cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From individual development accounts to community asset building : an exploration in bridging people-and place-based strategies

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are matched saving accounts for low-income individuals to save for the purchase of an asset. As one of many national initiatives that encourage homeownership, this thesis explores how community-based organizations use this tool in concert with other community development efforts to not only help individuals purchase homes, but also help families maintain the asset. Unlike most research on IDAs, this thesis studies organizations, not individuals, as its unit of analysis because organizational capacity and decision-making greatly shapes the participant experience. Through the study of three community-based organizations that have IDAs as a component of their work, this thesis finds that the ability to 1) quickly establish trust through developing relationships and reputation, 2) respond to local housing markets and participant demand, and 3) connect to resources and services puts these organizations at the forefront of using Individual Development Accounts as a versatile economic development tool that is part of a larger agenda of creating communities and neighborhoods that can sustain healthy homeownership. Thesis Advisors: Professor Lorlene Hoyt and Professor Langley Keyes Thesis Reader: Assistant Professor Stephanie Boddie
Abstract 11012: Safety of Beta-Blocker Use in Cocaine-Associated Chest Pain: A Meta-Analysis of 1,794 Patients

Background: Beta-Blockers (BB) have been an established therapy in acute coronary syndrome. Due to the risk of unopposed α-adrenergic stimulation and coronary vasospasm in patients with cocaine-associated chest pain (CACP), their use in this population remains controversial. Few studies exist addressing the role of BB in CACP. Methods: A comprehensive literature search using PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE was performed using keywords “beta blocker” and “cocaine.” The publications were filtered for either retrospective or prospective studies that included CACP patients with or without BB. Outcomes of interest included non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and all-cause mortality. Of 580 identified abstracts, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria (1,794 patients). Data on baseline characteristics and outcomes of interest were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Version 5.0 (Cochrane Collaboration). Effect sizes for outcomes of interest were estimated using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Given the inherent heterogeneity in the data, results from the random effects model were reported. Results: Five trials (n=1,756) reported on MI in CACP with no significant difference between patients on BB vs. no BB (OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.68-2.75, p = 0.39, I2 = 71%). Three trials (n=1,014) reported on all-cause mortality with no significant difference in all-cause mortality in patients on BB vs. no BB (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.01-4.74, p = 0.30, I2=86%). Conclusion: This is the first meta-analysis to examine the impact of BB in patients with CACP. Our results indicate that BB use was not associated with an increased risk of MI or all-cause mortality. These findings are of clinical significance given lower use of BB (a guideline-driven therapy) in CACP, and underlines the paucity of data plus need for additional clinical studies in this area. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
AT&T's establishment of a political capability

The literature on corporate political activity has become robust in the last decade as scholars model the antecedents to, as well as the results of, for-profit firms political strategies. The literature lacks, however, a practical guide to the specific activities that firms undertake in order to compete in such a manner. This case study follows the political activities at AT&T from 2000 to 2012 in the United States in order to clarify these specific activities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Aristotelian Relation of Time to Motion and to the Human Soul

“What is time?” That is, what is its nature or essence? “Is it a real thing or not real?” Aristotle raises these ontological questions in Physics (217b).1 He endeavors to provide answers intended to grasp as firmly as possible the elusive entity of chronos (time), which constitutes one of his ten categories, or generic modes of being, in the sense of something “being in time” or “the when” (pote), the “at what time” an event takes place.2 He maintains that natural beings are distinguished from artificial and man-made things by having “within themselves the capacity to move” and to change in various ways. These are determined by the categories involved: e.g. substance in the case of generation and destruction, quantity in the case of increase and decrease, quality in the case of alteration, and place in the case of locomotion. Time, like motion, with which it is ontologically and psychologically connected, as we will see, is a “continuous quantity” (syneches poson) or “magnitude” (megethos). This means that, like all continua, time is characterized by divisibility ad infinitum and, therefore, by the fact that there is not a minimum of time, although time has a limit, the point-like “now” (nun) which divides past from future time.
Causes and cures I: toward a new definition

Abstract The past 2 years have been a landmark moment for violence prevention, with the publication of The Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014; a historic resolution on violence by the 67th World Health Assembly; and the release of multiple documents on violence by international and United Nations entities, with a corresponding building of momentum in scholarship. Most notably, in September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, addressing the need for violence prevention at an unprecedented scale. In this context, more than ever, violence studies have become a field of its own right. Still, a systematic approach of the topic has been lacking, and no textbook yet synthesizes the knowledge of multiple disciplines toward a cogent understanding. This article is the first of a series of fifteen articles that will cover, as an example, an outline of the Global Health Studies course entitled, “Violence: Causes and Cures,” reviewing the major bio-psycho-social and structural-environmental perspectives on violence. Until recently, most discourses, academic or public, relied on a very narrow definition of violence, and little consensus existed as to how to properly measure and compare concepts across fields. This article attempts to correct this situation through a new definition and, in so doing, aims to make a pragmatic as well as a theoretical contribution to the relatively new field of violence studies.
Identifying Prime Implicate Branches in Reduced Implicate Tries

The reduced implicate trie is a data structure that was introduced in [12] as a target language for knowledge compilation. It has the property that, even when large, it guarantees that a query can be processed in time linear in the size of the query, regardless of the size of the compiled knowledge base. In this paper, the branches of a reduced implicate trie that correspond to prime implicates are characterized. A technique is developed for finding and marking nodes for which all descending branches correspond to non-prime implicates. This is extended to allow the discovery of prime implicate subsets of queries with a "yes" answer.
The Development of a Northeast Asian Security and Economic Community

This chapter has three purposes. First, to analyze the present circumstances and to present perspectives of existing Northeast Asian Security Community. Second, to develop the three scenarios concerning the possibilities and probabilities of developing the Northeast Asian security regime.
State, nation, and empire: the formation of the US

This article discusses the role of state, nation, and empire in the formation and early development of the US. While recent debates on empire have mainly focused on current US foreign policy and global power, this historical analysis shows that the founding and early development of an American nation-state was driven by empire-building. A discussion of the dynamic relationship between empire-building and nation-state formation in Europe generates the general framework for the application of these concepts to the historical development of the US. The entanglement of empire-building and nation-state formation undermines the argument that American political development is somehow exceptional, putting the formation of the US in the context of similar dynamics elsewhere.
Noise Resistant Algorithm for Radar Images Recognition and Classification

We propose a novel algorithm for automatic aircraft classification. The proposed method makes numerical equivalents to shape, size and other aircraft features as critical criteria to constitute the algorithm for their correct classification. This method uses Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) aircraft images that are making maneuvers that introduce aircraft rotation relative to the radar station. By means of analyzing the shape of the radar pulse and Doppler shifts that are caused by rotation of the aircraft, an image of the aircraft shape can be constructed. We computer simulated five different categories of ISAR images. We tested the proposed classification algorithm on these five categories and on two more categories taken from the Internet. One aircraft model is simulated and the other one is a real sequence with much added noise. All seven different aircraft models are flying a holding pattern. We investigated where in the holding patterns ISAR reflections made it possible to identify each category of aircraft. Our experimental results demonstrate that in most parts of the holding pattern the category of the aircraft can be successfully identified. The performed tests show that the proposed algorithm appears to be noise resistant.
SafeConfig 2015: Workshop on Automated Decision Making for Active Cyber Defense

The 8th SafeConfig Workshop is held in Denver, Colorado USA on October 12, 2015 and being run with the conjunction of the 22nd ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS). The title of this year's SafeConfig is "Automated Decision Making for Cyber Security". Today, the use of cyber technology is evolving rapidly. The computing and networking is everywhere, public to private organizations, large enterprises to individuals, and data centers to smart phones and Internet-of-Things. The highly growing use of the Internet also leads to newly evolving security threats. The automated decision making should be able to determine the security and resiliency of networked information systems and services. The integration of security requirements, capabilities, and deployment constraints in a unified framework will enable intelligent response, automated defense, and network resiliency.
Epidemiologic methods for the prevention of nosocomial infections

There is an ongoing controversy in Europe about the benefits and limitations of epidemiologic methods for the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections. Hospital epidemiology, aimed at measuring the necessity, or effect, of preventive strategies for nosocomial infection control, is still an unknown field in many European institutions. The conceptual framework presented here is not intended as a complete review of modern hospital epidemiology, but should be considered rather a viewpoint which tries to bridge the gap between microbiology-based hospital hygiene and hospital epidemiology in Europe. The explanatory power and limitations of descriptive, analytical and interventional epidemiology are described. Based on the assumption that nosocomial infections have causal and preventive factors that can be identified through systematic investigation, epidemiologic methods add important knowledge to reduce hospital-acquired infections.
Non-Abelian soft boson phase transitions and large-scale structure.

A new class of models with Pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons (PNGB`s) is constructed using a non-Abelian symmetry in the right handed Majorana neutrino sector of see-saw neutrino mass models. The phase structure of these models is examined both at zero and non-zero temperatures, with particular emphasis on their phase transition characteristics. We find that the vacuum manifold of these models exhibits a rich structure in terms of possible topological defects, and we argue that these models may have applications to late time phase transition theories of structure formation.
Endoscopic Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea Repair: Is a Lumbar Drain Necessary?:

OBJECTIVES: To determine the necessity for lumbar drains during endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea repair.METHODS: Thirty-three patients underwent endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea without a lumbar drain during a 7-year period. The size of the dural defect ranged from a microleak (less than 1 mm dural defect) to a 3-cm dural defect of the anterior skull base.RESULTS: All of the procedures in patients with smaller defects (<5 mm) were performed on an outpatient basis. Thirty-two patients (97%) had complete resolution of their CSF leak after 1 procedure without any recurrence (average follow-up 29 months).CONCLUSION: A lumbar drain is not routinely necessary for successful closure of CSF rhinorrhea of any size. Smaller dural defects may be safely performed on an outpatient basis without complications. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999;121:745-50.)
A Two Zone Model of a Single Cylinder HCCI Engine for Control Applications

This paper presents a first step towards developing a physics-based two-zone model of a single cylinder HCCI engine. Previously control laws were derived by using single zone mathematical models of HCCI combustion; although certain multi-zone models were reported, they were found too complex and unwieldy for the development of fast and efficient controllers for HCCI engines. The present work outlines the modeling approach of a single-cylinder two-zone HCCI engine by incorporating the first law of thermodynamics and temperature and concentration inhomogeneities within the cylinder in order to better predict peak pressures and combustion timings. The results showed good conformity when compared with the computationally intensive multi-zone models. A comparative analysis between the single zone and two-zone models, in the context of predicting cylinder pressures, temperatures, ignition timing is also discussed. Moreover, the effect of external parameters such as speed, and EGR were also evaluated.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Myocardial alterations following hypothalamic stimulation in the intact conscious dog

Abstract We sought to determine if electrical stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus at physiologic levels could induce myocardial injury in the unanesthetized dog. Biphasic pulses of 1.0 msec. duration, 100 Hz., and 0.2 to 0.8 ma. intensity for 15 sec. via stereotaxically implanted electrodes in six unanesthetized dogs immediately increased heart rate (95 per cent) and mean aortic blood pressure (73 per cent). In two dogs instrumented for aortic and coronary blood flow measurements, stimulation immediately raised cardiac output (21 per cent) and coronary blood flow (185 per cent). All parameters returned to control within 8 to 10 minutes after stimulation. In two dogs killed four hours after stimulation, electron microscopy revealed foci of discrete single-cell degeneration. In two dogs killed 72 and 168 hours after stimulation, light microscopy showed multiple foci of myocytolysis and fibrosis located perivascularly and subendocardially. These lesions resembled catecholamine-induced injury or myocardial lesions secondary to hypoxia. The electron microscopy findings suggest that the lesions are catecholamine-induced. These results suggest that physiologic stimulation of the hypothalamus plays a role in some types of myocardial injury.
CSF amine metabolites and depression.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amine metabolites were measured in 37 male subjects with major depressive disorder. Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) correlated significantly with 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) and with homovanillic acid (HVA). In addition, the single suicide item of the HRSD correlated significantly with 5HIAA. Further, 5HIAA and VHA correlated significantly with each other. There was a significant positive correlation between HVA and two HRSD items, the depersonalization/ derealization item and the paranoid item. Since lumbar CSF metabolite concentrations may reflect central nervous system activity of parent amines, these data suggest a relationship between depression and decreased dopaminergic and serotonergic activity.
Acceptability of Fertility Regulating Methods in Cross-Cultural Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to provide a limited overview of the evolving concept of cultural acceptability, describe research conducted under the auspices of the World Health Organization Task Force on Acceptability of Fertility Regulating Methods, and offer some examples of social marketing in community based contraceptive distribution programs. Within a context of socioeconomic development, awareness of local cultural preferences, and increasing working opportunities for women, social scientists are joining with biomedical colleagues in modifying contraceptive techniques and service delivery systems to meet the growing demands of couples and individuals to control their own fertility in a safe, satisfying, and dignified manner.
Binge eating disorder and obesity in 2003: Could treating an eating disorder have a positive effect on the obesity epidemic?

Objective The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between binge eating disorder (BED) and obesity. Methods Recent literature relating to the etiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, and treatment of binge eating disorder was reviewed. Results The data suggest that binge eating may be a contributor to the development of obesity in susceptible individuals. Although eating disorders treatment in the absence of obesity treatment does not result in large weight losses, amelioration of binge eating does result in small weight losses and decreased weight regain over time. Discussion Our challenge in the future is to understand better the ways in which BED and obesity co-exist, and to find treatment strategies that will relieve the distress and dysfunction due to this disordered eating while enhancing appropriate weight loss or preventing further weight gain. Published 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.† Int J Eat Disord 34: S117–S120, 2003.
Inhibition of glucose-induced insulin secretion by intravenous colchicine in man.

Colchicine, a pharmacologic agent commonly used to treat acute gout is a potent microtubular inhibiting agent in vitro. Acute and chronic colchicine administration was found by others to significantly suppress glucose-induced biphasic insulin (IRI) secretion and to markedly impair glucose disappearance rate in the intact rat. It has also been shown to inhibit the second phase of glucose-induced IRI release in vitro. However, both studies were performed using colchicine doses that would be lethal to man. We studied the effects of a commonly used and safe dose of colchicine—3 mg IV—in paired experiments in 12 nondiabetic human subjects. We used a glucose infusion previously determined to give maximal biphasic IRI release and measured IRI for a 75-min period 30 min after either saline control or colchicine. Differences in IRI release between the control and colchicine experiments were examined for the total 75-min glucose infusion as well as for the acute (0–20 min) and late (30–75 min) phases. Colchicine concentration by radioimmunoassay varied from 1.8 μg/dl at the beginning of glucose infusion to 1.1 μg/dl at the end of infusion. Pretreatment with colchicine resulted in decreased IRI release in the first phase, with a mean decrease of 113 ± 44 μU/time (p < 0.05), in the second phase a decrease of 308 ± 124 μU/time (p < 0.05) and a mean decreased IRI release for the total 75-min glucose infusion of 438 ± 142 μU/time (p < 0.02). Thus, we can conclude that a therapeutic dose of colchicine can significantly inhibit biphasic glucose-induced IRI release in man. Although the mechanism is not certain it is possible that this phenomenon is secondary to microtubular disruption.
Circadian variations in plasma corticosterone permit normal termination of adrenocorticotropin responses to stress.

We previously reported that adrenalectomized rats given constant corticosterone via a sc pellet (B-PELLET) hypersecrete ACTH in response to stress. Although lacking a feedback signal, B-PELLET rats do not secrete ACTH indefinitely after stress; plasma ACTH levels in these animals returned to those in sham-operated (SHAM) rats within 1–4 h after 2-min restraint. To distinguish between the requirement for circadian or stress-induced increases in corticosterone, we compared changes in ACTH and corticosterone levels after stress in SHAM and B-PELLET rats with those in cyanoketonetreated rats (CK) and adrenalectomized rats given corticosterone in their drinking fluid (B-WATER). B-WATER rats exhibited sustained increases in plasma corticosterone after lights-off, correlating with the nocturnal feeding period. Morning plasma corticosterone levels in B-WATER rats were constant and even lower than those in B-PELLET rats; however, B-WATER rats did not differ from SHAM rats in their ACTH response to ip injection. CK...
An evaluation of oxygen-hydrogen propulsion systems for the Space Station

Conceptual designs for O2/H2 chemical and resistojet propulsion systems for the Space Station was developed and evaluated. The evolution of propulsion requirements was considered as the Space Station configuration and its utilization as a space transportation node change over the first decade of operation. The characteristics of candidate O2/H2 auxiliary propulsion systems are determined, and opportunities for integration with the OTV tank farm and the Space Station life support, power and thermal control subsystems are investigated. OTV tank farm boiloff can provide a major portion of the growth station impulse requirements and CO2 from the life support system can be a significant propellant resource, provided it is not denied by closure of that subsystem. Waste heat from the thermal control system is sufficient for many propellant conditioning requirements. It is concluded that the optimum level of subsystem integration must be based on higher level Space Station studies.
Developmental changes in plasma membrane fluidity in chick embryo heart.

Abstract 1. 1. Decreases in the rate of transport of sugars (facilitated transport), amino acids (active transport), and urea (simple diffusion) occur in chick embryo heart during development. This work considers the possibility that changes in the plasma membrane fluidity during development contribute to the observed changes in transport activities. 2. 2. Techniques were developed for subcellular fractionation of chick embryos and adult chickens. 3. 3. The depolarization of the fluorescence of 1.6-diphenylhexatriene was used to estimate the fluidity of the lipid portion of plasma membrane enriched fractions of heart from chick embryos at various stages of development and from adult hearts. 4. 4. There is a pattern of decreasing membrane viscosity as development proceeds. Between 5–6 days and 10 days of embryonic life a 20% decrease in viscosity of the plasma membrane-enriched fraction occurs. Between 10 and 20 days of embryonic life there is no significant change in viscosity. Between 20 days of development (1 day before hatching) and adulthood there is a further 55% decrease in plasma membrane viscosity. 5. 5. It is proposed that the changes in membrane fluidity observed may contribute to developmental changes in membrane transport activities, but other factors must also be involved.
MIB1 and p53 immunoreactivity in protoplasmic astrocytomas

Pure protoplasmic astrocytomas are a group of rarely encountered low grade astrocytic neoplasms. Relatively few studies have specifically examined this subset of tumors. A series of 18 protoplasmic astrocytomas in 14 males and four females (age range 2.5-52, mean 22 years) were studied in order to examine MIB1 (a marker of cell proliferation) and p53 (a tumor suppressor gene) immunoreactivity. All patients presented with seizures (mean duration 94 months) and three with headaches also. Eight tumors were located in the temporal lobe and six in the frontal lobe. All tumors were characterized by a proliferation of astrocytes with round nuclear contours arranged against a microcystic background. Only rare foci of mild vascular proliferation (3 tumors), rare mitotic figures (1 tumor), and mild nuclear atypia (3 tumors) were observed. Most tumors were primarily cortical in location. Necrosis was not seen in any of the tumors. MIB1 indices (number of MIB1 positive tumor cells/1000 tumor cells evaluated x 100) ranged from 0 to 4.3 (mean 0.7); in five tumors, no MIB1 staining was observed. p53 immunoreactivity was noted in 5 of 18 tumors (28%). Five patients received adjuvant radiation therapy and one adjuvant chemotherapy. At last known follow-up, 11 patients are alive with no evidence of residual tumor (mean 70 months), six patients are alive with evidence of residual tumor (mean 58 months), and one patient died of complications unrelated to the tumor (36 months) postoperatively. Based on these findings, the conclusions presented are as follows: (i) MIB1 indices are generally low in these tumors, corroborating the clinical impression of a slow growing neoplasm; and (ii) p53 immunoreactivity is observed in a minority of protoplasmic astrocytomas.
Cleavage of the bacteriophage P1 packaging site (pac) is regulated by adenine methylation.

Abstract The packaging of bacteriophage PI DNA is initiated when the phage packaging site (pac) is recognized and cleaved and continues until the phage head is full. We have previously shown that pac is a 162-base-pair segment of P1 DNA that contains seven DNA adenine methyltransferase methylation sites (5'-GATC). We show here that cleavage of pac is methylation sensitive. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments indicate that methylated pac is cleavable, whereas unmethylated pac is not. Moreover, DNA isolated from P1 phage and containing an uncut pac site was a poor substrate for in vitro cleavage until it was methylated by the Escherichia coli DNA adenine methyltransferase. Comparison of that uncut pac DNA with other viral DNA fragments by digestion with methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes indicated that the uncut pac DNA was preferentially undermethylated. In contrast, virion DNA containing a cut pac site was not undermethylated. We believe these results indicate that pac cleavage is regulated by adenine methylation during the phage lytic cycle.
Spread-winged behaviour of double-crested and flightless cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus and P. harrisi: wing drying or thermoregulation?

The behaviour of free-living Double-crested and Flightless Cormorants, and the thermoregulation of Flightless Cormorants, were studied in the field to determine the influence of weather and the function of wing-spreading. The behaviour of both species was sensitive to changes in ambient temperature and insolation intensity. Spread-winged behaviour in both species w-as displayed only by wet individuals and was never accompanied by gular flutter. The frequency of spread-winged behaviour in Double-crested Cormorants was not correlated with ambient (shade) temperature or solar intensity. In Flightless Cormorants, however, the frequency of wing-spreading was positively correlated with ambient temperature, and negatively correlated with insolation intensity. Body temperatures in Flightless Cormorants were statistically higher during the day than during the night, while gular fluttering than while not gular fluttering, and before entering the water than after leaving the water. There were no significant differences in the body temperatures of Flightless Cormorants after wing-spreading as compared to before ‘sunning’. Spread-winged behaviour in these cormorants appears to function primarily in wing drying and not in gaining or losing heat, although the ultimate goal of wing drying may be to conserve metabolic energy.
Emerging therapies in traumatic hemorrhage control

Purpose of reviewCare of the injured patient is a dynamic process. Hemorrhage remains the primary cause of preventable death after trauma. Rapid and effective early care can improve survival and outcomes. Emerging therapies to address traumatic hemorrhage will be discussed.Recent findingsCurrent con
A general model for trust management

General trust management (GTM) is a trust management model that resides on the decision maker’s device. Like other trust models, it operates with minimal human intervention. However, GTM is different in its versatility which makes it applicable in multiple problem scenarios, for e.g., service provision, packet routing, content management and location disclosure. GTM provides a highly flexible solution, where individual users may leverage peer stereotyping to personalise their privacy policies in a scalable way. GTM can handle trust chains and is a fully functional trust model that handles storage of trust data, trust formation, trust dissemination and trust evolution.
Platinum nanopaticles supported on stacked-cup carbon nanofibers as electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract Inexpensive stacked-cup carbon nanofibers (SC-CNFs) supported Pt nanoparticles with a loading from 5 to 30 wt.% were prepared through a modified ethylene glycol method. XRD and TEM characterizations show that the average Pt particle sizes increase with increasing metal loading, and they can be controlled
Thymocyte subpopulation enriched for progenitors with an unrearranged T-cell receptor β-chain gene

The development of T cells within the thymus is not well understood. It is known that thymocytes are derived from a progenitor cell in the bone marrow, the prothymocyte1–5, and that cells in the subcapsular area of the thymus can give rise to progeny in both the cortex and the medulla6. However, it is not clear whether all medullary thymocytes are necessarily derived from cortical cells7,8. In particular, it has been difficult to distinguish intrathymic progenitor cells. Recently, however, Lesley et al.9 have defined a thymocyte subpopulation which can be isolated by treatment of the thymus with cytotoxic anti-Thy-1 antibodies and that seems to be enriched for thymocyte progenitors as measured first by its ability to repopulate transiently the thymus of an irradiated host, and second, by its high content of cells bearing Pgp-1 (refs 10, 11), a cell-surface glycoprotein of relative molecular mass 95,000 that is present on most or all prothymocytes of the bone marrow and on fetal thymocytes29, but on only a few per cent of cells in the adult thymus10. We show here that the gene encoding the β-chain of the T-cell receptor for antigen, which is rearranged during T-cell ontogeny12–15, is predominantly in the germline configuration in these cells.
Role of Laboratory Sampling Devices and Laboratory Subsampling Methods in Representative Sampling Strategies

Sampling is the act of selecting items from a specified population in order to estimate the parameters of that population (e.g., selecting soil samples to characterize the properties at an environmental site). Sampling occurs at various levels and times throughout an environmental site characterization process. Typically, initial (primary) sampling occurs in the field while subsequent stages of sample size reduction (subsampling) occur until the final laboratory analysis stage. At each step in the measurement process, from planning, site selection, sample collection, sample preparation, through sample analysis, errors can occur that propagate, leading to uncertainty associated with the final result upon which decisions will ultimately be made. The goal of all sampling efforts should be to select samples that are representative of the population (i.e., site) in question. General guidelines, with supporting background and theory, for obtaining representative subsamples for the laboratory analysis of particu...
Thermal profiling techniques for electronics inspection

This paper reviews applications of infrared thermal profiling techniques to detection of faults and defects in electronics. Issues essential to the successful application of infrared techniques to electronics manufacturing and circuit card maintenance are investigated. These issues include basic know-how such as scanning time interval and screening variables; a description of the types of defects and faults these methods have been used to detect; and a comparison of infrared thermal imaging and other detection means such as X-ray and functional testers. Future directions include design for infrared diagnosis and development of integrated testing technique for detection and root-cause analysis and development of hybrid analysis techniques, such as combining genetic algorithms and neural network techniques for thermal profile pattern recognition.
Surfactant-Induced Trans-Interface Transportation and Complex Formation of Giant Polyoxomolybdate-Based Clusters

The interaction and complex formation between cationic surfactants dimethyldioctadecylammonium Bromide (DODA-Br) and a polyoxomolybdate (POM)-based giant cluster {Mo72Fe30}, in its both single cluster (in aqueous solution, these clusters exist as anions) format and supramolecular format in aqueous solution, are studies by using laser light scattering (LLS) techniques. DODA/{Mo72Fe30} complexes containing basically single {Mo72Fe30} clusters are observed when the {Mo72Fe30} aqueous solution is freshly prepared and contains mainly unimer or oligmer {Mo72Fe30} anions. The {Mo72Fe30} clusters tend to form supramolecular vesicle structures slowly in solution. At high surfactant concentrations, the DODA cationic surfactants can break the vesicle structure and form single {Mo72Fe30}/DODA complexes. At low surfactant concentrations, complexes containing the whole vesicles coated by a layer of DODA is formed and transferred into the organic phase. For the surfactant concentrations in between, the vesicles are partially destroyed, leading to the formation of complexes with large size distribution. Studying the behaviors of the interaction between DODA and {Mo72Fe30} anionic structures will help to further explore the complicated mechanism of the POM vesicle formation, which was recently discovered but still not fully understood. Such unique complex structures may also have potential applications as nanoreactors or nanocontainers.
Introduction to special issue: Social influence and consumer behavior

What is the nature of the interface between social influence and consumer behavior? Although one could say that any consumer behavior influenced by another person or group properly defines the inte...
Detection of calcium activity in human monocytes by the fura-2 fluorescence method: in vitro differentiation sensitizes cells to dihydropyridine calcium channel modulators

Dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blockers have been shown to suppress atherogenesis in various species and controlled angiographic trials suggest that these drugs may retard the progression of occlusive coronary disease in humans. Because mononuclear leukocytes play a key role in the formation of early and advanced atheromatous lesions, we determined effects of DHP calcium channel modulators on calcium uptake by cells of the monocytic lineage. Human peripheral blood monocytes were evaluated before and after undergoing in vitro differentiation induced by two days of culture with fetal calf serum and FMLP. Changes in intracellular calcium activity were estimated with fura-2, a fluorescent calcium indicator. Freshly isolated (unactivated) monocytes were insensitive to DHP drugs both in the presence and absence of high potassium membrane depolarization. In contrast, nisoldipine, a DHP calcium channel blocker, and BAY K 8644, a DHP calcium channel activator, decreased and increased calcium uptake by KC1-depolarized differentiated monocytes. Results suggest that differentiation of monocytes to macrophages may involve a change in the expression and/or regulation of DHP- sensitive calcium channels.
Use of Capillaries for Macromolecular Crystallization in a Cryogenic Dewar

The enhanced gaseous nitrogen (EGN) dewar is a cryogenic dry shipper with a sealed cylinder inserted inside along with a temperature monitoring device, and is intended for macromolecular crystallization experiments on the International Space Station. Within the dewar, each crystallization experiment is contained as a solution within a plastic capillary tube. The standard procedure for loading samples in these tubes has involved rapid freezing of the precipitant and biomolecular solution, e.g., protein, directly in liquid nitrogen; this method, however, often resulted in uncontrolled formation of air voids, These air pockets, or bubbles, can lead to irreproducible crystallization results. A novel protocol has been developed to prevent formation of bubbles, and this has been tested in the laboratory as well as aboard the International Space Station during a 42-day long mission of July/August 2001. The gain or loss of mass from solutions within the plastic capillaries revealed that mass transport occurred among separated tubes, and that this mass transport was dependent upon the hygroscopic character of the solution contained in any given tube. The surface area of the plastic capillary tube also related to the observed mass transport. Furthermore, the decreased mass of solutions of-protein correlated to observed formation of protein crystals.
FATE OF HEAVY METALS IN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT The State of Florida requires that stormwater originating within a new project or development be managed and treated within the boundaries of the development to protect surface waters. Retention and exfiltration systems are the most common management practices. Theoretically these provide complete removal efficiency up to the design capacity since none of the stormwater reaches the receiving water body by direct inflow. The fate of various pollutants once entering these systems is not known, particularly whether heavy metals remain in them locked tightly by a chemical or physical association or slowly disperse outward over a much larger area to other water bodies. Investigations on an 8-year-old stormwater retention facility (1.5 ha) in Orlando, Fla., to define movement of heavy metals into and out of the basin seek to answer these questions. Stormwater runoff has been collected and analyzed from the input pipe for approximately 1 year. In addition, both wet and dry bulk precipitation are being c...
Intrinsic Quadrupole Moment and the Resonance Width of Photonuclear Reactions

The correlation between nuclear deformation and the resonance width of photonuclear reactions is discussed. The general trend of the nuclear deformation is in good agreement with the predictions of Marumori, Suekane, and Yamamoto, and the existence of the correlation is clarified. The calculation assuming the splitting of the resonance and a constant width for spherical nuclei agrees qualitatively with experiments, but quantitatively the calculated values are too low, especially for strongly deformed nuclei. For light nuclei the quantative calculation has little meaning, but a similar correlation is found for them. The mass-number dependence of the resonance width is discussed qualitatively; it turns out that the variation of this width arises from various causes and is not a simple function of mass number. A discussion of the nuclear shape in the highly excited state (\ensuremath{\sim}20 Mev) is given, and it is shown that this nuclear shape may not be very different from the shape in the ground state.
Prospective randomized double-blind controlled trial of continuous local anesthetic infusion to reduce narcotic use in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Abstract Background In an era of cost containment and outcome-based medicine, bariatric surgeons are attempting to decrease perioperative morbidity and streamline care. One way of accomplishing this is by decreasing opioid use and hospital stay. Several studies of nonbariatric open procedures have shown that continuous infusion catheters (CIC) are beneficial. Bariatric surgeons frequently utilize CIC, but the data is sparse for the clinical efficacy in laparoscopic procedures. Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of CIC in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Setting: military teaching hospital. Methods In this single institution prospective randomized double-blind controlled study, 82 patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) received either .2% ropivacaine or .9% normal saline (placebo) via CIC. After discharge, total narcotic usage, total antiemetic usage, pain scores, and hospital length of stay were evaluated. A one-way ANOVA was used to assess statistical significance. Power was 80% to detect 52 mg morphine equivalent difference. Results A total of 82 patients were enrolled, 39 received ropivacaine, and 43 received placebo. There was no statistically significant difference in narcotic usage between the ropivacaine group and placebo group, 51.9 mg versus 55.2 mg, respectively ( P = .63). Ondansetron usage was 10.7 mg and 10.6 mg for ropivacaine and placebo groups. ( P = .98). Average pain score was 3.0 for each group ( P = .632). Total hospital length of stay was 37.5 hours for ropivacaine group and 38.1 hours for placebo group ( P = .768). Conclusions We found no difference in narcotic usage, antiemetic usage, pain scores, or hospital length of stay between ropivacaine and placebo groups. We conclude there is no utility of CIC in LSG.
Spatial distribution of the avalanche in proportional counters

Abstract Avalanche development around the anode wire in gas proportional counters is studied by two methods; (a) measurement of positive ions arriving on potential wires on each side of the anode wire in a multiwire drift chamber, and (b) measurement of the center of gravity of the spatial distribution of induced charges on the cathode plane in a multiwire proportional chamber with a high precision delay line. Results show that in the operating mode of proportional gas amplification, the avalanche is well localized on the side of the anode wire, where electrons arrive from the point of primary ionization. At higher gas amplification, the avalanche starts to surround the anode wire. The spatial development of the avalanche was studied in different gas mixtures and was also found to depend on primary ionization densities.
Towards an open systems approach to budgeting

Abstract The theory of open systems has been increasingly applied to the study of organizational planning and control systems. This is also true for the area of budgetary control. At present, however, there is a tendency for writers to treat the design problems as an either/or choice between an open or a closed system. This paper argues that the critical decision problem is where in a system closure can be most beneficially applied. It will show that the open systems view, with its emphasis upon the horizontal dimension in an organization, is better suited for designing effective budgetary control systems. The computation of budget variances is chosen as the key step at which the usefulness of this view can be fully appreciated. An alternative budget variances measurement scheme, based upon similar perspectives in the area of job design, is proposed. It is shown that variances computed under the proposed system more fully reflect the interacting nature of most organizations and provide better control information.
INTERLEUKIN-6: A CANDIDATE MEDIATOR OF HUMAN PROSTATE CANCER MORBIDITY*

Abstract Objectives Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is evaluated as a candidate mediator of morbidity in patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Methods IL-6 concentration is measured by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) in the ejaculate plasma of healthy men, in primary culture of prostate epithelial cells, in human prostate cancer cell line cultures and SCID mouse xenografts, and in the plasma of 73 men with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Results High levels of IL-6 secretion are found in the normal human ejaculate, in prostate epithelial primary culture, and in three of four anaplastic, androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell lines tested. In contrast, the hormone-responsive and PSA-secreting cell lines and the hormone-independent line PPC-1 do not secrete detectable levels of IL-6 by ELISA. The acquisition of a p53 mutation in LNCaP-CW and PPC-1 is not sufficient to confer the phenotype of high IL-6 secretion. Seventy-three men with wellcharacterized, advanced, hormone refractory prostate cancer prior to suramin therapy are tested for incidence of abnormal circulating levels of IL-6. Plasma IL-6 levels have a bimodal distribution, with the upper quartile of patients having abnormal levels from 9 to 61 pg/mL. A direct comparison of the high and low serum IL-6 groups shows that elevated IL-6 levels are strongly correlated with objective measures of morbidity: decreased hematocrit, hemoglobin, and serum cholesterol, and increased white blood cell count and serum lactate dehydrogenase levels all in the absence of clinical infection. Conclusions These data show that IL-6 is a prostate exocrine gene product, a candidate mediator of prostate cancer morbidity, and a candidate marker of disease activity for prospective clinical testing.
GPS-based remote sensing of the geospace environment: horizontal and vertical structure of the ionosphere and plasmasphere

Transmissions of the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites can be used to measure the total electron content (TEC) between a receiver and several GPS satellites in view. This simple observable is yielding a wealth of new scientific information about ionosphere and plasmasphere dynamics. Data available from thousands of ground-based GPS receivers are used to image the large-scale and mesoscale ionospheric response to geospace forcings at high-precision covering all local times and latitudes. Complementary measurements from space-borne GPS receivers in low-Earth orbit provide information on both vertical and horizontal structure of the ionosphere/plasmasphere system. New flight hardware designs are being developed that permit simultaneous measurement of integrated electron content along new raypath orientations, including zenith, cross-track and nadir antenna orientations (the latter via bistatic reflection of the GPS signal off ocean surfaces). We will discuss a new data assimilation model of ionosphere, the Global Assimilative Ionosphere Model (GAIM), capable of integrating measurements from GPS and other sensors with a physics-based ionospheric model, to provide detailed global nowcasts of ionospheric structure, useful for science and applications. Finally, we discuss efforts underway to combine GPS space-based observations of plasmaspheric TEC, with ground-based magnetometer measurements, and satellite-based images from NASA's IMAGE satellite, to produce new dynamic models of the plasmasphere.