cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zoogeomorphology and Resilience Theory

Abstract Zoogeomorphology, the study of animals as geomorphic agents, has been largely overlooked in the context of resilience theory and biogeomorphic systems. In this paper, examples are provided of the interactions between external landscape disturbances and zoogeomorphological agents. We describe cases in which naturally occurring zoogeomorphological agents occupy a landscape, and examine whether those zoogeomorphic agents provide resilience to a landscape or instead serve as a landscape stress capable of inducing a phase-state shift. Several cases are described whereby the presence of exotic (introduced) zoogeomorphic agents overwhelms a landscape and induce collapse. The impact of climate change on species with zoogeomorphological importance is discussed in the context of resilience of a landscape. We conclude with a summary diagram illustrating the relationships existing between zoogeomorphic impacts and landscape resilience in the context of our case studies, and speculate about the future of the study of zoogeomorphology in the framework of resilience theory.
Home Country Political and Legal Hazards and International Expansion of Emerging Market Firms

This study employs institution-based view to study the internationalization of firms from emerging markets. There are two competing arguments in institution-based view literature: institutional lev...
Advanced Plastic Surgical Techniques: Facial Prosthetic Considerations, Periorbital Free Flaps, Reanimation, and Corneal Sensory Restoration

Orbital deformities, especially when associated with an absence of the ocular globe, are difficult to conceal and often cause profound difficulties in children. Restoration of facial form and aesthetics can be readily achieved with combinations of surgical reconstruction and a well-made ocular or orbital prosthesis. A multispecialty approach with extensive communication between the patient and family is necessary to plan the appropriate long-term goals. Microsurgical free tissue transfer techniques can offer a variety of tissues for the appropriate replacement or augmentation of missing or deficient tissues. Furthermore, microsurgical reconstruction can provide a number of composite flaps in a single operation without the need for staging. This chapter emphasizes both the use of microsurgery in reconstructing the periorbital region in children and the surgical preparation of the facial defect for a facial prosthesis, as well as describing the prosthetic considerations important for successful rehabilitation of patients with periorbital defects.
Valuation Models for Low-Income Housing: How Does Income Approach Reduce Ambiguity of Assessing Property Tax?

Property tax valuation and assessment for low-income housing remain a challenge for real estate assessors, developers, property managers, and local governments. This paper reported the research findings on the use of valuation methods for real estate tax abatement in low-income properties gathered from real data. Based on data from income statements and balance sheets of client’s properties, valuation models for low-income housing versus market-price housing were proposed and the major variances were compared. From the examination of the major valuation methods used by states and localities, evidence was found to explain: 1) How the fair market value method failed to apply to the tax assessment in Massachusetts that requires a market-price value for property assessment purpose, and 2) why the income approach is preferred in the asset valuation of low-income housing. The findings showed the effectiveness of income approach in the absence of statutory mandates in the State of Massachusetts where a disparate body of case law is used. The paper shined light on valuing real estate encumbered with restrictions for assessment purposes, especially for properties vulnerable to changes in property taxes. It further suggested the need for a legislative resolution for clarity and consistency in valuation of low income housing.
Bacterial and Fungal Next Generation Sequencing Datasets and Metadata from Citrus Infected with ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’

Citrus production throughout the world is being severely threatened by Huanglongbing (HLB), which is a disease associated with the bacteria ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), africanus, an...
Depressive symptoms prospectively predict cardiovascular disease among older adults: Findings from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study:

A recent meta-analysis identified a prospective association between depression and cardiovascular disease; however, there was no association for studies with long-term follow-up periods. The litera...
Who’s Liable When the Computer’s Wrong?

“Computer” mistakes may result from hardware, software, or human error. When users get inaccurate information from computer output, the source of the problem may be—among other possibilities—that the original data was incorrect even before it was translated into a format the computer could manipulate; □ the original data was translated incorrectly before being processed; □ the software which processed the data contained either logical or semantic errors; □ the output was incorrectly interpreted by the human user; □ a hardware failure caused incorrect results to be produced;
Synthesis and Promising Lines of Research on Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests

In the mid 1990s the first global synthesis of our knowledge of the biology of seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) was published (Bullock et al. 1995). The motivation for that synthesis was the fact that vast areas of tropical dry forests of the world were poorly studied and yet they represent one of the most threatened ecosystems of the world. These systems provide a vast treasure of biological information on the adaptive modes of organisms to an environment that is not thermally limited but where water availability varies greatly within and between seasons. It was hoped that revealing the knowledge that had accrued would be a stimulus to further research on these unique ecosystems as well as new efforts for their conservation.
BRAWL: A Spintronics-Based Portable Basecalling-in-Memory Architecture for Nanopore Genome Sequencing

Nanopore sequencing is one of the most promising genome sequencing technologies because of its ability to produce ultra long reads and provide portability. Basecalling, the most time-consuming step in the whole flow of Nanopore genome sequencing, translates analog signals to digital DNA symbols. The state-of-the-art basecaller relies on a complex neural network consisting of convolutional, long short-term memory and fully-connected layers, and a CTC decoder. Existing neural network portable accelerators achieve low basecalling throughput per Watt when processing such neural network inferences. In this paper, we propose BRAWL, a portable B asecalling-in-memory architecture, to translate RAW electrical signa L s to digital DNA symbols in SOT-MRAMs for Nanopore portable sequencers. Compared to state-of-the-art accelerators, BRAWL improves basecalling throughput per Watt by $3.88\times$ .
Examining Black-White Disparities Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Assisted Living Settings in 2014

Abstract Objective Assisted living (AL) provides housing and personal care to residents who need assistance with daily activities. Few studies have examined black-white disparities in larger (25 + beds) ALs; therefore, little is known about black residents, their prior residential settings, and how they compare to whites in AL. We examined racial differences among a national cohort of AL residents and how the racial variation among AL Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries compared to differences among community-dwelling and nursing home cohorts. Study design Retrospective cohort study. Participants We included (1) a prevalence sample of 442,018 white and black Medicare beneficiaries residing in large AL settings, (2) an incidence sample of new residents (n = 94,741), and (3) 10% random samples of Medicare FFS community-dwelling and nursing home beneficiaries in 2014. Measures The Medicare Master Summary Beneficiary File was used to identify AL residents and provided demographic, entitlement, chronic condition, and health care utilization information. We used the American Community Survey and prior ZIP code tabulation areas of residents to examine differences in prior neighborhoods. Medicare claims and the Minimum Data Set yielded samples of Medicare FFS community-dwelling older adults and nursing home residents. Results Blacks were disproportionately represented in AL, younger, more likely to be Medicaid eligible, had higher levels of acuity, and more often lived in ALs with fewer whites and more duals. New black residents entered AL with higher rates of acute care hospitalizations and skilled nursing facility utilization. Across the 3 cohorts, blacks had higher rates of dual-eligibility. Conclusions Black-white differences observed among AL residents indicate a need for future work to examine how disparities manifest in differences in care received and residents’ outcomes, as well as the pathways to AL. More research is needed to understand the implications of inequities in AL as they relate to quality and experiences of residents.
Physicochemical characterization of organogels prepared from menhaden oil or structured lipid with phytosterol blend or sucrose stearate/ascorbyl palmitate blend

The purpose of this research was to produce organogels using two different organogelator blends and two different oil substrates and compare their physicochemical properties. A medium-long-medium (MLM)-type structured lipid (SL) containing 37.44 mol% MLM-type triacylglycerols (TAG) was produced by enzymatic modification of menhaden oil with ethyl caprate. Menhaden oil and SL were used as oil substrates to form organogels. One organogel was formed using a phytosterol blend of β-sitosterol and γ-oryzanol (molar ratios of 2 : 1, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2 at 4, 6, and 8% (w/w) in oil), and another was formed with a blend of sucrose stearate (HLB value: 2) and ascorbyl palmitate (SSAP) (molar ratios of 3 : 1, 1 : 1, and 1 : 3 at 8, 10, and 12% (w/w) in oil). Organogels were formed for all ratios except 2 : 1 and 3 : 1 for the phytosterol and SSAP blend, respectively. For both organogels, the 1 : 1 molar ratio was optimal. This ratio produced organogels with higher melting completion temperatures than menhaden oil and SL (13.6 and 14.3 °C). The SSAP blend had higher melting completion temperatures (72.3 and 72.4 °C) than the phytosterol blend (69.2 and 68.4 °C) for organogels formed using menhaden oil and SL, respectively. All 1 : 1 molar ratio blends exhibited β′ polymorphic form with short spacing peaks at 4.20, 3.97, and 3.71 A. All organogels improved the oxidative stability of the menhaden oil and SL. These organogels have the potential for use as nutraceuticals or health beneficial low saturated fat alternatives to saturated and/or trans-fats.
Youth Participatory Action Research: The Nuts and Bolts as well as the Roses and Thorns

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) challenges traditional social science research because it teaches young people how to inquire about complex power relations, histories of struggle, and the consequences of oppression directly related to their lives. More significantly, YPAR provides marginalized youth with an opportunity to exercise their agency by being civically engaged, developing their critical consciousness, and learning how to advocate for oppressed communities. The purpose of this chapter is to do the following: (1) discuss the historical origins of YPAR and demonstrate how it is part of Indigenous/decolonizing methodological traditions, (2) provide key characteristics of YPAR and how it has been utilized in the field, (3) explain the central critiques of YPAR, and (4) provide key significant insights and challenges from my own YPAR study with system-involved youth.
Procedural Sedation: Anesthesia and Sedation of Children Away from the OR

Children need anesthesia and sedation for many procedures an adult would tolerate awake. These procedures are often performed away from the operating theatre. Although the terms conscious, moderate and deep are still used to define sedation levels, they are subjective and poorly defined. Minimal and moderate sedation are rarely effective in children, as small doses of sedation do not change a hungry toddler into an awake yet cooperative patient. Non-anesthetists often believe sedation is safer than anesthesia, not appreciating the risks of the deeper levels of sedation often required for children, especially those having painful procedures. Oral sedation has a slow onset, a long duration and is difficult to titrate to a desired effect. Upper endoscopy (gastroscopy) causes airway and ventilation problems in children. The endoscope partly occupies the upper airway and may compress the trachea. There is gastric distension from air insufflation, and there may be a risk of regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration. General anesthesia with endotracheal intubation is common in infants and children younger than 2 or 3 years. Either a laryngeal mask or facemask with intravenous anesthesia is used for older children. MRI scans are difficult for awake, young children to tolerate and require sedation or anesthesia in an environment with a high magnetic field. Techniques to facilitate the scan balance safety, scanner efficiency and staffing requirements, affecting the technique chosen by different institutions. Positron emission tomography (PET) is the most recent type of scan now needing sedation of children.
Dislocation Sidewall Gettering in II-VI Semiconductors and the Effect of Dislocation Pinning Interactions

It has been shown that threading dislocations may be removed from patterned mismatched heteroepitaxial layers through a process of dislocation sidewall gettering (DSG), also known as patterned heteroepitaxial processing (PHeP). This gettering approach involves the glide of dislocations toward sidewalls, where they become trapped by image forces. Simple quantitative models have been developed for DSG, but they fail to explain why only partial removal of dislocations was observed in ZnSSe/GaAs (001) whereas complete removal has been achieved in ZnSe/GaAs (001) with higher lattice mismatch. Until now this phenomenon has been qualitatively explained by the presence of sessile dislocations. Here we present a quantitative model for pinning interactions and show that these interactions can limit the growth of misfit dislocation segments and thereby reduce the effectiveness of DSG in ZnSySe1-y/GaAs (001) relative to ZnSe/GaAs (001).
Cognitive Functioning Related to Binge Alcohol and Cannabis Co-Use in Abstinent Adolescents and Young Adults

Objective:Despite preliminary evidence of unique acute cognitive and psychopharmacological changes attributable to combined alcohol and cannabis use, few studies have investigated more chronic effe...
Message from the WFMH president

World Mental Health Day, a programme of the World Federation for Mental Health, was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992. The world is experiencing the unprecedented impact of the current global health emergency due to COVID-19 that has also impacted on the mental health of millions of people. We know that the levels of anxiety, fear, isolation, social distancing and restrictions, uncertainty and emotional distress experienced have become widespread as the world struggles to bring the virus under control and to find solutions.
GVHD Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment: Lessons From Humanized Mouse Transplant Models

Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is the most common cause of non-relapse mortality following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) despite advances in conditioning regimens, HLA genotyping and immune suppression. While murine studies have yielded important insights into the cellular responses of GVHD, differences between murine and human biology has hindered the translation of novel therapies into the clinic. Recently, the field has expanded the ability to investigate primary human T cell responses through the transplantation of human T cells into immunodeficient mice. These xenogeneic HSCT models benefit from the human T cell receptors, CD4 and CD8 proteins having cross-reactivity to murine MHC in addition to several cytokines and co-stimulatory proteins. This has allowed for the direct assessment of key factors in GVHD pathogenesis to be investigated prior to entering clinical trials. In this review, we will summarize the current state of clinical GVHD research and discuss how xenogeneic HSCT models will aid in advancing the current pipeline of novel GVHD prophylaxis therapies into the clinic.
Biofunctionalization of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs) for the Fabrication of Protein Nano Biosensors

The novel properties or the unusual combinations of properties possessed by nano-structured materials open several possibilities towards fabricating advanced nano biosensors with superior sensitivity and specificity. Single-walled carbon nantubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) exhibit unique properties such as chemical stability, good mechanical properties, outstanding charge-transport characteristics and high surface area that makes them ideal for the design of nanobio sensors for detecting sub-femtogram quantities of target protein, DNA, and RNA. In this work, we demonstrate a route for the fabrication of a novel and sensitive protein biosensor using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The nanotubes were surface modified with carboxylic group (COOH) by refluxing in concentrated nitric acid, and then non-covalently attached to surface of clean glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface using N,N, dimethlyformaide (DMF) solvent. The MWNTs were biofunctionalized with anti-S-100 antibodies of Schwann nerve cells, hybridized with S-100 antigen, and detected with FITC labeled IgG, and visualized with confocal microscope. The surface characterization of the functionalized nanotubes was done by FTIR and SEM. The protein molecular hybridization on the electrode will be monitored electrically making it a electrochemical biosensor system. This methodology will be further extended to the fabrication DNA biosensors.
Global Markets and Government Regulation in Telecommunications

In recent years, liberalization, privatization and deregulation have become commonplace in sectors once dominated by government-owned monopolies. In telecommunications, for example, during the 1990s, more than 129 countries established independent regulatory agencies and more than 100 countries privatized the state-owned telecom operator. Why did so many countries liberalize in such a short period of time? For example, why did both Denmark and Burundi, nations different along so many relevant dimensions, liberalize their telecom sectors around the same time? Kirsten L. Rodine-Hardy argues that international organizations – not national governments or market forces – are the primary drivers of policy convergence in the important arena of telecommunications regulation: they create and shape preferences for reform and provide forums for expert discussions and the emergence of policy standards. Yet she also shows that international convergence leaves room for substantial variation among countries, using both econometric analysis and controlled case comparisons of eight European countries.
Accelerated hematopoietic stem cell aging in a mouse model of dyskeratosis congenita responds to antioxidant treatment

Mutations in DKC1, encoding telomerase associated protein dyskerin, cause X-linked dyskeratosis congenita (DC), a bone marrow (BM) failure, and cancer susceptibility syndrome. Decreased accumulation of telomerase RNA resulting in excessive telomere shortening and premature cellular senescence is thought to be the primary cause of disease in X-linked DC. Affected tissues are those that require constant renewal by stem cell activity. We previously showed that in Dkc1(Δ15) mice, which contain a mutation that is a copy of a human mutation causing DC, mutant cells have a telomerase-dependent proliferative defect and increased accumulation of DNA damage in the first generation before the telomeres are short. We now demonstrate the presence of the growth defect in Dkc1(Δ15) mouse embryonic fibroblasts in vitro and show that accumulation of DNA damage and levels of reactive oxygen species increase with increasing population doublings. Treatment with the antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), partially rescued the growth disadvantage of mutant cells in vitro and in vivo. Competitive BM repopulation experiments showed that the Dkc1(Δ15) mutation is associated with a functional stem cell defect that becomes more severe with increasing age, consistent with accelerated senescence, a hallmark of DC hematopoiesis. This stem cell phenotype was partially corrected by NAC treatment. These results suggest that a pathogenic Dkc1 mutation accelerates stem cell aging, that increased oxidative stress might play a role in the pathogenesis of X-linked DC, and that some manifestations of DC may be prevented or delayed by antioxidant treatment.
Porcine alanine transaminase after liver allo-and xenotransplantation.

Ekser B, Gridelli B, Cooper DKC. Porcine alanine transaminase after liver allo- and xenotransplantation. Xenotransplantation 2012; 19: 52–55. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) are measured following liver transplantation as indicators of hepatocellular injury. During a series of orthotopic liver allo-and xenotransplants, we observed that there was an increase in AST in all cases. The anticipated concomitant rise in ALT did not occur when a wild-type (WT) pig was the source of the liver graft, but did occur when a baboon or a genetically engineered (α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout [GTKO]) pig was the source of the graft. We hypothesized that the cience of Galα1,3Gal in GTKO pig livers may render pig hepatocytes similar to human and baboon hepatocytes in their response to hepatocellular injury. Reviewing the literature, after WT pig liver allotransplantation or xenotransplantation, in the majority of reports, although changes in AST were reported, no mention was made of changes in ALT, suggesting that there was no change in ALT. However, Ramirez et al. reported two cases of liver xenotransplants from hCD55 pigs, following which there were increases in both AST and ALT, suggesting that it is not simply the cience of expression of Galα1,3Gal that is the cause. We acknowledge that our observation is based on a small number of experiments, but we believe it is worth recording.
Abstract 86: Methodological Issues in Telephone Interventions for Stroke Survivors and Family Caregivers

Background: Post-stroke follow-up interventions are increasingly delivered by telephone. Though many studies report comparable outcomes for phone and in-person delivery, little is reported regarding the feasibility of using this technology in stroke. Purpose: We report positive and negative aspects of phone interventions in two ongoing stroke studies, including strategies to overcome limitations Methods: Study A is comparing a tailored phone intervention with an active listening phone intervention for 254 stroke family caregivers. Study B is comparing tailored in-person versus phone interventions in 100 stroke survivors. Researchers in both studies identified facilitators and barriers to using the telephone. Results: Advantages of phone delivery included ease of access for both caregivers and survivors, less time commitment, and no pressure to present a good appearance (of the home or self). Study A sessions averaged 30 minutes for the tailored intervention versus 16 minutes for active listening. Caregiver rapport was easily established with both interventions. Nurses expressed relief that the study was conducted by phone given the number of rescheduled appointments. Study B phone sessions were shorter than in-person (25 minutes vs. 35-40). There were particular challenges for survivors who had expressive language difficulty, and motor deficits made it hard for some to hold the phone. Hearing deficits posed difficulty, as well as background noise and the lack of ability to “see” nonverbal cues. Investigators used speaker phones when possible for persons with limitations and also recorded conversations to further interpret responses. Conclusions: Though telephone delivery poses some challenges, these can be overcome. For stroke caregivers, advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages, though for stroke survivors, speakerphones and/or videoconferencing may improve quality. Further research using telephone technologies needs to be conducted, particularly in today’s cost-sensitive health care environment where in-person delivery methods are increasingly under scrutiny.
On the Nature of Categories

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the general taxonomy of category types, which is specifically directed toward the dichotomy of categories into ill-defined and well-defined types. The proposed taxonomy of category types allows results to be summarized and interpretative discrepancies to be isolated. The proposed taxonomy may also help systematize important findings from diverse areas that are essentially concerned with categorical problems, for example, medical diagnostics and the acquisition of finite-state grammars. The acquisition and utilization of conceptual information may be broadly conceived as the problems in sampling theory in which an organism attempts to comprehend the meaning of a category by sampling its members from the category domain. The chapter emphasizes on learning variables and the critical role they play in the shaping and modification of concepts. A number of recent findings in diverse categorical areas are presented in the chapter in which it is shown that variable manipulations critically determine the interpretation.
OPEC short-run market share behaviour: Implications, theories and facts

Abstract Since autumn 1973 the posted OPEC oil price has become unstable but OPEC members' market shares have been relatively stable. Bargaining relationships have developed, not only between consumer and producer groups, but also between members of these groups. In this paper two leading theories of OPEC behaviour are assessed. A Markov chain transition matrix analysis of market shares is developed which produces an empirical tool for estimating equilibrium shares, given a particular set of demand and supply equations and OPEC (and OECD) agreement patterns, and for detecting changes in the equilibrium shares as market structures and agreements vary.
Aspectual Meaning in Discourse Representation Theory

In this chapter I discuss the formal semantic implementation of the two-component approach to aspect. The analysis is set in the framework of Discourse Representation Theory. The theory provides a rigorous semantic interpretation at the level of mental representation. It is ideally suited for the domain of aspect because it at once develops a conceptual representation and a truth-conditional interpretation. As we have seen, the contribution of conceptual meaning is essential in accounting for aspect. Discourse Representation Theory constructs an ongoing, dynamic representation of discourse, in which the meaning of a sentence contributes to the meaning of the text or discourse. The theory deals with semantic and pragmatic information, including information due to inference.
Chemically Induced Cuticle Mutation Affecting Epidermal Conductance to Water Vapor and Disease Susceptibility in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Analysis of Sorghum bicolor bloomless (bm) mutants with altered epicuticular wax (EW) structure uncovered a mutation affecting both EW and cuticle deposition. The cuticle of mutant bm-22 was about 60% thinner and approximately one-fifth the weight of the wild-type parent P954035 (WT-P954035) cuticles. Reduced cuticle deposition was associated with increased epidermal conductance to water vapor. The reduction in EW and cuticle deposition increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Exserohilum turcicum. Evidence suggests that this recessive mutation occurs at a single locus with pleiotropic effects. The independently occurring gene mutations of bm-2, bm-6, bm-22, and bm-33 are allelic. These chemically induced mutants had essentially identical EW structure, water loss, and cuticle deposition. Furthermore, 138 F2 plants from a bm-22 x WT-P954035 backcross showed no recombination of these traits. This unique mutation in a near-isogenic background provides a useful biological system to examine plant cuticle biosynthesis, physiology, and function.
Design Optimization of Motor/Generator Full-load Characteristics in Two-mode Hybrid Vehicles

An important benefit in adopting multi-mode hybrid powertrains is the possibility of downsizing the electric motor/generator (M/G) units. This paper discusses design optimization of M/G full-load operation envelopes. A three-dimensional operation space analysis is introduced and the full-load speed-torque envelopes of M/G units appear as constraints in the powertrain operation space. The analysis shows how the change in the M/G characteristics affects the powertrain full-load performance and how the M/G units can be downsized by combining multiple modes. When the acceleration performance of a two-mode hybrid vehicle is estimated using this analysis method, the trade-off between enhancing performance and reducing M/G fullload capacities is formulated as an optimization problem. The results show significant improvement in dynamic performance at reduced M/G cost.
Synthesis of ultrafine poly(styrene‐maleic anhydride) and polystyrene fibers by electrospinning

Fiber formation from atactic polystyrene (aPS) and alternating poly(styrene-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) synthesized by free radical polymerization (AIBN, 90°C, 4 h) were investigated by electrospinning from various solutions. aPS was soluble in dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, styrene, and benzene, whereas PSMA was soluble in acetone, DMF, THF, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), ethyl acetate, and methanol. aPS fibers could be electrospun from 15 to 20% DMF and 20% THF solutions, but not from styrene nor toluene. PSMA, on the other hand, could be efficiently electrospun into fibers from DMF and DMSO at 20 and 25%, respectively. Few PSMA fibers were, however, produced from acetone, THF, or ethyl acetate solutions. Results showed that solvent properties and polymer–solvent miscibility strongly influenced the fiber formation from electrospinning. The addition of solvents, such as THF, generally improved the fiber uniformity and reduced fiber sizes for both polymers. The nonsolvents, however, had opposing effects on the two polymers, i.e., significantly reducing PSMA fiber diameters to 200 to 300 nm, creating larger and irregularly shaped aPS fibers. The ability to incorporate the styrene monomer and divinylbenzene crosslinker in aPS fibers as well as to hydrolyze PSMA fibers with diluted NaOH solutions demonstrated potential for post-electrospinning reactions and modification of these ultrafine fibers for reactive support materials. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
An implication about human mating systems.

Abstract Parent-offspring conflict, as put forth by R. L. Trivers, should be amended to exclude sequentially born offspring whose future siblings are expected to be full-sibs. The cost/benefit parameters set forth by Trivers for full-sibs should instead be applied to half-sibs. Accordingly, one should suspect that a diploid species which gives evidence of parent-offspring conflict does not have a mating system that insures a high probability of full-sibship among the offspring of the parent in question.
Patients', parents', and orthodontists' perceptions of the need for and costs of additional procedures to reduce treatment time

Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients', parents', and orthodontists' perspectives on orthodontic treatment duration and techniques for accelerating the rate of tooth movement. Methods Adolescent patients (n = 200) and their parents (n = 200), and adult patients (n = 50) from a multidoctor practice were personally surveyed regarding treatment duration and acceptance of appliances and techniques to enhance the speed of orthodontic treatment, and how much increase in fees they were willing to pay for these. Members of the American Association of Orthodontists were surveyed electronically regarding their willingness to use these techniques and appliances and the costs they were willing to pay for them. Results A total of 683 orthodontists replied to the electronic survey (7.5%). Approximately 70% of the orthodontists who replied to the survey were interested in adopting additional clinical procedures to reduce treatment time. No significant association was found between practice characteristics and interest in adopting clinical procedures to reduce treatment time. The invasiveness of the procedure was inversely related to its acceptance in all groups surveyed. Most orthodontists are willing to pay only up to 20% of their treatment fee to companies for the use of technologies that reduce treatment time, and most patients and parents were willing to pay only up to a 20% increase in fees for these approaches. Orthodontists thought that increases in the rate of tooth movement could pose a problem for fee collection. Conclusions Orthodontists and patients alike are interested in techniques that can accelerate tooth movement. Similarities between all groups were found regarding the acceptance of different approaches to accelerate tooth movement and the percentage of the orthodontic fee that would be paid for these techniques. Less-invasive techniques had greater acceptability in all groups.
Properties of Yttrium Oxide Ceramics

The cubic structure of yttrium oxide is stable to 1800°C. in air as indicated by petrographic, X-ray, and differential thermal analyses. A change in lattice parameter of less than ±0.007 a.u. was observed on heating the oxide to 1800°C. The mean specific heat of Y2O3 to 1600°C. was 0.13 cal. per gm. per °C. The coefficient of linear expansion to 1400°C. was 9.3 × 10−6 in. per in. per °C. Compacts of Y2O3 required a temperature of 1800°C. for vitrification. In equimolecular binary mixtures heated in the powdered state at 1500°C., Y2O3 formed compounds with Al2O3 and Fe2O3 and solid solutions with ZrO2 and HfO2. Y2O3 did not react with CaO, MgO, or ThO2. Crystal types and unit-cell sizes of the reaction products are included.
The Boxer Rebellion and the Standpoint of the Russian Press

The article is devoted to the examination of the reaction of the Russian press towards the Boxer Rebellion in China. The events connected with the Boxer Rebellion in China had a very strong influence on Russian society and its press. The development of Boxer Rebellion and the suppression of it made Russia define its position on the question of China and at the same time became one of the most important topics for the Russian press in 1900. The discussion of the problem revealed the different points of view and the different approaches towards the solution of this problem in Russian Far Eastern policy.
Three-dimensional imaging and display of renal tumors using spiral CT : a potential aid to partial nephrectomy

Abstract Objective A new technique for creating three-dimensional (3D) images of renal tumors using contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography (CT) is described and preliminarily investigated. Methods 3D spiral CT was employed in 2 patients before radical nephrectomy and in 5 patients before partial nephrectomy. Preoperative and postoperative image analyses were conducted to evaluate the ability of the images to depict key anatomic relationships in planning partial nephrectomies. Results 3D spiral CT defined the tumor's location and relationship to the kidney surfacebetter than the tumor's proximity to renal hilar vessels and collecting system. Negative surgical margins were obtained in all 4 patients with renal cell carcinoma, and postoperative serum creatinine remained less than 2 mg/dL in all 5 patients after partial nephrectomy. Conclusions This early experience suggests that 3D spiral CT can help in the planning of partial nephrectomy and in attaining complete resection of renal cell carcinoma while conserving normal renal tissue.
Transfection of nonmelanocytic cells with tyrosinase gene constructs for survival studies.

To better understand the role of melanin in the response of cells to radiation, the vector pcTYR containing the tyrosinase cDNA and a control vector pcTYW with no tyrosinase cDNA were transfected and expressed in nonpigmented CHOK1-AL 1282B5 cells. A pigmented clone was selected from the pcTYR transfectants and an antibiotic-resistant clone was selected from the controls. Melanin was assessed qualitatively by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quantitatively by a 14C-based assay. The EPR signal detectable in pcTYR-containing cells was at least twice that of pcTYW and parental CHOK1-AL cells and the tyrosinase activity was found to be at least six times greater. Melanin was classified to be eumelanin. Survivals of the transfectants were compared to those of the parent cells after irradiation by UVC from a germicidal lamp, UVB from TL01 lamps, UVA from Alisun lamps, UVB/UVA from FS20 lamps, and by γ-rays from a 137Cs source. Compared to the pcTYW-containing cells, the pigmented cells were more sensitive to killing by UVC, and resistant to killing by UVA and γ-rays. There were no significant differences in survival after the other irradiations. These results suggest that the pigment synthesized by the activity of tyrosinase alone, unmodified by the activities of TRP1 and TRP2, is protective against the types of reactive oxygen species produced by UVA and γ-rays but not protective against lethal damage from photons in the UVB range and sensitizes to UVC photons. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 38:216–222, 2001 © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fast reconfigurable optical image switching system

A novel system that is capable of switching/routing 2D images in arbitrary configurations is described. The switching network can be reconfigured in a few microseconds with high light efficiency.
Effects of an indicated cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program are similar for Asian American, Latino, and European American adolescents

The authors tested whether a brief indicated cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program produced similar effects for Asian American, Latino, and European American adolescents (M age = 17.3, SD = 1.6) with elevated depressive symptoms using data from two randomized trials. The first trial involved 37 Asian-American/Pacific Islanders, 32 Latinos, and 98 European Americans and the second trial involved 61 Latinos and 72 European Americans. Reductions in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-intervention and from pre to 6-month follow-up for intervention participants versus assessment-only controls did not differ significantly for the various ethnic groups in either trial, despite sufficient power to detect clinically meaningful differences. These findings suggest that this indicated depression prevention intervention is similarly efficacious for Asian American, Latino and European American adolescents.
Pulmonary hypertension in collagen vascular disease

Infrequent in occurrence, insidious in onset, and often relentless in its course, the pulmonary hypertension associated with collagen vascular disease remains a challenging syndrome to diagnose and treat. The subtlety and lack of specificity of its early symptoms and signs, the lack of availability of sensitive, noninvasive, accurate diagnostic tests, and the limited data from large-scale therapeutic trials in this population all pose many frustrations for patient and physician. Supportive, symptomatic therapy remains the mainstay of treatment. The results of recently completed and ongoing clinical trials investigating the therapeutic role of newer vasodilators suggest that for patients with relatively isolated pulmonary arteriopathy, additional therapeutic options will soon be available.
Exploiting the Opportunity for Reconstructive Leadership: Presidential Responses to Enervated Political Regimes:

We seek to extend discourse on“the reconstructive presidency” to the edge of new frontiers in two interrelated ways. First, we argue that reconstructive presidents act within critical junctures in ...
Brief Robust fault-tolerant self-recovering control of nonlinear uncertain systems

In this paper, the problem of devising a fault-tolerant robust control for a class of nonlinear uncertain systems is investigated. Possible failures of the sensor measuring the state variables are considered, and a robust measure is developed to identify the stability- and performance-vulnerable failures. Based on evaluation of the robust measure, a fault-tolerant robust control will switch itself between one robust control strategy designed under normal operation and another under the faulty condition. It is shown that, under two input-to-state stability conditions, the proposed scheme guarantees not only the desired performance under normal operations but also robust stability and best achievable performance when there is a sensor failure of any kind.
Gold(I)-Catalyzed [2 + 2]-Cycloaddition of Allenenes

A cationic phosphinegold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular [2 + 2]-cycloaddition between an allene and an alkene to form alkylidene−cyclobutanes is described. Additionally, the reported cycloisomerization reaction provides access to enantioenriched bicyclo-[3.2.0] structures using chiral biarylphosphinegold(I) complexes as catalysts.
Practical aspects of liquid-state NMR with inductively coupled solenoid coils.

Sensitivity enhancement by the use of inductively coupled milli- and microcoils has been demonstrated in solid-state as well as liquid-state NMR. In this work, we discuss the practical aspects of using inductively coupled solenoid coils of different sizes in a liquid-state NMR spectrometer. The sensitivity and resolution enhancements from these resonant coils, with sizes ranging between 3.0 and 0.75 mm i.d., are measured for 23Na single-pulse and multidimensional imaging experiments and compared to the results obtained with the conventional liquids NMR 5.0-mm saddle coil. Enhancements in voxel-based sensitivity (SNR per √scans) were measured in multidimensional MR images and were found to be as large as 20.4 with the 0.75-mm coil. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heat transfer by forced convection in pipes packed with porous media whose matrices are composed of spheres

Abstract Empirical correlation equations for the average Nusselt number have been determined that accurately represent an extensive body of new experimental data for the geometry under consideration for fully developed thermal conditions. The equations cover the Darcy, Forchheimer and turbulent regimes of flow. The correlation equations are based upon a hypothesis that regards the flow in a porous medium to be the superposition of a ‘fine’ component upon a ‘coarse’ component and takes into account the wall effect and dispersion. The results show that packed tubes provide heat transfer rates from two to seven times those of unpacked tubes for laminar flow and two to two and a half times for turbulent flow for equal pumping power.
Why people own guns.

We see gun ownership as expressive of pressures that involve fundamental questions about the thrust and direction of the social system. We expect that knowing more about why people own guns will tell us more about the effect of modern society on the people who make up that society. There may be some urgency in furthering this understanding if we understand what Chekov meant when he wrote, "If in the first act you hang a pistol on the wall, by the third act you must use it." Language: en
Human Chances for Happiness: A Review of Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents

Sigmund Freud referred to his Civilization and Its Discontents (Freud 1930/1961) as an “inquiry concerning happiness.” In this article we discuss what he has to say about happiness. We focus on the reasons he gives for why lasting happiness is impossible to realize; his view that human beings tend to give precedence to the reduction of suffering over the desire for happiness; his suggestion that the best path to follow for what degrees of happiness are realizable depends on the individual; his view that pleasurable experiences are the basis for happiness and that no pleasures are comparable to that which occurs when one’s love is reciprocated by the other; the importance he places on the conflict between genital love and aim-inhibited forms of libidinal connection; his view that civilization plays a doubtful role as far as the realization of personal happiness is concerned; and his view of the role that human aggression and the sense of guilt play in promoting the unhappiness of civilized people. We conclude by offering seven comments on Freud’s views on the chance for human happiness.
Two Accounts of Indexicals in Mixed Quotation

When the indexical ‘I’ appears inside quotation marks, it refers not to the person now speaking but to the person whose speech is being reported. The apparently ‘monstrous’ behaviour of quotation can be dismissed in direct speech, so long as one maintains that the quoted part is mentioned rather than used. The same cannot be maintained, however, in so-called ‘mixed’ quotation, for which a pure-mention analysis is implausible. In this paper I compare two accounts of the semantics of quotation. While the accounts of Maier & Geurts (2004), Geurts & Maier (this volume), and Bittner (to appear) all anticipate the correct behaviour for indexicals inside quotation, the approach developed by Geurts and Maier makes a further, false generalisation, and is therefore empirically inferior.
A non-integral-dimensional random walk

We present a space-homogeneous, time-inhomogeneous random walk that behaves as if it were a simple random walk ind dimensions, whered is not necessarily an integer. Analogues of the Local Central Limit Theorem, Zero-One Laws, distance, angle, asymptotics on the Green's function and the hitting probability, recurrence and transience, and results about the intersection behavior of the random walk paths are obtained.
Dissociation and Meditation

ABSTRCT The purpose of the current paper is to compare meditational and dissociative states in terms of their effects on consciousness, attention, affect, cognition, identity, and pain sensitivity. To illustrate these dimensions of dissociation, a case example is presented of a veteran with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder who had particularly severe dissociation symptoms. The Classical Yoga literature is reviewed to examine these dimensions as they pertain to meditational states. Although dissociative and meditational states can involve alterations in consciousness, attention, affect, cognition, identity, and pain sensitivity, the nature of changes in these two states is distinct. Applications of meditation in treatment contexts have made use of some of the powerful techniques for attention control but do not incorporate the full range of practices because of the secular setting of treatment and the goal of symptom relief. The use of meditation as a treatment for dissociation has not been sys...