cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of infectious complications in elderly kidney transplant recipients receiving induction with anti-thymocyte globulin vs basiliximab

Background Elderly transplant recipients experience lower rates of acute rejection with higher rates of infectious complications compared to their younger counterparts. While less intensive immunosuppression may be preferable, there are no recommendations for depleting versus non-depleting induction strategies. We sought to compare infectious complications between anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and basiliximab (IL2RA) induction in elderly kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Methods We reviewed 146 KTRs ≥65 years receiving ATG or IL2RA induction. Per institution protocol, ATG was administered to patients with the following characteristics, irrespective of age: African American (AA), PRA ≥20%, and/or re-transplantation. Infectious complications (bacterial, viral, and invasive fungal) at 1 year were compared. Results There were significantly more AA, deceased donors, and sensitized KTRs in the ATG group, reflecting criteria for induction agent. ATG KTRs experienced higher rates of overall infectious complications (77% vs 56%, P = .01), driven by increased bacterial (54% vs 39%, P = .08) and viral infections (51% vs 35%, P = .05). Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and CMV in particular occurred at high rates among ATG patients (46% and 32%, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the only independent risk factor associated with increased risk for infection was induction with ATG (adjusted HR 1.71 [95% CI 1.04-2.83], P = .04). Overall rates of immunologic outcomes were low. Conclusion Elderly KTRs receiving ATG are at an increased risk for infectious complications, largely attributed to high rates of UTIs and CMV. Additional strategies aimed at mitigating these complications in elderly patients requiring ATG may be beneficial.
Modeling the dynamics of drought resilience in South-Central United States using a Bayesian Network

Abstract Droughts impact both the natural and human communities worldwide. Understanding the complex process underlying community resilience to drought is crucial to coping with the hazard. This study examined the dynamics of resilience to drought hazard for 503 counties in South-Central USA using a Bayesian Network (BN) approach. We first applied the Resilience Inference Measurement (RIM) framework and found 10 out of 52 variables contributed most to the resilience level of the county. We then applied the bootstrapped Hill-Climbing algorithm to Bayesian Network learning to identify the significant links among two resilience outcomes (population change, agricultural damage) and resilience predictors. The final BN, which included eight predictors, was used to find the probabilities of population decline and agricultural damage conditional upon different levels of hazard intensity (drought incidence) and two levels of resilience predictors (at Years 2000 and 2015). The study reveals that an increase in drought incidence will likely lead to higher agricultural damage, but it will unlikely curb population growth. This is probably due to the higher impact of drought hazard on agriculture than the general population. These probabilities and associated findings could be used as decision-support tools for stakeholders and practitioners in the communities affected by drought.
One-Year OCT Follow-Up Results of Overlapping Resorbable Magnesium Scaffolds: Mind the Gap!

Abstract In this paper we are reporting an unexpected evolution after multiple Resorbable Magnesium Scaffolds (RMS) implantations in overlap.
Interactive Computer Tutors as a Programming Educator: Improving Learners’ Experiences

With the large demand for technology workers in the world, more people are learning to code. Due to the the high cost and inaccessibility of in-person courses, many programming learners turn to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which often use an interactive computer tutoring (ICT), such as Codecademy and Treehouse. However, little is known about who these users are and what their needs are for these systems. I addressed this gap in knowledge in a past study, learning more about who uses these systems, and finding that programming learners have different level of autonomy, which in turn affects what is needed from an ICT. The next phase of my work is to build a system prototype addressing these needs to examine their efficacy on programming learners’ needs. Results from this work can be used to inform the (re)design of ICTs for programming learners, and help generate discussion in improving ICTs in other educational contexts.
Climate urbanism: crisis, capitalism, and intervention

Born out of one crisis (global economic recession) to address another crisis (climate change), climate urbanism represents a unique development paradigm that facilitates neoliberal accumulation thr...
Geographic analysis of latent tuberculosis screening: A health system approach.

BACKGROUND Novel approaches are required to better focus latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) efforts in low-prevalence regions. Geographic information systems, used within large health systems, may provide one such approach. METHODS A retrospective, cross-sectional design was used to integrate US Census and Duke Health System data between January 1, 2010 and October 31, 2017 and examine the relationships between LTBI screening and population tuberculosis risk (assessed using the surrogate measure of proportion of persons born in tuberculosis-endemic regions) by census tract. RESULTS The median proportion of Duke patients screened per census tract was 0.01 (range 0-0.1, interquartile range 0.01-0.03). The proportion of Duke patients screened within a census tract significantly but weakly correlated with the population risk. Furthermore, patients residing in census tracts with higher population tuberculosis risk were more likely to be screened with TST than with an IGRA (p<0.001). CONCLUSION The weak correlation between patient proportion screened for LTBI and our surrogate marker of population tuberculosis risk suggests that LTBI screening efforts should be better targeted. This type of geography-based analysis may serve as an easily obtainable benchmark for LTBI screening in health systems with low tuberculosis prevalence.
Sustained Improvement in Diastolic Reserve Following Percutaneous Pericardiotomy in a Porcine Model of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is increasing in prevalence, but few effective treatments are available. Elevated left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling pressures repres...
Examining the variability of bone and soft tissue morphology in Hemifacial Microsomia: A case series of 8 patients.

Abstract Aim of the study: Patients with Hemifacial Microsomia (HFM) exhibit highly variable skeletal and soft tissue asymmetries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate soft tissue discrepancies in patients with HFM and correlate them to the skeletal discrepancy. Eight patients were selected and studied retrospectively using 3-dimensional (3D) superimposition and color mapping of the soft and hard tissues. The skeletal and soft tissue facial structures were segmented and mirrored, resulting in a perfectly symmetric skull and face. Original and mirrored 3D models were superimposed. Differences between the affected and normal side were assessed in seven areas: frontal, endocanthion, exocanthion, malar, maxillary frontal, mandibular frontal and gonion area. The correlations between the skeletal and soft tissue asymmetry were evaluated by Pearson correlations. Hard tissue asymmetry ranged from 1.4 mm (Endocanthion) to 5.5 mm (Gonion), while soft tissue asymmetry ranged from 1.5 mm (Endocanthion) to 5.6 mm (Malar). Correlation between skeletal and soft tissue deficiency were highly variable, with the highest correlation at gonion and the lowest at exocanthion. Bone and soft tissue hypoplasia were highly correlated at the gonion and the malar area, while the remaining evaluated areas demonstrated poor correlation between skeletal and soft tissue asymmetries. Future studies will determine if target treatment can reliably improve bone and soft tissue hypoplasia in this area.
Consumer and retailer preferences for local ingredients in processed foods: Evidence from a stacked choice experiment in an African urban dairy market

Abstract West African consumption of processed dairy products has been increasing over the past decades, most markedly in urban areas. In livestock-rich countries such as Mali, local milk production has the potential to meet growing demand. There is evidence, although limited, that consumers in the region prefer local fresh milk over imported milk. Yet, very little fresh milk is marketed in urban areas, where imported powdered milk dominates the market. The dichotomy between agricultural and urban food policies in Mali along with asymmetric information has likely contributed to this mismatch between fresh milk demand and supply. In this study, we bring new empirical evidence on preferences and information flows on processed dairy products. We employ a novel approach of stacked choice experiments to estimate and compare urban consumer and retailer preferences for three dairy product attributes: ingredient labeling, product safety certification, and packaging. Findings indicate that the majority (70%) of consumers are willing to pay a higher price for pasteurized milk that is manufactured purely from fresh milk, compared to powdered milk, pointing to an important market opportunity. Consumer and retailer preferences and willingness-to-pay are well aligned, suggesting that retailers have adequate information on their customers and that information asymmetry exists further upstream in the value chain. Better labeling regulations, government-backed certification, and policies that support packaging alternatives can improve information flows and strengthen the competitiveness of fresh milk value chains. Policymakers and manufacturers could also benefit from coordinating more closely with retailers as an information partner.
Buckling and post-buckling of an elastica under a lateral restraining force

Abstract Buckling of structures under lateral load restraint has been found to differ from the conventional bifurcation problems and cannot be handled with conventional analysis. Towards a better understanding of this type of unconventional buckling problems, this work investigates the upheaval buckling of an elastica resting on a smooth surface and restrained by a lateral constant force. Analytical solutions for the Mode-1 and Mode-2 post-buckling responses and configurations of the elastica are established. Stability of the post-buckling configurations under force-control are investigated via the energy method. An energy barrier is found to exist and the buckling load depends on the restraining force and perturbation energy. The imperfection sensitivity of the system is different from the conventional buckling ones, and a characteristic imperfection is found to exist that can transform a snap-through instability into a bifurcation buckling. As a first attempt to address the problem of flange wrinkling under a constant blank-holding force during the cup-drawing process, the fundamental solutions are extended to study the wrinkling of a shrinking elastic annulus under a constant lateral restraining force. The post-wrinkling responses are established and an energy barrier is found to exist for each wrinkling mode. A characteristic imperfection is also found to exist for each mode, which eliminates the energy barrier and enables bifurcation wrinkling. The linear relationship between the critical restraining force that prevents the wrinkling of the elastic annulus and the imperfection amplitude is established, which is also verified by numerical simulations. This study contributes to a better understanding of load-restrained buckling problems and is expected to shed light on the elastoplastic buckling of plates and shells under lateral load restraints in general, and on the wrinkling of a thin sheet during cup-drawing in particular.
The Performance of Characteristic-Sorted Portfolios: Evaluating the Past and Predicting the Future

The expected returns of most portfolios are likely to fluctuate over time. We present a statistical model that allows for such fluctuations and apply the model to analyze the returns of characteristic-sorted portfolios, such as value minus growth. We find that accounting for plausible magnitudes of persistent variation in returns doubles the standard errors of these portfolios' expected return estimates. We also analyze characteristic-sorted portfolios from the perspective of Bayesian investors and show that investors' posterior beliefs about expected returns are highly dependent on their priors about persistence.
TWO NEW SPECIES OF EREYNETES (ACARI: PROSTIGMATA: EREYNETIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH BARK BEETLES

Ereynetes propescutulis n. sp. and E. sinescutulis n. sp. are described and illustrated. Both species are phoretic on bark beetles. Trapping data indicates that E. propescutulis is phoretic on the female bark beetle.
Introduction: Method, Domain and Findings

In this book I will try to describe the method by which the experimental scientists explore the universe of matter and energy. A description of what it is that the physicists and chemists actually do when they are engaged in the enterprise of discovery has to serve as the model for the attempt to formalize that procedure. For when we say “the scientific method” we mean that method which is followed professionally by the scientist in action. For science is nothing static but instead a sequence of dynamic activities intended to investigate some segment of nature. The scientist makes observations, designs instruments, conducts experiments, collects data, takes measurements, makes calculations, draws conclusions. But if we would like to include in the account the process whereby he discovers hypotheses we are hardly ready with an accurate and precise description, for such inductions are difficult to explain. This book purports to be an essay in that direction, nothing more. If it does not help the beginner in science to know where he is headed, it might at least tell the humanist what the scientist is up to.
C5 palsy after cervical laminectomy and fusion: does width of laminectomy matter?

Abstract Background context A common complication of cervical laminectomy and fusion with instrumentation (CLFI) is development of postoperative C5 nerve palsy. A proposed etiology is excess nerve tension from posterior drift of the spinal cord after decompression. We hypothesize that laminectomy width will be significantly increased in patients with C5 palsy and will correlate with palsy severity. Purpose The purposes of this study were to evaluate laminectomy width as a risk factor for C5 palsy and to assess correlation with palsy severity. Study design/setting : This is a retrospective, single-institution clinical study. Patient sample Patient population included all patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent CLFI between 2007 and 2014 by a single surgeon. Patients who underwent CLFI for trauma, infection, or tumor or had previous or circumferential cervical surgery were excluded. All patients with a new C5 palsy received a postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. An additional computed tomography (CT) scan was ordered to assess hardware. All control patients received a CT scan at 6 months postoperatively to evaluate fusion. Outcome measures The association between width of laminectomy and development of postopeative C5 palsy was measured. Methods Patient comorbidities including obesity, smoking history, and diabetes were recorded in addition to preopertaive and postoperative deltoid and biceps motor strength. Sagittal alignment was measured with C2–C7 Cobb angle preopertaive and postoperative radiographs. The width of laminectomy was measured in a blinded fashion on the postoperative CT scan by two observers. Results Seventeen patients with C5 nerve palsy and 12 controls were identified. There were no baseline differences in age, sex, diabetes, smoking history, number of surgical levels, or sagittal alignment. Body mass index was significantly higher in the control cohort. There was no significant increase in the C3–C7 laminectomy width in patients with postoperative C5 palsy. The width of laminectomy measurments were highly similar between the two observers. There was no correlation between laminectomy width and palsy severity. Conclusions This is the largest series of C5 palsies after laminectomy documented with CT imaging. Laminectomy width was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative C5 palsy at any level. Reduction in laminectomy width may not reduce rate of postoperative nerve palsy.
Don't Play it Again Sam: Radio Play, Record Sales, and Property Rights

This paper undertakes an econometric investigation of the impact of radio play on sales of sound recordings using a sample of American cities. The results indicate that radio play does not have the positive impact on record sales normally attributed to it and instead appears to have an economically important negative impact, implying that overall radio listening is more of a substitute for the purchase of sound recordings than it is a complement. This finding indicates that creating a set of property rights to allow this market to function properly is different than has been suggested by prior research. This research also exposes a fallacy of composition in applying to an entire market a generally accepted positive relationship that holds for individual units. New technologies changing the nature of radio broadcasts are likely to make this topic increasingly important in the coming years.
The Isotope Effect in Superconductors

We review some aspects of the isotope effect (IE) in superconductors. Our focus is on the influence of factors not related to the pairing mechanism. After summarizing the main results obtained for conventional superconductors, we review the effect of magnetic impurities, the proximity effect and non-adiabaticity on the value of the isotope coefficient (IC). We discuss the isotope effect of T c and of the penetration depth δ. The theory is applied to conventional and high-T c superconductors. Experimental results obtained for YBa2Cu3O7-δ related materials (Zn and Pr-substituted as well as oxygen-depleted systems) and for La2-x Sr x Cu04 are discussed.
Space Weather: An Air Force Research Laboratory Perspective

From the energetic induced particle degradation of spacecraft microelectronics to the scintillation of trans-ionospheric communication links, the impacts of space weather have become increasingly recognized within the civilian and military space, communications, navigation, and power distribution communities. Several government agencies in the United States have been working together under the auspices of the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) to guide research and development in order to meet the space weather requirements of today’s space-dependant society. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has long been developing technologies to specify, forecast, and mitigate the hazards of the space environment with specific emphasis on the impacts to military systems. We present an overview of military space weather needs in the context of the National Security Space Architects Space Weather Architecture and the NSWP. The AFRL research program is then described and several recent accomplishments discussed.
Neoproterozoic Glaciations and the Fossil Record

Sedimentary, geochronological, and δ 13 C chemostratigraphic data require that at least three glaciations-the Sturtian, Marinoan, and Gaskiers in geochronological order-occurred in the Neoproterozoic glacial interval (NGI; ca. 750-580 Ma); at least the Gaskiers glaciation has not been demonstrated global in nature. Available radiometric and δ 13 C chemostratigraphic data also suggest that the fossil-rich Doushantuo Formation may have been deposited after the Marinoan but before the Gaskiers glaciation, thus representing a window between two glaciations. A review of the fossil record under this geochronological framework reveals the following patterns: 1) a broad decline in stromatolites and acritarchs occurred in the Cryogenian (ca. 750-600 Ma); 2) a taxonomically unique assemblage of large acanthomorphic acritarchs occurs between the Marinoan and Gaskiers glaciations; 3) multicellular algae diversified after the Marinoan glaciation, although they evolved earlier; 4) animals, probably in microscopic forms, evolved before the Gaskiers glaciation if not earlier; and 5) post-Gaskiers diversification of complex Ediacaran organisms/animals may have begun in deep-water slope environments and later expanded to shallow-water shelf environments where macrobilaterians and biomineralized animals first appeared. It is hypothesized that 1) the Cryogenian decline in stromatolites and acritarchs may have been causally related to glaciations; and 2) acanthomorphic acritarchs, algae, and animals may have suffered diversity loss related to the Gaskiers glaciation. The fossil record also implies that 1) at least some lineages of different algal clades survived all Neoproterozoic glaciations; and 2) some members of the animal clade survived the Gaskiers glaciation, probably in non-glaciated refugia.
Academic restructuring: Organizational change and institutional imperatives

A perennial challenge for universities and colleges isto keep pace with knowledge change by reconsideringtheir structural and resource commitments to variousknowledge areas. Reflecting upon changes in theacademic landscape of public higher education in theUnited States over the past quarter of a century, theauthor diagnoses a macro-trend whereby the dominantlegitimating idea of public higher education haschanged from higher education as a social institutionto higher education as an industry. Threeinterrelated mechanisms are identified as havingadvanced this process: academic management, academicconsumerism, and academic stratification. This pattern of academic restructuring reflects multiple institutional pressures. Whilepublic universities and colleges have increasinglycome to rely on market discourse and managerialapproaches in order to demonstrate responsiveness toeconomic exigencies, they may end up losing legitimacyas they move away from their historical character,functions, and accumulated heritage as educationalinstitutions. Thus, responsiveness to compellingeconomic pressures that dominate contemporaryorganizational imperatives in an attempt to gainlegitimacy in one dimension may result in loss for another.Wholesale adaptation to market pressures and managerialrationales could thereby subsume thediscourse about the future of colleges anduniversities within a logic of economic rationality ata detriment to the longer-term educational legaciesand democratic interests that have long characterizedAmerican public education.
Automated programming of a ring-structured multiprocessor digital filter IC

A computer algorithm is described that automatically writes optimal programs for the implementation of arbitrary digital filter structures on parallel processors. The algorithm has been adapted particularly for programming a DSP chip with multiple processors arranged in a ring-type topology. The algorithm starts from a netlist describing a desired digital filter structure. It can check all possible timing schedules and all possible distributions of the operations over the parallel processors, taking into account the constraints imposed by the multiprocessor topology and the processors' architecture. The algorithm's output is a set of programs for the parallel processors which causes them to implement the given digital filter.
Generating plans to succeed in uncertain environments

Planners have traditionally not handled domain uncertainty, postponing that possibility to error monitoring routines during the execution of the plan. In real-world domains with incomplete knowledge, this results in inevitable delays due to replanning. This paper describes a planner that considers the reliability of the agent's actions (learned from previous experience) while generating a plan. This is done by incorporating into the domain representation, the probabilities that the effects of an action will be observed after its execution. These probabilities may depend on the current state of the environment, allowing the formation of hard and soft constraints for actions. Action selection is performed by computing an "expected utility" for each action by a bidirectional spreading activation process which propagates goal utilities backward and predicted states of the environment forward. This connectionist approach allows the simultaneous generation of multiple plans, resulting in the availability of fall-back plans if the one with the highest probability of succeeding fails.
Pain and hospice care in nursing home residents with dementia and terminal cancer.

Aim One condition associated with severe end-of-life pain that can lead to a poor quality of death is cancer. Cancer pain in people with dementia is of particular concern because of communication problems that occur with worsening disease. The aim of the current pilot study was to examine the association between hospice enrolment, dementia severity and pain among nursing home residents who died from advanced cancer.
College Students' Perceptions of Collective Efficacy: Results from a Nonurban Sample.

Although the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and collective efficacy is well established in urban populations with community samples, it is unclear if this relationship holds in rural areas. The current study fills this gap by assessing the perceptions of adolescents from nonurban areas to examine the relationships between neighborhood characteristics and collective efficacy in areas with lower population density. Our sample comprised 402 late adolescents attending a Midwestern university (average age 19.1 years). Consistent with previous studies using urban neighborhoods, we found that higher concentrated disadvantage was related to lower levels of social cohesion, regardless of population density. However, neither residential stability nor concentrated immigration was predictive of social cohesion. None of the neighborhood characteristics significantly predicted social control, after controlling for population density.
Stability of dynamical systems determined by differential inequalities with applications to nonlinear circuits

We develop a Lyapunov stability theory for finite dimensional continuous-time dynamical systems described by a system of first order ordinary differential inequalities. We utilize this theory to establish sufficient robust stability criteria for a large class of finite dimensional, continuous-time dynamical systems described by systems of ordinary differential equations. We demonstrate the applicability of the methodology advanced herein by means of a specific example which has been considered in the literature. In terms of computational complexity and conservatism of stability criteria, the present results frequently offer improvements over existing results. >
Creation and validation of the Cognitive and Behavioral Response to Stress Scale in a depression trial

The Cognitive and Behavioral Response to Stress Scale (CB-RSS) is a self-report measure of the use and helpfulness of several cognitive and behavioral skills. Unlike other measures that focus on language specific to terms used in therapy, the CB-RSS was intended to tap the strategies in ways that might be understandable to those who had not undergone therapy. The measure was included in a clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression and completed by 325 participants at baseline and end of treatment (18 weeks). Psychometric properties of the scale were assessed through iterative exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. These analyses identified two subscales, cognitive and behavioral skills, each with high reliability. Validity was addressed by investigating relationships with depression symptoms, positive affect, perceived stress, and coping self-efficacy. End of treatment scores predicted changes in all outcomes, with the largest relationships between baseline CB-RSS scales and coping self-efficacy. These findings suggest that the CB-RSS is a useful tool to measure cognitive and behavioral skills both at baseline (prior to treatment) as well as during the course of treatment.
Survival and Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Broth Supplemented with Sodium Chloride and Held at 4 and 13 °C

Abstract Growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes strains Scott A and V7 at 4 and 13°C in tryptose broth containing 0 to 100 g/L NaCl was determined. Both strains grew at all concentrations of NaCl at 13°C; however, 90 and 100 g/L NaCl delayed the onset of growth by strain V7 more than that of strain Scott A. The maximum population achieved by strain V7 in the presence of 100 g/L NaCl was less than that of strain Scott A. When incubation was at 4°C, strain V7 initially grew in the presence of 0 to 60 g/L NaCl, but during extended incubation the population decreased in the presence of 70 to 100 g/L NaCl, with the final population being less than the initial population when the medium contained 90 and 100 g/L NaCl. Strain Scott A, at 4°C, grew at all concentrations of NaCl tested although at 90 and 100 g/L there was an initial decrease in population. After some growth, another decrease in population occurred midway through a 12-d incubation, which was followed by an increase and another decrease in population. A three-way analysis of variance showed that storage time, strain of L. monocytogenes, concentration of NaCl, and their interactions were significant in determining behavior of the bacterium at the two holding temperatures.
A quick-release hook for lifeboats and offshore rigging

A quick-release hook has been developed for applications in which release-under-load capability is essential. The design is an adaptation of a towing block developed at MIT for side trawlers. The new device has been deployed aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alert for two years as a part of its rigid hull inflatable rubber boat handling system. The hook has proven successful and judged a key element of the launch/retrieve operation. This paper details the design, fabrication, and operation of the hook and describes the operational environment in which the prototype was deployed. Other marine applications are discussed as well as the advantages over existing hardware.
Exciton-polariton dynamics in a transparent organic semiconductor microcavity

Exciton-polariton dynamics are studied in organic semiconductor microcavities operating in the strongly coupled polariton regime, with thin films of cyanine J-aggregates sandwiched between low-loss dielectric mirrors. The delocalized excitons are subject to polariton normal mode splittings which are modulated by near resonant femtosecond excitation pulses, while orientational disorder effects on the formation of polariton states play an important role in polariton dynamics.
On classifying access control implementations for distributed systems

This paper presents a classification of implementations of access control systems based on a lattice taxonomy where the axes are properties of the implementation. The current taxonomy has six axes representing:partitioning of control over sharing of access control credentials, distribution of the state relevant to access control decisions,.delity of policy enforcement, the identity resolution mechanism, local versus centralized decisions,and static or adaptive trust management.Analysis of implemented systems in terms of these properties sheds insight on tradeo .s between performance, scalability and potential vulnerability to specified attacks. The taxonomy reveals that distributed systems for several points on the lattice with interesting access control characteristics have not yet been implemented. The relationship of this classification to conventional classifications by type (for instance,role-based access control or mandatory access control) and mechanism (for instance,access control list or capabilities)is briefly discussed. Several implementations of access control are classi .ed by their values for these properties.The roles of access control in formulation and operation of distributed systems are discussed.
Kinetic Studies of the Oxidation of Dimethyl Ether and Its Chain Reaction with Cl2

The reaction between dimethyl ether radicals and molecular oxygen proceeds along two distinct pathways at temperatures between 230 and 350 K. Above about 100 Torr total pressure the peroxy radical,...
Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Post-Core-Collapse Globular Cluster NGC 6752. II. A Large Main-Sequence Binary Population

We present a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of NGC 6752 based on post-refurbishment Planetary Camera 2 observations of its core. The main sequence is broadened and asymmetric, as would be expected if there were large numbers of binary stars. We use artificial star experiments to characterize the broadening of the main sequence that is expected, due to both photometric errors and the effect of chance superposition of stars. The observed broadening is significantly greater than can be explained by these two effects alone, so a main-sequence binary population is required to explain the observations. We develop a Monte Carlo technique to calculate the binary frequency in the CMD. The binary fraction is probably in the range 15%-38% in the inner core radius (r < 11'') but is probably less than 16% beyond that.
Room temperature ferromagnetism in Cu-doped ZnO synthesized from CuO and ZnO nanoparticles

AC susceptibility and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements indicate that ZnO doped with Cu by a simple sintering process starting from nanoparticles of ZnO and CuO is ferromagnetic above room temperature. FMR measurements above room temperature indicate the ordering temperature to be above 520 K. The observation supports the recent theoretical calculations of Huang et al. which predict ferromagnetism in copper-doped ZnO.
Constructing Interracial Families Through Intercountry Adoption

Objective. This article analyzes the role of race and ethnicity in constructing American families through intercountry adoption. We argue that such adoptions illustrate the fluidity and tenacity of specific racial boundaries in American families. Methods. Data are drawn from the U.S. 2000 Census—the first to contain information on children’s adoptive status—to examine whether race of parents and adopted children match and whether racial matching varies by the characteristics of adoptive families and adopted children. Results. Our findings indicate that minority-race parents are more likely than white parents to adopt a child of the same race as themselves, and that the odds of white parents, in particular, adopting a white versus nonwhite child from abroad are related to factors such as the age, sex, and health status of the child, as well the presence of other children in the household. Conclusion. Parents weigh a constellation of factors, including attributes of the adopted child and the children already in the household, when adopting a child of the same or different race from abroad. The number of children from abroad who have been adopted by Americans has increased dramatically over the last decade. In the early 1990s, the number of children born abroad and adopted by U.S. parents vacillated between 7,000 and 9,000 each year (Kent and Mather, 2002), but by the turn of the 21st century, the United States was granting almost 20,000 visas per year allowing Americans to adopt children ranging in age from infancy to early adolescence from more than 100 different countries around the globe (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2003), although threequarters of the children were from just six countries (China, Russia, South Korea, Guatemala, Ukraine, and Romania). By 2000, there were almost
Moving beyond the trickle-down approach: addressing the unique disparate health experiences of adolescents of color.

PURPOSE. Health disparities in adults have received significant attention and research, yet the healthcare experiences of adolescents of color have been ignored. The purpose of this paper is to identify the shortcomings of our state of knowledge regarding adolescent health disparities and argue for the use of an intersectional, contextually embedded understanding of healthcare experiences. CONCLUSIONS. To understand health disparities, deficit-based models should be replaced with the framework proposed in this paper. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Using the proposed model in practice will aid in identifying and preventing the health disparities experienced by adolescents of color. Search terms : Adolescents of color , healthcare disparities
Optimizing the administration of fixed-dose rate gemcitabine plus capecitabine using an alternating-week schedule: a dose finding and early efficacy study in advanced pancreatic and biliary carcinomas.

Objectives This multisite study sought to optimize the dosing, schedule, and administration of fixed-dose rate (FDR) gemcitabine plus capecitabine for advanced pancreatic and biliary tract cancers using an alternating-week dose schedule of both agents. Methods Patients with previously untreated advanced pancreatic and biliary tract cancers with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 were eligible. For the dose-finding portion, a standard 3+3 dose-escalation schema was used, with the gemcitabine dose kept at 1000 mg/m(2) administered by FDR (10 mg/m(2)/min) on day 1 of each 14-day cycle, and capecitabine given on days 1 to 7 at doses ranging from 800 to 1500 mg/m(2) twice daily. Primary study objective was determination of maximum tolerated dose (MTD). The cohort at MTD was expanded for further efficacy assessment. Results A total of 45 patients (median age 61 y; 93% pancreatic/7% biliary; 84% with metastatic disease) were enrolled. Median number of cycles received was 11.5. The MTD using this dose schedule was FDR gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) plus capecitabine 1000 mg/m(2) bid, due to a high incidence of late hand-foot syndrome observed at the next higher dose level. Most common nonhematologic adverse events related to treatment included nausea/vomiting (overall rate, 64%; all grade 1/2) and hand-foot syndrome (overall rate, 60%; grade 3, 22%). The incidence of grade 3/4 hematologic adverse events was 24%. Six of 41 evaluable patients (14.6%) had a partial response; 18 of 31 patients (58%) with elevated baseline CA 19-9 level had ≥50% biomarker decline during treatment. Estimated median time to tumor progression and overall survival were 5.5 and 9.8 months, respectively (5.5 and 10.1 mo in the metastatic pancreatic cancer cohort). Conclusions This dosing schedule of FDR gemcitabine plus capecitabine is active in patients with advanced pancreatobiliary cancers. Given its favorable toxicity profile and convenience, this regimen represents an appropriate front-line option for this patient population and may serve as the foundation on which new investigational agents are added in future trial design.
Different vascular responses to subpressor angiotensin II administration in the mesenteric and renal circulation of rats.

Administered in small doses, angiotensin II (ANG II) potentiates its own pressor responses (autopotentiation). In the present study, we investigated whether potentiation of vasoconstrictor responses in the mesenteric and renal circulation accounted for the autopotentiation of pressor responses. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 350 to 400 g, were infused with 200 ng/kg/min ANG II intraperitoneally for 7 to 10 days. Control rats were fitted with an osmotic minipump containing vehicle only. Vascular responses to ANG II, norepinephrine (NE), arginine vasopressin (AVP) and nerve stimulation were measured in the mesenteric and renal circulation of rats. In ANG II-treated rats: 1) tail systolic BP was 4 mm Hg higher than in controls (P = NS); 2) mesenteric vascular responses to ANG II (P < .002) and nerve stimulation (P = .03) were increased, and those to NE and AVP were unchanged; and 3) renal vascular responses to nerve stimulation were reduced (P < .02), and those to ANG II, NE, and AVP were unchanged. Thus, we demonstrated autopotentiation of vascular responses to ANG II in the mesenteric, but not the renal circulation. An interaction between ANG II and sympathetic activity may explain these differences in regional vascular responses. Regional hemodynamic measurements may provide important clues to pathogenetic mechanisms in hypertension.
Forskolin Induces NMDA Receptor-Dependent Potentiation at a Central Synapse in the Leech

In vertebrate hippocampal neurons, application of forskolin (an adenylyl cyclase activator) and rolipram (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) is an effective technique for inducing chemical long-term po...
Coaching Athletes Using Laban Movement Analysis

(1995). Coaching Athletes Using Laban Movement Analysis. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 66, No. 2, pp. 34-37.
Dysplasia in chronic ulcerative colitis: Implications for colonoscopic surveillance

Mucosal dysplasia has been used as a marker for patients with chronic ulcerative colitis considered to be most at risk of developing cancer, and its identification is the basis for colonoscopic surveillance programs. To evaluate the reliability of this premise, colectomy specimens from two groups of patients who had undergone surgery for chronic ulcerative colitis (50 with cancer and 50 without) were retrieved. The groups were matched by age, sex, duration of disease, disease extent, and symptoms at the time of surgery. Using a standard technique of multiple random biopsies, we utilized the standard colonoscopic biopsy forceps to obtain four biopsies from mucosa that was not macroscopically suspicious for dysplasia or cancer in eight defined regions in each of the 100 colon specimens. This technique mimicked exactly the methods used in our clinical surveillance program. All 3,200 biopsies were evaluated blindly by one pathologist for presence and grade of dysplasia. Twenty-six percent of colons with an established cancer harbored no dysplasia inanybiopsy from any region in the colon. While an overall association between the presence of cancer and high-grade dysplasia was detected (relative risk = 900; 95 percent CI of 2.73-29.67), the sensitivity and specificity of random colonic biopsies to detect concomitant carcinoma were 0.74 and 0.74, respectively. These findings prompt concern that reliance on random biopsies, obtained during colonoscopic surveillance, may be misplaced.
Conformation and dynamics of the SH1-SH2 helix in scallop myosin.

Atomic structures of scallop myosin subfragment 1(S1) with the bound MgADP, MgAMPPNP, and MgADP.BeF(x) provide crystallographic evidence for a destabilization of the helix containing reactive thiols SH1 (Cys703) and SH2 (Cys693). A destabilization of this helix was not observed in previous structures of S1 (from chicken skeletal, Dictyostelium discoideum, and smooth muscle myosins), including complexes for which solution experiments indicated such a destabilization. In this study, the factors that influence the SH1-SH2 helix in scallop S1 were examined using monofunctional and bifunctional thiol reagents. The rate of monofunctional labeling of scallop S1 was increased in the presence of MgADP and MgATPgammaS but was inhibited by MgADP.V(i) and actin. The resulting changes in ATPase activities of S1 were symptomatic of SH2 and not SH1 modification, which was confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. With bifunctional reagents of various lengths, cross-linking did not occur on a short time scale in the absence of nucleotides. In the presence of MgADP, cross-linking was greatly enhanced for all of the reagents. These reactions, as well as the formation of a disulfide bond between SH1 and SH2, were much faster in scallop S1.ADP than in rabbit skeletal S1.ADP and were rate-limited by the initial attachment of the reagent to scallop S1. The cross-linking sites were mapped by mass spectrometry to SH1 and SH2. These results reveal isoform-specific differences in the conformation and dynamics of the SH1-SH2 helix, providing a possible explanation for destabilization of this helix in some scallop S1 but not in other S1 isoform structures.
The geography of extreme heat hazards for American football players

American Football players are among the most susceptible athletes to heat-related illnesses. Environmental conditions are an important factor when considering risk rates for these illnesses. Thus, we examine the spatio-temporal variations in the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a commonly used metric for heat exposure, and quantify the hazard for extreme heat using safety thresholds specifically derived for athletes from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The objective is to provide better information on heat-related hazards to help mitigate the risk of exertional heat illnesses (EHI) among football players. We created a unique 15-year climatology (1991–2005) of August WBGTs for 217 locations across the contiguous United States using weather station observations and a WBGT model. Thirteen 3-h overlapping training session times ranging from 6–9 a.m. to 6–9 p.m. were examined to identify how the WBGT varies with the time of day the practice session was held and how frequently the WBGT during those sessions posed a hazard for extreme heat by exceeding two ACSM safety thresholds (30.1 °C and 32.3 °C). Maximum hazards for extreme heat are located in an arc across the Southern tier of the country, stretching from eastern Texas through to South Carolina as well as across southern Arizona and southeastern California. Climatologically, practice sessions early in the morning and later in the evening were best for minimizing heat exposure while those held from late morning through afternoon, particularly the noon-3 p.m. and 1–4 p.m. periods, had the highest WBGT values and were the practice periods that most frequently exceeded safety thresholds. Delaying the start of afternoon practices a few hours, however, may substantially reduce the likelihood of oppressive conditions and reduce the risk for heat illnesses.
Confusing Claims for Data: A Critique of Common Practices for Presenting Qualitative Research on Learning

We question widely accepted practices of publishing articles that present quantified analyses of qualitative data. First, articles are often published that provide only very brief excerpts of the qualitative data themselves to illustrate the coding scheme, tacitly or explicitly treating the coding results as data. Second, articles are often published that treat interrater reliability solely as a matter of justifying the coding scheme, without further attention to the variance it makes evident in the process of coding. We argue that authors should not treat coding results as data but rather as tabulations of claims about data and that it is important to discuss the rates and substance of disagreements among coders. We propose publication guidelines for authors and reviewers of this form of research.
A Repertory Grid Measure of Mandalas

Jung described mandalas as symbols of psychological wholeness. Mandalas are concentric geometrical structures that have been used as religious symbols in India since ancient times. Mandalas express a highly complex but logical set of relationships among their subparts. A repertory grid measure of mandala principles is described in this study. The relevance of this personal construct technique to Jung's theory of individuation is elaborated.