cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BFLA Spanish-English Mexican American bilinguals

ABSTRACTThe author looks at bilingual first language acquisition Spanish-English Mexican American bilinguals across an elementary school in Colorado. Based on classroom observations, and small group and one-on-one interviews with student participants, their teachers, and immediate family members, these bilinguals reveal how their identity is compromised as they survive in predominantly English-speaking settings. Their struggles, as they acculturate in America through their attempt to blend heritage and societal languages, and cultural practices, are revealed in the intimate sharing of counternarratives. Their suppressed voices bring forth a story about identity and the need to reposition the marginalized by giving recognition to abilities.
The effect of scalp cooling on CIA-related quality of life in breast cancer patients: a systematic review.

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) remains a distressing adverse event of cancer treatment but may be prevented by scalp cooling. The effectiveness of scalp cooling, however, is dependent on the chemotherapy regimen with successful hair preservation (i.e., < 50% hair loss) in 41–59% of women on taxane-based therapies in comparison to 16–36% on anthracycline-based therapies. Despite the potential utility, use of scalp cooling has shown a more equivocal impact on quality of life (QoL). In this review, we aim to evaluate the use of scalp cooling for CIA and quantitative QoL measures. A systematic review of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases for clinical studies on scalp cooling to prevent CIA published before October 29, 2018 was performed. Clinical studies with 5 or more patients that reported on a quantitative QoL measure were included and graded according to a modified five-point scale from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Studies meeting inclusion criteria included 4 randomized clinical trials (RCT), 8 cohort studies, and 1 cross-sectional study with 1282 unique patients. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30: 46%) and Breast Cancer Module (QLQ-BR23: 46%) represented the most commonly used QoL assessments. Overall, 4 (31%) of the 13 studies concluded that scalp cooling was associated with significant improvements in QoL measures; 8 (62%) determined that there was either non-significant or no improvements; and 1 (7.7%) provided a mixed conclusion. Although 2 (50%) RCT demonstrated that scalp cooling can effectively prevent CIA depending on the chemotherapy regimen, these studies did not show that successful hair preservation was associated with improved QoL measures. This review demonstrates that scalp cooling is not consistently associated with significant QoL improvements as assessed by EORTC QLQ-C30 and -BR23. Representing a critical limitation, more than one-third of the studies did not subcategorize QoL outcomes for successfully or unsuccessfully scalp-cooled patients but rather reported on QoL measures for all scalp-cooled patients in general. Failure to prevent hair loss in patients undergoing an expensive and potentially uncomfortable treatment likely contributes to decreased well-being, impacting the overall distribution of QoL measures in scalp cooling patients compared to controls. Future studies should incorporate validated QoL instruments specific to hair disease and classify QoL outcomes for scalp-cooled patients based on the degree of hair preservation.
A Case Study of Spectrum Analysis Using Unsupervised Machine Learning

Shared spectrum is a building block for 5G. Understanding how allocated spectrum is utilized in time and space is necessary to identify sharing opportunities. Analysis of spectrum measurements remains a largely manual process that requires significant domain knowledge. As a step toward automated analysis of spectrum measurements, this paper describes a case study where unsupervised learning is utilized to analyze wideband spectrum measurements at two different levels.
Regularized Structural Equation Modeling to Detect Measurement Bias: Evaluation of Lasso, Adaptive Lasso, and Elastic Net

Correct detection of measurement bias could help researchers revise models or refine psychological scales. Measurement bias detection can be viewed as a variable-selection problem, in which biased ...
Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation and Urinary TGF-β1 in Nonacidotic Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Background and objectives In early-phase studies of individuals with hypertensive CKD and normal serum total CO2, sodium bicarbonate reduced urinary TGF-β1 levels and preserved kidney function. The effect of sodium bicarbonate on kidney fibrosis and injury markers in individuals with diabetic kidney disease and normal serum total CO2 is unknown. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 74 United States veterans with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus, eGFR of 15–89 ml/min per 1.73 m2, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥30 mg/g, and serum total CO2 of 22–28 meq/L. Participants received oral sodium bicarbonate (0.5 meq/kg lean body wt per day; n=35) or placebo (n=39) for 6 months. The primary outcome was change in urinary TGF-β1-to-creatinine from baseline to months 3 and 6. Secondary outcomes included changes in urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1)-to-creatinine, fibronectin-to-creatinine, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL)-to-creatinine, and UACR from baseline to months 3 and 6. Results Key baseline characteristics were age 72±8 years, eGFR of 51±18 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and serum total CO2 of 24±2 meq/L. Sodium bicarbonate treatment increased mean total CO2 by 1.2 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.3 to 2.1) meq/L, increased urinary pH by 0.6 (95% CI, 0.5 to 0.8), and decreased urinary ammonium excretion by 5 (95% CI, 0 to 11) meq/d and urinary titratable acid excretion by 11 (95% CI, 5 to 18) meq/d. Sodium bicarbonate did not significantly change urinary TGF-β1/creatinine (difference in change, 13%, 95% CI, −10% to 40%; change within the sodium bicarbonate group, 8%, 95% CI, −10% to 28%; change within the placebo group, −4%, 95% CI, −19% to 13%). Similarly, no significant effect on KIM-1-to-creatinine (difference in change, −10%, 95% CI, −38% to 31%), fibronectin-to-creatinine (8%, 95% CI, −15% to 37%), NGAL-to-creatinine (−33%, 95% CI, −56% to 4%), or UACR (1%, 95% CI, −25% to 36%) was observed. Conclusions In nonacidotic diabetic kidney disease, sodium bicarbonate did not significantly reduce urinary TGF-β1, KIM-1, fibronectin, NGAL, or UACR over 6 months.
Repurposing Ribo-Seq to provide insights into structured RNAs

Abstract Ribosome profiling (Ribo-Seq) is a powerful method to study translation in bacteria. However, this method can enrich RNAs that are not bound by ribosomes, but rather, are protected from degradation in another way. For example, Escherichia coli Ribo-Seq libraries also capture reads from most non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). These fragments of ncRNAs pass all size selection steps of the Ribo-Seq protocol and survive hours of MNase treatment, presumably without protection from the ribosome or other macromolecules or proteins. Since bacterial ribosome profiling does not directly isolate ribosomes, but instead uses broad size range cutoffs to fractionate actively translated RNAs, it is understandable that some ncRNAs are retained after size selection. However, how these ‘contaminants’ survive MNase treatment is unclear. Through analyzing metaRibo-Seq reads across ssrS, a well established structured RNA in E. coli, and structured direct repeats from Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) arrays in Ruminococcus lactaris, we observed that these RNAs are protected from MNase treatment by virtue of their secondary structure. Therefore, large volumes of data previously discarded as contaminants in bacterial Ribo-Seq experiments can, in fact, be used to gain information regarding the in vivo secondary structure of ncRNAs, providing unique insight into their native functional structures. Importance We observe that ‘contaminant’ signals in bacterial Ribo-Seq experiments that are often disregarded and discarded, in fact, strongly overlap with structured regions of ncRNAs. Structured ncRNAs are pivotal mediators of bioregulation in bacteria and their functions are often reliant on their specific structures. We present an approach to access important RNA structural information through merely repurposing ‘contaminant’ signals in bacterial Ribo-Seq experiments. This powerful approach enables us to partially resolve RNA structures, identify novel structured RNAs, and elucidate RNA structure-function relationships in bacteria at a large-scale and in vivo.
Ischemia reperfusion injury provokes adverse left ventricular remodeling in dysferlin-deficient hearts through a pathway that involves TIRAP dependent signaling

Cardiac myocytes have multiple cell autonomous mechanisms that facilitate stabilization and repair of damaged sarcolemmal membranes following myocardial injury. Dysferlin is a protein which facilitates membrane repair by promoting membrane resealing. Although prior studies have shown that dysferlin-deficient (Dysf-/-) mouse hearts have an impaired recovery from acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury ex vivo, the role of dysferlin in mediating the recovery from myocardial injury in vivo is unknown. Here we show that Dysf-/- mice develop adverse LV remodeling following I/R injury secondary to the collateral damage from sustained myocardial inflammation within the infarct zone. Backcrossing Dysf-/- mice with mice lacking signaling through the Toll-Interleukin 1 Receptor Domain-Containing Adaptor Protein (Tirap-/-), attenuated inflammation and abrogated adverse LV remodeling following I/R injury. Subsequent studies using Poloxamer 188 (P188), a membrane resealing reagent, demonstrated that P188 did not attenuate inflammation nor prevent adverse LV remodeling in Dysf-/- mice following I/R injury. Viewed together these studies reveal a previously unappreciated role for the importance of membrane sealing and the resolution of inflammation following myocardial injury.
Identification of spliced peptides in pancreatic islets uncovers errors leading to false assignments

Proteasomal spliced peptides (PSPs) have been identified in the class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) peptidomes of several tumors and have emerged as novel neoantigens that can stimulate highly specific T cells. Much debate has surrounded the percentage of PSPs in the immunopeptidome; reported numbers have ranged from <1-5% to 12-45%. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice that hybrid insulin peptides (HIPs), a special class of spliced peptides, are formed during insulin granule degradation in crinosomes of the pancreatic β cells and that modified peptides comprised a significant source of false positive HIP assignments. Herein, this study is extended to crinosomes isolated from other mouse strains and to two recent MHC class I studies, to see if modified peptides explained discrepancies in reported percentages of PSPs. This analysis revealed that both MHC-I peptidomes contained many spectra erroneously assigned as PSPs. While many false positive PSPs did arise from modified peptides, others arose from probable data processing errors. Thus, the reported numbers of PSPs in the literature are likely elevated due to errors associated with data processing and analysis.
Evolving structure-function relations during aortic maturation and aging revealed by multiphoton microscopy

Abstract The evolving microstructure and mechanical properties that promote homeostasis in the aorta are fundamental to age-specific adaptations and disease progression. We combine ex vivo multiphoton microscopy and biaxial biomechanical phenotyping to quantify and correlate layer-specific microstructural parameters, for the primary extracellular matrix components (fibrillar collagen and elastic lamellae) and cells (endothelial, smooth muscle, and adventitial), with mechanical properties of the mouse aorta from weaning through natural aging up to one year. The aging endothelium was characterized by progressive reductions in cell density and altered cellular orientation. The media similarly showed a progressive decrease in smooth muscle cell density and alignment though with inter-lamellar widening from intermediate to older ages, suggesting cell hypertrophy, matrix accumulation, or both. Despite not changing in tissue thickness, the aging adventitia exhibited a marked thickening and straightening of collagen fiber bundles and reduction in cell density, suggestive of age-related remodeling not growth. Multiple microstructural changes correlated with age-related increases in circumferential and axial material stiffness, among other mechanical metrics. Because of the importance of aging as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, understanding the normal progression of structural and functional changes is essential when evaluating superimposed disease-related changes as a function of the age of onset.
Outcomes of Bone Marrow Compared to Peripheral Blood for Haploidentical Transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) from a haploidentical (haplo) donor has emerged as a suitable alternative in the absence of a matched donor. However, haplo-HCT patients have a higher risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Hence, bone marrow (BM) stem cell source and post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) have been routinely used to help mitigate this. Due to ease of collection, peripheral blood (PB) stem cells are increasingly being considered for haplo-HCT. We retrospectively analyzed 74 patients (42 BM and 32 PB) who underwent haplo-HCT at Ohio State University from 2009 to 2018. Median age at transplant was 60 years (yrs) for BM and 54 yrs for PB, (p = 0.45). There was no difference in OS (p = 0.13) and NRM (p = 0.75) as well as PFS (p = 0.10) or GRFS (p = 0.90) between the groups. The BM cohort showed a 3-year OS rate of 63% (95% confidence interval (CI): 46–76), and 3-year PFS of 49% (95% CI: 33–63). For the PB group, 3-year OS and PFS were 78% (95% CI: 59–89) and 68% (95% CI: 49–82), respectively. There were no differences in the incidence of acute GVHD (grade II-IV) (p = 0.31) and chronic GVHD (p = 0.18). Patients receiving BM had a significantly higher risk for relapse with relapse rates by 2 years at 36% (95% CI: 22–50) vs. 16% (95% CI: 6–31) for PB (p = 0.03). The findings from this study suggest that PB is an excellent alternative to BM for haplo-HCT.
Validation of the dynamic response of a blade-element UH-60 simulation model in hovering flight

The dynamic fidelity of an operational blade-element simulation model of the UH-60A helicopter is assessed for the hovering and low-speed flight regimes. Nonparametric frequency-response identification techniques and time-history comparisons are used to determine the validity of vehicle responses. Frequency-domain methods are applied to the model to isolate deficiencies and verify refinements and corrections. A dedicated flight-test program was conducted to provide data used in the analyses. Model deficiencies are also identified by using side-by-side pilot assessments of a motion-based simulation and of a test aircraft. Model refinements are found to improve fidelity significantly in the frequency range of interest to handling-qualities research. The applicability of the model to high-bandwidth flight-control research is also discussed.
Timely Use of Venous-Arterial ECMO to Treat Congenital Pediatric Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia: A Case Report

Supraventricular tachycardia is the most common tachyarrhythmia in pediatrics. Although postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) is a known complication of congenital heart surgery that is typically transient, congenital JET is rare and requires aggressive treatment to maintain hemodynamic stability. We describe the case of a 3-month-old, previously healthy female who presented with heart failure and cardiogenic shock secondary to congenital JET for whom extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provided time for selection of effective therapy. Adenosine, cardioversion, and transesophageal pacing were unsuccessful, and her echocardiogram demonstrated bilateral atrial dilation and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Approximately 8 hours after presentation, venous-arterial ECMO was commenced allowing for successful treatment with amiodarone. Her electrocardiogram demonstrated atrioventricular dissociation consistent with JET. She was successfully decannulated from ECMO after 6 days. Her discharge echocardiogram showed normal ventricular function, and she had no significant ECMO sequelae. This case demonstrates the value of early ECMO initiation for cardiovascular support in pediatric patients with a life-threatening arrhythmia and in cardiogenic shock. ECMO support can allow for full diagnostic and therapeutic decisions to effectively reverse the consequences of uncontrolled arrhythmias unrelated to surgical complications.
Future Prospects of Pain Treatment with Botulinum Neurotoxins

Treatment of pain with botulinum neurotoxins is now entering a new era due to the emergence of newly engineered compounds which by targeting the sensory neurons can offer a more effective means of pain control. The preliminary data from cell culture and animal experiments suggest a significant potential for these toxins/toxin chimeras and toxin/antibody compounds in relieving human pain.
Flattening the (Inaccessible) Cyberworld for People With Disabilities

(2008). Flattening the (Inaccessible) Cyberworld for People With Disabilities. Assistive Technology: Vol. 20, Disability Policy and Law, pp. 175-180.
A biological text retrieval system based on background knowledge and user feedback

Efficiently finding the most relevant publications in large corpus is an important research topic in information retrieval. The number of biological literatures grows exponentially in various publication databases. The objective of this paper is to quickly identify useful publications from a large number of biological documents. In this paper, we introduce a new iterative search paradigm that integrates biomedical background knowledge in organizing the results returned by search engines and utilizes user feedbacks in pruning irrelevant documents by document classification. A new term weighting strategy based on Gene Ontology is proposed to represent biomedical literatures. A prototype text retrieval system is built on this iterative search approach. Experimental results on MEDLINE abstracts and different keyword inputs show that the system can filter a large number of irrelevant documents in a reasonable time while keeping most of the useful documents. The results also show that the system is robust against different inputs and parameter settings.
Computational Aspects of Aggregation in Biological Systems

Many biologically relevant dynamical systems are aggregable, in the sense that one can divide their microvariables x 1,…, x n into several (k) nonintersecting groups and find functions y 1,…, y k (k < n) from these groups (macrovariables) whose dynamics only depend on the initial state of the macrovariable. For example, the state of a population genetic system can be described by listing the frequencies x i of different genotypes, so that the corresponding dynamical system describe the effects of mutation, recombination, and natural selection. The goal of aggregation approaches in population genetics is to find macrovariables y a ,…, y k to which aggregated mutation, recombination, and selection functions could be applied. Population genetic models are formally equivalent to genetic algorithms, and are therefore of wide interest in the computational sciences.
Adolescents Seeking Mental Health Services: Self-Reported Health Risks and the Need to Talk

Summary Inner-city adolescents receiving mental health services often get inadequate medical care. However, when those who seek counseling are asked about their health concerns, they say they want to discuss them with their therapists. Based on responses to a clinical self-assessment questionnaire (Adquest), adolescent mental health clients reported sleep difficulties, weight and eating concerns, and frequent headaches and stomachaches. Age and gender differences in patterns of vulnerability and willingness to talk were explored.
Alloantigens Determined by A Second D Region Locus Elicit A Strong In Vitro Cytotoxic Response

The newly defined L antigen (previously designated D9) has been studied with the CML assay. BALB/c- H-2 db mice, which carry a loss mutation in the D region, were found to generate anti-L cytotoxic effector cells when stimulated with wild-type (BALB/c) cells. When the target cells were treated with an antiserum against L, cytolysis by BALB/c- H-2 db anti-BALB/c effectors was completely blocked. However, an antiserum against D, the antigen that bears the D region private specificity, had no effect on the anti-L cytotoxic response. In a control CML experiment that was specific for the D antigen, the antiserum to L had no effect, whereas the antiserum to D blocked completely. These results indicate that the L and D antigens are recognized in a CML response as separate entities on the cell surface. In an allogeneic response to the products of the D region, cytotoxic effectors were generated that were specific for L in addition to those specific for D. This conclusion was supported by blocking experiments with either antisera or unlabeled targets. These functional studies thus extend previous co-capping and immunochemical studies, and further support the hypothesis that L is a third transplantation antigen similar to the K and D antigens.
Crossing number of graphs with rotation systems

We show that computing the crossing number of a graph with a given rotation system is NP-complete. This result leads to a new and much simpler proof of Hlineny's result, that computing the crossing number of a cubic graph (without rotation system) is NP-complete. We also investigate the special case of multigraphs with rotation systems on a fixed number k of vertices. For k = 1 and k = 2 the crossing number can be computed in polynomial time and approximated to within a factor of 2 in linear time. For larger k we show how to approximate the crossing number to within a factor of (k+4 4)/5 in time O(mk+2) on a graph with m edges.
Androgen receptor splice variant V7 (AR-V7) in circulating tumor cells: a coming of age for AR splice variants?

Prostate cancer continues to be the most common non-cutaneous malignancy afflicting men in developed countries [1]. Although surgery or radiotherapy for the primary disease appears be curative at the time of initial treatment, upward of 25% of men will have metastatic or residual disease (ACS Facts and Figures 2015). Since the advent of prostate-specific antigen assays, the recurrence of the cancer has become evident even before the presence of tumor can be observed by methods such as isotopic bone scan or computer-assisted tomography. Of further significance, the overwhelming majority of the recurrent tumors are driven by the androgen receptor [2]. When the recurrent tumor becomes symptomatic, e.g. bone pain or symptoms from metastases to soft tissues, castration either surgically or medically with estrogens or a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists and antagonists has been demonstrated to ameliorate symptoms and prolong survival [3, 4]. The beneficial effect of castration was initially demonstrated by Huggin's studies over 70 years ago [5]. However, the tumor invariably recurs [6]. At this juncture, historically, the patient was considered to be androgen depleted and signaling through the AR stopped; however, more recent studies clearly demonstrate that the AR drives tumor progression [2].
Consequences of a solid inner core on Mercury’s spin configuration

Abstract The pressure torque by a liquid core that drove Mercury to the nominal Cassini state of rotation is dominated by the torque from the solid inner core. The gravitational torque exerted on Mercury’s mantle from an asymmetric solid inner core increases the equilibrium obliquity of the mantle spin axis. Since the observed obliquity of the mantle must be compatible with the presence of a solid inner core, the moment of inertia inferred from the occupancy of the Cassini state must be reduced to compensate the torque from the inner core and bring Mercury’s spin axis to the observed position. The unknown size and shape of the inner core means that the moment of inertia is more uncertain than previously inferred.
The Concept of Intersectionality in Feminist Theory

In feminist theory, intersectionality has become the predominant way of conceptualizing the relation between systems of oppression which construct our multiple identities and our social locations in hierarchies of power and privilege. The aim of this essay is to clarify the origins of intersectionality as a metaphor, and its theorization as a provisional concept in Kimberle Williams Crenshaw's work, followed by its uptake and mainstreaming as a paradigm by feminist theorists in a period marked by its widespread and rather unquestioned – if, at times, superficial and inattentive – usage. I adduce four analytic benefits of intersectionality as a research paradigm: simultaneity, complexity, irreducibility, and inclusivity. Then, I gesture at some critiques of intersectionality advanced in the last few years, during which the concept has increasingly come under scrutiny.
Artifact-free preparation, storage and analysis of solid adsorbent sampling cartridges used in the analysis of volatile organic compounds in air

Technical details on the preparation, conditioning, storage and analysis of solid adsorbent cartridges are given in order to avoid contaminant and artifact formation.
Combinatory interpolation theorems

A uniform proof is given for various (known) theorems asserting the convexity of a set S of integers, e.g., S the set of cardinalities of finite irredundant sets of axioms for an equational theory (Tarski), or S the set of cardinalities of complete homomorphic images of a graph (Harary, Hedetniemi and Prins). The same proof also yields some convexity results for coverings and packings.
INTRAMOLECULAR AND INTERMOLECULAR ENZYMATIC MODULATION OF ION CHANNELS IN EXCISED MEMBRANE PATCHES

A calcium-activated potassium channel in posterior pituitary nerve terminals was modulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Nearly every patch of membrane containing this channel also contained both membrane bound protein phosphatase and membrane-bound protein kinase. By examining the statistical and kinetic nature of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in excised patches, it was possible to evaluate two contrasting models for these enzymatic reactions. One of these models treated catalysis as an intermolecular process in which the enzyme and substrate are separate molecular species that diffuse and encounter one another during collisions. The second model treated catalysis as an intramolecular process in which the enzyme and substrate reside within a stable macromolecular complex. The study began with a Poisson analysis of the distribution of channel number in patches, and of the number of protein phosphatase-free and protein kinase-free patches. Subsequent kinetic analysis of dephosphorylation yielded an estimate of the mean number of protein phosphatase molecules per patch that was similar to the value obtained from Poisson analysis. Because these two estimates were independent predictions based on the intermolecular model, their agreement supported this model. Analysis of channel number in protein phosphatase-free patches and of the rarity of patches showing partial but incomplete rundown provided additional support for the intermolecular model over the intramolecular model. Furthermore, dephosphorylation exhibited monotonic kinetics with a rate well below the diffusion limit. Thus, several different lines of analysis support the intermolecular model for dephosphorylation, in which the protein phosphatase must encounter its substrate to effect catalysis. In contrast to the monotonic kinetics of dephosphorylation, the phosphorylation reaction exhibited sigmoidal kinetics, with a rate that depended on membrane potential. Voltage dependence is an unlikely property for a kinetic step involving encounters resulting from diffusion. Furthermore, the velocity of the phosphorylation reaction exceeded the diffusion limit, and this observation is inconsistent with the intermolecular model. Thus, both intermolecular and intramolecular enzymatic mechanisms operate in the modulation of the calcium-activated potassium channel of the posterior pituitary. These studies provide a functional characterization of the interactions between enzyme and substrate in intact patches of cell membrane.
A Finite-State Machine for Accommodating Unexpected Large Ground-Height Variations in Bipedal Robot Walking

This paper presents a feedback controller that allows MABEL, which is a kneed planar bipedal robot with 1-m-long legs, to accommodate terrain that presents large unexpected increases and decreases in height. The robot is provided no information regarding where the change in terrain height occurs and by how much. A finite-state machine is designed that manages transitions among controllers for flat-ground walking, stepping-up and -down, and a trip reflex. If the robot completes a step, the depth of a step-down or the height of a step-up can be immediately estimated at impact from the lengths of the legs and the angles of the robot’s joints. The change in height can be used to invoke a proper control response. On the other hand, if the swing leg impacts an obstacle during a step, or has a premature impact with the ground, a trip reflex is triggered on the basis of specially designed contact switches on the robot’s shins, contact switches at the end of each leg, and the current configuration of the robot. The design of each control mode and the transition conditions among them are presented. This paper concludes with experimental results of MABEL (blindly) accommodating various types of platforms, including ascent of a 12.5-cm-high platform, stepping-off an 18.5-cm-high platform, and walking over a platform with multiple ascending and descending steps.
Fast gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors

Abstract Based on knowledge of the electron scattering cross sections at low electron energies, combinations of binary and tertiary gas mixtures have been discovered for which the electron energies and the overall scattering cross sections that correspond to these are reduced, resulting in an increase in the drift velocity, w, of the electrons in the gas mixture for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several such mixtures of argon (Ar), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) and acetylene (C2H2) will be described that provide much faster response in gas-filled detectors compared to P-10 (90% Ar + 10% CH4) over a wide and convinient range of E/P values. The w(E/P) for CF4(100%), Ar(80%) + CF4(20%), Ar(80%) + C2H2(20%), Ar(80%) + C2H2(10%) + CF4(10%) are respectively, ∼15 × 106, ∼12 × 106, ∼5 × 106 and ∼9 × 106 cm s−1 at E/P values of, respectively, ∼6, 0.8–1.5, 0.5–4 and 0.8–3.5 V cm−1 torr−1. Measurements with a conventional proportional counter showed that although the energy resolution of the Ar/CF4 mixtures compares unfavorably with the energy resolution of P-10, that of the C2H2-containing binary and tertiary mixtures compares very favorably.
Enzyme activity in soils at subzero temperatures

Abstract Urease activity, phosphatase activity, and sulfatase activity were detected in soils at −10 and −20°C. The occurrence of enzyme activity in soils at subzero temperatures is attributed to enzyme-substrate interaction in unfrozen water at the surfaces of soil particles. Support for this explanation was obtained from experiments showing that hydrolysis of urea by jackbean urease occurs at −10 or −20°C in the presence, but not in the absence, of clay minerals or autoclaved soils. No enzyme activity could be detected in soils at −30°C.
The Dynamic ‘Diamond’: A Technological Innovation Perspective

A firm's local environment can constitute a source of national or regional cornpetitive advantage. An important question, therefore, is how these environments come about and how they can be lost. In this paper, we argue that a local environment is a function of the process of technological evolution. It is a function of how certain initial and prevailing conditions, the type of innovation, and chance events, influence the processes of uncertainty resolution, capabilities building, and survivor selection that are characteristic of technological evolution. We also argue that a region can lose its advantage when a dominant design emerges or when a technological discontinuity obsoletes the localized technological capabilities of not only manufacturers, but also of their suppliers, customers and related industries. The environment is dynamic as firms and nations, in response to their performances, also influence it by changing their strategies or policies.
Cholinergic Innervation of the Autotransplanted Canine Kidney

The degeneration of acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve fibers in 11 canine renal autotransplants was investigated with the thiocholine method of Karnovsky and Roots as modified for cryostat sections. Seven renal hila were also examined by silver impregnation and thiocholine techniques. Total denervation was demonstrated in only 3 of 11 autotransplants; the other 8 showed variable degrees of degeneration, from almost total to very little. Acetylcholinesterasepositive nerve fibers accompanied the renal, interlobar, arcuate, and interlobular arteries and the afferent arterioles and vasa recta. Acetylcholinesterase activity was apparent in glomeruli but was greatly diminished or abolished by renal perfusion with normal saline before histologic procedures were begun. Discrete autonomic ganglia were seen in the renal hila. We believe these acetylcholinesterase-positive ganglion cells (also found scattered along hilar nerve bundles) are the source of the nerve fibers which remain intact and viable following vascular division during transplantation.
The Ancient Middle Classes: Urban Life and Aesthetics in the Roman Empire 100 BCE‐250 CE. By Emanuel Mayer. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012. Pp. xvi, 295. $45.00.)

The author advances two propositions in this challenging and stimulating book: first, that in the central era of Rome's history (the first century BC to the second century AD) an affluent sector of...
Opportunities to Develop Adaptive Teaching Expertise during Supervisory Conferences.

Abstract Adaptive teaching expertise is a critical component of quality teaching. University-based supervisors should employ specific supervision styles and discourse types during post-lesson observation conferences to help student teachers develop adaptive competencies such as, justifying decision-making, balancing experimentation and risk to pupils, and discussing instructional adaptations to address pupils' contextualized-needs. Findings from a sixteen-week, multiple-case study suggest that student teachers and supervisors ( N = 6) do not use critical discourse to capitalize on opportunities to develop adaptive teaching expertise. If student teachers are expected to become adaptive experts, teacher educators must learn how to leverage discourse to promote development of adaptive teaching expertise.
CO tolerance of ordered intermetallic phases

The tolerance to CO poisoning of several ordered intermetallic compounds including PtPb, PtBi, Pt3Ti, Pt3Zr, Pt3Ta and Pt2Ta has been evaluated in terms of both peak potential and coulometric charge, and the results have been compared to polycrystalline Pt. In addition, in situ FT-IR has been employed to further characterize the interaction of CO with PtPb which has been one of the most promising materials. The propensity of these intermetallic phases to exhibit tolerance to CO poisoning is a function of both composition and structure, with materials with high Pt content exhibiting little or no improvement over Pt. PtBi exhibited virtual immunity to CO poisoning, whereas PtPb and Pt2Ta exhibited some poisoning by CO with stripping potentials less positive than bulk Pt. The adsorption of CO onto PtPb likely arises, at least in part, as a result of non-stoichiometries in the PtPb (with excess Pt) as it is not a congruently melting phase. The remaining materials with higher Pt content did not show any evidence of enhanced tolerance to CO poisoning when compared to pure Pt.
Noisy breathing and hemidiaphragm paralysis progressing to respiratory failure in an infant

Spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress (SMARD1) is a rare autosomal recessive disease that is caused by mutations in the gene encoding for immunoglobulin µ-binding protein 2. Unlike the relatively more common spinal muscular atrophy, patients with SMARD1 have respiratory distress prior to manifestation of distal muscle weakness making the diagnosis a challenge. Because respiratory distress is a hallmark feature of this disease, pediatric pulmonologists should recognize its features, and consider it as a diagnostic entity. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2011; 46:817–819. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Deindustrialization, Economic Distress, and Homicide Rates in Midsized Rustbelt Cities:

Over the past several years, the United States has experienced a significant decline in homicide rates. For the most part, analyses of this decline have focused on homicide trends in large cities and metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, few people have noticed that smaller cities have not seen a comparable decline in homicide rates. This article examines the relationship between deteriorated economic conditions and homicide rates in 85 midsized cities in the industrial Northeast and Midwest, or “Rustbelt” region of the United States. The authors find that unemployment, inelasticity (i.e., population density), and population change are either directly or indirectly (via socioeconomic deprivation) associated with homicide rates in these cities. Implications for homicide studies of urban locales are discussed.
Llewellyn Park, suburban Idyll

Abstract Llewellyn Park, created by a group of progressive entrepreneurs and garden enthusiasts in 1850, was the first romantically planned suburb in the USA1 (figure 1). The initiator of the project, Llewellyn Haskell, saw an economic opportunity in the increasing anti-urbanism of the middle class and the development of a nascent passenger rail service. But Haskell was also a progressive businessman who wedded his entrepreneurial endeavours to socially reformist ideas. From the outset Llewellyn Park was not simply a speculative venture but an alternative community, a curative haven from the pernicious influences of the city — from its bad air, disease, and moral corruption — and a fount of physical and mental rejuvenation.
Socially Constructed Management Communication and Practice: A Phenomenological Study

This is a phenomenological study of the communication processes around quality in a symphony chorus. Based upon intensive observations, interviews and participation in rehearsals and concerts over ...
The Proportional Solution for Economies with Both Private and Public Ownership

Abstract We ask: how should a planner, whose job is to respect public ownership of some productive assets, in conjunction with private ownership of some inputs, allocate resources? We call our proposal the Proportional Solution. It is characterized by the requirement that the final allocation be Pareto efficient and by the condition of equal returns to the use of privately owned inputs. We discuss this idea in a publicly owned firm, a cooperative, and a common pool resource. Our main result is the existence of proportional solutions in general convex economies. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D50, D51, D62, L32, H23, H82, P13.
X-Ray Diffraction Measurement of the Effect of Layer Thickness on the Ferroelectric Transition in Epitaxial KTaO 3 / KNbO 3 Multilayers

${\mathrm{KTaO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{KNbO}}_{3}$ strained-layer superlattices of variable periodicity were grown by pulsed laser deposition on ${\mathrm{KTaO}}_{3}$ substrates. The ${\mathrm{KNbO}}_{3}$ layers were found to be strained in plane to match the substrate lattice parameter. Therefore, the applied strain is independent of the layer thickness. High-temperature x-ray diffraction was used to measure the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition temperature ${T}_{c}$. For superlattice periodicity $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\le}5.1\mathrm{nm}$, ${T}_{c}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}475\mathrm{K}$, independent of $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$. For $\ensuremath{\Lambda}g5.1\mathrm{nm}$, ${T}_{c}$ increases to 825 K at $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}33.8\mathrm{nm}$.
Recurrence and Quality of Life Following Perineal Proctectomy for Rectal Prolapse

Surgical outcome and quality of life (QOL) following perineal proctectomy for rectal prolapse remain poorly documented. From 1994 to 2004, patients with full-thickness rectal prolapse were treated exclusively with perineal proctectomy independent of age or comorbidities. Subjective patient assessments and recurrences were determined retrospectively from hospital and clinic records. Consenting patients completed the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI). Perineal proctectomy was performed in 103 consecutive patients with a median age of 75 years (range 30–94). Most patients underwent concurrent levatorplasty (anterior 85.8%, posterior 67.9%). Durable results were obtained in all patients; the recurrence rate was 8.5% over a mean follow-up of 36 months. Preoperatively, 75.5% of patients reported fecal incontinence, and 32.1% had obstructed defecation. Incontinence significantly improved post-proctectomy (41.5%, p < 0.001), as did constipation (10.4%, p < 0.001). GIQLI respondents reported satisfaction following proctectomy with 63% scoring within one standard deviation of healthy controls. Patients with recurrent prolapse reported a lower QOL. Risk factors for recurrence included duration of prolapse, need for posterior levatorplasty, and prior anorectal surgery. Perineal proctectomy provides significant relief from fecal incontinence and obstructive symptoms caused by rectal prolapse, with an acceptable recurrence rate and low morbidity.
Remarks on the navier-stokes equations on the two and three dimensional torus

(1994). Remarks on the navier-stokes equations on the two and three dimensional torus. Communications in Partial Differential Equations: Vol. 19, No. 5-6, pp. 873-900.
Hearing the patient's ‘voice’: Toward a social poetics in diagnostic interviews

In this article we introduce a special practice that we have called the practice of a "social poetics", and explore its nature. The setting is a Primary Care Clinic at a large urban teaching hospital in the northeast of the U.S. As we describe it, the practice is at first conducted by a third person who occupies the position of a "cultural go-between" and who mediates between doctors and their patients in diagnostic interviews. Her task is to be open to being 'arrested', or 'moved' by, certain fleeting, momentary occurrences in what patients do or say. For sometimes in such moments, in our responding to the unfolding motions of their whole body and voice-as they respond to the circumstances in which they find themselves-we can begin to sense that the unique nature of their 'inner world of pain and suffering' is like for them. The practice of a social poetics entails a new relational attitude to the patient's use of words, an attitude that invites a creative, poetic sensibility, as well as a 'boundary crossing' stance that creates comparisons useful in relating what patients say to the rest of their lives. In elucidating the nature of such a practice further, we draw on the work of Wittgenstein, Bachelard, and Bakhtin. Together, these can lead to a new diagnostic practice that enables those involved in it to create, within the practice itself, both ways of talking that draw attention to the new possibilities for interaction the practice itself momentarily makes available, and ways of talking relevant to realizing these possibilities.
Determination of the electrical resistivity of monocrystalline Ni3Al from measurements on an aligned off-eutectic alloy

Abstract An original technique is presented for the determination of the electrical resistivity of the separate phases in a directionally solidified two-phase alloy from observations of the electrical resistivity of the composite. The method involves measurement of either of the parallel or the transverse resistivity as a function of the volume fractions of the phases. Application of the technique to resistivity data obtained previously by one of the authors on single crystals of an aligned (γ,γ′) nickel-aluminum off-eutectic alloy yields (44.2 ± 0.5) × 10−6ω-cm as the first reported value for the electrical resistivity of stoichiometric Ni3Al in single-crystal form. This result compares favorably with previous results of others for polycrystalline Ni3Al.
NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation catalyzed by purified NADPH-cytochrome c reductase from rat liver microsomes

Abstract A purified preparation of rat liver microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase has been shown to catalyze the NADPH-dependent peroxidation of isolated microsomal lipid. In addition to ADP and ferric ion required for NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation in whole microsomes, this system requires high ionic strength and a critical concentration of EDTA. The peroxidation activity can be inhibited by superoxide dismutase suggesting that the superoxide anion, produced by this flavoprotein, is involved in the lipid peroxidation reaction.
Transcription of mouse rDNA is regulated by an activated subform of RNA polymerase I

We have identified the species-nonspecific factor required for mouse rDNA transcription, factor C, as an activated subform of RNA polymerase I. C is an RNA polymerase I since it copurifies with bulk polymerase I activity on the three chromatographic columns used to achieve a virtually homogenous preparation of polymerase I, as well as on four additional matrices; it is quantitatively neutralized as well as immunoprecipitated by two different types of anti-polymerase I antibodies; and it has thermal lability identical to that of bulk polymerase I. However, C is clearly distinct from bulk polymerase I in its ability to participate in the stable rDNA transcription complex and to catalyze accurate initiation of rRNA synthesis. It also has a greater sedimentation coefficient than bulk polymerase I. Furthermore, this activated polymerase subform is specifically lacking in extracts of cells in which rDNA transcription was down-regulated because of cycloheximide treatment or attainment of stationary phase. These data suggest that regulation of rDNA transcription in vivo may involve modulation in availability of the activated polymerase I subform.
A Sufficient Condition for the Non-Finite Basis Property of Semigroups

Recently, Zhang and Luo proved that a certain semigroup L of order six is non-finitely based. The main aim of the present article is to generalize this result to a sufficient condition for the non-finite basis property of semigroups. It follows that the semigroup L is inherently non-finitely based relative to a certain class of semigroups. It is also shown that the variety var L generated by L contains a unique maximal subvariety that is non-finitely based. Consequently, the variety var L is not a limit variety.
The α-furildioxime complex of rhenium

Abstract A reduced valence state of rhenium forms a chelate with furildioxime. Qualitative experiments on the complex suggest that it is similar to the nickel(II)- and palladium(II)-dioxime complexes.