cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dividend Paying Firm and Flexibility Hypothesis

Previous research suggests that firms substitute stock repurchases for dividend increases in response to higher cash flow volatility and/or higher tax rates on dividends relative to capital gains. However, when we separately examine repurchase decisions by dividend and non-dividend paying firms, we find little evidence that either cash flow uncertainty or reduced dividend tax rates after the Tax Act of 2003 induces the expected shifts in payments. Instead, we find that the two payout methods appear to have distinctly different shareholder clientele rather than being substitutes for each other.
Self-compassionate and apologetic? How and why having compassion toward the self relates to a willingness to apologize

Abstract After offending someone, transgressors can offer an apology to attenuate the destructive consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, even though apologies can be immensely beneficial, transgressors often withhold an apology because it can feel uncomfortable to accept blame for wrongful behavior. We sought to enhance our understanding of factors that shape transgressors' responses by investigating whether self-compassion is associated with greater willingness to apologize. Because self-compassionate people withhold self-judgment and become less overwhelmed by experiencing negative emotions, they tend to face rather than withdraw from challenging situations. We therefore predicted that self-compassionate people would be more willing to apologize because they are less likely to withdraw in the context of transgressing, and we found support for this prediction in one study using a large sample. These findings expand our knowledge of factors that aid in conflict resolution and demonstrate that being understanding toward one's failures promotes constructive responses to those failures.
Overview of the NLPCC-ICCPOL 2017 Shared Task: Social Media User Modeling

In this paper, we give the overview of the social media user modeling shared task in the NLPCC-ICCPOL 2017. We first review the background of social media user modeling, and then describe two social media user modeling tasks in this year’s NLPCC-ICCPOL, including the construction of the benchmark datasets and the evaluation metrics. The evaluation results of submissions from participating teams are presented in the experimental part.
Comparison of treatment strategies for femoro-popliteal disease: A network meta-analysis.

Objectives We sought to compare treatment strategies in a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Background Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a prevalent morbidity that is treated with various strategies. Methods We performed a MEDLINE search for randomized studies comparing at least 2 treatment strategies, including bypass surgery, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloons, stents, covered stents, drug-eluting stents (DES), and drug-coated balloons (DCB), in patients with native femoro-popliteal disease. Mixed treatment comparison model generation was performed to directly and indirectly compare the strategies in terms of restenosis and target lesion revascularization (TLR) presented as odds ratios (OR, [95% credible intervals]). Results Twenty-nine studies with 4,820 patients were included in the present study. PTA was the largest group with 1,900 patients, followed by DCB (n = 1,343), bare metal stents (n = 941), covered stents (n = 304), DES (n = 236), and bypass (n = 92). Mean age was 68 ± 9 years, 64% were male, 37% diabetic, and 55% smokers. Mean lesion length was 77 ± 44 mm, and 39% were total occlusions. Bayesian hierarchical random-effects model demonstrated all treatments were significantly better than, or had a trend toward superiority over, PTA, with DCB ranking well in both restenosis (OR = 0.29, [0.17-0.47]) and TLR (OR = 0.31, [0.20-0.46]). Nonetheless, none of the therapies showed superiority in terms of survival or amputations. Conclusion Treatment of femoro-popliteal disease has significantly evolved in recent years, with higher rates of patency and freedom from TLR. However, the utility of these treatment strategies in terms of reduction of amputations and overall survival remains in question.
Predictive and Prognostic Markers in Adults With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Single-Institution Experience.

Abstract Background Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous malignancy with diverse genetic abnormalities, clinical presentations, and outcomes. Known predictive and prognostic factors in AML include age, performance status, comorbidities, cytogenetics, and molecular mutations. Identifying prognostic and predictive factors can inform the choice of induction therapy and outcomes prediction. Patients and Methods A retrospective review was performed of 137 adult AML patients from 2010 to 2015. Predictors of complete remission (CR) and overall survival (OS) were determined for patients treated with 3+7 (3 days of anthracycline and 7 days of cytarabine) or hypomethylating agent. Variables associated with CR or OS were assessed using univariate Cox regression and a multivariate Cox model. Results The average age was 65 years and 91 patients (66%), sample size is 137 patients had primary AML. Patients in the 3+7 induction group were younger, had a higher bone marrow blast percentage, and more de novo AML compared with those in the hypomethylating agent group (P Conclusion Positive predictors of CR in adult AML include absence of monosomy and induction treatment with 3+7; whereas positive predictors of OS are younger age and absence of monosomy.
Advanced Multieffect Distillation System for Desalination Using Waste Heat from Gas Brayton Cycles

Generation IV high temperature reactor systems use closed gas Brayton Cycles to realize high thermal efficiency in the range of 40% to 60%. The waste heat is removed through coolers by water at substantially greater average temperature than in conventional Rankine steam cycles. This paper introduces an innovative Advanced Multi-Effect Distillation (AMED) design that can enable the production of substantial quantities of low-cost desalinated water using waste heat from closed gas Brayton cycles. A reference AMED design configuration, optimization models, and simplified economics analysis are presented. By using an AMED distillation system the waste heat from closed gas Brayton cycles can be fully utilized to desalinate brackish water and seawater without affecting the cycle thermal efficiency. Analysis shows that cogeneration of electricity and desalinated water can increase net revenues for several Brayton cycles while generating large quantities of potable water. The AMED combining with closed gas Brayton cycles could significantly improve the sustainability and economics of Generation IV high temperature reactors.
Associations of Sedentary Behavior and Abdominal Muscle Density: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Background: Sedentary behaviors (SB) may exacerbate loss of muscle mass and function, independent of physical activity levels. This study examined the associations of SB with abdominal muscle area and density, a marker of muscle quality, in adults. Methods: A total of 1895 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis completed detailed health history, physical activity and SB questionnaires, computed tomography to quantify body composition, and measurements of inflammatory markers. Analyses included linear and nonlinear regression. Results: The mean age and body mass index were 64.6 years and 28 kg·m−2, respectively, and 50% were women. On average, participants engaged in 28 metabolic equivalent hours·week−1 of SB. With adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, physical activity, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and inflammation, multivariable regression modeling revealed a nonlinear (quadratic) relationship between SB and locomotor, stability, and total abdominal muscle density (P < .01...
Business Intelligence and Data Analytics as a Driver of Dynamic Capability Strategic Approach

Papers addressing the Dynamic Capability (DC) approach either support it as the best strategy or express its defects and impediments to implementation. However, this paper aims to promote the DC through the means of digital transformation from the angle of Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA). This article employs the logic of matching the essential components of the DC and BIDA to verify the extent of their conformity. A literature review methodology has been adopted since there are a considerable number of publications that focus on DC and BIDA. This paper posits that the main components of DC are sensing and exploring changes, seizing opportunities, and managing reconfiguration and transformation. Whereas, the features of knowledge discovery, decision support, predicting changes and risks are related to the BIDA. Additionally, this study found that the BIDA has a significant positive effect on the DC and helps to achieve a competitive advantage. By drawing the connection and demonstrating the impact of the essential elements of DC and BIDA, this article shows the vital framework of how the BIDA supports the DC. Finally, some limitations and gaps that provide suggestions for future research in this area are discussed.
Disability type, depression, and antidepressants use among older adults in the United States.

AbstractObjectives: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression and antidepressant use among older adults with different types of disability.Methods: The study sample consisted of 32,1...
Effect of calcium and lithium on alkali-silica reaction kinetics and phase development

Abstract This study aims to investigate the influence of lithium and calcium content on the alkali-silica reaction kinetics and phase formation processes at atomic scales. The atomic structure of the reacted ASR gels was analyzed with the Pair Distribution Function (PDF) measurement. The analysis results can explain the expansion potential difference of gels with different chemical composition. The in situ PDF characterizations of the samples containing lithium compounds identified the formation of the Li Si phase, and thus both the alkali-silica reaction and the reaction between dissolved silica and Ca(OH)2 were suppressed. The alkali-silica reaction kinetics was further indicated with the changes of Si O peak intensity. The amorphous structure of the generated Li Si phase was confirmed with in situ XRD tests. The results strongly support the formed amorphous Li Si phase can act as a surface barrier for silica dissolution, and thus prohibit both the alkali-silica reaction and pozzolanic reaction in hardened concrete.
Clinically Relevant Outcome Measures for the I307N Rhodopsin Mouse: A Model of Inducible Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa

Purpose The I307N rhodopsin (Rho) mouse is a light-inducible model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) that may be useful in testing therapies. We investigated the time-course of retinal changes of the I307N Rho mouse with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods SD-OCT was performed up to day 30 after light damage; electroretinography (ERG) was employed to evaluate photoreceptor function. We utilized ImageJ to analyze reflectivity of the retina. We used light and electron microscopy to assess retinal organization. We stained synaptophysin and zonula occludins-1 with immunohistochemistry to determine injury to the plexiform layers and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We performed lectin staining to evaluate retinal blood vessels. Results Retinal degeneration increased with longer exposures to light. An increase in retinal thickness was detected by SD-OCT on day 1 after light challenge followed by loss of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) by day 8. Degeneration was most severe in the nasal and inferior retina. Hyper-reflectivity on SD-OCT developed as early as 1 day after light exposure. Disorganization of the ONL, condensation of photoreceptor chromatin, disruption of the outer limiting membrane, and disarray of outer segments were associated with the hyper-reflectivity. Retraction of the outer plexiform synapses and resorption of the subretinal detachment contributed to retinal thinning. The RPE remained intact, whereas atrophied major retinal vessels were evident after light damage. Conclusions Our time-course analysis of retinal degeneration in the I307N Rho mouse with SD-OCT and other outcome measures should enable the use of the mouse model in preclinical efficacy studies and mechanistic studies.
Developing, validating, and testing improved measures within the Psychology of Working Theory

Abstract Several recent studies have examined the predictor portion of the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016), finding support for numerous propositions while also identifying limitations in the assessment of key variables: economic constraints, marginalization, and career adaptability. In the current manuscript we seek to address these limitations. First, in Study 1, we develop two face valid, short measures of lifetime experiences of marginalization and economic constraints. Drawing from a sample of 196 racial/ethnic minority (REM) working adults, exploratory factor analysis was used to finalize items and scale scores were compared to similar measures (e.g. subjective social status, everyday discrimination experiences) and decent work. Findings suggest strong reliability among scale scores from both new instruments, and hierarchical regression analyses revealed that each new instrument was a better predictor of decent work then similar measures used in previous PWT studies. In Study 2, with a new sample of REM working adults (N = 175), we demonstrated further validity evidence of both scales, demonstrating that the measures represent unique constructs and each correlate with similar measures as well as well-being outcomes. In Study 3, we tested the full PWT predictor model using these two new instruments along with a more appropriate measure of career adaptability with a new sample of 287 REM working adults. Using structural equation modeling to test for direct and indirect effects, results suggested that 1) marginalization, work volition, and adaptability were all direct predictors of decent work, 2) economic constraints predicted decent work via work volition, and 3) work volition predicted decent work via career adaptability. Findings may be relevant to scholars using the PWT in research and practice.
(257) The Efficacy of a Dual-Acting, Peripherally-Restricted Kappa/Delta Opioid Agonist (CA1001) in Neuropathic Pain in the Rat

Nerve injury can precipitate a neuroimmune inflammatory response. This response might lead to the activation of peripheral delta-opioid receptors, allowing delta-opioid agonists in the periphery to become analgesic directly and through allosteric modulation of peripheral kappa-opioid receptors. This study evaluated the efficacy of a single intraperitoneal injection of CA1001 (a novel peripherally-restricted dual-acting kappa/delta-opioid agonist) and the comparator, gabapentin, in the spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model for neuropathic pain in the rat. Following IACUC approval, neuropathy was induced by surgically ligating the 5th and 6th lumbar spinal nerves (L5 and L6). Mechanical sensitivity was assessed via paw compression thresholds (PCTs) using a digital Randall-Selitto device. 50 animals that met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to 5 groups with 10 animals per group (Power: 80%). Animals were administered a single dose of vehicle, CA1001 (1 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, or 10 mg/kg IP), or control compound (gabapentin 100 mg/kg PO; active control: internal validity) on day 0 (15 days after SNL) and PCTs were determined 1, 2, and 4 hours after compound administration. All behavioral evaluations were performed by a blinded observer. CA1001 at the 1 mg/kg dose did not significantly reverse mechanical hyperalgesia at any of the time points tested. The 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg doses of CA1001 did not significantly reverse mechanical hyperalgesia at the 1-hour post-dosing time point but did significantly reverse mechanical hyperalgesia at the 2-hour (p
Frontal Trephination: Indications, Anatomy, Techniques, and Outcomes

Given the challenging anatomy of the frontal recess and critical neighboring structures, surgery to the frontal sinus is undertaken in a measured and calculated manner. Historically, frontal sinus surgery was exclusively approached externally. With the advent of the endoscopic era, endoscopic techniques became the work horse for addressing frontal sinus pathology. However, in select situations, there remains a role for external approaches such as trephination.
Quantization of Gauge Theories

The action integral in gauge theories is invariant under local gauge transformations. Such a large group of symmetries makes the Lagrangian degenerate, that is, the generalized velocities cannot be expressed uniquely in terms of the generalized momenta. This makes difficult the use of the Hamiltonian formalism in quantization. The difficulties are surmountable, but it is simpler to choose an alternative approach, based on functional integrals. Note that in the Hamiltonian formalism we can express physical quantities in terms of functional integrals whose integrand contains exp(iS) or exp(−S eucl), where S is the action integral and S eucl is the Euclidean action integral. Our strategy will consist in postulating, without resorting to the Hamiltonian formalism, that similar equalities hold in gauge theories.
Mechanics of salt systems: state of the field in numerical methods

This special, two-part, thematic presents studies that employ numerical methods to understand the mechanics associated with salt systems. The thematic captures some of the latest developments in modelling micro- and macro-structural salt behaviour, as well as the interaction between salt and basin sediments. The presented studies provide insights into halokinesis, deformation, pore pressure, and stress in wall rocks, and their implications for trap integrity and the viability of underground storage systems. Over the past few decades a key component of understanding the evolution of salt structures was achieved through physical experiments (Vendeville & Jackson 1992; Letouzey et al. 1995; Ge et al. 1997; Dooley et al. 2015). Kinematic restoration has also been a fundamental tool to study the evolution of salt geological systems (e.g. Rowan & Kligfield 1989; Rowan & Ratliff 2012; Lopez-Mir …
Building Automation: Where is it Today and Where it Should be

In early 1880s, building automation (BA) was born with the invention of a simple thermostat to control the boiler room temperature. Over the next century, building automation evolved from all pneumatic to digital controls for managing commercial building comfort systems. However, the potential of building automation has not been fully leveraged or realized. While sophisticated building automation systems (BASs) are used in large (>10,000 m2) buildings to manage systems, many buildings are not properly commissioned, operated, or maintained. Furthermore, over 85% of the commercial buildings stock in the U.S. does not use a BAS.In the U.S., if existing BAS are used effectively and low-cost BASs are deployed in commercial buildings that currently do not have BAS, almost 30% of commercial building energy consumption can be eliminated. Further, the increased—and desired—use of clean renewable energy from wind, solar and other sources can likely be optimized with intelligent electricity load management within buildings, which will help ensure, for example, that buildings quickly and methodically reduce energy consumption at times when wind or solar generation suddenly drops off and the grid struggles to make up the deficit.This presentation will highlight the evaluation of building automation, the current state building automation, where building automation should be and how building automation will allow seamless integration of buildings with the grid. The presentation will also show how building automation can be brought into the future by making building systems self-configuring, self-commissioning, self-learning, self-diagnosing, self-healing, and self-transacting-leading to a self-aware building state. To accomplish these advances in intelligent building automation, development of low-cost BASs for commercial building stock; automated fault detection and diagnostics, automated commissioning, and self-correcting and fault tolerant controls algorithms for building systems; and open and standard control protocol for homes are necessary.
Taking charge: Characterizing the rapid development of self-regulation through intensive training:

Self-regulation is widely considered as a relatively stable trait, and the extent to which it can be improved through training is unknown. This randomized controlled investigation found dramatic an...
Response of a multi-degree-of-freedom system with a pounding vibration neutralizer to harmonic and random excitation

Abstract Exact steady-state solutions are obtained for the motion of a multi-degree-of-freedom system (MDOF) that is provided, at an arbitrary location within the primary structure, with a highly-nonlinear auxiliary mass damper which resembles a conventional linear dynamic vibration neutralizer (DVN) whose relative motion with respect to the primary system is constrained to remain within a specified gap, thus operating as a “pounding DVN.” This configuration of a conventional DVN with motion-limiting stops could be quite useful when a primary structure with a linear DVN is subjected to transient loads (e.g., earthquakes) that may cause excessive relative motion between the auxiliary and primary systems. Under the assumption that the motion of the composite nonlinear MDOF system under harmonic excitation is undergoing steady-state motion with two symmetric impacts per period of the excitation, an exact, closed-form solution is obtained for the motion of the MDOF as well as the nonlinear damper. This solution is subsequently used to develop an approximate analytical procedure to estimate the stationary response of the pounding DVN when subjected to random excitation with white spectral density and Gaussian probability distribution. Since the vibration control effectiveness of auxiliary mass dampers, whether linear or not, deteriorates considerably when dealing with transient dynamic loads, an extensive investigation is provided for assessing the influence and interaction effects of the major nonlinear system parameters, so as to provide useful guidelines for quantifying the tradeoffs in selecting a suitable strategy to enhance the mitigation capabilities of the subject class of dampers, under stationary as well as nonstationary deterministic and random dynamic environments.
Reading Islam: life and politics of brotherhood in modern Turkey

Reading Islam: Life and Politics of Brotherhood in Modern Turkey, by Fabio Vicini, examines how young Turkish men attempt to cultivate ethical Muslim selfhood in the context of ‘Nurcu’ brotherhoods...
Negotiating Authorities of Cultural Resource: Recent Scholarly Discussions on the State Ancestor-Worship of the Yellow Emperor

Since the late Qing period, when reformists and revolutionaries structured a new shared national identity in their plan to overthrow the Manchu ruler, Huangdi 黃帝 (literally translated as Yellow Emperor or Yellow Thearchy; hereafter the Yellow Emperor) has been said to be the national ancestor of an “imagined community” Anderson (2016) referred to as the Chinese nation (Zhonghua minzu 中華民族).
Parametric modulators of sex-biased conditioned fear responding

Pavlovian fear conditioning is a widely used behavioral paradigm for studying associative learning in rodents. Despite early recognition that subjects may engage in a variety of behaviors that reflect the experimental parameters of a given protocol, the last several decades have seen the field narrow its focus to measure freezing as the sole indicator of conditioned fear. Additionally, unconditioned responses such as shock-related activity are rarely considered. We previously reported that female Sprague Dawley rats are more likely than males to engage in darting, an escape-like conditioned response that is associated with heightened shock reactivity, but we did not establish whether darting was sensitive to manipulations of factors such as chamber size, shock intensity, or number of trials. Our goal here was to address these questions by defining parametric and phenotypic predictors of darting in both sexes. To better capture fear-related behavioral repertoires in our animals, we developed ScaredyRat, a custom Python tool that analyzes Noldus Ethovision-generated raw data files to identify Darters and quantify both conditioned and unconditioned responses. We find that like freezing, darting probability scales with experimental alterations in multiple dimensions. In most cases, the sex bias towards females persists, but males will transition to darting in extended, or overtraining fear conditioning protocols.
Long-Term Complications in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes.

Background The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth is increasing, but little is known regarding the occurrence of related complications as these youths transition to adulthood. Methods We previously conducted a multicenter clinical trial (from 2004 to 2011) to evaluate the effects of one of three treatments (metformin, metformin plus rosiglitazone, or metformin plus an intensive lifestyle intervention) on the time to loss of glycemic control in participants who had onset of type 2 diabetes in youth. After completion of the trial, participants were transitioned to metformin with or without insulin and were enrolled in an observational follow-up study (performed from 2011 to 2020), which was conducted in two phases; the results of this follow-up study are reported here. Assessments for diabetic kidney disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and nerve disease were performed annually, and assessments for retinal disease were performed twice. Complications related to diabetes identified outside the study were confirmed and adjudicated. Results At the end of the second phase of the follow-up study (January 2020), the mean (±SD) age of the 500 participants who were included in the analyses was 26.4±2.8 years, and the mean time since the diagnosis of diabetes was 13.3±1.8 years. The cumulative incidence of hypertension was 67.5%, the incidence of dyslipidemia was 51.6%, the incidence of diabetic kidney disease was 54.8%, and the incidence of nerve disease was 32.4%. The prevalence of retinal disease, including more advanced stages, was 13.7% in the period from 2010 to 2011 and 51.0% in the period from 2017 to 2018. At least one complication occurred in 60.1% of the participants, and at least two complications occurred in 28.4%. Risk factors for the development of complications included minority race or ethnic group, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. No adverse events were recorded during follow-up. Conclusions Among participants who had onset of type 2 diabetes in youth, the risk of complications, including microvascular complications, increased steadily over time and affected most participants by the time of young adulthood. Complications were more common among participants of minority race and ethnic group and among those with hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. (Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and others; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01364350 and NCT02310724.).
Exploring Your Own Local Economy Using Adam Smith

In this paper, I describe a course, “The Beloit Economy and Adam Smith,” which I designed for a first-year initiative program at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. The course, as the title suggests, includes readings from Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, as well as experiential or community-based learning experiences. These experiences include tours of the local community and visits to local businesses.
Hidden Agendas Teaching and Learning in Medicine

This chapter is about the culture of medicine. The hidden lessons conveyed to interns, residents, and medical students during training and induction into practice are often at odds with the traditional trusting relationship presumed to exist between medical schools and the larger society. The traditional covenant between society and medicine reflects a belief that society benefits from the contributions of academic medicine. In exchange, academic medicine receives public financial support to assure that academic medicine remains innovative, conducts relevant research, enhances the health of the community and trains a group of highly qualified, devoted, humanistic physicians. This chapter describes basic challenges to this covenant that are undermining the trust and stimulating pressure for reform. Trust for academic medicine is grounded in physician education, but medical schools are now intensely focused on the creation and maintenance of large biomedical industrial complexes often forgetly their primary education mission. The drivers of academic medicine are no longer patient care and community health, but rather biomedical research, the acquisition of technology, the construction of new buildings and far larger faculties than are needed to deliver an educational mission. For most medical schools, the education of physicians is often third in importance behind research and obtaining income from patient care. American academic medicine has not lived up to its social contract with the community. Fundamental change will require overcoming major structural barriers internal and external to academic medicine. If medical education is to reach its full potential, serious issues including medical school admissions criteria, incentives for learning, the role of standardized testing, the impact of the hidden curriculum, social accountability, student anxiety and depression, and support for faculty teaching need to be considered and addressed.
Law Enforcement Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina

Major disasters represent infrequent events that often require response organizations to vicariously learn from the experiences of others in order to improve their operations. A primary mechanism for such knowledge diffusion is the different practitioner and empirical journals for the organizational fields that comprise disaster response. A review of the literature for the law enforcement field, however, reveals that little attention is given to how these organizations manage actual disasters. In particular, the presentation of organizational experiences, whether through case studies or other methodologies, is very limited in the practitioner and empirical literature of this field. This represents a considerable problem for improvements of disaster response operations given that law enforcement agencies represent a key component in such efforts. The research presented in this article is an effort to fill this knowledge gap and thereby facilitate organizational learning to improve future law enforcement disaster response activities. The authors traveled to Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina to examine the response efforts of state and local law enforcement agencies to the storm. The findings from this research are reported here in a lessons-learned format to inform law enforcement disaster response policy.
Unstable Diabetes and Unstable Families: A Psychosocial Evaluation of Diabetic Children with Recurrent Ketoacidosis

To investigate the physical and psychological factors associated with labile diabetic control, 30 children and adolescents with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis were included in a retrospective longitudinal review covering an 8-year period. The details of the ketoacidosis episodes and the psychosocial characteristics of the patient and his family were summarized from the medical record. Only a minority of the ketoacidosis episodes were overtly and solely related to intercurrent illness or poor compliance. A majority of the subjects studied lived in families with substantial psychosocial dysfunction, including chronic unresolved interpersonal conflict, inadequate parenting, father not in home, financial stress, and lack of family involvement with the diabetes. Many of the children displayed behavioral and personality problems. In most of these 30 cases, there was evidence that these dysfunctions existed prior to the onset of diabetes. These psychosocial problems were not immediately apparent in many instances, thus requiring more comprehensive psychosocial assessment and involvement by a social worker and/or a psychologist. Ongoing emotional support and counseling were instrumental in reversing the pattern of recurrent ketoacidosis, in coordination with care by all members of the diabetes team. The findings from this experience suggest that recurrent ketoacidosis warrants prompt evaluation from a psychosocial as well as a physical perspective.
A probabilistic approach to finding geometric objects in spatial datasets of the milky way

Data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has given evidence of structures within the Milky Way halo from other nearby galaxies. Both the halo and these structures are approximated by densities based on geometric objects. A model of the data is formed by a mixture of geometric densities. By using an EM-style algorithm, we optimize the parameters of our model in order to separate out these structures from the data and thus obtain an accurate dataset of the Milky Way.
The Barrier of Objects: From Dynamical Systems to Bounded Organizations

ion Ax ∪ {x : τ ′} e : τ A λx.e : τ ′ → τ Let A e : σ Ax ∪ {x : σ} e′ : τ A (let x = e in e′) : τ The meaning of the Taut-rule is simply that a free variable has the type assigned to it in the boundary condition. If there is no assignment the expression x is not typable, and is barred from the universe. The meaning of rule App is also clear. It is useful, however, to know how the rule is implemented, since it introduces an important concept. Suppose that we have an object e whose type has been established to be σ, and that we want to apply it to an object e′ of type τ ′. For this to be possible e must have a type of the form τ ′ → τ where τ stands for a generic unknown type of (e)e′ that needs to be determined. Hence, for the interaction (e)e′ to be possible e’s established type σ and the required type τ ′ → τ must be made equal. This may be possible, since σ and τ ′ may contain type variables which can be made more specific in order to satisfy the equality. This means we must look for some type substitution T of the free variables in σ and in τ ′ → τ such that Tσ = T (τ ′ → τ). T is called a unifier, and the procedure for finding T is called unification. It boils down to solving a set of equations. For details about how this procedure is carried out the reader is referred to any standard textbook on type theory. The point is that a
Studies with specific enzyme inhibitors. XII. Resolution of DL-erythro-fluorocitric acid into optically active isomers.

Abstract Isolation of d and l isomers of erythro-fluorocitric acid was accomplished by first separation of diastereomeric racemates as cyclohexylamine salts of diethyl fluorocitrate. This was followed by resolution of the erythro-diastereoisomer into optical isomers by fractional crystallization as (+)- and (-)-deoxyephedrine salts. Partial hydrolysis to the monoethyl ester of resolved fluorocitrate was achieved by guanidine carbonate and complete hydrolysis to the free acid in NaOH. Purification to the final stage of optically resolved free acids was carried out by fractionation as barium and cyclohexylamine salts. Only the l isomer inhibited aconitase activity of rat kidney mitochondria.
A lifetime of neurogenesis in the olfactory system

Neurogenesis continues well beyond embryonic and early postnatal ages in three areas of the nervous system. The subgranular zone supplies new neurons to the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The subventricular zone supplies new interneurons to the olfactory bulb, and the olfactory neuroepithelia generate new excitatory sensory neurons that send their axons to the olfactory bulb. The latter two areas are of particular interest as they contribute new neurons to both ends of a first-level circuit governing olfactory perception. The vomeronasal organ and the main olfactory epithelium comprise the primary peripheral olfactory epithelia. These anatomically distinct areas share common features, as each exhibits extensive neurogenesis well beyond the juvenile phase of development. Here we will discuss the effect of age on the structural and functional significance of neurogenesis in the vomeronasal and olfactory epithelia, from juvenile to advanced adult ages, in several common model systems. We will next discuss how age affects the regenerative capacity of these neural stem cells in response to injury. Finally, we will consider the integration of newborn neurons into an existing circuit as it is modified by the age of the animal.
Role of intelligence tests in speech/language referrals.

This study examined the relation of the WISC-R Verbal IQ with measures of oral and written language among 190 students referred to a private educational clinic over a 5-yr. period. Correlations of Verbal IQ with scores on measures of oral language, written language, receptive language, reading comprehension, and basic reading skills were calculated for the total sample and by Grades 1-3, 4-7, and 8-11. Standard regression coefficients were used to estimate the proportion of variance explained by these five measures. Significant correlations were found for Verbal IQ with the measures, ranging from .36 (Basic Reading Skills) to .69 (Receptive Vocabulary). Multiple regression indicated that 59% of the variance was explained by the five measures and that three--Oral Language, Receptive Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension--contributed significantly to Verbal IQ. Correlations across grades showed inconsistent differences by grade for Verbal IQ with language variables. Implications for speech-language referral practices are discussed.
Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction for Measuring theN-Methylpurine–DNA Glycosylase mRNA Level in Rodent Cells

Abstract A modified quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) procedure was developed for measuring mRNA concentration, in rodent cells, of the N -methylpurine–DNA glycosylase (MPG), a ubiquitous DNA repair protein responsible for the removal of N -alkylpurines and ethenoadducts of adenine, guanine, and cytosine from DNA. The method, applicable for quantitation of any mRNA, is based on the standard approach of comparing the relative amounts of PCR products of the experimental mRNA and a known amount of an exogenous reference RNA which is nearly identical to the experimental RNA. However, unlike in the earlier procedures in which deletion or insertion sequences were added to the reference RNA template, which may affect the efficiency of PCR but are needed to generate different size PCR products, experimental and reference RNAs yield PCR products of the same size in the new method. However, prior digestion with Eco RI allows separation of the two products because a unique Eco RI site was created in the reference RNA vector by point mutations. The QRT-PCR procedure is particularly useful for studying expression of the MPG gene whose mRNA level is very low and difficult to quantitate by Northern blot analysis. The number of MPG mRNA molecules/cell in late log-phase cultures varied from about 6 to 30 in several rodent lines. The SSV-NRK rat cell line has 6 ± 0.2 molecules/cell, while mouse NIH3T3 cells have about 30 ± 1 molecules/cell. If the mRNA level is indicative of the level of the active MPG enzyme, these results may imply a variation in the capacity of various lines to remove the cytotoxic and mutagenic adducts from DNA.
Influence of surface nonidealities on catalyst effectiveness

This study addresses the important problem of the effect of adsorbate interactions and surface heterogeneity on a surface reaction in the presence of pore diffusional resistance (expressed through the conventional effectiveness factor plots). Curves for attractive and repulsive interactions straddle the no-interaction (Langmuir) curve, the spread of the curves being quite significant at low pressures. The effect of surface heterogeneity can also be significant and is a strong function of the type of site energy distribution. Pressure has a nontrivial effect on the value of the effectiveness factor on a heterogeneous surface; more importantly, it can alter the direction of the effect: lower than ideal at low pressures, and higher than ideal at higher pressures. An interesting observation is that the effects of interaction and heterogeneity tend to cancel each other out for attractive interactions, thus extending the superficial validity of the ideal Langmuir isotherm even to reactions in the presence of diffusion.
Clinical Science of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Clinical Research in Diabetes and Obesity. Edited by Boris Draznin and Robert Rizza. Totowa, Humana, 1997. Volume I. Methods, Assessment and Metabolic Regulation. $139.50 (xii +396 pages), ISBN 0-89603-350-3. Volume II. Diabetes and Obesity. $139.50 (xii +392 pages), ISBN 0-89603-492-5 .
Clinical Relevance of Anti-HLA Antibodies Pre and Post Transplant

Abstract Pretransplant histocompatibility testing seeks to select compatible donor-recipient pairs for transplantation. Sera from prospective renal transplant recipients are screened for the presence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies to determine humoral alloimmunization. Present techniques screen patient sera using a complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay and express the results as percent of panel reactive antibody (PRA). However, the standard assay suffers because it needs viable target cells, a variable sensitivity of cells for complement, subjective evaluation, a lack of standardized methodology, and a variable correlation with clinical outcomes. Alternatively, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methodology can detect IgG anti-HLA reactivity based on the binding of immunoglobulin to soluble HLA class I antigens. This method provides increased objectivity and reproducibility, does not require use of viable target cells, and most importantly, detects immunoglobulin that is reactive to HLA class I antigens. Data discussed herein suggest that identifying reactive recipient sera using the enzymelinked irnrnunosorbent assay (ELISA) (PRASTAT, Sang Stat Med, Menlo Park, CA) methodology may be more informative clinically than current standard percent of panel reactive antibody (PRA) assays.
Effects of consumer motives on search behavior using internet advertising.

Past studies on uses and gratifications theory suggested that consumer motives affect how they will use media and media contents. Recent advertising research has extended the theory to study the use of Internet advertising. The current study explores the effects of consumer motives on their search behavior using Internet advertising. The study employed a 2 by 2 between- subjects factorial experiment design. A total of 120 subjects were assigned to an experiment condition that contains an Internet advertisement varying by advertising appeals (i.e., rational vs. emotional) and product involvement levels (high vs. low). Consumer search behavior (measured by the depth, breadth, total amount of search), demographics, and motives were collected by post-experiment questionnaires. Because all three dependent variables measuring search behavior were conceptually related to each other, MANCOVA procedures were employed to examine the moderating effects of consumer motives on the dependent variables in four product i...
Multiple Transient Memories in Experiments on Sheared Non-Brownian Suspensions

In line with previous theoretical predictions, noise is shown experimentally to stabilize memory retention in sheared particle suspensions.
Inflation and agricultural finance: Discussion

On my high school football team was a large, slow defensive guard who sat on the bench most of the time while a smaller, more agile fellow enjoyed the action. In response to town-folk criticism about his personnel deployment, my coach responded: "I'd rather get there with a little than not get there with a lot." I will try to follow that prescription by focusing on one point which appeared in all three of these interesting papers. This lack of attention to the many other points in the papers should not be construed as agreement or disagreement, only a lack of time and space to respond. Klinefelter, Penson, and Fraser began their paper with a review of inflation-causing factors and lender responses to greater and more uncertain inflation, such as shorter-term loans and variable or renegotiable interest rates. The best example of this response to uncertain inflation has been the Farm Credit System's adoption of variable interest rates as early as the late 1960s. It should be evident that adopting variable interest rates and renegotiable rates result in all borrowers paying a more nearly equal rate. Moreover, if cost to borrowers is based on a weighted cost of funds obtained by the lenders, such as is the case with the Farm Credit System, interest rates will respond rather sluggishly to inflationary (deflationary) pressures. This suggests that, as all three papers appear to agree, inflation has differing impacts over time on input and output prices received by farmers. I will return to the implication of this point later. Lins and Duncan discuss more explicitly the point made earlier. Inflation does not affect all prices equally, although for the unfortunate farmers, prices paid appear to respond more to upward pressures than prices received. But lacking from Lins' table of correlations was the correlation with interest rates. If interest rates
Yield, nitrate levels and sensory properties of spinach as influenced by organic and mineral nitrogen fertiliser levels

Spinach was fertilised at two levels of nitrogen, 140 kg/ha (x) and 420 kg/ha (3x), using split applications of ammonium sulphate and dried blood as nitrogen sources. A single application of ammonium sulphate (x) 19 days prior to harvest was also tested. A no-nitrogen control was also employed. The x rate of mineral nitrogen produced statistically the same yield as the 3x organic source but at a lower tissue nitrate level. The 3x mineral fertiliser produced both the highest yield and nitrate concentration. Excluding late fertiliser application, nitrate levels were closely related to yield and dependent upon rate of nitrogen availability from each of the two sources. Late application of mineral nitrogen did not increase yield over a no-nitrogen application control, but resulted in an eight-fold increase in tissue nitrate. Triangle taste panels demonstrated significant differences in raw, cooked, and frozen samples when comparing the no-nitrogen application against both the 3x organic and mineral nitrogen applications and the late mineral application. No significant sensory differences resulted between organic and mineral fertilisers at either application level. Colour measurements revealed that higher nitrogen application darkened colour. Organic sources gave darker colours than corresponding mineral fertiliser levels. Late application of mineral nitrogen resulted in the darkest colour. Gas–liquid chromatography headspace scans demonstrated that increasing nitrogen rates from x to 3x approximately doubled total peak area. No qualitative differences were noted. Late application of mineral fertiliser resulted in a headspace scan similar to those obtained at the 3x nitrogen rates.