cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family Income, School Attendance, and Academic Achievement in Elementary School.

Low family income is associated with poor academic achievement among children. Higher rates of school absence and tardiness may be one mechanism through which low family income impacts children's academic success. This study examines relations between family income, as measured by receipt of free or reduced-price lunch, school attendance, and academic achievement among a diverse sample of children from kindergarten to 4th grade (N = 35,419) using both random and within-child fixed-effects models. Generally, results suggest that the receipt of free or reduced-price lunch and duration of receipt have small but positive associations with school absences and tardies. Poor attendance patterns predict poorer grades, with absences more associated with grades than tardies. Given the small associations between receipt of free or reduced-price lunch and school attendance, and between the duration of receipt of free or reduced-price lunch and children's grades, results do not provide strong evidence that absences and tardies meaningfully attenuate relations between the duration of low family income and student achievement; poorer attendance and persistent low income independently predict poorer grades. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.
Pro-inflammatory stimulation of meniscus cells increases production of matrix metalloproteinases and additional catabolic factors involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis

Summary Objective Meniscus injury increases the risk of osteoarthritis; however, the biologic mechanism remains unknown. We hypothesized that pro-inflammatory stimulation of meniscus would increase production of matrix-degrading enzymes, cytokines and chemokines which cause joint tissue destruction and could contribute to osteoarthritis development. Design Meniscus and cartilage tissue from healthy tissue donors and total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) was cultured. Primary cell cultures were stimulated with pro-inflammatory factors [IL-1β, IL-6, or fibronectin fragments (FnF)] and cellular responses were analyzed by real-time PCR, protein arrays and immunoblots. To determine if NF-κB was required for MMP production, meniscus cultures were treated with inflammatory factors with and without the NF-κB inhibitor, hypoestoxide. Results Normal and osteoarthritic meniscus cells increased their MMP secretion in response to stimulation, but specific patterns emerged that were unique to each stimulus with the greatest number of MMPs expressed in response to FnF. Meniscus collagen and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) gene expression was reduced. Expression of cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6), chemokines (IL-8, CXCL1, CXCL2, CSF1) and components of the NF-κB and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family were significantly increased. Cytokine and chemokine protein production was also increased by stimulation. When primary cell cultures were treated with hypoestoxide in conjunction with pro-inflammatory stimulation, p65 activation was reduced as were MMP-1 and MMP-3 production. Conclusions Pro-inflammatory stimulation of meniscus cells increased matrix metalloproteinase production and catabolic gene expression. The meniscus could have an active biologic role in osteoarthritis development following joint injury through increased production of cytokines, chemokines, and matrix-degrading enzymes.
Structure-Distribution Relationships for Metal-Labeled Myocardial Imaging Agents: Comparison of a Series of Cationic Gallium(III) Complexes with Hexadentate Bis(salicylaldimine) Ligands

A series of 10 cationic gallium(III) complexes with hexadentate bis(salicylaldimine) ligands were synthesized, characterized, radiolabeled with 67Ga, and screened in a rat model to assess their potential as 68Ga radiopharmaceuticals for imaging the heart with positron emission tomography. The tris(salicylaldimine) ligand precursors were synthesized by condensation of either bis(3-aminopropyl)ethylenediamine (BAPEN) or bis(2,2-dimethyl-3-aminopropyl)ethylenediamine (DM-BAPEN) with 3 equiv of a salicylaldehyde derivative containing alkyl, alkoxy, or alkylamino substituents in the 4, 5, or 6 position of the aromatic ring. The cationic six-coordinate gallium(III) bis(salicylaldimine) complexes were obtained by reaction of these tris(salicylaldimines) with tris(acetylacetonato)gallium(III). X-ray crystallographic confirmation of the molecular structure of Ga[(4,6-(MeO)2sal)2DM-BAPEN]+I- shows the Ga cation to adopt a pseudo-octahedral N4O2 coordination sphere with a trans configuration. All of the 67Ga complexes are lipophilic with measured octanol/water partition coefficients (P) varying from log P = 0.84 to 3.00. These 67Ga-labeled complexes are all found to exhibit significant myocardial uptake following intravenous administration to rats (ranging from 0.34 to 1.08% of the injected dose in myocardium at 1 min postinjection) combined with the desired myocardial retention of tracer.
Petrologic and foraminiferal evidence for active downslope transport in Wilmington Canyon

Abstract The texture and composition of surficial sediment collected by DRSV “Alvin” in a meandering part of Wilmington Canyon, on the upper rise off the Mid-Atlantic States, indicate that deposition from gravity flow or bottom current, or both, has occurred in this sector in recent time. The marked petrologic and foraminiferal variations between closely spaced sample sites across the canyon axis show a distinct pattern that is closely related to the configuration of the thalweg. The sediment distribution pattern recalls that in sinuous fluvial systems: the presence of higher proportions of sand, terrigenous grains and displaced “shallow” water (shelf-upper slope) foraminifera close to the incised part of meanders is a result of active erosion. The irregular down-core variations of texture, terrigenous grains and biogenic components tend to favor a discontinuous “stop-and-go” transport process. The nature and distribution of mixed assemblages of “shallow” and “deep” (lower slope and rise) benthonic and planktonic foraminifera also indicate a downslope-directed transport process involving several pulse-like redepositional phases. Some material was introduced at the head of the canyon, but much sediment has also entered the canyon channel by displacement down canyon walls. It appears that sediment between the shelf-edge and the rise must reside sufficiently long in transit to pick up and incorporate an important mix of “deep” water faunas as the material is displaced seaward.
Dietary variety increases as a function of time and influences diet quality in children.

Abstract Objective To investigate the changes in dietary variety over time in children and to determine the relationship between dietary variety and diet quality. Design Dietary data were collected from fourth and fifth grade students for 14 consecutive days by a registered dietitian. Setting Colerain School District of Cincinnati, Ohio. Participants There were 33 children involved in the study. Main Outcome Measures Two cumulative dietary variety scores were estimated. The first was based on the Food Guide Pyramid groups: grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy, and meat (GFVDM). The second was based on the groups highlighted by the 2000 Dietary Guidelines for variety: grain, fruit, and vegetable (GFV). Diets were analyzed for energy and nutrient content. Analysis Analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results Dietary variety increased over time up to 14 days. A significant difference (P Conclusions and Implications This study suggests that a 2-week period is necessary to capture food variety in children. Some associations were found between dietary variety and diet quality. New tools are needed to measure dietary variety in children.
Effects of Acclimation on the Toxicity of Stream Water Contaminated with Zinc and Cadmium to Juvenile Cutthroat Trout

We investigated the influence of acclimation on results of in situ bioassays with cutthroat trout in metal-contaminated streams. Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) were held for 21 days (1) in live containers at a reference or “clean” site having dissolved metals near detection limits (0.01 μg/L cadmium [Cd] and 2.8 μg/L zinc [Zn]; hardness 32 mg/L as CaCO3) and (2) at a site in a mining-impacted watershed having moderately increased metals (0.07 μg/L Cd and 38 to 40 μg/L Zn; hardness 50 mg/L as CaCO3). The 96-hour survival of each treatment group was then tested in situ at five sites from September 5 to 9, 2002, and each group exhibited a range of metal concentrations (0.44 to 39 μg/L arsenic [As], 0.01 to 2.2 μg/L Cd, and 0.49 to 856 μg/L Zn). Survival was 100% at three sites for both treatments. However, a higher percentage of metal-acclimated fish survived at the site with the second highest concentrations of Cd and Zn (0.90 and 238 μg/L, respectively) compared with fish acclimated at the reference site (100% vs. 55%, respectively). Survival was 65% for acclimated fish and 0% for metal-naive fish at the site with the largest metal concentrations (2.2 μg/L Cd and 856 μg/L Zn). Water collected from the site with the largest concentrations of dissolved metals (on October 30, 2002) was used in a laboratory serial dilution to determine 96-hour LC50 values. The 96-hour LC50 estimates of naive fish during the in situ and laboratory experiments were similar (0.60 μg Cd/L and 226 μg Zn/L for in situ and 0.64 μg Cd/L and 201 μg Zn/L for laboratory serial dilutions). However, mortality of naive cutthroat trout tested under laboratory conditions was more rapid in dilutions of 100%, 75%, and 38% site water than in situ experiments.
Diagnosis of clinical depression on four source trait dimensions -U.I. 19, U.I. 20, U.I. 25, and U.I. 30--from the O.A. Kit.

Describe four personality factors with preliminary indications of distinguishing depressed patients from normals, namely those indexed in the O-A Kit as U.I. 19, U.I. 20, U.I. 25 and U.I. 30. Thirty-one clinically depressed Ss--22 inpatients and 9 outpatients--were administered the O-A (Objective-Analytic) battery for these four and the scores compared with those of 30 demographically matched controls. From earlier research and the general psychological theory that concerned these source traits it was hypothesized that depressed Ss would deviate negatively on U.I. 19 and U.I. 25 and positively on U.I. 20 and U.I. 30. A comparison of means that used a one-tailed t-test showed significant differences on two of the factors, U.I. 19 and U.I. 20, at p less than level of significance, and on U.I. 25 and U.I. 30 at p less than .05 significance level. Thus, the clinical sample showed the hypothesized directions of divergence from the control sample on all four of the factors. Later use of a discriminant function on this pattern of deviations shows a high degree of patient-control separation (Price, Cattell, & Patrick, Note 1).
Characterization of a bacteriocin from Pediococcus acidilactici PC and comparison of bacteriocin-producing strains using molecular typing procedures

Sixteen pediococcal strains, including eleven Pediococcus acidilactici and five P. pentosaceus strains were screened for inhibitory potential using a deferred overlay spot method against a limited collection of foodborne pathogens. Of those screened, P. acidilactici PC, an organism isolated from fermented sausage, was effective and subsequently screened for inhibitory potential against 46 foodborne pathogens and 28 other lactic acid bacteria. Strain PC produced an antimicrobial agent capable of inhibiting members of the genera Listeria, Clostridium, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus. Gram-negative microorganisms from seven genera, Lactococcus, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus strains were unaffected by the inhibitory substance. The inhibitory agent was sensitive to proteolytic enzymes and exhibited a bactericidal mode of action, confirming the identity as a bacteriocin. In addition, the partially purified bacteriocin was thermally stable up to 100°C for 60 min and maintained inhibitory potential over a wide range of pH values. Plasmid curing studies suggested linkage of bacteriocin production to a 5.5-MDa plasmid. Plasmid profiles were identical for P. acidilactici PC, PAC1.0 and PO2. Genetic analysis of total genomic DNA via DNA fingerprinting and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) typing provided further evidence that these strains were identical. DNA fingerprinting and rRNA typing also showed utility in discrimination between and within other species of pediococci.
THE APW ENERGY BANDS FOR THE BODY CENTERED AND FACE CENTERED CUBIC MODIFICATIONS OF THE 3d TRANSITION METALS.

Abstract Twenty-two sets of APW energy bands were computed for the 3d transition metals from titanium to copper. The unmodified version of Slater's exchange potential was used. Some of the effects of crystal structure, atomic number and assumed electronic configuration are isolated in this study because the b.c.c. and f.c.c. modifications of the elements as well as two general electronic configurations s2dn and s1dn+1 were spanned. The computed character of the occupied bands favors an occupancy nearer to s1dn+1 than to s2dn. The two-peak structure of the density of states N(E) curves which has been deduced from an experimental study of the electronic specific heats of alloys is clearly resolved in the present N (E) curves for only a limited set of conditions.
Unbounded functions and positive linear operators

Abstract The approximation of unbounded functions by positive linear operators under multiplier enlargement is investigated. It is shown that a very wide class of positive linear operators can be used to approximate functions with arbitrary growth on the real line. Estimates are given in terms of the usual quantities which appear in the Shisha-Mond theorem. Examples are provided.
Regulative development in a spiralian embryo as shown by cell deletion experiments on the Acoel, Childia.

Spiral cleavage and mosaicism are closely associated in the Annelida, Mollusca, and probably the polyclad Turbellaria, but the evolutionary history of these phenomena remains uncertain. The Acoela, the most primitive order of turbellarians, exhibit spiral cleavage but with the formation of duets of micromeres rather than the more typical quartets. The regulative versus mosaic capacities of the acoel, Childia groenlandica, were investigated by deleting various combinations of blastomeres from the two-cell stage through the third duet. The acoel embryo showed extensive regulative ability since all experiments yielded normal animals except those in which both macromeres were deleted. These abnormal animals were ciliated spheres with a central cavity and indicated that the macromeres are necessary for form and organ differentiation. An inductive interaction between the micromeres and macromeres is suggested. Since mosaicism is probably specialized and a derivative of the indeterminate type of development, the regulative capacity of the acoel embryo suggests that this order lies near the ancestral line of the spiralia and represents an evolutionary stage where the very defined pattern of spiral cleavage is not yet associated with early programming of the cell's fate.
Genomic analyses of gas (nitric oxide and carbon monoxide) and small molecule transmitter (acetylcholine, glutamate and GABA) signaling systems in Daphnia pulex

Diffusible gasses and small molecule transmitters are classes of compounds used by neurons and other cell types for local and hormonal signaling. In crustaceans, there is evidence for the neuronal production of the gasses nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), as well as the small molecule transmitters acetylcholine, glutamate and GABA. While much is known about the physiological roles played by these molecules in crustaceans, little is known about them at the molecular level. Here, we have mined the genome of Daphnia pulex for genes encoding the biosynthetic enzymes, receptors and transporters necessary for establishing each of these transmitter systems. The biosynthetic enzyme genes identified included nitric oxide synthase, heme oxygenase, choline acetyltransferase, glutaminase and glutamic acid decarboxylase. Genes encoding several transporters (e.g. vesicular acetylcholine transporter) were also characterized, as were ones involved in transmitter degradation/recycling (e.g. acetylcholine esterase); genes encoding receptors for NO and CO (i.e. soluble guanylyl cyclase), and for each small molecule transmitter (both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors for each compound) were identified. These data provide the first molecular descriptions of gas and small molecule transmitter signaling systems in D. pulex, and provide frameworks for future molecular, anatomical and physiological investigations of them in Daphnia.
Helene Stöcker's Pacifism: International Intersections

Helene Stocker (1869–1943), a radical pacifist in Germany, sought cooperation between widely divergent groups, created allies through the force of her conviction, and refused to compromise on her absolute pacifism. Cited for her work in sex reform, Stocker played a leading role in the German peace movement and in the War Resisters' International. Her feminist position is interesting for rejecting claims about the redemptive role of newly enfranchised women in politics while retaining maternalist values.
The Impact of Revenue Sources on Marketing Behavior: Examining Web‐Promotion and Place‐Marketing in Nonprofit Organizations

To overcome failure to generate profits from the goods they produce, nonprofit organizations have unique methods to generate and sustain capital flows resulting in distinct exchange relationships. This leads scholars to argue that nonprofit marketing strategies should differ as well. Given the lack of empirical work that investigates this possibility, this article explores how the uniqueness of the nonprofit funding environment shapes the ways in which nonprofits use business principles to market their products and services, asking if the resource acquisition process is the primary mechanism that predicts business‐like marketing behavior. Findings indicate that both the resource acquisition process and institutional relationships are influential in predicting business‐like marketing behavior.
Cultural differences in Visual Attention: An eye-tracking comparison of US and Indian individuals

Globalization of product design has become increasingly important as markets in Asia continue to grow. Past research in the variations in visual attention between individuals in Asia and the United States have primarily focused on East Asians, specifically, Japanese and Chinese participants. India, the second most populated country in the world, has been largely ignored in this literature. The current study examined the differences between US participants and South Asians, specifically Indian, participants in a visual scene exploration task. Results from the present study suggest that the current explanation from past research may not be the most parsimonious method for determining how groups will view images. Language: en
Stated preferences for investigating commuters' diversion propensity

A reasonable response to increasing traffic congestion may come from the rapidly developing traveler information systems. Such systems may be successful if they effectively influence drivers' enroute decisions; in this regard, a critical factor may be commuters' willingness to divert from their regular route in response to information about traffic congestion. This study evaluates the effects of real-time traffic information along with driver attributes, roadway characteristics and situational factors on drivers' willingness to divert. The empirical portion of this study is based on a survey of downtown Chicago automobile commuters. The stated preference approach was used to study commuters' diversion propensity. Drivers expressed a higher willingness to divert if expected delays on their usual route increased, if the congestion was incident-induced as opposed to recurring, if delay information was received from radio traffic reports compared with observing congestion, and if trip direction was home-to-work rather than work-to-home. Respondents were less willing to divert if their alternate route was unfamiliar, unsafe or had several traffic stops. Socioeconomic characteristics were also significant in predicting willingness to divert.
Three dimensional flow field inside the passage of a low speed axial flow compressor rotor

Measurements of the subsonic flow in the rotor passage of a single stage axial flow compressor were made to study the nature of the flow field and to verify the existing numerical codes. The velocity and pressure fields were measured across the entire rotor passage at six axial locations and at five radial locations. A five-hole probe, rotating with the rotor, was used to measure the three components of velocity, the static and the total pressure. The experimental results are compared with the predictions from Katsanis and McNally's computer program. The agreement between the two is good for most of the cases.
Attachment theory and change processes in foster care

Abstract Despite wide acceptance in the multifaceted field of child care policy and practice, attachment theory has found limited use in examining empirically the circumstances and conditions of special populations of children. This inquiry addresses this limitation by elaborating attachment theory as a foundation for contemporary foster care practice and policy. We focus on how caregiving contexts and the nature of their change selects certain characteristics and behaviors as relevant in explaining a child's risk of placement change in, or exit from, foster care. We use data on a population of 3448 foster children over a 21-year period to test arguments that children's strategies for dealing with change can be both resistant and adaptive, and that self-perpetuating patterns of attachment can contribute to increasing rates of change in children's lives. Results strongly support attachment theory as a transactional theory of change. Placement change not only influences the hazard of exit in the manner predicted but also engenders a “liability of change,” with early change influencing the likelihood of future change independent of contextual and child characteristics. From the perspective of this inquiry, future research that omits information on the history and timing of significant changes in children's lives will be limited in its capacity to explain their current circumstances.
“Oh thou corrupter of youth”: Henry Ward Beecher vs. Indianapolis Theatre

In 1843, while still unknown and in the isolated capital city of Indiana, Henry Ward Beecher delivered a lecture on the sinfulness of the theatre. This article describes the theatrical ventures of early Indianapolis and the reactions of “responsible” citizens to such play‐acting and analyzes Beecher's scathing lecture of criticism, showing how it played a role in projecting him as a figure of national pominence.
A Novel Method for Single and Simultaneous Fault Location in Distribution Networks

This paper introduces a novel method for single and simultaneous fault location in distribution networks by means of a sparse representation (SR) vector, Fuzzy-clustering, and machine-learning. The method requires few smart meters along the primary feeders to measure the pre- and during-fault voltages. The voltage sag values for the measured buses produce a vector whose dimension is less than the number of buses in the system. By concatenating the corresponding rows of the bus impedance matrix, an underdetermined set of equation is formed and is used to recover the fault current vector. Since the current vector ideally contains few nonzero values corresponding to fault currents at the faulted points, it is a sparse vector which can be determined by $\ell^{{{1}}}$ -norm minimization. Because the number of nonzero values in the estimated current vector often exceeds the number of fault points, we analyze the nonzero values by Fuzzy-c mean to estimate four possible faults. Furthermore, the nonzero values are processed by a new machine learning method based on the k-nearest neighborhood technique to estimate a single fault location. The performance of our algorithms is validated by their implementation on a real distribution network with noisy and noise-free measurement.
Extraction of Somatomedin Activity from Rat Liver

Biologically active somatomedins were evaluated after extraction from rat tissues. Somatomedin activity was measured by bioassay as stimulation of sulfate uptake by hypophysectomized rat costal cartilage. Somatomedin activity was found in the liver after extraction with acid but not with neutral media. Activity was not found in acid extracts of spleen, muscle, brain, or kidney. While acetic acid liver extracts from normal rats had significant activity, extracts from hypophysectomized rats had no activity; treatment with GH in vivo restored hepatic activity to normal. After gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 in 1 M acetic acid, somatomedin activity recovered from liver extracts was of a somewhat higher molecular weight (∼30,000) than activity in serum fractions (∼8,000). Extract somatomedins produced dose-response stimulation of cartilage parallel to that by serum somatomedins; the total hepatic content of somatomedin activity was over twice as great as the total serum activity. Cartilage-inhibiting (somatome...
Thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production by partial oxidation reforming

This paper presents thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production by partial oxidation reforming. The analysis applies two approximations to the chemistry: global reaction balances and chemical equilibrium. The global reaction analysis provides theoretical upper limits on the process in the form of algebraic expressions involving the steam-to-carbon ratio and the oxygen-to-carbon ratio as process parameters. The equilibrium computations provide a more realistic estimate of the expected product composition and thermal efficiency of the process. The equilibrium predictions are compared to experimental data obtained using a first generation plasmatron reformer operated on diesel fuel. The efficiency of this compact reformer was considerably below the theoretical maximum.
Genomic Characterization of Japanese Macaque Rhadinovirus: A Novel Herpesvirus Isolated from a Nonhuman Primate with a Spontaneous Inflammatory Demyelinating Disease

Japanese macaque rhadinovirus (JMRV) is a novel gamma-2 herpesvirus that was isolated from a Japanese macaque (JM) with an inflammatory demyelinating encephalomyelitis referred to as Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis, a disease that possesses clinical and histopathological features resembling multiple sclerosis in humans. Genomic DNA sequence analysis reveals that JMRV is a gammaherpesvirus closely related to rhesus macaque rhadinovirus (RRV) and human herpesvirus 8. We describe here the complete nucleotide sequence and structure of the JMRV genome, as well as the sequence of two plaque isolates of this virus. Analysis of the JMRV genome not only demonstrates that this virus shares a number of genes with RRV that may be involved in pathogenesis but also indicates the presence of unique JMRV genes that could potentially contribute to disease development. The knowledge of the genomic sequence of JMRV, and the ability to easily propagate the virus in vitro, make JMRV infection of JM an attractive model for examining the potential role of an infectious viral agent in the development of demyelinating encephalomyelitis disease in vivo.
MSX contamination experiment ion mass spectrometer observations during early operations

Initial results from the midcourse space experiment (MSX) ion mass spectrometer (IMS) is presented. The IMS is designed to measure the concentration of contaminant and ambient ionospheric ions from 1 - 56 amu. In addition, the IMS is used to infer the floating potential of the satellite. Ambient ions observed in the IMS data include H+, He+, N+, and O+. The instrument was operated in a 'contaminant ion' mode during the early-operation phase (first seven days) in which the instrument was placed in its most sensitive state. This was done to search for contaminant ions, produced through charge exchange reactions between neutral water vapor and ionospheric O+ ions moving at 7.5 km/s relative to the satellite. Mass peaks near those expected for H2O+ were observed. Finally, the initial results on the satellite charge inferred from changes in the ion current collected as a function of the stopping potential are presented. It is found that the satellite potential floats between minus 6 to minus 10 V with respect to the plasma potential.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Celiac Disease and Autoimmunity: Review and Controversies

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition affecting the small intestine, triggered by the ingestion of gluten, the protein fraction of wheat, barley, and rye. There is a strong linkage between CD and HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 haplotypes. Multiple case reports and small series suggest concordance between CD and other autoimmune disorders. This paper provides a brief overview of the pathogenesis of CD and reviews the literature regarding associations between CD and other autoimmune diseases, including the potential effects of gluten-free diet therapy on the prevention or amelioration of associated diseases.
Epidemiology and outcomes associated with surgical site infection following bariatric surgery

Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is a frequent problem complicating bariatric surgery. However, the potential risk factors, risk stratification, and outcomes of SSIs in this patient population remain poorly defined. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to characterize better the risk factors and to improve risk stratification for SSIs following bariatric surgery. Methods Patients studied had SSI following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGBS) between November 2006 and March 2009 at Harper University Hospital and were each matched with 3 controls based on type of operative procedure, surgeon, and year of surgery. Thirty-day outcomes included mortality, hospital readmissions, outpatient procedures, and emergency room visits. A scoring system (BULCS score) was compared with the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system risk index using logistic regression. Results In multivariate analysis, duration of surgery (odds ratio [OR], 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62-6.74), diagnosis of bipolar disorder (OR, 3.341; 95% CI: 1.0-12.27), use of prophylactic antibiotics other than cefazolin (OR, 4.2; 95% CI: 1.47-11.69), and sleep apnea (OR, 1.8; 95% CI: 1.05-2.97) were significantly associated with SSI. Patients with SSI were more likely to have return emergency visits (OR, 4.96; 95% CI: 2.9-8.48), readmission (OR, 6.53; 95% CI: 3.44-12.42), and outpatient procedures following surgery (OR, 4.75; 95% CI: 1.32-17.14) than were controls without SSI. The BULCS score was a stronger predictor of SSI than the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system (C-statistic, −0.62 vs 0.55, respectively). Conclusion SSI following bariatric surgery was associated with receipt of antibiotic prophylaxis other than cefazolin and comorbid conditions including sleep apnea and bipolar disorder. The BULCS score performed favorably as a predictor and risk adjuster for SSI following bariatric surgery. SSI was associated with increased health care resource utilization.
Economic Power, the State, and Post-Keynesian Economics

The notion of power is pretty much absent in contemporary economics. To the extent that neoclassical economists worry about power, their concern is about excessive government power hindering the market. This can occur directly, for example when macroeconomic policies try to affect aggregate economic outcomes, or when government regulations keep firms from producing goods at maximum efficiency. Market distortions can also occur indirectly. As the public-choice school has argued, firms may attempt to influence political decisions in their favor, and these rent-seeking activities are inefficient even when they are totally ineffective (Buchanan, Tullock, andTollison 1980). In contrast to this standard view, post-Keynesian economists see power as an integral part of modern economies. They see an economic world populated by large firms that possess a great deal of economic power. These firms are neither restrained nor controlled by the market, and their production decisions are not responses to the market. To the contrary, large oligopolies seek to control the market and frequently succeed in doing so.
Early requirement of the transcriptional activator Sox9 for neural crest specification in Xenopus

The neural crest is a multipotent population of cells that arises at the neural plate border in the vertebrate embryo. We have previously shown that a member of the Sox family of transcription factors, Sox9, is a regulator of neural crest formation in Xenopus, as Sox9-depleted embryos failed to form neural crest progenitors. Here, we describe experiments that further investigate Sox9 function during neural crest development. Induction of neural crest progenitors in Xenopus is regulated by Wnt signaling. We show that this process is largely dependent on Sox9 function as Wnt-mediated neural crest induction is inhibited in the context of Sox9-depleted embryos. Moreover, we demonstrate that Sox9 functions as a transcriptional activator during neural crest formation. Expression of a construct in which Sox9 DNA-binding domain (HMG box) is fused to the repressor domain of Drosophila engrailed blocked neural crest formation, thereby mimicking the phenotype of Sox9-depleted embryos. Finally, using a hormone-inducible inhibitory mutant of Sox9, lacking the transactivation domain, we show that Sox9 function is required for neural crest specification but not for its subsequent migration.
Frequency and Informativeness of Gestural Cues Accompanying Generic and Particular Reference.

Generic noun phrases, or generics, refer to abstract categories (Dogs bark) rather than particular individuals (Those dogs bark). Study 1 investigated how parents use gestures in association with generic versus particular reference during naturalistic interactions with their 2- and 3-year-old children. Parents provided deictic gestures more frequently during particular reference, whereas no type of gesture was promoted by generic reference. Study 2 assessed the informativeness of parents’ gestures. Undergraduate students watched silent clips of the parent-child interactions and guessed what parents were discussing. Participants were unable to make use of parents’ gestures to reliably detect generic reference, though they were able to use gestural information to detect particular reference in contexts featuring multiple possible referents. We suggest that generics cannot be acquired via associative processes and discuss alternative accounts of acquiring the distinction between generic and particular.
The “disinhibition” of extinguished operant behavior in pigeons: Trial-tempo shifts and novel stimulus effects

After conditioning and extinction of keypecking with 25-see intertrial intervals between key illuminations, an immediate change to 5-sec intertrial intervals reinstated pecking during trials. Brief illuminations of the chamber during intertrial intervals also temporarily restored extinguished keypecking. The same manipulations of trial tempo and chamber illumination usually weakened well established, still reinforced keypecking. No recovery of extinguished behavior occurred when the intertrial interval was shifted upward from 5 sec to 25 sec. These and other behavioral findings were examined in relation to (a) Pavlov’s and Skinner’s research and views on “disinhibition” and “external inhibition” and to (b) analogous phenomena in physiological studies of habituation and dishabituation. The reliable evidence of disinhibition obtained in the present experiments suggests the involvement of an inhibitory process in extinction.
MEHRSTROM-WARMEAUSTAUSCHER ALS GELOTETE ALUMINIUM-PLATTENAPPARATE - STAND DES WISSENS

Multi-flow heat exchangers as soldered aluminium plate equipment – State of the art. Soldered aluminium plate heat exchangers are the most frequently used pieces of equipment for heat exchange between clean fluids in cryogenic and low temperature processes. Equipment of this type combines high flexibility in the flow arrangement, high heating surface densities (up to 1400 m2/m3), low pressure drops, and low production costs. This article provides a survey of the present state of the art of their manufacture and thermal dimensioning. In conclusion, new developments are treated.
Phencyclidine Use in High School: Tests of Models

Phencyclidine (PCP) use was studied in conjunction with alcohol and marijuana use for a sample of tenth grade students. Rates of use, attitudes toward the drugs, perceived norms among significant others, and intentions to use the drugs in the future were assessed. Attitudes, intentions, subjective norms, and drug-taking behavior were related for each drug. Phencyclidine was used less than alcohol and marijuana, and attitudes were less favorable toward that drug. Students also reported less definite intentions to use PCP, and reported that their significant others disapproved of the drug more. A causal model was tested and found to fit the progression from alcohol to marijuana to PCP behavior, attitudes, intentions, and subjective norms. The causal model implies that the drugs are related in a stepwise manner.
Revisiting the composite laminate problem with an adaptive multi-level computational model

Abstract The series of free-edge boundary-value problems treated by Pagano and Rybicki (Pagano NJ, Rybicki EF. On the significance of effective modulus solutions for fibrous composite. J Comp Mat 1974;8: 214–28; Rybicki EF, Pagano NJ. A study of the influence of microstructure on the modified effective modulus approach for composite laminates. Proceedings of the 1975 Int. Conf. Compos. Mater 1976;2:198–207) demonstrates the breakdown of homogenization in the region of macroscopic gradients. Their study shows the need for an appropriate level of resolution in determining reasonably accurate stresses in the region of macro gradients. Problems of this type can be readily handled by using an adaptive multi-level computational model with varying resolutions for critical and non-critical regions. The model introduces three levels, a pure macroscopic problem with homogenized coefficients modeled through a conventional displacement based FE code, macro-micro coupling through asymptotic homogenization where periodicity of microstructure is assumed, and microscopic analysis using a Voronoi cell finite-element model. The effect of increasing number of rows on the results is studied by the multiscale model and the homogenized model. Fiber/matrix interfacial stresses are also provided as these are expected to initiate the failure process in these fiber-reinforced composite laminates.
Impact of an insecticide changes with amount of leaf litter input: Implications for amphibian populations

Changes in percentage of forest cover can influence nutrient levels in aquatic systems and change abiotic conditions that may influence species. The authors examined how increasing amounts of leaf litter influenced toxicity of the insecticide carbaryl using larval green frogs (Rana clamitans) in outdoor mesocosm ponds. Insecticides can have direct negative effects on individual physiology and behavior and indirect effects on the food web, which can result in trophic cascades. They predicted that direct effects of the insecticide would dominate when nutrients were low (resulting in negative impacts on amphibian development and survival), whereas indirect effects could offset direct effects when nutrients were more abundant through a trophic cascade that leads to more food for tadpoles (resulting in positive effects on amphibian development and survival). The authors found support for this hypothesis: first, total green frog survival was greatest with increased leaf litter input in the presence of carbaryl. Additionally, most green frogs that reached metamorphosis were from ponds with high leaf litter input and carbaryl. Second, the impact of carbaryl on developmental stage and tadpole mass varied depending on the amount of leaf litter present. With high amounts of leaf litter, carbaryl had a positive impact on development and growth; in contrast, with low amounts of leaf litter, carbaryl had negative or no effects on tadpole development and mass. The present study suggests that differences in nutrient levels between ponds exposed to pesticides could play a role in amphibian population dynamics. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 1518–1524. © 2012 SETAC
Optimization of the photochemical generation of trifluoronitromethane, CF3NO2, and a refined purification technique☆

Abstract The gas-phase photochemical generation of CF 3 NO 2 from CF 3 I and NO 2 was found to be equilibrium limited. The formation of CF 3 NO 2 is favored at low pressure and high temperature, where the concentration of the reactive species NO 2 is the greatest, and unfavored at high pressure and low temperature, where the concentration of N 2 O 4 is greatest. The results from varying the stoichiometric ratio of reactants, pressure, temperature, and reaction time in an attempted scale-up of this reaction are consistent with the reaction being equilibrium limited. The best reaction conditions allowed the generation of only 1–3 g of CF 3 NO 2 per batch reaction in an approximate 16-L vessel. As long as reaction conditions are chosen so that all of the starting CF 3 I is consumed, caustic scrubbing affords a significantly faster, less expensive, and more practical purification method than those previously published.
Physicochemical and Gelation Properties of Pre‐ and Postrigor Chicken Salt‐soluble Proteins

The physicochemical and gelation properties of salt-soluble proteins (SSP) extracted from chicken muscles were studied at 0.6M NaCl, pH 6.00. Thermally induced protein unfolding and protein-protein interaction were determined by 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) fluorescence and turbidity. Breast and leg SSP showed similar changes in protein unfolding, but differed in protein-protein interactions. Post-rigor breast SSP formed stronger and more elastic gels than prerigor breast and pre and postrigor leg SSP. Leg SSP gelation was less affected by muscle rigor state than breast SSP. Protein conformational changes were concluded to precede SSP association, which was a prerequisite for gel formation.
Topological defects in the buckling of elastic membranes

We investigate the effects of topological defects on the low-energy shapes of single-component two-dimensional elastic membranes with spherical topology. The membrane is described as a closed, triangulated two-dimensional manifold embedded in three-dimensional space using a dynamic triangulation model, thus allowing the creation of topological defects. Low-energy structures and connectivities are explored using a Monte Carlo simulated annealing method while also constraining the internal volume of the membrane to simulate incompressible contents within the membrane, such as in colloidosomes and viruses. We find that since the volume constraint partially suppresses the buckling transition such that the buckled icosahedral shape has a reduced asphericity, defect scars are favorable over a larger range of elastic parameters of the membrane compared with systems having no constraint on volume.
The Effect of Number of Blades on the Performance of Helical-Savonius Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines

This work presents the results of a series of experiments conducted on three different scaled-down Helical-Savonius vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) systems. The work was aimed at investigating how the number of blades may affect the performance of the Helical-Savonius VAWTs. The first turbine consisted of two helical blades, the second turbine had three blades, and the third turbines had four blades. The work included a design phase in which the three dimensional (3D) geometry of each of three VAWTs were developed using a 3D drawing software. The 3D models were then uploaded to a rapid-prototyping machine to fabricate the VAWTs. The projected areas of each of the VAWTs were that of a rectangle of 4″ × 6″. A test setup was designed and developed to examine the performance of the scaled-down turbines. A 1.1 KW floor fan was used to simulate wind flow in the laboratory for testing of the turbines. A flow straightener was also designed and developed in order to minimize the turbulent flow of the air at the discharge opening of the floor fan. The test results show that the 3-bladed rotor design performs better than the two and four bladed turbines. Under the same wind speed conditions the 3-bladed turbine produced 18% more power compared to the 2-bladed turbine, whereas the 3-bladed turbine produced 30% more power compared to the 4-bladed turbine.© 2012 ASME
A nitrocellulose membrane based solid phase enzyme immunoassay for detecting polioviruses in stool

Abstract An enzyme immunoassay was developed with nitrocellulose membrane as the solid phase support built in a 96 well porous polystyrene plate. Monoethanolamine was found to be a satisfactory and better blocking agent than skimmed milk. Up to 10 4.28 TCID 50 poliovirus particles/0.1 ml of stool collected in 10% skimmed milk could be detected depending on the initial titer of the antigen specific capturing serum/IgG immobilized on nitrocellulose membrane. Percentage of skimmed milk in the transport medium, composition and pH of the dilution buffer and chloroform treatment of the stool specimens before the test were important determinants of the specificity of the test. Polyvinyl affinity membrane did not appear to be superior to nitrocellulose membrane as a solid phase support.
A comparison of short-term treatment with inhaled fluticasone propionate and zafirlukast for patients with persistent asthma

Abstract Purpose To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of low-dose fluticasone propionate with that of oral zafirlukast therapy for patients previously treated with beta-2-agonists alone, and to evaluate the potential therapeutic benefit of switching from zafirlukast to a low-dose inhaled corticosteroid. Subjects and methods This study consisted of a 4-week randomized, double-blind treatment period followed by a 4-week open-label period. Two hundred ninety-four patients ≥12 years old with asthma previously uncontrolled with beta-2-agonists alone were randomly assigned to treatment with low-dose inhaled fluticasone (88 μg twice daily) or oral zafirlukast (20 mg twice daily). After 4 weeks, all patients discontinued their double-blind therapy and received open-label fluticasone (88 μg twice daily). Outcomes included pulmonary function, asthma symptoms, albuterol use, asthma exacerbations, and adverse events. Results During the double-blind treatment period, fluticasone patients had significantly greater improvements in morning peak flow (29.3 L/min vs. 18.3 L/min), percentage of symptom-free days (19.8% vs. 11.6%), and daily albuterol use (−1.8 puffs per day vs. −1.1 puffs per day) compared with zafirlukast patients ( P ≤0.025, each comparison). During the open-label treatment period, patients switched from zafirlukast to fluticasone experienced additional improvements in morning peak flow (17.2 L/min), evening peak flow (13.6 L/min), and FEV 1 (0.11 liter) and daily albuterol use (−0.9 puffs daily) compared with values obtained at the end of the double-blind treatment period ( P ≤0.001, each comparison). Conclusion Low-dose fluticasone was more effective than zafirlukast in improving pulmonary function and symptoms in patients with persistent asthma. In addition, switching patients from zafirlukast to fluticasone further improved clinical outcomes.