cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expanding the Intersectional Paradigm to Better Understand Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities

The study of battered women of color marginalized by their race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, and immigrant status (defined as an intersectional approach) has created new ways of thinking of and dealing with domestic violence in immigrant communities. This article applies the principles of an intersectional and interlocking analysis to the experiences of battered immigrant women in the U.S. In addition, here I bring together another dimension of intersectionality: one that inter-relates certain dynamics of domestic violence specific to immigrant communities and some of the unique ways in which immigrant communities are dealing with domestic violence in the U.S. In these ways, we are better able to see both the concerns about displacement and marginalization, as well as contestation and empowerment of battered immigrant women.
Steps along the Journey: Documenting Undergraduate White Women's Transformative Processes in a Diversity Course.

This article documents the transformation of cognitive and relational dispositions within a group of 14 White female undergraduate students ranging in age from 18 to 21 years and enrolled in a semester-long diversity course. Using Mezirow’s transformative learning theory as an interpretive frame to guide our phenomenological analysis of written assignments, data revealed that students experienced multiple cognitive and relational transformative processes. Findings suggest that transformative learning theory’s (Kitchenham, 2008; Mezirow & Associates, 2000) framework around processes of transformation is a useful analytical framework for capturing students’ unique transformative learning processes or journeys. Findings further suggest that, students’ relationships with members of cultural communities previously unfamiliar to them were an important part of students’ transformative journeys. These relationships provided students with tangible experiences that assisted them in shifting their worldviews and arriving at greater understanding of how inequality, oppression, and prejudice impact the daily lives of others. Finally, the findings indicate that instructors’ perspectives on what accounts for a transformative process is often not aligned with students’ opinions of their own growth and development. The study concludes that transformation is a process, and that all steps are a necessary part of a transformative experience.
Network structure and dynamics of the mental workspace

The conscious manipulation of mental representations is central to many creative and uniquely human abilities. How does the human brain mediate such flexible mental operations? Here, multivariate pattern analysis of functional MRI data reveals a widespread neural network that performs specific mental manipulations on the contents of visual imagery. Evolving patterns of neural activity within this mental workspace track the sequence of informational transformations carried out by these manipulations. The network switches between distinct connectivity profiles as representations are maintained or manipulated.
State‐Sponsored College §529 Plans: An Analysis of Factors that Influence Investors' Choice

Taxpayers have invested more than $45 billion in state‐sponsored §529 college savings plans. Created by federal legislation in 1996 and enhanced by a 2001 tax law change, all 50 states and the District of Columbia now offer a §529 plan. Some states provide tax deductions and/or exemptions to taxpayers choosing in‐state plans. Because of the lack of historical return data on these funds and the absence of comparable investment vehicles, investors rely extensively upon securities dealers for fund recommendations. Using proprietary panel data for 77 plans in 50 states over eight quarters, this paper compares tax and nontax factors that drive §529 investment choices. This paper explains why an investor may choose an out‐of‐state §529 plan despite losing a potential state tax deduction. This paper also has policy implications for lifetime savings accounts proposed by the Bush administration.
Optimum overall times II: Extended modelling for head and neck radiotherapy.

Abstract Aims A previous paper in this journal (part I) concluded that there was no pronounced optimum overall time, at least up to 70 fractions of 1.15Gy at two fractions/day in 50 days. The maximum tolerable tumour doses increased only 2% from the best short schedules of 21 or 23 days to those of 50 days. Only this range was modelled in part I because it covered the fewest and the most fractions, and the longest overall times that will probably be used in practice. Most UK schedules, typically using five fractions a week, yield tumour effective doses about 10% less than the best schedules in other developed countries. The present paper covers a much wider range of fraction numbers from one to 115, and from 1 to 80 days. Some numerical errors in the Tables in part I are also corrected in the present appendix. These made no difference to the main conclusions just described. Materials and methods Standard linear quadratic modelling was used, assuming at first α/β=10Gy, α=0.35 ln/Gy, Tk=21 days, Tp=3 days for tumours, but with Tk=7 days, Tp=2.5Gy for acute mucosal reactions, as before. A late complications constraint of 70Gy was accepted, and an acute constraint of 51Gy (both at 2Gy fractions). Alternative values of more rapid or slower repopulation were also explored (Tp=2 days or Tp=5 days, respectively). Results Optimal values were shown at 22–32 days for one fraction/day five times a week, and at 42–49 days for two fractions/day at 10 fractions/week. Repopulation caused a rapid fall in tumour dose after 30 days with one fraction/day, but not until after 50 days with two fractions/day, and so was not seen in part I with its too-practical end time. Conclusions Biological modelling can extrapolate calculations outside the borders of published treatment schedules to clarify borderline situations. Optimum schedules in radiotherapy can reliably give more tumour control if two fractions/day are used. The potential gains are equivalent to about two fractions of 2Gy as given by this modelling. However, the late complications will be less with some nearly tumour equivalent shorter schedules if optimally designed.
Bi-level Programming Formulation and Heuristic Solution Approach for Dynamic Traffic Signal Optimization

: Although dynamic traffic control and traffic assignment are intimately connected in the framework of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), they have been developed independent of one another by most existing research. Conventional methods of signal timing optimization assume given traffic flow pattern, whereas traffic assignment is performed with the assumption of fixed signal timing. This study develops a bi-level programming formulation and heuristic solution approach (HSA) for dynamic traffic signal optimization in networks with time-dependent demand and stochastic route choice. In the bi-level programming model, the upper level problem represents the decision-making behavior (signal control) of the system manager, while the user travel behavior is represented at the lower level. The HSA consists of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) and a Cell Transmission Simulation (CTS) based Incremental Logit Assignment (ILA) procedure. GA is used to seek the upper level signal control variables. ILA is developed to find user optimal flow pattern at the lower level, and CTS is implemented to propagate traffic and collect real-time traffic information. The performance of the HSA is investigated in numerical applications in a sample network. These applications compare the efficiency and quality of the global optima achieved by Elitist GA and Micro GA. Furthermore, the impact of different frequencies of updating information and different population sizes of GA on system performance is analyzed.
A saturation-balancing control method for enhancing dynamic vehicle stability

This paper proposes a vehicle stability control method that quantifies and uses the level of lateral force saturation on each axle of a vehicle. The magnitude of the saturation is determined from on-line estimated nonlinear lateral tire forces and their linear projections. Once known, saturation levels are employed in a saturation balancing control structure that biases the drive torque to either the front or rear axles/wheels. The control structure avoids the need for an explicit reference model to generate target responses. The benefits of the proposed approach are demonstrated considering a nominally unstable vehicle in an extreme obstacle avoidance manoeuvre.
Internal Trafficking and Surface Mobility of a Functionally Intact β2-Adrenergic Receptor-Green Fluorescent Protein Conjugate

The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) is prototypic of the large family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) whose desensitization and resensitization are regulated by intracellular kinases, arrestin proteins, phosphatases, and ill-defined components of the cellular endocytic machinery. The study of β2AR signal transduction and behavior in living cells is technically difficult because of the relatively low cellular expression of the receptor and a lack of useful biological reagents. Availability of a functional β2AR tagged with the highly sensitive Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) could allow measurements of the various properties of the β2AR. We demonstrate that a fully functional β2AR/GFP can be engineered. In mammalian cells, β2AR/S65T/GFP demonstrates strong, diffuse plasma membrane fluorescence when observed with 480 nm excitation. The fluorescent receptor binds agonist and antagonist, stimulates adenylyl cyclase, undergoes phosphorylation, and is internalized in a manner indistinguishable from wild-type receptor. We then show that its internal trafficking and surface mobility can be determined by measuring only the endogenous fluorescence of the conjugate. β2AR/S65T/GFP was found to be localized on endosomal membranes in living cells within minutes of agonist treatment, and within 15 min it is observed in more complicated structures formed from fusion of multiple endosomes. Finally, its free diffusion (diffusion coefficient, 4.0–12 × 10−9 cm2/sec) was assessed on living cells using photobleaching recovery measurements. This approach and the fidelity of the biochemical properties of the β2AR/S65T/GFP demonstrate that real-time optical measurements of β2AR (as well as other GPCR) interactions and dynamics on living cells are feasible.
The reacquisition of biotin prototrophy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involved horizontal gene transfer, gene duplication and gene clustering.

The synthesis of biotin, a vitamin required for many carboxylation reactions, is a variable trait in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Many S. cerevisiae strains, including common laboratory strains, contain only a partial biotin synthesis pathway. We here report the identification of the first step necessary for the biotin synthesis pathway in S. cerevisiae. The biotin auxotroph strain S288c was able to grow on media lacking biotin when BIO1 and the known biotin synthesis gene BIO6 were introduced together on a plasmid vector. BIO1 is a paralog of YJR154W, a gene of unknown function and adjacent to BIO6. The nature of BIO1 illuminates the remarkable evolutionary history of the biotin biosynthesis pathway in S. cerevisiae. This pathway appears to have been lost in an ancestor of S. cerevisiae and subsequently rebuilt by a combination of horizontal gene transfer and gene duplication followed by neofunctionalization. Unusually, for S. cerevisiae, most of the genes required for biotin synthesis in S. cerevisiae are grouped in two subtelomeric gene clusters. The BIO1–BIO6 functional cluster is an example of a cluster of genes of “dispensable function,” one of the few categories of genes in S. cerevisiae that are positionally clustered.
Femoral Nerve Block Use in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery

Purpose The goal of this study was to determine whether femoral nerve blocks (FNBs) provide patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction greater pain relief or other benefits compared with more standard pain medication regimens. Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database using the following search terms: "ACL or anterior cruciate ligament" and "femoral nerve block or peripheral nerve block" or "regional anesthesia." Thirteen studies were found that fit the inclusion criteria of being randomized controlled trials with a Level of Evidence of I or II, comparing FNB or 3-in-1 blocks with control groups undergoing various multimodal pain regimens. Results Only 5 of the 13 studies found a significant difference in pain relief with FNB compared with the control groups; however, the difference in several of the studies may not be clinically relevant. Of the 13 studies, 6 examined parameters other than pain, and only 1 study found a greater incidence of nausea and sedation in its control group. Patient satisfaction was examined in 2 studies, with both finding no difference between groups. Nine studies used a single graft type, and the two studies using multiple graft types accounted for this in their analyses. Conclusions On the basis of the available Level I and II data from randomized controlled trials, there appears to be no evidence that FNBs add additional benefit over multimodal analgesia. FNBs have not been shown to significantly affect patient pain, readiness for discharge, or outcome scores. There is a small but identifiable risk associated with performing FNBs, with potentially catastrophic effects. Level of Evidence Level II, systematic review of Level I and II randomized controlled trials with minimal heterogeneity.
Manganese-enhanced MRI of mouse heart during changes in inotropy.

Recently the dual properties of manganese ion (Mn(2+)) as an MRI contrast agent and a calcium analogue to enter excitable cells has been used to mark specific cells in brain and as a potential intracellular cardiac contrast agent. Here the hypothesis that in vivo manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) can detect changes in inotropy in the mouse heart has been tested. T(1)-weighted images were acquired every minute during an experimental time course of 75 min. Varying doses of Mn(2+) (3.3-14.0 nmoles/min/g BW) were infused during control and altered inotropy with dobutamine (positive inotropy due to increased calcium influx) and the calcium channel blocker diltiazem (negative inotropy). Infusion of MnCl(2) led to a significant increase in signal enhancement in mouse heart that saturated above 3.3 +/- 0.1 nmoles/min/g BW Mn(2+) infusion. At the highest Mn(2+) dose infused there was a 41-47% increase in signal intensity with no alteration in cardiac function as measured by MRI-determined ejection fractions. Dobutamine increased both the steady-state level of enhancement and the rate of MRI signal enhancement. Diltiazem decreased both the steady-state level of enhancement and the rate of MRI signal enhancement. These results are consistent with the model that Mn(2+)-induced enhancement of cardiac signal is indicative of the rate of calcium influx into the heart. Thus, the simultaneous measurement of global function and calcium influx using MEMRI may provide a useful method of evaluating in vivo responses to inotropic therapy.
Focus on Division 17’s Committee on Women/Section for the Advancement of Women (SAW) 1970-2030 Achievements and Challenges

This article presents the development, contributions, and future directions of the American Psychological Association, Division 17, Section for the Advancement of Women (SAW). Beginning with the formation of the Division 17 Ad Hoc Committee on Women in 1970, formalized in 1982 as the Division 17 Committee on Women, the SAW was formed in 1996. Article 1 of SAW’s bylaws, approved in 1996, identifies five goals for SAW, and these provide the organizing framework for this article. The five goals are related to professional support; education, training, and dissemination; scientific affairs; professional practice; and diversity and public interest. The work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Women and of the Committee on Women reflect these SAW goals and permit reviewing the accomplishments of these earlier committees within this framework. The article ends with some reflections on future directions for SAW in the 21st century.
A single source k-shortest paths algorithm to infer regulatory pathways in a gene network

Motivation: Inferring the underlying regulatory pathways within a gene interaction network is a fundamental problem in Systems Biology to help understand the complex interactions and the regulation and flow of information within a system-of-interest. Given a weighted gene network and a gene in this network, the goal of an inference algorithm is to identify the potential regulatory pathways passing through this gene. Results: In a departure from previous approaches that largely rely on the random walk model, we propose a novel single-source k-shortest paths based algorithm to address this inference problem. An important element of our approach is to explicitly account for and enhance the diversity of paths discovered by our algorithm. The intuition here is that diversity in paths can help enrich different functions and thereby better position one to understand the underlying system-of-interest. Results on the yeast gene network demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach over extant state-of-the-art inference algorithms. Beyond utility, our algorithm achieves a significant speedup over these baselines. Availability: All data and codes are freely available upon request. Contact: srini@cse.ohio-state.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Brake Dynamics Effect on AHS Lane Capacity

This paper investigates the effects of brake system dynamics and inter- vehicle communication delays on the capacity of an Automated Highway system (AHS). Simulations were conducted to investigate the relationship between the microscopic and macroscopic characteristics and random variations from vehicle to vehicle within a platoon. Recommendations were made regarding the maximum desired delays intra-platoon and inter-platoon distances and platoon size in order to achieve the highest possible capacity while maintaining a high degree of safety.
The Center of Biological Nitrogen Fixation: FeMo‐Cofactor

The enzyme nitrogenase is the only known biological system capable of reducing atmospheric dinitrogen to ammonia, and is therefore an essential player in the biological nitrogen cycle. Despite decades of research, essential questions about the mechanism of nitrogen fixation are unanswered. The complexity of the nitrogenase active site FeMo-cofactor contributes thereby significantly to the problems nitrogenase research is facing today. Attempts to mimic its exceptional catalytic properties were without success and also the metal center itself exposed only a small fraction of its secrets so far. Today, the FeMo-cofactor is still the largest and most complex metal center known in biological systems. Solely its structure determination turned out to be an unexpected long process facing multiple hurdles. Even though X-ray crystallography led to first structural data of the [7Fe:9S:C:Mo]:R-homocitrate entity more than twenty years ago, only recently the entire atomic structure of the metal center was revealed. This review gives a short overview of the FeMo-cofactor with a special focus on its structure determination.
The ATLAS trigger system

ATLAS is one of two general-purpose detectors at the next-generation proton–proton collider, the LHC. The high rate of interactions and the large number of read-out channels make the trigger system for ATLAS a challenging task. The initial bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz has to be reduced to about 200 Hz while preserving the physics signals against a large background. ATLAS uses a three level trigger system, with the first level implemented in custom hardware, while the high level trigger systems are implemented in software on commodity hardware. This note describes the physics motivation, the various selection strategies for different channel and the physical implementation of the trigger system. PACS: 25.70.Ef – 21.60.Gx – 27.30.+t
Metabolic Characterization of Mouse Bone Marrow Cells Responsive to Estrogenic Inhibition: Hexose Monophosphate Shunt Enzyme Activity in Enriched Populations of Mature Cells and Progenitor Cells

Compounds with estrogenic activity cause Initial toxic responses Inthe bone marrow characterized by hypocellularity and stem cell myelotoxicity. To elucidate the biochemical nature of these toxic responses, bone marrow cells were collected from mice treated with pharmacological doses of estrogenlc chemicals, separated Into enriched cell pop. ulatlons, and the enzymatic responses of the Individual cell types characterized. Female B6C3F1 mice were injected s.c. with five daily doses of 0.07-5.6 �moles diethylstilbeatrol (DES) or 17-S estradiol. At 4 days posttreatment body and organ weights were recorded and bone marrow was collected for enumeration and assay of stem cell proliferative responses and enzyme analyses. Treatment with higher dose levels of either eatrogenic chemical caused equivalent thymic atrophy, but DES resulted in greater liver and spleen hypertrophy than estradiol. Hexose monophosphate shunt dehydrogenase enzymes In unfractionated bone marrow cells were more sensitive to inhibitIon by lower estrogen doses than representative enzymes from glycolysis of the Kreb’s Cycle, and on an equlmolar basis were Inhibited to a greater extent by DES than by estradlol. Enzyme analyses afterdensity gradientcellseparationindicatedthat 70-80% of the hexose monophosphate shunt enzyme activity In bone marrow from untreated mice occurred in the enriched band of cells containing predominantly granulocyte-macrophages. The majority of the enzyme Inhibition Induced by DES treatment could also be ascribed to this cellular population. Furthermore, It was shown that DES had a greater Inhibitory effect on the proliferative capacity of the committed stem cells than on the multipotentlal stem cell population, and th. main response was again expressed in the enriched band of cells containing predominantly granulocyte-macrophage precuraora. Preliminary en� docrine ablation experiments indicated estrogen inhibitIon of hexose monophosphate shunt enzyme activity was independent of the adrenal and the ovary, but was mediated through the thymus at lower estrogen concentrations.
Character of the α - β phase transition in solid oxygen

Properties of the \ensuremath{\alpha} and \ensuremath{\beta} phases of solid ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ are calculated with a deformable-cell Monte Carlo method and the character of the associated phase transition is delineated. We find that the monoclinic \ensuremath{\alpha} phase is stable at temperatures T\ensuremath{\lesssim}18 K and in- and out-of-plane antiferromagnetic order is predicted that is in accord with experiment. The magnetic correlations appear to be long ranged. A phase transition into \ensuremath{\beta}-${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ occurs at T=17.75\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 K. It is first order with a calculated volume change \ensuremath{\Delta}V=0.06\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$/mole, and is accompanied by a magnetic transition into a highly dynamic quasihelical state with a correlation length ${l}_{c}$=8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 A\r{} at 18 K, that decreases rapidly with increasing temperature. The results indicate that ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ behaves as a two-dimensional magnetic system. The molecular axes exhibit temperature dependent, small angle libration about an axis normal to the basal plane and there is no evidence of precession in \ensuremath{\beta}-${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. There is also no evidence of magnetic reordering in the \ensuremath{\alpha} phase as a precursor to the transition.
Choosing Topics for Topic Sentences

This piece is about dates, witnesses, and cases and their frequent appearances in topic sentences.
LEARNING SIMILARITY FROM COLLABORATIVE FILTERS

Collaborative filtering methods (CF) exploit the wisdom of crowds to capture deeply structured similarities in musical objects, such as songs, artists or albums. When CF is available, it frequently outperforms content-based methods in recommendation tasks. However, songs in the so-called “long tail” cannot reap the benefits of collaborative filtering, and practitioners must rely on content-based methods. We propose a method for improving contentbased recommendation in the long tail by learning an optimized similarity function from a sample of collaborative filtering data. Our experimental results demonstrate substantial improvements in accuracy by learning optimal similarity functions.
Pulmonary Hypertension in the Intensive Care Unit

Pulmonary hypertension occurs as the result of disease processes increasing pressure within the pulmonary circulation, eventually leading to right ventricular failure. Patients may become critically ill from complications of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure or may develop pulmonary hypertension as the result of critical illness. Diagnostic testing should evaluate for common causes such as left heart failure, hypoxemic lung disease and pulmonary embolism. Relatively few patients with pulmonary hypertension encountered in clinical practice require specific pharmacologic treatment of pulmonary hypertension targeting the pulmonary vasculature. Management of right ventricular failure involves optimization of preload, maintenance of systemic blood pressure and augmentation of inotropy to restore systemic perfusion. Selected patients may require pharmacologic therapy to reduce right ventricular afterload by directly targeting the pulmonary vasculature, but only after excluding elevated left heart filling pressures and confirming increased pulmonary vascular resistance. Critically-ill patients with pulmonary hypertension remain at high risk of adverse outcomes, requiring a diligent and thoughtful approach to diagnosis and treatment.
Supporting Tobacco Cessation in the NICU

The project purpose was to decrease exposure of NICU graduates to second/thirdhand smoke upon discharge from the hospital. Parental smoking status is routinely ascertained on NICU admission, yet until this project no subsequent actions were taken. When confronted with the birth of an ill newborn, parents may be motivated to protect their infant through smoking cessation. The goal of this …
294 INTRA(IU) AND EXTRAUTERINE(EU) DEVELOPMENT OF RENAL URIC ACID CLEARANCE(CUA) IN HUMAN NEONATES

294 INTRA(IU) AND EXTRAUTERINE(EU) DEVELOPMENT OF RENAL URIC ACID CLEARANCE(CUA) IN HUMAN NEONATES
Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Atopic Disease in United States Children.

Objectives To determine if eczema, asthma, and hay fever are associated with vigorous physical activity, television/video game usage, and sports participation and if sleep disturbance modifies such associations. Study design Data were analyzed from 2 cross-sectional studies including 133 107 children age 6-17 years enrolled in the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 National Survey of Children's Health. Bivariate and multivariate survey logistic regression models were created to calculate the odds of atopic disease and atopic disease severity on vigorous physical activity, television/video game use, and sports participation. Results In multivariate logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic factors, lifetime history of asthma was associated with decreased odds of ≥1 days of vigorous physical activity (aOR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77-0.99) and decreased odds of sports participation (0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.99). Atopic disease accompanied by sleep disturbance had significantly higher odds of screen time and lower odds of sports participation compared with children with either atopic disease or sleep disturbance alone. Severe eczema (aOR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.19-0.78), asthma (aOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.14-0.61), and hay fever (aOR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.24-0.97) were all associated with decreased odds of ≥1 days of vigorous physical activity. Moderate (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.57-0.99) and severe eczema (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.28-0.73), severe asthma (aOR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25-0.89), and hay fever (aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36-0.61) were associated with decreased odds of sports participation in the past year. Conclusions Children with severe atopic disease, accompanied by sleep disturbance, have higher risk of sedentary behaviors.
A Multidimensional Study on Traffic Flow Characteristics of Expressways in Beijing

Based on the multi-days field data from the detectors on the expressways,after transforms detected occupancies to densities using the average vehicle length,this paper calibrates the basic traffic flow parameters on the typical sections of the 3rd expressways for different days,inner and outer ring-road sections,as well as each lane of the expressways using Van-Aerde single-regime model,and subsequently provides a multidimensional comparative analysis to the traffic flow characteristics.The conclusions from this research will provide a theoretical foundation and data support to the operations,managements,planning and the design of expressways in Beijing.
Clinical, microscopic and microbial characterization of exfoliative superficial pyoderma‐associated epidermal collarettes in dogs

Background The microscopic and microbial features of the spreading epidermal collarettes of canine exfoliative superficial pyodermas are poorly characterized. Objectives To characterize the clinical, cytological, microbial and histopathological features of epidermal collarettes in five dogs. Results Cytology from the margins of collarettes identified neutrophils, extracellular and intracellular cocci within neutrophils but no acantholytic keratinocytes. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses identified all bacterial isolates from the centre and margin of five epidermal collarettes as Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. PCRs of collarette-associated Staphylococcus strains did not amplify genes encoding for the known exfoliative toxins expA and expB, whereas the predicted siet and speta amplification products were detected in all isolates. Microscopically, epidermal collarettes consisted of interfollicular, epidermal spongiotic pustules. Advancing edges of lesions consisted of peripheral intracorneal clefts in the deep stratum disjunctum above an intact stratum compactum; they contained lytic neutrophil debris, bacterial cocci and fluid, but no acantholytic keratinocytes. This intracorneal location of bacteria was confirmed using Gram stains and fluorescent in situ hybridization with eubacterial- and Staphylococcus-specific probes. The indirect immunofluorescence staining patterns of desmoglein-1, desmocollin-1, claudin-1, E-cadherin and corneodesmosin were discontinuous and patchy in areas of spongiotic pustules, whereas only that of corneodesmosin was weaker and patchy in advancing collarette edges. Conclusion Epidermal collarettes represent unique clinical and histological lesions of exfoliative superficial pyodermas that are distinct from those of impetigo and superficial bacterial folliculitis. The characterization of possible causative staphylococcal exfoliatin proteases and the role of corneodesmosin in collarette pathogenesis deserve further investigation.
Faraday in the Fab: A Look at Copper Plating Equipment for On-Chip Wiring

It has been interesting to watch the growth and development of copper interconnects on silicon chips in the seven years that have passed since IBM announced that it would use electrodeposited copper for the wiring structure of its 0.25-micrometer CMOS7 microprocessor.
Effect of surface roughness and stainless steel finish on Listeria monocytogenes attachment and biofilm formation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface roughness (Ra) and finish of mechanically polished stainless steel (Ra = 0.26 +/- 0.05, 0.49 +/- 0.10, and 0.69 +/- 0.05 microm) and electropolished stainless steel (Ra = 0.16 +/- 0.06, 0.40 +/- 0.003, and 0.67 +/- 0.02 microm) on Listeria adhesion and biofilm formation. A four-strain cocktail of Listeria monocytogenes was used. Each strain (0.1%) was added to 200 ml of tryptic soy broth (TSB), and coupons were inserted to the mixture for 5 min. For biofilm formation, coupons with adhesive cells were incubated in 1:20 diluted TSB at 32 degrees C for 48 h. The experiment was performed by a randomized block design. Our results show that the level of Listeria present after 48 h of incubation (mean = 7 log CFU/cm2) was significantly higher than after 5 min (mean = 6.0 log CFU/cm2) (P 0.05). Listeria initial adhesion (values ranged from 5.9 to 6.1 log CFU/cm2) or biofilm formation (values ranged from 6.9 to 7.2 log CFU/cm2) was not significantly correlated with Ra values (P > 0.05). Image analysis with an atomic force microscope showed that bacteria did not colonize the complete surface after 48 h but were individual cells or grouped in microcolonies that ranged from 5 to 10 microm in diameter and one to three cell layers in thickness. Exopolymeric substances were observed to be associated with the colonies. According to our results, electropolishing stainless steel does not pose a significant advantage for food sanitation over mechanically finished stainless steel.
"Orbiting the Core": Politics and the Meaning of Dialect in Chinese Linguistics, 1927–1957

In 1956, the Chinese Communist state launched its official language policy, which included the promulgation of a standard spoken language, called Putonghua. Their justification for this policy and their methods for implementation were guided by intellectual and ideological frameworks that formed during decades preceding the policy's rollout. In particular, Communist language reform was predicated on the conceptualization of Putonghua as a holistic language meant to serve the national body—and of local dialects, called fangyan in Chinese, as dependent on Putonghua for their very definition. This article interrogates the history of this framework. Focusing on dialect surveys from the 1930s, Chinese interpretations of Marxist linguistic theory in the early years of the Communist state, and methods of Putonghua promulgation in the late 1950s, this article reconstructs the epistemological regimes that gave meaning to the concept of independence and autonomy as they related to language in modern China.
Movement Disorders Induced by Antiepileptic Drugs

The prevalence and risk factors for the development of movement disorders, mainly parkinsonism and postural tremor, were analyzed in 201 adults (>18 years, mean 40 years) treated with valproate and newer antiepileptic drugs (AED) at the Epilepsy Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
Local Tournament Incentives and Firm Risk

I study the effect of local tournament incentives for CEOs on firm performance and firm risk. I document that local tournament incentives positively affect both firm performance and risk taking. My empirical tests use staggered state-level variation in both non-compete enforceability and the inevitable disclosure doctrine (IDD) to identify shocks to local labor mobility, thereby exogenously affecting the probability of a CEO winning a local tournament. The effect is stronger among firms that are ex ante more likely to be affected by local tournaments. Further, firms spend less on R&D expenditures, reduce earnings management, and have a lower cost of equity capital following an exogenous decrease in tournament incentives. My results are robust to various controls and alternative measures of local tournament incentives. Overall, the findings support the hypothesis that rank-order tournaments affect local executive labor markets.
Production of botulinum toxin in inoculated pack studies of foil-wrapped baked potatoes.

Idaho Russet Burbank potatoes were surface or stab inoculated with 10 to 105 spores of Clostridium botulinum type A strain, overwrapped in aluminum foil, baked at 204 C for 50 min or 96 C for 3 h and then held at 22 or 30 C. The shortest incubations resulting in the first botulinogenic potatoes were inversely related to spore doses and ranged from 3 to 7 days; potatoes inoculated with 10 spores were toxic after 5 to 7 days. Total toxin in individual potatoes incubated 3 to 5 days were 5 × 103 to 5 × 105 mouse mean lethal doses. Toxin was not found at distances greater than 1.6 cm from the spore inoculation site. Results indicate that left-over, foil-wrapped, baked potatoes are a perishable food that must be refrigerated.
Sexuality and the Demented Patient

The older adult has not generally been presented by the media as sexually driven or as sexually active, except as a joke. Sexual activity, when displayed by older adults on television or movies, is often limited to hugs or kisses, a relatively dilute depiction when compared to some of the passionate, fleshrevealing glimpses seen in movies portraying younger populations in sexual encounters. When references are made to older adult sexual activity in television or movies, they are typically accompanied by a wink or guffaw. With this restrictive attitude toward older adults' sexuality, one must question whether sexual feelings or activities are likely to be topics that are seriously considered or even mentioned by the caretakers of the geriatric population, particularly caretakers of demented patients. The management of sexuality in this population, including consensual sexual activity as well as forced sexual encounters, are topics which merit attention and should be addressed by the facility and for individual patients in their care plans, in accordance with OBRA regulations.
Novel Strategies to Reduce Femoropopliteal Restenosis: Low-Dose Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons and Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons Plus Stenting.

Articles, see p 2218 and p 2227 Peripheral artery disease affects >200 million individuals worldwide, and those with exertional leg discomfort, rest pain, and tissue or limb loss have significantly impaired functional status and quality of life. Despite their lower associated risk of repeat revascularization, open surgical procedures have been largely supplanted by endovascular intervention for symptomatic peripheral artery disease given the lower associated morbidity and mortality.1 Although standalone plain-old percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was previously the standard endovascular strategy for these patients, high procedural failure and restenosis rates led to the development of new therapeutic technologies.2 Stent implantation improved procedural success,3 and a recent meta-analysis of randomized trials suggests that bare metal stenting (BMS) results in half as much restenosis as PTA. Nevertheless, restenosis after femoropopliteal BMS occurs in up to 37% of patients within 12 months,4 and observational data suggest that by 5 years, primary patency rates are roughly equivalent (41±4% for BMS versus 36±3% for PTA; P =0.31).5 Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) were developed as means to further reduce restenosis rates.6 Currently available DCBs carry the antiproliferative agent paclitaxel, which stabilizes microtubules, preventing mitotic spindle formation and ultimately resulting in reduced neointimal hyperplasia. Paclitaxel doses range from 2 to 3.5 μg/mm2 of balloon surface area, and carrier molecules (“excipients”) facilitate drug delivery to the vessel wall. LEVANT 2 (Lutonix Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon for the Prevention of Femoropopliteal Restenosis 2) demonstrated that in patients with intermittent claudication or rest pain due to femoropopliteal disease, a low-dose paclitaxel (2 μg/mm2) DCB with polysorbate/sorbitol excipient (Lutonix, Bard, Tempe, AZ) was superior to PTA for primary patency (65.2% versus 52.6%; P =0.02), equivalent to PTA for clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR; 12.3% versus16.8%; P =0.21), and noninferior to PTA on its primary safety end …
Bank Liabilities are on the Rise Due to Increasing Individual Deposits

Growth of non-cash monies has been sustained in the main by that of individual ruble-denominated bank deposits. The deposits and monies kept on their bank accounts by organizations have been growing at a slower pace, thus corresponding to the movement of their turnover in nominal terms. At the same time, the relative share of term deposits in the total amount of organizations’ funds held in the banking system has been shrinking. This may be a sign of reviving interest in investing in real production.
Reduced Sleep During Social Isolation Leads to Cellular Stress and Induction of the Unfolded Protein Response.

Study objectives Social isolation has a multitude of negative consequences on human health including the ability to endure challenges to the immune system, sleep amount and efficiency, and general morbidity and mortality. These adverse health outcomes are conserved in other social species. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, social isolation leads to increased aggression, impaired memory, and reduced amounts of daytime sleep. There is a correlation between molecules affected by social isolation and those implicated in sleep in Drosophila. We previously demonstrated that acute sleep loss in flies and mice induced the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive signaling pathway. One mechanism indicating UPR upregulation is elevated levels of the endoplasmic reticular chaperone BiP/GRP78. We previously showed that BiP overexpression in Drosophila led to increased sleep rebound. Increased rebound sleep has also been demonstrated in socially isolated (SI) flies. Methods D. melanogaster were used to study the effect of social isolation on cellular stress. Results SI flies displayed an increase in UPR markers; there were higher BiP levels, increased phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α, and increased splicing of xbp1. These are all indicators of UPR activation. In addition, the effects of isolation on the UPR were reversible; pharmacologically and genetically altering sleep in the flies modulated the UPR. Conclusions The reduction in sleep observed in SI flies is a cellular stressor that results in UPR induction.
Osmotic Control of Aldosterone Secretion

Aldosterone, a mineralocorticoid hormone synthesized from cholesterol by a series of enzymatic reactions within the glomerulosa cells of the adrenal cortex, is involved in the maintenance of both sodium and potassium balance. Aldosterone acts on a variety of tissues, such as distal nephrons, salivary glands, sweat glands, and parts of the intestinal tract to alter sodium and potassium transport. We will make no attempt to detail the processes involved in how aldosterone effects sodium and potassium transport since several of the accompanying papers address this important and interesting issue. However, the consequences of the action of aldosterone are to stimulate sodium conservation and to increase the rate at which potassium is excreted from the body. Being able to regulate the concentration of aldosterone in the blood is critical for the regulation of both sodium and potassium balance.
Melting curves of the potassium halides at high pressures

Abstract The melting curves of the potassium halides have been determined to 41 kbars. The present curve for KCl is in good agreement with Clark's curve to 23 kbars. The pressures of the triple points between the low- and high-pressure solid phases and liquid for KCl, KBr and KI agree within experimental error with the values to be expected by extrapolation of earlier work at lower temperatures.
Ultraclean Layers and Optically Thin Clouds in the Stratocumulus-to-Cumulus Transition. Part II: Depletion of Cloud Droplets and Cloud Condensation Nuclei through Collision-Coalescence

AbstractIn part I, aircraft observations are used to show that ultraclean layers (UCLs) in the marine boundary layer (MBL) are a common feature of the stratocumulus to cumulus transition (SCT) region over the NE Pacific. The ultraclean layers are defined as layers of either cloud or clear air in which the concentration of particles with diameter larger than 0.1 μm is below 10 cm-3. Here, idealized microphysical parcel modeling shows that in the cumulus regime, collision-coalescence can strongly deplete cloud droplet concentration in Cu updrafts thereby removing cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) from the atmosphere, suggesting that collision-scavenging is likely the key process causing the low particle concentration in UCLs. Furthermore, the model results suggest that the stratocumulus regime is typically not favorable for UCLs formation, because condensate amounts are generally not large enough to deplete drops in the time it takes to loft air to the upper PBL. A bulk parameterization of the coalescence-sca...
Methodology: From Paradigms to Paradox

This chapter conceptualises as paradoxes ten common challenges to the ethnographer. These include the apparent impossibility of internalising an ‘exotic’ culture while simultaneously maintaining professional distance as well as the expectation for ethnographers to concurrently convey to their subjects both empathy and honesty. Although similar concerns have been extensively debated under the rubric of ethics, this is not the intention for this discussion. Rather, the emphasis here is on both justifying and bolstering the quality and reliability of ethnographic data. To this end, it is argued that paradox must be celebrated rather than concealed or maligned since it is, for the most part, representative of social interaction itself.
Augmenting Total Body Irradiation with a Cranial Boost before Stem Cell Transplantation Protects Against Post-Transplant Central Nervous System Relapse in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a pretransplant cranial boost (CB) on post-transplant central nervous system (CNS) relapse and survival in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using a total body irradiation (TBI)-containing preparation regimen. Two hundred thirteen ALL patients were treated consecutively at our institution with allogeneic HSCT. Conditioning included TBI (1320 cGy in 8 fractions given twice daily) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg) with or without fludarabine (75 mg/m2). Patients were divided into 4 groups based on history of CNS disease and whether a CB was given. Of the 160 patients with no history of CNS disease, none received a CB (CNS−/CB−). Of the 53 patients with prior CNS disease, 41 had not received prior cranial irradiation. Thirty of these 41 received a CB of 900 to 1000 cGy in 5 daily fractions (CNS+/CB+), whereas the other 11 did not receive a CB because of physician preference (CNS+/CB−). The remaining 12 patients with prior CNS involvement had previously received cranial irradiation and thus were not candidates for a CB (CNS + PriorRT). Two-year CNS relapse risk, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Seven patients experienced post-transplant CNS relapse: 4 in the CNS−/CB− group, 2 in the CNS+/CB− group, and 1 in the CNS + PriorRT group. None of the 30 patients who received a CB relapsed in the CNS. Two-year CNS relapse risk was 0% in the CNS+/CB+ group compared with 21% (95% CI, 0% to 45%) in the CNS+/CB− group (P = .03). Two-year OS and DFS did not differ between the groups. In conclusion, among ALL patients with prior CNS leukemia, there was a trend toward a reduced risk of post-transplant CNS relapse in patients who received a CB. However, the addition of a CB did not appear to have an impact on OS or DFS.