cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abemaciclib Is Active in Preclinical Models of Ewing Sarcoma via Multipronged Regulation of Cell Cycle, DNA Methylation, and Interferon Pathway Signaling.

Purpose: Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare and highly malignant cancer that occurs in the bone and surrounding tissue of children and adolescents. The EWS/ETS fusion transcription factor that drives ES pathobiology was previously demonstrated to modulate cyclin D1 expression. In this study, we evaluated abemaciclib, a small-molecule CDK4 and CDK6 (CDK4 and 6) inhibitor currently under clinical investigation in pediatric solid tumors, in preclinical models of ES. Experimental Design: Using Western blot, high-content imaging, flow cytometry, ELISA, RNA sequencing, and CpG methylation assays, we characterized the in vitro response of ES cell lines to abemaciclib. We then evaluated abemaciclib in vivo in cell line–derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models of ES as either a monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Results: Abemaciclib induced quiescence in ES cell lines via a G1 cell-cycle block, characterized by decreased proliferation and reduction of Ki-67 and FOXM1 expression and retinoblastoma protein (RB) phosphorylation. In addition, abemaciclib reduced DNMT1 expression and promoted an inflammatory immune response as measured by cytokine secretion, antigen presentation, and interferon pathway upregulation. Single-agent abemaciclib reduced ES tumor volume in preclinical mouse models and, when given in combination with doxorubicin or temozolomide plus irinotecan, durable disease control was observed. Conclusion: Collectively, our data demonstrate that the antitumor effects of abemaciclib in preclinical ES models are multifaceted and include cell-cycle inhibition, DNA demethylation, and immunogenic changes. Clin Cancer Res; 1–12. ©2018 AACR.
Borges y Piglia como “dinastías intelectuales” en el ensayismo de Vila-Matas

The present work expects to highlight the poetic predicament that is subtracted from the reading of the work of Vila-Matas, with special particularity in its essayistic nature, in relation to the multifaceted influences of Borges and Piglia. Both authors concentrate, in effect, the paradigm of Latin American origin more recognizable around the vanishing points of metacritical development, modes of reading and technical-literary gear in Vila-Matas. That is why I appreciate in Borges and Piglia a kind of “intellectual dynasties” in an author who, as in the case of Vila-Matas, is perhaps above all a writer of writers or a writer of literature that tries to create always his own reader as a justification of literary writing.
Google Trends as a Resource for Bariatric Education: What do Patients Want to know?

Abstract Background Bariatric surgery (BaS) is the safest, most effective, and most durable therapy for obesity but is performed in less than 1% of the affected United States (US) population. It is challenging to determine from traditional surveys if this phenomenon is the result of poor access to care or lack of interest among Internet users. Objectives The aim of this study was to use Google Trends (GT) as a tool to analyze the US general population interest in BaS. Setting Academic Hospital, United States. Methods GT was used to access data searched for the term bariatric surgery. The gathered information included data from 2008 through 2018 in English within the US. Search frequency, time intervals, locations, frequent topics of interest, and related searches were analyzed. GT reports search frequency on means, and a value of 100 represented peak popularity. Results The number of Google searches related to the term bariatric surgery has gradually increased over time, from a mean of 67% in 2008 to a 94% interest in 2017. Regarding interest by subregion in 2017, the state of Michigan lead the frequency of searches, followed by Indiana, Delaware, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Top searched terms by frequency were the following: patient eligibility for BaS, what is BaS, what are the complications of BaS, financial costs of BaS, and what insurance companies cover BaS. It appears that traditional Web sites only address a few. Conclusions GT complements the understanding of interest in BaS. Using these trends can improve an Internet user’s education, and tailor specific official Web sites for the public’s general interest.
High Sensitivity Liver Vasculature Visualization Using a Real-Time Coherent Flow Power Doppler (CFPD) Imaging System: A Pilot Clinical Study

Power Doppler (PD) imaging is a widely used technique for flow detection and vessel visualization in clinics. Despite its wide use, its capability is limited by multiple noise sources, including thermal noise, clutter, and tissue motion. These noise sources lead to deterioration of detection sensitivity to small vessels and slow flow, and a trade-off between acquisition time and PD image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), particularly in deep body vessel detection among patients with high body-mass-indices (BMI). To improve the sensitivity of slow flow and small vessel detection, and alleviate the trade-off between acquisition time and image SNR, we have proposed the coherent flow power Doppler (CFPD) imaging technique, and shown its performance in flow phantom and porcine models. Here, we report on a pilot clinical study of CFPD on 15 healthy human volunteers to evaluate the clinical feasibility of CFPD in liver vasculature detection and visualization. For the study, we built a real-time CFPD (rtCFPD) imaging system based on a Verasonics Vantage 256 scanner. The real-time processing performed by a GPU-based software beamformer and Doppler processing software. Using the rtCFPD imaging system, the liver Doppler data of 15 healthy volunteers were acquired. PD and CFPD images were produced. The SNR of the images were measured to provide a quantitative comparison of image quality. CFPD images provide an improvement of 8.6 dB in SNR compared to PD produced with the same data. Examples are provided to show that the improvement in SNR leads to subjective improvement of liver vessel visualization.
Motivations and Decision Making Processes of Men With X-linked Retinoschisis Considering Participation in an Ocular Gene Therapy Trial.

Abstract Purpose To describe the motivations, expectations, and other factors men with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) consider when making decisions to participate in an early phase ocular gene therapy clinical trial. Design Qualitative interview study. Methods Men with XLRS who were considering participation in a phase I/IIa ocular gene therapy clinical trial at the National Eye Institute were eligible for this study. Trial participants (n = 9) were interviewed prior to receiving the gene transfer and then at 3 and 12 months later. Trial participation decliners (n = 2) were interviewed at an initial visit and 12 months later. Those screened for the trial and found ineligible (n = 2) were interviewed at an initial visit only. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically. Results Interview participants described decision making factors as risk-benefit assessments, personal intuition, trust in the study team, and religious faith. Altruism and the potential for therapeutic benefit were the main motives for trial participation, whereas the uncertainty of risks and benefits was the reason 2 men declined participation. Although most participants hoped for direct benefit, no one expected to benefit. Almost all interview participants considered their decision straightforward and were satisfied with their decision when interviewed over time. Meaningful relationships with the study team and perceived secondary benefits to participation contributed to positive trial experiences. Conclusions Engaging prospective research participants in a discussion about their hopes, expectations, and personal factors provides a more complete understanding of patient decision making and may help support informed choices to participate in clinical trials for XLRS.
Performing Shakespeare Unrehearsed: A Practical Guide to Acting and Producing Spontaneous Shakespeare

Bill Kincaid is the founder of Bard in the Barn which has mounted 17 productions of Shakespeare’s plays using the unrehearsed technique. Performing Shakespeare Unrehearsed: A Practical Guide to Act...
Case report of massive hemoptysis in pregnancy requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Hemoptysis in pregnancy is rare and can be life-threatening. This case describes management of hemoptysis in pregnancy requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). The patient presented with massive hemoptysis in respiratory failure at 26 weeks gestation. VV-ECMO was utilized for maternal stability due to severe hypoxia from lung parenchymal damage. An extensive work-up for hemoptysis returned negative except for an elevated Bordetella pertussis IgG antibody. The patient was delivered via cesarean section with a complicated post-partum course. She and the infant were discharged in stable condition after long hospital stays. Prior publications describing VV-ECMO use in pregnancy are limited to treatment of respiratory infections such as influenza or pneumonia. This case is the first in the literature to describe VV-ECMO utilization for hemoptysis in pregnancy, specifically, and demonstrates its significant benefit in cases of respiratory failure due to hemoptysis.
Spurious Inference Caused by Time-Series Variation in Scaling: Real Estate Shocks Did Not Affect Corporate Investment

Real-estate price shocks did not positively associate with corporate investment from 1992 to 2008, as suggested by Chaney, Sraer, and Thesmar (2012). Instead of changes in the variables of interest (real-estate and investment), their coefficients explain changes in their firm-size scale normalization (property, plant, and equip- ment). Similar panel regression specifications are widespread in empirical corporate economics. My paper proposes a simple alternative specification that can eliminate and thus also diagnose concerns about the role of time-varying denominators. This specification suggests working with ratios of changes, where only the change is normalized, as in (∆ Variable of Interest)/Size Scaling.
Sharp relaxation rates for plane waves of general reaction-diffusion models

It is a well-known and classical result that spectrally stable traveling waves of a general reaction-diffusion system in one spatial dimension are asymptotically stable with exponential relaxation rates. In a series of works in the 1990s, Goodman [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 311, 683 (1989)], Kapitula [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 349, 1901 (1997)], and Xin [Commun. Partial Differ. Equations 17, 1889 (1992)] considered plane traveling waves for such systems and they have succeeded in showing asymptotic stability for such objects. Interestingly, the (estimates for the) relaxation rates that they have exhibited are all algebraic and dimension dependent. It was heuristically argued that as the spectral gap closes in dimensions n ≥ 2, algebraic rates are the best possible. In this paper, we revisit this issue. We rigorously calculate the sharp relaxation rates in L∞ based spaces, both for the asymptotic phase and the radiation terms. They are, indeed, algebraic, but about twice better than the best ones obtained in these early works although this can be mostly attributed to the inefficiencies of using Sobolev embeddings to control L∞ norms by high order L2 based Sobolev spaces. Finally, we explicitly construct the leading order profiles, both for the phase and for the radiation terms. Our approach relies on the method of scaling variables, as introduced in the work of Gallay and Wayne [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 163, 209 (2002) and Gallay and Wayne, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. A 360, 2155 (2002)] and, in fact, provides sharp relaxation rates in a class of weighted L2 spaces as well.
Abstract 14278: Microglial Calcium Activity During Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Ischemic stroke triggers waves of propagating action potentials followed by a loss of homeostatic ion gradients, known as cortical spreading depolarizations (SD). Our data indicate th...
Kir6.1- and SUR2-dependent KATP over-activity disrupts intestinal motility in murine models of Cantu Syndrome.

Cantύ Syndrome (CS), caused by gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in pore-forming (Kir6.1, KCNJ8) and accessory (SUR2, ABCC9) ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel subunit genes, is frequently accompanied by gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility, and we describe one CS patient who required an implanted intestinal irrigation system for successful stooling. We used gene-modified mice to assess the underlying KATP channel subunits in gut smooth muscle, and to model the consequences of altered KATP channels in CS gut. We show that Kir6.1/SUR2 subunits underlie smooth muscle KATP channels throughout the small intestine and colon. Knock-in mice, carrying human KCNJ8 and ABCC9 CS mutations in the endogenous loci, exhibit reduced intrinsic contractility throughout the intestine, resulting in death when weaned onto solid food in the most severely affected animals. Death is avoided by weaning onto a liquid gel diet, implicating intestinal insufficiency and bowel impaction as the underlying cause, and GI transit is normalized by treatment with the KATP inhibitor glibenclamide. We thus define the molecular basis of intestinal KATP channel activity, the mechanism by which overactivity results in GI insufficiency, and a viable approach to therapy.
Barriers to Entry in the Airline Industry: A Multidimensional Regression-Discontinuity Analysis of AIR-21

Abstract We investigate the success of legislation aimed at increasing competition at highly concentrated U.S. airports, mainly by forcing these airports to increase the availability of scarce facilities. We use a multidimensional regression-discontinuity approach to exploit a sharp discontinuity in the law’s implementation and identify its effects. We find that fares decrease by 13.4% (20.2%) in markets with one (both) end point(s) covered. Approximately half of the decline is driven by the entry of low-cost carriers. We find little evidence that the fare declines were accompanied by a diminished quality of service, and passenger volumes increased, which suggests the legislation improved consumer welfare.
40339 Characterizing the impact of social and structural determinants of health on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes using electronic health record (EHR) data

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This study will help to characterize the root causes of racial and ethnic disparities in viral respiratory outbreaks and determine the extent to which this is unique to the COVID-19 pandemic, so that preventative interventions can be designed for future pandemics and epidemics. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The causes of racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 clinical outcomes are multifactorial but include social inequity driven by structural racism. This study seeks to characterize the patterns of these disparities by linking patient-level EHR data with population-level sociodemographic measures. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This retrospective review of adult patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 in the UCHealth System will compare rates of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality across racial and ethnic groups. Race and ethnicity are determined by patient self-report in the EHR. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses will be used to assess the association of these outcomes with sociodemographic factors. Potential confounders that will be adjusted for include Charlson Co-morbidity Index, disease severity and likelihood of readmission. Using chi-square tests, we will assess differences in the race/ethnicity distributions between this cohort and those from the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic and the 2018-19 influenza season. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Of the first 459 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in March and April 2020, race/ethnicity were: 194 Hispanic (42.3%), 104 non-Hispanic Black (22.6%), 83 non-Hispanic white (18.1%), 43 Asian (9.4%), and 35 other or unknown race (7.6%). There were significant differences in the race/ethnicity distribution compared to the cohort of patients hospitalized for viral respiratory infection during the 2018-19 influenza season (n=254, p <0.001): 58 Hispanic (22.8%), 52 non-Hispanic black (20.4%), 116 non-Hispanic white (45.7%), 15 Asian (6%), and 13 other or unknown race (5.1%). Our anticipated results include further adjusted analyses and comparisons to the 2009 pandemic. We will compare COVID-19 prevalence and outcomes by race/ethnicity with other viral infection outbreaks, adjusting for confounders. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Initial hospitalizations for COVID-19 at our institution are notable for a high proportion of Hispanic patients and smaller proportion of non-Hispanic whites, in contrast to the prior year. Our study will demonstrate the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities are typical in viral respiratory outbreaks, which can guide future interventions.
Punishment and Its Discontents: An Analysis of Permanent Ban in an Online Game Community

Platforms face the challenge of managing toxic behaviors such as flaming, hateful remarks, and harassment. To discipline their users, platforms usually adopt a punitive approach that issues punishments ranging from a warning message to content removal to permanent ban (PB). As the severest punishment, PB deprives the user of their privileges on the platform, such as account access and purchased content. But little is known regarding the experiential side of PB within the user community. In this study, we analyzed PB in League of Legends, one of the largest online games today. We argue that what PB does is not precisely to discipline players into well-behaved community members. Rather, PB functions to produce the stereotype of "the most toxic player" in the community and is best seen as a platform rhetoric. We further discuss the need to contextualize toxicity from the restorative lens.
Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation and Its Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and NASH

Abstract Introduction Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are associated with increased cardiovascular disease and are independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of AF and its impact on clinical outcomes and overall healthcare burden among patients with concomitant T2DM and NASH. Methods We queried the 2017-2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for adult patients hospitalized with T2DM with history of NASH as principal diagnosis, with and without AF as a secondary diagnosis. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality, while secondary outcomes were cardiac arrest, heart failure (HF), length of stay, and total hospital cost. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate clinical outcome. Results 3,930 patients with T2DM and NASH were admitted; of which 9.3% had AF. AF vs No AF cohorts were mean age of 66.8 years [CI 64.5-69.0] vs 57 years [CI 56.3-58.3]; males (53.4% vs 37.9%); white (80.2% vs 72.0%), black (8.5% vs 8.6%), and Hispanic (8.5% vs 14%). Compared to the No AF cohort, patients with AF had a higher prevalence of HF (41.1% vs 16.55%; p=0.017). There were no significant difference in other outcomes measured between cohorts (Table 1). Conclusion Our results show that AF in patients with underlying T2DM and NASH is associated with a higher prevalence of HF but not mortality. Possible reasons for more prevalent HF include a greater burden of atherosclerosis, ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial remodeling and pericardial fat deposition. Further investigation into specific biomarkers may help predict individuals at risk for HF.
Isolation of intact astrocytes from the optic nerve head of adult mice.

Abstract The astrocytes of the optic nerve head are a specialized subtype of white matter astrocytes that form the direct cellular environment of the unmyelinated ganglion cell axons. Due to their potential involvement in glaucoma, these astrocytes have become a target of research. Due to the heterogeneity of the optic nerve tissue, which also contains other cell types, in some cases it may be desirable to conduct gene expression studies on small numbers of well-characterized astrocytes or even individual cells. Here, we describe a simple method to isolate individual astrocytes. This method permits obtaining astrocytes with intact morphology from the adult mouse optic nerve and reduces contamination of the isolated astrocytes by other cell types. Individual astrocytes can be recognized by their morphology and collected under microscopic control. The whole procedure can be completed in 2–3 h. We also discuss downstream applications like multiplex single-cell PCR and quantitative PCR (qPCR).
The ages of Superman: essays on the Man of Steel in changing times, edited by Joseph J. Darowski

The Ages of Superman: Essays on the Man of Steel in Changing Times, edited by Joseph J. Darowski, is a refreshing and accomplished commentary on everyone’s favorite illegal immigrant. The collectio...
Shortages of systemic antibiotics in the USA: how long can we wait?

Objectives Drug shortages have risen steadily in the USA. Systemic antibiotics are most frequently in short supply raising concerns about public health safety and patient care. We sought to assess the prevalence and characteristics of systemic antibiotics in short supply as reported by federal agencies and private healthcare providers in the USA on 1 June 2011. Methods Data derived from the US Food and Drug Administration, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Brigham and Women's Hospital. The units of analysis were active ingredient(s) and route of administration. Key findings Overall, 18 antibiotic active ingredients, with 20 routes of administration, were in short supply on 1 June 2011. The prevalence varied from 5.7% reported by the Food and Drug Administration and Brigham and Women's Hospital to 28.3% reported by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Injectable antibiotics had the highest (28.3%) level of shortage. Shortages occurred because of problems with manufacturing (35.0%) and raw materials (15%.0), and for unknown reasons (45.0%). The average duration of the shortages was 591.7 ± 304.9 days. Conclusions Over one-fifth of the systemic antibiotics (one-quarter of the injectables) marketed in the USA were reported to be in short supply on 1 June 2011. One-half of the shortages were attributed to problems with manufacturing and raw materials although reasons for shortages are often unknown.
A voxelwise approach to determine consensus regions-of-interest for the study of brain network plasticity

Despite exciting advances in the functional imaging of the brain, it remains a challenge to define regions of interest (ROIs) that do not require investigator supervision and permit examination of change in networks over time (or plasticity). Plasticity is most readily examined by maintaining ROIs constant via seed-based and anatomical-atlas based techniques, but these approaches are not data-driven, requiring definition based on prior experience (e.g., choice of seed-region, anatomical landmarks). These approaches are limiting especially when functional connectivity may evolve over time in areas that are finer than known anatomical landmarks or in areas outside predetermined seeded regions. An ideal method would permit investigators to study network plasticity due to learning, maturation effects, or clinical recovery via multiple time point data that can be compared to one another in the same ROI while also preserving the voxel-level data in those ROIs at each time point. Data-driven approaches (e.g., whole-brain voxelwise approaches) ameliorate concerns regarding investigator bias, but the fundamental problem of comparing the results between distinct data sets remains. In this paper we propose an approach, aggregate-initialized label propagation (AILP), which allows for data at separate time points to be compared for examining developmental processes resulting in network change (plasticity). To do so, we use a whole-brain modularity approach to parcellate the brain into anatomically constrained functional modules at separate time points and then apply the AILP algorithm to form a consensus set of ROIs for examining change over time. To demonstrate its utility, we make use of a known dataset of individuals with traumatic brain injury sampled at two time points during the first year of recovery and show how the AILP procedure can be applied to select regions of interest to be used in a graph theoretical analysis of plasticity.
Adaptive Security in the Threshold Setting: From Cryptosystems to Signature Schemes

Threshold cryptosystems and signature schemes give ways to distribute trust throughout a group and increase the availability of cryptographic systems. A standard approach in designing these protocols is to base them upon existing single-server systems having the desired properties. Two recent (single-server) signature schemes, one due to Gennaro et al., the other to Cramer and Shoup, have been developed which are provably secure using only standard number-theoretic hardness assumptions. Catalano et al. proposed a statically secure threshold implementation of these schemes. We improve their protocol to make it secure against an adaptive adversary, thus providing a threshold signature scheme with stronger security properties than any previously known. As a tool, we also develop an adaptively secure, erasure-free threshold version of the Paillier cryptosystem.
Transferring Personal and Social Responsibility of Underserved Youth to the Classroom

This report is an evaluation of an in-school mentoring program for 16 underserved elementary youngsters. The goals of the program are related to a Personal and Social Responsibility Model (Hellison, 1995), which focuses on the following: (1) self-control and respect for the rights of others; (2) effort and participation; (3) self-direction; and (4) helping others. Teacher and mentor journals, and student exit interviews, constituted the data sources. Data sources were reviewed and a program-goal matrix was developed to determine the level of performance of each participant. Results of the study indicated that the youngsters were able to apply the goal of effort to learning tasks in the classroom. The club members struggled, however, to transfer some of the other values to the classroom. One particular problematic area was the club members' inability to set personal goals in the classroom setting.
Protein Synthesis Directed by an Arbovirus

In contrast to chick embryo fibroblast protein synthesis, the bulk of the protein synthesis directed by Semliki Forest virus is carried out on membranes. Under conditions where more than 95% of cell protein synthesis was inhibited, viral polysomes could be demonstrated. Viral protein appeared to be produced on polysomes associated with nascent ribonucleic acid strands still attached to the base-paired, double-stranded replicative form of the virus. Very rapid incorporation of virus protein into 140S virus core particles was also demonstrated.
Brucellosis is Being Wiped Out

Department of Animal Husbandry Cornell University Twelve years ago, the remaining ten of the 100 counties in North Carolina were placed upon the brucelIosis-free, modified~ certified list. North Carolina thus became on July 1, ]942, the first state in the nation to suppress this disease. Since that notorious event in farm livestock history, New Hampshire and Maine each have recorded similar achievements and many other states today are nearing their goals. The brucellosis eradication work in North Carolina began in 1927 as a small research project carried on between the State Department of Agriculture, the Experiment Station and about 25 livestock owners with herds representative of those in the various regions in the state. The eradication program was completed with the aid of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, which in 1934 began paying indemnities for reacting cattle. From that time forward, the demand for herd testing in North Carolina grew rapidly in this state of low initial infection, which in 1934 was said to be but 4%. In Connecticut at that time, the rate of infection was 22%; in Massachusetts, 20%; in New York, 17%, and in California, 15%. At present, North Carolina still nmintains its lead with its original 100 counties "certified."
The proton charge form factor and the neutron-proton mass difference

Abstract The proton charge form factor can be used to obtain the electromagnetic, one gluon exchange, and kinetic energy contributions to the neutron-proton mass difference, based on a quark picture of the nucleon.
Predicting parental involvement in children's schooling within an economically disadvantaged African American sample

Predictors of parental school involvement were examined within a sample of 159 economically disadvantaged, African American parents living in an urban setting. School involvement was defined in terms of parent activity within the school. Parent demographics, attitudes about education, and community engagement behaviors as well as parent perceptions of school receptivity to parental involvement were evaluated as predictors of school involvement. Predictors of school involvement were examined separately for parents of elementary school students and for parents of middle and high school students. Results indicated that school receptivity was the strongest predictor of parental school involvement within both groups of parents. In addition, parental educational aspirations for the child and community engagement behaviors were significant predictors for both groups of parents. Parent level of employment was a significant predictor of school involvement only for parents of middle/high school students. Implications for school psychologists based on the findings are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 101–111, 2005.
A Sufficient Condition for Compactness of the ∂̄-Neumann Operator

We show that the existence of a certain family of plurisubharmonic functions on a bounded domain in Cn implies that the ∂-Neumann operator associated to the domain is compact. Our condition generalizes previous work of Catlin on compactness of the ∂-Neumann operator.
Lafley on Drucker: an interview with A.G. Lafley, Chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble Co.

Talk with A.G. Lafley, the chairman and chief executive of Procter & Gamble Co., and he’s quick to tell you that few people have had as big an influence on his career—or his life—as Peter Drucker. “I first met him in 1999,” Lafley recalls, “and for the next 6 years, until he passed away at age 95, we engaged in active dialogue.... I found Peter’s insights profound, and often transformative.” Among the lessons that Drucker preached is one that Lafley has embodied in a simple four-word mantra: “The consumer is boss.” With that rallying cry—and a relentless focus on innovation—Lafley has built PG the secondary measure was enough profit to then flow into all of these service operations that were part of the community: barber shops and beauty salons, laundry and dry cleaning, restaurants and entertainment. So we really had two roles. One was to provide the goods and services that made life as much like home as you could make it away from home. The second part was to run efficiently and effectively enough that you could make enough profit to fund all of the other base services. So it sounds like you began to see the tie between profit and a satisfied customer. But some places still put profit over the other, right? Or at least they try to in the short term. Yeah, but we definitely put the customer first. We were long-term oriented, and we were intimately connected to the customer because the customers were my neighbors. Did that philosophy come from you or was it instilled in you from elsewhere? I think some of it was instilled in me and then you develop. Certainly the philosophy, if not the strategy, of the Navy exchange system was service first. But I do think it’s then expressed in your passion and leadership and in your attentiveness to the operation and the excellence of execution. That’s what I tried very hard to do. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2009) 37:12–16 DOI 10.1007/s11747-008-0103-3
Haemoglobin and apparent protein in the human red cell.

THE concentration CHb of haemoglobin is conventionally measured by dividing the haemoglobin in gm. per cent by the fractional concentration ρ, allowance being made for incomplete packing in the haematocrit tube. If a high-speed haematocrit is used, ρ can be found with an error of about ± 1 per cent, and the haemoglobin concentration can be measured by the cyanmethaemoglobin method with an error of about the same magnitude.
Physical aspects of the relaxation model in two-phase flow

The paper explores the potential of the homogeneous relaxation model (HRM) as a basis for the description of adiabatic, one-dimensional, two-phase flows. To this end, a rigorous mathematical analysis highlights the similarities and differences between this and the homogeneous equilibrium model (HEM) emphasizing the physical and qualitative aspects of the problem. Special attention is placed on a study of dispersion, characteristics, choking and shock waves. The most essential features are discovered with reference to the appropriate and convenient phase space Ω for HRM, which consists of pressure P , enthalpy h , dryness fraction x , velocity w , and length coordinate z . The geometric properties of the phase space Ω enable us to sketch the topological pattern of all solutions of the model. The study of choking is intimately connected with the occurrence of singular points of the set of simultaneous first-order differential equations of the model. The very powerful centre manifold theorem allows us to reduce the study of singular points to a two-dimensional plane Π , which is tangent to the solutions at a singular point, and so to demonstrate that only three singular-point patterns can appear (excepting degenerate cases), namely saddle points, nodal points and spiral points. The analysis reveals the existence of two limiting velocities of wave propagation, the frozen velocity a f and the equilibrium velocity a e . The critical velocity of choking is the frozen speed of sound. The analysis proves unequivocally that transition from ω a f to w > a f can take place only via a singular point. Such a condition can also be attained at the end of a channel. The paper concludes with a short discussion of normal, fully dispersed and partly dispersed shock waves.
Absorption of 1-Bev Photons

The total cross section for the attenuation of high-energy gamma rays has been measured in various elements. The variation with atomic number, $Z$, has been observed by measuring the absorption of 1-Bev gamma rays in 12 different elements ranging from hydrogen to uranium. Additional measurements were made in copper at 400 and 700 Mev to show the energy dependence of the absorption processes. These results are then combined with those of other investigators at lower energies and show that the theory of pair production in the nuclear field correctly predicts the cross section as a function of atomic number and photon energy. The measurements in low-$Z$ elements give information on pair production in the field of the electron. The results are in closer agreement to the calculations of Wheeler and Lamb than to the estimate of Joseph and Rohrlich. In addition a short experiment was performed to measure the symmetry of the energy distribution between the electron and positron members of the pair. The results show that the energy-sharing curve is symmetrical as predicted by theory.
Differential expression of lymphocyte homing receptors by human memory/effector T cells in pulmonary versus cutaneous immune effector sites

The heterogeneous expression of lymphocyte homing receptors (HR) by the (CD45RA(low)/RO(high)) memory/effector T cell population in the human is thought to define subsets with tissue-selective recirculatory potential. To investigate further the localization characteristics of these T cells, we used multiparameter flow cytometry to quantitate T cell subsets defined by expression of the skin-selective HR called the cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA), the peripheral lymph node (PLN) HR L-selectin, the mucosal-associated HR alpha 4 beta 7-integrin, and the mucosal-associated adhesion molecule alpha e beta 7-integrin in either cutaneous or pulmonary immune effector sites and corresponding peripheral blood. Compared to peripheral blood, skin T cells were highly enriched for the CLA+/L-selectin+/alpha e beta 7-integrin- memory/effector subset, whereas lung memory/effector T cells were predominantly CLA-to low L-selectin-, and almost half were alpha e beta 7-integrin+. alpha 4 beta 7-integrin expressing memory/effector T cells were diminished in both skin and lung, suggesting that this HR is not a major participant in determining localization specificity in either of these sites. The characteristic pulmonary T cell HR phenotype did not significantly differ between the normal subjects and those with pulmonary inflammatory disease, and did not correlate with markers of T cell activation. Induction of a rapid up-regulation of pulmonary inflammation via intrabronchial allergen challenge in asthmatic patients tended to decrease localization specificity, resulting in a more general importation of memory/effector subsets. Taken together, these results suggest that tissue microenvironments play a major role in determining the character of local T cell infiltrates via their ability to import and retain memory/effector subsets selectively or, more generally, depending on the intensity of local inflammatory stimuli.
Detection of Lactic Acid in Milk and Cream

Summary The steps involved are saturation with ammonium sulfate, filtering, shaking the filtrate with ethyl ether, separation of the ether layer, neutralization of the acid with alkali, evaporation of the ether, washing of the ethyl ether residue with petroleum ether, taking up the residue with water, heating with sulfuric acid, cooling, and adding guiacol (Deniges test). A red color indicates lactic acid. With care the test is sensitive to down to about 0.002 per cent of lactic acid in the milk.
The pharmacology of anatoxin-a(s), a neurotoxin produced by the freshwater cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae NRC 525-17.

Anatoxin-a(s) [antx-a(s)] is produced by Anabaena flos-aquae clone NRC 525-17 and is different from anatoxin-a, a known depolarizing agent produced by A. flos-aquae NRC 44-1. Purification of antx-a(s) from lyophilized cells involved extraction with 1.0 M acetic acid: ethanol (80:20), column chromatography (Sephadex G-15 and CM-Sephadex C-25) and high performance liquid chromatography. Purified toxin has an LD50 (i.p., mouse) of approximately 50 micrograms/kg. Gross pharmacological tests of antx-a(s) on isolated chick biventer cervicis and frog rectus abdominis muscles showed no direct agonistic effect. Instead, antx-a(s) augments the acetylcholine response and antagonizes the actions of d-tubocurarine. Twitch potentiation and tetanic fade were observed on isolated rat phrenic nerve--diaphragm muscle when stimulated indirectly at different frequencies. In acute toxicity tests with mice and rats the signs of poisoning were indicative of excessive cholinergic stimulation. Mice pretreated with atropine sulfate showed longer survival times and no parasympathomimetic signs of toxicity. The mice still died of respiratory arrest with convulsions, which indicated that toxicity is due to more than just the peripheral muscarinic action of antx-a(s). Assays of serum cholinesterase of rats in acute toxicity tests showed complete inactivation of the enzyme at doses of 350 and 600 micrograms/kg. It was concluded that antx-a(s) may be acting as an anticholinesterase, thereby causing toxicity.
Structural studies of virus-antibody complexes by electron cryomicroscopy and X-ray crystallography

Abstract The combined use of electron cryomicroscopy and X-ray crystallography has recently provided unprecedented and unique structural information of virus-antibody complexes. Different kinds of viral proteins have been located and identified on the capsid surface, certain residues of the viral proteins involved in antibody interactions have been identified; the elbow angle of bound antibody has been measured; and the mechanism of antibody-mediated neutralization has been elucidated. Within the next few years, this combined methodology should help investigators resolve the structures of large macromolecular assemblies to even higher resolutions.
The role of vasotocin and of CRF in ACTH release in the chicken.

Abstract Hypothalamic extracts (HE) of chickens have the ability to deplete adrenal ascorbic acid (AAAD assay) in hypophysectomized rats. These extracts can withstand boiling up to 60 min without loss of activity. Since 25.0, 50.0, or 300.0 mU of arginine vasotocin shows no significant AAA depletion and since the dose of HE used was estimated to contain at most 100 mU of lysine vasopressin equivalents (Dekanski), it was concluded that the depleting activity was not due to vasotocin. Since both the chicken pituitary and mammalian ACTH standard lose their ability to deplete ascorbic acid after boiling for 30–60 min, it was further concluded that the depleting substance in hypothalami was different from hypophyseal ACTH. It is speculated that α-MSH may be the substance responsible for the ACTH-like activity of chicken hypothalami. Data are also presented to show that chicken hypothalami contain a factor which fulfills all the requirements of a CRF and that 94% of the ACTH-releasing activity of hypothalami is due to CRF.
From milliseconds to millions of years: guard cells and environmental responses.

Abstract During the past year, significant advances have been made in our understanding of stomatal development and its response to climate change, and in our knowledge of how guard cell Ca2+ oscillations encode environmental signals. Recent studies on (de)phosphorylation mechanisms have provided new information on how guard cells respond to abscisic acid and blue light.
Women’s agency across cultures: Conceptualizing strengths and boundaries

Synopsis The authors in this special issue discuss how women's voices are excluded, silenced and marginalized in settings and processes such as war, displacement, democratization, labor market, judicial system, state bureaucracy, nonprofit organizations and national debates on citizenship. They also discover how women found their voices, channeled them, modified them, and gained a measure of empowerment. They examine women's agency across cultures by focusing on countries as diverse as Turkey, Portugal, Lebanon, Mexico and the US. Each article is concerned with particular transformations in social, economic and political systems that in turn shape women's social, economic and political ability or lack thereof to make their voices heard. All articles are engaged with identifying structural problems that limit women's personal, social and political capacity to maneuver for their own interests. Then again, each piece analyzes a particular form of women's agency or efforts to change their circumstances according to their interests and concerns.
News or Noise? An Analysis of U.S. News and World Report's Ranking Scores

One of the biggest criticisms of the U.S. News and World Report rankings of colleges and graduate schools is that they are “falsely precise,’ creating a vertical column where a group might more properly exist. In this article, the jackknife method coupled with a linear regression model is used to illustrate uncertainty around the overall scores used to rank schools. Results indicate that the top 50 schools in each ranking can be shown to group in two to three bands. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the interpretation of a school's position in a ranking as well a s changes in that position over time. The article concludes with some recommenda- tions for both producers and consumers of these rankings.
Aproximación psicoanalítica al ensayo teatral: algunas notas preliminares al concepto de «transferencia»

El articulo discute la importancia de una aproximacion psicoanalitica al ensayo teatral y apoya la necesidad de un enfoque teorico novedoso para la formacion y el trabajo del actor y del director. En consecuencia, introduce algunos conceptos psicoanaliticos a la teoria teatral segun han sido elaborados por Lacan en varios de sus Seminarios e invita a una revision del metodo o sistema de Stanislavski, de la creacion colectiva y del psicodrama. Los conceptos de transferencia, fantasma y deseo permiten abrir un debate sobre multiples aspectos politicos y culturales que operan durante el ensayo, tales como el tiempo, la fi ccion, la verdad y el cuerpo.
Means-end coherence, stringency, and subjective reasons

Intentions matter. They have some kind of normative impact on our agency. Something goes wrong when an agent intends some end and fails to carry out the means she believes to be necessary for it, and something goes right when, intending the end, she adopts the means she thinks are required. This has even been claimed to be one of the only uncontroversial truths in ethical theory. But not only is there widespread disagreement about why this is so, there is widespread disagreement about in what sense it is so. In this paper I explore an underdeveloped answer to the question of in what sense it is so, and argue that resolving an apparent difficulty with this view leads to an attractive picture about why it is so.
Regular dynamics associated with heat transfer at the interface of model diamond {111} nanosurfaces

Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the dynamics of heat transfer across the interface of two H-terminated diamond {111} nanosurfaces. It was found that when the surfaces are brought into contact, a coherent low-frequency oscillatory motion, normal to the interface, is initiated for the atomic layers of each surface. This motion lasts more than 50 ps, significantly longer than the relaxation of the interfacial force which occurs on a subpicosecond time scale. Amplitudes of these coherent oscillations gradually increase from the outer atomic layers to the interfacial layer. The temperature of the hot surface does not have a significant effect on the nature of oscillations. Thicker nanosurfaces have oscillations of lower frequency. This coherent oscillation of the surfaces' atomic layers creates beats in the potential energy of the surface and, thus, in the total energy content of the surface. The amplitude of the energy beat increases as the distance between the interfacial H-atom layers decreases. Thus, the atomic-level energy transfer dynamics from the hot surface to the cold surface is more complex than the exponential dynamics observed for overall heat transfer between the surfaces.