cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards a theory of ethnic identity and migration : the formation of ethnic enclaves by migrant Germans in Russia and North America

Cet article examine les facteurs qui determninent le maintien de l'identite ethnique a travers la comparaison de 6 groupes d'immigres allemands. Ces six groupes sont (1) des paysans ayant migre au XVIII e siecle en Volga russe, (2) des migrants du XIII e siecle en Lettonie, (3) des bureaucrates et des negociants ayant migre au XVII e siecle a Moscou et a St Petersbourg, (4) des paysans ayant migre au XVIII e siecle en Pennsylvanie, (5) des Hutterites ayant migre au XIX e siecle dans le Middle West nord-americain et (6) des Allemands de Volga ayant migre au XVIII e siecle dans le Middle West americain. Trois de ces groupes se sont assimiles a leur societe d'accueil, alors que les trois autres ont forme des enclaves ethniques. La comparaison de ces six cas permet de mettre en evidence que ce qui a determine, ou non, le maintien de l'identite d'un groupe dependait de la possibilite des individus a deplacer leur « base economique transmissible » (transmission du statut social). Ceci est vrai pour la situation de l'immigre parce que c'est cette base economique transmissible qui determine qui sera le groupe de reference
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Noncovalent Dimers of Formaldehyde and Thioformaldehyde: Structures, Energetics, and Vibrational Frequencies

This work provides the first characterization of five stationary points of the homogeneous thioformaldehyde dimer, (CH2S)2, and seven stationary points of the heterogeneous formaldehyde/thioformaldehyde dimer, CH2O/CH2S, with correlated ab initio electronic structure methods. Full geometry optimizations and corresponding harmonic vibrational frequencies were computed with second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and 13 different density functionals in conjunction with triple-ζ basis sets augmented with diffuse and multiple sets of polarization functions. The MP2 results indicate that the three stationary points of (CH2S)2 and four of CH2O/CH2S are minima, in contrast to two stationary points of the formaldehyde dimer, (CH2O)2. Single-point energies were also computed using the explicitly correlated MP2-F12 and CCSD(T)-F12 methods and basis sets as large as heavy-aug-cc-pVTZ. The (CH2O)2 and CH2O/CH2S MP2 and MP2-F12 binding energies deviated from the CCSD(T)-F12 binding energies by no more th...
DRL performance of juvenile rats with septal lesions

Infant rats received either lesions of the septal nuclei or control operations at 7 days of age. Following weaning at 21 days, the infant rats were trained to leverpress for food. A DRL 20-sec schedule was then used, with the rats being tested in either a conventional operant chamber or one which contained wooden balsa blocks. DRL training continued for 40 daily 60-min sessions. The infant rats successfully leverpressed for food. The presence of the wooden blocks facilitated the development of efficient DRL behavior in the rats with septal lesions, but not in the controls. With training, the juvenile rats with septal lesions trained in conventional chambers showed an improvement in their DRL behavior.
Ultrasonic Attenuation Peaks Near the Diffuse Transition Temperature in Solid Electrolytes with Fluorite Structure

Measurements of the ultrasonic attenuation and velocity have been made in solid electrolytes with fluorite structure, PbF2, BaF2, and CdF2, from room temperature to temperature at or above the diffuse solid electrolyte transition temperature, Tc. The ultrasonic attenuation peaks observed in this class of materials are associated only with the ionic conductivity saturation rather than in combination with crystallographic phase transition found in many other solid electrolytes. The relaxation rates and Arrhenius activation energies for anion motion above the transition temperature were obtained from the temperature dependence of the ultrasonic attenuation and the theory of local site fluctuations. The ultrasonic attenuation peaks observed for the first time in CdF2was used to define the diffuse transition temperature in this material. An Anomalous peak is also observed in the linear thermal expansion coefficient of PbF2.
Viewer Miscomprehension Findings are Measurement Bound

Viewer Miscomprehension Findings Are Measurement Bound The Jacoby/Hoyer findings of a "norm" or "natural error rate" of miscomprehension when viewing televised communication appears to be an artifact arising from using a single recognition measurement technique. Results from a recent FTC copy test suggest that significantly different levels of miscomprehension would result if other measurements such as recall were also included. The difficulty of providing a valid measure of miscomprehension is also explored.
Primary Immunodeficiencies of Horses

Primary immunodeficiency disorders are genetically determined failures of immune defense that increase susceptibility to infectious agents. This article reviews the salient features of equine primary immunodeficiency disorders, summarizes the molecular mechanisms of each disorder, and updates information that facilitates diagnosis and management of affected horses. The central theme is to encourage clinicians to ask, "I wonder if this horse has an underlying primary immunodeficiency disorder?" when caring for horses suffering from chronic and recurring infections and responding poorly to standard therapy.
Differential effects of oral glucose-mediated versus intravenous hyperinsulinemia on circulating androgen levels in women * †

Objective To determine whether transient endogenous or continuous exogenous hyperinsulinemia produced different changes in circulating gonadal steroid levels because insulin is a putative regulator of gonadal steroid secretion in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Design An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a 2-hour euglycemic clamp (+100 μ U/mL [718 pmol/L] steady-state insulin levels) were performed in obese patients with PCOS (n=7) in nonobese patients with PCOS (n=5), and in age- and weight-matched ovulating normal women (obese normal n=7, nonobese normal n=6). Results Despite increased insulin levels, the levels of T and androstenedione (A) decreased in three of the four groups during the OGTT (nonobese normal women showed a slight increase in T during the OGTT). In contrast, the continuous 2-hour insulin infusion resulted in increased androgen levels. When all four groups were pooled, the difference in the changes in A levels between the two tests was significant, and the difference in T levels between the two tests approached significance. Conclusions Transient physiological hyperinsulinemia produced by an oral glucose load was associated with a decrease rather than an increase in circulating androgen levels. The effects on circulating androgen levels of oral glucose-mediated increases in insulin levels were significantly different from those of a continuous intravenous insulin infusion. Sustained hyperinsulinemia produced by exogenous insulin infusion appeared to be required to increase androgen levels in women; transient physiological increases in insulin levels after an oral glucose load were insufficient to produce hyperandrogenism. Postmeal hyperinsulinemia does not contribute to hyperandrogenism in women.
Percutaneous Caliceal Irrigation During Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Lower Pole Renal Calculi

AbstractA percutaneous nephrostomy tube coiled in the lower pole calix was used to irrigate stone fragments during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in a small series of patients. This procedure is suggested as a possible means of improving lithotripsy results for larger, lower pole stones.
p53 Regulates Progenitor Cell Quiescence and Differentiation in the Airway

Mechanisms that regulate progenitor cell quiescence and differentiation in slowly replacing tissues are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that the tumor suppressor p53 regulates both proliferation and differentiation of progenitors in the airway epithelium. p53 loss decreased ciliated cell differentiation and increased the self-renewal and proliferative capacity of club progenitors, increasing epithelial cell density. p53-deficient progenitors generated a pseudostratified epithelium containing basal-like cells in vitro and putative bronchioalveolar stem cells in vivo. Conversely, an additional copy of p53 increased quiescence and ciliated cell differentiation, highlighting the importance of tight regulation of p53 levels. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we found that loss of p53 altered the molecular phenotype of progenitors and differentially modulated cell-cycle regulatory genes. Together, these findings reveal that p53 is an essential regulator of progenitor cell behavior, which shapes our understanding of stem cell quiescence during homeostasis and in cancer development.
Knock Knock - Is Your Cloud Optimized?

This presentation will discuss the open source OpenStack project named Watcher, which is Optimization as a service. This service uses OpenStack cloud platform as the backbone to provide server, storage and network level optimization to one's cloud infrastructure.
A multicenter randomized controlled trial of endovascular therapy following imaging evaluation for ischemic stroke (DEFUSE 3).

RationaleEarly reperfusion in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke is effective in patients with large vessel occlusion. No randomized data are available regarding the safety and efficacy of...
Characterizing spontaneous otoacoustic emissions across the human lifespan.

This study characterizes 1571 archival and newly acquired spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) from 632 human subjects with ages ranging from premature birth through the seventh decade of life. Automated detection and Lorentzian modeling were applied to identify SOAEs and characterize SOAE features throughout the human lifespan. Results confirm higher-level, higher-frequency, and more numerous SOAEs from neonates compared to young adults. Approximately 85% of newborns have measurable SOAEs as compared to 51%–68% for young adults. Newborn SOAEs are also an average of 5 to 6 dB higher in level than those from young-adult ears. These age differences may reflect immature ear-canal acoustics and/or the pristine condition of the neonatal cochlea. In addition, newborns as a group showed broader SOAE bandwidth and increased frequency jitter, possibly due to higher intracochlear noise; additionally, 22% of newborn SOAEs had a different, non-Lorentzian spectral shape. Aging effects were also observed: 40% of e...
Scientists as free riders: Strategies for managing innovation in the Dutch East India Company

As the Dutch East India Company expanded its presence in Asia during the seventeenth century, discovery of new products and medical materials was central to its continued success and survival. This...
“Venimos Para Que se Oiga la Voz”: Activating Community Cultural Wealth as Parental Educational Leadership:

This article expands a more inclusive parental engagement framework by broadening notions of educational leadership using an example of organizing actions of Latina parent leaders amid a hostile an...
Preventing Rescue Surgeries by Endoscopic Clipping: A Valuable Resource in the Surgeon's Toolbox.

Abstract Aim: Over-the-scope-clip (OTSC) System is a relatively new endoluminal intervention for gastrointestinal (GI) leaks, fistulas, and bleeding. Here, we present a single center experience with the device over the course of 4 years. Methods: Retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who received endoscopic OTSC treatment. Primary outcome is the resolution of the original indication for clip placement. Secondary outcomes are complications and time to resolution. Results: Forty-one patients underwent treatment with the OTSC system from 2011 to 2015 with average follow-up of 152 days. The average age is 53.7. The most common site of clip placement was in the stomach (44%). Clips were placed after surgical complication for 28 patients (68%), endoscopic complications for 8 patients (19%), and spontaneous presentation in 5 patients (12%). Technical success was achieved in all patients. Overall, 34 patients (83%) were successfully treated. Nine patients required multiple clips and three patients...
Reach Me If You Can: Reachability Query in Uncertain Contact Networks

With the advent of reliable positioning technologies and prevalence of location-based services, it is now feasible to accurately study the propagation of items such as infectious viruses, sensitive information pieces, and malwares through a population of moving objects, e.g., individuals, vehicles, and mobile devices. In such application scenarios, an item passes between two objects when the objects are sufficiently close (i.e., when they are, so-called, in contact), and hence once an item is initiated, it can propagate in the object population through the evolving network of contacts among objects, termed contact network. In this paper, for the first time we define and study probabilistic reachability queries in large uncertain contact networks, where propagation of items through contacts are uncertain. A probabilistic reachability query verifies whether two objects are "reachable" through the evolving uncertain contact network with a probability greater than a threshold η. For efficient processing of probabilistic queries, we propose a novel index structure, termed spatiotemporal tree cover (STC), which leverages the spatiotemporal properties of the contact network for efficient processing of the queries. Our experiments with real data demonstrate superiority of our proposed solution versus the only other existing solution (based on Monte Carlo sampling) for processing probabilistic reachability queries in generic uncertain graphs, with 300% improvement in query processing time on average.
From Exile to Convergence

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, each tribe was a separate nation beholden only unto itself, as was the situation among all people during most of mankind’s history. Each tribe controlled whatever territory it could, for hunting and fishing, gathering wild plants, and agriculture. As a result, territorial boundary lines were probably always in flux as military adventures succeeded or failed. Some tribes disappeared, and new tribes appeared. A constant theme, as nearly as history can be reconstructed, was intertribal warfare.
Hunting behavior of Florida largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides floridanus, in a channelized river

The distribution and behavior of Florida largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides floridanus, and their main prey (sunfish, genus Lepomis, and the cichlid Tilapia mariae) were studied in southern Florida to determine how fish behave in the simplified habitats found in channelized rivers. Time budgets were constructed from focal animal observations on 69 bass. Patterns of behavior associated with hunting were performed during a significantly higher proportion of the time when bass were in vegetated habitats. Scan samples of the behavior of 236 observed bass revealed that hunting was more common in areas of high structural complexity. Only 38% of observed bass were solitary, with the majority occurring in groups with either conspecifics or in mixed-species groups with similar sized bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus. Largemouth bass (n=1014) and sunfish (n=1372) were significantly more abundant in areas with vegetation and were almost entirely absent from the water column in the center of the canal. All species of fish avoided the water column, where currents were swift and no cover was available. The structure of the habitat appears to be important in the way largemouth bass organize their activity patterns. This suggests that habitat availability in channelized rivers significantly influences important behaviors such as hunting, thus potentially altering energy budgets and population dynamics of both predator and prey.
Role of extracellular matrix in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the pulmonary arteries with increased collagen deposition, cross-linkage of collagen, and b...
Relative influence of perceived peer and family substance use on adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use across middle and high school

Abstract Purpose Substance use by peers and family may affect adolescent substance use, yet the relative influence may shift during adolescence as youth differentiate themselves from family and more closely affiliate with peers. This study examined trends in concordance of adolescent cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use and corresponding perceived use by friends and family members during middle and high school. Methods Data are from a longitudinal cohort of 12,038 youth who completed up to five surveys during grades 6–12. At each wave, adolescents reported past month use of cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, as well as perceived use by their best friend, older sibling and most important adult figure. For each substance, we used time-varying effect models to estimate how associations between adolescent use and perceived use varied across grade. Results For all substances, concordance with best friend use was positive and stronger than concordance with older sibling or adult use at all grades. Concordance with both best friend and older sibling use of all substances was pronounced in 6th grade. Concordance peaked again during mid-high school for smoking (best friend, older sibling) and marijuana (best friend). Concordance with adult marijuana use peaked in middle school, yet associations with adult alcohol and cigarette use were relatively stable. Conclusions Substance use prevention efforts that seek to counter peer normative pressures should begin prior to middle school and span high school. Such efforts should address the role of peer and family environments, as both were found to be relevant during middle and high school.
Considerations for Mental Health Screening with Latinx Dual Language Learners

Over half of the children between the ages of 1 and 5 in California are classified as dual language learners (DLLs), with most identified as Latinx and from Spanish-speaking backgrounds. Latinx students are consistently under-identified and undertreated for mental health services, necessitating a change in service delivery that begins with universal mental health screening in schools. This article provides recommended steps for mental health screening for Latinx DLLs. Specific considerations are provided for screening DLLs in a culturally responsive and congruent manner that ensures the inclusion and proper evaluation of their needs. The following steps are recommended: (1) identifying key stakeholders, a team, and a plan; (2) selecting screening instruments; (3) obtaining consent; (4) administering the screening instrument; (5) scoring and presenting results; and (6) treatment and follow-up. A case example is included. Mental health screening for Latinx DLLs can help advance efforts to improve culturally responsive, school-based mental health practices.
Effects of social work practice on practitioners’ spirituality

Increased attention to the intersection between spirituality/religion and social work has led to improved understanding of the importance of these influences in the lives of social workers and the ...
Moral Representativeness and Satisfaction with One’s Religious Community

Belonging to a community of believers represents a basic component of most religions. According to a social-functional account of religion, a primary function of religious belief is to bind individ...
Solid Tumors Outside of the Central Nervous System

Solid tumors outside of the central nervous system present interesting challenges to the pediatric intensivist. In this chapter uncommon, but life-threatening, clinical circumstances will be described – particularly as they relate to solid tumors in the chest. Children with anterior mediastinal masses require a thoughtful, multidisciplinary approach to ensure safe diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, the management of less common solid tumors such as neuroblastoma and desmoplastic small round blue cell tumors provides some insight into the use of innovative treatment strategies that may become more prevalent in the coming years. Finally, care strategies geared toward early recovery after surgery are integral to the care of patients with solid tumors requiring surgical resection and are increasingly employed in pediatric intensive care units. These strategies are integral to the overall management plan for patients with solid tumors.
Can Young Children Draw What Does Not Exist

Research on children’s drawing has focused primarily on the challenges they face in depicting reality on a two-dimensional surface. As they get older, their depictions become increasingly realistic...
A Descriptive Analysis of the Types, Targets, and Relative Frequency of Aggression in Mainstream Pornography

For decades, scholars and public health officials have been concerned with the depictions of sexual aggression in pornography, especially when acts of aggression are depicted with no consequences. Social cognitive theory suggests behaviors that are rewarded are more likely to be learned by consumers while those punished are less likely to be learned. To date, however, there has not been a large-scale content analysis to provide researchers with the baseline knowledge of the amount of sexual aggression in online pornography nor have previous content analyses examined the reactions of the targets of sexual aggression. This study of 4009 heterosexual scenes from two major free pornographic tube sites (Pornhub and Xvideos) sought to provide this baseline. Overall, 45% of Pornhub scenes included at least one act of physical aggression, while 35% of scenes from Xvideos contained aggression. Spanking, gagging, slapping, hair pulling, and choking were the five most common forms of physical aggression. Women were the target of the aggression in 97% of the scenes, and their response to aggression was either neutral or positive and rarely negative. Men were the perpetrators of aggression against women in 76% of scenes. Finally, examining the 10 most populous categories, the Amateur and Teen categories in Xvideos and the Amateur category in Pornhub had significantly less aggression, while the Xvideos Hardcore category had significantly more physical aggression against women. This study suggests aggression is common against women in online pornography, while repercussions to this aggression are rarely portrayed.
Evaluation of air-free glassware using the ketyl test

Air-free glassware and techniques are used in most organometallic research laboratories, but their relative effectiveness has not been well studied. We report a method for quantitatively comparing air and moisture exclusion by air-free glassware. Samples of benzophenone dianion in various glassware are monitored by video as their purple color is quenched. Numerical values for time until colorless are extracted from the video data and interpreted as a relative measure of air and moisture exclusion. Low pressure/vacuum (LPV) NMR tubes demonstrated by far the best performance, compared to a variety of Schlenk flasks and standard NMR tubes. The findings are of immediate practical use for synthetic chemists, and the evaluation methods can be used by individual laboratories to assess other conditions for air and moisture exclusion.
Image-Guided Percutaneous Ablation of Adrenal Metastases: A Meta-Analysis of Efficacy and Safety.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous ablation of adrenal metastases through a meta-analysis of various image-guided percutaneous ablation techniques. Materials and Methods A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and Embase databases was performed for studies evaluating the efficacy and/or safety of image-guided percutaneous ablation of adrenal metastases. A total of 37 studies published between 2009 and 2020 were analyzed, comprising a sample size of 959 patients. Proportion estimates of overall survival, local control, and toxicity were analyzed in a pooled meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of adverse events after ablation was calculated based on common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) grading. Results Of the 959 included patients, 320 (33.3%) underwent radiofrequency ablation, 72 (7.5%) microwave ablation, 95 (9.9%) cryoablation, and 46 (4.8%) ethanol injections for treatment of adrenal metastases. The remaining 426 (44.4%) patients were from studies involving a mixture of the 4 listed percutaneous ablation techniques. The pooled 1-year local control rate was 80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76%–83%). The pooled 1-year overall survival rate was 77% (95% CI, 70%–83%). The overall rate of severe adverse events after ablation (CTCAE grade 3 or higher) was 16.1%. The overall rate of low-grade adverse events after ablation (CTCAE grade 2 or lower) was 32.6%. Approximately 21.9% (n = 203) of patients experienced intraprocedural hypertensive crises, the majority of which were reversed with antihypertensive medications. Conclusions This study demonstrates that image-guided percutaneous ablation can be effective in achieving acceptable short- to mid-term local tumor control and overall survival with a moderate safety profile.
Electron paramagnetic resonance in Cd 1 − x Mn x S, Cd 1 − x Mn x Se, and Cd 1 − x Mn x Te

We present results of a systematic investigation of EPR in the Cd-based family of diluted magnetic semiconductors (${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$S, ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$Se, and ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$Te) over a wide range of temperature and Mn concentration. The dependence of the EPR linewidth on the anion of the host lattice is established. Specifically, we find that, at a fixed temperature and Mn concentration, the linewidth increases in the order of sulfide, selenide, and telluride. This trend holds over a wide range of sample composition and temperature. We also demonstrate that the general EPR behavior in all three alloys is identical: namely, the absorption line shape is Lorentzian in the paramagnetic region of the phase diagram, and broadens with increasing x and decreasing T. The Lorentzian-regime line shape is analyzed using the exchange-narrowing picture. The observed dependence of the EPR linewidth on the anion cannot be explained by dipolar broadening alone. We argue that the dominant anisotropic spin-spin interaction must be the anisotropic part of the exchange interaction, and speculate that the Dzyaloshinski-Moriya interaction may play a role. The exchange-narrowing theory is also used to examine the variation of the linewidth with sample composition and temperature. At very low temperatures, as the spin-glass transition is approached, the line shape deviates from Lorentzian behavior and the resonance appears to shift to lower fields. These non-Lorentzian line shapes are discussed with reference to similar behavior in other spin-glasses.
Selective myenteric neuronal denervation of the rat jejunum. Differential control of the propagation of migrating myoelectric complex and basic electric rhythm.

Abstract Serosal application of benzalkonium chloride (BAC), a cationic surfactant, was used to selectively ablate the myenteric neurons of the rat jejunum. The myoelectric activity of the BAC-treated area and the areas both orad and caudad to it were assessed. In the jejunal segment devoid of myenteric neurons, the basic electric rhythm (BER) pattern was erratic and the amplitude of the BER was attenuated. The BER frequency of the jejunal area caudad to the BAC-treated area was 30.7 ± 0.73 cycles/min, which was significantly reduced from the normal BER frequency (37.7 ± 0.64 cycles/min). Spike activity was normal in areas both orad and caudad to the treated area, existing in regular cycling bursts (migrating myoelectric complex). Spiking in the treated area did not appear until ~13–17 days after BAC treatment. These spikes, though of greater duration and lower frequency than the adjacent areas, always appeared after an orad burst and were followed by a caudad burst. In addition, the following motility parameters of the regions orad and caudad to the treated area were not significantly different from control animals: burst duration, period, and burst propagation velocity. In conclusion, the present investigation has demonstrated that BAC-induced ablation of the myenteric neurons in the rat jejunum disrupts the BER but not the migrating myoelectric complex propagation. This suggests that the myenteric neurons play a modulatory role in the generation and propagation of the BER, whereas humoral factors or the submucosal neurons may be more important in the control of the migrating myoelectric complex.
Anomalies in species identification of enterococci from veterinary sources using a commercial biochemical identification system.

Aims: A commercial biochemical panel ID kit was used to identify presumptive enterococci isolates of veterinary or agricultural origin obtained during different steps of culture. Methods and Results: Fifty isolates identified as enterococci using a genus PCR assay were tested for genus and species identification using the BBL Crystal Identification Gram-Positive ID kit (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD, USA). Following sub-culture of the isolates three times, 59% agreement with the original panel ID was obtained. After four and six sub-cultures, percentage agreement increased to 61 and 64%, respectively. Nineteen of the 50 cultures were identified as both Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium. Conclusions: As a result of the variability between speciation of isolates following re-culture, additional methods for speciation are warranted. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study suggests that the identification of the genus and species of non-human enterococcal isolates can vary greatly during successive passages when using this kit.
New results for Hammerstein system identification

A novel approach is presented for the analysis and design of identification algorithms for Hammerstein models, which consist of a static nonlinearity followed by an LTI system. The authors examine two identification problems. In the first problem, the system is excited with white noise and the LTI system is FIR, and they find a simple explicit solution for the optimal parameter estimate and show that for sufficiently large data lengths a standard iterative technique globally converges to this optimal value. In the second problem, the LTI system is given in state-space form and the authors show that standard state-space algorithms can be easily modified to identify Hammerstein models.
Fear of Commitment: Evaluating the Intentions of Conflict Managers

Recently, scholarship on the causes and consequences of international mediation has exploded. While this research helps clarify the occurrence and outcomes of conflict resolution attempts, third party motivations have largely been ignored. Further consideration of third party commitment is necessary before we can effectively evaluate mediation outcomes. For example, existing scholarship does not differentiate between “cheap talk” and true commitments to conflict resolution. Long term third party involvement is often required before a conflict is resolved. How can we understand long term third party involvement with and commitment to the mediation process? I consider the supply of mediation in long-term conflicts. I argue third party decisions result from three factors: interests, conflict costs, and the prospects for peace. I employ selection models to show that many of the factors that increase mediation have an inverse effect on third party commitment to peace.
Applied Behavioral Economics and Mental Health

This item introduces the interface between mental health and behavioral economics. First, the latter domain is outlined and distinguished from conventional economics. Definitional and conceptual details are highlighted and clarified. Finally, elaboration of some of the central phenomena of behavioral economics leads to illustration of how they may apply in the context of the mental health services sector.
On the effect of grain burnback on STS-SRM fragment velocity

Concerns raised during the Ulysses Final Safety Analysis Review (FSAR) process called the solid rocket motor (SRM) fragment velocity prediction model into question. The specific area of concern was that there was a section of the SRM casing which was exposed to SRM chamber pressure as the grain (fuel) was consumed. These questions centered on the velocity of fragments which originated from the field joint region given that failure occurred between 37 and 72 seconds mission elapsed time (MET). Two dimensional coupled Eulerian‐Lagrangian calculations were performed to assess the hot gas flow field which resulted from SRM casing fragmentation. The fragment to gas interface‐pressure time‐history obtained from these analyses was reduced to a boundary condition algorithm which was applied to an explicit‐time‐integration, finite element, three dimensional shell model of the SRM casing and unburned fuel. The results of these calculations showed that the velocity of fragments originating in the field joint was adequately described by the range of velocities given in the Shuttle Data Book (1988). Based on these results, no further analyses were required, and approval was obtained from the Launch Abort Subpanel of the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel to use the SRM fragment velocity environments presented in the Ulysses FSAR (1990).
RNA SORTING IN XENOPUS OOCYTES AND EMBRYOS

Cytoplasmic localization of mRNA molecules has emerged as a powerful mechanism for generating spatially restricted gene expression. This process is an important contributor to cell polarity in both somatic cells and oocytes, and can provide the basis for patterning during embryonic development. In vertebrates, this phenomenon is perhaps best documented in the frog, Xenopus laevis, where polarity along the animal-vegetal axis coincides with the localization of numerous mRNA molecules. Research over the last several years has made exciting progress toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cytoplasmic mRNA localization.—Mowry, K. L., Cote, C. A. RNA sorting in Xenopus oocytes and embryos.
A Class Of Neighbor Balanced Complete Block Designs and their Efficiencies for Spatially Correlated Errors

Two dimensional designs for blocksize (ν/2) × 2 and an even number ν of treatments, which are neighbor balanced and which have an additional property on the design formed by the corner plots, are studied. Efficiency lower bounds for these resolvable row-column designs are obtained under two different error covariance structures: the doubly geometric, for which the correlations decay rapidly, and the autonormal, which exhibits a slower rate of decay. Two infinite series of the designs are constructed.
Furthering Highly Rigorous Applied Research in School Psychology in an Era of Educational Reform and Accountability

This issue marks an official transition in the history of the Journal of Applied School Psychology (JASP), as it is the first issue of a new editorial term. It is with great joy to serve as the new...
Pseudo-Almost Automorphic Solutions to Some Second-Order Differential Equations

En este trabajo se estudia y obtiene la existencia de soluciones casi-seudo automorfas a algunas clases de ecuaciones diferenciales abstractas de segundo orden en un espacio de Hilbert. Para ilustrar nuestros resultados abstractos, se discute la existencia de soluciones casi-seudo automorfas en el problema de contorno N-dimensional de Sine-Gordon.
Morbidly adherent placenta treatments and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE:To describe recent maternal and neonatal delivery outcomes among women with a morbidly adherent placenta in major centers across the United States.METHODS:This study reviewed a cohort of 115,502 women and their neonates born in 25 hospitals in the United States between March 2008 and Febru
Mechanical Harvesting and the California Tomato Industry: A Simulation Analysis

Simulation analysis based on an econometric model was used to compare processing-tomato industry performance with and without the development of mechanical harvesting and under differing wage scales. Expanded production under mechanical harvesting increased requirements for preharvest, seasonal and off-season cannery, and assembly labor relative to continued hand harvest. This offset much, but not all, of the reduction in seasonal harvest labor. Employment shifted more toward jobs of higher skill and pay. Product prices were lower. Economic surplus measures suggest consumers have been the primary long-run benefactors of mechanical harvest adoption.
Integral equation solution of 3-D anisotropic lossy dielectrics in uniaxial layered media

The iterative method-of-moments solution of the volume electric field integral equation is used to analyze electromagnetic scattering from arbitrarily shaped, three-dimensional anisotropic lossy dielectrics that reside in uniaxial planar layered media. A dyadic contrast ratio is defined, uniaxial layered Green functions are used, and two testing schemes are evaluated. Numerical results validate the method's accuracy and compare the performance of the testing schemes.
Prebiotic polymerization: Oxidative polymerization of 2, 3-dimercapto-1-propanol on the surface of iron(III) hydroxide oxide

The oxidation of 2, 3-dimercapto-1-propanol by ferric ions on the surface of iron(III) hydroxide oxide (Fe(OH)O) yielded polydisulfide oligomers. This polymerization occurred readily at low dithiol concentration under mild aqueous conditions. Polydisulfide polymers up to the 15-mer were synthesized from 1 mM dithiol in 5 ml water reacted with iron(III) hydroxide oxide (20 mg, 160 micromole Fe) for 3 days under anaerobic conditions at 40 C and pH 4. About 91% of the dithiol was converted to short soluble oligomers and 9% to insoluble larger oligomers that were isolated with the Fe(OH)O phase. Reactions carried out at the same ratio of dithiol to Fe(OH)O but at higher dithiol concentrations gave higher yields of the larger insoluble oligomers. The relationship of these results to prebiotic polymer synthesis is discussed.
“Snake-oil,” “quack medicine,” and “industrially cultured organisms:” biovalue and the commercialization of human microbiome research

Background Continued advances in human microbiome research and technologies raise a number of ethical, legal, and social challenges. These challenges are associated not only with the conduct of the research, but also with broader implications, such as the production and distribution of commercial products promising maintenance or restoration of good physical health and disease prevention. In this article, we document several ethical, legal, and social challenges associated with the commercialization of human microbiome research, focusing particularly on how this research is mobilized within economic markets for new public health uses.
Pulsed NMR studies in solid H2. II. Stimulated echoes and cross relaxation times

A study of the stimulated echo following a three-pulse sequence is presented for solid H2 samples with ortho concentrations X between 15% and 65%, and over the temperature range between T=0.1 and 2 K. The stimulated echo decay time τE is found to increase sharply upon cooling through the transition into the long-range ordered phase for X>0.55. However, the increase is only gradual during the progressive orientational ordering in the hcp phase for X ≲ 0.55. The predictions of a density matrix method for the stimulated echo amplitude are used for comparison with the experiment. A phenomenological approach shows that the results for τE can be interpreted in terms of a combination of longitudinal relaxation times T1 and cross relaxation times T12, the latter expressing the flip-flop transitions between the spin states of neighboring ortho-H2 molecules. These cross relaxation times are calculated from τE and T1 data and found to increase with linewidth as the orientational ordering progresses. The results are compared with the predictions from a simple model and qualitative agreement is obtained. Our observations of the stimulated echo shape and its decay lead to the conclusion that in the investigated range there is no sudden freezing of the orientational fluctuations over a narrow temperature range for X<0.5. Rather, combination of T1 and stimulated echo experiments indicates that the orientational fluctuation times increase progressively with decreasing temperature, but are likely to stay shorter than 10−4 sec above about 0.15 K. Therefore, in this temperature range, solid H2 cannot be regarded as a glass. This conclusion differs from that by Sullivan and co-workers.
A Dermal Piercing Complicated by Mycobacterium fortuitum

Background. Dermal piercings have recently become a fashion symbol. Common complications include hypertrophic scarring, rejection, local infection, contact allergy, and traumatic tearing. We report a rare case of Mycobacterium fortuitum following a dermal piercing and discuss its medical implications and treatments. Case. A previously healthy 19-year-old woman presented complaining of erythema and edema at the site of a dermal piercing on the right fourth dorsal finger. She was treated with a 10-day course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and one course of cephalexin by her primary care physician with incomplete resolution. The patient stated that she had been swimming at a local water park daily. A punch biopsy around the dermal stud was performed, and cultures with sensitivities revealed Mycobacterium fortuitum. The patient was treated with clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin for two months receiving full resolution. Discussion. Mycobacterium fortuitum is an infrequent human pathogen. This organism is a Runyon group IV, rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria, often found in water,soil, and dust. Treatment options vary due to the size of the lesion. Small lesions are typically excised, while larger lesions require treatment for 2–6 months with antibiotics. We recommend a high level of suspicion for atypical mycobacterial infections in a piercing resistant to other therapies.
Isozyme shift of adenylosuccinate synthase in rat and human neoplasms.

Adenylosuccinate synthase (EC 6.3.4.4) catalyzes the first reaction of AMP biosynthesis at IMP branching point. Previous investigations in this laboratory showed transformation-linked increase of adenylosuccinate synthase activity in rat transplantable hepatomas and kidney tumors. 1, 2 Matsuda et al. separated two isozymes of adenylosuccinate synthase in rat liver and characterized that the acidic isozyme has a lower Km for IMP than the basic isozyme.3 The acidic isozyme was suggested to contribute to purine de novo biosynthesis, since the ratio of the activities of the acidic isozyme to the basic one was increased in the liver of rats fed the purine-free basal diet4 and in regenerating liver5 in which the increased purine de novo synthesis would be required, whereas the basic isozyme was proposed to play a role in purine nucleotide cycle3, 6 involved in ammoniagenesis and regulation of glycolysis.7 These findings directed our attention to the neoplastic expression of the isozyme program of adenylosuccinate synthase in cancer tissues. The present study shows the consistent pattern of the isozyme shift to the acidic adenylosuccinate synthase in rat experimental tumors, human hepatocellular carcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma.
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: the last 3 years

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is the most prevalent, potentially lethal monogenic disorder. It has large inter- and intra-familial variability explained to a large extent by its genetic heterogeneity and modifier genes. An increased understanding of its underlying genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms and a better appreciation of its progression and systemic manifestations have laid out the foundation for the development of clinical trials and potentially effective therapies. The purpose of this review is to update the core of knowledge in this area with recent publications that have appeared during 2006–2009.
Observations beyond the limit

Observations which extend the energy range for astronomy above the TeV level are reviewed and discussed. Whether the particles originating the radiation are protons or neutrons is considered. Observations at the high-energy tail of the observed particle distribution are suggested to resolve this question.
Photonic Crystal Reflection Prisms

We present a photonic crystal cube-like polarization beam splitter and total internal reflection prism. By controlling diffraction, we experimentally show that free space optical prisms can now be implemented onto a planar silicon platform.
Water access points and hydration pathways in CLC H+/Cl- transporters.

CLC transporters catalyze transmembrane exchange of chloride for protons. Although a putative pathway for Cl− has been established, the pathway of H+ translocation remains obscure. Through a highly concerted computational and experimental approach, we characterize microscopic details essential to understanding H+-translocation. An extended (0.4 µs) equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation of membrane-embedded, dimeric ClC-ec1, a CLC from Escherichia coli, reveals transient but frequent hydration of the central hydrophobic region by water molecules from the intracellular bulk phase via the interface between the two subunits. We characterize a portal region lined by E202, E203, and A404 as the main gateway for hydration. Supporting this mechanism, site-specific mutagenesis experiments show that ClC-ec1 ion transport rates decrease as the size of the portal residue at position 404 is increased. Beyond the portal, water wires form spontaneously and repeatedly to span the 15-A hydrophobic region between the two known H+ transport sites [E148 (Gluex) and E203 (Gluin)]. Our finding that the formation of these water wires requires the presence of Cl− explains the previously mystifying fact that Cl− occupancy correlates with the ability to transport protons. To further validate the idea that these water wires are central to the H+ transport mechanism, we identified I109 as the residue that exhibits the greatest conformational coupling to water wire formation and experimentally tested the effects of mutating this residue. The results, by providing a detailed microscopic view of the dynamics of water wire formation and confirming the involvement of specific protein residues, offer a mechanism for the coupled transport of H+ and Cl− ions in CLC transporters.