cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alexander Crummell on Coleridge and the Politics of Abolitionist Selfhood

This artricle explores the philosophical roots of Alexander Crummell's abolitionism. It argues that the black abolitionist developed a philosophically sophisticated approach to antislavery politics and to black advancement rooted, in part, in his encounter with Samuel Taylor Coleridge's metaphysics and epistemology. Developing out his encounter with Coleridge and others, Crummell developed a politicized theory of the self. From Coleridge he took an appreciation of anti-instrumental ways of thinking about politics rooted in the alignment of internal qualities of the self with external political organizing. His thought demonstrates the cosmopolitanism and sophistication of antebellum black intellectual and activist life, as well as the ways that theories of selfhood were deployed in radical political movements of the nineteenth century.
Effects of dexmedetomidine on the expression of inflammatory factors in children with congenital heart disease undergoing intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass: a randomized controlled trial.

Importance Dexmedetomidine inhibits the inflammatory response associated with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and protects neural function. However, the mechanism of dexmedetomidine's anti-inflammatory pathway is unclear. Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on the cognitive level and expression of inflammatory factors in children with congenital heart disease undergoing intraoperative CPB. Methods Ninety children with congenital heart disease were recruited and randomly divided into 3 groups of 30 children in each. In Group 1, a 1.0 µg·kg-1·h-1 intravenous bolus of dexmedetomidine was administered 10 minutes after induction of anesthesia, followed by a 0.2 µg·kg-1·h-1 infusion until the surgical incision. In Group 2, a 0.5 µg/kg intravenous bolus of dexmedetomidine was administered 10 minutes after induction of anesthesia, followed by a 0.1 µg·kg-1·h-1 infusion until the surgical incision. The control group was given physiological saline using the same method as in Groups 1 and 2. The serum levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), S-100β protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured before the surgery (T1), at the end of CPB (T2), 2 hours after CPB (T3), 6 hours after CPB (T4), and 24 hours after CPB (T5). The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children (WISC) was measured before the operation and at 3, 6, and 12 months after the operation to evaluate the neurodevelopmental state of the children. Results The levels of the NF-κB, S-100β protein, NSE, TNF-α, IL-6 were significantly higher at T2, T3, or T4 than before the surgery (T1) in the control group or the dexmedetomidine groups. However, the increases of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, S-100β and NSE levels were significantly smaller in the dexmedetomidine groups than those in the control group (P < 0.017). The WISC scores were similar among the three groups before or after the operation. Interpretation The increases in NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels indicated aggravation of the inflammatory reaction and the increase S-100β protein and NSE levels indicated that the nervous system was damaged. Administration of dexmedetomidine to children with congenital heart disease undergoing intraoperative CPB can inhibit the inflammatory response and may ameliorate the neurodevelopmental damage caused by CPB.
Removal of Cancer Cells Using Thin Layers of Cadmium Oxide (CdO)– DNA/RNA Sandwiched Complex Composite Plasmonic Nanostructure under Synchrotron Radiation

The current study is aimed to use Polysorbate 80 as surfactant for investigating the effectiveness of permeate TBA on the Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) anti–cancer protective membrane and the effect of loading DNA/RNA–CdO sandwiched complex on hydrophilicity and anti–cancer properties. The results showed decreasing surface pore size from 227 to 176 and increasing porosity from 101 to 111 with loading DNA/RNA–CdO sandwiched complex, and the permeate of anti–cancer protective membrane increased from 80 to 220 (L/m 2 .hr.bar) with loading DNA/RNA–CdO sandwiched complex. In addition, the results of current study showed that by increasing DNA/RNA–CdO sandwiched complex nanohybrides to 0.09Wt% to polymer matrix contact angle decreased from 84.4 to 23 degree. Moreover, the results of current study showed that by increasing DNA/RNA–CdO sandwiched complex nanohybrides to 0.09Wt% to hydrophilicity of anti–cancer protective membranes increased. All of the above results mentioned fouling of hybride anti–cancer protective membrane decreased than usual form. Therefore, hybride anti–cancer protective membranes of (DNA/RNA–CdO sandwiched complex) with the help of Polysorbate 80 as surfactant may be considered as a suitable anti– cancer protective membrane for treatment of TBA.
Assessing and improving model fitness in MOCABA data assimilation

Abstract A mathematical and computational framework is introduced to assess and improve the fitness of multivariate distribution models used in combination with the Bayesian data assimilation framework MOCABA. This is achieved by expanding the distribution model using invertible vairable transformations. Such model expansions enable us to generalize the basic MOCABA framework in order to make it applicable also to observables whose uncertainty distributions significantly deviate from normal distributions. Comparing inferences made on the basis of a normal distribution model with inferences made on the basis of a generalized model enables us to assess the fitness of the normal distribution model. Moreover, in cases where the normal distribution model performs poorly, we may switch to a generalized model with a better performance and assess its fitness by comparing its inferences to inferences from other generalized models. The presented methodology can be used for non-perturbative Bayesian updating of basic input parameters (e.g. nuclear data) or, more generally, of integral functions of these parameters (e.g. the power distribution in a nuclear reactor). In this paper, we focus on generalized distribution models based on variable transformations related to the Johnson S U distribution. To give an illustration of the generalized MOCABA method and to demonstrate its practical benefit, we apply it to the criticality safety analysis of a spent fuel pool for PWR fuel assemblies using data from a large number of different criticality safety benchmark experiments.
How Do High-Performance Work Systems Affect Individual Outcomes: A Multilevel Perspective

Research on high-performance work systems (HPWS) has suggested that a potential disconnection may exist between organizational-level HPWS and employee experienced HPWS. However, few studies have identified factors that are implied within such a relationship. Using a sample of 397 employees, 84 line managers, and 21 HR executives in China, we examined whether line managers’ goal congruence can reduce the difference between organizational-level HPWS and employee experienced HPWS. Furthermore, this study also theorized and tested organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) as a mediator in the associations between employee experienced HPWS and job performance and job satisfaction. Using multilevel analyses, we found that line managers’ goal congruence strengthened the relationship between organizational-level HPWS and employee experienced HPWS, such that the relationship was significant and positive when line managers’ goal congruence was high, but a non-significant relationship when line managers’ goal congruence was low. Moreover, employee experienced HPWS indirectly affected job performance and job satisfaction through the mechanism of OBSE beyond social exchange perspective.
Partial Counterfactual Identification from Observational and Experimental Data.

This paper investigates the problem of bounding counterfactual queries from an arbitrary collection of observational and experimental distributions and qualitative knowledge about the underlying data-generating model represented in the form of a causal diagram. We show that all counterfactual distributions in an arbitrary structural causal model (SCM) could be generated by a canonical family of SCMs with the same causal diagram where unobserved (exogenous) variables are discrete with a finite domain. Utilizing the canonical SCMs, we translate the problem of bounding counterfactuals into that of polynomial programming whose solution provides optimal bounds for the counterfactual query. Solving such polynomial programs is in general computationally expensive. We therefore develop effective Monte Carlo algorithms to approximate the optimal bounds from an arbitrary combination of observational and experimental data. Our algorithms are validated extensively on synthetic and real-world datasets.
Arcobacter: an Opportunistic Human Food-Borne Pathogen?

Two recent European surveys of patient stool samples ranked Arcobacter as the fourth most frequently recovered Campylobacter-like microbe. Aerotolerant campylobacteria (Arcobacter spp.) were first described as occurring in aborted porcine and bovine fetuses. Handling and consuming raw or contaminated poultry meat are acknowledged potential sources of human Arcobacter infection. Due to the phylogenetic relationship between Campylobacter and Arcobacter, it is logical to assume that animal models, virulence factors (including adherence), invasion, cytotoxicity, and toxin production of the two organisms would be similar. Classification of arcobacters as free-living, environmental organisms should be reflected in the gene content of the Arcobacter genomes. The genomes of some Arcobacter species would be predicted to contain niche-related genes, e.g., osmoprotectant genes in A. halophilus and nitrogen fixation genes in A. nitrofigilis. An multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method that could be used to type five Arcobacter species was recently designed. Future MLST and DNA microarray analyses will provide further insights into Arcobacter divergence. MLST analysis has identified putative horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in Arcobacter. Members of the genus Arcobacter can be generalized as free-living organisms found predominantly in aqueous environments, occasionally associated with food animals, and infrequently associated with humans. The publication of the complete 2.341-Mb Arcobacter genome sequence has facilitated identification of unique virulence factors and genetic markers to monitor its transmission through the food chain and which underlie its distinctive epidemiology.
Chemometrics applied to environmental systems

Abstract To understand the processes that give rise to the observed concentrations of chemical species in environmental samples, it is often useful to apply chemometric methods to help convert chemical data into environmental information. In this review, various chemometical methods including pattern recognition, mixture resolution methods, and probability estimation will be described, and their applications to a variety of environmental systems are presented. However, there are important differences between applying chemometrical methods in the laboratory as compared to environmental data. The environmental system can be monitored, but in general, it is not possible to plan experiments and use known distributional properties of the system under study. Given the complexity of these systems, large data sets are typically needed to provide the basis for obtaining a good understanding of its functioning. Expanding computer capabilities coupled with improved analytical methods have allowed the production and analysis of larger and larger data sets with more and more computationally intensive sophisticated algorithms that offer the promise of even greater information retrieval in the future.
Putting Buck v. Bell in Scientific and Historical Context

In this article written for a law-review symposium in response to a presentation on the infamous 1927 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Buck v. Bell, Edward J. Larson argues that, at the time that the case was decided, eugenics was on the incline, not the decline. In the 1920s, the American scientific and medical community broadly backed eugenic remedies for various forms of mental illness and retardation. Legislatures, lawyers, and jurists took their cue from this scientific and medical consensus. Absent any question that the statute at issue in Buck v. Bell was validly passed by the Virginia legislature or that due process was provided for the persons subject to its reach, the law should have withstood constitutional challenge. The tragedy of Buck v. Bell, Larson argues, was that Carrie Buck never received the due process guaranteed under Virginia’s eugenic sterilization statute and that neither her lawyers nor the courts protected her from a flagrant violation of her basic constitutional and statutory rights. Under the fact that should have been brought out at trial, Carrie Buck would not have been sterilized. More fundamentally, had due process been provided in this and other instances, while eugenics would still have been a scientific and medical mistake, it would not be a legal one.
Continuous and agile beam steerable diode lasers

Summary from only given. This paper demonstrates the first monolithically fabricated laser beam steering device based on GaAs-based MEMS. Since the laser and actuator are monolithically integrated, this device can be potentially cost effective and scalable. Other GaAs-based devices integrated with MEMS have been reported. This paper represents the first integration with an edge-emitting laser.
Using Regression to Compromise Statistical Databases: A Modification of the Attribute Correlation Modeling Approach

It has been shown that statistical databases can be compromised by regression using the Attribute Correlation Modeling method. This method, however, does not work well when only a small portion of the database can be sampled. Some of the shortcomings of the Attribute Correlation Modeling approach are discussed. A modification of the Attribute Correlation Modeling method which addresses these shortcomings is presented and compared to the original approach using Census Data. The modified Attribute Correlation Modeling method significantly outperforms the previous approach.
Ethnography in Action: Active Learning in Academic Library Outreach to Middle School Students

ABSTRACTThis article describes an outreach activity developed and coordinated by academic librarians as part of a state program for low-income middle school students. Rather than offering a traditional library tour, the library organizers wanted to provide the middle school students with a meaningful experience that would encourage active participation, critical thinking, and alleviate library anxiety. As a spin on the traditional tour, students applied an ethnographic approach to learning about the library. The authors describe the development and implementation of the activity and provide recommendations for other librarians involved in outreach to K–12 students.
HYDROLOGIC CONNECTIVITY OF FLOODPLAINS, NORTHERN MISSOURI—IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION OF FLOODPLAIN FOREST COMMUNITIES IN DISTURBED LANDSCAPES

Hydrologic connectivity between the channel and floodplain is thought to be a dominant factor determining floodplain processes and characteristics of floodplain forests. We explored the role of hydrologic connectivity in explaining floodplain forest community composition along streams in northern Missouri, USA. Hydrologic analyses at 20 streamgages (207–5827 km2 area) document that magnitudes of 2-year return floods increase systematically with increasing drainage area whereas the average annual number and durations of floodplain-connecting events decrease. Flow durations above the active-channel shelf vary little with increasing drainage area, indicating that the active-channel shelf is in quasi-equilibrium with prevailing conditions. The downstream decrease in connectivity is associated with downstream increase in channel incision. These relations at streamflow gaging stations are consistent with regional channel disturbance patterns: channel incision increases downstream, whereas upstream reaches have either not incised or adjusted to incision by forming new equilibrium floodplains. These results provide a framework to explain landscape-scale variations in composition of floodplain forest communities in northern Missouri. Faust (2006) had tentatively explained increases of flood-dependent tree species, and decreases of species diversity, with a downstream increase in flood magnitude and duration. Because frequency and duration of floodplain-connecting events do not increase downstream, we hypothesize instead that increases in relative abundance of flood-dependent trees at larger drainage area result from increasing size of disturbance patches. Bank-overtopping floods at larger drainage area create large, open, depositional landforms that promoted the regeneration of shade-intolerant species. Higher tree species diversity in floodplains with small drainage areas is associated with non-incised floodplains that are frequently connected to their channels and therefore subject to greater effective hydrologic variability compared with downstream floodplains. Understanding the landscape-scale geomorphic and hydrologic controls on floodplain connectivity provides a basis for more effective management and restoration of floodplain forest communities. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Task-level servocontrol in robotics

The application of computers permits the design and implementation of several different types of servocontrol schemes for the control of robot arms. This paper focuses on the description of task-space error feedback techniques which can provide excellent performance for tracking position and force trajectories in both manual and automatic modes of control. Model assumptions and computational requirements implied in these techniques are outlined and the outstanding performance capabilities of the techniques are illustrated by numerous experimental results.
Cleavage and Gastrulation in Xenopus laevis Embryos

The Xenopus laevis egg contains an asymmetric distribution of ribonucleic acids (RNAs), which are parceled out to different cells during cleavage. These RNAs initiate the formation of the germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, as well as a set of dorsal axial structures, including the central nervous system. Cleavage is initially rapid and synchronous, but becomes slower and asynchronous at the midblastula transition, when the embryo's genes become active. The different cells signal among each other in a process known as induction, leading to more types of cells. The cells undergo rearrangements in a complicated set of coordinated movements during gastrulation. Signalling continues through gastrulation with a major centre, the Spemann organiser, responsible for generating the dorsal axial structures. These inductions and movements lead to the proper positioning of the forming tissues and organs, and the body plan of the embryo emerges. Key Concepts: The job of the fertilised egg is to generate the body plan. The body plan of a vertebrate embryo consists of three tubes, known as germ layers, and a set of dorsal axial structures. In Xenopus, RNAs localised in the egg initiate formation of both the germ layers and the dorsal axial structures. The Xenopus egg rapidly divides into smaller cells to prepare for cell movements and organ formation. A key signalling centre is established known as the Spemann organiser. Signals from the Spemann organiser cause the formation of the dorsal axial structures including the central nervous system. The complicated cell movements of gastrulation can be followed using fate maps. Several types of cell movements are coordinated during gastrulation to bring about their final arrangement in the embryo. The body plan emerges with the completion of gastrulation. Keywords: cortical rotation; midblastula transition (MBT); mesoderm induction; fate map; Wnt/β-catenin pathway; Spemann organiser; dorsal lip; blastopore; convergent extension
Determining the Optimal Donation Acceptance Policy for Nonprofit Stores

Many nonprofits derive a considerable amount of their financial support from the resale of donated items. Given the razor-thin margins at which many of these organizations operate, it is critical that they maximize the proceeds that come from the sale of these items. To do so, nonprofits require policies that guide their donation acceptance decisions so as to optimize revenue generation. This article presents research about how to determine the optimal donation acceptance policy for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat affiliates sell donated material at their ReStores, or discount home improvement centers, and the revenue from the ReStores directly supports the building of new homes. Several constraints limit the revenue that the ReStores derive from the donated items, including the supply rate of items from donors, the demand rate of items from customers, and the space limitations of the ReStores. We developed a two-step method to determine the optimal acceptance policy—the daily amount of donations to accept to maximize revenue. This approach increases revenue by up to 20 percent and additionally provides insights into pricing options, marketing strategy, and optimal store size.
PATTERNS OF COPING IN FAMILIES OF PSYCHOTIC CHILDREN

The nature of family adaptation to severely and chronically disabling cognitive and behavioral conditions is considered. The relationship between atypical development and family response is examined to derive basic concepts--parents' perceptions of their child's unusual characteristics, effects on social relationships, etc.--and suggest strategies for intervention and research.
A potential explanation for lower minor complication rate for lead extraction in high-volume centres Response to the letter by Tolga Aksu, Kazim Serham Ozcan, Tumer Erdem Guler

We thank Dr Aksu and his colleagues for their letter addressed to our article1. In their letter, they raised the question whether the higher rate of minor complications of low-volume centres compared with high-volume centres might be attributed to failure of traditional transvenous lead extraction with the superior …
Monitoring and modeling density-dependent growth of anchorage-dependent cells.

The density-dependent growth of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was monitored on-line by using an inverted microscope. A flow system was employed for cell cultivation so that nutrient concentration could be maintained and metabolic wastes were removed. With the help of video image analysis, local cells density could be accurately calculated and cell motility and exposed cell surface area could be estimated. A computer program which accounted for change of sell size and translocation of cells was developed to stimulate cell growth. The stimulated results of the population dynamics and the variations in cell size showed good agreement with our experimental observations, Cell motility and initial cell distribution on the substratum were found to have strong effect on cell growth.
Why do we pay? A national survey of investigators and IRB chairpersons

The principle that payment to participants should not be undue or coercive is the consensus of international and national guidelines and ethical debates; however, what this means in practice is unclear. This study determined the attitudes and practices of IRB chairpersons and investigators regarding participant payment. One thousand six hundred investigators and 1900 IRB chairpersons received an invitation to participate in a web-based survey. Four hundred and fifty-five investigators (28.3%) and 395 IRB chairpersons (18.6%) responded. The survey was designed to gather considerations that govern payment determination and practical application of these considerations in hypothetical case studies. The survey asked best answer, multiple choice, and open text questions. Short hypothetical case scenarios where presented, and participants were asked to rate factors in the study that might impact payment and then determine their recommended payment. A predictive model was developed for each case to determine factors which affected payment. Although compensation was the primary reason given to justify payment by both investigators and IRB chairpersons, the cases suggested that, in practice, payment is often guided by incentive, as shown by the impact of anticipated difficulty recruiting, inconvenience, and risk in determining payment. Payment models varied by type of study. Ranges for recommended payments by both groups for different types of procedures and studies are presented.
Morph algorithms on GPUs

There is growing interest in using GPUs to accelerate graph algorithms such as breadth-first search, computing page-ranks, and finding shortest paths. However, these algorithms do not modify the graph structure, so their implementation is relatively easy compared to general graph algorithms like mesh generation and refinement, which morph the underlying graph in non-trivial ways by adding and removing nodes and edges. We know relatively little about how to implement morph algorithms efficiently on GPUs.In this paper, we present and study four morph algorithms: (i) a computational geometry algorithm called Delaunay Mesh Refinement (DMR), (ii) an approximate SAT solver called Survey Propagation (SP), (iii) a compiler analysis called Points-To Analysis (PTA), and (iv) Boruvka's Minimum Spanning Tree algorithm (MST). Each of these algorithms modifies the graph data structure in different ways and thus poses interesting challenges.We overcome these challenges using algorithmic and GPU-specific optimizations. We propose efficient techniques to perform concurrent subgraph addition, subgraph deletion, conflict detection and several optimizations to improve the scalability of morph algorithms. For an input mesh with 10 million triangles, our DMR code achieves an 80x speedup over the highly optimized serial Triangle program and a 2.3x speedup over a multicore implementation running with 48 threads. Our SP code is 3x faster than a multicore implementation with 48 threads on an input with 1 million literals. The PTA implementation is able to analyze six SPEC 2000 benchmark programs in just 74 milliseconds, achieving a geometric mean speedup of 9.3x over a 48-thread multicore version. Our MST code is slower than a multicore version with 48 threads for sparse graphs but significantly faster for denser graphs.This work provides several insights into how other morph algorithms can be efficiently implemented on GPUs.
Critical Issues in Cross-sectional Research Studies of Human Ecstasy (MDMA) Users: A Response to Krebs and Johansen.

Critical Issues in Cross-sectional Research Studies of Human Ecstasy (MDMA) Users: A Response to Krebs and Johansen
Metabolic changes associated with mitral valvuloplasty.

Patients with chronic congestive heart failure operated upon for the surgical correction of mitral stenosis have been observed repeatedly to have low plasma sodium concentrations and elevated plasma potassium concentrations after operation. This study was primarily directed at an understanding of these abnormalities. The authors have shown that the preoperative patient has a characteristic disorder of body composition noteworthy for a high total body water, a high total body sodium, a low total exchangeable potassium and a low plasma sodium concentration. The effects of surgery on this abnormal body composition, and the therapeutic implications are discussed.
Planfulness and problem solving in older adults

The applicability of problem solving concepts such as planfulness and depth of search to older adult cognitive behavior was considered. Eighteen males (sixty to eighty-nine years) and eighteen females (sixty to eighty-two years) solved isomorphic inquiry problems involving elimination of number and letter alternatives from a twenty-four item stimulus array. Half of the participants were given planning instructions designed to deepen their search through existing knowledge, while half received no instructions. Analyses of the total number of questions to solution and the percentage reduction in number of alternatives produced by each question revealed no reliable gender-related differences. Planning instructions, however, reduced the number of questions prior to solution and increased the informational value of most inquiries. The results were interpreted in terms of a metacognitive strategy deficiency in later life. Theoretical issues related to the construction and validation of information-processing mo...
Chronic intrauterine pulmonary hypertension alters endothelin receptor activity in the ovine fetal lung

Although endothelin (ET) contributes to the regulation of pulmonary vascular tone in the normal fetus, little is known about its role in pulmonary hypertension in the perinatal period. To examine the role of the ETB receptor in the normal ovine fetal lung, we studied the hemodynamic effects of ET-3 (a selective ETB receptor agonist) before and after RES-701 (a selective ETB receptor antagonist). RES-701 (10 mu g/min for 10 min) did not change basal pulmonary tone and blocked pulmonary vasodilation to ET-3 (500 ng/min for 10 min). To examine the effects of experimental perinatal pulmonary hypertension on activity of the ETA and ETB receptors, we studied the hemodynamic effects of ET-3, ET-1 (a nonselective ETA and ETB receptor agonist), and BQ 123 (a selective ETA receptor antagonist) in 12 chronically prepared late gestation fetal lambs after partial ligation of the ductus arteriosus. Serial changes in the pulmonary vascular effects of these agents were measured early (1-3 d) and late (7-10 d) after partial ductus arteriosus ligation. Left lung total pulmonary resistance in the normal late-gestation fetus was 0.62 +/- 0.01 mm Hg/ml/min (n = 4). After partial ductus arteriosus ligation, total pulmonary resistance increased to 1.2 +/- 0.3 (early; p < 0.05 versus normal), and progressively rose to 1.9 +/- 0.2 mm Hg/ml/min (late; p < 0.05 versus early). Intrapulmonary infusion of ET-3 (500 ng/min for 10 min) increased pulmonary blood flow from 94 +/- 11 to 183 +/- 17 mL/min in the normal fetus, but had no effect during late pulmonary hypertension. Infusions of ET-1 (50 ng/min for 30 min) caused transient pulmonary vasodilation followed by vasoconstriction during early pulmonary hypertension. During late pulmonary hypertension, however, infusion of ET-1 caused predominantly vasoconstriction. Pulmonary vasodilation to BQ 123 (100 mu g/min for 10 min) was greater during late than early pulmonary hypertension (43 versus 21%; p < 0.05). After 10 d of ductus arteriosus ligation, immunoreactive ET-1 content in whole lung tissue was 3-fold higher in hypertensive (n = 7) than control (n = 10) lungs (p < 0.05). We conclude that the ETB receptor contributes little to regulation of basal vascular tone in the normal ovine fetal lung and that chronic intrauterine pulmonary hypertension causes the loss of ETB-mediated vasodilation, progressive ETA-mediated vasoconstriction, and increased lung ET-1 content. We speculate that diminished ETB receptor-mediated vasodilation in combination with enhanced ETA receptor-mediated vasoconstriction and increased ET-1 production contributes to high pulmonary vascular resistance in perinatal pulmonary hypertension.
Redesigning an Aerospace Engineering Curriculum for the Twenty-First Century: Results of a Survey

This paper describes the development and results of a mail survey to determine the views of industrial, government, and academic aerospace professionals on the required content of future aerospace engineering curricula and on the skills that will be needed by aerospace graduates in the early twenty-first century. The survey is one step in an ongoing process by the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Cincinnati (UC) to restructure its aerospace engineering curriculum. This paper discusses the development of the survey, its results, and the preliminary conclusions that have been drawn from the results. The survey included questions on such issues as introducing design experience to the students throughout the curriculum and presenting some topics using a more interdisciplinary approach than has traditionally been followed. While the survey was constructed primarily to gather information specific to the UC curriculum redesign effort, its results are relevant to other aerospace engineering programs considering or pursuing curricular redesign.
Transplant center volume and outcomes after liver retransplantation.

Liver retransplantation surgery has a high rate of allograft failure due to patient comorbidities and technical demands of the procedure. Success of liver retransplantation could depend on surgeon experience and processes of care that relate to center volume. We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult liver retransplantation procedures performed from January 1, 1996 through December 31, 2005 using registry data from the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network. The primary outcome was 1-year allograft failure. Liver transplant centers were categorized as small, intermediate or high volume by dividing overall liver transplants into three tertiles of approximately equal size. Mean annual volume of overall liver transplants was 88 for high-volume centers. The primary analysis consisted of 3977 liver retransplantation patients. The unadjusted risk of 1-year allograft failure was 37.8%. In multivariable logistic regression, the risk of 1-year allograft failure was not significantly different between low- (reference), intermediate- (OR 0.86, CI 0.72–1.03, p = 0.11) and high-volume centers (OR 0.88, CI 0.74–1.04, p = 0.14). Results were similar when the analysis was limited to retransplantation performed >160 days after initial transplantation. Center volume is an imprecise surrogate measure for 1-year outcomes after liver retransplantation.
Renal DETERMINE Nutrition Screening Tools for the identification and treatment of malnutrition

Nutrition screening is the first step in identifying and treating nutrition-related problems in renal patients. The Renal DETERMINE Nutrition Screening Tools help health care professionals recognize the risk factors for malnutrition in renal patients and suggest interventions to prevent, control, or ameliorate problems when they are present. The Renal DETERMINE Nutrition Awareness Checklist provides a series of questions for the health care professional to ask the renal patient to better identify nutrition problems. It can also be used with renal patients to help educate and increase awareness of nutrition issues. The Renal DETERMINE Nutrition Screening Reference Sheets are then used to help the health care professional identify appropriate interventions for the nutrition problem. The Reference Sheets list the most common nutrition-related concerns for chronic renal insufficiency, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and post kidney transplant patients. For each risk factor, rationales are presented and interventions to resolve the nutrition related problems are provided.
Leisure time physical activity and coronary heart disease death. The US railroad study

Seventeen to 20 years of mortality follow-up were used to study the relation of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) to coronary heart disease mortality and to all-cause mortality in white male US railroad workers (n = 3,043). This cohort was initially examined from 1957 to 1960, reexamined from 1962 to 1964, and followed until 1977 or death. LTPA was ascertained by a precursor of the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. The risk estimate for coronary heart disease death, after adjusting for age, was 1.39 for sedentary men who expended 40 kcal/wk in LTPA compared with very active men who expended 3,632 kcal/wk. This relation was attenuated by adjusting for other coronary heart disease risk factors, but it remained independent and significant. Caloric expenditure in light and moderate activity, as well as that performed in any intense activity, showed independent relations to cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality. Associations were slightly stronger in occupationally sedentary men. These results support the hypothesis that physical activity protects against death from coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality.
Testosterone Replacement Leaving Men Heartbroken

Over the past decade, prescriptions for testosterone therapy have increased to over 5 million, with a market of $1.6 billion a year in the United States alone. Although professional guidelines recommend limiting testosterone therapy to patients with symptomatic testosterone deficiency, testosterone is being increasingly misused or abused for power sports or bodybuilding and as a male anti-aging agent. The benefits of testosterone replacement therapy have been well characterized and include, in addition to improved sexual function, an increase in bone density, increase in muscle mass and strength, and improved lipid profile and insulin sensitivity. Despite these positive effects, a recent trial of testosterone treatment in older men was unexpectedly discontinued because of increased cardiovascular events in the treatment group. A large retrospective analysis of more than 8000 men from the Veteran Affairs health care system contributed substantial evidence of cardiovascular-adverse effects associated with testosterone replacement. The authors analyzed a national cohort of men with low testosterone levels (<300 ng/dL) who underwent coronary angiography and compared the outcomes of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke in men treated or untreated with testosterone. The mean age of the study participants was 63 years, and the majority of men had comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity. Three years after the baseline angiography, the incidence of the composite outcome was 19.9% among men who were not treated with testosterone and 25.7% among men who were prescribed testosterone, demonstrating a nearly 30% increased risk of adverse outcomes associated with testosterone treatment (hazard ratio 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.58, adjusted for the presence of coronary disease at baseline). The authors concluded that in a cohort of men who underwent coronary angiography and had a low serum testosterone level, the use of testosterone therapy was associated with increased risk of mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke, independent of prior cardiovascular disease. Although the findings may not apply to testosterone replacement in younger patients without comorbidities, these alarming findings call for caution, especially given the rapid increase in the number of testosterone prescriptions for adult men across all age groups. R. Vigen et al ., Association of testosterone therapy with mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke in men with low testosterone levels. JAMA 310 , 1829–1836 (2013). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1764051
Effect of model uncertainty on some optimal routing problems

We study the effect of model uncertainties on optimal routing in a system of parallel queues. The uncertainty arises in modeling the service time distribution for the customers (jobs, packets) to be served. For a Poisson arrival process and Bernoulli routing, the optimal mean system delay generally depends on the variance of this distribution. However, as the input traffic load approaches the system capacity, the optimal routing assignment and corresponding mean system delay are shown to converge to a variance-invariant point. The implications of these results are examined in the context of gradient-based routing algorithms. An example of a model-independent algorithm using on-line gradient estimation is also included and its performance compared with that of model-based algorithms.
ENHANCEMENT OF COGNITIVE CREATIVITY BY DIVERSITY CLUSTERING

In this paper, formation of diverse groups of individuals based on attributes and two diversity measures are discussed. The formation of clusters in a diversity space is described. An algorithm is given for diverse clustering based on separation in the space and not the nearness using application based diversity thresholds and number of clusters.
Risk Attitude, Punishment, and the Intifada

The Israelis occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for approximately twenty years without facing an uprising. This state of affairs ended, surprising both the Israelis and the PLO, in December 1987 with the beginning of the Intifada. Various authors conclude that the Israeli occupation policy caused the Intifada (Peretz 1990; Nassar and Heacock 1990; Siniora 1988; U.S. Department of State 1989). This paper takes exception with the foregoing view. This paper offers a rational actor explanation of why the occupation policy was adopted, why the occupation policy deterred an uprising for twenty years, and why the change from the occupation policy to the Iron Fist policy caused the Intifada. In particular, the key to the explanation is the change, which came with the Iron Fist policy, in the likelihood of punishing non-participants. This change, and not the occupation policy, made participation in acts of insurrection the preferred option.
Conformational analysis of anilinonaphthalenesulfonate derivatives. I. 2‐anilino‐6‐naphthalenesulfonate

A conformational study of 2-anilino-6-naphthalenesulfonate (2,6-ANS), a widely used “fluorescence probe” compound, was carried out using classical potential energy functions (the CAMSEQ method) with a 2-dimensional, torsional correction term. A variety of solvent environments was considered, including aqueous, 1 -octanol, ethanol, and methanol in addition to the isolated molecule. The results agree with crystal data for a closely related compound, but differ from a previous theoretical study. The calculated equilibrium geometry appears to be relatively insensitive to solvent environment.
Induced Microearthquake Patterns in Hydrocarbon and Geothermal Reservoirs: Six Case Studies

The injection or production of fluids can induce microseismic events in hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. By deploying sensors downhole, data sets have been collected that consist of a few hundred to well over 10,000 induced events. We find that most induced events cluster into well-defined geometrical patterns. In many cases, we must apply high-precision, relative location techniques to observe these patterns. At three sedimentary sites, thin horizontal strands of activity are commonly found within the location patterns. We believe this reflects fracture containment between stratigraphic layers of differing mechanical properties or states of stress. At a massive carbonate and two crystalline sites, combinations of linear and planar features indicate networks of intersecting fractures and allow us to infer positions of aseismic fractures through their influence on the location patterns. In addition, the fine-scale seismicity patterns often evolve systematically with time. At sedimentary sites, migration of seismicity toward the injection point has been observed and may result from slip-induced stress along fractures that initially have little resolved shear. In such cases, triggering events may be critical to generate high levels of seismic activity. At one crystalline site, the early occurrence of linear features that traverse planes of activity indicate permeable zones and possible flow paths within fractures. We hope the continued development of microseismic techniques and refinement of conceptual models will further increase our understanding of fluid behavior and lead to improved resource management in fractured reservoirs.
Negotiating Trouble: The Social Construction and Management of Trouble in a College Psychiatric Context.

In examining the way college students and their campus psychiatrists define and manage troubles, we identify specific aspects of the interpersonal situation critical to that process. The labels eventually attached to troubles and the plans of action that are instituted derive their plausibility from the social assumptions of the collegiate community. Furthermore, the way the situation is defined involves a process extending beyond the face-to-face negotiations of professionals and their clients. The influence of situational features such as the time and place of events, the structure of the social network, and specific persons involved are shown to exercise direct effects on how trouble is socially understood and managed. Attending primarily to the ideas and behavior of professionals, inside and outside the college, we discuss the importance of differing frames of reference emerging from membership. We also explicate some of the ways contextual features become defined as “contingencies” and are relegated to the background of practitioners' thinking. In so doing, they achieve an orderly reaffirmation of their professional ideas and the ability to act on the situation as they see it, sometimes at the cost of gross conceptual over-simplification. Considered as negotiated achievements of the persons involved, trouble and its management emerge as highly plastic social phenomena containing a multiplicity of potential alternative interpretations and rich possibilities for therapeutic improvisation.
A Hybrid Integral Equation Solution of Scattering of TE Excitation by Inhomogeneous Cylinders Near a Medium Interface

An analysis of scattering of transverse electric (TE) illumination by inhomogeneous lossy dielectric/ferrite cylinders near a planar media interface by employing the hybrid surface/volume integral equation method is presented. The inhomogeneous cylinders are of general cross section, of infinite extent, and their axes are parallel to the interface. Coupled hybrid integral equations are formulated and a numerical method is developed for solving them. In the formulation of the hybrid integral equations, both the surface equivalence principle and the volume equivalence theorem are employed, and attention is focused on minimizing the computation of Sommerfeld integrals and on reducing the number of unknowns. From the numerical solution of the equivalent surface current, the far-zone scattered field is calculated. Data depicting the equivalent current distribution and the far-zone field patterns are presented and discussed for various cylinder and half-space parameters.
Thyristor (SCR) Chopper Control System for Transportation Equipment

This paper describes the circuit design used for the application of power semiconductors to the control of dc power in a traction motor system. Type SPM designates a series field traction motor SCR control, providing smooth tractive effort control in motoring and in dynamic braking of 500?1000 hp (continuously rated) rapid transit car drives. Thyristors are switched by a feedback current control system utilizing a fixed-frequency variable pulse width technique. Armature series reactors and line filter requirements are minimized by a multistage scheme. Both armature and field currents are modulated for full speed range control. Third rail system extreme voltage transients are accommodated by system features. Development and tests of sample equipments on the Chicago Transit Authority system are described. This demonstrator became the first semiconductor chopper propulsion equipment to be placed in revenue service in the United States. Service began in September 1967 on the Chicago Transit Authority's Skokie Line. A similar 1000-volt equipment was supplied San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit for test track evaluation.
Viral and Drug Hazards in Pregnancy

Should pregnant mothers be immunized against smallpox? Poliomyelitis?What is the incidence of fetal loss or major congenital anomalies if a pregnant woman contracts rubella? Poliomyelitis? Rubeola? Mumps? Or varicella? Is there a relationship to the time of the infection during pregnancy and congenital anomalies?Is there a higher fetal mortality associated with the use of the sulfonylurea drugs for pregnant diabetic mothers?Are progesteroids harmless to the fetus when given to a pregnant woman? Anti-thyroid drugs? Thiazides?