed that specify the maximum allowable levels of these substances in dialysate. Those standards have recently been revised. While the maximum allowable levels of chemical contaminants have not changed, a more sensitive method for bacterial cultures has been specified and the maximum allowable levels of bacteria and endotoxin in the new standards have been decreased. These decreases are a consequence of an increasing body of evidence that improving dialysate quality positively impacts patient outcomes. Meeting the new microbiological standards could require dialysis facilities to adopt new approaches to managing their water treatment and concentrate preparation systems. To address this need, the new standards present a framework for developing a facility-specific quality management system for ensuring dialysate quality based on validation of system performance, coupled with routine monitoring and periodic revalidation of performance.
Plate tectonics and planetary habitability: current status and future challenges

Plate tectonics is one of the major factors affecting the potential habitability of a terrestrial planet. The physics of plate tectonics is, however, still far from being complete, leading to considerable uncertainty when discussing planetary habitability. Here, I summarize recent developments on the evolution of plate tectonics on Earth, which suggest a radically new view on Earth dynamics: convection in the mantle has been speeding up despite its secular cooling, and the operation of plate tectonics has been facilitated throughout Earth's history by the gradual subduction of water into an initially dry mantle. The role of plate tectonics in planetary habitability through its influence on atmospheric evolution is still difficult to quantify, and, to this end, it will be vital to better understand a coupled core-mantle-atmosphere system in the context of solar system evolution.
Incipient fault detection and isolation of field devices in nuclear power systems using principal component analysis

An integrated method for the detection and isolation of incipient faults in common field devices, such as sensors and actuators, using plant operational data is presented. The approach is based on the premise that data for normal operation lie on a surface and abnormal situations lead to deviations from the surface in a particular way. Statistically significant deviations from the surface result in the detection of faults, and the characteristic directions of deviations are used for isolation of one or more faults from the set of typical faults. Principal component analysis (PCA), a multivariate data-driven technique, is used to capture the relationships in the data and fit a hyperplane to the data. The fault direction for each of the scenarios is obtained using the singular value decomposition on the state and control function prediction errors, and fault isolation is then accomplished from projections on the fault directions. This approach is demonstrated for a simulated pressurized water reactor steam generator system and for a laboratory process control system under single device fault conditions. Enhanced fault isolation capability is also illustrated by incorporating realistic nonlinear terms in the PCA data matrix.
Difficult dialogues at the intersections of race, culture, and religion

This chapter grapples with the intersections of race, culture, and religion and explores how experiences in a shared religion can be different when viewed through the lens of race and culture. Practical strategies are provided for ways student affairs practitioners can facilitate difficult dialogues around Christian privilege in concert with issues related to racial and cultural marginalization.
Family-based analysis of a myocardial infarction endophenotype: comparison of sampling designs.

The power of linkage analysis of a quantitative disease endophenotype was compared for the following family selection designs: 1) Random samples: randomly chosen nuclear families, 2) "coronary artery calcification (CAC)" samples: selection of each nuclear family through a proband with abnormally high levels of the simulated quantitative endophenotype, CAC, and (3) "MI" samples: selection of each nuclear family through a disease affected proband, in this case a proband who had been simulated to have a myocardial infarction (MI) event. We assessed the power to detect linkage to five loci (two pairs of epistatic loci and one locus with an over-dominant allele) that were modeled as determinants of the simulated CAC levels. We did this using a Haseman-Elston regression-based linkage analysis of the adjusted CAC levels that considered each locus separately and then used a multiple regression extension of the Haseman-Elston method in which we considered the allele sharing at two true epistatic loci simultaneously and their interaction as possible factors related to the squared sibpair differences in adjusted CAC. Based on comparison of the mean square root of the LOD scores, there was no one sampling design that resulted in consistently greater power for these five loci. That is, we observed significant locus-by-sampling-design interaction (p < 0.0001). We noted however, that the largest average score was observed for the epistasis between τ3 and τ4 (mean > 1.8, SE = 0.06) in the MI-selected samples and the CAC-selected samples.
Etonitazene: An opioid selective for the mu receptor types

Specific radioligand binding protocols were utilized to compare the affinity of morphine and the high-potency opioid etonitazene at mu 1, mu 2, delta, kappa 1 and sigma receptors. Both etonitazene and morphine displayed a mu 1-selective binding profile; however, etonitazene had a 2500-fold higher affinity at this receptor type. The latter result is consistent with the relative potencies or morphine and etonitazene in various behavioral tests.
Addendum to ''Lepton-pair production as a signature of supersymmetry''

The results of our previous calculation of lepton-pair production via the reaction e/sup +/e/sup -/..-->..Zgamma-tilde..-->..l/sup +/l/sup -/gamma-tildegamma-tilde (l = e or ..mu..) are used to explicitly obtain the distribution of events as a function of the opening angle between the leptons for both DESY PETRA and Stanford Linear Collider energies. The double energy distributions expected at PETRA for the charged leptons are also presented.
Thermal instability of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor around 650?C

Bi0.85Pb0.15Sr0.8CaCu1.4O y superconductor was quenched to room temperature after annealing at several temperatures in air. From the initial magnetization curve measurement for the annealed samples, it was found that the volume fraction of superconducting phases of the sample annealed at 650°C greatly decreased. TEM observation revealed that a second phase often appeared in the grain-boundary region for the sample annealed at 700°C. The second phase was identified as Bi1Pb2Sr2.6Ca1.6O y by energy dispersive spectroscopy.
Dispersion Relations for Three-Particle Scattering Amplitudes. III.

We consider the scattering of three nonrelativistic spinless particles interacting via two-body Yukawa potentials. The on-energy-shell $T$-matrix element is studied as a function of the total center-of-mass kinetic energy $E$ for fixed physical values of the vectors ${\mathbf{y}}_{i}={\mathbf{k}}_{i}{(2{m}_{i}E)}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}$, $\mathbf{y}_{i}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{'}}=\mathbf{k}_{i}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{'}}{(2{m}_{i}E)}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}$; $i=1,2,3$, where ${\mathbf{k}}_{1}$, ${\mathbf{k}}_{2}$, ${\mathbf{k}}_{3}$ and ${\mathbf{k}}_{1}$', ${\mathbf{k}}_{2}$', ${\mathbf{k}}_{3}$' are the initial and final momenta of the particles, respectively, and ${m}_{1}$, ${m}_{2}$, ${m}_{3}$ are their masses. We show that $T(E)$ [defined as a real analytic function: $T(E)={T}^{*}({E}^{*})$] has no complex singularities in the $E$ plane. Along the real $E$ axis, apart from the expected unitarity branch cuts and the "potential" or left-hand cuts, we find three kinds of anomalous singularities. The first kind arises from the kinematical possibility of the particles undergoing a finite number (depending on the mass ratios) of successive binary collisions ("rescatterings") at arbitrarily large spatial separations. The other two kinds are associated with the existence of two-particle bound states. We show that the discontinuities of $T(E)$ across the anomalous cuts can be explicitly expressed in terms of on-shell physical amplitudes. Accordingly, we formulate $\frac{N}{D}$ equations for the determination of the amplitude. The connection between the rescattering singularities and the convergence of the partial-wave expansion of the amplitude is briefly discussed.
Radiation Retinopathy After Orbital Irradiation for Graves' Ophthalmopathy

Recent reports indicate that orbital irradiation for Graves' ophthalmopathy is sometimes beneficial, particularly for dysthyroid optic neuropathy, and is not associated with serious complications. We are aware, however, of four patients who were found to have radiation retinopathy after orbital irradiation for Grave's ophthalmopathy. All four patients have decreased central acuity, and three of the four are legally blind in one or both eyes. Computer reconstruction of the dosimetry, based on computed tomography and beam profiles, shows that errors in dosage calculations and radiotherapy technique probably account for the radiation retinopathy in three of the four patients. Radiotherapy for Graves' ophthalmopathy should be administered only by competent radiotherapists who are experienced in the treatment of this disease. Similar errors in dosage calculations and treatment techniques may account for other reports of radiation retinopathy after reportedly safe dosages.
Parent and Teacher Ratings of Communication Among Children With Severe Disabilities and Visual Impairment/Blindness

Three trends emerged from independent parent and teacher ratings of receptive communication and expressive forms and functions among students with severe disabilities and visual impairment/blindnes...
A critical role for the inducible proteasomal subunits LMP7 and MECL1 in cytokine production by activated murine splenocytes

Background and Purpose: The proteasome is a multi-subunit complex that proteolytically cleaves proteins. The replacement of the constitutive proteasome subunits β1, β2, and/or β5 with the IFNγ-inducible subunits LMP2, MECL1, and/or LMP7 results in the ‘immunoproteasome’. The inducible subunits change the cleavage specificities of the proteasome, but it is unclear whether they have functions in addition to this. The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of the proteasome in general, as well as LMP7 and MECL1 specifically, with regard to cytokine production by activated primary splenocytes. Methods: A LMP7/MECL1-null mouse was engineered to determine the roles of these subunits in cytokine production. Isolated splenocytes from wild-type and LMP7/MECL1–/– mice were treated with lactacystin and activated with PMA and ionomycin and subsequently cytokine mRNA levels were quantified. Results: The present study demonstrates that LMP7/MECL1 regulates the expression of IFNγ, IL4, IL10, IL2Rβ, GATA3, and t-bet. In contrast, the regulation of IL2, IL13, TNFα, and IL2Rα by the proteasome appears to occur independently of LMP7/MECL1. Conclusions: Collectively, the present study demonstrates that LMP7 and MECL1 regulate cytokine expression, suggesting this system represents a novel mechanism for the regulation of cytokines and cytokine signaling.
PARALLEL EVOLUTION OF THE MELANIC FORM OF THE CALIFORNIA LEGLESS LIZARD, ANNIELLA PULCHRA, INFERRED FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCE VARIATION

The phylogenetic relationships among populations of the fossorial California legless lizard, Anniella pulchra, were examined by sequencing a 990-bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The mitochondrial DNA gene tree was then compared with the geographic distributions of two currently recognized subspecies: A. p. nigra, a melanic form restricted to two disjunct coastal populations, and A. p. pulchra, a more widely distributed, silvery form. We tested the null hypothesis that all A. p. nigra form a clade that is monophyletic with respect to A. p. pulchra. Our results strongly reject the monophyletic origin of the melanic forms and suggest that the two populations of the nominal subspecies A. p. nigra may have arisen independently from different ancestral populations in a parallel evolutionary response to selection in cool, coastal habitats.
Spatial duopoly with cost subsidy

The effects of government subsidies are examined in a spatial duopoly with a conventional and an electronic retailer. The Nash equilibrium is first determined and then the optimal cost subsidy rates are computed that maximize social welfare. The stability of the equilibrium is also investigated and it is shown that in the case of delayed information there is the possibility of cyclic behavior.
Neural Coding: The enigma of the brain

Abstract Information may be coded in neuronal firing patterns in other ways than the instantaneous action-potential frequency; but proving that the brain uses a particular alternative code will not be easy.
Deterioration of reflecting coatings by intermetallic diffusion

Gold diffraction gratings overcoated with Al + MgF2 to increase their efficiency in the vacuum ultraviolet suffered a severe loss in efficiency within six months to a year after coating; for example, from 50% to 2% at λ1216 A. The cause of this loss was assumed to be interdiffusion of Au and Al; therefore, a more complete study of Au–Al film combinations was performed. The coatings were aged at room and elevated temperatures. Reflectance measurements were made in the visible and vacuum ultraviolet spectral regions. For wavelengths longer than λ900 A, the measurements show very little change until the diffusion boundary reaches the penetration depth of the radiation. If Al is the first surface layer, however, reflectance measurements at λ584 A permit measuring the progress of the diffusion boundary toward the Al surface because of the low absorptance of Al at this wavelength. Interdiffusion can be effectively eliminated by the use of thin dielectric layers such as SiO and the natural oxide of Al. Such protected coatings have been exposed for one week at a temperature of 170°C with no visible sign of diffusion, whereas a similar coating without the barrier layer would become useless in less than 1 h. Some preliminary studies have been made with Pt–Al film combinations.
172 PULMONARY VASCULAR RESPONSE TO DIGOXIN

The effects of digoxin on pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were evaluated in 13 normoxemic (N) newborn lambs (0-3 days of age) with normal PVR and in 4 of the 13 with hypoxic (H) induced increase in PVR. Lambs were anesthetized with chloralose and instrumented to enable continuous measurement of cardiac output (CO), pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), left atrial pressure (LAP) and PVR. Digoxin was injected into a central venous catheter in doses ranging from 10-20 μg/kg. The mean (± SD) increase in PVR was 22.3% (± 21.4) in the N lambs (p< 0.001) and only 2% (± 8.5) in the H lambs (NS). The mean duration of the response was 199 sec (± 180). Since the LAP was unchanged, CO increased 7.2% (± 14) in the N lambs and 2.5% (± 6.9) in the H lambs, and the PAP increased 23.1% (± 16.2) in the N lambs and 3.9% (± 2.1) in the H lambs, the change in PVR appears to be due to a direct pulmonary vasoconstrictive response to digoxin. The blunted response in H lambs may have occurred because they were already maximally constricted or because digoxin and H induced vasoconstriction share a common mechanism such as electromechanical coupling with inhibition of calcium influx. Attempts to confirm the latter mechanism, using verapamil, were unsuccessful because even small doses proved lethal to lambs. The transient increase in PVR produced by digoxin may actually be beneficial to infants with patent ductus arteriosus and L→R shunting but could further compound existing pulmonary hypertension in other sick infants. A cautious approach to digitalization of newborns is warranted.
President Clinton and the Republican Congress, 1995-2000: Political and Policy Dimensions of Veto Politics in Divided Government

This article melds alternative theoretical perspectives on veto threats to explain President Clinton's influence over legislative outcomes in the 104th-106th Congresses (1995-2000). Formal models of executive-legislative relations–in particular the "coordination model"–yield an incomplete understanding of veto politics and executivelegislative conflict from 1995-2000. Explaining Clinton's success through veto politics requires a recognition of the unique context of legislative conflict from 1995-96. Presidential- congressional relations in the 104th Congress turned on "blame-game" politics that Clinton manipulated to his advantage. Clinton's second term heralded a return to "normal politics" during which the Republican majority's response to his veto threats coincided better with the basic tenets of the coordination model. Quantitative analysis of Clinton's public threats and secondary analysis of bill histories are brought to bear to test the theoretical framework.
Second-hand clothing shopping among college students: the role of psychographic characteristics

Purpose – The study aims to examine whether and how second-hand clothing shoppers differ from non-shoppers on various psychographic variables, including environmentalism, perception of contamination, price sensitivity and perception of vintage clothing. Additionally, this study hopes to uncover whether and how the aforementioned psychographic variables help predict second-hand clothing shopping behaviour, specifically shopping frequency at second-hand clothing stores. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a survey method from 152 college students. Findings – Results showed that college students who shopped at second-hand clothing stores were more likely to be environmentally conscious, more sensitive to higher prices and more likely to wear used clothing to express a vintage look and to be “green”, and to perceive used clothing to be less contaminated, as compared to those who did not shop at second-hand clothing stores. This study concluded that, among college students, second-hand cl...
Reflections on dermatology and projections for the 21st Century

Each time a new decade has arrived during our dermatologic careers, we have paused to consider the accomplishments of the past several years and to contemplate what might occur during the next 10 years. We have put to pen, or in contemporary parlance, to the word processor, our ideas.1 Curiously, we have not been that far off target. Because we now embark upon a new year, a new century, and a new millennium, we think it appropriate to review what occurred just 100 years ago. Not having been there to usher in 1901, we consulted volume 19 of the Journal of Cutaneous and Genito-Urinary Disease (the predecessor of the Archives of Dermatology) for that year and Stelwagon’s significant textbook for the period. This provided the impetus to select three diseases for discussion. One of the fascinating aspects of the history of medicine and, for that matter, the history of dermatology is the possibility to replace older concepts with newer ideas. For example, papers in the late 19th century often attributed diseases to newly found bacteria, whereas the World War I era focused on autointoxication and the effects of reduced diets. Substituting such present ideas as cytokines and growth factors in several of the publications would make them up to date.
Upper airway obstruction.

From 1976–1982, 3,000 transnasal upper airway evaluations (TNUA) have allowed the direct visualization of upper airway structures in a natural, state without significant anatomical or physiological distortion. As a result, TNUA in experienced hands, is thought to be safe and the procedure of choice in evaluating upper airway obstruction in children.
Children's understanding of linguistic reference to past and future

Young children's comprehension of linguistic reference to past and future times was investigated in two experiments. The children were 2, 3, and 4 years old. The linguistic forms considered were verb tense and the termsbefore andafter; each linguistic form was used in both experiments. The two experimental contexts were (1) actions which either had just occurred or were just about to occur, immediate past and future, and (2) events which either had occurred on the preceding day or were to occur on the following day, more remote past and future. Understanding of linguistic reference to past and future events varied, depending on the situation in which the particular form was applied. Future verb tense was better understood in reference to immediate than to more remote future. Past tense was understood equally well in reference to immediate past action and to more remote past events.Before andafter, both of which would be used to refer to either past or future time, were each better understood when used to refer to the next event or action following the present.
Acquired Neoplasms of the Nonpigmented Ciliary Epithelium (adenoma and adenocarcinoma)

Background/Purpose: Acquired neoplasms of the nonpigmented ciliary body epithelium (NPCE) are rare, and most information about them has come from single case reports. This study was undertaken to review the authors' experience with a series of patients with acquired neoplasms of the NPCE, to delineate the clinical and histopathologic features of these tumors, and show how they differ from ciliary body melanoma. Methods: A clinicopathologic review was conducted on acquired tumors of the NPCE that were evaluated by the authors and a review of the English language literature was done. The data from the authors' cases were compared with previously reported cases. Results: The authors had personal experience with nine patients with acquired tumors of the NPCE and found 18 other patients with these tumors in the literature. Of the authors' patients, all tumors were predominantly nonpigmented and were white to light-tan in color. Associated clinical findings included signs of intraocular inflammation in all patients, secondary cataract in eight (89%), and subluxation of the lens in six (67%). Eight of the tumors were managed successfully by local resection and one by enucleation. Histopathologically, the tumors showed considerable variation from patient to patient. Seven tumors were classified as benign adenoma and two as low-grade adenocarcinoma. There was no local recurrence or systemic metastases. Although tumors of the NPCE historically have been misdiagnosed clinically as ciliary body melanoma, our study suggests that they have some characteristic features that serve to differentiate them from melanoma and other ciliary body lesions. In contrast to melanoma, acquired neoplasms of the NPCE are amelanotic and are more likely to have an irregular surface, associated inflammatory signs, to transmit light well during transillumination, and show high internal reflectivity with ultrasonography. Conclusion: Acquired neoplasms of the NPCE have characteristic clinical and histopathologic features that should suggest the diagnosis. Due to their anterior location in the ciliary body, local resection (rather than enucleation) is usually the treatment of choice. The visual prognosis is fair, and the systemic prognosis is excellent.
Reverse draw solute permeation in forward osmosis: modeling and experiments.

Osmotically driven membrane processes are an emerging set of technologies that show promise in water and wastewater treatment, desalination, and power generation. The effective operation of these systems requires that the reverse flux of draw solute from the draw solution into the feed solution be minimized. A model was developed that describes the reverse permeation of draw solution across an asymmetric membrane in forward osmosis operation. Experiments were carried out to validate the model predictions with a highly soluble salt (NaCl) as a draw solution and a cellulose acetate membrane designed for forward osmosis. Using independently determined membrane transport coefficients, strong agreement between the model predictions and experimental results was observed. Further analysis shows that the reverse flux selectivity, the ratio of the forward water flux to the reverse solute flux, is a key parameter in the design of osmotically driven membrane processes. The model predictions and experiments demonstra...