cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America

Few crimes capture our imagination as completely as child kidnapping. We are both fascinated and revolted, seeing in each victim our own child, in each bereaved parent ourselves, and in each kidnapper a monster striking straight at the heart of the family and our society. Kidnapping is a modern morality play, the innocence of the child in stark contrast to the corruption of the criminal, all played out by a media industry eager to feed the worst fears of every parent. In this pathbreaking book, Paula S. Fass explores how our fear has evolved from its first chilling realization in 1874, when Americans were startled and horrified to discover that their children could be held for ransom, until today, when sexual predators seem to threaten our children at every turn. Kidnapped is a mesmerizing look at some of the great kidnapping cases in American history, the stories that have haunted parents over the past 125 years. Fass describes the kidnapping of Charley Ross in 1874, the first of a series of kidnappings to be called "the crime of the century"; the notorious case of Leopold and Loeb, two rich young men who murdered a younger cousin simply to see if they could get away with it; the abduction of Gloria Vanderbilt, the "poor little rich girl" taken by her own aunt at the start of a vicious custody battle; and the most famous case of all, the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. More importantly, Kidnapped presents, in a series of brilliant narratives, a window into the American mind, providing us with new insights into parenting and the American family, the media and our fascination with celebrity, policing and law enforcement, gender and sexuality, mental health, and much more. She shows, for instance, how the Leopold and Loeb case revolutionized the insanity plea, how the abduction of Gloria Vanderbilt brought the problems of divorce and child custody into the public eye, how the case of Stephanie Bryan was shaped by the gender assumptions of the 1950s, and how the Lindbergh tragedy was defined by the ever-present media. Turning from these historic cases, she takes us back to crimes that have only recently fallen out of the headlines, such as the disappearance of Etan Patz in New York or Jacob Wetterling in Minnesota, and the growing industry revolving around missing children, from not-for-profit foundations publicizing missing children to for-profit businesses offering to insure children against kidnapping. In this sharp, vivid book, Fass skillfully illuminates our national obsession with child abduction in a society which both values and exploits its youngest members. The loss of each child is a unique and devastating tragedy. But how we respond as a community and as a nation to these crimes speaks volumes about who we are. In confronting how we have treated the children stolen from our lives, Fass shows, we confront ourselves.
DksA Guards Elongating RNA Polymerase against Ribosome-Stalling-Induced Arrest

In bacteria, translation-transcription coupling inhibits RNA polymerase (RNAP) stalling. We present evidence suggesting that, upon amino acid starvation, inactive ribosomes promote rather than inhibit RNAP stalling. We developed an algorithm to evaluate genome-wide polymerase progression independently of local noise and used it to reveal that the transcription factor DksA inhibits promoter-proximal pausing and increases RNAP elongation when uncoupled from translation by depletion of charged tRNAs. DksA has minimal effect on RNAP elongation in vitro and on untranslated RNAs in vivo. In these cases, transcripts can form RNA structures that prevent backtracking. Thus, the effect of DksA on transcript elongation may occur primarily upon ribosome slowing/stalling or at promoter-proximal locations that limit the potential for RNA structure. We propose that inactive ribosomes prevent formation of backtrack-blocking mRNA structures and that, in this circumstance, DksA acts as a transcription elongation factor in vivo.
Medication Nonadherence in the Latino Population, Language Barriers and Considerations

Medication adherence is a major public health concern that results in poor health outcomes and significantly increased health care costs. Medication nonadherence rates appear to be higher in non-wh...
Quadratic constraints in amplitude analysis

The quadratic constraints among bilinear products of reaction amplitudes for a reaction with arbitrary spins are discussed in terms of the experimental observables. While the specific form of these constraints may be quite lengthy, the optimal formalism of polarization phenomena exhibits the structure of these constraints transparently and gives a systematic procedure to calculate them. Some general features of these constraints are exhibited which are useful for planning experiments. Such features can be recognized without lengthy calculations, with the help of a diagrammatic analog combined with the transparent structure of the optimal formalism.
Influence of point-source sediment-supply on modern shelf-slope morphology: implications for interpretation of ancient shelf margins

Present sea-floor bathymetry indicates that the continental-shelf and shelf-break morphology have some unique and predictable characteristics in areas with and without high sediment supply. Using a global bathymetry dataset in open shelf areas in front of rivers that discharge over 25 × 106 tons of sediment per year, five distinct accretionary types of shelf-break are distinguished based on along-shelf gradient variability and inferred shelf-break trajectory. Morphological characteristics of river-mouth shelves (compared with adjacent areas lateral to the immediate fairway of the river) are: (1) an overall lower gradient and greater width, and (2) a relatively high slope gradient/shelf gradient ratio. The exceptions are shelves with active shelf-edge deltas; these are narrower, steeper and have an attenuated shelf break in front of rivers. These observations are at seismic scale and have direct implications for the recognition and positioning of principal cross-shelf, supply fairways on ancient shelves or shelf margins, and therefore the potential by-pass routes for deepwater sands. Higher slope/shelf gradient ratios in areas of actively accreting margins, where the shelf-break is more prominent and easier to recognize on seismic data compared with adjacent areas, predict areas with high sediment supply. Along-strike morphological changes on supply-dominated shelves suggest that identification of the sediment-feed route and depocenter relative to the shelf break during a relative sea level cycle are critical for understanding/predicting the 3-D architecture of the shelf-slope-basin floor clinoform.
Effects of Some Common Geological Features on Two-Dimensional Variably Saturated Flow

This paper presents results of unsaturated flow simulations undertaken as an auxiliary analysis for the Iterative Performance Assessment (IPA) project, one of the approaches adopted’ by the U.S. NRC to develop repository license application review capabilities. The effects on flow of common geological features, such as nonhorizontal stratification and vertical or near-vertical fault zones intersecting the strata, in a two-dimensional (2D) domain are studied. Results indicate that the presence of layers and crosscutting fault zones tend to induce three-dimensional (3D) unstable flows in the unsaturated zone. The instability is manifested in our simulations by an oscillatory behavior of steady state. This numerical instability imposes extremely stringent criteria on the time step used in the simulation. Finally, once stable steady-state solutions are attained, the effect of the crossing point in the matrix-fault unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve on groundwater flux vectors and moisture content distributions is studied.
Buying a practice microscope

A good-quality microscope is an essential part of the equipment of a veterinary general practice. It is a precision instrument and needs to be treated as such but, with care, can last for many years. There has never been so much choice in the number of microscope models available but choose carefully, as it is true that you get what you pay for. There are a number of options available that can improve the performance of the instrument and make its use more comfortable for the operator. This article, the first in a three-part series, will provide advice on choosing a practice microscope. The second and third articles in this series will cover routine microscope set-up and maintainece, and digital photography through the practice microscope
Titanium production in a plasma reactor: A feasibility investigation

The feasibility of producing titanium metal from titanium tetrachloride in a thermal plasma under equilibrium and adiabatic expansion conditions has been theoretically investigated. Free energy minimization and adiabatic expansion calculations to simulate a nozzle expansion were used to study the practicality of production. The crucial requirements for the production of titanium powder from TiCl4 and H2 appear to be rapid quenching of the plasma gas at high temperature (e.g., 3700 K) and appropriate reactant concentrations. Quenching of tire plasma gas and production of titanium powder can be achieved by adiabatic expansion through a nozzle. Preliminary experimental data indicate that titanium powder of approximately 5 nm in size can be produced in an argon plasma rising a nozzle expansion approach.
Social behavior and the superorganism: Implications for disease and stability in complex animal societies and Colony Collapse Disorder in Honeybees

Sociability, mass response to threat, food production and food sharing and an adaptable communication system are a suite of traits involved in the evolution of complex society in animals. Cycles of interaction characterize members of such societies and those of species in association that can affect disease structure in time and virulence. Colony Collapse Disorder (in North America, Honey Bee Depopulation Syndrome, or HBDS elsewhere) shows similarity to a number of mass behavioural responses in other social animals, especially in ants. A number of questions regarding the cause of CCD continues to make progress in fighting the disease difficult. Here information is provided that may result in an isolation of factors to identify the syndrome of effects that lead to the disease, based on studies of disease avoidance and illness behaviour in other animal species. Most of the work to date to discover a cause has focused on a direct relationship between a pathogen or parasite or environmental condition and the Disorder. Dysfunctional mass behaviour is even seen in humans, as during the Black Plague. Disease avoidance is an important survival tactic for many animals and if the mechanism is modified by a pathogen or toxin unusual outcomes may result. In complex animal societies the opportunity for other forms of disruption of social life are numerous.
A modified Lin-Kernighan traveling-salesman heuristic

The classic Lin-Kernighan traveling-salesman heuristic is modified so that the scope of its depth search is widened. The modification yields a simple yet effective heuristic that can be easily coded and adapted for general OR applications.
AGEseq: Analysis of Genome Editing by Sequencing

Knockout experiments are critical for the evaluation of gene function. Researchers have increasingly relied on genome editing technologies for precise mutagenesis at loci of interest, using engineered nucleases such as Zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-associated proteins. Sequence-specific targeting and cleavage by these systems generate double-stranded breaks and trigger endogenous repair machineries, resulting in small indels that can disrupt reading frames and gene function.
Bulk production of singly dispersed carbon nanotubes with prescribed lengths

The length of carbon nanotubes has a dramatic impact on their electron transport properties. Transport through short (<300 nm) nanotubes is free of acoustic phonon scattering and thus favours ballistic transport, which is highly desirable for memory and logic devices. Production of uniformly short and pristine nanotubes can lead to high-performance nanotube electronics. We have modified the lithography-based technique for cutting nanostructures to efficiently produce solutions of individual nanotubes with average lengths as small as 50 nm. The formation of uniform aqueous films of singly dispersed nanotubes flanked by top and bottom silicon dioxide layers on patternable substrates allows protection of the sidewalls of the nanotubes. Upon plasma etching the cut nanotubes are recovered by water rinsing of the substrates. This method does not alter the optical absorption of the nanotubes, indicating the preservation of their intrinsic properties. This technology offers an affordable alternative to produce bulk quantities of short, singly dispersed and pristine nanotubes for a vast number of applications other than nanoelectronics.
Experimental demonstration of subtleties in subharmonic intermittency

Abstract Experiments on the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a well-stirred flow reactor elucidate one of the routes to chaos, subharmonic intermittency (type III intermittency). Measurements conducted as a function of two independent control parameters demonstrate how difficult it is in practice to distinguish this route to chaos from subcritical period doubling transitions with similar chaotic time signatures. Necessary criteria for the establishment of a second order (continuous) transition, such as the absence of hysteresis, are discussed in the context of one-dimensional maps.
Control of Blood Glucose Concentration in Type I Diabetic Patients

As the "artificial pancreas" becomes closer to reality, automated insulin delivery based on real-time glucose measurements becomes feasible for people with diabetes. This paper employs a new approach to regulate the blood glucose level of type I diabetic patient under an intensive insulin treatment. The closed-loop control scheme incorporates the design of robust H?? controller to maintain the normoglycemic average of 80 mg/dl. Due to cost and complexity involved in testing the control algorithms to real patients, studies are done using a Type I diabetic patient model. Controller performance is assessed in terms of its ability to reject the effect of meal disturbance and to overcome the variability in the glucose-insulin dynamics from patient to patient. Computer simulations are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed technique and to show its superiority in controlling hyperglycemia over other existing algorithms.
Detomidine reduces isoflurane anesthetic requirement (MAC) in horses

Abstract Objective To quantitate the dose- and time-related magnitude of the anesthetic sparing effect of, and selected physiological responses to detomidine during isoflurane anesthesia in horses. Study design Randomized cross-over study. Animals Three, healthy, young adult horses weighing 485 ± 14 kg. Methods Horses were anesthetized on two occasions to determine the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in O 2 and then to measure the anesthetic sparing effect (time-related MAC reduction) following IV detomidine (0.03 and 0.06 mg kg −1 ). Selected common measures of cardiopulmonary function, blood glucose and urinary output were also recorded. Results Isoflurane MAC was 1.44 ± 0.07% (mean ± SEM). This was reduced by 42.8 ± 5.4% and 44.8 ± 3.0% at 83 ± 23 and 125 ± 36 minutes, respectively, following 0.03 and 0.06 mg kg −1 , detomidine. The MAC reduction was detomidine dose- and time-dependent. There was a tendency for mild cardiovascular and respiratory depression, especially following the higher detomidine dose. Detomidine increased both blood glucose and urine flow; the magnitude of these changes was time- and dose-dependent Conclusions Detomidine reduces anesthetic requirement for isoflurane and increases blood glucose concentration and urine flow in horses. These changes were dose- and time-related. Clinical relevance The results imply potent anesthetic sparing actions by detomidine. The detomidine-related increased urine flow should be considered in designing anesthetic protocols for individual horses.
Evidence of Self-Informant Agreement in Ethnic Identity

Ethnic identity is considered to be a psychologically important characteristic that is associated with adjustment outcomes. However, little is known about the degree to which ethnic identity manifests itself in characteristics that are observable to others. This study is the first to evaluate self-other agreement in ethnic identity and to use a multi-method approach for testing the associations between ethnic identity and adjustment outcomes. Results provide evidence of agreement across self and informant reports of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the most widely used measure of ethnic identity in the literature. We also find evidence for shared method effects across informant reports of life satisfaction and ethnic identity. Finally, we find evidence for an association between latent ethnic identity and latent life satisfaction and self esteem scores, indicating that the association between ethnic identity and both life satisfaction and self esteem is more than just shared method variance.
Nocardial infection of the skin.

Abstract This paper describes the relationship between different forms of nocardia infection involving the skin. The best recognized of these conditions are systemic nocardiosis and actinomycetoma due to Nocardia spp. in which the organisms are present in either filamentous or grain form respectively. Attention is drawn to evidence for the existence of a primary cutaneous form of nocardiosis which follows inoculation and in which the organisms grow in filamentous phase. It is not clear whether such cases can progress to mycetoma formation if left untreated, or whether other factors are involved. The clinical and laboratory features of these different clinical varieties of nocardia infection are discussed.
Multiple - Paradigm Approaches For Software Process Modeling

Many of the languages and approaches proposed to date for software process modeling employ multiple language paradigms for representation and enaction capabilities. This paper presents the hypothesis that diversity among the goals and objectives for modeling virtually necessitates multi-paradigm approaches. Various objectives are shown to place differing requirements on a modeling approach. In addition, common single language paradigms are examined in relation to several modeling objectives. The conclusions are useful both in explaining the prevalence of multi-paradigm approaches seen to date, and in highlighting the rich variety of requirements to be met by such approaches.
Field size dependence of wedge factors.

The radiation output in the presence of wedge filters is characterized by the wedge transmission factor and open beam field size factors. Conventionally, the wedge factor for high‐energy photons is measured in a water phantom at depth of maximum dose for a reference field size. Experimental measurements on different wedges indicate that the wedge factors are a function of field size. An analysis of these data show that this is primarily caused by the change in scattered radiation from the treatment head in the presence of wedge filters. The change in phantom scatter and radiation backscattered to the monitor chamber are minimal. For 4‐ or 6‐MV x rays with a 60° wedge, the use of a single wedge factor measured for 10 cm×10 cm field introduces errors of up to 3.5%, for a 16‐cm‐wide field. For a 20‐cm‐wide field with this wedge, the error is 7%. Thinner wedges exhibit less differences.
Combining a focused air-puff system with phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography for the detection of soft-tissue tumors based on elasticity measurement

We combine a focused air-puff system with phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PhS-OCT) to measure the elasticity of soft tissues. Surface waves (SWs) on soft tissues are induced by a low-pressure, short-duration air stream from an air-puff system and measured using a high-sensitivity PhS-OCT imaging system. Young’s modulus of soft tissues can be quantified based on the group velocity of SWs. To precisely control the excitation pressure, the air-puff system was characterized with a high-resolution analog pressure transducer. We studied the feasibility of this method for the non-contact detection of soft-tissue tumors. Ex vivo human fat and myxoma were used for these pilot experiments. Results demonstrate that this optical non-contact technique can be used to differentiate soft-tissue tumors from normal tissues based on measurements of their elasticity.
Substrate orientation effects on quantum dot enhanced GaAs solar cells

The state of the art in space solar cells utilizes epitaxially grown III–V multijunction cells with champion devices exceeding 30% efficiency under 1-sun. An array of self-organized InAs quantum dots (QD) within a GaAs matrix is one approach to enable significant efficiency improvements by extending the spectral bandwidth of the GaAs cell. In this paper, the effect of substrate misorientation away from (100) on QD epitaxy and on QD-enhanced GaAs solar cells was investigated. The use of offcut samples (up to 6 degrees) leads to very low PL. However, the QD-enhanced GaAs solar cells grown on the 6° to [111] oriented substrate exhibit the highest Voc. The results suggest that vicinal substrates modify the recombination properties of QD-enhanced solar cells.
Postintegration HIV-1 Infection of Cervical Epithelial Cells Mediates Contact-Dependent Productive Infection of T Cells

The female genital epithelium plays a protective role against invading pathogens; however, sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) still occurs in healthy women. To model virus-cell interactions in this barrier during sexual transmission, we studied the uptake and infection of ectocervical and endocervical cell lines with cell-free fluorescent protein-expressing recombinant HIV-1 carrying primary transmitted/founder envelope genes. We observed that a subset of both the ectocervical and endocervical epithelial cells become productively infected with cell-free HIV-1 in a CD4-independent manner. In addition, the ability of the semen-derived enhancer of virus infection (SEVI) to enhance virus-epithelial cell interactions was studied. This infection is increased approximately 2-5 fold when inoculation occurs in the presence of SEVI fibrils. Once infected, the epithelial cells are capable of transmitting the virus to target CD4 T cells in coculture in a contact-dependent manner that uses conventional CD4- and coreceptor-dependent entry. The infection of target CD4 T cells only occurs when de novo HIV-1 is produced within the epithelial cells. These findings suggest that a subset of cervical epithelial cells may be actively involved in establishing a systemic HIV infection and should be a target when designing prevention strategies to protect against HIV-1 sexual transmission.
Properties of synthetic bacteriorhodopsin pigments. Further probes of the chromophore binding site.

— A series of retinals with specific structural alterations have been synthesized to probe the bacteriorhodopsin binding site. The 4-chloro-, 4-bromo- and 4-iodoretinals all form pigments with bacterioopsin but undergo an in situ displacement of the allylic halogen to form the 4-hydroxyretinal pigment. Several naphthyl retinals were prepared which effectively extend the polyene chain and/or add bulk to the ring portion of the chromophore. All the naphthyl retinals form pigments with bacterioopsin but only the pigment containing the derivative with a polyene side chain identical to that of retinal pumps protons efficiently. The 12-butyl-13-desmethylretinal was also synthesized but this analogue did not form a pigment with bacterioopsin. These results confirm the nonspecificity at the ring portion of the chromophore binding site and the importance of the role of the polyene chain in the proton pumping function of bacteriorhodopsin.
Epistemic Modals and Indirect Weak Suggestives

I defend a contextualist account of bare epistemic modal claims against recent objections. I argue that in uttering a sentence of the form ‘It might be that p,’ a speaker is performing two speech acts. First, she is (directly) asserting that in view of the knowledge possessed by some relevant group, it might be that p. The content of this first speech act is accounted for by the contextualist view. But the speaker's utterance also generates an indirect speech act that consists in a weak suggestive that p. Since this second speech act is typically the main point of a bare epistemic modal utterance, our (negative or positive) responses to the utterance actually target this second speech act. I show how this two-speech-act account can explain the data recently adduced against contextualism.
Experimental evaluation of a fiber optics gyroscope for improving dead-reckoning accuracy in mobile robots

This paper presents results from the experimental evaluation of a state-of-the-art fiber-optics gyroscope. The purpose of our experiments was to evaluate the suitability of this gyroscope for enhancing dead-reckoning in mobile robots. The evaluated gyroscope was the "Autogyro Navigator" made by Andrews. For a 4/spl times/4 m square path the dead-reckoning error when using this gyro was less than /spl plusmn/1.2/spl deg/ in orientation and about 10 cm (4 in) in position.
You Must Remember This

The question of a theory of analytic change is approached through a consideration of analytic impasse. Impasse is considered in relation to impasse in the analyst, linked to an impasse in some forms of mourning in the analyst. The analyst's impasse is considered in the light of character formation, the relation of analytic vocations to early attachment, and object ties in the analyst leading to problems with omnipotence. Impasse then is tied to various processes and defenses that shape and contribute to the analyst's countertransference. Analytic change is considered then in the context of theories of nonlinear development, models of speech practice, and mutative action. These ideas are explored through case material.
Directions in DSP processors

The evolution of single-chip digital signal-processor (DSP) architectures is discussed. It is argued that multiple arithmetic units and functionally enhanced arithmetic units are promising directions for further evolution of the datapath architecture. Candidate structures are defined, and the operation of popular DSP benchmarks on these structures is demonstrated. >
Solving Optimal Switching Models

Numerous control problems in economics can be characterized as optimal switching problems, including optimal stopping and entry/exit problems. With certain notable exceptions, solutions to such problems must be computed numerically. This paper discusses an approach to obtaining a numerical solution in a fairly general setting and describes a user-friendly MATLAB implementation that simplifies that process.
Supersymmetric dual string theory (III). Loops and renormalization

Single-loop amplitudes with three or four external particles are constructed in the supersymmetric dual theory. The three-particle loops vanish, signifying the absence of coupling constant renormalization. The four-particle planar-loop amplitude has a divergence that can be absorbed into a renormalization of α′, the Regge slope, since it is proportional to the derivative of the tree amplitude with respect to α′. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this divergence can be expressed as the divergence in the non-planar loop that couples one external SU(n) singlet [the states of the model are SU(n) singlet and adjoint representations] to three other particles. This divergence can be interpreted as a wave-function renormalization for external singlets. The non-planar loop with s-channel SU(n) singlet quantum numbers is shown to contain poles corresponding to the states of the closed-string sector of the theory (which includes the massless states of simple d = 10 supergravity).
Mast Cells in Systemic Mastocytosis Have Distinctly Brighter CD45 Expression by Flow Cytometry

Objectives: We sought to determine the significance of bright CD45 expression on mast cells in cases of systemic mastocytosis vs mast cells in bone marrows uninvolved by systemic mastocytosis and compare this CD45 expression with CD25 and CD2 expression on mast cells. Methods: Multiparameter flow cytometry was performed on 31 cases of systemic mastocytosis and 70 bone marrow cases that were not involved by systemic mastocytosis. Bright expression of CD45 was defined as more than 20% of CD117+ mast cells showing brighter CD45 expression than the average expression level of lymphocytes. Results: Mast cells with bright CD45 expression were seen in 26 systemic mastocytosis cases and three bone marrows uninvolved by systemic mastocytosis (sensitivity, 84%; specificity, 96%). CD25 alone had a greater sensitivity (100%) but lower specificity (93%) compared with bright CD45 for identifying abnormal mast cells, while CD2 alone had lower sensitivity but higher specificity. To reach a specificity of 100%, CD25 together with bright CD45 on mast cells was the optimal combination to detect cases of systemic mastocytosis. Conclusions: A combination of bright CD45 and CD25 appears to specifically identify abnormal mast cells in cases of systemic mastocytosis. Further studies will be necessary to confirm these results.
DISCORDANCE BETWEEN NUCLEAR AND CHLOROPLAST PHYLOGENIES IN THE HEUCHERA GROUP (SAXIFRAGACEAE).

Various factors, including taxon density, sampling error, convergence, and heterogeneity of evolutionary rates, can potentially lead to incongruence between phylogenetic trees based on different genomes. Particularly at the generic level and below, chloroplast capture resulting from hybridization may distort organismal relationships in phylogenetic analyses based on the chloroplast genome, or genes included therein. However, the extent of such discord between chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) trees and those trees based on nuclear genes has rarely been assessed. We therefore used sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among members of the Heuchera group of genera (Saxifragaceae). The Heuchera group presents an important model for the analysis of chloroplast capture and its impact on phylogenetic reconstruction because hybridization is well documented within genera (e.g., Heuchera), and intergeneric hybrids involving six of the nine genera have been reported. An earlier study provided a well-resolved phylogenetic hypothesis for the Heuchera group based on cpDNA restriction-site variation. However, trees based on ITS sequences are discordant with the cpDNA-based tree. Evidence from both morphology and nuclear-encoded allozymes is consistent with the ITS trees, rather than the cpDNA tree, and several points of phylogenetic discord can clearly be attributed to chloroplast capture. Comparison of the organellar and ITS trees also raises the strong likelihood that ancient events of chloroplast capture occurred between lineages during the early diversification of the Heuchera group. Thus, despite the many advantages and widespread use of cpDNA data in phylogeny reconstruction, comparison of relationships based on cpDNA and ITS sequences for the Heuchera group underscores the need for caution in the use of organellar variation for retrieving phylogeny at lower taxonomic levels, particularly in groups noted for hybridization.
Research on Communication Mechanism of ISCSI Protocol in Storage Area Network

The thesis introduces the network protocols in SAN(storage area network), including FC protocol, FCBP protocol, iFCP protocol and iSCSI protocol. Then it introduces the iSCSI protocol, which can be used to build a SAN on the basis of IP network, analyzes its communication mechanism and three methods to implement network communication using iSCSI protocol. Finally it presents an algorithm and its hardware design , which has been successfully validated at a behavioral level using VHDL and can be used for the interface of iSCSI PDU and TCP frame.
Epidemiological Analysis on Citrobacter Enteritis among Children

Objective To investigate the epidemic factors of infantile enteritis caused by citrobacter. [Methods] Newly collected feces of the children patients were cultivated to screen citrobacter enteritis cases. [Results] 5 types of pathogens were detected from the 480 positive cases, among which 112 cases were citrobacter (22.3%) ranking the second place. All the patients were under 2 years old, those under 1 year old occupied 87.5%. The morbidity of children feed in artificial way and in mixed way is higher than that by breast feeding. [Conclusion]Citrobacter is one of the normal bacterial parasites in human intestinal tract. When human immune system declines, it may become the opportunistic pathogen causing infantile diarrhea. The epidemic factors are related with various agents including age, immunity, season, feeding methods and the application of antibiotics and so on. When citrobacter presented pure cultivation or dominant growth, it can be confirmed as opportunistic enteritis.
Productivity convergence and spatial dependence among Spanish regions

This paper estimates the evolution of labor productivity disparities among 48 Spanish regions over 1980–1996 according to the concepts of β- and σ-convergence. The results of β-convergence emphasize the importance of including the impact of neighboring locations’ productivity and a disaggregate analysis at a sectoral level. In order to measure the narrowing of inequalities, we examine σ-convergence and reveal that convergence occurs in aggregate labor productivity but not in productivities per sector. The reason comes from a transfer of resources from agriculture towards more productive sectors that has been more pronounced in the poor regions than in the rich ones.
Myelodysplastic syndromes: where do we go from here?

The review by Dr. Akhtari outlines the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and touches on the current challenges in treating patients suffering from MDS.
Coagulation Factor IXa Binding to Activated Platelets and Platelet-Derived Microparticles: A Flow Cytometric Study

Factor IX plays a central role in blood coagulation, since it can be activated by either XIa (intrinsic pathway) or tissue factor-VIIa (extrinsic pathway). Activated factor IX (IXa), in a surface-bound complex with factor Villa, then activates factor X. Platelets provide the catalytic surface upon which this Xase complex is assembled in vivo. We have used flow cytometry to examine binding of factor IXa to thrombin-activated platelets in the absence of added Villa. Platelet-bound IXa and platelet protein GPIb were detected by indirect immunofluorescence staining followed by two-color flow cytometric analysis. Microparticles were identified by their light scattering characteristics. Two binding sites for factor IXa were detected. The high affinity binding site saturated at about 10 nM, with a K d of 1.6 nM. A second binding curve, with a K d of about 100 nM, was observed at higher concentrations of IXa. The high affinity factor IXa binding sites comprise about 7% of the total factor IXa binding. Binding to both sites was dependent on the presence of calcium. Thus, we conclude that factor IXa, in addition to its high affinity binding, has a calcium-dependent low affinity association with activated platelets and microparticles. Sims et al. have shown that binding sites for a different coagulation factor, factor Va, are concentrated on microparticles relative to platelet membrane proteins, such as GPIb. GPIb is distributed on platelets and microparticle in proportion to plasma membrane surface. At 100 nM factor IXa, 1–3% of the total bound factor IXa was associated with microparticles, as was a similar proportion of the total GPIb. However, at 10 nM IXa, factor IXa binding to microparticles was concentrated about 2-fold relative to GPIb staining. Thus, the high affinity factor IXa binding site is concentrated on microparticles to a small degree, while the low affinity binding site is not.
Thirty-day outcomes after postnatal myelomeningocele repair: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database analysis.

OBJECTIVE Due to improved nutrition and early detection, myelomeningocele repair is a relatively uncommon procedure. Although previous studies have reviewed surgical trends and predictors of outcomes, they have relied largely on single-hospital experiences or on databases centered on hospital admission data. Here, the authors report 30-day outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing postnatal myelomeningocele repair from a national prospective surgical outcomes database. They sought to investigate the association between preoperative and intraoperative factors on the occurrence of 30-day complications, readmissions, and unplanned return to operating room events. METHODS The 2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database (NSQIP-P) was queried for all patients undergoing postnatal myelomeningocele repair. Patients were subdivided on the basis of the size of the repair ( 5 cm). Preoperative variables, intraoperative characteristics, and postoperative 30-day events were tabulated from prospectively collected data. Three separate outcomes for complication, unplanned readmission, and return to the operating room were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Rates of associated CSF diversion operations and their timing were also analyzed. RESULTS A total of 114 patients were included; 54 had myelomeningocele repair for a defect size smaller than 5 cm, and 60 had repair for a defect size larger than 5 cm. CSF shunts were placed concurrently in 8% of the cases. There were 42 NSQIP-defined complications in 31 patients (27%); these included wound complications and infections, in addition to others. Postoperative wound complications were the most common and occurred in 27 patients (24%). Forty patients (35%) had at least one subsequent surgery within 30 days. Twenty-four patients (21%) returned to the operating room for initial shunt placement. Unplanned readmission occurred in 11% of cases. Both complication and return to operating room outcomes were statistically associated with age at repair. CONCLUSIONS The NSQIP-P allows examination of 30-day perioperative outcomes from a national prospectively collected database. In this cohort, over one-quarter of patients undergoing postnatal myelomeningocele repair experienced a complication within 30 days. The complication rate was significantly higher in patients who had surgical repair within the first 24 hours of birth than in patients who had surgery after the 1st day of life. The authors also highlight limitations of investigating myelomeningocele repair using NSQIP-P and advocate the importance of disease-specific data collection.
Comparison-Shopping as an Emerging Channel to Increase Web Visibility for SMEs in the United States

This chapter introduces comparison-shopping as an emerging channel to increase Web visibility for smalland medium-sized enterprises (SME). In Section I, we analyze two business models of comparison-shopping services (CSP): the BargainFinder model and the Pricewatch model. The latter can be further differentiated as Pricewatch-classic model and Pricewatchinnovative model. Through data collected from 60 CSPs, we found Pricewatch-classic model is dominant for the time being, Pricewatchinnovative model is picking up, and the BargainFinder model is only viable in niche market. In Section II, we examined the feasibility of using comparison-shopping to increase Web visibility for SMEs. We demonstrated that comparison-shopping can increase the welfare of consumers, participating in comparison-shopping is a Nash equilibrium dominant IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING This chapter appears in the book, Global Electronic Business Research: Opportunities and Directions edited by Nabeel Al-Qirim © 2006, Idea Group Inc. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033-1240, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com ITB11883 Comparison-Shopping as an Emerging Channel to Increase Web Visibility 215 Copyright © 2006, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited. strategy for SMEs, and comparison-shopping has the disintermediary effect on underdeveloped economies and polarizing effect on developed economies. Overall, this chapter provides a comprehensive introduction of comparison-shopping and its potential for increasing Web visibility for SMEs.
Mentoring and induction for new assistant principals: the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present findings from an initial year of mentoring and induction provided to new assistant principals (APs) served by the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI) and to identify program characteristics that support leadership development for first year APs. Design/methodology/approach – The current research utilized surveys and interviews for data collection. The participants included 12 new AP mentees and five mentors currently participating in the KELI program. Two comparable questionnaires are designed to examine perceptions of both groups on the effectiveness of the program in general, mentoring/induction approaches used, and the appropriateness of the intensity of engagement required. The semi-structured interviews provide contextualized understanding of the same aspects examined in the surveys. Findings – The findings reveal that mentees found mentoring/induction experiences with KELI highly valuable. The mentor-mentee matching mechanism together with...
Plasticity-Based Distortion Analysis for Fillet Welded Thin Plate T-Joints

The procedure of plasticity-based distortion analysis (PDA) for directly mapping cumulative plastic strains into elastic models using equivalent thermal strains was developed and applied to the investigation of the characteristic relationship between cumulative plastic strains and angular distortion in fillet welded thin-plate T-joints. Plasticity-based distortion analysis successfully predicted the total angular distortion with an accuracy of 97% compared with angular distortion obtained from the elastic-plastic analysis, demonstrating the validity of the unique relationship between cumulative plastic strains and distortions and the applicability of linear elastic models in welding-induced-distortion analysis. The PDA procedure also provided the quantitative relationship between six cumulative plastic strain components and angular distortion of fillet welded T-joints. Transverse cumulative plastic strain-inducing transverse shrinkage generated bend-down angular distortion, which was different from what has been understood. Vertical and longitudinal cumulative plastic strains produced bend-down and slight bend-up angular distortion, respectively. The major bend-up angular distortion was induced by xy-plane shear cumulative plastic strain, which has not been considered as a cause of angular distortion in fillet welded T-joints. Other shear components were not related to angular distortion.
Acid and Alkaline Extracellular Proteases of Yarrowia lipolytica

XPR2 and AXP1, coding for alkaline (AEP) and acid (AXP) extracellular proteases, have been sequenced for several strains. For XPR2, the three sequenced strains are not closely related and produce significantly different levels of AEP, yet the coding sequences are identical, and there is only a single nucleotide difference in one promoter suggesting that host physiology, not promoter differences, determines AEP production. The possibility that pro-mAEP forms a dimer that can inhibit mature AEP (mAEP) proteolytic activity in trans is examined. AXP contains a predicted signal sequence and a 44 amino acid prepro-region. Activation involves pH-dependent autoprocessing that occurs extracellularly. XPR2 UAS1 and UAS2 promoter elements have been identified and their roles in regulation explored. Cis-sequences and Rim pathway components involved in pH regulation of the proteases have been discovered and characterized. YlOPT1 and YLSSY5 are in a signaling pathway(s) regulating AXP1 and XPR2, perhaps by sensing amino acids. Both pepsin-like (30 potentially secreted members) and subtilisin-like (16 potentially secreted members) gene families have undergone lineage-specific expansion compared to other yeast and filamentous fungi. To determine if expression of secretory pathway components is regulated in response to secretory demand, rapid AEP induction conditions and XPR2 multicopy strains were developed. Changes in genomic transcription were measured when growth started to slow after AEP induction. For secretory pathway components, mostly repression was found. Possibly, their induction had occurred by the control time point, and the turning off of this short-term response at later time points appeared as repression.
Lixisenatide: A New Daily GLP-1 Agonist for Type 2 Diabetes Management.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), lixisenatide, in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. ...
Original Contributions: Selection of Patients for Successful Maintenance Treatment of Esophagitis With Low-Dose Omeprazole: Use of 24-Hour Gastric Ph Monitoring

OBJECTIVE: Treating patients with erosive esophagitis and maintaining remission in a cost-effective fashion is a desirable goal in clinical practice. There are no established criteria to identify patients with healed esophagitis who will subsequently remain in remission with low-dose omeprazole therapy. We investigated whether 24-h esophageal-gastric pH monitoring could provide criteria to select patients for low-dose omeprazole maintenance therapy. METHODS: Seventy consecutive symptomatic outpatients with grade 2–3 reflux esophagitis were prospectively investigated. They were treated with 20 mg/day omeprazole for 2 months. Those with healed esophagitis were given alternate-evening 20-mg omeprazole maintenance therapy for 6 months. Clinical evaluation, endoscopy, and 24-h esophageal-gastric pH were done at the end of each treatment period. Results of pH studies of patients in remission were compared with those with endoscopically documented relapse of esophagitis. RESULTS: In 63/70 patient (intention-to-treat, 90%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 83–97%) esophagitis was healed at 2 months. During the 6-month maintenance period esophagitis remain healed in 28 (G1) (40%; 95% CI, 29–52%), but recurred in 32 patients (G2). During healing with omeprazole 20 mg/day the 24-h gastric pH was below 4 for <10% of the time in 96% of the patients, who subsequently remained in long-term remission with low-dose maintenance therapy (G1), but not in any patient with recurrence of esophagitis (G2). The 10% threshold value has a specificity of 1.00 and sensitivity of 0.96. CONCLUSIONS: The 24-h intragastric pH monitoring during 20 mg/day omeprazole therapy provides criteria by which to preselect patients with reflux esophagitis who will remain in remission with low-dose omeprazole therapy.