cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Summer camps for children and adolescents with kidney disease.

Summer camps, sports camps, and residential camps are readily available to children and adolescents across the country. However, children and adolescents with end stage renal disease (ESRD) may not be able to participate in summer camp experiences because of specialized medical needs (e.g., dialysis or immunosuppressive medications) and concerns about abilities to keep up with camp activities. With enhancements in pediatric nephrology care in the past 10 years, patients can be expected to attend school full time and participate in peer activities. In addition, attendance at summer camps becomes a possibility for these children, particularly camps aimed at children with ESRD. Twenty pediatric nephrology centers in North America were surveyed about their participation in summer camp programs. This article reviews these and attempts to elucidate the values of summer camp programs for pediatric ESRD patients.
Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapies: Harnessing the Power of the Immune System to Fight Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

This article will review the use of anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy used in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The clinical outcomes, safety analysis, and other relevant considerations will be discussed with an emphasis on the most recently published data regarding the ZUMA-1, JULIET, and TRANSCEND NHL-001 trials. Anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy is an exciting new therapy now approved and available to patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Secondary to the increasing success and availability of these products, caregivers should expect to become familiar with the indications, toxicity, and limitations of these treatment options and when patients should be considered for referral.
A Sporting Chance: Relationships Between Technological Change and Concepts of Fair Play in Fishing

This paper traces the interaction of ideas about fair play (i.e., sportsmanship) and technological change in fishing. The essence of sport is contrived, self-imposed difficulties in pursuit of some...
Toward Smart Foodsheds: Using Stakeholder Engagement to Improve Informatics Frameworks for Regional Food Systems

A foodshed is a concept analogous to a watershed, describing the catchment of the sources of food for a region. As such, it portrays linkages ranging from local communities out to the global food s...
The significance of human dignity for social movements: mass mobilisation in Ukraine

Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with participants in the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, this article argues that the notion of human dignity is critical to mass mobilisation at differen...
Endoparasitic diversity from the Southern Ocean: is it really low in Antarctic fish?

The biodiversity and composition of endoparasites in fish obtained from the Antarctic and subantarctic zones are compared in this study. Several fish were collected in the summer from Antarctica (King George Island) and the Southern Pacific coast (Strait of Magellan and Almirante Montt Gulf). This database was complemented with published information on fish endoparasite communities from both zones, with specimens of fish sample size n ≥ 15. Thus, 31 fish species were analysed in this study, which altogether had 79 parasite species. Diversity indices were calculated for the parasite community of each fish species. Then they were compared between the Antarctic and subantarctic zones. Parasite species composition and host specificity (as the number of fish species used by a parasite species) were also analysed and compared between zones. The diversity indices and the abundance of parasites were significantly higher in the Antarctic than the subantarctic fish. Few parasite species (7.6%) were shared between fish from both zones, showing significant differences in parasite composition. Antarctic parasites were less host-specific than subantarctic parasites, which allowed the coexistence of several parasite species in the fish. The high parasite abundance in Antarctic fish could trigger sympatric speciation in certain parasitic lineages or the exploitation of new resources, resulting in more parasite species than those in subantarctic environments. The high abundance of Antarctic parasites implies different methods and rates of transmission than those of subantarctic parasites. In addition, more alternative fish hosts were used by the Antarctic than subantarctic parasites. This altogether indicates that host–parasite interaction dynamics significantly differ between the Antarctic and subantarctic systems.
Byzantine Economic Growth: Did Climate Change Play a Role?[enter Paper Title]

Different chroniclers of the history of the Byzantine Empire have noted various economic data gleamed from historical documents and accounts of the empire at different periods of time. Research for this paper has not uncovered any estimates of long term, annual macroeconomic data (gross domestic product (GDP), national income (NI), etc.) for the empire during its existence. Such data has been estimated to one extent or another for other nations and societies that have existed during the middle ages. This paper attempts to provide conjectures on approximate real GDP per capita trends for the empire over its existence from AD 300 to 1453. Finally, some hypotheses on factors that would have affected Byzantine economic performance are tested using climate/environmental factors. The results of this paper appear to confirm some findings on how the Byzantine economy might have been affected by periods of regional climate change. [enter Abstract Body]
Multi-scale simulation of wave propagation and liquefaction in a one-dimensional soil column: hybrid DEM and finite-difference procedure

The paper describes a multi-phase, multi-scale rational method for modeling and predicting free-field wave propagation and the weakening and liquefaction of near-surface soils. The one-dimensional time-domain model of a soil column uses the discrete element method (DEM) to track stress and strain within a series of representative volume elements (RVEs), driven by seismic rock displacements at the column base. The RVE interactions are accomplished with a time-stepping finite-difference algorithm. The method applies Darcy’s principle to resolve the momentum transfer between a soil’s solid matrix and its interstitial pore fluid. Different algorithms are described for the dynamic period of seismic shaking and for the post-shaking consolidation period. The method can analyze numerous conditions and phenomena, including site-specific amplification, down-slope movement of sloping ground, dissolution or cavitation of air in the pore fluid, and drainage that is concurrent with shaking. Several refinements of the DEM are described for realistically simulating soil behavior and for solving a range of propagation and liquefaction factors, including the poromechanic stiffness of the pore fluid and the pressure-dependent drained stiffness of the grain matrix. The model is applied to four sets of well-documented centrifuge studies. The verification results are favorable and highlight the importance of the pore fluid conditions, such as the amount of dissolved air within the pore water.
Henry James's Boston

IN SEPTEMBER 1862 Henry James journeyed from Newport to Cam bridge and registered as a student at the Harvard Law School. He was nineteen years old. He took lodgings in Winthrop Square, an old market area between Winthrop and Mt. Auburn Sts., near what is now Grendel's Den. Boston, the famous old Puritan cap?tol, was new to him. It was not only the center of culture, "the concentrated Boston of history, the Bos ton of Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes, Ticknor, Motley, Prescott, and Parkman," but at the time the focus of American industrial fortunes in the nineteenth century?overseas trade, banking and investments, railroads, real estate, and textiles. It was also, in spite of its refinements, narrow and provincial. According to his biog rapher, Leon Edel, James could never "reconcile himself to the gentility of the Brahmins, or the manner in which New England considered culture to be an arduous duty rather than a joy of life and civilization." His brother, William, studying medicine at the Lawrence Scientific School, was living at Miss Upham's boarding house at the corner of Kirk land and Oxford Sts. Cambridge was small, a village of leafy elms, solitary houses on long slopes, cows grazing on the commons. Harvard itself was a college of only 1000 students and thirty teachers. James considered himself a "singularly alien member" of the law school. The subject bored him. Lowell's literary lectures were of much greater interest. For the next six years he stayed on, becoming fully acquainted with life in Back Bay and Cambridge. The Civil War was raging, and Boston was at the height of Abolition fever, fueled by local firebrands like Thoreau, Lydia Maria Child, and Wendell Phillips. Harriet Beecher Stowe's father, Lyman Beecher, was minister of the Park St. Church where Sen. Charles Sumner earlier had given his great oration, "The War Systems of Nations." On New Year's Day James joined a multitude at the Boston Music Hall celebrating Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. On the crowded platform reading his "Boston Hymn" was Ralph Waldo Emer son, held in esteem by young James, who'd once met him in New York, as "the first, and the one really rare, American spirit in letters." At 22, Henry James moved to 13 Ashburton Place?behind the State House?where his parents now lived, having themselves traveled to Bos
Behaviour of the Finite-Sized, Three-Dimensional, Ising Model Near the Critical Point

Recent work showing the validity of hyperscaling involved results for finite size systems very near the critical point. We study this problem in more detail, and give estimators related to the Binder cumulant ratio which seem to approach the critical temperature from above and below. Based on these results, we estimate that the renormalized coupling constant, computed for the temperature fixed at the critical temperature and then taking the large system-size limit, is about 4.9 ± 0.1, and give a likely lower bound for it of 4.5. These estimates are argued to suffice to show the validity of hyperscaling.
IL-16 Promotes Leukotriene C4 and IL-4 Release from Human Eosinophils via CD4- and Autocrine CCR3-Chemokine-Mediated Signaling

Human eosinophils are potential sources of inflammatory and immunomodulatory mediators, including cysteinyl leukotrienes, chemokines, and cytokines, which are pertinent to allergic inflammation. We evaluated the means by which IL-16, a recognized eosinophil chemoattractant, might act on eosinophils to affect their capacity to release leukotriene C 4 (LTC 4 ) or their preformed stores of chemokines (eotaxin, RANTES) or Th1 (IL-12) or Th2 (IL-4) cytokines. IL-16 dose dependently (0.01–100 nM) elicited new lipid body formation, intracellular LTC 4 formation at lipid bodies, and priming for enhanced calcium ionophore-activated LTC 4 release. IL-16 also elicited brefeldin A-inhibitable, vesicular transport-mediated release of preformed IL-4, but not IL-12, from eosinophils. CD4 is a recognized IL-16R, and accordingly anti-CD4 Fab, soluble CD4, and a CD4 domain 4-based IL-16 blocking peptide inhibited the actions of IL-16 on eosinophils. Although CD4 is not G-protein coupled, pertussis toxin inhibited IL-16-induced eosinophil activation. IL-16 actions were found to be mediated by the autocrine activity, not of platelet-activating factor, but rather of endogenous CCR3-acting chemokines. IL-16 induced the rapid vesicular transport-mediated release of RANTES. The effects of IL-16 were blocked by CCR3 inhibitors (met-RANTES, anti-CCR3 mAb) and by neutralizing anti-eotaxin and anti-RANTES mAbs, but not by platelet-activating factor receptor antagonists (CV6209, BN52021). RANTES and eotaxin each enhanced LTC 4 and IL-4 (but not IL-12) release. Therefore, IL-16 activation of eosinophils is CD4-mediated to elicit the extracellular release of preformed RANTES and eotaxin, which then in an autocrine fashion act on plasma membrane CCR3 receptors to stimulate both enhanced LTC 4 production and the preferential release of IL-4, but not IL-12, from within eosinophils.
Effects of Ibotenate Hippocampal and Extrahippocampal Destruction on Delayed-Match and -Nonmatch-to-Sample Behavior in Rats

The effects of ibotenate lesions of the hippocampus (HIPP) or hippocampus plus collateral damage to extrahippocampal structures (HCX) were investigated in rats trained to criterion on spatial versions of either a delayed-match (DMS) or delayed-nonmatch-to-sample (DNMS) task. After recovery from surgery, animals were retrained at “0” sec delays, then assessed at 0–30 sec delays for 15 d, retrained again at 0 sec delays, and retested for another 25 d on 0–30 sec delays. Pretrained HIPP-lesioned animals showed marked delay-dependent deficits in both tasks that never recovered. Detailed examination of within- and between-trial performance factors, including changes in response preferences, length of previous trial delay, and sequential dependencies, revealed important factors operating in lesioned animals that were either absent or insignificant before the lesion. Pretrained HCX-lesioned animals showed deficits similar to those of HIPP animals, with the noticeable exception of a strong “recency” influence of the previous trial. Another group of HIPP- and HCX-lesioned animals trained on the tasks after the lesion showed reduced impairments of the type described above, suggesting that extrahippocampal structures trained after the lesion can assume the role of the hippocampus to some degree. The findings indicate that both the type of lesion and the previous history of the animal determine the postlesion DMS and DNMS performance of animals suffering damage to the hippocampus and/or related structures.
Research as Therapy

“Now that you know that it’s acute leukemia, you have to decide where you want to take your son for treatment.”
Design and fabrication of a microscale magnetoelectric surgical tool

ABSTRACT Magnetoelectric materials made from magnetostrictive and piezoelectric constituents are best suited for self-sensing actuators. The relationship between applied magnetic eld (force), tip displacement (deection) andcurrent output (sensing signal) is necessary for the development of self-sensing actuator systems. The dynamicbehavior of the constituent magnetostrictive materials and piezoelectric materials independent of each otherare well-understood. The coupled dynamic force-strain-sensing behavior of magnetoelectric materials as self-sensing actuators is largely unexplored and provides the motivation for our work in this area. This paperpresents theoretical and experimental analysis of the dynamic behavior of a Metglas/PVDF magnetoelectriclaminate composite. Experimental results for the mechanical and electrical behavior of a 15mm × 30mm ×75 µ m Metglas/PVDF cantilever beam across the frequency spectrum are compared to those predicted by anequation of motion developed using the principle of virtual work and Hamiltonian principle. The theoreticallydeveloped model predicts the observed displacement and sensing current within 35% and 20% respectively. Aparametric analysis is presented to determine the optimum design parameters of the composite for self-sensingactuation.Keywords: Magnetoelectric, Dynamic response, Self-sensing actuators, surgical tools, force-strain-sensing be-havior
Membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of plasmid DNA through semipermeable membranes

Abstract Although several recent studies have demonstrated the potential of using ultrafiltration for the purification of plasmid DNA, these data were limited to dilute solutions where membrane fouling was negligible. Ultrafiltration experiments were performed using 2.9 and 16.9 kbp (kilo base pair) supercoiled plasmids over a range of plasmid concentrations and filtration conditions using different molecular weight cutoff polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes. The flux and plasmid sieving coefficient were constant in dilute solutions but showed a significant decline in the more concentrated solutions. The flux decline was not due to concentration polarization effects; the filtrate flux and plasmid sieving coefficient were both essentially independent of the stirring speed. A simple fouling model was developed based on the partial blockage of the membrane pores by individual plasmids, with these partially blocked pores allowing filtrate flow but being inaccessible to subsequent DNA. The model calculations were in good agreement with the experimental data, with the plasmid capture probability increasing with increasing plasmid size. This behavior is consistent with independent results for the probability of knot formation in long plasmids. These results provide important insights into the fouling behavior of plasmid DNA during ultrafiltration through semipermeable membranes.
Nuclepore Membrane Filters for Milk Somatic Cell Estimations in Low Count Milk

Abstract A technique for staining and counting milk somatic cells on Nuclepore membrane filters is described. Precision and accuracy were compared with the direct microscopic somatic cell count modified for low cell count milk. The method appears suitable for application to low count milk from normal quarters.
COMPOSITIONAL, STRUCTURAL, AND PHYSICAL STUDIES OF SOME GRAPHITE HEXAFLUOROARSENATES AND THEIR RELATIVES

Abstract The F/As molar ratio for the vacuum-stable products obtained by treating graphite, at 20°, with (1) AsF 5 , (2) AsF 5 plus F 2 , and (3) O 2 AsF 6 , has been established to be 6. Route (1) gives mixtures of first and second-stage salts, whereas (2) and (3) readily yield first-stage material. This is attributed to the greater oxidizing potential of the reagents in (2) and (3). The volatiles from the route (1) synthesis are AsF 5 and AsF 3 , and from (2) AsF 5 . The interlayer spacing (I c ) of the occupied graphite galleries in the vacuum-stable hexafluoroarsenates is ca. 7.6 Ā and c ⋍ 7.6 + 3.35 (n−1) Ā (where n is the stage). For the products of routes (1) and (2), prior to removal of volatiles, I c ⋍ 8.0 Ā and c ⋍ 8.0 + 3.35 (n−1) Ā. X-ray powder diffraction data for the first-stage salt C 14 AsF 6 have established that the AsF − 6 species are nestled in contiguous three-fold sets of C-atom hexagons of the graphite. This requires a staggering of the enclosing C-atom layers, as in graphite. Each neighboring pair of C-atom sheets contains an ordered closest-packed assembly, appropriate for C 14 AsF 6 . Aside from the restriction imposed by AsF − 6 -nestling, the layers of composition C 14 AsF 6 are otherwise randomly stacked. Materials prepared by direct interaction of graphite and AsF 5 , prior to removal of volatiles, have a larger interlayer spacing, I c ⋍ 8.0 Ā than C 14 AsF 6 (I c ⋍ 7.6 Ā). X-ray data for such materials are accounted for by a random distribution of un-nestled AsF x species, between eclipsed carbon-atom sheets. The C x AsF 6 salts are all good conductors (approximately the conductivity of Al metal). Addition of fluorine to the salts decreases their conductivities substantially (approximately that of graphite).
The relationship between the arteriovenous carbon dioxide gradient and cardiac index

It has been reported that under normal conditions, mixed venous blood gases have approximated arterial samples; however, during cardiac arrest or severe cardiogenic shock, marked differences between arterial and venous blood gases have been noted. To further assess the relationships between arterial and mixed venous blood gases and cardiac index, a study population was chosen consisting of patients with less severe states of cardiac impairment. The differences between arterial and mixed venous PCO2s and pHs were compared with cardiac indexes (CI) of 44 patients in an intensive care unit with arterial lines and Swan-Ganz catheters in place. Twenty-six patients with normal CIs (2.6 to 4.1 L/min/m2) had a mean difference in mixed venous-arterial PCO2 (delta PCO2) of 4.88 +/- 0.40 mm Hg. In patients with low CIs (< 2.6), the delta PCO2 was 7.44 +/- 0.63 mm Hg (P = .001). The difference of mixed venous and arterial pH (delta pH) was 0.027 +/- 0.004 pH units for patients with normal CIs and 0.04 +/- 0.003 pH units for those with low CIs (P < .002). When the CIs of all patients were plotted against the delta PCO2s, there was an inverse linear relationship wherein delta PCO2 increased as CI decreased (r = -.47, P = .0011). There is an inverse relationship between delta PCO2 and CI that has not been previously described. An elevated delta PCO2 may be a marker of a low cardiac index.
Genetic analysis of patients with pancreatitis and a history of alcohol abuse

Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is a rare, early-onset autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by epigastric pain and often more serious complications. Mutations have been identified in the cationic trypsinogen gene in patients with HP and in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene in patients with HP and chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can be induced by exposure to certain environmental factors, such as alcohol, although not all persons exposed will develop symptoms of the disease. We hypothesized that this phenomenon is due to a genetic predisposition in persons with pancreatitis attributed to alcohol abuse. We obtained informed written consent for participation in this study. We collected blood samples from 64 patients with a discharge diagnosis of pancreatitis. Review of the medical record and patient interviews were used to ascertain the phenotype, etiology of pancreatitis and to determine whether there was a family history of pancreatitis. Forty-six patients (34 African American, 11 Caucasian and I Hispanic) had either alcohol-induced pancreatitis or had pancreatitis and a history of alcohol abuse. 6 patients (13%) reported a family history of pancreatitis in at least one first-degree relative. Sequence analysis for the 5 exons and flanking intronic sequences of the cationic trypsinogen gene identified several unreported intronic polymorphisms which are most likely of no clinical significance but did not identify any novel or previously reported mutations. We screened for 39 CF mutations which account for approximately 90% of CF mutations in individuals of Northern European descent and 67% of African American mutations. The ΔF508 CF mutation was identified in 2 Caucasian patients (18%) and a previously unreported missense mutation in exon 19 of the CFTR was identified in an African American patient (3%). The significance of this novel mutation with respect to CFTR function is not known. The carrier frequency for CF mutations is 4% for Caucasians and 1.4% for African Americans. Analysis of the CFTR “5T” allele is in progress. Although our sample size is small, these results suggest that screening for cationic trypsinogen mutations will not be useful in identifying patients with alcohol-related pancreatitis. However, because the carrier frequency for CF mutations in patients with pancreatitis and alcoholism is increased above the population carrier frequency, these studies suggest a possible role of the CFTR in alcohol-related pancreatitis.
Phenotypic consequences of mutations in the conserved motifs of the putative helicase domain of the human Cockayne syndrome group B gene.

Abstract Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a human genetic disorder characterized by several neurological and developmental abnormalities. Two genetic complementation groups, CS-A and CS-B, have been identified. The CSB protein belongs to helicase superfamily 2, and to the SWI/SNF family of proteins. The CSB protein is implicated in transcription-coupled repair (TCR), basal transcription and chromatin remodeling. In addition, CS cells undergo UV-induced apoptosis at much lower doses than normal cells. However, the molecular function of the CSB protein in these biological pathways has remained unclear. Evidence indicates that the integrity of the Walker A and B boxes (motifs I and II) are important for CSB function, but the functional significance of the helicase motifs Ia, III–IV has not been previously examined. In this study, single amino acid changes in highly conserved residues of helicase motifs Ia, III, V, VI and a second putative nucleotide-binding motif (NTB) of the CSB protein were generated by site-directed mutagenesis to analyze the genetic function of the CSB protein in survival, RNA synthesis recovery and apoptosis after UV treatment. The survival analysis of these CS-B mutant cell lines was also performed after treatment with the chemical carcinogen, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO). The lesions induced by UV light, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, are known to be repaired by TCR whereas the lesions induced by 4-NQO are repaired by global genome repair. The results of this study demonstrate that the point mutations in highly conserved residues of helicase motifs Ia, III, V and VI abolished the genetic function of the CSB protein in survival, RNA synthesis recovery and apoptosis after UV treatment. Similarly, the same mutants failed to complement the sensitivity toward 4-NQO. Thus, the integrity of these helicase motifs is important for the biological function of the CSB protein. On the contrary, a point mutation in a C-terminal, second, NTB motif of the CSB protein showed full complementation in the ability to repair damage induced by UV light or 4-NQO, suggesting that this motif is not important for the CSB repair function.
Migrating from novell to active directory

Ferris State University recognizes the importance of secure network file sharing resources to the internetworking of a university, as well as the need to reduce the number of accounts and passwords for end users to remember. Because of this and the need to reduce ongoing costs a decision was made in Fall 2010 to move from Novell to Active Directory for directory services and secure network file storage management.
Internal conversion studies in the decay of Ag110m

Abstract The internal conversion spectrum from the decay Ag110m has been studied in an iron-free, double-focusing spectrometer. The K and in some cases L+M conversion electron intensities were measured for the following transitions in Cd110 : 446.5, 620.2, 657.6, 677.3, 686.5, 706.4, 743.9, 763.6, 818.0, 884.5, 937.4 and 1384.0 keV and the 433.8 and 613.7 keV transitions in Pb108. The energies were determined with an accuracy of a few parts in 104. The K conversion coefficients of the 2+ → 0+ 657.6, 4+ → 2+ 884.5 and 6+ → 4+ 937.4 keV transitions were measured by the internal-external conversion method to be (2.64±0.10)×10−3, (1.26±0.06)×10−3 and (1.12±0.08)×10−3, respectively. These αK results are in good agreement with the theoretical values for E2 transitions.
Animal models: Their role in the study of aggressive behavior in humans

Abstract 1. 1. Animal models of aggressive behavior may be used to direct an appropriate line of inquiry into human aggression. 2. 2. “Human aggressive behavior” refers to a group of behaviors which may have widely differing etiologies and neural mechanisms. 3. 3. Animal models of aggressive behavior are many. They have been divided by researchers into multiple categories. They may also be grouped into two encompassing categories — affective and predatory aggression. 4. 4. The functioning of specific sensory modalities is necessary for the instigation of particular forms of animal aggression. 5. 5. Hormonal influences occur during early brain development and may affect the adult brain's response to hormones. 6. 6. Stress significantly alters affective aggression in animals. Alterations in brain chemistry following stress can persist in rats for long periods of time, even after peripheral signs of stress are no longer detectable. 7. 7. The aggressive behavior in animal models can be modulated with pharmacological interventions. There are implications for the treatment of dystonic human aggressive behavior.
A structural determination using magnetic x-ray circular dichroism in spin-polarized photoelectron diffraction

Abstract The first structural determination with spin-polarized, energy-dependent photoelectron diffraction using circularly-polarized X-rays is reported for Fe films on Cu(001). Circularly-polarized X-rays produce spinpolarized photoelectrons from the Fe 2p doublet, and intensity asymmetries in the 2p 3 2 level are observed. Fully spin-specific multiple scattering calculations reproduce the experimentally-determined energy and angular dependences. A new analytical procedure which focuses upon intensity variations due to spindependent diffraction is introduced.
R-Transforms of Free Joint Distributions and Non-crossing Partitions

Abstract We introduce an extension of the notion of R-transform , defined by D. Voiculescu, to ( free ) joint distributions , i.e., normalized linear functionals on algebras of non-commutative polynomials in several indeterminates. We point out that the R -transform has good behavior with respect to the operations of free product and free convolution of joint distributions. We prove that the explicit computation of the inverse- R -transform of a joint distribution is done via a formula of summation over the lattice of non-crossing partitions, which shows that the R -transform is the operator-theoretic counterpart of the “free cumulants” considered in the combinatorial approach of R. Speicher. Moreover, in connection to the equivariance of the multidimensional R -transform under rotations, we show that a natural free analogue of a classical result about rotations of independent random variables is holding.
Use of anisotropy to guide acoustic waves along desired trajectories

Acoustic stress waves can be guided to follow pre-determined paths in solids, using elastic anisotropy. Recently, there has been intense interest to design materials and structures that can shield specific regions within the material by redirecting the incident stress-waves along desired paths. Some of the proposed techniques involve variable mass density and stiffness. We have designed a material with isotropic mass density but highly anisotropic elasticity that can guide incident waves along desired trajectories. Harmonic excitations are imposed, and it is shown that the stress-wave energy would travel around a protected central region. The model is also evaluated using numerical simulations, which confirm that majority of the stress-wave energy is guided around the central cavity and is delivered exactly to the opposing face in a location corresponding to the incident excitation location.
A neural network with a background level of excitation in the cat hippocampus.

A model based on a limited number of properties of pyramidal cells and interneurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus has been developed. Elements in this model were selected to correspond to conventional inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic potentials, neuron thresholds, and conduction delays. Additionally, a signal over pathways making synaptic connections with pyramidal cells was included to provide an ongoing level of excitatory activity. The calculated output of the model was then compared with PST histograms recorded from hippocampal pyramidal cells. The model appeared to account for multiple peaks previously noted in PST histograms recorded over a period of several hundred milliseconds following dorsal fornix stimulation. To test the model, the response of the network was calculated for paired shock stimulation of the fornix and compared with experimental data from the cat. The model was written for CSMP (an IBM program designed to facilitate digital stimulation of continuous processes) and th...
How Children Rearrange the Closet: Disclosure Practices of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Prospective Parents

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GLBTQ) people in the United States are increasingly living lives beyond the closet. Previous research on the organization of postmodern families has not revealed how those who are GLBTQ are negotiating disclosure of their sexual identities during the process of becoming parents. This research fills this gap by looking at how parenthood rearranges the closet. It finds that parents overwhelmingly prefer to be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity, but many had to negotiate their disclosure during interactions with legal and medical institutions. Parents who used sperm banks and surrogacy agencies were better able to be out than those who chose adoption. Implications for practitioners and future research are addressed.
Synthesis of new organic crosslinking reagents containing SiH bonds and curing system thereof

Synthesis of New Organic Crosslinking Reagents Containing SiH Bonds and Curing System Thereof
Religion and animal welfare: Evidence from voting data

Abstract In November 2002, Florida residents voted on a ballot proposal limiting farming practices that are deemed cruel to pigs. Using county level data, models of support for the proposal are estimated, paying particular attention to the influence of religion. Although the rate of adherents to Catholicism and evangelical denominations are statistically and economically relevant to explain support for the ban, political preferences and socio-economic factors are more important in terms of substantive significance than religious affiliation.
Recursive utility, martingales, and the asymptotic behaviour of optimal processes

Abstract This paper develops a new approach to the asymptotic behaviour of optimal programs in aggregate growth models permitting nonstationarities in the description of the technology and the stochastic environment. Added generality is provided by specifying a recursive utility description of preferences. The analysis makes critical use of martingale methods afforded by a stochastic specification and is applicable to growth models with both convex and nonconvex technologies.
Alteration of rat liver microsomal monooxygenase activities by gasoline treatment

Previous work has shown an increase in rat liver enzyme activities after chronic exposure to gasoline vapor. In the present study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with unleaded gasoline at 1 and 5 ml/kg, i.p., and selected hepatic microsomal monooxygenase activities were determined at 18, 48, and 72 h. At 18 h, moderate increases were observed in P450 content (1.3-fold), cytochromec-reductase activity (1.25-fold), and inN-nitrosodimethylamine demethylation rate (1.25- to 1.6-fold). Pentoxyresorufin dealkylase activity (an activity displayed primarily by P450IIB1) was significantly elevated at 18 and 48 h (30- to 60-fold), and ethoxyresorufin dealkylase activity (an activity displayed by P450 IA1) was elevated (2- to 4-fold). Immunoblot analysis revealed no change in P450IIE1 at these time points, but an elevation in P450IIB1 in agreement with the pentoxyresorufin dealkylase activity measurements.
Hydralazine in the long-term treatment of chronic heart failure: Lack of difference from placebo

Although hydralazine improves cardiac performance in patients with chronic left ventricular failure, its long-term clinical efficacy has not been established in controlled trials. We carried out a double-blind randomized trial of hydralazine (200 mg daily in 16 patients) versus placebo (16 patients) in patients with class III and IV symptoms while they were taking digitalis and diuretics. Maximal treadmill exercise time was determined prior to and at 4, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of hydralazine or placebo treatment; average follow-up was 20 weeks. We found no change in body weight, clinical class, resting heart rate and blood pressure, or heart size (by chest x-ray examination and echocardiogram) during treatment in either group. The total number of complicating clinical events was insignificantly fewer in the hydralazine treated group (8 vs 13). Control exercise duration in the hydralazine group averaged 259 +/- 21 seconds (SEM), and increased to 347 +/- 35 seconds at 4 weeks (p less than 0.01) and 421 +/- 38 seconds at 26 weeks (p less than 0.001). Exercise duration also increased significantly in the placebo group, from 271 +/- 30 seconds at control to 340 +/- 44 seconds at 4 weeks (p less than 0.02) and 339 +/- 46 seconds at 26 weeks (p less than 0.02). No differences between groups were significant. Left ventricular ejection fraction remained depressed and unchanged in both groups. Thus long-term vasodilator treatment with hydralazine alone is not significantly more effective than placebo in chronic heart failure.
Six of the L'Aquila Seven Acquitted in Appeal

On 10 November, a panel of judges acquitted the scientists charged with manslaughter in the wake of a deadly earthquake that struck the Italian city of L'Aquila in 2009. Only the former deputy director of Italy's Civil Protection Department, Bernardo De Bernardinis, faces a 2-year sentence, which he may not serve.
Theoretical study of the dissociation of nitric acid at a model aqueous surface.

The issue of acid dissociation of nitric acid at an aqueous surface is relevant in various portions of the atmosphere in connection with ozone depletion. This proton-transfer reaction is studied here via electronic structure calculations at the HF/SBK+(d) level of theory on the HNO3·(H2O)3 model reaction system embedded in clusters comprising 33, 40, 45, and 50 classical, polarizable waters with an increasing degree of solvation of the nitrate group. Free energy estimates for all the cases examined favor undissociated, molecular nitric acid over the 0−300 K temperature range, including that relevant for the upper troposphere, where it is connected to the issue of the mechanism of nitric acid uptake by water ice aerosols. The presence of molecular HNO3 at 300 K at the surface is further supported by vibrational band assignments in good agreement with a very recent surface-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy study of diluted HNO3/H2O solutions.
Pesticide distributions and population declines of California, USA, alpine frogs, Rana muscosa and Rana sierrae.

Atmospherically deposited pesticides from the intensively cultivated Central Valley of California, USA, have been implicated as a cause for population declines of several amphibian species, with the strongest evidence for the frogs Rana muscosa and Rana sierrae at high elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Previous studies on these species have relied on correlations between frog population status and either a metric for amount of upwind pesticide use or limited measurements of pesticide concentrations in the field. The present study tested the hypothesis that pesticide concentrations are negatively correlated with frog population status (i.e., fraction of suitable water bodies occupied within 2 km of a site) by measuring pesticide concentrations in multiple media twice at 28 sites at high elevation in the southern Sierra Nevada. Media represented were air, sediment, and Pseudacris sierra tadpoles. Total cholinesterase (ChE), which has been used as an indicator for organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide exposure, was also measured in P. sierra tadpoles. Results do not support the pesticide-site occupancy hypothesis. Among 46 pesticide compounds analyzed, nine were detected with � 30% frequency, representing both historically and currently used pesticides. In stepwise regressions with a chemical metric and linear distance from the Central Valley as predictor variables, no negative association was found between frog population status and the concentration of any pesticide or tadpole ChE activity level. By contrast, frog population status showed a strong positive relationship with linear distance from the Valley, a pattern that is consistent with a general west-to-east spread across central California of the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis observed by other researchers. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:682-691. # 2011 SETAC
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: present status and future prospects.

Both management and prognosis vary with the many different varieties of nonHodgkin's lymphoma. In large-cell disease, age and other risk factors influence prognosis. Relapses may respond to chemotherapy plus autologous bone marrow transplantation. Therapy with antibodies to tumor cells has made its debut, but role remains unclear.
Equipment Investment Decision Analysis in Cellular Manufacturing

Cellular manufacturing is the organisation of manufacturing equipment based on the requirements of the product or component. Transition to cellular manufacturing generally requires reorganisation of existing equipment. It is likely that the existing equipment alone is not suitable for a cellular layout. During the cell planning and design phase equipment investment analysis is important to identify equipment needs. Transition from job shop production to cellular production is detailed. Cell formation and cell evaluation techniques are provided to assist in equipment procurement decisions. In particular, a structured procedure and analytical tools are given to evaluate fully the cellular system to identify appropriate equipment and methods. A case example is provided to explain the procedure.
Charge-and-energy conserving moment-based accelerator for a multi-species Vlasov–Fokker–Planck–Ampère system, part II: Collisional aspects

In this study, we extend the moment-based acceleration algorithm for the charge, momentum, and energy conserving Vlasov–Ampere discretization developed in Ref. [1] by including a reduced Fokker–Planck operator. We propose an energy conserving discretization for the Fokker–Planck collision operator. We show by numerical experiment that the new algorithm 1) efficiently converges the nonlinearly coupled Vlasov–Fokker–Planck–Ampere system, and 2) accurately steps over stiff time-scales such as the inverse electron plasma frequency, and the electron–electron collision time-scale. We demonstrate that discrete energy conservation is critical to eliminate numerical heating issues when strong density gradients exist.
Resistive and thermodynamic transitions of a two-dimensional superconductor in a magnetic field

Abstract We compare the resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat of superconducting amorphous Mo77Ge23 layers separated by insulating amorphous germanium. The fluctuation magnetization and specific heat are in excellent agreement with the 2D lowest Landau level scaling relations. The broadening of the resistive transition is similar to that observed in the specific heat, but is not in quantitative agreement with the proposed scaling relations. The resistivity becomes activated immediately below the thermodynamic transition, indicating little or no region describable by conventional flux flow.
Sex-Role Portrayals in African Television Advertising

Abstract This study compares gender sex-role portrayals in television advertisements from Kenya Ghana and South Africa across Hofstede's masculinity dimension. The findings are not consistent with his framework suggesting there may be instances when utilizing his taxonomy is not appropriate for researchers and practitioners in the international sex-role portrayal area.
Thermal Depoling Effects on Anisotropy of Lead Zirconate Titanate Materials

Changes in elastic anisotropy and fracture toughness anisotropy of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric material as a function of depoling temperature were investigated using ultrasound and Vickers indentation. A gradual transition from anisotropic to isotropic properties occurs with increased depoling temperatures at and above the Curie temperature. Depoling is also evident through changes in domain character revealed by X-ray diffraction. The relationship between the mechanical properties and domain structure variation with respect to different depoling conditions is discussed.
History of metalliferous sedimentation at deep sea drilling site 319 in the South Eastern Pacific

Abstract Marked variations in the chemical and mineralogical composition of sediments at Site 319 have occurred during the 15 M.y. history of sedimentation at this site. The change in composition through time parallels the variability observed in surface sediments from various parts of the Nazca Plate and can be related to variations in the proportion of hydrothermal, hydrogenous, detrital and biogenous phases reaching this site at different times. Metal accumulation rates at Site 319 reach a maximum near the basement for most elements, suggesting a strong hydrothermal contribution during the early history of this site. The hydrothermal contribution decreased rapidly as Site 319 moved away from the spreading center, although a subtle increase in this source is detectable about the time spreading began on the East Pacific Rise. The most recent sedimentation exhibits a strong detritalhydrogenous influence. Post-depositional diagenesis of amorphous phases has converted them to ironrich smectite and well-crystallized goethite without significantly altering the bulk composition of the sediment.
Phase retrieval methods for wavefront sensing

Phase retrieval is an image-based wavefront sensing process, used to recover phase information from defocused stellar images. Phase retrieval has proven to be useful for diagnosis of optical aberrations in space telescopes, calibration of adaptive optics systems, and is intended for use in aligning and phasing the James Webb Space Telescope. This paper describes a robust and accurate phase retrieval algorithm for wavefront sensing, which has been successfully demonstrated on a variety of testbeds and telescopes. Key features, such as image preprocessing, diversity adaptation, and prior phase nulling, are described and compared to other methods. Results demonstrate high accuracy and high dynamic range wavefront sensing.
Diagnostic utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization in mantle-cell lymphoma.

Mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) has a poorer prognosis than other small B-cell lymphomas, thus a definitive diagnosis is essential. The t(11;14)(q13;q32) associated with MCL juxtaposes portions of CCND1 (11q13) and IGH (14q32), resulting in over-expression of cyclin D1. In this study, a highly sensitive two-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method was developed to detect t(11;14)(q13;q32) in nuclei isolated from paraffin-embedded tissue. Twenty-three MCLs, 13 normal controls and nine small B-cell lymphomas other than MCL were studied by FISH. Each MCL had been previously investigated to detect genomic IGH–CCND1 fusion by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using DNA extracted from frozen tissue. The IGH–CCND1 fusion detection rate in the MCLs was 96% by FISH compared with 35% by PCR. By FISH, one MCL and three small B-cell lymphomas other than MCL harboured abnormalities involving only IGH. Less than 1% of cells showed false-positive IGH–CCND1 fusion in normal specimens by FISH. Thus, this highly sensitive FISH assay is very useful in confirming the diagnosis of MCL, has wide applicability as it may be performed on both paraffin-embedded and fresh tissue, and may also facilitate detection of translocations involving these loci in tumours other than MCL.
Advanced Data Assimilation for Cloud-Resolving Hurricane Initialization and Prediction

Data assimilation aims to decrease errors in initial conditions of numerical weather prediction models, which are a primary source of uncertainty in hurricane prediction. This study examines the performance of three advanced techniques that assimilate inner-core, high-resolution Doppler radar observations for cloud-resolving hurricane initialization and forecasting for Hurricane Katrina.
The Straight-Line Income Capitalization Model: A Special Case of Present Value

(1983). The Straight-Line Income Capitalization Model: A Special Case of Present Value. The Engineering Economist: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 311-321.
Organizational Correlates of a Management by Objectives Program

The article provides information on a study which applied and evaluated the concept of management by objectives (MBO) in an academic environment. It reports on the results of an in-depth questionna...
Nano-Scale Bandgap Engineering Using Nitrogen Implantation: Quantum-Well, Quantum-Dash and Quantum-Dot Nanostructures

Nano-scale spatial wavelength engineering of quantum nanostructures using nitrogen ion-implantation induced intermixing has been developed for tuning the bandgap of quantum-well, quantum-dash-in-well, and quantum-dot nanostructures. High performance bandgap-tuned quantum-well and quantum-dash lasers fabricated using this technique has been demonstrated.