cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fitness and Immigration: Factors Affecting Reversion of Organotin Resistance in the Twospotted Spider Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Reversion of resistance to the organotin acaricide cyhexatin was documented for the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Koch), by laboratory isolation of a fieldresistant colony collected from Oregon pears in May 1983. Fitness studies were conducted in 1985 and 1986 on susceptible and resistant colonies of T. urticae . Susceptible colonies had significantly shorter developmental times and higher percentage survival (egg to adult) than resistant colonies. Fitness differences appeared to influence resistance reversion in the laboratory. The effect of immigration on organotin resistance also was investigated. A laboratory immigration dilution experiment revealed that dilution of resistance at a rate of 1:100 and 1:10 (susceptible/resistant mites) allowed a moderately resistant colony to revert to susceptibility in approximately three generations. After six generations, a resistant check colony also had reverted to susceptibility. These data suggest that both fitness and immigration may affect reversion of organotin resistance in populations of T. urticae from southern Oregon pears.
Hyperchloremia – Why and how

Hyperchloremia is a common electrolyte disorder that is associated with a diverse group of clinical conditions. The kidney plays an important role in the regulation of chloride concentration through a variety of transporters that are present along the nephron. Nevertheless, hyperchloremia can occur when water losses exceed sodium and chloride losses, when the capacity to handle excessive chloride is overwhelmed, or when the serum bicarbonate is low with a concomitant rise in chloride as occurs with a normal anion gap metabolic acidosis or respiratory alkalosis. The varied nature of the underlying causes of the hyperchloremia will, to a large extent, determine how to treat this electrolyte disturbance.
Liability and Wrongful In-Custody Deaths

Sudden deaths in police or correctional custody after a use-of-force confrontation are emerging as a critical area in civil litigation. This chapter describes the potential civil liability issues commonly associated with wrongful custodial deaths involving deaths following restraint incidents. Liability issues involving standards of care in state courts are examined, as well as the standards for use of force, restraints, and medical care in accordance with actions stemming from claims of negligence and Section 1983. Although many of these lawsuits are settled out of court, those cases that are decided in court yield a number of essential legal issues worthy of concern for police officers and administrators. Custodial deaths normally will produce a civil lawsuit by the estate attempting to demonstrate that the officers and governmental entity should be held responsible for a wrongful death.
Complications of Bariatric Surgery: Obstruction

Bowel obstruction is a very rare complication of sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding but has been reported to have an overall incidence of up to 5 % in patients after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) [1]. Similar to other types of bowel obstruction, patients present with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and minimal or no bowel function.
Religion and Peace, Inner–Outer Dimensions of

This article notes how religions have been a force both for peace and nonviolence, as well as for conflict and violence historically, including today. It then explores the inner and outer aspects of religion, as well as the inner and outer aspects of peace, and how these relate to each other and the implications of both for future generations. As the above quotations indicate, almost all of the world’s religions, in their own sacred writings and scriptures, say that they support ‘peace’. Yet it is a known fact that war and violence have often been undertaken historically, as well as at present, in the name of religion. Yet religions profess to want peace. So what is ‘peace’? And how have religions historically helped to promote peace and how might they help create a more peaceful world in the twenty-first century – especially given the increased violence, terrorism, and war currently gripping the planet? These are a few of the questions that this article attempts to explore.
Epilogue: Advancing Health Outcomes and Social Participation for CSHCN

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN), including children with disabilities, represent a large percentage of children in every human society. CSHCN represent just another aspect of human variation or diversity, with focal conditions arising from a multitude of genetic and/or environmental causes, many of which are incompletely understood at present. As outlined in the chapters of this book, considerable medical, public health, and educational research is being conducted worldwide to better understand the etiology of numerous conditions, to identify effective treatments that improve health outcomes and quality of life for CSHCN, and to provide safe, healthy environments where children with and without disabilities can positively interact socially so that CSHCN can grow and develop into independent and productive adult lives wherever possible.
Focus group methodology Part 2: Considerations for analysis

Background/Aims: Qualitative research is often criticised for its lack of scientific analysis considerations. In particular, the criticisms of qualitative research relate to issues of representativeness and generalisability of the findings, reliability, and validity. The purpose of this article is to discuss these concepts in the context of focus group data and explain how trustworthiness has been proposed as a more suitable criterion for evaluating qualitative research. Methods: Analytical concepts for qualitative research are defined, and suggestions based on the literature are given to enhance trustworthiness of focus group data and reporting. Conclusions: Focus group methodology is a highly effective technique for gathering rich, in-depth accounts of people's thinking, experiences, and attitudes. Focus groups are not just group interviews; rather, they require careful planning and design and have unique analytical and reporting procedures to ensure credibility of the findings.
A Method of Obtaining an Exact Confidence Interval for the Common Mean of Several Normal Populations

A linear combination T of Student's t statistics is proposed as a practical method of obtaining confidence intervals for the common mean, and the distribution function of T is conveniently approximated for the general case. Exact percentage points of T are compared with those based on this approximation for two populations and various sample size configurations.
Reduced NFAT1 Protein Expression in Human Umbilical Cord Blood T Lymphocytes

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells from related and unrelated allogeneic donors have emerged as novel treatment for patients with hematologic malignancies. The incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after UCB transplantation compares favorably with that observed in recipients of matched unrelated donor allogeneic grafts, but remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It has been shown that stimulated lymphocytes from UCB have reduced production of cytokines including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which play a role in GVHD pathophysiology. We investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying this reduced cytokine production by analyzing expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells-1 (NFAT1) in UCB T cells. We detected no constitutive expression of NFAT1 protein in unstimulated UCB T cells compared with adult T cells. Moreover, although NFAT1 expression in UCB T cells was upregulated after prolonged (40 hours) T-cell stimulation, it was only partially upregulated when compared with adult controls. Our observation of minimal NFAT1 expression after stimulation correlated with reduced cytoplasmic IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production in UCB T cells studied simultaneously. Reduced NFAT1 expression may blunt amplification of donor UCB T-cell alloresponsiveness against recipient antigens, thereby potentially limiting GVHD incidence and severity after allogeneic UCB transplantation.
The first polarimeter in astronomy to use a stress-engineered optic (SEO)

We present a new single-shot, full-Stokes optical astro-polarimeter design using stress-engineered optics (SEOs). The SEO is a cylindrical glass window under static stress by radially-inward forces in three symmetrically-space regions, producing spatially-varying birefringence throughout (Spilman and Brown, Applied Optics IP, 46, 2007), and can be produced by using o-the-shelf supplies and some machining. By collimating light collected by a telescope through the SEO and then focusing it onto a detector, the system's point spread function (PSF) acquires a shape uniquely dependent on the full polarization vector of the input light (Beckley and Brown, Proc. SPIE, 757011, 2010). By measuring the imaged PSFs, the full-Stokes polarization states of all point sources (stars) in the field can ideally be determined from a single exposure and without division of amplitude techniques. Prior to our instrument, these techniques and technology had not yet been applied to astronomy. Aside from filter wheels and focusing elements, our instrument contains no moving parts. The instrument will operate by first taking a set of calibration exposures of 100% polarized light using swap-in polarizers in one of its filter wheels. Once the calibration images are taken, the polarizers are removed form the light path, and the science target (star) is imaged. Using techniques described in this paper, the calibration images allow one to determine the unknown polarization of the science target. This process is repeated in multiple photometric bands at visible wavelengths for color-dependent studies. The successful application of this polarimeter technology in astronomy would mark a step forward for increasing polarimetry efficiency (no temporal modulation required) and simplicity of instrumentation (no spatial modulation required). Contained in this paper are the on-sky commissioning results of our polarimeter on an 0:2m (8in) telescope at the University of Denver, and an in-depth look at the effect of Earth's atmospheric turbulence on the polarization-dependent PSF detection. We have also begun testing the instrument's capabilities in measuring both linear and circular interstellar polarization, and a look at the variability of historic polarized and unpolarized "standard" stars. Better understanding of the interstellar component of the polarization of stars and the nature of calibration stars are required for all future polarimetric measurements. The authors are grateful to the estate of William Herschel Womble for the support of astronomy at the University of Denver.
Perception: Unconscious Influences on Perceptual Interpretation

Visual perception is the registration of stimuli in phenomenal consciousness. An unperceived stimulus can leave traces at unconscious levels of processing that can affect the visual perception and performance. Studies of unperceived stimuli, fraught with a number of theoretical and methodological problems that must be adequately addressed, reveal that several types and levels of visual processing are involved. The types and levels of unconscious information processing can be distinguished by examining residual visual function among different neurologically impaired patients and in healthy observers by studying the effects of different experimental techniques that temporarily blind subjects to visual stimuli.
A review of intraosseous vascular access: current status and military application.

Austere far-forward battlefield environments present numerous obstacles in providing adequate medical care to the injured solidier. In addition to logistical constraints that limit the volume of isotonic crystalloid fluids available to resuscitate the injured soldier, hypotension, environmental and tactical conditions, and/or the presence of mass casualties can combine to lead to excessive delays in obtaining vascular access. For many years, intraosseous infusion has been a rapid, reliable method of achieving vascular access under emergency conditions in children. Although intraosseous infusion in adults was used extensively in the 1930s and 1940s, and a sternal puncture kit for bone marrow infusions was a common component of emergency medical supplies during World War II, only recently have there been discussions and experimental studies to evaluate intraosseous infusions in adult medical emergencies. With some medical elements of the U.S. military having recently been reissued intraosseous devices, we thought it timely to review the literature on this technique. This review discusses the efficacy and safety of intraosseous infusions of drugs and fluids, including insertion times and flow rates achieved. Although the intent is to evaluate the feasibility of the technique in the injured soldier, literature citations from studies in children, experimental animals, and human cadavers are included to support the statements made and to offer the reader the opportunity to read the original literature.
Hedgehog Spin-Vortex Crystal Antiferromagnetic Quantum Criticality in CaK(Fe1-xNix)4As4 Revealed by NMR

Two ordering states, antiferromagnetism and nematicity, have been observed in most iron-based superconductors (SCs). In contrast to those SCs, the newly discovered SC $\mathrm{CaK}({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{x}{)}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{4}$ exhibits an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state, called hedgehog spin-vortex crystal (SVC) structure, without nematic order, providing the opportunity for the investigation into the relationship between spin fluctuations and SC without any effects of nematic fluctuations. Our $^{75}\mathrm{As}$ nuclear magnetic resonance studies on $\mathrm{CaK}({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{x}{)}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{4}$ ($0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.049$) revealed that ${\mathrm{CaKFe}}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{4}$ is located close to a hidden hedgehog SVC AFM quantum-critical point (QCP). The magnetic QCP without nematicity in $\mathrm{CaK}({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{x}{)}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{4}$ highlights the close connection of spin fluctuations and superconductivity in iron-based SCs. The advantage of stoichiometric composition also makes ${\mathrm{CaKFe}}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{4}$ an ideal platform for further detailed investigation of the relationship between magnetic QCP and superconductivity in iron-based SCs without disorder effects.
Colorization of Mountainous Landscape Images in Grayscale Using Texture Feature Analysis

Colorization of black and white images is a difficult task due to the lack of color information in the monochrome space. In this paper, we propose an automated approach to produce realistic colorizations using texture classification. We limit our subjects to mountain landscapes where there is an identifiable number of textures. Our proposed model of colorization remains robust throughout test images we used. The paper further discusses a brief guideline for developing a problem-specific colorization such as landscapes.
Maxillofacial Implications of Scleroderma and Systemic Sclerosis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Scleroderma and more generally systemic sclerosis comprise a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by increased collagen synthesis and deposition within connective tissue. The Scleroderma Foundation estimates that as many as 300,000 persons in the United States have scleroderma. Although the etiology of the disease is unknown, it is thought to be related to chronic inflammation secondary to autoimmune tissue damage. Scleroderma has variable presentations and may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. Oral and maxillofacial findings can include limited mouth opening; xerostomia; periodontal disease; widening of the periodontal ligament space; zygomatic arch resorption; and resorption of the mandibular angle, coronoid process, and condyle. We present the case of a 26-year-old female patient with scleroderma who exhibited extreme maxillofacial manifestations of the disease.
Annals On Call - Outcomes of Patients Discharged With Anemia

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses patient outcomes following changes in recommendations about the management of anemia in hospitalized patients with Dr. Jeff Carson.
Application of Mechanistic Ocular Absorption Modeling and Simulation to Understand the Impact of Formulation Properties on Ophthalmic Bioavailability in Rabbits: a Case Study Using Dexamethasone Suspension

Developing mathematical models to predict changes in ocular bioavailability and pharmacokinetics due to differences in the physicochemical properties of complex topical ophthalmic suspension formulations is important in drug product development and regulatory assessment. Herein, we used published FDA clinical pharmacology review data, in-house, and literature rabbit pharmacokinetic data generated for dexamethasone ophthalmic suspensions to demonstrate how the mechanistic Ocular Compartmental Absorption and Transit model by GastroPlus™ can be used to characterize ocular drug pharmacokinetic performance in rabbits for suspension formulations. This model was used to describe the dose-dependent (0.01 to 0.1%) non-linear pharmacokinetic in ocular tissues and characterize the impact of viscosity (1.67 to 72.9 cP) and particle size (5.5 to 22 μm) on in vivo ocular drug absorption and disposition. Parameter sensitivity analysis (hypothetical suspension particle size: 1 to 10 μm, viscosity: 1 to 100 cP) demonstrated that the interplay between formulation properties and physiological clearance through drainage and tear turnover rates in the pre-corneal compartment drives the ocular drug bioavailability. The quick removal of drug suspended particles from the pre-corneal compartment renders the impact of particle size inconsequential relative to viscosity modification. The in vivo ocular absorption is (1) viscosity non-sensitive when the viscosity is high and the impact of viscosity on the pre-corneal residence time reaches the maximum physiological system capacity or (2) viscosity sensitive when the viscosity is below a certain limit. This study reinforces our understanding of the interplay between physiological factors and ophthalmic formulation physicochemical properties and their impact on in vivo ocular drug PK performance in rabbits.
Active and passive long-wave infrared resolution degradation in realistic fog conditions (Conference Presentation)

Fog is a commonly occurring degraded visual environment which disrupts air traffic, ground traffic, and security imaging systems. For many application of interest, spatial resolution is required to identify elements of the scene. However, studying the effects of fog on resolution degradation is difficult because the composition of naturally occurring fogs is variable, and data collection is reliant on changing weather conditions. For our study, we used the Sandia National Laboratories fog facility to generate repeatable characterized fog conditions. Sandia’s well characterized fog generation allowed us to relate the resolution degradation of active and passive long-wave infrared (LWIR) imagers to the properties of fog. Additionally, the fogs we generated were denser than naturally occurring fogs. This allowed for testing of long range imaging in the shorter optical pathlengths obtainable in a laboratory environment. In this presentation, we experimentally investigate the resolution degradation of LWIR wavelengths in realistic fog droplet sizes. Transmission of LWIR wavelengths has been studied extensively in literature. To date however, there are few experimental results quantifying the resolution degradation for LWIR imagery in fog. We present experimental results on resolution degradation for both passive and active LWIR systems. The degradation of passive imaging was measured using 37˚C blackbody with a slant edge resolution targets. The active imaging resolution degradation was measured using a polarized CO2 laser reflecting off a set of bar targets. We found that the relationship between meteorological optical range and resolution degradation was more complicated than described purely by attenuation.
A Treatise on the Jackass in Academe: How Arrogance and Self-Centeredness Destroy the Credibility of Higher Education

No word can adequately describe the extremely nasty, abrasive individuals one is likely to encounter in academe who consider themselves superior to others and feel that the rules of civility do not apply to them. These arrogant, self-important tormentors tend to emphasize other’s shortcomings and faults. The best term to describe them is “a-hole.” The venomous people described in this paper fall into many categories: the disciplinary elitist, the egotistical narcissist, the (so-called) expert, the academic workplace bully, academic indoctrinators, and the egocentric college leader. All of them can cause huge problems and create dysfunction in individual academic departments and the entire institution. They have damaged the reputation of higher education.
Alpha-thalassemia in Negro infants.

Extract: A total of 104 of 693 Negro infants (15.0%) had moderate or small amounts of hemoglobin Barts visible on starch gel electrophoresis. Moderate amounts were found in 21 infants (3.0%) and small amounts in 83 infants (12.0%). In 17 Negro infants judged to have moderate amounts of Hb Barts, the quantitation showed 2.0–9.3% with a mean of 5.4 ± 2.1 (1 SD). A significant decrease in mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin was found in the Negro neonate with more than 2% Hb Barts studied at 4 days of age. In 10 Negro infants with more than 2.0% Hb Barts studied at 4 days of age, the α α/(β + γ) ratio was 0.97 ± 0.06 (1 SD) (range 0.88–1.06). In nine infants aged 5—24 months who had more than 2.0% Hb Barts in the newborn period, including six infants studied in the first group, the mean α/β ratio was 0.74 ± 0.06, (range 0.65–0.83). Each of the nine infants with more than 2.0% Hb Barts at birth had marked microcytosis and hypochromia at 5—24 months despite adequate iron therapy. Two newborn infants with moderate levels of Hb Barts at birth (8.2% and 6.8%) and balanced total globin synthesis had no free radioactive α chain by gel filtration studies. Our studies indicate clearly that the presence of more than 2% Hb Barts in the newborn period denotes the presence of α-thalassemia trait. Speculation: In a group of Negro newborn infants, 3% had more than 2% Hb Barts. These infants had the genetic disorder, α-thalassemia trait. An additional 12% of the infants had elevated levels of Hb Barts between 1% and 2%. This group may also have an α-thalassemia disorder, as has been shown in other racial groups. The absence of hydrops fetalis due to α-thalassemia in Negro neonates suggests that the molecular defect of α-thalassemia detected in Negro neonates differs from that seen in Orientals in that it is not associated with a complete absence of α-chain synthesis.
Dialogue on a superconducting laser operating via nonequilibrium inversed population

In nonequilibrium states, the entropy is reduced from its maximum thermodynamic equilibrium value by virtue of an external energy supply. Such states are characterized by a higher ordering compared...
“Doing It” in the Kitchen: Rhetorical Field Methods, Arts/Practice-Based Research, and Queer Archives:

Everyday domestic spaces, such as kitchens, are often crucial to the understanding of practices and discourses of queer and other marginalized communities. However, due to the private nature of the...
Erdheim-Chester Disease: A Case of Right Atrial Involvement and Superior Vena Cava Stenosis.

Abstract We describe the case of a 79-year-old woman with a history of Erdheim-Chester disease who presented with bradyarrhythmia and infiltration of the superior vena cava and right atrium. This c...
Non-reciprocal transmission of microwave acoustic waves in nonlinear parity–time symmetric resonators

Acoustic waves are versatile on-chip information carriers that can be used in applications such as microwave filters and transducers. Nonreciprocal devices, in which the transmission of waves is non-symmetric between two ports, are desirable for the manipulation and routing of phonons, but building acoustic non-reciprocal devices is difficult because acoustic systems typically have a linear response. Here, we report non-reciprocal transmission of microwave surface acoustic waves using a nonlinear parity–time symmetric system based on two coupled acoustic resonators in a lithium niobate platform. Owing to the strong piezoelectricity of lithium niobate, we can tune the gain, loss and nonlinearity of the system using electric circuitry. Our approach can achieve 10 dB of non-reciprocal transmission for surface acoustic waves at a frequency of 200 MHz, and we use it to demonstrate a one-way circulation of acoustic waves in cascading non-reciprocal devices. A parity–time symmetric system based on two coupled acoustic resonators in a lithium niobate platform can achieve non-reciprocal propagation of acoustic waves.
Fracture and Fragmentation in British Romanticism: The doubling force of citation: De Quincey's Wordsworthian archive

Over many citations oneself becomes a citation. Ralph Waldo Emerson considered the status and problem of citation as both fundamental and deeply troubling. In his essay ‘Quotation and Originality’ (1876), he writes: ‘We quote not only books and proverbs, but arts, sciences, religion, customs and laws; nay, we quote temples and houses, tables and chairs by imitation. […] The originals are not original.’ Knowing of our inability to produce outside the chain of quotations, however, still does not lead us to renounce ownership of our creations. As Emerson recounts in the same essay: ‘Wordsworth, as soon as he heard a good thing, caught it up, meditated upon it, and very soon reproduced it in his conversation and writing. If De Quincey said, “That is what I told you,” he replied, “No: that is mine, – mine, and not yours”.’ Emerson's conceptualisation of the power of citation and its metaphorical force through the figure of originals and precursors sounds almost like a prefiguration of a Bloomian anxiety of influence, or even a post-modern insistence on pastiche. Rather than reading this curious Emersonian fantasy in these psychoanalytical or intertextual terms, however, this chapter wants to suggest that its less obvious reverse – De Quincey's archiving of whatever Wordsworth claims for himself – is more revealing. It sheds light on how the rhetoric and language of criticism have to deal with the tensions that are produced through the practice of citation.
Leading with stories: Andrew Cuomo, family narratives and authentic leadership

Abstract The increasing mediatization of politics and government requires political actors to disclose aspects of their private and personal lives within their political communications. This article focuses on a sequence of personal narratives told by New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, in one of his daily press briefings during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. I show how Cuomo enacted authentic leadership by mobilizing relational identities in a narrative segment. By telling three interconnected family stories, Cuomo provided evidence for his stay-at-home policy for New Yorkers during the pandemic. The performance of various relational identities in this narrative sequence helped construct Andrew Cuomo and his family members as ordinary citizens, making them relatable to viewers; at the same time, through the telling of these particular stories, Cuomo positioned himself as a trustworthy, effective leader and a prescient, reliable decision-maker. The study demonstrates how affective, relational discourse can be exploited by political leaders in the service of advancing their more transactional goals.
Lipidomics study of plasma from patients suggest that ALS and PLS are part of a continuum of motor neuron disorders

Motor neuron disorders (MND) include a group of pathologies that affect upper and/or lower motor neurons. Among them, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive muscle weakness, with fatal outcomes only in a few years after diagnosis. On the other hand, primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), a more benign form of MND that only affects upper motor neurons, results in life-long progressive motor dysfunction. Although the outcomes are quite different, ALS and PLS present with similar symptoms at disease onset, to the degree that both disorders could be considered part of a continuum. These similarities and the lack of reliable biomarkers often result in delays in accurate diagnosis and/or treatment. In the nervous system, lipids exert a wide variety of functions, including roles in cell structure, synaptic transmission, and multiple metabolic processes. Thus, the study of the absolute and relative concentrations of a subset of lipids in human pathology can shed light into these cellular processes and unravel alterations in one or more pathways. In here, we report the lipid composition of longitudinal plasma samples from ALS and PLS patients initially, and after 2 years following enrollment in a clinical study. Our analysis revealed common aspects of these pathologies suggesting that, from the lipidomics point of view, PLS and ALS behave as part of a continuum of motor neuron disorders.
Looking for Semantic Similarity: What a Vector-Space Model of Semantics Can Tell Us About Attention in Real-World Scenes

The visual world contains more information than we can perceive and understand in any given moment. Therefore, we must prioritize important scene regions for detailed analysis. Semantic knowledge gained through experience is theorized to play a central role in determining attentional priority in real-world scenes but is poorly understood. Here, we examined the relationship between object semantics and attention by combining a vector-space model of semantics with eye movements in scenes. In this approach, the vector-space semantic model served as the basis for a concept map, an index of the spatial distribution of the semantic similarity of objects across a given scene. The results showed a strong positive relationship between the semantic similarity of a scene region and viewers' focus of attention; specifically, greater attention was given to more semantically related scene regions. We conclude that object semantics play a critical role in guiding attention through real-world scenes.
Generalized medians and a political center

Building on properties of the median in one dimension under simple majority rule, I propose two generalizations for multi-dimensional environments and general voting rules. A P-ball (for pivotal) is a smallest radius ball such that, for every pair of alternatives, if all its members prefer one alternative over another then all members of some winning coalition share that preference (and there does not exist a winning coalition all the members of which have the opposite strict preference). A W-ball (for winning) is a smallest radius ball such that, if all members of some winning coalition prefer one alternative over another, then there exists a member of that ball that shares that preference. P-balls and W-balls coincide with the unicameral yolk (McKelvey in Am J Polit Sci 30(2):283–314, 1986; Ferejohn et al., in Soc Choice Welf 1:45–67, 1984) under simple majority rule. Using these constructs, I generalize and sharpen McKelvey’s (Am J Polit Sci 30(2):283–314, 1986) circular bounds on the set of alternatives socially preferred to any alternative, and bound the core and the uncovered set for general voting rules. I study comparative statics on the effect of changes in the voting rule.
Indian Buyers in Global Markets: Quality, Prices, and Productivity

We examine import prices paid by direct-sourcing Indian manufacturing firms in the early 2000s using a unique data set that matches firm characteristics with product and source-country trade data, offering a theoretical and empirical extension of Halpern and Koren (2007). We find that import prices are positively associated with firm productivity, distance from source-country, and source-country GDP per capita, and negatively associated with source-country remoteness, an effect we attribute to the higher scope for quality differentiation in less remote locations. Further, we find that source-country characteristics matter more, and cost factors less, for differentiated than for non-differentiated goods.
Swaying the masses: The effect of argument strength and linguistic abstractness on attitudes

ness and toothpaste evaluations such that concrete language was associated with more favorable attitudes than was abstract language (B=-3.53, t(150)=-6.28, p<.001). For
spo0 Genes, the Phosphorelay, and the Initiation of Sporulation

The cell responds to signals which it continually monitors in the environment, and when these environmental signals reach a point that indicates it is time to shut down division and begin sporulation, the initiation process begins. The signal transduction system, the phosphorelay, for the initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis revolves around the transcription factor Spo0A. This chapter discusses the genetic and chemical structure of the spo0 loci and their products, along with other components of the signal transduction system, and try to provide an historic and mechanistic perspective of the phosphorelay and the function of the Spo0A transcription factor. The role of the phosphorelay is to produce Spo0A-P, the activated form of the transcription factor responsible for transcription of genes involved in the initial stages of sporulation. The multiple points of control of the flow of phosphate through the phosphorelay begin with the kinases, KinA and KinB. The possibility exists that KinA might not be subject to activation by an effector ligand acting as a signal from the environment, but rather KinA might be functionally inactive in autophosphorylation in the absence of Spo0F. This would place responsibility for the initiation of phosphate flow in the phosphorelay on transcriptional control of the spo0F gene. It seems possible that one role of increased Spo0A~-P concentration during the initial stages of sporulation might be to prevent reinitiation of chromosome replication, which could be accomplished by preventing dnaA transcription and/or binding at the origin to inhibit the reinitiation of DNA replication.
The Investment Function: Determinants Of Demand For Investment Goods

This paper seeks to identify the major factors that affect the demand for investment goods in the United States. A review of Keynes’ theoretical literature on investment and previous empirical studies identified eight possible variables for testing. The testing procedure was stepwise linear regression. Hypothesized determinants of investment were added one by one to a regression equation to measure their ability to explain variance, and to test for the stability of their regression coefficients. Single stage or two stage least squares regression was used, as appropriate. The following, in order of importance, were found to be significant determinants of investment demand during the1960 – 2000 period: 1) crowd out problems caused by government deficits, 2) available depreciation allowances, 3) rates of growth of the economy, 4) changes in the prime interest rate, 5) growth in stock values, 6) exchange rate changes and 7) company profitability. The results explained 90% of the variation in investment demand. Regressions missing important explanatory variables had regression coefficients that varied widely with even small changes to the model. More complete models had more stable coefficients.
Organometalloidal derivatives of the transition metals: XXVII. Chemical and structural investigation of (ferrocenylacyl)germanes

Abstract (Ferrocenylacyl)germanes, (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(η 5 -C 5 H 4 )COGeR 3 (R 3 = Me 3 (I), Ph 3 (II)) have been synthesized and their physical and structural properties investigated, both spectroscopically and via single crystal X-ray analysis. Basicity measurements, via H-bonding to phenol, indicate that I and II are less basic than their silicon analogs, a feature corroborated by infrared and structural analysis. Thus, the v (CO) frequencies for I and II at 1594 and 1596 cm −1 are approximately 18 cm −1 higher than the corresponding acylsilanes, and the CO bond lengths of 1.223 A are shorter than the silicon analogs, 1.231 A.
Tumor-promoting phenotype of CD90hi prostate cancer-associated fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND Cancer-associated stroma contributes to the malignant behavior of adenocarcinomas of the prostate and other organs. CD90 is a marker of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and its expression is higher in prostate cancer stroma compared to normal tissue. Cultured prostate cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) expressing high versus low levels of CD90 were analyzed for an MSC-like or tumor-promoting phenotype. METHODS CD90hi and CD90lo cells were collected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Expression of genes associated with MSCs and/or tumor-promoting activities was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Effects of stromal cell co-culture or conditioned media were tested on BPH-1 epithelial cells. RESULTS The pattern of gene expression did not support the hypothesis that CD90hi cells were MSCs. However, CD90hi cells expressed higher levels of many genes associated with tumor promotion, including cytokines, angiogenic factors, hedgehog signaling components, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Co-culture or conditioned medium from CD90hi cells increased CXCR4 expression in BPH-1 cells, at least in part due to TGF-β, and protected BPH-1 cells from apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the elevated expression of CD90 previously observed in the cancer-associated stroma of the human prostate is biologically significant. Although our results do not support the idea that CD90hi cells cultured from the cancer stroma are MSCs, our findings suggest that the phenotype of these cells is more tumor-promoting than that of cells expressing low CD90. Prostate 69: 991–1000, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Deletion of the long arm of chromosome 20 [del(20)(q11)] in myeloid disorders

Detailed clinical and cytogenetic studies were performed in five patients who had abnormal hematopoiesis and an acquired deletion of an F-group chromosome. Cytogenetic analyses, with banding techniques, of cells from bone marrow, spleen, or unstimulated peripheral blood showed a partial deletion of the long arm of one chromosome 20 [del(20)(q11)] in all five patients. Three patients had myeloproliferative disorders of uncertain classification, the fourth had possible preleukemia, and the fifth had acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Although the five cases showed certain similarities, the clinical and hematologic findings seen with the 20q- abnormality were not specific. None of the patients showed evidence of polycythemia vera or idiopathic acquired refractory sideroblastic anemia, two diseases previously associated with the 20q-. Our studies indicate that the 20q- abnormality is not limited to diseases primarily affecting erythropoiesis but that it can be found in the broader spectrum of myeloid disorders. In polycythemia vera, the 20q- has sometimes been regarded as a possible result of previous therapy with cytotoxic agents; however, four of our patients were untreated when the deletion was first noted.
IT-APAs - Vertical Harmonization of Transfer - Pricing Standards

The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have begun considering the harmonization of transfer pricing norms among income tax, customs and VAT regimes. Two conferences have been organized in May of 2006 and 2007. These conferences have concluded so far: (a) that more analysis is needed; (b) that harmonization will require adjustments on all sides; and (c) that pilot projects (real world statutory and administrative efforts to harmonize) or case studies in harmonization (hypothetical fact patterns) are needed to facilitate consideration. This paper assesses the three basic paths being pursued at the present time: (1) homogenization; (2) validation; and (3) vertical harmonization, and asks (based on the current discussions) is there a blueprint for change? The paper concludes that an affirmative answer is possible, if the current proposals are aligned as short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions. Seen in this way, a path forward is visible. There is some evidence (and agreement) that working with APAs is a good first step. APAs have functioned as incubators - places where new solutions to difficult problems have been born - in the past. Robust and persuasive APA solutions can become international norms. Seen in this manner the way forward might be (a) to use IT-APAs (a taxpayer-specific vertical harmonization solutions) to develop the persuasive national solutions to the ordering, granularity and timing problems that stand in the way of (b) validation convergence, and then with this experience as background the international community might then see the way to devise (c) unitary transfer pricing regime - a single set of principles and mechanisms that would homogenize transfer pricing rules across income tax, customs and VAT. A new international standard could then arise.
Control under a hierarchical decision making structure

This paper presents an input-output point of view for the problem of optimal command following and disturbance rejection when a particular hierarchical structure is imposed on the decision making units of the system. This structure constraints the transmission of information to be only from upper to lower levels and not vice versa. By using model matching methods the problem is shown to be convex. Techniques to solve this convex yet nonstandard problem are discussed.
Helper-independent CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes express IL-1 receptors and require IL-1 for secretion of IL-2

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of IL-1 on the activation of CD8+/CD4- class I-restricted helper cell-independent cytolytic T cell (HITc) clones known to produce IL-2 and proliferate in vitro after Ag stimulation with a Friend retrovirus-induced leukemia (FBL). The functional role of IL-1 in Ag-specific proliferation and IL-2 secretion was assessed by stimulating the T cell clones with FBL either in the presence or absence of macrophages (M phi), rIL-1, or rIL-2. Resting cloned HITc cells, purified from residual accessory cells, failed to proliferate in response to FBL alone, but proliferated in response to FBL plus M phi, rIL-1 or rIL-2. Stimulation with FBL alone in the absence of M phi or IL-1 was sufficient for induction of IL-2R expression, and rendered cells responsive to IL-2, but M phi or IL-1 were also required to induce production of IL-2. The activity of IL-1 was further examined by measuring the binding of [125I]rIL-1 alpha, which demonstrated that resting cloned HITc cells expressed IL-1R that increased in number after activation with Ag. This expression of IL-1R and requirement for IL-1 by CD8+ HITc was surprising because previous studies examining T cell populations after mitogen stimulation have not detected IL-1R on the CD8+ population. Therefore, the role of IL-1 in the activation of CD8+ CTL that do not secrete IL-2 after activation was assessed. By contrast to HITc, CD8+ CTL required exogenous IL-2 to proliferate in vitro and did not express IL-1R. These data demonstrate that the subset of CD8+ T cells responsible for IL-2 production express IL-1R and that triggering this receptor with IL-1 after Ag stimulation results in the production of IL-2 and subsequent proliferation.
Degradation of pentachlorophenol by pure and mixed cultures in two different soils.

Goal, Scope and Background Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is the second highest volume pesticide used in the United States. It is a mutagenic compound whose exposure poses significant health effects. One of the most desirable, environmentally friendly treatment methods is bioremediation. For soil-based contamination, the effectiveness of bioremediation will also be affected by the presence of an active indigenous population, sorption of the contaminant onto the soil, and environmental parameters.
A multicenter evaluation of the role of mechanical bowel preparation in pediatric colostomy takedown

Abstract Background In response to studies in adults that have failed to demonstrate a benefit for mechanical bowel preparation in colonic surgery, we sought to evaluate the utility of mechanical bowel preparation in a multicenter, retrospective study of children who underwent colostomy takedown. Methods The records of 272 children who underwent colostomy takedown at 3 large children's hospitals were reviewed, and the utilization of mechanical bowel preparation and perioperative antibiotics was noted. Length of stay and the incidences of wound, anastomotic, and other complications were compared. Results A polyethylene glycol bowel prep was administered to 187 children. All subjects received perioperative, intravenous antibiotics, and 52% of those with bowel preps received preoperative oral antibiotics. Subjects in the bowel prep group had a significantly higher incidence of wound infection ( P = .04) and longer length of stay ( P = .05). Oral antibiotics did not affect outcome. Conclusions The use of a mechanical bowel preparation in children before colostomy takedown was associated with a greater risk for wound infection, no protection from other complications, and a longer length of stay. This suggests that bowel preparation may be safely omitted in many children who undergo colonic surgery, thereby reducing cost and discomfort.
Abnormalities of 21-hydroxylase gene ratio and adrenal steroidogenesis in hyperandrogenic women with an exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to acute adrenal stimulation.

One to 2% of hyperandrogenic women demonstrate a 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-HP) level greater than 36.3 nmol/L (1200 ng/dL) after acute ACTH–(l–24) adrenal stimulation, consistent with 21–hydroxylase (21-OH) deficient lateonset adrenal hyperplasia (LOAH). The following study was undertaken to endocrinologically and genetically define hyperandrogenic patients with an exaggerated 17-HP response to ACTH stimulation, and which do not represent LOAH. Of 265 consecutive patients suffering from hirsutism and/or hyperandrogenic oligomenorrhea, 23 (8.7%) demonstrated a 17-HP level 30 min post stimulation greater than 9.6 nmol/L or 316 ng/dL (the upper 95th percentile in 41 eumenorrheic nonhirsute healthy control women). Seven patients or five separate families (1.8% of total) demonstrated poststimulation 17-HP levels consistent with LOAH. Of the remaining 16 patients, the net increment in 17-HP (▴17-HP0–30) was within normal limits in seven (2.6%) and these women were assumed to have a normal 17-HP adrenocortical ...
Structural analysis of reactor fuel elements

Abstract An overview of fuel element modeling is presented that traces the development of codes for the prediction of light-water reactor and fast breeder reactor fuel element performance. It is concluded that although the mathematical analysis is now far advanced, the development and incorporation of mechanistic constitutive equations has not kept pace. The resultant reliance on empirical correlations severely limits the physical insight that can be gained from code extrapolations. Current efforts include modeling of alternate fuel systems, analysis of local fuel cladding interactions and development of a predictive capability for off-normal behavior. Future work should help remedy the current constitutive deficiencies and should include the development of deterministic failure criteria for use in design.