cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knee-Chest Position: A Sign of Increased IC Pressure

A preference to lie in the knee-chest position was associated with increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in three children, ages 12 and 20 months and 4 years, reported from the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Petach Tikvah, Israel.
Differential dynamic programming for graph-structured dynamical systems: Generalization of pouring behavior with different skills

We explore differential dynamic programming for dynamical systems that form a directed graph structure. This planning method is applicable to complicated tasks where sub-tasks are sequentially connected and different skills are selected according to the situation. A pouring task is an example: it involves grasping and moving a container, and selection of skills, e.g. tipping and shaking. Our method can handle these situations; we plan the continuous parameters of each subtask and skill, as well as select skills. Our method is based on stochastic differential dynamic programming. We use stochastic neural networks to learn dynamical systems when they are unknown. Our method is a form of reinforcement learning. On the other hand, we use ideas from artificial intelligence, such as graph-structured dynamical systems, and frame-and-slots to represent a large state-action vector. This work is a partial unification of these different fields. We demonstrate our method in a simulated pouring task, where we show that our method generalizes over material property and container shape. Accompanying video: https://youtu.be/_ECmnG2BLE8.
Walking Away From The Wire: Housing Mobility and Neighborhood Opportunity in Baltimore

AbstractFamilies using the Housing Choice Voucher Program rarely experience large gains in neighborhood or school quality when compared with unassisted poor renters. Research on housing mobility programs has reached mixed conclusions about whether vouchers can improve neighborhood and school quality, especially in the long term. We revisit these findings using new data from the partial remedy to the Thompson v. HUD desegregation case in Baltimore, known as the Baltimore Housing Mobility Program (BHMP). Through targeted vouchers, intensive counseling and innovative policy features, the BHMP helped families move to low-poverty, nonsegregated neighborhoods with higher performing school districts. We examine residential outcomes for the first 1,800 families that moved through the program for a period of up to 9 years. We find that BHMP families moved to more integrated and affluent neighborhoods, in school districts with more qualified teachers and fewer poor students—and most families stayed in these neighbo...
New kinetic strategy for extracting FDG transport and uptake information in microfluidic multi-chamber cell culture chip coupled with PSAPD

474 Objectives A microfluidic cell culture chip coupled with PSAPD (μF-PSAPD) has been developed to give continuous measurements of radioactivity in individual chambers that can be used to provide useful biological information of cells. New strategies of controlling the infusion and tracer level are needed to provide reliable estimates of the parameters. Methods A switching strategy (SS) was conceived that consists of multiple medium-infusion cycles, each of which has a tracer incubation (TI) period followed by a background-removed (BR) period (tracer-free medium). Performance of SS was evaluated by computer simulation and by experiments on MF-PSAPD. In simulation, realistic FDG kinetics of 12 cycles of TI and BR periods (5 min each) corresponding to 4 different sets of k values were simulated. Then, k values were estimated by regressing the kinetics with the FDG model. Results of 120 realizations were obtained and compared to those of constant infusion. For experiments, SS was adopted on a μF-PSAPD once with 4 cell lines (U87, P8, CaP8, B16) in different chambers, and in another with 3 medium glucose levels. Results Simulations showed that the estimated k values with SS have large reduction in %CV compared to those of constant infusion, with the largest reduction in Ki from 116 to 12. For experiments, measured kinetics was well fitted by the model (R-square=0.9999 on average). Ranks of Ki estimate were CaP8> B16 > P8>U87. Ki was inversely related to glucose level as expected. Conclusions The new strategy of tracer infusion provides reliable estimates of FDG Ki in μF-PSAPD. Optimization of the cyclic periods is expected to improve parameter estimation further.
Recent Trends in Ultimate Strength Design

To obtain reasonably accurate predictions of member capacity at cracking load and near ultimate load, use of ultimate strength theory is required; load factor proposals call for use of reduced material strengths and increase over working loads; use of separate load factors for dead and live load; developing systematic " theory" of ultimate strength by use of strains and rectangular stress block for concrete stresses.
Metrics for Identifying Food Security Status and the Population with Potential to Benefit from Nutrition Interventions in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST)

Background: The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) uses the poverty head-count ratio at $1.90/d as a proxy for food security to identify the percentage of the population with the potential to benefit from balanced energy supplementation and complementary feeding (CF) interventions, following the approach used for the Lancet's 2008 series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition. Because much work has been done in the development of food security indicators, a re-evaluation of the use of this indicator was warranted.Objective: The aim was to re-evaluate the use of the poverty head-count ratio at $1.90/d as the food security proxy indicator in LiST.Methods: We carried out a desk review to identify available indicators of food security. We identified 3 indicators and compared them by using scatterplots, Spearman's correlations, and Bland-Altman plot analysis. We generated LiST projections to compare the modeled impact results with the use of the different indicators.Results: There are many food security indicators available, but only 3 additional indicators were identified with the data availability requirements to be used as the food security indicator in LiST. As expected, analyzed food security indicators were significantly positively correlated (P < 0.001), but there was generally poor agreement between them. The disparity between the indicators also increases as the values of the indicators increase. Consequently, the choice of indicator can have a considerable effect on the impact of interventions modeled in LiST, especially in food-insecure contexts.Conclusions: There was no single indicator identified that is ideal for measuring the percentage of the population who is food insecure for LiST. Thus, LiST will use the food security indicators that were used in the meta-analyses that produced the effect estimates. These are the poverty head-count ratio at $1.90/d for CF interventions and the prevalence of a low body mass index in women of reproductive age for balanced energy supplementation interventions.
Optimizing oil spill cleanup efforts: A tactical approach and evaluation framework

Abstract Although anthropogenic oil spills vary in size, duration and severity, their broad impacts on complex social, economic and ecological systems can be significant. Questions pertaining to the operational challenges associated with the tactical allocation of human resources, cleanup equipment and supplies to areas impacted by a large spill are particularly salient when developing mitigation strategies for extreme oiling events. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the application of advanced oil spill modeling techniques in combination with a developed mathematical model to spatially optimize the allocation of response crews and equipment for cleaning up an offshore oil spill. The results suggest that the detailed simulations and optimization model are a good first step in allowing both communities and emergency responders to proactively plan for extreme oiling events and develop response strategies that minimize the impacts of spills.
Evolution of Turbulence in the Diurnal Warm Layer

AbstractThe daily evolution of temperature, stratification, and turbulence in the diurnal warm layer is described from time series measurements at low to moderate winds and strong insolation in the equatorial Indian Ocean. At 2.0 m depth, turbulence dissipation rates (e) decreased by 2 orders of magnitude over 1-2 hours immediately after sunrise, initiated by stratification caused by penetrating solar radiation prior to the change in sign of net surface heat flux from cooling to warming. Decaying turbulence preceded a period of rapid growth, in which e increased by 2 orders of magnitude over a few hours, and following which e approached a daytime period of near-steady state. Decay and growth rates predicted by a simplified turbulence model are consistent with those observed. During the daytime period of near-steady state, asymmetric temperature ramps were associated with enhanced e, supporting the interpretation that this period represents a balance between buoyancy and shear production associated with a ...
Is penal substitution unjust

Penal substitution in a theological context is the doctrine that God inflicted upon Christ the suffering which we deserved as the punishment for our sins, as a result of which we no longer deserve punishment. Ever since the time of Faustus Socinus, the doctrine has faced formidable, and some would say insuperable, philosophical challenges. Critics of penal substitution frequently assert that God’s punishing Christ in our place would be an injustice on God’s part. For it is an axiom of retributive justice that it is unjust to punish an innocent person. But Christ was an innocent person. Since God is perfectly just, He cannot therefore have punished Christ. Virtually every premiss in this argument is challengeable. Not all penal substitution theories affirm that Christ was punished for our sins. The argument makes unwarranted assumptions about the ontological foundations of moral duty independent of God’s commands. It presupposes without warrant that God is by nature an unqualified negative retributivist. It overlooks the possibility that the prima facie demands of negative retributive justice might be overridden in Christ’s case by weightier moral considerations. And it takes it for granted that Christ was legally innocent, which is denied by the classic doctrine of imputation. It thus fails to show any injustice in God’s punishing Christ in our place.
Improving the resistance of eastern white pine to white pine blister rust disease

Abstract Eastern white pine (EWP), Pinus strobus L., is an iconic forest tree in the north woods of eastern North America. White pine blister rust, caused by Cronartium ribicola, an invasive pathogen, entered North America in the early 20th century and infected all five-needled pines across the continent. Few genotypes of eastern white pine have demonstrated consistent, elevated resistance to the pathogen, so our objective was to identify additional genotypes with resistance. Since 1970, the USDA Forest Service has identified and grafted over 800 phenotypic plus tree selections from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. A protocol to artificially inoculate one-year old seedlings was used to screen 228 genotypes along with rust-resistant and susceptible standards across a four-year period, from 2010 to 2013. We identified 25 genotypes, based on survival assessed two years after inoculation, which exceeded the resistant standard. These genotypes will be grafted into new seed orchards to aid reforestation efforts aimed at restoring this keystone species to suitable habitats where regeneration is currently hindered by blister rust on privately-held land, state forests and national forests in the Lake States region.
Determining the educational value of a technical and nontechnical skills medical student curriculum

Abstract Background Residency application rates to general surgery remain low. The purpose of this study is to describe the educational value of a curriculum designed to increase preclinical medical student interest in surgical careers to better understand the process by which medical students decide to pursue a career in surgery. Materials and methods We used qualitative methodology to describe the educational value of a technical and nontechnical skills curriculum offered to preclinical medical students at our institution. We conducted semistructured interviews of students and instructors who completed the curriculum in 2016. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and inductively coded. The data were analyzed for emergent themes. Results A total of eight students and five instructors were interviewed. After analysis of 13 transcripts, four themes emerged: (1) The course provides a safe environment for learning, (2) acquisition and synthesis of basic technical skills increases preclinical student comfort in the operating room, (3) developing relationships with surgeons creates opportunities for extracurricular learning and scholarship, and (4) operative experiences can inspire students to explore a future career in surgery. Conclusions These factors can help inform the design of future interventions to increase student interest, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of students who apply to surgical residency programs.
“Just black” or not “just black?” ethnic attrition in the Nigerian-American second generation

Despite the largely voluntary character of Nigerian immigration to the United States since 1970, it is not clear that their patterns of integration have emulated those of earlier immigrants who, ov...
Modeling of Rectifier-Controlled Induction Motor Drive Load in Transient Stability Simulation Tools

This paper proposes a novel comprehensive model of a rectifier-controlled induction motor drive for use in positive-sequence transient stability simulation (PSTSS) programs. The model is implemented to approximately capture the behavior of the point-on-wave drive model, and applied to investigate the dynamic performance of the advanced drive loads in system-level simulations. This positive-sequence drive model is systematically developed by reducing the detailed three-phase electrical and control representations into $dq$ axes positive-sequence formulations. For the positive-sequence model, the line-side rectifier is interfaced to the grid through a voltage source with separate $dq$ axes controls to regulate the active and reactive power of the drive. The machine-side inverter control system is represented based on rotor flux oriented control. The dc -link of the drive converter is implemented by employing the average model of the pulse width modulated converter, and is utilized to integrate the line-side rectifier and machine-side inverter. The proposed motor drive model is validated by comparing the performance with the electromagnetic transient point-on-wave drive model. The VAr support capability of the drive load model is investigated by incorporating the developed model into a composite load structure in PSTSS programs. Multiple units of the developed drive models are represented in large-scale transmission systems to examine the system-level responses of drive loads.
WNK-SPAK/OSR1 signaling: lessons learned from an insect renal epithelium.

WNK [with no lysine (K)] kinases regulate renal epithelial ion transport to maintain homeostasis of electrolyte concentrations, extracellular volume, and blood pressure. The SLC12 cation-chloride c...
Clinical characterization of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) with mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations.

e15791Background: Tumors with mismatch repair-deficiency (MMRD) have a high mutational burden and have good responses to immunotherapy (Le, NEJM, 2015). We describe the natural course, clinicopatho...
Nanotube structures: material characterization and structural analysis of Ge–Se thin films

Nanotube structures, formed in thin films of chalcogenide glasses open avenues for new applications, since they offer directional options for many effects in these otherwise completely disordered systems. One way to grow nanotubes is through formation of nano-columnar structures by confining them. In this work nano-columnar growth of thermally evaporated GexSe100−x (x = 20, 30, 40) films is achieved through oblique films deposition. The columnar structural organization of the films and its dependence upon the deposition angle and films composition are established by imaging the cross-sectional areas of the films through scanning electron microscopy. Atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy studies reveal respectively variation in the surface porosity, composition changes and structural reorganizations occurring in the films as a function of obliqueness angles and material’s composition. These results are discussed in respect to the structural organization of films deposited under normal flux incidence and deformations and other structural effects caused by films' deposition under variable angles. Based on the experimental results an empirical formula for the tangent rule is suggested which links the incident flux angle α, and the nanotube inclination angle β.
Positron-Emission Tomographic Imaging of a Fluorine 18–Radiolabeled Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 Inhibitor Monitors the Therapeutic Efficacy of Talazoparib in SCLC Patient–Derived Xenografts

Abstract Introduction Inhibitors of poly-(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) are promising therapeutics for SCLC. We tested whether PARP inhibitor (PARPi) target engagement as measured by a fluorine 18–radiolabeled PARPi ([18F]PARPi) has the potential to predict drug efficacy in vivo. Methods Tumor growth inhibition during daily talazoparib treatment was evaluated in mice engrafted with SCLC patient-derived xenografts to evaluate talazoparib efficacy at multiple doses. Mice were intravenously injected with [18F]PARPi radiotracer at multiple timepoints after single doses of oral talazoparib to quantitatively assess the extent to which talazoparib could reduce tumor radiotracer uptake and positron-emission tomographic (PET)/computer tomographic activity. Tumors were harvested and tumor poly-(ADP) ribose level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results A dose range of talazoparib with differential therapeutic efficacy was established, with significant delay in time to reach 1000 mm3 for tumors treated with 0.3 mg/kg (p = 0.02) but not 0.1 mg/kg talazoparib. On PET/computed tomography with [18F]PARPi, reduction in [18F]PARPi uptake after talazoparib dosing was consistent with talazoparib clearance, with reduction in PET activity attenuating over 24 hours. Talazoparib target engagement, measured by maximum tumor PET uptake, increased in a dose-dependent manner (3.9% versus 2.1% injected dose/g for 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg at 3 hours post-talazoparib, p = 0.003) and correlated with PARP enzymatic activity among individual tumors as measured by total tumor poly-(ADP) ribose (p = 0.04, R = 0.62 at 1 hour post-talazoparib). Conclusions PET imaging using [18F]PARPi has the potential to be a powerful tool in treatment monitoring by assessing PARPi target engagement in real-time.
The Syphilis Testing Result Interprofessional Counseling and Education (STRICE) simulation

Abstract The Syphilis Testing Result Interprofessional Counseling and Education simulation provides a scenario where students of a variety of health professions programs practice Interprofessional Education Collaborative domains while working with each other to communicate syphilis laboratory test results and counsel an anxious pregnant patient. The scenario allows learners to practice their respective roles, such as understanding and explaining laboratory results, gathering additional history from the patient, deliberating further diagnostic testing, and discussing risks and benefits of various treatment options. This simulation includes considerations for the impact of outcomes for the mother and baby, as well as socioeconomic and cultural factors that may affect the patient's decision-making. The activity consists of a pre-scenario briefing and interprofessional team plan development, followed by a standardized patient encounter and subsequent debriefing. The learners completed survey questions to assess changes in perceptions of interprofessional practice and education competencies before and after the session. After participation in the simulation activity, most participants reported an overall increase in competency domains.
Five months of voluntary wheel running downregulates skeletal muscle LINE-1 gene expression in rats.

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA and constitute approximately half of the human genome. LINE-1 (L1) is the only active autonomous TE in the mammalian genome and has been implicated in a n...
The Woodstock Sandal

This article is a verse essay in an American variation of ancient heroic or dactylic hexameter on attending Woodstock and its influence on my thinking and writing since then.
Reinforcement learning-based collision avoidance: impact of reward function and knowledge transfer

Collision avoidance for robots and vehicles in unpredictable environments is a challenging task. Various control strategies have been developed for the agent (i.e., robots or vehicles) to sense the environment, assess the situation, and select the optimal actions to avoid collision and accomplish its mission. In our research on autonomous ships, we take a machine learning approach to collision avoidance. The lack of available ship steering data of human ship masters has made it necessary to acquire collision avoidance knowledge through reinforcement learning (RL). Given that the learned neural network tends to be a black box, it is desirable that a method is available which can be used to design an agent's behavior so that the desired knowledge can be captured. Furthermore, RL with complex tasks can be either time consuming or unfeasible. A multi-stage learning method is needed in which agents can learn from simple tasks and then transfer their learned knowledge to closely related but more complex tasks. In this paper, we explore the ways of designing agent behaviors through tuning reward functions and devise a transfer RL method for multi-stage knowledge acquisition. The computer simulation-based agent training results have shown that it is important to understand the roles of each component in a reward function and the various design parameters in transfer RL. The settings of these parameters are all dependent on the complexity of the tasks and the similarities between them.
Self-Interference Channel Characterization for Reconfigurable Antenna Based Systems

This paper presents experimental characterization of the self-interference (SI) channel for In-Band Full-Duplex (IBFD) communication systems that employ beam steering, Multi reconfigurable antennas (MRA), for passive SI suppression. First, we describe a system model of a full-duplex base station while highlighting channel impairments associated with each signal component. We present the SI channel power delay profiles measured by IBFD system operating on 5MHz, 10MHz and 20MHz bandwidths. We compare the measurements for beam patterns that result in line of sight suppression (and non-suppression) in both static and dynamic environments. We then statistically model the SI channel by performing probability distribution fitting to SI channel data, which is collected in dynamic environment, under high and low SI suppression conditions provided by MRA. Finally, candidate probability distribution models are compared using goodness of fit test.
A break-even analysis of tranexamic acid for prevention of periprosthetic joint infection following total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Purpose Despite the commonplace use of tranexamic acid in total joint arthroplasty, much of the current data regarding its cost-effectiveness examines savings directly related to its hemostatic properties, without considering its protective effect against periprosthetic joint infections. Using break-even economic modeling, we calculated the cost-effectiveness of routine tranexamic acid administration for infection prevention in total joint arthroplasty. Materials and methods The cost of intraoperative intravenous tranexamic acid, the cost of revision arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infections, and the baseline rates of periprosthetic joint infections in patients who did not receive intraoperative tranexamic acid were obtained from the literature and institutional purchasing records. Break-even economic modeling incorporating these variables was performed to determine the absolute risk reduction in infection rate to make routine intraoperative tranexamic acid use economically justified. The number needed to treat was calculated from the absolute risk reduction. Results Routine use of intraoperative tranexamic acid is economically justified if it prevents at least 1 infection out of 3125 total joint arthroplasties (absolute risk reduction = 0.032%). Cost-effectiveness was maintained with varying costs of tranexamic acid, infection rates, and periprosthetic joint infection costs. Conclusion The routine use of intraoperative tranexamic acid is a highly cost-effective practice for infection prevention in primary and revision total joint arthroplasty. The use of tranexamic acid is warranted across a wide range of costs of tranexamic acid, initial infection rates, and costs of periprosthetic joint infection treatment.
I Am Sorry Tk Be a Pain

“Good morning! I am sorry tk be a pain and you have already let me submit my work late without taking points off I have started my response to the second part I have tk finish at least one more paragraph but I just got home from work and need to shut my eyes for an hour or so. Would it be possible to submit it by 11 am?” This email illustrates an essential fact of life for anyone seeking to understand the community college: Most community college students live very complex lives. Most students who attend community colleges are attempting to balance work schedules, family responsibilities, personal lives, along with academic responsibilities for college, so being able to complete work for classes during the semester can often be challenging. For this reason, flexibility is one of the greatest gifts community college faculty and staff—and legislators and state and federal funding agencies—can offer students.
Assessing the impact of dual-task reactive step practice in people with Parkinson's disease: A feasibility study.

Abstract Reactive stepping is impaired in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) but can be improved with training. However, it is unclear if reactive steps can be improved when performing a concurrent cognitive task, a common and fall-relevant circumstance. We assessed the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of dual-task reactive step training. Specifically, we measured whether stepping and cognitive reaction time are improved after one day of dual-task reactive step practice and if improvements are retained 24 h later. Sixteen people with PD and 13 age-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent repeated from-stance support surface perturbations that elicited a reactive step while performing an auditory Stroop task. Participants returned the following day to reassess dual-task reactive stepping performance. Cognitive, neuromuscular, and stepping outcomes were calculated. Increased step lengths were observed for both groups after practice (p
Nonsurgical Management of Proximal Biceps Pathology

Long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) pathologies can be categorized as inflammation, instability and, mechanical failure. Specific protocols that address these categories of pathology are necessary for comprehensive treatment.
Depression and Inflammatory Markers in Veterans With Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), afflicts over one per thousand people in the United States. The pathology of MS typically involves lesions in several regions, including the brain and spinal cord. The manifestation of MS is variable and carries great potential to negatively impact quality of life (QOL). Evidence that inflammatory markers are related to depression in MS is accumulating. However, there are barriers in precisely identifying the biological mechanisms underlying depression and inflammation. Analysis of cytokines provides one promising approach for understanding the mechanisms that may contribute to MS symptoms. Methods In this pilot study, we measured salivary levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1beta (β), and IL-10 in 24 veterans with MS. Descriptive statistics were reported and Pearson correlation coefficients were obtained between cytokines and depression. Results The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly negatively associated with depression in veterans with MS (r = -0.47, p = .024). Conclusion Cytokines may be useful for elucidating biological mechanisms associated with the depression and a measure for nurses caring for veterans with MS.
ERP driven marketing benefits

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software has been implemented by the majority of the large corporations in the world in order to streamline and integrate their internal business processes. The impact of this multi-million, sometimes billion dollar IT investment is mostly measured in terms of ROI, cost savmgs and productivity improvement. However, marketers should not ignore the benefits an ERP system can bring them and their customers. This paper describes five benefits marketers derive from an ERP implementation. These are information availability, streamlined processes, sales force support, strengthened business partners, and support for globalization. INTRODUCTION The benefits and challenges associated with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software systems are impacting marketing strategies and operations. Sales, customer service, and market­ ing are discovering that ERP systems are providing them with sometimes unanticipated capabili­ ties and information. Few firms implement ERP systems with marketing objectives in mind. Process improvement and cost savings in manufacturing, logistics and inventory, along with financial control issues generally drive the implementation decision. However, as the implemen­ tations are completed, the systems go live, and users begin to comprehend the software's capabili­ ties, the profound impact of this technology emerges (Anonymous Deloitte, 1999). Marketing is affected for two reasons. First, the live system delivers information about customers, products, and processes that was not readily available before. Second, the ERP system provides a platform for expansion to more marketing oriented applications software. ERP is a modular software package that allows a company to automate and integrate its major business practices, sharing common data and processes across the entire enterprise. An ERP system produces and accesses information in real time. It is designed to eliminate the frag­ mentation of information in large business organizations (Davenport, 1998). Over time, compa­ nies have turned to a variety of independent computer software systems to serve the needs of company functions. Manufacturing, sales, and finance departments each operated and main­ tained their own software and data could not easily be transferred between systems. These sys­ tems are referred to as legacy systems and often must be integrated with an ERP system. The advent of ERP allows the processes of different company functions to be integrated and
The RPE65-Deficient Mouse as a Model for RPE65-Associated Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and Related Disorders

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-specific protein RPE65 has been speculated to play a role in the vitamin A metabolism of the outer retina. Recently, mutations in the human RPE65 gene have been associated with Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a disorder characterized by blindness at birth, and autosomal recessive childhood-onset severe retinal dystrophies. We have developed an RPE65-deficient mouse and have described its phenotype. The RPE65-deficient mouse phenotype parallels that of the human disorders. This phenotype can be explained by a disruption of the RPE visual cycle causing a lack of 11-cis-retinal chromophore. Consequently, it is feasible to use this mouse as a model to test possible therapies for the human diseases.
Cultural Diversity, Student Motivation and Achievement

Achievement in one form or another has been a subject of continuing interest on the part of parents, leaders in business and industry, government officials and of course, social scientists. Some may focus especially on societal achievement: gross national product (GNP), industrial efficiency, or per capita income. Others are more concerned with the number of Nobel prizes won or perhaps the quality of orchestras, the status of the arts, employment rates, and literacy. Whatever the specific focus, in the final analysis, a society’s schools take the blame when productivity objectives are not met, science is second rate, and high art and music have to be imported. Whether or not schools deserve all the blame they receive, it is hard to deny that they are a major factor in societal achievement.
Critical-Region Thermal Expansion in Mn Cl 2 ·4 H 2 O and Mn Br 2 ·4 H 2 O

The N\'eel-point anomaly in the linear thermal-expansion coefficients along three mutually perpendicular directions in Mn${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O and Mn${\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O has been observed. Using the three-terminal capacitance technique, length changes were measured between 0.4 and 4.2 K with a resolution of approximately 0.02 \AA{} under the best conditions. Temperature resolution was about 4\ensuremath{\mu}K, with points taken at 40-\ensuremath{\mu}K intervals near the transition. In Mn${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O, the linear expansion coefficient along the $a$ axis, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{a}$, is negative, while ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{b}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{{c}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ are positive. All three linear expansion coefficients are negative in Mn${\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O. The temperature dependences of the thermal-expansion coefficients for a given salt are similar but not identical, in agreement with theoretical expectations. On a reduced temperature scale, the temperature dependences of the thermal-expansion coefficients for the two salts are also similar. Near the transition ($\frac{|T\ensuremath{-}{T}_{N}|}{{T}_{N}}l0.1$), the results can be fitted by the relations: $\ensuremath{\alpha}={A}_{\ensuremath{-}}+{B}_{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{ln}(1\ensuremath{-}\frac{T}{{T}_{N}},), Tl{T}_{N}$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}={A}_{+}+{B}_{+}{(\frac{T}{{T}_{N}}\ensuremath{-}1)}^{\ensuremath{-}p}, Tg{T}_{N}$ where $p=0.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06$ in Mn${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O and $p=0.42\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08$ in Mn${\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O. Using recent high-resolution critical-region specific-heat results for Mn${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}4${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O, we calculate the dependence of the transition temperature on applied stress for this salt.
Framing (In)Equality for Same-Sex Couples

This Essay shows how LGBT rights advocates successfully transformed civil unions and domestic partnerships from a sign of equality into a marker of inequality. The deployment of constitutional frames, and the articulation and resolution of those frames in court, played a significant role in this shift. Constitutional commitments provided the language through which advocates could embrace civil unions and domestic partnerships as ways to provide equality for same-sex couples and yet later reject those designations as badges of inequality. Advocates successfully transformed these nonmarital alternatives from constitutional remedies to constitutional violations. At crucial moments, courts played significant roles in this transition, providing venues for advocates to announce, hone, and resolve competing frames. Advocates, in turn, integrated courts’ treatment of those frames into their discursive strategies. Ultimately, the concepts of equality and inequality and their relationship to same-sex couples gained — and changed — meaning through court-based campaigns. To chart this trajectory, this Essay attends to four crucial judicial decisions along the path from equality to inequality in the framing of civil unions and domestic partnerships: (1) the 1999 Vermont Supreme Court Baker v. State decision, (2) the 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Goodridge v. Department of Public Health decision, (3) the 2005 New Jersey Supreme Court Lewis v. Harris decision, and (4) the 2010 Northern District of California Perry v. Schwarzenegger decision.
Platform-based product design and environmental turbulence : The mediating role of strategic flexibility

Purpose – When competing in a turbulent environment, strategic flexibility can be a competitive advantage. One source of flexibility is the new product development (NPD) process, or more specifically product design. The purpose of this paper is to investigate platform-based product design and its relationship to environmental turbulence, strategic flexibility, and market performance. Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical model is developed and relationships are empirically tested using structural equation modeling. Data were collected from engineering design managers in the US manufacturing industry. Findings – The paper found that the higher the level of environmental turbulence the more firms turned to platform product design. Also, the higher the level of platform design the higher the level of market performance, both in the short term and the long term. Finally, the paper showed that strategic flexibility positively and partially mediates the positive relationship between platform design and pe...
QT interval and long-term mortality risk in the Framingham Heart Study.

Background: The association between QT interval and mortality has been demonstrated in large, prospective population-based studies, but the strength of the association varies considerably based on the method of heart rate correction. We examined the QT-mortality relationship in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Methods: Participants in the first (original cohort, n = 2,365) and second generation (offspring cohort, n = 4,530) cohorts were included in this study with a mean follow up of 27.5 years. QT interval measurements were obtained manually using a reproducible digital caliper technique. Results: Using Cox proportional hazards regression adjusting for age and sex, a 20 millisecond increase in QTc (using Bazett's correction; QT/RR1/2 interval) was associated with a modest increase in risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.10–1.18, P < 0.0001), coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.05–1.26, P = 0.003), and sudden cardiac death (SCD, HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03–1.37, P = 0.02). However, adjustment for heart rate using RR interval in linear regression attenuated this association. The association of QT interval with all-cause mortality persisted after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, but associations with CHD mortality and SCD were no longer significant. Conclusion: In FHS, there is evidence of a graded relation between QTc and all-cause mortality, CHD death, and SCD; however, this association is attenuated by adjustment for RR interval. These data confirm that using Bazett's heart rate correction, QTc, overestimates the association with mortality. An association with all-cause mortality persists despite a more complete adjustment for heart rate and known cardiovascular risk factors.
Special measure function separability and reflectionless potentials

A relationship is found between the separability of the spectral measure function and the Poschl-Teller (PT) reflectionless potential (RLP). The limits on this relationship are briefly discussed.
Challenges to Implementing Integrated Pest Management in Schools: What We Have Learned From Field Visits

This study documents the findings of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 2 Pesticides Program field visits to assess the pest management practices in three large urban school districts in New York and New Jersey, multiple suburban districts in these same states, one tribal area, and one U.S. territory. New Jersey has a law mandating school Integrated Pest Management (IPM) implementation, while New York State has a voluntary school IPM program. This study contributes to answering the questions: how do the pest management practices in school districts in states with or without school IPM legislation compare? Has state legislation impacted pest management practices? What are some of the impediments to implementing school IPM?
Supply chain management in theory and practice: a passing fad or a fundamental change?

Supply chain management is a major issue in many industries as firms realize the importance of creating an integrated relationship with their suppliers and customers. Managing the supply chain has become a way of improving competitiveness by reducing uncertainty and enhancing customer service. This paper analyzes various issues important to supply chain management and provides broader awareness of supply chain principles and concepts. The role of planning and coordination in complex integrated systems and information technology to synchronize the supply chain is described in a framework that creates the appropriate structure and installs proper controls in the enterprise and other constituents in the chain.
Effects of operating parameters on nitrogen oxides emissions for a natural gas fueled homogeneous charged compression ignition engine (HCCI): Results from a thermodynamic model with detailed chemistry

Abstract Past numerical studies on natural gas HCCI engines have provided few thorough analyses of the effects of operating parameters on nitrogen oxides (referring to the mixture of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide). A single zone thermodynamic model with detailed chemical kinetics was used to determine the effect of operating parameters on nitrogen oxides emissions. The model employed Chemkin and used chemical kinetics for natural gas with 53 species and 325 reactions. The simulation was conducted for a modified 0.4 l single cylinder engine, which possessed a compression ratio of 21.5:1, and had a bore and stroke of 86 and 75 mm, respectively. Several sets of parametric studies were completed to investigate the effect of engine load (imep = 200–600 kPa), speed (600–3000 RPM), equivalence ratio (0.3–1.0), EGR level (0–40%), temperature at IVC (390–460 K), and fuel compositions (0–10% C2H6) on nitrogen oxides emissions. Contributions of different NOx mechanisms have been examined, and the thermal mechanism accounts for over 70% of the total NOx at most of the conditions. The results show significant changes in nitrogen oxides concentrations with varying engine operating conditions. These changes are shown to be strongly dependent on the chemical kinetics and the resulting differences in gas temperature profiles. For this particular study, 50% reduction in nitrogen oxides emissions could result from a load (imep) decrease from 300 kPa to 200 kPa, or an EGR level increase from 0% to 20%.
Determinants of corporate listings on stock markets in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ghana

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) economies have established stock markets to encourage the mobilization of domestic funds and attract foreign capital in-flows for corporate investment and growth. But domestic corporate listings on stock markets have been abysmal. This study examines the reasons behind the low patronage of stock markets by domestic firms in SSA using Ghana as a case study. Data for the study was obtained from 110 out of the 200 largest firms in Ghana and included firms which were listed on the stock market and unlisted firms over three time-periods from 2002 to 2009. The findings show that knowledge about stock market dynamics and financial institutions' support encourages listing on the stock market. However, extensive information and disclosure costs requirements, and loss of ownership and control discourage listing on the stock market.
The replication of poliovirus in primary kidney cell cultures of thirteen-lined ground squirrels.

SummaryEvidence presented confirmed the propagation of polioviruses 1 (Brunhilde strain), 2 (Lansing strain), and 3 (Leon strain) in primary kidney cell cultures derived from normothermic ground squirrels (Citellus tridecemlineatus). Virus identity was validated by neutralization with homotypic antiserum. A mixed agglutination procedure revealed that the kidney cell cultures were of ground squirrel origin. The basis underlying this phenomenon and its implications were also discussed.
Central Corneal Thickness of Caucasians, Chinese, Hispanics, Filipinos, African Americans, and Japanese in a Glaucoma Clinic

Objective To characterize the central corneal thickness (CCT) of Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino), Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American patients in a multiethnic glaucoma practice. Design Retrospective study (chart review). Participants Glaucomatous (n = 600) and nonglaucomatous (n = 201) eyes of 801 patients examined in a San Francisco glaucoma clinic from June 2002 to April 2004 who met inclusion criteria were included in the study. The 6 racial (ethnic) groups represented in the study were Caucasian (n = 186, 23.2%), Chinese (n = 157, 19.6%), Japanese (n = 121, 15.1%), Hispanic (n = 116, 14.5%), Filipino (n = 114, 14.2%), and African American (n = 107, 13.4%). Methods Central corneal thickness was measured by means of ultrasound pachymetry in Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino), Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American participants with glaucomatous and normal eyes. The relationship between CCT and race was investigated using multivariate regression analyses, controlling for confounders. One eye of each of 801 participants was included for analysis. Main outcome measures Correlation of mean CCT with race, glaucoma diagnosis, age, spherical equivalent, gender, and history of ocular surgery. Results The mean CCT of all participants was 542.9 μm. Central corneal thicknesses of Chinese (555.6 μm), Caucasian (550.4 μm), Filipino (550.6 μm), and Hispanic (548.1 μm) participants did not significantly differ. The CCT of Japanese participants (531.7 μm) was significantly less than that ofCaucasians, Chinese, Filipinos, and Hispanics (all, P ≤0.001) and greater than that of African Americans ( P = 0.03). African Americans had a CCT (521.0.0 μm) less than that of all races ( P ≤0.05). Glaucoma suspects and patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEX), and chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) had corneas significantly thinner than those of normal participants ( P ≤0.004), whereas ocular hypertensives had significantly thicker corneas ( P P P = 0.38, P = 0.50, and P = 0.97, respectively). Conclusions Studies examining individual Asian subpopulations in isolation suggest that differences in CCT may exist among different Asian groups. The results of this study indicate that CCT does, in fact, vary among Asian subpopulations; Japanese have thinner corneas than Chinese and Filipinos. Caucasians, Chinese, Hispanics, and Filipinos have comparable CCT measurements, whereas the corneas of African Americans are significantly thinner. Additionally, older individuals; glaucoma suspects; and participants with NTG, POAG, PEX, and CACG have thinner corneas. Ocular hypertensives, however, have thicker corneas.
Linear filtering of images based on properties of vision

The design of linear image filters based on properties of human visual perception has been shown to require the minimization of criterion functions in both the spatial and frequency domains. We extend this approach to continuous filters of infinite support. For lowpass filters, this leads to the concept of an ideal lowpass image filter that provides a response that is superior perceptually to that of the classical ideal lowpass filter. >