cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of advanced chronic kidney disease among adults with spina bifida.

Abstract Purpose Adults with spina bifida (SB) may be susceptible to accelerated progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to advanced stages. However, little is known regarding risk of advanced CKD for this underserved population. The objective was to estimate the risk of advanced CKD among adults with vs. without SB. Methods Data were from Optum Clinformatics Data Mart. Adults (18+ years) without advanced CKD (CKD stages 4+) in 2013 were followed from 01/01/2014 to advanced CKD, death, loss to follow-up, or 12/31/2017. Diagnostic, procedure, and diagnosis-related group codes were used to identify SB, advanced CKD, and baseline cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. Incidence rate (IR) and IR ratio and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of advanced CKD were estimated. Cox regression estimated adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incidence of advanced CKD. Results The crude IR of advanced CKD was 7.40 for adults with SB (n = 4295) and 6.25 for adults without SB (n = 6.6 M). After adjusting for demographics, adults with SB had greater risk of advanced CKD compared to adults without SB (HR = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.72–2.60), which remained elevated with further adjustment for cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes (HR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.55–2.35). Conclusions Adults with SB may have greater risk of advanced CKD incidence compared to adults without SB.
Differences between accelerometer cut point methods among midlife women with cardiovascular risk markers

OBJECTIVE Midlife women experience elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and often receive advice to increase physical activity to mitigate this risk. Use of accelerometers to measure ambulatory physical activity requires selection of appropriate thresholds for estimating moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and choice of cut points may lead to meaningfully different conclusions about midlife women's physical activity (PA) engagement. This is particularly important given the recent elimination of 10-minute bout requirements for MVPA. This two-phase study examined differences between four cut point methods among midlife women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We used findings from Study 1 (exploratory) to generate hypotheses for Study 2 (confirmatory). METHODS Across studies, participants (N = 65) were midlife women with an additional CVD risk factor (eg, hypertension). Participants wore waistband accelerometers for seven days. Daily totals were calculated for minutes in light and MVPA using four common quantification methods (Freedson, Matthews, Swartz, and Troiano). RESULTS Multilevel models showed meaningful differences between methods (P < 0.0001). For total (non-bouted) minutes of MVPA, Freedson and Troiano methods showed that participants barely met MVPA recommendations (30 min per day), whereas Matthews and Swartz methods showed that participants greatly exceeded this goal. As differences between methods were smaller using MVPA bouts of 10 minutes or more (though remained significant), the observed variation was due in part to small bursts of MVPA dispersed throughout the day. CONCLUSIONS Findings demonstrate the need for careful consideration of PA quantification among midlife women with CVD risk, and for further investigation to determine the most appropriate quantification method. : Video Summary:http://links.lww.com/MENO/A545.
Isolation of Adipose Tissue Nuclei for Single-Cell Genomic Applications

Brown and beige fat are specialized adipose tissues that dissipate energy for thermogenesis by UCP1 (Uncoupling Protein-1)-dependent and independent pathways. Until recently, thermogenic adipocytes were considered a homogeneous population. However, recent studies have indicated that there are multiple subtypes or subpopulations that are distinct in developmental origin, substrate use, and transcriptome. Despite advances in single-cell genomics, unbiased decomposition of adipose tissues into cellular subtypes has been challenging because of the fragile nature of lipid-filled adipocytes. The protocol presented was developed to circumvent these obstacles by effective isolation of single nuclei from adipose tissue for downstream applications, including RNA sequencing. Cellular heterogeneity can then be analyzed by RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses.
Examining Disparities in Excessive Alcohol Use Among Black and Hispanic Lesbian and Bisexual Women in the United States: An Intersectional Analysis.

Objective:Sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, bisexual) women and racial-ethnic minority groups in the United States are disproportionately harmed by excessive alcohol use. This study examined disparit...
Three-dimensional Numerical Simulations of the Acoustic Wave Field in the Upper Convection Zone of the Sun

Results of numerical three-dimensional (3D) simulations of propagation of acoustic waves inside the Sun are presented. A linear 3D code which utilizes the realistic OPAL equation of state was developed. A modified convectively stable standard solar model with a smoothly joined chromosphere was used as a background model. A high-order dispersion relation-preserving numerical scheme was used. The top nonreflecting boundary condition established in the chromosphere absorbs waves with frequencies greater than the acoustic cutoff frequency which pass through the chromosphere, simulating a realistic situation. We simulate acousto-gravity wave fields on the Sun, generated by localized randomly distributed sources in a subphotospheric layer. Three applications for solar wave physics are presented: changes in oscillation properties due to the mechanism of wave damping, effects of nonuniform distribution of sources, and effects of nonuniform localized perturbations on wave properties. In particular, we studied two models of wave damping with leakage and with an explicit friction-type damping term in the photospheric layers and chromosphere. In both cases we were able to reproduce observed characteristics of the acoustic spectrum (line widths and amplitude distribution). We found that the suppression of acoustic sources, e.g., in sunspots, may significantly contribute to the observed power deficit. The lower sound speed in sunspot areas may cause an increase of the wave amplitude, but this effect is less important for the acoustic power distribution than the suppression of the acoustic sources.
Publication Bias against Null Results

Studies suggest a bias against the publication of null (p >.05) results. Instead of significance, we advocate reporting effect sizes and confidence intervals, and using replication studies. If statistical tests are used, power tests should accompany them.
Democratizing Proof: Pooling Police Body Camera and Public Cell Phone Videos

There are two cultural revolutions in recording the police. From the vantage of police departments, there is the rapidly spreading uptake of police-worn body cameras. On the public side, community members are increasingly using their cell phone cameras to record the police. Together, these dual recording revolutions are generating important new questions and possibilities regarding the balance of power in producing proof and illuminating contested encounters. This Essay is about how pooling police body camera and public videos can address three emerging challenges in the police recording revolution. The first challenge is the controversy over failures to record contested encounters by officers wearing body cameras. The second is the perceptual biases and limitations of body-camera video. The third is nondisclosure and policy limits on use of body-camera video to detect violations. This Essay argues that pooling public and police videos serves an important function in addition to offering evidence to solve crime. Including public videos in the official record democratizes proof so that members of the public can help shape and contest the official story. Perspective matters. A story can shift powerfully depending on the vantage point from which it is perceived and filmed—and depending on whether it is recorded at all. In addition to enhancing investigations, pooling public videos with police reports and recordings can better inform prosecutorial, defense, and judicial decision-making as well as police regulation.
Curettage and Desiccation for Cancer of the Skin

SUMMARY Curettage and desiccation is an ideal form of therapy for properly selected lesions of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma as well as Bowen's disease when performed by a skilled operator. The key words are properly selected lesions and a skilled operator. The patients selected should have lesions 1 inch or less in diameter. The lesions should preferably not be in periorificial areas where scar contraction may be disfiguring. A biopsy performed prior to treatment will determine if the lesion is a sclerosing type basal cell carcinoma which would best be treated by other methods. Almost all dermatologists are adequately trained in this procedure. Unless the operator has been trained to do curettage and desiccation, the patient should be referred to a specialist.
Reducing human health impacts from power sector emissions with redispatch and energy storage

Emissions from the power sector significantly contribute to ambient air pollution and its associated adverse human health impacts. In this study, we explore how to cost-effectively reduce health impacts due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) attributable to power plant emissions by internalizing real-time health costs in plant dispatch decisions and re-optimizing the unit commitment and economic dispatch in light of these impacts. We show that internalizing the time- and location-varying health damage costs into power system operational decisions can reduce 61% - 97% of adverse health impacts through decreases in coal generation and strategic shifts in the location and timing of pollutant releases. We also find that adding energy storage to the grid can mitigate health impacts by reducing wind power curtailment. Our findings demonstrate the need to consider temporal and spatial heterogeneity when determining the social cost of emissions.
Academic Service Learning Experiences of Compensation and Benefit Course Students

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of human resource students who had recently and successfully completed a service learning project for an undergraduate compensation and benefits course. Four specific themes or categories emerged from the 10 in-depth student interviews: pedagogical differences, student learning, personal benefits, and challenges and problems. Findings support the premise that academic service learning in human resource coursework is effective and beneficial for students. In fact, all felt that they learned and benefited more from this project or assignment than from any other they had undertaken.
The influence of perspective-taking on stress during discrimination in interracial relationships:

Interracial couples experience stressors that can negatively impact their relationship quality, such as racial discrimination. In dyads in which one partner identifies as White and the other identi...
How To Design a Therapeutic Study in Patients with the Post‐Polio Syndrome

The innervation of muscles in patients with the post-polio syndrome (PPS) may differ from limb to limb or even within the same limb because of the segmental nature of the initial involvement and the varying degree of subsequent recovery. Consequently, the compensatory effort of the neighboring muscles varies even in the same limb. Clinicohistological studies have confirmed that in PPS the various muscle groups differ according to whether they were affected during the acute polio and have recovered (partially or completely), or whether they were clinically spared during the original disease, in spite of subclinical involvement. Because the impact of the late effects of polio is also variable in these muscle groups, the effect of therapies may be different not only from patient to patient and from limb to limb, but also from muscle to muscle within the same limb. These variables require careful statistical determination of the sample size at the design of a trial. Another problematic issue in the therapy of PPS is to define the end point of therapy. The two disabling PPS symptoms, excessive fatigue and new muscle weakness, can coexist. An experimental therapeutic design must focus separately on the fatigue, using validated fatigue scales, and on muscle weakness, using quantitative muscle testing. Another methodological concern is the placebo-controlled design. Patients with PPS, even those without depression, can be prone to a placebo effect; hence the need for controlled trials. Finally, the length of a trial remains unresolved because of the slow and unpredictable progression of PPS that varies from patient to patient. Until the natural history of PPS is defined, therapies aimed at arresting disease progression are not reliable.
Does the Labrador-Québec border area of the Rae (Churchill) Province preserve vestiges of an Archean history?

This paper presents new data from an area of the Rae (eastern Churchill) Province where migmatite and gabbro-anorthosite complexes are intruded by metamorphosed diabase dykes. The pre-dyke rocks are lithologically comparable to Archean components in the Nain Province and may be correlative with them; the dykes may be equivalents of the Eariy Proterozoic dyke swarms of the Nain Province. It is proposed that this area comprises Archean crust that has escaped pervasive Early Proterozoic structural overprint, but was affected by the prevailing metamorphism. Preservation of these types of relationships may be more widespread in the Rae Province than presently recognized. Some tectonic implications of the data are discussed.
Forms of Social Support That Moderate PTSD in Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors

Although social support has been found to attenuate psychological symptoms in victims of sexual abuse, literature does not identify the specific forms of social support that mitigate maladjustment following a sexual abuse experience. This study sought to distinguish the specific types of perceived social support that buffer the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in victims of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). One hundred and seventy-two adult females reporting CSA were administered the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) and the Impact of Events Scale (IES). The ISEL measures the perceived availability of 4 support types. The IES measures core PTSD symptoms of intrusion and avoidance. Regression analysis indicated that social support significantly buffered PTSD development. The best model was one which contained self-esteem and appraisal support. Tangible and belonging support added little to prediction. Further, self-esteem support was identified as the most important variable in preventing PTSD development.
Communication Theory and Social Change

Communication theory is not only about society; it is also in society and contributes to the evolution of the communication practices that constitute society, thereby participating in processes of social change. This theme is illustrated by examining the ideas of network and ritual to show how each emerged as a practical concept in Western culture long before it was theorized explicitly for scientific purposes, and how each concept has developed in conjunction with profound changes in the communicative constitution of society. Next, it is argued more generally that communication theory and practice interact in the medium of metadiscourse, and that the discourse about communication, on both theoretical and practical levels, also engages critically with other discourses such as traditional authoritarianism and political realism, thus being caught up in social conflicts. In this complex scene of metadiscursive controversy and social conflict, communication theory participates in social change. Finally, it is suggested that this view on the role of communication theory in social change can contribute to recent conversations about the development of Asian communication theory.
From Indians to Chicanos: The Dynamics of Mexican‐American Culture

From Indians to Chicanos: The Dynamics of Mexican-American Culture. 2nd edition. James Diego Vigil. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1998. 324 pp.
Thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3 microwires

We present here a study of electrical and thermoelectric properties of n - and p -Bi2Te3 microwires (n -type Bi2Te2Se; p -type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3) with different diameters (d =10–20 µm). Cylindrical Bi2Te3 crystals with glass coating were prepared by the liquid phase casting in a glass capillary. The X-ray studies have shown that the microwire core is in general polycrystal consisting of big disoriented single crystal blocks. Measurements of resistance and thermopower were carried out over a wide range of temperatures (4.2–300 K) and magnetic fields (0–14 T). At 300 K for samples of n - and p -type the thermopower S and power factor P.f. = S2σ were (100–140) µV/K, 1.6×10-3 W/(K2m) and (150–300) µV/K, 4.5×10-3 W/(K2m), respectively. Magnetic field dependences of Power factor were measured at various temperatures (T =35, 100, 270 K) and different magnetic field orientations. A broad maximum is the dominant feature of the magnetic field dependence of power factor for p- type samples, while power factor decreases for n- type samples. We have obtained maximum power factor P.f. =6.8×10-3 W/(K2m) for p -type sample at longitudinal magnetic field B =3 T at T =100 K. Shubnikov de Haas oscillations with equal periods ΔB =0.038 T-1 both in longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields for carriers with mc = 0.15m0 in p -type Bi2Te3 microwire were observed. These oscillations could arise from the topological surface states. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A methodological framework for linking bioreactor function to microbial communities and environmental conditions

In the continuing quest to relate microbial communities in bioreactors to function and environmental and operational conditions, engineers and biotechnologists have adopted the latest molecular and 'omic methods. Despite the large amounts of data generated, gaining mechanistic insights and using the data for predictive and practical purposes is still a huge challenge. We present a methodological framework that can guide experimental design, and discuss specific issues that can affect how researchers generate and use data to elucidate the relationships. We also identify, in general terms, bioreactor research opportunities that appear promising.
Polarization-insensitive, stacked, liquid crystal polarization grating bandpass filters

We introduce a polarization-insensitive tunable bandpass filter design having the following unique properties: (i) high peak transmittance (~ 80 - 90%) that is independent of input polarization, (ii) non-mechanical tuning over a potentially large wavelength range (> 100 nm) with a narrow passband (< 10 nm possible), (iii) low-cost, simple, and compact (thin-film) construction with a large clear aperture suitable for many simple camera systems. This is a stacked birefringent filter approach similar to Lyot and Solc fiters but with significantly less loss due to the removal of polarizers from the system. The filter is based on a stacked configuration of polymer polarization gratings (PGs) and either fixed or tunable wave plates. PGs are a class of thin film anisotropic diffraction gratings, which exhibit unique properties including zero-order transmittance that is independent of incident polarization, and practically all diffracted light appears within the zero- and first-diffraction orders with efficiency ranging from nearly 100% to 0%. In this work we explore a variety of filter stack configurations and analyze them theoretically using Jones Calculus and Poincare Sphere reasoning. Both fixed and tunable filter configurations are presented and analyzed in terms of finesse, full width at half maximum, free spectral range, and tuning range. We then present preliminary experimental data for a three stage fixed bandpass filter.
A scalable storage supporting multistream real-time data retrieval

This paper presents a new data placement scheme for continuous-media playback via a scalable storage system. Multimedia contents are segmented into data blocks for the purpose of being stored, retrieved, and manipulated. If these data blocks belong to some continuous media, then they must be handled in a timely manner, for example, being retrieved before some deadline. One of the main challenges in implementing the above system is the simultaneous retrieval of a great number of different media streams from a very large storage system. The proposed scheme efficiently reduces the seeking delay by a very simple placement method and a retrieval scheduler. Thus, both the storage capacity and the number of concurrent accesses to the storage are scalable. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated through a simple analytical model and a practical prototype implementation.
Violation of classical probability in parametric down-conversion

Abstract A classical inequality relating to photoelectric coincidence counting with two light beams is derived. It is then demonstrated in a coincidence counting experiment with the signal and idler photons produced in the process of parametric down-conversion, that the classical inequality is violated by about 600 standard deviations.
CYR61 (CCN1) Is Essential for Placental Development and Vascular Integrity

CYR61 (CCN1) is a member of the CCN family of secreted matricellular proteins that includes connective tissue growth factor (CCN2), NOV (CCN3), WISP-1 (CCN4), WISP-2 (CCN5), and WISP-3 (CCN6). First identified as the product of a growth factor-inducible immediate-early gene, CYR61 is an extracellular matrixassociated angiogenic inducer that functions as a ligand of integrin receptors to promote cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Aberrant expression of Cyr61 is associated with breast cancer, wound healing, and vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. To understand the functions of CYR61 during development, we have disrupted the Cyr61 gene in mice. We show here that Cyr61-null mice suffer embryonic death: 30% succumbed to a failure in chorioallantoic fusion, and the reminder perished due to placental vascular insufficiency and compromised vessel integrity. These findings establish CYR61 as a novel and essential regulator of vascular development. CYR61 deficiency results in a specific defect in vessel bifurcation (nonsprouting angiogenesis) at the chorioallantoic junction, leading to an undervascularization of the placenta without affecting differentiation of the labyrinthine syncytiotrophoblasts. This unique phenotype is correlated with impaired Vegf-C expression in the allantoic mesoderm, suggesting that CYR61-regulated expression of Vegf-C plays a role in vessel bifurcation. The genetic and molecular basis of vessel bifurcation is presently unknown, and these findings provide new insight into this aspect of angiogenesis.
Dicyano and pyridine derivatives of retinal: synthesis and vibronic, electronic, and photophysical properties.

Density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory calculations provide pictures of the molecular orbitals involved in the ground and excited states of two cyano derivatives of 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al synthesized via an acid-base-catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation reaction. Population analysis shows that the symmetry-allowed transition, S(0) ((1)A(g)) → S(2) ((1)B(u)) based on the C(2h) symmetry is a HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) to LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) π → π* transition with electron densities located mostly on the polyene chain. Calculated and actual steady-state absorption spectra show similar features with low-energy peak maxima between 550 and 600 nm.
Specificity of the volume-sensitive sodium pump inhibitor isolated from human peritoneal dialysate in chronic renal failure

Specificity of the volume-sensitive sodium pump inhibitor isolated from human peritoneal dialysate in chronic renal failure. Compromised renal function predisposes to volume-dependent hypertension. Increased plasma levels of a sodium pump inhibitor as a possible pathogenetic factor have been demonstrated by many investigators in such patients, but efforts to identify the responsible agent have led to many, diverse candidates. Our premise in this study is that candidacy must depend on the satisfaction of rigorous criteria, including a specific action of the agent on the sodium pump. These criteria included reversibility, concentration dependence, receptor mediation, and an action at the appropriate step in the enzyme cycle. These criteria were applied to a potent [Na,K]ATPase inhibitor we have identified in the peritoneal dialysate of patients with chronic renal failure, present only during extracellular fluid volume expansion, the levels of which are correlated with the blood pressure rise that results from excessive NaCl and water intake. In microsomes that contained both [Na,K]ATPase and other ATPases, this candidate inhibited only the Na and K dependent, ouabain-sensitive ATPase. It displaced ouabain from the cardioglycoside binding site and its binding was linked to inhibition. Inhibition was produced by slowing the pump's dephosphorylation step, the exact action of all cardioglycosides. Finally, the candidate cross reacted with a digoxin Fab fragment and this Fab reversed its inhibition of [Na,K]ATPase. Together, these experiments demonstrate that the PD candidate specifically, and reversibly, inhibits the sodium pump via the cardioglycoside binding site, and hence, meets this crucial criterion for candidacy.
Effect of microstructure on light ion irradiation creep in nickel

Abstract The concept of inhomogeneous slip or localized deformation is introduced to account for a weak dependence of irradiation creep on initial microstructure. Specimens of pure nickel (Ni) with three different microstructures were irradiated at 473 K with 15–17 MeV douterons in the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) light ion irradiation creep apparatus. A dispersed barrier model for Climb-Glide (CG) creep was unable to account for the observed creep rates and creep strains. The weak dependence on microstructure was consistent with the Stress Induced Preferential Absorption (SIPA) creep mechanism but a high stress enhanced bias had to be assumed to account for the creep rates. Also, SIPA was unable to account for the observed creep strains. The CG and SIPA modeling utilized rate theory calculations of point defect fluxes and transmission electron microscopy for sink sizes and densities.
The case of the enigmatic entrepreneur

Executive Overview This case describes an ethical dilemma between a university professor, acting as a private consultant, and his client, an entrepreneur and important alumnus of the university. The case illustrates how professional standards, personal needs, competing loyalties, contradictory information, and unreasonable time pressures make ethical decision-making both difficult and ambiguous for entrepreneurs and consultants alike.
Glucose Release of Water-Soluble Starch-Related α-Glucans by Pancreatin and Amyloglucosidase Is Affected by the Abundance of α-1,6-Glucosidic Linkages

This study tested the hypothesis that an increased branch density (i.e., the percentage of α-1,6-glucosidic linkage) in water-soluble, starch-related α-glucans leads to reduced glucose release by pancreatin and amyloglucosidase. Malto-oligosaccharides and phytoglycogens were structurally analyzed and compared for their susceptibility to the enzymes. Malto-oligosaccharides were prepared by subjecting starch to α-amylase and β-amylase followed by ultrafiltration to enrich α-1,6-glucosidic linkages. The branch density of the oligosaccharide products reached up to 17%, determined by 1H NMR. Phytoglycogens were extracted from six sweet corn lines, and analysis showed similar chain length distributions and a branch density range from 8.8 to 9.5%, as compared with 4.6% for normal corn starch and 5.7% for waxy corn starch. The digestion behavior of these α-glucans was correlated to branch density: Highly branched malto-oligosaccharides had much reduced glucose release as compared with starch, whereas the reductio...
Dual Toll Pricing for Hazardous Materials Transport with Linear Delay

In this paper, we propose a dual toll pricing method to mitigate risk of hazardous materials (hazmat) transportation. We aim to simultaneously control both regular and hazmat vehicles to reduce the risk. In our model, we incorporate a new risk measure to consider duration-population-frequency of hazmat exposure. We first formulate the model as a Mathematical Program with Equilibrium Constraints (MPEC). Then we decompose the MPEC formulation into first-stage and second-stage problems. Separate methods are developed to solve each stage. A numerical example is provided and possible extensions are discussed.
Attitudes, Opinions, and Economic Understanding.

The world of economics is complex. Understanding that world requires education in basic economic concepts and their application to a multitude of economic issues. As students grow and learn, economic attitudes and opinions take shape and influence thoughts and actions over a lifetime. Consequently, educators need to know the nature of the relationship between cognitive and affective domains in economics learning. This article focuses on the development of economic attitudes, opinions, and economic understanding in students and adults. The first section explains the rationale for the interest in economic attitudes and opinions. The second section clarifies distinctions between the terms attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and values. The next two sections discuss the measurement of these affective constructs and provide classroom applications. The final section reports research findings on how attitude and economic understanding affect each other and the implications for classroom teaching.
Traducción, autoría e imperio: el caso de los prólogos al libro de El Cortesano

El concepto de traduccion que se maneja en el renacimiento esta asociado a las practicas retoricas e imitativas de academias y escuelas y carece, en general, de toda dignidad artistica o creativa. ...
Fast 80-Ns Implosion Times with Z Accelerator Demonstrate Quadratic Peak Radiated Power and Energy Dependence on Load Current

Summary form only given. The dependence of the peak radiated X-ray power and total radiated energy on the load current comes even closer to quadratic with the continuation of our Z accelerator current scaling campaign. The experiments are being performed mainly with two Marx charging voltages, 90 kV and 60 kV, which provide accordingly 16-MA and 13-MA peak current into the load. The load masses utilized are approximately equal to half the ones previously utilized and equal to 2.5 mg for the higher current and 1.1 mg for the lower current. The arrays utilized are of 20 mm diameter and 10 mm height with 300 tungsten wires. These loads give peak powers of up to 180 TW, the highest ever obtained with single tungsten arrays. Although the total radiated energy is lower than for the heavier mass and longer ~100 ns implosion time shots, the radiated energy up to peak power is the same. This makes fast implosions most attractive for ICF applications and suggest shorter rise times for the future high current Z-pinch drivers. Experimental results, numerical simulations and ZR circuit model predictions will be presented
Talk about New Rules! Exploring the Community College Role in Meeting the Educational Needs of an Aging Community.

Life courses have traditionally been seen as a linear progression from school to work to retirement. Now, as our population ages, a circular life course is emerging with education, work, and leisure intertwined. This article explores the “New Rules of Business” for a community college where residents age 55 + represent 34% of the population.
Review of Catalytic Conditioning of Biomass-Derived Syngas

Thermochemical conversion of biomass to create fuels and chemical products may be achieved through the gasification route via syngas. The resulting biomass-derived raw syngas contains the building blocks of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as well as undesired impurities, such as tars, hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and other trace contaminants. These impurities require removal, usually through catalytic conditioning, to produce a quality syngas for end-use synthesis of liquid fuels, such as mixed alcohols and Fischer−Tropsch liquids. In the past decade, significant research attention has been focused on these catalytic processes. This contribution builds on previous reviews and focuses on capturing the work on catalytic conditioning of biomass-derived syngas that have been performed since the Dayton review in 2002, with an emphasis on tar destruction and steam reforming catalysts. This review organizes and discusses the investigations of catalytic conditioning of biomass-derived ...
Is Talk Cheap

For the steel import quota bill of 1999, each word in the Congressional Record costs $39 in campaign contributions from the steel industry. Consequently, our answer is "Yes, talk is cheap!"
Individual heterogeneity and reverse causality in the relationship between migraine headache and educational attainment

Abstract A recent study by Rees and Sabia (2011) found migraine headache was negatively related to educational attainment even after accounting for the influence of family-level unobservables. The current study explores whether this relationship is attributable to unmeasured individual heterogeneity in the form of personality by using non-migraine headache as a placebo. In addition, it explores the degree to which the negative relationship between migraine headache and educational attainment can be explained by reverse causality using mother's migraine status as an instrument. We conclude that the estimates reported by Rees and Sabia (2011) likely reflect the causal effect of migraine headache on educational attainment.
Development of the rhesus monkey retina: II. A three‐dimensional analysis of the sequences o synaptic combinations in the inner plexiform layer

The inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the retina provides a useful model for ultrastructural analysis of synaptic development. In primates, the IPL consists of numerous combinations of neuronal contacts that assume the morphological configuration of either conventional or ribbon synapses. We have determined the sequential development of these combinations by analyzing serial electron microscopic sections from fetal rhesus monkeys. Our analysis reveals an orderly emergence of various pre- and postsynaptic elements: (1) patches of dense filamentous membrane first appear on the dendrites of ganglion (G) cells; (2) membrane densities on ganglion cell dendrites then become apposed to amacrine (A) cell processes still lacking their own membrane densities and synaptic vesicles; (3) amacrine cell processes acquire membrane specializations associated with vesicles at the sites apposing ganglion cell dendrites, thereby establishing the first morphologically complete, A----G subtype of conventional synapse; (4) pairs of amacrine cell processes form A----A subtypes of conventional synapses; (5) next, monad ribbon synapses are established between bipolar (B) and ganglion or amacrine cell processes (B----G; B----A); (6) the three subclasses of dyad ribbon synapses (B----GG; B----GA; B----AA) are subsequently formed by the introduction of additional amacrine or ganglion cell processes in the dyad synapse; (7) concurrently, processes of some amacrine and interplexiform (I) cells form a feedback circuit with bipolar cell axons (A----B; I----B), thereby completing the synaptic microcircuitry of the IPL. Present findings provide evidence that the sequence of synaptic differentiation in the IPL proceeds from the postsynaptic to the presynaptic site. Furthermore, lateral interactions (A----G and A----A) are established prior to the formation of the "straight signal" pathway from photoreceptors (P) via bipolar cells to ganglion cells (P----B----G). Observed developmental events provide new insight into the order of establishment of local neuronal circuits in the primate retina.
High-temperature reaction networks in graphite furnaces

The intensity of gas-phase species present in a graphite furnace/dilatometer from room temperature to 1400°C were recorded by a mass spectrometer in real time. Based on the relative intensities and fragmentation factors, the species could be assigned to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxygen, water, and cyanogen. At low temperature, carbon dioxide was the main species observed whereas at high temperature, carbon monoxide was the predominant compound. The appearance of these species at low and high temperature was consistent with the results of equilibrium calculations for the coupled reactions of C + O2 = CO2 and CO2 + C = 2CO. The intensity data from the mass spectrometer indicate that trace oxygen reacts with the graphite to form the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
Age-related decreases in growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1: Implications for brain aging

There is abundant empirical and scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that functional deterioration of tissue with age is closely related to a decline in hormone concentrations and/or hormone action, but the specific etiology and/or consequences of these deficiencies remain elusive. Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor–1 (IGF-1) are two potent anabolic hormones that decrease with age, and contribute to the loss in tissue function associated with normal aging. In this review, (1) basic age-related changes in the regulation of these hormones are detailed and information related to mechanisms of tissue resistance to GH are presented; (2) the potential use of GH as a therapeutic intervention to delay physiological changes associated with age is discussed; and (3) current information on the relationship among GH, IGF-1, microvascular rarefaction, and brain aging is detailed. Finally, our findings of beneficial actions of GH and IGF-1 are reconciled with other investigators using dwarf mod...
An on-chip dipole antenna for millimeter-wave transmitters

This paper presents an on-chip dipole antenna that radiates power directly from the die at millimeter-wave frequencies. To improve the transmission efficiency, a rectangular silicon ldquolensrdquo is attached on top of the chip. This increases the antenna gain in the upward direction by 8~13 dB, while suppressing backside radiation. A 28-GHz prototype CMOS transmitter has been demonstrated by integrating this antenna with a standing-wave oscillator.
Structural characterization of the major extrapallial fluid protein of the mollusc Mytilus edulis: implications for function.

The major protein component of the extrapallial fluid of the mollusc Mytilus edulis has been previously isolated and partially characterized. It was postulated to play a role in shell mineralization because of its intriguing property of Ca2+-binding-induced self-assembling. However, it also binds other divalent ions, including Cd2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+. Herein is the initial report on the characterization of the primary structure of the extrapallial (EP) protein by RT-PCR and cDNA sequencing methods and by de novo peptide sequencing with mass spectrometry. The EP protein is comprised of 213 amino acids postcleavage of a signal peptide of 23 amino acids. The protein is rich in His, Glu, and Asp residues. The site of N-glycosylation, “NHTE”, at amino acid positions 54−57 and the intramolecular disulfide bond between Cys 139 and Cys 171 of the protein have been characterized also. Sequence comparisons reveal that the EP protein possesses little homology to any presently known matrix proteins previously isol...
The Editor's Secrets

This editorial provides an overview of the editorial process at one peer-reviewed publication. The editorial starts by explaining the role of the players the editors, the review team, the area editor. The editorial then covers each step in the review process, from how reviewers are selected to how authors should respond to different outcomes. The editorial ends by discussing citation metrics, appointments to the editorial board and copyrights. This article argues that 1 requesting more reviews yields a faster, more informative review process; 2 publishing more articles can raise citations per article; 3 for many submissions, some reviewers should evaluate procedures, whereas others should evaluate contribution; 4 reviewers should not micromanage revisions; 5 editors must, unfortunately, write overly cautious decision letters; and 6 it is important to reward reviewers with board appointments and published acknowledgments. Journals must be author-friendly to survive.
Computed tomography of air pollutants using radial scanning path-integrated optical remote sensing

We propose a novel application of computed tomography (CT) for path-integrated optical remote sensing of air pollutants. We conducted a preliminary study with data obtained from simulated scanning of non-overlapping radial beam segments through Gaussian test distributions and experimentally measured test maps. The smooth basis function minimization (SBFM) algorithm, which fits parametric distributions rather than fitting individual pixel concentrations, was used to reconstruct two-dimensional concentration maps from this beam geometry. The results show that quite good reconstructions are possible with this approach. In contrast to the complex beam geometries proposed in the past for CT, this technique could be applied directly to air monitoring data from a variety of current optical sensing instruments. This development could vastly broaden the application of CT to obtain rapid reconstructions of ambient air pollution data.
Persistent coherence and spin polarization of topological surface states on topological insulators

Gapless surface states on topological insulators are protected from elastic scattering on nonmagnetic impurities, which makes them promising candidates for low-power electronic applications. However, for widespread applications, these states should remain coherent and significantly spin polarized at ambient temperatures. Here, we studied the coherence and spin structure of the topological states on the surface of a model topological insulator, Bi${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$, at elevated temperatures in spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We found an extremely weak broadening and essentially no decay of spin polarization of the topological surface state up to room temperature. Our results demonstrate that the topological states on surfaces of topological insulators could serve as a basis for room-temperature electronic devices.
A Hierarchical Goal-Programming Approach To Environmental Land Use Management

The purpose of the study is the development and application of a methodology for evaluating the economic and environmental effects of various policies for the management of the Texas Coastal Zone. The specific goals of the study are: (1) the establishment of operating criteria which are specific to the Texas Coastal Zone; (2) the development of a methodology or systematic approach for evaluating the economic and environmental effects of alternative policies for Texas Coastal Zone management, and (3) the testing of the systematic approach by the application of several hypothetical management policies to a specific region of the Texas Coastal Zone.
Epigenetic regulation of CD133/PROM1 expression in glioma stem cells by Sp1/myc and promoter methylation

Tumor stem cells, postulated to be the source cells for malignancies, have been identified in several cancers using cell-surface expression of markers including CD133, a pentaspan membrane protein. CD133+ve cells form neurospheres, exhibit self-renewal and differentiation, and are tumorigenic. However, despite its association with stem cells, a causal relationship of CD133 to tumorigenesis remains to be defined. Hypothesizing that specific epigenetic and transcription factors implicated in driving the stem cell state may concurrently regulate CD133 expression in stem cells, we analyzed the structure and regulation of CD133 promoter in glioma stem cells and glioma cell lines. Initially, a minimal promoter region was identified by analyzing the activity of CD133 promoter-driven luciferase-expressing 5'-and 3'-deletion-constructs upstream of the transcription start site. This region contained a CpG island that was hypermethylated in CD133-ve glioma stem cells (GSC) and glioma cells but unmethylated in CD133+ve ones. Of several predicted TF-binding sites in this region, the role of tandem Sp1 (-242 and -221) and two Myc (-541 and -25)-binding sites were examined. Overexpression of Sp1 or Myc increased CD133 minimal promoter-driven luciferase activity and CD133 levels in GSC and in glioma cell line. Mithramycin, a Sp1 inhibitor, decreased minimal promoter activity and downregulated CD133 levels in GSC. Gel-shift assays demonstrated direct binding of Sp1 to their predicted sites that was competitively inhibited by oligonucleotide-binding-site sequences and supershifted by anti-Sp1 confirming the interaction. Sp1 and Myc-antibody chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis in GSC showed enrichment of regions with Sp1 and Myc-binding sites. In CD133-ve cells, ChIP analysis showed binding of the methyl-DNA-binding proteins, MBD1, MBD2 and MeCP2 to the methylated CpG island and repression of transcription. These results demonstrate that Sp1 and Myc regulate CD133 transcription in GSC and that promoter methylation and methyl-DNA-binding proteins cause repression of CD133 by excluding transcription-factor binding.
A study of brand equity in an organizational‐buying context

Addresses two basic questions: do organizational buyers exhibit brand‐equity behaviors such as the willingness to pay significant price premiums for certain brands; and under what conditions do those buyers place a premium on well‐known brands? Finds significant brand‐equity behaviors, based on hypothetical buying situations, in the form of organizational buyers’ willingness to pay a significant price premium for their favorite brand, make referrals, and extend their brand preference to other products with the same brand name. The better known their favorite brand was, the more likely buyers were to exhibit the three brand‐equity behaviors.
Artifacts in Gold Shadowed Electron Micrographs Due to Electrons of High Intensity

SummaryElectron micrographs of gold shadow-cast specimens of tobacco mosaic virus show that artifacts, consisting of segmented or even globular particles, are formed when the specimen is exposed to the beam of electrons at high intensity. It is suggested that these are caused by the thin film of gold becoming fluid and forming globules on the surface of the virus rods and supporting membrane. Tobacco mosaic virus not treated with gold did not show any change after having been subjected to the same treatment. The results indicate that gold covered specimens should not be subjected to prolonged exposure to an electron beam of high intensity.
On the indeterminacy of equilibrium exchange rates

In this paper we consider a particular international economic policy regime: the laissez-faire regime, the distinguishing features of which are unrestricted portfolio choice and floating exchange rates. And as we show, this regime, although favored by many economists, is not economically feasible. It does not have a determinate equilibrium. That is an implication of an overlapping-generations model. More basically, it is an implication of the notion that money is wanted only in order to accomplish trades.
CAVITATION IN THE MIXING ZONE OF A SUBMERGED JET

(1953). Cavitation in the Mixing Zone of a Submerged Jet. La Houille Blanche: Vol. 1953, No. 1, pp. 9-19.