cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brooding Rumination and Internalizing Symptoms in Childhood: Investigating Symptom Specificity in a Multi-Wave Prospective Study.

Specificity of brooding rumination as a cognitive vulnerability for anxiety and depression was examined using the tripartite theory as a framework. The three factors of the tripartite theory (negative affect, positive affect, and physiological hyperarousal) were included in the same structural equation model (latent growth curves) to test three competing hypotheses: brooding rumination as a depression-specific vulnerability (i.e., brooding uniquely predicts shared negative affect + specific positive affect), anxiety-specific vulnerability (i.e., brooding predicts shared negative affect + specific physiological hyperarousal), or shared risk vulnerability (i.e., brooding predicts negative affect, the shared tripartite component common to both anxiety and depression). Data from children in 2nd through 7th grades (N = 303) were collected in three waves over two years. Results revealed brooding to be uniquely associated with initial levels of negative affect and physiological hyperarousal, thus providing suppo...
Diarrhea or colorectal cancer: Can bacterial toxins serve as a treatment for colon cancer?

Colorectal cancer exhibits a low incidence in under-developed countries even though it is the third most common neoplasm worldwide and the second most common in the U.S. (1, 2). This geographical imbalance suggests an environmental contribution to the resistance of endemic populations to intestinal neoplasia. Although the epidemiology of colon cancer remains poorly understood, there is clearly an unexplained inverse relationship between the incidence of colorectal cancer and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections (3, 4). Drawing from these observations, Pitari et al. (5) introduced an interesting hypothesis that specific peptides (STa) elaborated from ETEC may prevent the hyperproliferative and neoplastic development of intestinal epithelial cells that are associated with initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. Although a direct causal relationship between STa-mediated infectious diarrhea and low cancer rates in under-developed countries has not been proven, the authors provide convincing evidence of the presence of a novel intracellular signaling pathway initiated by STa that prevents proliferation of colon cancer cells.
An overview ofEXFNBS—A data reduction procedure for energy-dispersive XRF with secondary target excitation

An overview of a fundamental parameter, data reduction procedure for processing energy-dispersive, x-ray spectrometric data obtained with monochromatic excitation is described. The programs, called EXFNBS and NBSROI, are written in FORTRAN and correct for interfering x-ray peaks, escape peaks, background, and x-ray absorption/enhancement due to interelement effects in a speciment. This procedure is designed to operate in an interactive mode with a minicomputer in real time.
Microwave radiative transfer in the mixed-phase regions of tropical rainfall

Abstract Here airborne observations of the mixed-phase regions of tropical oceanic rainfall are reported as part of the Kwajalein Experiment. The University of Washington Convair-580 aircraft carrying upward-viewing 21- and 37-GHz microwave radiometers spiraled down through stratiform rain. It was observed that the microwave absorption coefficient in the bright band (melting layer) in the stratiform rainfall was roughly twice or thrice that of the rain below. Radiative transfer models of the melting layer have a similar range of uncertainties. In addition to the potential bias from modeling uncertainties, comparison with previous observations suggests that there is a natural variability of about the same magnitude. The aircraft also made penetrations of a convective line at altitudes of 2.6, 3.4, and 4.5 km. From the microwave observations, it can be concluded that the effect of supercooled water above the freezing level was extremely small, on the order of 2% or less of the total rain signal for this case.
Radiation therapy plan checks in a paperless clinic

Traditional quality assurance checks of a patient’s radiation therapy plan involve printing out treatment parameters from the treatment planning system and the record and verify system and visually checking the information for one-to-one correspondence. In a paperless environment, one can automate this process through independent software that can read the treatment planning data directly and compare it against the parameters in the database of the record and verify system. In addition to verifying the data integrity, one must also check the logical consistency of the data and the accuracy of various calculations. The results are then imported into the patient’s electronic medical record. Appropriate workflows must be developed to ensure that no steps of the QA process are missed. Our electronic QA system (EQS), consisting of in-house software and workflows, is described. The EQS covers 3D conformal and intensity modulated radiation therapy, electrons, stereotactic radiosurgery, total body irradiation, and clinical set-ups with and without virtual simulation. The planning systems handled by our EQS are ADAC Pinnacle and Varian FASTPLAN, while the record and verify systems are LANTIS and VARIS. The improvement in our plan check process over the paperless system is described in terms of the types of detected errors. The potential problems with the implementation and use of the EQS, as well as workarounds for data that are not easily accessible through electronic means, are described.
Widespread Occurrence of Pneumocystis carinii in Commercial Rat Colonies Detected Using Targeted PCR and Oral Swabs

The genus Pneumocystis contains a family of fungal organisms that infect a wide variety of mammalian species. Although it is a cause of pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts, recent evidence suggests that these organisms colonize nonimmunosuppressed hosts. Detection of cryptic colonization with Pneumocystis becomes important in animal studies when infection-free animals are necessary. Provocation by chronic immunosuppression, histology, and serology has been widely used to detect the presence of Pneumocystis in rat colonies, requiring lengthy time periods and/or postmortem tissue. We conducted a study to evaluate the use of PCR amplification of oral swabs for the antemortem detection of Pneumocystis in 12 rat groups from three commercial vendors. Sera were collected upon arrival, and the oral cavity was swabbed for PCR analysis. Ten of these groups of rats were then housed in pairs under barrier and immunosuppressed to provoke Pneumocystis growth. Once moribund, the rats were sacrificed, and the lungs were collected to evaluate the presence of Pneumocystis by PCR and microscopic enumeration. DNA was extracted from oral swabs and lung homogenates, and PCR was performed using primers targeting a region within the mitochondrial large-subunit rRNA of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. carinii. Upon receipt, 64% of rats were positive for P. carinii f. sp. carinii-specific antibodies, while P. carinii f. sp. carinii DNA was amplified from 98% of oral swabs. Postmortem PCR analysis of individual lungs revealed P. carinii f. sp. carinii DNA in all rat lungs, illustrating widespread occurrence of Pneumocystis in commercial rat colonies. Thus, oral swab/PCR is a rapid, nonlethal, and sensitive method for the assessment of Pneumocystis exposure.
Correlation Between DC–RF Dispersion and Gate Leakage in Deeply Recessed GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Employing deeply recessed GaN/AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors, we experimentally demonstrate the correlation between the DC-RF dispersion and the gate leakage current. It was found that both the DC-RF dispersion and the gate leakage are strongly affected by surface charging. The impact of surface charging can be controlled by using GaN/AlGaN/GaN structures with varied GaN cap thickness. In the absence of field plates, the tradeoff between the DC-RF dispersion and the gate leakage can be compromised by choosing a proper GaN cap thickness. Our optimum epistructure design yields an output power density of 5.6 W/mm with an associated power added efficiency of 72% at 28-V bias and 4-GHz frequency. The gate leakage current is as low as 30 muA/mm at up to 40-V gate-drain bias.
Data-driven optimization for underactuated robotic hands

Passively adaptive and underactuated robotic hands have shown the potential to achieve reliable grasping in unstructured environments without expensive mechanisms or sensors. Instead of complex run-time algorithms, such hands use design-time analysis to improve performance for a wide range of tasks. Along these directions, we present an optimization framework for underactuated compliant hands. Our approach uses a pre-defined set of grasps in a quasistatic equilibrium formulation to compute the actuation mechanism design parameters that provide optimal performance. We apply our method to a class of tendon-actuated hands; for the simplified design of a two-fingered gripper, we show how a global optimum for the design optimization problem can be computed. We have implemented the results of this analysis in the construction of a gripper prototype, capable of a wide range of grasping tasks over a variety of objects.
Measuring Agreement of Multivariate Discrete Survival Times Using a Modified Weighted Kappa Coefficient

Assessing agreement is often of interest in clinical studies to evaluate the similarity of measurements produced by different raters or methods on the same subjects. We present a modified weighted kappa coefficient to measure agreement between bivariate discrete survival times. The proposed kappa coefficient accommodates censoring by redistributing the mass of censored observations within the grid where the unobserved events may potentially happen. A generalized modified weighted kappa is proposed for multivariate discrete survival times. We estimate the modified kappa coefficients nonparametrically through a multivariate survival function estimator. The asymptotic properties of the kappa estimators are established and the performance of the estimators are examined through simulation studies of bivariate and trivariate survival times. We illustrate the application of the modified kappa coefficient in the presence of censored observations with data from a prostate cancer study.
The Varieties of Secular Experience

Taking the Egyptian case as an example, this article examines secularism (and its cognates secularity and the secular), not so much as a failed social project, but as a problematic concept. Reflecting on the on-going scholarly interest in the notion of waning secularity in Egypt, I will suggest that the idea reveals as much about the scholars studying it as it does about a changing social world. Building on the work of British philosopher W. B. Gallie, I will argue that secularism is an essentially contested concept, its meanings fluid, variant, and elusive. This is not merely to observe, as many others have done, that “the ‘religious’ and the ‘secular’ are not essentially fixed categories” (Asad 2003: 25), or that “the secular” is so difficult to grasp directly that “it is best pursued through its shadows, as it were” (ibid.: 16). It is to say that the secular’s unfixedness is one of its essential features, and that its significance, therefore, is a function of the arguments it generates and the conflicts it organizes, rather than of some phenomenon it purports to describe. Two things follow from this. The first is that the secular’s usefulness as an analytical concept is deeply suspect. The second is that growing scholarly interest in studying the secular—Michael Warner (2008: 609) writes about “the emerging realm of secular studies” on the model of religious studies—is a phenomenon that requires our attention.”
Results from treatment of Wilm's tumor at Roswell Park 1927–1968

A retrospective study of forty-two of forty-nine cases of Wilm's tumors treated at the Roswell Park Memorial Institute over the past forty years is presented. Abdominal palpation to date remains the most important finding. Since over 20% demonstrated nonfunction on intravenous pyelogram, preoperative diagnosis and differentiation from neuroblastoma are therefore not always certain. Artereography may be helpful in selected instances. Metastases were present in 29 cases at the time they were first seen at the Institute. Modes of therapy were; nephrectomy, 41 cases; plus radiation therapy, 40 cases; and plus chemotherapy, 27 cases. The relationship of age of onset, stage of tumor, presence of metastasis, mode of therapy, and length of survival is presented. Current therapy includes nephrectomy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy with actinomycin D or vincristine, or both, and monthly follow-up is advised. Further correlations of histopathological features with survival are made in 16 cases. The absence of undifferentiated sarcomatous components seems to be the best prognostic feature.
Backward and Forward Masking

Experiments on auditory backward and forward masking show elevated thresholds for a signal which occurs soon before (backward masking) or soon after (forward masking) another sound of sufficient intensity (masker). More backward than forward masking occurs for very short, silent, time intervals (t). As t increases, there is less masking; although the temporal extent of backward or forward masking is dependent upon experimental conditions, most occurs within 100 msec of masker onset or termination. Masker duration affects forward masking more than backward masking and the relationship between frequencies of signal and masker affects amount of masking in a complex manner that also interacts with masker duration. Threshold for a signal subjected (simultaneously) to both backward and forward masking is more elevated than would occur if masking effects added linearly. When signal and masker are presented to different ears some masking is observed although not as much as occurs when both are presented to the sa...
Introduction to kinematics

We begin the study of fluid mechanics by pointing out the differences between fluids and solids and by describing a fluid flow in terms of the motion of elementary fluid parcels. As the volume of a parcel becomes infinitesimal, the parcel reduces to a point particle and the average velocity of the parcel reduces to the local fluid velocity computed just before the molecular nature of the fluid becomes apparent. The study of the motion and deformation of material lines and surfaces consisting of collections of point particles reveals the nature and illustrates the diversity of motion in fluid mechanics.
Impact of a New Practice Guideline on Antibiotic Use With Pediatric Tonsillectomy

Importance More than 500 000 children undergo tonsillectomy each year in the United States. Although prior studies suggest that most patients received perioperative antibiotics, practice varies across centers. In 2011, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) published a practice guideline recommending against perioperative antibiotic use for pediatric tonsillectomy. The impact of this recommendation has not been thoroughly examined. Objective To determine the impact of the AAO-HNS guideline on the use of perioperative antibiotics and patient outcomes for pediatric tonsillectomy. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a quasi-experimental study including 9265 children who underwent routine tonsillectomy from January 2009 through August 2012 within a large pediatric health care network containing hospital-based and ambulatory surgical facilities. Data were collected from a shared electronic health record and validated through manual medical record review. We used an interrupted time series analysis with segmented logistic regression and a nonequivalent dependent variable (tympanoplasty) to assess acute changes and differences in trends over time relative to guideline publication. Interventions Publication of the AAO-HNS clinical practice guideline. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was antibiotic administration on the day of surgery. Secondary outcomes included otolaryngology clinic encounters, emergency department encounters, hospital admissions, and surgical procedures for bleeding in the 30 days following tonsillectomy. Results Of 9265 tonsillectomies during the study period, 5359 met inclusion criteria. Immediately after guideline publication, perioperative antibiotic use dropped by 86.5% ( P Conclusions and Relevance AAO-HNS guideline publication decreased perioperative antibiotic use for pediatric tonsillectomy across a large pediatric health care network. Although there were no changes in otolaryngology clinic visits, emergency department visits, or admissions, we found a small but significant increase in surgery for bleeding following guideline publication. Additional studies are necessary to verify this unexpected association.
Comparison of Manual and Gravity Stress Radiographs for the Evaluation of Supination-External Rotation Fibular Fractures

J.B. Gill, T. Risko, V. Raducan, J.S. Grimes, and R.C. Schutt Jr. reply: We stand by our conclusion that gravity stress radiographs are equivalent to manual stress radiographs for determining deltoid ligament injury in association with an isolated fibular fracture. In order to further clarify this, we reviewed radiographs after the initial study end point (up to October …
Class, Race, and Emotions

Emotions are central to inequalities, yet scholarship in the areas of race, class and emotion has yet to examine how race and class affect the distribution and experience of emotions, and how emotions themselves might contribute to race and class inequalities. In this chapter, we weave together the existing emotions literature addressing race and class with other scholarship on race and class inequalities to generate some starting points for a more robust sociology of race, class, and emotions. First, we present literature from the scholarship on mental health to examine the impact of class and race disparities on the distribution of emotions. Second, we examine how social and cultural influences associated with class and race shape emotions. Third, we discuss how processes of emotional socialization tie emotions to identities. Fourth, we examine emotions in the workplace. Finally, we end the chapter with an examination of emotional hierarchies and their impact on positionality and interaction.
Weber's fraction for the intensity of pure tones presented binaurally

The Weber fraction, (I + Δ)/I, was measured for pure tones which were I presented either homophasically or antiphasically. For both stimuli, the Weber fraction was measured as a function of changes in the level of the standard tone Iand in the phase angle of addition between a test tone and the standard tone. The value, ΔI, in the Weber fraction was defined as that difference between the level of the test-plus-standard and the level of the standard (I) which was required for the listener to discriminate a difference between the standard and the test-plus-standard. In the homophasic case, the Weber fraction remained constant for changes in the phase angle of addition, whereas in the antiphasic condition, the Weber fraction decreased for increasing values of the phase angle of addition. For both the homophasic and antiphasic conditions and at all values of the phase angle of addition, the Weber fraction remained a constant as the value of the standard was varied. These results are in agreement with those obtained in studies involving noise masking, lateralization, and the monaural Weber fraction.
Modeling the Solar Cycle Dependence of Quiet‐Time Ion Upwelling at High Geomagnetic Latitudes

In this letter, we summarize initial results showing how solar cycle variations of the thermosphere modify the composition and intensity of ion upflows at high geomagnetic latitudes. Using an improved version of the one-dimensional hydrodynamic polar wind model developed by Gombosi et al. (1985), we obtain H + and O + vertical flow profiles using different thermospheric states corresponding to solar cycle minimum and maximum. In comparing the quasi-equilibrium flux profiles for both cases, we find that H + upwelling shows almost no variations in intensity with solar cycle while O + exhibits a 10-fold increase from solar minimum to solar maximum. These changes result in an O+-dominated upflow at solar maximum while H + flows dominate at solar minimum. We relate these different behaviors to long-term thermospheric changes resulting from solar cycle EUV/UV differences and compare our results with observations.
Research as a visiting doctor in Afghanistan and Cambodia.

This paper describes research I conducted into health care and its difficulties while working as a visiting doctor in two developing countries. The research was conducted in the Departments of Medicine, University Hospital, Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in 1994 and 1995, and Calmette Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1997 and 1998. In Afghanistan I did an observational study of medical practice and case studies at the Department of Medicine, and a survey of drugs sold in pharmacies in Jalalabad. In Cambodia I surveyed hemoglobin concentrations of medical patients, and did an observational study of medical practice and case studies at Calmette Hospital. I surveyed the body weight of medical patients in relation to drug doses, and used a questionnaire to survey prescribing practices of physicians. Each project was conducted by me alone and was completed within 1–3 months. The support by the hospital was good and there where no ethics committees that had to approve the projects. Only verbal consent from the patients had to be obtained and no national laws or regulations affected the research. Small clinical research projects in developing countries are relatively easy to perform, if conducted by one researcher working in a hospital and not relying on special equipment such as a computer. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A desktop computer software package for display and analysis of multidimensional medical images

A three-dimensional, multiple-volume image analysis package for use with the OS/2-Presentation Manager operating environment for 80286- and 80386-based personal computers is described. The package allows the user to manipulate, display, and measure volumetric data using several different techniques. Multiple windows allow correlated views or calculations to be performed simultaneously on different volumes. Highly optimized code provides satisfactory performance on desktop computers. >
Xanthine oxidase and dehydrogenase activities in rat ovarian tissues

The production of reactive oxygen species in the ovary is rapidly inducible, but the nature of the generator is unknown. One possibility is xanthine oxidase (XO), an enzyme that produces superoxide in the presence of hypoxanthine (or xanthine) and oxygen. The objective of the present studies was to measure levels of XO in follicular and luteal tissue to determine whether XO may be a source of reactive oxygen species in the rat ovary. Ovarian levels of XO were about one-fifth of that seen in the liver and adrenal, and XO levels were about one-third of xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH). Preovulatory ovarian levels of XO activity were unchanged after induction of ovulation with gonadotropin and in follicles incubated with gonadotropin. Luteal XO activity was not changed during natural or prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha)-induced luteolysis. Allopurinol, an inhibitor of XO, did not inhibit ovulation or PGF2 alpha-induced luteal regression. Finally, neither catalase and superoxide dismutase nor oxypurinol altered luteal cell function in the presence of hypoxanthine. Thus, while XO is present in the ovary, it does not appear that it is a major source of reactive oxygen species in this organ.
The Dynamics of Mass Media and Public Cinema as Influencers in Polio Vaccination Campaigns in Northern Nigeria

One of the great ironies of the polio vaccination campaign in northern Nigeria is how much emphasis is placed on the use of mass media, especially radio, television and public cinema (“majigi”). Whereas these media have great potential for informing public attitudes about polio vaccination exercises, studies in Bauchi and Kano show that accessibility to these media by mothers of young children is woefully inadequate. The paper also examines why local input in message planning and production is also crucial for vaccination program success, as is the need for rethinking the overall public health campaign and messaging strategy.
Functional Relationships for Irrigated Corn Response to Nitrogen

ECONOMIC and agronomic analyses of fertilizer experiments are based on the premise that a functional relationship exists between the yield of plants and fertility levels. This relationship is not known precisely and theories of yield response are not well enough developed to provide it on an a priori basis. Researchers hope that some form of mathematical function may be found that can be used to generalize the response of plants to application of given amounts of fertilizer. In the search for this generalization, a variety of mathematical functions, any one of whose characteristics reflect known basic postulates of yield response, may be fitted to experimental data. A generally applicable function of yield response cannot be established from a single set of experimental data but a theory that has been tested by repeated application to experimental data eventually should permit specification of the form of the fertilizer response function. If this is done, answers to many questions about plant response to nutrients may be found. Also, estimates of the most profitable rate of fertilizer application may be made without the need for expensive experiments in so many different places and situations. Past experimental evidence specifies that a functional relationship between the yield of a crop and nutrient factor of production, in general, should conform with the principle of diminishing increments or diminishing marginal product. This includes experiments that reflect a phase of increasing increments at low levels of nutrient application. Under certain conditions, such as a limited quantity of available moisture or similar situations, the experimental data might show that the yield had reached a maximum and, under additional applications of the nutrient, result in negative increments in yield. This negative increment segment may affect materially the estimates of the functional relationship in that segment that has an economic significance. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the response of corn to nitrogen by different suggested mathematical functions, using experimental data provided for this purpose. Data used in this paper came from experiments with nitrogen on irrigated corn in Oregon, Washington, and Nebraska. These experiments were conducted by soil scientists of the Soil and Water Conservation Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service, and the State experiment 736
Multiplexed Fluid Flow Device to Study Cellular Response to Tunable Shear Stress Gradients

Endothelial cells (ECs) line the interior of blood and lymphatic vessels and experience spatially varying wall shear stress (WSS) as an intrinsic part of their physiological function. How ECs, and mammalian cells generally, sense spatially varying WSS remains poorly understood, due in part to a lack of convenient tools for exposing cells to spatially varying flow patterns. We built a multiplexed device, termed a 6-well impinging flow chamber, that imparts controlled WSS gradients to a six-well tissue culture plate. Using this device, we investigated the migratory response of lymphatic microvascular ECs, umbilical vein ECs, primary fibroblasts, and epithelial cells to WSS gradients on hours to days timescales. We observed that lymphatic microvascular ECs migrate upstream, against the direction of flow, a response that was unique among all the cells types investigated here. Time-lapse, live cell imaging revealed that the microtubule organizing center relocated to the upstream side of the nucleus in response to the applied WSS gradient. To further demonstrate the utility of our device, we screened for the involvement of canonical signaling pathways in mediating this upstream migratory response. These data highlight the importance of WSS magnitude and WSS spatial gradients in dictating the cellular response to fluid flow.
Time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations of 4 He + 14 C, 12 C + 12 C ( 0 + ), and 4 He + 20 Ne molecular formations

Time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations for head-on collisions of $^{4}$He${+\mathrm{}}^{14}$C, $^{12}$C${+\mathrm{}}^{12}$C${(0}^{+}$), and $^{4}$He${+\mathrm{}}^{20}$Ne have been performed at bombarding energies near the Coulomb barrier. The results are interpreted in terms of their classical quasiperiodic and chaotic behavior. The position of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock collective path with respect to the multidimensional energy surface of the compound nuclear system is shown. Dynamical collective degrees of freedom are identified and classical frequencies associated with each degree of freedom are calculated. For $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$ we calculate molecular frequencies of about 0.8 and 1.0 MeV and a characteristic moment of inertia of 15 ${\mathrm{MeV}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$.
Using climate scenarios to evaluate future impacts on the groundwater resources and agricultural economy of the Texas High Plains

This study evaluated the impacts of future climate scenarios on the groundwater resources and agricultural economy of the Texas High Plains, using Hale county as a case study. Climate change impacts were incorporated into regional economic models using weather projections to develop crop response functions from crop models. These projections are based on quantitative projections of precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and temperature trends driven by simulations from the latest IPCC AR4 climate models (Community Climate System Model (CCSM), Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), UK Met Office Hadley Model (HadCM3), and Parallel Climate Model (PCM)) under two specific emissions scenarios, A1B (mid-range) and A1FI (higher). Results indicated that for both the emission scenarios, saturated thickness, water use per cropland acre, and irrigated acreage declined under climatic predictions by all four models. At the end of the 90 year horizon, the A1B scenario resulted in a decline in average net income per acre as predicted by the CCSM and HadCM3 models, while the GFDL and PCM models predicted an increase in average net income per acre. Under the A1FI scenario, the CCSM, GFDL, and PCM model projections led to increased average net income per acre, while climate projections under the HadCM3 model indicated a decline in average net income per acre at the end of the 90 year horizon.
Foreign Opera at the London Playhouses: From Mozart to Bellini

In the early nineteenth century over forty operas by foreign composers, including Mozart, Rossini, Weber and Bellini, were adapted for London playhouses, often appearing in drastically altered form. Such changes have been denigrated as 'mutilations'. The operas were translated into English, fitted with spoken dialogue, divested of much of their music, augmented with interpolations and frequently set to altered libretti. By the end of the period, the radical changes of earlier adaptations gave way to more faithful versions. In the first comprehensive study of these adaptations, Christina Fuhrmann shows how integral they are to our understanding of early nineteenth-century opera and the transformation of London's theatrical and musical life. This book reveals how these operas accelerated repertoire shifts in the London theatrical world, fostered significant changes in musical taste, revealed the ambiguities and inadequacies of copyright law and sparked intense debate about fidelity to the original work.
BEHAVIOR OF BEACH FILL AT ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

A beach monitoring program between 1962 and 1972 at Atlantic City, New Jersey was designed to observe the response of beaches to waves and tides of specific intensity and duration as a first step in developing a storm warning system for low-lying coastal communities. As a by-product of that study the behavior of beach sand following two beach replenishment projects in 1963, and again in 1970, was determined. Monitoring was done using repetitive beach surveys above mean sea level (MSL) at seven profile lines. Survey results show that following replenishment, losses of the fill material above MSL were between nine and twelve times the losses measured in adjacent non-fill areas. Loss rates were largest at the updrift end of the fill region. About two and one-half times more material appeared to move in a seasonal on-offshore direction than moved permanently alongshore and above MSL to the southwest. For each meter of beach retreat, 5 to 6 m /lineal meter of fill were lost.
A novel co-culture model of murine K12 osteosarcoma cells and S. aureus on common orthopedic implant materials: 'the race to the surface' studied in vitro.

AbstractInfection is a major cause of orthopedic implant failure. There are few studies assessing both tissue cell and bacterial adherence on common orthopedic implant materials in a co-culture environment. An in vitro co-culture model was created using K12 osteosarcoma cells and Staphylococcus aureus in a medium incubated over metal disks for 48 h. The results showed that, in the presence of S. aureus, there were fewer osteosarcoma cells attached to the disks for all substrata tested. There were significantly more osteosarcoma cells adhering to the cobalt chrome than the stainless steel and titanium disks. Overall, in the presence of osteosarcoma cells, there were more bacteria adhering to the disks for all the substrata tested, with significantly more bacteria adhering to the stainless steel disks compared to cobalt chrome and titanium disks. Scanning electron microscopy verified that osteosarcoma cells and bacteria were adherent to the metal disks after incubation for 48 h. Furthermore, the observation...
Local renin-angiotensin system mediates endothelial dilator dysfunction in aging arteries

Aging impairs endothelium-dependent NO-mediated dilatation, which results from increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The local generation of angiotensin II (ANG II) is increased in aging arteries and contributes to inflammatory and fibrotic activity of smooth muscle cells and arterial wall remodeling. Although prolonged in vivo ANG II inhibition improves the impaired endothelial dilatation of aging arteries, it is unclear whether this reflects inhibition of intravascular or systemic ANG II systems. Experiments were therefore performed on isolated tail arteries from young (3-4 mo) and old (22-24 mo) F344 rats to determine if a local renin-angiotensin system contributes to the endothelial dilator dysfunction of aging. Aging impaired dilatation to the endothelial agonist acetylcholine but did not influence responses to a nitric oxide (NO) donor (DEA NONOate). Dilatation to acetylcholine was greatly reduced by NO synthase inhibition [nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME)] in young and old arteries. In isolated arteries, acute inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (perindoprilat), renin (aliskiren), or AT1 receptors (valsartan, losartan) did not influence dilatation to acetylcholine in young arteries but increased responses in old arteries. After ANG II inhibition, the dilator response to acetylcholine was similar in young and old arteries. ROS activity, which was increased in endothelium of aging arteries, was also reduced by inhibiting ANG II (perindoprilat, losartan). Renin expression was increased by 5.6 fold and immunofluorescent levels of ANG II were confirmed to be increased in aging compared with young arteries. Exogenous ANG II inhibited acetylcholine-induced dilatation. Therefore, aging-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent dilatation in aging is caused by a local intravascular renin-angiotensin system.
A master equation approach to the simulation of electron transport in small semiconductor devices

The purpose of this paper is to sketch a 'formal' derivation of the transport equation, emphasizing the crucial approximations required, and to extend the method to more realistic band structures. The example of electron transport in an nin diode is presented.
Bovine lactoferrin and lactoferricin exert antitumor activities on human colorectal cancer cells (HT-29) by activating various signaling pathways.

Lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding glycoprotein that is present at high concentrations in milk. Bovine lactoferricin (LfcinB) is a peptide fragment generated by pepsin proteolysis of bovine lactoferrin (bLf). LfcinB consists of amino acid residues 17–41 proximal to the N-terminus of bLf and a disulfide bond between residues 19 and 36, forming a loop. Both bLf and LfcinB have been demonstrated to have antitumor activities. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in developed countries. We hypothesized that bLf and LfcinB exert antitumor activities on colon cancer cells (HT-29) by triggering various signaling pathways. bLf and LfcinB significantly induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells but not in normal human intestinal epithelial cells, as revealed by the ApoTox-Glo Triplex Assay. The LIVE/DEAD cell viability assay showed that both bLf and LfcinB reduced the viability of HT-29 cells. Transcriptome analysis indicated that bLf, cyclic LfcinB, and linear LfcinB exerted antitumor activitie...
Fire Fighters' SCBA Belt Radiant Heat Resistance

An investigation of the effects of radiant heat on the belts of self-contained breathing apparatus commonly used by fire fighters shows the need for standards to establish test methods and performance criteria for SCBA resistance to radiant heat.
Molecular Aspects of the Rat Nerve Growth Factor Receptor

The role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the development, maintenance, and regrowth (after injury) of sympathetic and some sensory neurons is well documented (Vale and Shooter 1987, Oppenheim 1981, Levi-Montalcini and Angeletti 1968). perhaps this is most strikingly demonstrated by the ability of NGF antibodies to prevent the development of sympathetic neurons when injected into newborn rats (Levi-Montalcini and Angeletti, 1966) or of some sensory neurons when introduced into the fetus (Johnson et al. 1980). More recently, the discovery of NGF in certain cholinergic systems in the brain suggests a similar role for NGF in specific CNS neurons (Korsching et al. 1985).
Climate risk management and the electricity sector

Abstract The electric utility industry is an important player in the climate change arena, both as a significant emitter of global emissions and as an industry vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A climate risk management approach uses risk assessments and decision analyses to identify potential adaptation options. We review the existing literature on climate risk management in the electric utility industry, with a focus on four areas of interest: (1) climate change impacts; (2) measurements of risk; (3) stakeholder engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration; and (4) adaptation actions. Overall, we find significant emphasis on the identification of potential climate change impacts and opportunities for adaptation, but less attention paid to assessments of risk, stakeholder engagement, and cross-sectoral collaboration in climate risk management. We find considerable diversity in the types of adaptation actions, methods for measuring risk, and mechanisms for engaging stakeholders. We offer some suggestions to move beyond more fragmented approaches to climate risk management, including the adoption of more holistic approaches, heightened stakeholder and cross-sectoral engagement, and greater collaboration between researchers and electric utilities.
O- product transfusion, inventory management, and utilization during shortage: the OPTIMUS study.

Background Despite conservation strategies, shortages of O- red blood cells (RBCs) occur. The goal of this study was to determine how utilization of O- RBCs can be reduced using age- and location-based O+ substitution for routine transfusions in O- patients during O- shortages. Study design and methods Recipient age and ABO and D group were obtained for allogeneic RBC transfusions during the 2016 calendar year from 31 participating centers. ABO and D group of each RBC unit was compared to that of the recipient to determine the number of O- RBC units transfused to all patients, the number of RBC units transfused to O- patients, and the number of O- RBC units transfused to O- patients. O- RBC transfusions to O- patients were further analyzed by patient age and location. Results The fraction of all transfused RBCs that were O- at the participating centers ranged from 3.0% to 13.9%. The percentage of O- RBCs transfused to O- patients ranged from 36.6% to 93.7%. Hospitals differed in the frequency of issuing O- RBCs for O- patient transfusions (55.9%-100%). Relative to current issuing practice, overall use of O- RBCs could have been reduced by 44.5% if O+ units had been given to all O- patients at least 50 years old, 9.9% for all O- patients at least 80 years old, or 8.7% for all O- critical care patients at least 50 years old. Conclusion During O- shortages, O+ switching rules based on the recipient's age and hospital location can be applied for routine transfusions to ensure the availability of O- RBC units for O- females of childbearing age.
Synthesis of 2-(9H-carbazol-1-yl)anilines from 2,3′-biindolyl and ketones

Abstract Twenty-nine examples of 2-(9H-carbazol-1-yl)anilines were obtained in yields from 27 to 95% by refluxing 2,3′-biindolyl (1 equiv.) and ketones (1 equiv.) in ethanolic HCl. Alkyl, cyclic, and aryl ketones were found to be compatible with this method, however, aldehydes are not. Because the reaction proceeds by addition of the carbonyl C atom to the biindolyl 3-position, this method has high regioselectivity. One example is presented of bridging the two N atoms in the carbazolylaniline product with an acetaldehyde synthon to give a benzodiazepino[lm]carbazole. Also, one example is given of installing a dimethylamino group at the α-position of the starting ketone to give an indolo[3,2-c]carbazole.
Microbial Community Structure–Function Relationships in Yaquina Bay Estuary Reveal Spatially Distinct Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Capacities

Linking microbial community structure to ecological processes requires understanding of the functional roles among individual populations and the factors that influence their distributions. These structure-function relationships are particularly difficult to disentangle in estuaries, due to highly variable physico-chemical conditions. Yet, examining microbe-mediated turnover of resources in these "bioreactor" ecosystems is critical for understanding estuarine ecology. In this study, a combined metagenomics and metaproteomics approach was used to show that the unequal distribution of microbial populations across the Yaquina Bay estuary led to a habitat-specific taxonomic and functional structure and a clear spatial distribution in microbe-mediated capacities for cycling of carbon and nitrogen. For example, size-fractionation revealed that communities inhabiting suspended particulate material encoded more diverse types of metabolisms (e.g., fermentation and denitrification) than those with a planktonic lifestyle, suggesting that the metabolic reactions can differ between size fractions of the same parcel of an estuarine water column. Similarly, communities inhabiting oligotrophic conditions in the lower estuary were enriched in genes involved in central carbon metabolism (e.g., TCA cycle), while communities in the upper estuary were enriched in genes typical of copiotrophic populations (e.g., cell growth, cell division). Integrating gene and protein data revealed that abundant populations of Flavobacteriales and Rhodobacterales encoded similar genomic functions, yet differed significantly in protein expression, dedicating a large proportion of their respective proteomes to rapid growth and division versus metabolic versatility and resource acquisition. This suggested potentially distinct life-strategies between these two co-occurring lineages and was concomitant with differing patterns of positive evolutionary selection on their encoded genes. Microbial communities and their functions across Yaquina Bay appear to be structured by population-level habitat preferences, resulting in spatially distinct elemental cycling, while within each community, forces such as competitive exclusion and evolutionary selection influence species life-strategies and may help maintain microbial diversity.
The Nature of Staff - Family Interactions in Nursing Homes: Staff Perceptions.

Abstract Each year thousands of older adults are admitted to nursing homes. Following admission, nursing home staff and family members must interact and communicate with each other. This study examined relationship and communication patterns between nursing home staff members and family members of nursing home residents, as part of a larger multi-method comparative case study. Here, we report on 6-month case studies of two nursing homes where in-depth interviews, shadowing experiences, and direct observations were completed. Staff members from both nursing homes described staff–family interactions as difficult, problematic and time consuming, yet identified strategies that when implemented consistently, influenced the staff–family interaction positively. Findings suggest explanatory processes in staff–family interactions, while pointing toward promising interventions.
Regression Verification Using Impact Summaries

Regression verification techniques are used to prove equivalence of closely related program versions. Existing regression verification techniques leverage the similarities between program versions to help improve analysis scalability by using abstraction and decomposition techniques. These techniques are sound but not complete. In this work, we propose an alternative technique to improve scalability of regression verification that leverages change impact information to partition program execution behaviors. Program behaviors in each version are partitioned into (a) behaviors impacted by the changes and (b) behaviors not impacted (unimpacted) by the changes. Our approach uses a combination of static analysis and symbolic execution to generate summaries of program behaviors impacted by the differences. We show in this work that checking equivalence of behaviors in two program versions reduces to checking equivalence of just the impacted behaviors. We prove that our approach is both sound and complete for sequential programs, with respect to the depth bound of symbolic execution; furthermore, our approach can be used with existing approaches to better leverage the similarities between program versions and improve analysis scalability. We evaluate our technique on a set of sequential C artifacts and present preliminary results.
Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genome Services: Need for More Oversight

There is a market for direct-to-consumer genetic testing and a need for better consumer information and more regulation of tests and testing laboratories. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Analysis of gene expression in transgenic plants

The field of plant gene transfer technology has experienced a spectacular breakthrough during the recent years. From the early 1980s to date, cells of several plant species have been successfully transformed with a wide variety of techniques. The most frequently used method is to exploit the natural capability of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to transfer a segment of DNA into the genomes of most dicotyledonous plants. To overcome the difficulties for incorporating foreign DNA sequences into monocots via A. tumefaciens, direct DNA transfer methods (i.e. electroporation, microinjection, Ca2+ and PEG-mediated uptake of naked DNA) have been also developed. The relative ease of obtaining transformed cells and, in certain species, fully developed, fertile transgenic plants at high frequencies have greatly facilitated the study of plant gene regulation and expression.