cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Riveted and Bolted Joints: Truss-Type Tensile Connections

Tests were performed to provide information on the general behavior to ultimate strength of large truss-type riveted and bolted steel connections, composed of plates and rolled shapes. The variables of the test program included specimen configuration, method of hole preparation, and type and size of fasteners. The comparative behavior of the specimen is presented together with typical data. A comparison of predicted and actual efficiencies is made and recommendations are given for the design of truss-type members. Consideration is also given to the effective net width of gusset plates.
Expression of GM-CSF in T cells is increased in multiple sclerosis and is suppressed by IFN-β therapy (BA11P.136)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Studies in animal models of MS have shown that granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) produced by T cells is necessary for development of autoimmune CNS inflammation. This suggests that GM-CSF may have a pathogenic role in MS as well. The objective of this study was to characterize GM-CSF production by T cells of MS patients, and to determine the effect of interferon-beta (IFN-β) therapy on its production. GM-CSF production by peripheral blood (PB) T cells and the effects of IFN-β were characterized in samples of untreated and IFN-β-treated MS patients vs. healthy subjects. GM-CSF production by T cells in MS brain lesions was analyzed by immunofluorescence. Untreated MS patients had significantly greater numbers of GM-CSF + CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in PB compared to healthy controls and IFN-β-treated MS patients. IFN-β strongly suppressed GM-CSF production by T cells in vitro . A number of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in MS brain lesions expressed GM-CSF. Elevated GM-CSF production by PB T cells in MS is indicative of aberrant hyperactivity of the immune system. Given its essential role in animal models, abundant GM-CSF production at the sites of CNS inflammation suggests that GM-CSF contributes to MS pathogenesis. Our findings also reveal a potential mechanism of IFN-β therapy, namely suppression of GM-CSF production.
Controllable colloidal synthesis of anisotropic tin dichalcogenide nanocrystals for thin film thermoelectrics

Tin chalcogenides have shown promise in applications including energy storage, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and thermoelectrics. Here, we present a colloidal synthesis strategy to produce tin dichalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) with controllable stoichiometry, vacancies, shape, and crystal structure. Compared with previously reported methods, we use less expensive precursors, such as tin(iv) chloride and sulfur or selenium powder, to produce tin(iv) chalcogenide NCs. SnS2 and SnSe2 NCs with novel NC morphologies including SnS2 nanoflowers/nanoflakes, SnSe2 nanosheets with circular and hexagonal shapes, as well as mixtures of nanospheres and nanoflakes were prepared by varying the solvents and anion precursors. We were also able to reduce tin(iv) to tin(ii) to produce tin(ii) chalcogenide NCs. The corresponding thin films were prepared by spin-coating, followed by post-treatment to study their thermoelectric properties. Room temperature Seebeck coefficients of -150 μV K-1 and -126 μV K-1 were measured for SnS2 and SnSe2 films, demonstrating their promise as thin film thermoelectric materials.
Translating genetic and preclinical findings into autism therapies

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits and repetitive/restrictive interests. ASD is associated with multiple comorbidities, including intellectual disability, anxiety, and epilepsy. Evidence that ASD is highly heritable has spurred major efforts to unravel its genetics, revealing possible contributions from hundreds of genes through rare and common variation and through copy-number changes. In this perspective, we provide an overview of the current state of ASD genetics and of how genetic research has spurred the development of in vivo and in vitro models using animals and patient cells to evaluate the impact of genetic mutations on cellular function leading to disease. Efforts to translate these findings into successful therapies have yet to bear fruit. We discuss how the valuable insight into the disorder provided by these new models can be used to better understand ASD and develop future clinical trials.
Cognitive Therapy for Shyness and Social Anxiety

In a review of the recent literature, Pilkonis (1984) reported that 15% to 20% of the general adult population may experience distressing social anxiety. Shyness has been linked with depression, occupational difficulty, sexual dysfunction, and assertiveness deficits (Zimbardo, 1977). Thus, it is clear that shyness and social anxiety are important and clinically relevant problems.
Bilateral Asymmetry of Long Arm Bones and Jugular Foramen: Implications for Handedness

The analysis of asymmetry of the arm long bones and of the cranial jugular foramen has been used to suggest handedness in humans. However, because of the unavailability of documented skeletal material, neither criterion has been systematically tested. If both criteria are associated with handedness, they should also be intercorrelated within individuals. Data were collected from skeletal material of 125 males and 57 females to test whether this intercorrelation exists. According to Chi-square analysis, no statistically significant association was identified. After examining several hypotheses, it was concluded that until further substantiation, neither criterion is related to handedness to a degree appropriate for forensic science identification from skeletal remains.
Hematopoiesis in HIV infection: use of colony stimulating factors and cytokines.

HIV infection is frequently accompanied by defects in hematopoiesis, particularly in those who have advanced HIV disease. There are multiple potential causes, including disorders that occur secondary to the HIV infection (e.g., infection, bone marrow infiltration by lymphoma), its treatment (e.g., sulfa, zidovudine), or primary infection of hematopoietic cells or stromal cells. Even those HIV-infected patients who have apparently normal hematopoiesis and normal blood counts are more prone to the myelosuppressive effects of cytotoxic therapy or other hematosuppressive medications. This chapter will discuss the potential causes of abnormal hematopoiesis that occurs in HIV infection, and the role of colony stimulating factors (CSFs) and cytokines in their management.
Better temperature control of Newmont’s roasters increased gold recovery

Newmont Mining Corp. has been processing refractory gold ores by roasting since January 1995. The ores are refractory due to the association of the gold with iron sulfides, namely, pyrite and marcasite, and due to the presence of carbonaceous components. The ore is oxidized in an oxygen-enriched gaseous atmosphere. The structural characteristics of the calcine have a strong influence on the eventual recovery of gold by cyanidation. These characteristics are strongly dependent on the roasting conditions, mainly the roasting temperature. Originally, the sulfides and carbonaceous matter were oxidized at temperatures typically ranging from 535° to 560°C. Controlling the roasting temperature within the lower and narrower range of 510° to 515°C produced a calcine with a larger surface area (e. g., a higher porosity), which resulted in a gold recovery increase of 3.3% in 2001. This increase is equivalent to $5.1 million in additional gross revenue. The new strategies of operating at temperatures never tested before are discussed. It was a great challenge to the control-room operators because the lower operating temperature falls much closer to the ignition temperature of the sulfide ore, and smaller and more frequent adjustments in operating parameters were needed to improve and maintain high gold recoveries. Based on the encouraging results achieved in 2001, a decision was made to install a "smart " process-control system because the roaster temperature control was performed by manual inputs from the control-room operators. The development and implementation of the control system to reduce or eliminate the temperature variability between the different control-room operators commenced in June 2002, and it was fully operational by the end of October 2002. Lower roaster temperatures were achieved (500° to 505°C), which resulted in a further increase of gold recovery by about 2%. The overall recovery increase equated to $8.0 million in additional revenue for the first 10 months of 2002.
Uneven Social Policies : The Politics of Subnational Variation in Latin America

Social policies can transform the lives of the poor and marginalized, yet inequitable implementation often limits their access. Uneven Social Policies shifts the focus of welfare state analysis away from policy design and toward policy implementation. By examining variation in political motivations, state capacity, and policy legacies, it explains why some policies are implemented more effectively than others, why some deliver votes to incumbent governments while others do not, and why regionally elected executives block the implementation of some but not all national policies. Niedzwiecki explores this variation across provinces and municipalities by combining case studies with statistical analysis of conditional cash transfers and health policies in two decentralized countries, Argentina and Brazil. The analysis draws on original data gathered during fifteen months of field research that included more than 230 interviews with politicians and 140 with policy recipients.
Becoming Guido: Identifying a Youth Subculture

This chapter locates the collective turn to American popular culture in an ethnic space, a second front that makes Guido a subculture. The turn to disco in the 1970s occurred among youth inside large and dense Italian American communities in the city, specifically outer borough areas like Bensonhurst which was replenished by post-1945 immigration; a critical agency is accorded to a “new second generation” possessing a “thicker” Italian ethnicity, throwing an Italian American identity into greater relief in a segmented and stratified youth style market. Guido announces a new Italian American performance in the city as a leisure/consumption activity, a hybrid or remix youth culture (Hebdige 1979; Maira 2002) characterized by the “blending of traditional cultural forms into new youth-based styles and practices” Bucholtz (2002: 544). The identity symbol transacts a contested identity inside as well as across the ethnic boundary.
Introduction: Quine’s Immanuel Kant Lectures

These introductory remarks provide an overview of the project Quine develops in his Kant lectures. Much of the lectures are aimed at locating mentalistic discourse within a scientific, physicalist framework, where this forms part of a scientific, if abstract, explanation of how we come to know the external world and other minds without an appeal to mental entities or other sensibilia. I further attempt to illuminate Quine’s physicalist rendering of perception through a comparison with Austin’s ordinary language approach to perception. I conclude with a brief description of the essays found in section II.
Geography of spin symplectic four-manifolds with abelian fundamental group

We study the geography and botany of symplectic spin four-manifolds with abelian fundamental group. By building on the constructions of J. Park and of B. D. Park and Szabo, we can give alternative proofs and extend several results on the geography of simply connected four-manifolds to the nonsimply connected realm.
The J-dependent rotational Hamiltonian method for analyzing rovibrational spectra: Application to HO2, H2O, and O3

Abstract A J-dependent rotational Hamiltonian method is presented for analyzing rovibrational spectra. The method is designed to: assign/verify ( J , K a , K c ) and v quantum numbers to rovibrational energy levels; fit flexible rotor rotational constants to experimental/theoretical rovibrational energy level data; interpolate/extrapolate missing energy level data; assess the quality/consistency of the rovibrational data. The method resembles the standard “effective Hamiltonian” approach (Watson, 1967, 1968) except that the rotational constants themselves depend on J, which provides a number of advantages. The method is applied here to three molecules: HO2, O3, and H2O.
Hiatal Hernia after Esophagectomy: An Underappreciated Complication?

Background The natural history of hiatal herniation of small and/or large bowel post-esophagectomy (HHBPE) in the current era of improving long-term survival and evolving surgical technique is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the rate and risk factors of HHBPE at our hospital. Methods Patients undergoing esophagectomy between January 2011 and June 2017 were included if both follow-up information and axial imaging were available beyond 3 months post-esophagectomy. Patient characteristics, disease information, and treatment factors were all included in univariate analysis comparing patients with and without HHBPE, and multivariate regression was used to identify significant independent risk factors associated with HHBPE. Results Of 310 esophagectomy patients analyzed, 258 patients were included in the study, with 79 patients (31%) showing evidence of an HHBPE and an overall median follow-up of 24 months; 44 of 79 patients (56%) had symptoms possibly referable to HHBPE and 17 of 79 patients (22%) underwent surgical repair. On univariate analysis, neoadjuvant therapy (n = 176), higher clinical stage, minimally invasive approach (n = 154), and transhiatal esophagectomy (n = 189) were significant predictors of HHBPE (p Conclusions HHBPE in the current era of neoadjuvant therapy and minimally invasive esophagectomy is common. HHBPE can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, but operation to repair HHBPE is uncommon on intermediate follow-up. Additional study and long-term follow-up are required to fully assess the impact of HHBPE and to potentially modify surgical practice to prevent or minimize HHBPE.
Demonstration of Sputtering Atomic Layer Augmented Deposition: Aluminum Oxide-Copper Dielectric-Metal Nanocomposite Thin Films

Designing a thin-film structure often begins with choosing a film deposition method that employs a specific process by which chemical species are formed and transported; in other words, a film deposition system in which two deposition methods are hybridized should lead to new ways of designing thin-film structures. This premise inspires us to combine atomic layer deposition (ALD) and magnetron sputtering (SPU) within a single chamber-supttering atomic layer augmented deposition (SALAD). SALAD takes full advantage of both ALD's precise and accurate precursor delivery and SPU's versatility in choosing chemical elements. A SALAD system is designed based on knowledge obtained from computational fluid dynamics with the goal of conceiving a film deposition system that satisfies deposition conditions distinctive for both ALD and SPU. As a demonstration, the SALAD system is utilized to deposit a unique nanocomposite made of aluminum oxide (Alox) thin films by ALD and copper (Cu) thin films by SPU-AlOx-Cu nanocomposite thin films. Spectroscopic reflectivity collected on AlOx-Cu nanocomposite thin films shows unique dispersion features to which conventional effective medium theories used for describing optical properties of composites made of a dielectric host that contains metallic inclusions do not seem to simply apply.
New families of highly neighborly centrally symmetric spheres

In 1995, Josckusch constructed an infinite family of centrally symmetric (cs, for short) triangulations of $3$-spheres that are cs-$2$-neighborly. Recently, Novik and Zheng extended Jockusch's construction: for all $d$ and $n>d$, they constructed a cs triangulation of a $d$-sphere with $2n$ vertices, $\Delta^d_n$, that is cs-$\lceil d/2\rceil$-neighborly. Here, several new cs constructions are provided. It is shown that for all $k>2$ and a sufficiently large $n$, there is another cs triangulation of a $(2k-1)$-sphere with $2n$ vertices that is cs-$k$-neighborly, while for $k=2$ there are $\Omega(2^n)$ such pairwise non-isomorphic triangulations. It is also shown that for all $k>2$ and a sufficiently large $n$, there are $\Omega(2^n)$ pairwise non-isomorphic cs triangulations of a $(2k-1)$-sphere with $2n$ vertices that are cs-$(k-1)$-neighborly. The constructions are based on studying facets of $\Delta^d_n$, and, in particular, on some necessary and some sufficient conditions similar in spirit to Gale's evenness condition. Along the way, it is proved that Jockusch's spheres $\Delta^3_n$ are shellable and an affirmative answer to Murai-Nevo's question about $2$-stacked shellable balls is given.
Expanding the Beltway: Developing a Washington Resource Center

“Inside the Beltway” is the phrase most often used by observers of national politics to capital area. Apparently, according to critics, the only people who really follow or care about the “inside baseball” of Washington intrigue are the people who live within the 257 sq. miles of roadway. The rest of the country is either unconcerned or unaware, since a) the Washington Post is not available for home delivery in their area, b) they are not invited to Georgetown cocktail parties or intimate Chevy Chase dinners, c) they aren't in contact with the 40,000 plus lawyers in D.C. or d) all of the above.Despite the difficulty of following Washington politics on a daily basis, it is something that cannot be totally avoided.
Survey on infection of HPV and HIV among men who have sex with men in Beijing

Objective To analyze the infection rate of HPV and HIV, and the related high-riskfactors f MSM group in Beijing. Methods An anonymous investigation wes applied face to face and their blood was brought to take the HIV and HPV DNA test. Results: The infection rate of HIV and HPV among the 283 MSM men was 10. 25% and 70. 67% respectively. According to the different HPV infection, the population was divided into four groups: "negative", "low-risk positive", "high-risk positive" and "low and high-risk mixed positive" ,x2 test was taken and the results showed that HIV infection rates were different with the different HPV infection situation(P = 0. 008) and the number of HPV genotype(P = 0. 007). Having fixed sex partner was risk factors of HIV infection. Conclusion The result reflected high prevalence of HIV and HPV infection. It is an urgent and tough task to conduct the pertinent intervention among MSM in Beijing. Key words: MSM; HIV; HPV; infection rate
His and Her Earnings Following Parenthood in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom:

This article advances a couple-level framework to examine how parenthood shapes within-family gender inequality by education in three countries that vary in their normative and policy context: the ...
Plasmonic scattering imaging of single proteins and binding kinetics

Measuring the binding kinetics of single proteins represents one of the most important and challenging tasks in protein analysis. Here we show that this is possible using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) scattering technique. SPR is a popular label-free detection technology because of its extraordinary sensitivity, but it has never been used for imaging single proteins. We overcome this limitation by imaging scattering of surface plasmonic waves by proteins. This allows us to image single proteins, measure their sizes and identify them based on their specific binding to antibodies. We further show that it is possible to quantify protein binding kinetics by counting the binding of individual molecules, providing a digital method to measure binding kinetics and analyze heterogeneity of protein behavior. We anticipate that this imaging method will become an important tool for single protein analysis, especially for low volume samples, such as single cells. Plasmonic scattering microscopy (PSM) enables the imaging of single proteins on SPR instruments. The method enables measurement of protein size and binding kinetics and is fully compatible with simultaneous traditional SPR measurements.
Magnetic, transport and thermal properties of δ-phase UZr2

Polycrystals of hexagonal δ-phase UZr 2 have been synthesised and studied by means of heat capacity, magnetic susceptibility, magnetisation, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, thermoelectri...
Double-Zero-Index Structural Phononic Waveguides

The recent development of double-zero-index metamaterials (with both $ϵ$ and $\ensuremath{\mu}$ $\ensuremath{\approx}0$) in photonics and acoustics has enabled exotic effects in wave manipulation, including tunneling, squeezing, and cloaking. This study presents the design, fabrication, and testing of an elastic waveguide with double-zero-index properties. This single-material design, featuring tapered locally resonant unit cells, is extremely simple to fabricate. With Dirac-like dispersion structures at the center of the Brillouin zone at the heart of its physics, this waveguide offers a means to control the flow of mechanical energy, such as vibrations and noise, in lightweight mechanical systems.
Differences in childhood adversity, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt among veterans and nonveterans.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are robustly associated with physical and mental health problems over the life span. Relatively limited research has examined the breadth of ACEs among military veteran populations, for whom ACEs may be premilitary traumas associated with suicidal ideation and attempt. Using data from the Comparative Health Assessment Interview Research Study, a large national survey sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, this investigation examined the prevalence of 22 self-reported potentially traumatic experiences before the age of 18 (i.e., ACEs) among veterans and nonveterans and estimated the association of ACEs with suicidal ideation and attempt at age 18 or older. All analyses were weighted to account for complex sampling design and stratified by gender. The study sample included 9,571 veteran men, 3,143 nonveteran men, 5,543 veteran women, and 1,364 nonveteran women. Veteran men reported greater average frequency of ACEs than nonveteran men (2.7 ACEs vs. 2.3 ACEs, respectively, p 6 ACEs compared with 7.3% of nonveteran men (p 6 ACEs (14.9% vs. 8.6%, respectively, p 6 ACEs (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 4.20, 95%CI = 2.72-6.49); for veteran women, the strongest correlate was suicidal ideation or attempt before age 18 (aOR = 5.37, 95%CI = 4.11-7.03). Suicide prevention research, policy, and practice should address ACEs among veterans as salient premilitary risk factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Tracking changing water budgets across the Bahamian archipelago

Abstract Freshwater resources on small island nations are already at risk from sea level rise and groundwater pumping however, increasing aridity due to climate change further stresses water availability. The amount of freshwater availability on small island nations is delicately balanced by incoming precipitation (P) and outgoing evapotranspiration (ET). As climate changes, some island nations may see increasing aridity (ET > P) which can have implications for long term freshwater sustainability. Understanding how P and ET are changing allows small island nations to make more informed planning decisions regarding sustainable management and to adapt contemporary strategies to accommodate future change. The Bahamas is one such nation made up of over 700 small islands, many of which rely on freshwater lenses for potable water and irrigation. We use precipitation obtained from the TerraClimate reanalysis dataset and satellite derived actual evapotranspiration (ETa) to analyze how seasonal and yearly water budgets have changed over the last 16 years. We show that ETa is increasing across the Bahamas at a higher rate than global averages. The cause of ETa increases is driven by both increases in temperature and water availability form shifting precipitation patterns, ultimately driving decreases in the amount of available water to recharge the freshwater lens.
Collision-Induced Dipoles and Polarizabilities for S State Atoms or Diatomic Molecules

Collision-induced dipoles and polarizabilities of molecules at long range depend on dipole and higher-multipole induction, nonuniformities in the local electric field, hyperpolarization, and dispersion. Contributions from these mechanisms are compared through order R-7 for collisional dipoles, and order R-6 for polarizabilities, with a summary of numerical values for pairs containing H, He, Ne, Ar, H2 and N2. An approach based on nonlocal response represents finite-size effects and characterizes overlap damping of the long-range polarization mechanisms. This approach also provides a proof of Feynman’s conjecture about dispersion forces for atoms in S states, and its generalization to molecules of arbitrary symmetry.
Stochastic fluctuations in gene expression in aging hippocampal neurons could be exacerbated by traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for age-related dementia and development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease that are associated with cognitive decline. The exact mechanism for this risk is unknown but we hypothesized that TBI is exacerbating age-related changes in gene expression. Here, we present evidence in an animal model that experimental TBI increases age-related stochastic gene expression. We compared the variability in expression of several genes associated with cell survival or death, among three groups of laser capture microdissected hippocampal neurons from aging rat brains. TBI increased stochastic fluctuations in gene expression in both dying and surviving neurons compared to the naive neurons. Increases in random, stochastic fluctuations in prosurvival or prodeath gene expression could potentially alter cell survival or cell death pathways in aging neurons after TBI which may lead to age-related cognitive decline.
Analysis of the Promoter for the Pseudomonas Putida catBC Operon

Pseudomonas putida is capable of dissimilating benzoate to succinate and acetyl Co-A via the β-ketoadipate pathway. Two of the essential enzymes involved in this process are muconate lactonizing enzyme I, which catalyzes the conversion of cis, cis-muconate to muconolactone, and muconolactone isomerase, which catalyzes the conversion of muconolactone to β-ketoadipate enol-lactone. These enzymes are encoded by the catB and catC genes, respectively. These tightly linked genes have been cloned from the chromosome of P. putida strain RB1 and their nucleotide sequences determined. Based upon the observation that a single mutation will affect the expression of both genes, catB and catC are believed to comprise an operon. Through the use of deletion clones and a promoter probe vector, a single promoter region has been located 5′ of catBC. Sequences located between -44 and -198 were determined to be essential for promoter activity. S1 nuclease and reverse transcriptase mapping were used to locate the transcription initiation site 63 base pairs upstream of the catB ATG initiation codon. Transcripts originating from this site were found only in RNA prepared from benzoate-grown cells. The nucleotide sequence of the catBC promoter was compared to the sequences of other prokaryotic promoters; however, a consensus sequence was not apparent. These results indicate that the catB and catC genes form an inducible operon which is regulated at the tr an scrip tional level and that nucleotide sequences upstream of −44 are required for promoter activity.
State Authority and Market Power

The Retreat of the State: The Diffusion of Power in the World Economy By Susan Strange Who Elected the Bankers? Surveillance and Control in the World Economy By Louis W. Pauly
Hapten-specific T-cell response to azobenzenearsonate-N-acetyl-L-tyrosine in the lewis rat: IV. Rat dendritic cells present soluble and insoluble azobenzenearsonate conjugates to T cells

We have used a fractionation procedure involving bovine serum albumin gradient floatation, adherence to glass, and rosetting with antibody-coated sheep erythrocytes to purify an accessory cell fraction from Lewis rat spleens. The fraction which is of light buoyant density, nonadherent, and FcR- is markedly Ia+, lacks phagocytic ability, is nonspecific esterase negative and under scanning electron microscopy has a heterogeneous morphology with a variety of protuberences described for rat dendritic cells. This putative dendritic cell preparation is very effective at stimulating proliferative responses with concanavalin A and allogeneic cells. When used to reconstitute the reactivity of peritoneal exudate cells of rats immunized with azobenzenearsonate-N-acetyl-L-tyrosine (ABA-Tyr) and subsequently depleted of Ia+ cells, it was shown to be highly effective with ABA conjugates of tyrosine, Ficoll, and polystyrene beads. Thus, despite the apparent absence of phagocytic or degradative abilities, this cell was very efficient at presenting large soluble and insoluble antigens. It is suggested that processing may occur at the cell surface without requiring internalization.
Morals in a Market Bubble

In this short piece, I respond to the idea that the financial crisis of 2007-2008 was caused by a frenzy of immoral practices in the real estate and financial markets. I argue that such a theory is fundamentally misguided. In reality, the Federal Reserve’s unduly accommodating monetary policy in 2002-2006 and certain structural features of the relevant financial markets (especially subprime loans) combined to produce a bubble in the residential real estate market in the United States. This happened not because of moral wrongdoing by market participants but as a result of individuals rationally pursuing their economic self-interest (a) in response to the economic incentives that had been created for them, and (b) in ways normally regarded as morally unproblematic. The causes of the bubble and the crisis were thus economic, not moral.
Prosecuting International Crimes against Children: The legal framework

States in post-conflict situations are faced with extremely difficult choices as they try to find the right balance between judicial and non-judicial means to improve accountability for crimes committed during the conflict and to contribute to national reconciliation. These choices are made on the basis of the specific circumstances of each state. Nevertheless, due consideration should be given to the duties imposed on states by international law. This paper presents a short overview of the obligations of states under international law to prosecute persons accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and enforced disappearances, specifically focusing on crimes against children. It also reviews international norms regarding children who may be accused of having participated in the commission of such crimes themselves - for example, as child soldiers - and identifies some outstanding questions regarding their criminal responsibility for such acts.
Smoking Sleuths: a pilot tobacco prevention elective for medical school students.

Background. Smoking Sleuths is an experiential learning curriculum that was developed and taught to elementary through high school aged children by medical students. Methods. A total of 14 first- and 4th-year medical students from 2 medical schools participated in the tobacco service learning elective. Results. Medical students trained Adolescent Tobacco Education Leaders who provided tobacco education to peers and members of the public. Conclusions. Smoking Sleuths provides opportunities for medical students to learn counseling and health education skills across many disciplines. The elective may have a broader audience in schools of allied health, nursing, dentistry, education, and public health.
Hemin Controls T Cell Polarization in Sickle Cell Alloimmunization

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) often require transfusions to treat and prevent worsening anemia and other SCD complications. However, transfusions can trigger alloimmunization against transfused RBCs with serious clinical sequelae. Risk factors for alloimmunization in SCD remain poorly understood. We recently reported altered regulatory T cell (Treg) and Th responses with higher circulating Th1 (IFN-γ(+)) cytokines in chronically transfused SCD patients with alloantibodies as compared with those without alloantibodies. Because monocytes play a critical role in polarization of T cell subsets and participate in clearance of transfused RBCs, we tested the hypothesis that in response to the RBC breakdown product hemin, monocyte control of T cell polarization will differ between alloimmunized and non-alloimmunized SCD patients. Exogenous hemin induced Treg polarization in purified T cell/monocyte cocultures from healthy volunteers through the monocyte anti-inflammatory heme-degrading enzyme heme oxygenase-1. Importantly, hemin primarily through its effect on CD16+ monocytes induced an anti-inflammatory (higher Treg/lower Th1) polarization state in the non-alloimmunized SCD group, whereas it had little effect in the alloimmunized group. Non-alloimmunized SCD CD16+ monocytes expressed higher basal levels of heme oxygenase-1. Furthermore, IL-12, which contributed to a proinflammatory polarization state (low Treg/high Th1) in SCD, was dampened in hemin-treated stimulated monocytes from non-alloimmunized SCD patients, but not in the alloimmunized group. These data suggest that unlike alloimmunized patients, non-alloimmunized SCD CD16+ monocytes in response to transfused RBC breakdown products promote an anti-inflammatory state that is less conducive to alloimmunization.
A reversible evolvable Boolean network architecture and methodology to overcome the heat generation problem. In molecular scale brain building

Today's irreversible computing style, in which bits of information are routinely wiped out (e.g. a NAND gate has 2 input bits, and only 1 output bit), cannot continue. If Moore's Law remains valid until 2020, as many commentators think, then the heat generated in molecular scale circuits that Moore's. Law will provide, would be so intense that they will explode (Hall 1992). To avoid such heat generation problems, it has been known since the early 1970s (Bennet 1973) that the secret to "heatless computation" is to compute reversibly, i.e. not to destroy bits, by sending in the input bit-string through a computer built from reversible logic gates (e.g. Fredkin gates [Fredkin et al. 1982]), to record the output answer and then send the output bit-string backwards through the computer to obtain the original input bit-string. This reversible style of computing takes twice as long, but does not destroy bits, hence does not generate heal. (Landauer's principle states that "the heat generated from irreversible computing is derived from the destruction of bits of information" [Landauer 1961]). This paper proposes a reversible evolvable Boolean network architecture and methodology which, it is hoped, will stimulate the evolvable hardware and evolvable neural network research communities to devote more effort towards solving this problem, which can only accentuate as Moore's Law continues to bile.
On the Finite Optimality Set of the Vector Assignment p-Median Problem†

The vector assignment p-median problem (VAPMP) is one of the first discrete location problems to account for the service of a demand by multiple facilities, and has been used to model a variety of location problems in addressing issues such as system vulnerability and reliability. Specifically, it involves the location of a fixed number of facilities when the assumption is that each demand point is served a certain fraction of the time by its closest facility, a certain fraction of the time by its second closest facility, and so on. The assignment vector represents the fraction of the time a facility of a given closeness order serves a specific demand point. Weaver and Church showed that when the fractions of assignment to closer facilities are greater than more distant facilities, an optimal all-node solution always exists. However, the general form of the VAPMP does not have this property. Hooker and Garfinkel provided a counterexample of this property for the nonmonotonic VAPMP. However, they do not conjecture as to what a finite set may be in general. The question of whether there exists a finite set of locations that contains an optimal solution has remained open to conjecture. In this article, we prove that a finite optimality set for the VAPMP consisting of “equidistant points” does exist. We also show a stronger result when the underlying network is a tree graph.
Chief Residents as Educators: An Effective Method of Resident Development

Background: The importance of teaching residents how to instruct medical students is recognized, but time and logistics challenge the implementation of teaching skills programs. No study has described a dissemination model with chief residents as trainers and managers of a teaching skills program. Description: All chief residents in three departments (n = 16), participated in an 8-hr train-the-trainer teaching skills program and then trained 178 residents through seven 1-hr sessions. Outcome was measured through student surveys using a validated instrument with seven teaching domains and overall assessment of teaching effectiveness. Evaluation: Survey results revealed a significant improvement in the vast majority of teaching domains 9 months after implementation of the program in all three departments. Student perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness improved in two departments and trended upwards in the third. Conclusion: A resident teaching skills program utilizing chief residents as trainers resu...
Dietary sources of conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid, a newly recognized class of anticarcinogens

Abstract Conjugated dienoic derivatives of linoleic acid (CLA), shown to be anticarcinogenic in several animal models, are present in many natural food sources. However, few quantitative data on CLA in food are available. An improved method for quantifying CLA was developed. The method was used to produce a data base of more than 90 food items including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, plant oils, and infant and processed foods. The principal dietary sources of CLA are animal products. In general, meat from ruminants contains considerably more CLA than meat from nonruminants, with veal having the lowest and lamb the highest (2.7 vs 5.6 mg CLA/g fat). Foods derived from nonruminant animals were far lower in CLA content except for turkey. Seafood contained low amounts of CLA, ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 mg CLA/g fat. By contrast dairy products (milk, butter, and yogurt) contained considerable amounts of CLA. Natural cheeses were also high in CLA. Among cheeses, those which were aged or ripened more than 10 months had the lowest CLA content. CLA concentrations in an assortment of processed cheeses did not vary much (avg 5.0 mg CLA/g fat). Plant oils contained far less CLA, ranging from 0.1 mg CLA/g fat (coconut oil) to 0.7 mg CLA/g fat (safflower oil). Processed, canned, and infant foods were comparable in CLA content to similar unprocessed foods. Values for foods that contained beef, lamb, and veal were generally high in CLA. However the c-9,t-11 CLA isomer, believed to be the biologically active form, tended to be lower in cooked meats. In animal and dairy products the c-9,t-11 CLA isomer accounted for 75 and 90%, respectively, of the total CLA; in plant oils less than 50% of the total CLA was the c-9,t-1 I CLA isomer. The results show that considerable differences occur in the CLA content of common foods and indicate the possibility of large variations in dietary intakes of CLA.
Designing sorghum as a dedicated bioenergy feedstock

The increasing cost of energy and finite oil and gas reserves has created a need to develop alternative fuels from renewable sources. Currently, the development of a renewable transportation fuel is ethanol based. Ethanol production is now sugar/starch based, but use of these carbohydrates is limited; they are also required as a food and feed source. The need to generate a large and sustainable supply of biomass to make biofuels generation from lignocellulose profitable will require the development of crops grown specifically for bioenergy production. There will be several different species used as dedicated bioenergy crops, and for several reasons; it is expected that sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) will be one of these species. Sorghum is a highly productive, drought-tolerant species with a history of improvement and production of lignocellulose, sugar and starch. Given this history and the existing genetic improvement infrastructure available for the species, it is logical to expect that sorghum hybrids for dedicated bioenergy production can be developed in the near-term future and will be grown and used for bioenergy production. © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Dietary protein causes a decline in the glomerular filtration rate of the remnant kidney mediated by metabolic acidosis and endothelin receptors

Dietary casein promotes a progressive decline in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of remnant kidneys associated with metabolic acidosis and an endothelin-mediated increase in renal acidification. We tested whether diets that affect the acid–base status contributes to the decline of GFR through endothelin receptors in rats with a remnant kidney. Rats on a casein diet had metabolic acidosis at baseline and developed a progressive decline in GFR after renal mass reduction. Dietary sodium bicarbonate but not sodium chloride ameliorated metabolic acidosis and prevented the decrease in GFR but only after the sodium bicarbonate-induced increase in blood pressure was treated. Dietary soy protein did not induce baseline metabolic acidosis and rats with remnant kidney on a soy diet had no decrease in their GFR. By contrast, rats with a remnant kidney on soy protein given dietary acid developed metabolic acidosis and a decreased GFR. This decline in GFR was prevented in either case by endothelin A but not endothelin A/B receptor antagonism. Our study suggests that the casein-induced decline in GFR of the remnant kidney is mediated by metabolic acidosis through endothelin A receptors.
A simulation model for the Philippine Selective Logging System: case study of a Timber company

Abstract This paper describes a simulation model developed for the Philippine Selective Logging System. The model is purposely designed to be flexible and capable of addressing various forest management concerns such as: (1) the length of cutting cycle; (2) growth rate: (3) stand treatments; (4) site degradation; (5) diameter cutting limit; (6) volume of allowable cut; (7) logging and utilization efficiency; and (8) the extent and intensity of timber stand improvement activities. The model is used to simulate the timber management activities and practices of an actual timber company. Results from the simulation runs indicate that selective logging as practiced by the timber company is not sustainable, particularly in terms of the calculated allowable volume of harvest. Variants of the allowable cut formula prescribed by the selective logging systems are examined and are found to be non-sustainable at the current level of allowable cut. Various treatment combinations are also examined. Most of them generated sustainable yield only up to the second cutting cycle. The few strategies that reached the third cutting cycle include timber stand improvement as one of the treatments.
New developments in health and medical preparedness related to the threat of terrorism.

Since 1999, and particularly the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the federal government has sought to prepare against the threat of bioterrorism by developing a comprehensive national “preparedness and response” program that encompasses state and local health agencies. In fiscal year 1999, approximately $150 million was made available through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to develop bioterrorism preparedness and response infrastructure in public health departments. Emergency medical services (EMS) funding was not specifically considered in this DHHS program, primarily because EMS is usually funded through traditional first-responder programs in other departments of the U.S. government. This approach may be effective in addressing some EMS needs, but it is insufficient for enhancing the emergency medical infrastructure throughout this country or for linking emergency public health and emergency medical prehospital initiatives. The role of EMS is shifting. As EMS in the future will...
Preparation of atomically clean surfaces of selected elements: A review

Abstract Surface cleaning procedures for seventy four of the elements having vapor pressures below 1.3 × 10−7 Pa at room temperature have been reviewed and evaluated. The emphasis was on in-situ procedures used to produce a clean surface on a macroscopic bulk sample in an ultra-high vacuum environment. In this review an atomically clean surface was defined to be an annealed surface (except where noted) at ambient temperature with a total surface contamination level of less than a few percent of a monolater. Wherever possible only cleaning methods documented by element- specific, surface-analytical techniques were reviewed and subsequently incorporated into the table of recommended procedures. For some elements a variety of procedures was deemed acceptable. Any differences in methods for polycrystalline and single-crystalline surfaces of the same element have been detailed. References to the reviewed literature are grouped by element.
Price of privacy: Selling consumer databases in bankruptcy

Abstract This article analyzes whether bankrupt Internet companies can sell consumer database information in their attempts to pay off creditors as mandated by Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection law and provides guidance to solvent e-commerce companies in regard to their privacy policies. Database sales in bankruptcy are in conflict with most companies’ own posted privacy policies and, therefore, have been contested. The question pits the commercial interests of creditors, which have as their advocates bankruptcy court judges, against the privacy interests of consumers, who have found allies in state attorneys general, privacy groups and foundations, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). With no clear law preventing them, bankruptcy trustees have attempted to sell the databases. Ultimately they agreed not to sell by settling claims filed by the FTC and attorneys general. There is no law specifically prohibiting such sales, and until specific legislation is passed, bankruptcy court judges will continue to be left to rule on a case-by-case, even a motion-by-motion basis, interpreting the United States Code to the best of their ability. Their options are outlined and discussed.
How consumers with disabilities perceive “welcome” in retail servicescapes: a critical incident study

Purpose – This paper aims to extend understanding of the cues that customers with disabilities use to judge inclusion/welcome (or not) in interactions in retail stores.Design/methodology/approach – Critical incident interviews were conducted with 115 informants who provided rich descriptions of 113 welcoming incidents and 105 unwelcoming incidents. Interview transcripts were content analyzed to determine inductively the cues customers with disabilities use to perceive welcoming.Findings – Four primary situational factors explain to what perceptions of welcome/inclusion are attributed: service personnel; store environmental factors; other customers; and product/service assortments. Further, a disability becomes salient only when there is an interaction between these situational factors and consumers' disabilities.Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest an extension to Bitner's servicescape conceptualization in that it specifies that the assessment of an environment as enabling or disabling...