cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethnic Identity and Assimilation: A Seven Generation Irish-Canadian Lineage

The socio-economic evolution of Irish Canadians from landless rural subjects to New World peasants to urban proletarians to entrepreneurs and professionals is examined as having been shaped by the opportunity structure afforded by westward immigration of the past 140 years. That process and its attendant erosion of ethnic identity are chronicled in the context of the political economy of pre-famine Ireland, of early Canada, and of recession-prone Great Lakes border communities of the United States and Canada. Fully assimilated in mainstream North American culture, ethnic identity persists yet within the lineage on a situational basis.
Private Investment and Economic Growth in Developing Countries

Despite the growing support for market-oriented strategies, and for a greater role of private investment, empirical growth models for developing countries typically make no distinction between the private and public components of investment. This paper sheds some light on this important issue by formulating a simple growth model that separates the effects of public sector and private sector investment. This model is estimated for a cross-section sample of 24 developing countries, and the results support the notion that private investment has a larger direct effect on growth than does public investment.
Imaging ultrafast dynamics of molecules with laser-induced electron diffraction

We introduce a laser-induced electron diffraction method (LIED) for imaging ultrafast dynamics of small molecules with femtosecond mid-infrared lasers. When molecules are placed in an intense laser field, both low- and high-energy photoelectrons are generated. According to quantitative rescattering (QRS) theory, high-energy electrons are produced by a rescattering process where electrons born at the early phase of the laser pulse are driven back to rescatter with the parent ion. From the high-energy electron momentum spectra, field-free elastic electron-ion scattering differential cross sections (DCS), or diffraction images, can be extracted. With mid-infrared lasers as the driving pulses, it is further shown that the DCS can be used to extract atomic positions in a molecule with sub-angstrom spatial resolution, in close analogy to the standard electron diffraction method. Since infrared lasers with pulse duration of a few to several tens of femtoseconds are already available, LIED can be used for imaging dynamics of molecules with sub-angstrom spatial and a few-femtosecond temporal resolution. The first experiment with LIED has shown that the bond length of oxygen molecules shortens by 0.1 A in five femtoseconds after single ionization. The principle behind LIED and its future outlook as a tool for dynamic imaging of molecules are presented.
Characterization and conservation of the American Milking Devon

The American Milking Devon Association was established in 1978 to record and preserve a unique type of cattle originally developed in the United States in the 17 th century from imported English and contemporary American stocks. Phenotypically, it exhibits a spectrum of red colour, with light-coloured curved horns and medium body size. The breed is one of the few remaining triple-purpose breeds in the United States, and has been selected by breeders since colonial times for excellent temperament and powerful draught ability, along with desirable dairy and beef characteristics. It is well adapted to low-input management schemes and harsh environments. The American Milking Devon is currently found on the ‘critical’ list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, indicating that there are fewer than 200 new registrations annually. Since the inception of the American Milking Devon Association, a small group of dedicated breeders has done much to preserve these cattle. However, new management tools are now being introduced to assist breeders and allow conservation of genetic diversity while retaining the original breed traits in terms of size, colour, beef and dairy production, and character and working ability.
The vergence eye movements induced by radial optic flow: Some fundamental properties of the underlying local-motion detectors

Abstract Radial optic flow applied to large random dot patterns is known to elicit horizontal vergence eye movements at short latency, expansion causing convergence and contraction causing divergence: the Radial Flow Vergence Response (RFVR). We elicited RFVRs in human subjects by applying radial motion to concentric circular patterns whose radial luminance modulation was that of a square wave lacking the fundamental: the missing fundamental (mf) stimulus. The radial motion consisted of successive ¼–wavelength steps, so that the overall pattern and the 4n+1 harmonics (where n = integer) underwent radial expansion (or contraction), whereas the 4n−1 harmonics—including the strongest Fourier component (the 3rd harmonic)—underwent the opposite radial motion. Radial motion commenced only after the subject had fixated the center of the pattern. The initial RFVRs were always in the direction of the 3rd harmonic, e.g., expansion of the mf pattern causing divergence. Thus, the earliest RFVRs were strongly dependent on the motion of the major Fourier component, consistent with early spatio-temporal filtering prior to motion detection, as in the well-known energy model of motion analysis. If the radial mf stimulus was reduced to just two competing harmonics—the 3rd and 5th—the initial RFVRs showed a nonlinear dependence on their relative contrasts: when the two harmonics differed in contrast by more than about an octave then the one with the higher contrast completely dominated the RFVRs and the one with lower contrast lost its influence: winner-take-all. We suggest that these nonlinear interactions result from mutual inhibition between the mechanisms sensing the motion of the different competing harmonics. If single radial-flow steps were used, a brief inter-stimulus interval resulted in reversed RFVRs, consistent with the idea that the motion detectors mediating these responses receive a visual input whose temporal impulse response function is strongly biphasic. Lastly, all of these characteristics of the RFVR, which we attribute to the early cortical processing of visual motion, are known to be shared by the Ocular Following Response (OFR)—a conjugate tracking (version) response elicited at short-latency by linear motion—and even the quantitative details are generally very similar. Thus, although the RFVR and OFR respond to very different patterns of global motion—radial vs. linear—they have very similar local spatiotemporal properties as though mediated by the same low-level, local-motion detectors, which we suggest are in the striate cortex.
The Takadimi system reconsidered: Its psychological foundations and some proposals for improvement

The Takadimi system of rhythm pedagogy codified by Hoffman, Pelto, and White is supposedly an effective means to teach both dictation and reading. This article evaluates the potential of Takadimi a...
Characterization and analysis of the molecular weight of lignin for biorefining studies

The molecular weight of lignin is a fundamental property that infl uences the recalcitrance of biomass and the valorization of lignin. The determination of the molecular weight of lignin in native biomass is dependent on the bioresources used and the isolation and purifi cation procedures employed. The three most commonly employed isolation methods are milled wood lignin (MWL), cel- lulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL), and enzymatic mild acidolysis lignin (EMAL). Common characterization techniques for determining the molecular weight of lignin will be addressed, with an emphasis on gel permeation chromatography (GPC). This review also examines the mechanisms behind several biological, physical, and chemical pre-treatments and their impact on the molecular weight of lignin. The number average molecular weight (Mn), weight average molecular weight (Mw) and polydispersity index (D) all vary in magnitude depending on the biomass source, pre-treatment conditions, and isola- tion method. Additionally, there is a growing body of literature that supports changes in the molecular weight of lignin in response to genetic modifi cations in the lignin biosynthetic pathways. This review summarizes different procedures for obtaining the molecular weight of lignin that have been used in recent years and highlight future opportunities for applications of lignin. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Confining collateral damage to less than 10 nm during femtosecond laser machining

We have ablated holes in pre-thinned Si foils using an ultrafast laser. High resolution imaging of the edges of these holes reveal collateral damage limited to within 10 nanometers.
Effect of Different Axle Configurations on Fatigue Life of Asphalt Concrete Mixture

The fatigue life of an asphalt mixture under different truck axle configurations was determined directly from the indirect tensile cyclic load test by using load pulses that were equivalent to the passage of an entire axle group or truck. The dissipated energy approach was adopted in analyzing the results and determining the number of repetitions to failure for each case; a unique fatigue curve that can be used for multiaxle configurations was developed. Trucks consisting of up to 11 axles and axle groups of up to 8 axles were studied. The results indicated that the normalized damage per load carried decreased with an increasing number of axles within an axle group. Additionally, the fatigue lives predicted by using single load pulses were compared with the measured ones from the different axle groups and trucks.
Nox2 redox signaling maintains essential cell populations in the brain

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are conventionally classified as toxic consequences of aerobic life, and the brain is particularly susceptible to ROS-induced oxidative stress and damage owing to its high energy and oxygen demands. In this context, NAPDH oxidases (Nox) are a widespread source of brain ROS implicated in seizures, stroke, and neurodegeneration. A physiological role for ROS generation in normal brain function has not been established, despite the fact that mice and humans lacking functional Nox proteins exhibit cognitive deficits. Using molecular imaging with Peroxyfluor-6 (PF6), a new selective fluorescent indicator for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), we show that adult hippocampal stem/progenitor cells (AHPs) generate H2O2 through Nox2 to regulate intracellular growth signaling pathways, which in turn maintains their normal proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Our results challenge the traditional view that brain ROS are solely deleterious by demonstrating that controlled ROS chemistry is needed for maintaining specific cell populations.
Cognitive, Demographic, and Interactional Determinants of Role-Taking Skills in Fourth Grade Children.

A battery of four role-taking tasks requiring a shift from one's own perspective were administered to 105 fourth graders. The relative contributions of selected cognitive, demographic, and interactional variables to this battery were assessed. A regression equation indicated that five variables predicted 36% of the variance of the role-taking scores. These predictor variables were WISC Vocabulary score, Matching Familiar Figures errors, sex, neighborhood, and handedness. The WISC Vocabulary score was a suppressor variable. Results indicated the importance of both cognitive and experiential factors in the attainment of role-taking skills.
Context-driven Near-term Intention Recognition

Recognizing the intention of others in real time is a critical aspect of many human tasks. This article describes a technique for interpreting the near-term intention of an agent performing a task in real time by inferring the behavioral context of the observed agent. Equally significant, the knowledge used in this approach can be captured semi-automatically through observation of an agent performing tasks on a simulator in the context to be recognized. A hierarchical, template-based reasoning technique is used as the basis for intention recognition, where there is a one-to-one correspondence between templates and behavioral contexts or sub-contexts. In this approach, the total weight associated with each template is critical to the correct selection of a template that identifies the agent’s current intention. A template’s total weight is based on the contributions of individual weighted attributes describing the agent’s state and its surrounding environment. The investigation described develops and implements a novel means of learning these weight assignments by observing actual human performance. It accomplishes this using back-propagation neural networks and fuzzy sets. This permits early discrimination between different pre-categorized behavioral contexts/sub-contexts on the human-controlled agent such as a military or passenger vehicle. We describe an application of this concept and the experimentation to determine the viability of this approach.
Variable Neural Adaptive Robust Control: A Switched System Approach

Variable neural adaptive robust control strategies are proposed for the output tracking control of a class of multiinput multioutput uncertain systems. The controllers incorporate a novel variable-structure radial basis function (RBF) network as the self-organizing approximator for unknown system dynamics. It can determine the network structure online dynamically by adding or removing RBFs according to the tracking performance. The structure variation is systematically considered in the stability analysis of the closed-loop system using a switched system approach with the piecewise quadratic Lyapunov function. The performance of the proposed variable neural adaptive robust controllers is illustrated with simulations.
The Genetic Basis for Male × Female Interactions Underlying Variation in Reproductive Phenotypes of Drosophila

In Drosophila, where females mate multiply, sperm competition contributes strongly to fitness variability among males. Males transfer “Acp” seminal proteins to females during mating, and these proteins influence the outcome of sperm competition. Because Acps function within the female, male proteins can directly interact with female molecules in a manner that affects reproductive fitness. Here we begin to dissect the genetic architecture of male × female interactions underlying reproductive phenotypes important to sperm competition. By utilizing chromosome extraction lines, we demonstrate that the third and X chromosomes each have large effects on fertility phenotypes, female remating rate, and the sperm competition parameter, P1. Strikingly, the third and X chromosomes harbor genetic variation that gives rise to strong male × female interactions that modulate female remating rate and P1. Encoded on these chromosomes are, respectively, sex peptide (SP) and sex peptide receptor (SPR), the only pair of physically interacting male Acp and female receptor known. We identified several intriguing allelic interactions between SP and SPR. The results of this study begin to elucidate the complex genetic architecture of reproductive and sperm competition phenotypes and have significant implications for the evolution of male and female characters.
Measurement of Thin Film Isotropic and Anisotropic Thermal Conductivity Using 3ω and Thermoreflectance Imaging

The 3ω method is a well established technique for measuring thermal conductivity of thin films and substrates. The method extracts thermal conductivity by measuring temperature response when current flows through a metal strip heater deposited on the material's surface. The metal strip is used both as heat source and temperature sensor. An important factor in the accuracy of 3ω measurements is that the current should be confined to the metal strip resistor and any leakage to the substrate will invalidate the results. This is because the heat source would no longer be localized on the surface and also because any Schottky behavior at metal/semiconductor interface will create nonlinearities that affect the 3ω signal substantially. These problems are especially important at high temperatures where thermionic emission of electrons through oxide insulation layer becomes important. In this paper we propose thermoreflectance imaging as an additional method to determine thermal conductivity of thin film materials. Because thermoreflectance measures temperatures optically, the method is less dependent on the electrical properties of the metal heater. Additionally, the temperature profile near the heat source can be used to ensure there is no defect in the thin film metal heater. Theory is presented demonstrating thermoreflectance can also be used to measure anisotropic in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity in thin films. Preliminary thermoreflectance measurements were analyzed at various locations on the surface of isotropic, InGaAs and anisotropic ScN/ZrN superlattice thin film 3ω test samples. Experimental results are in agreement with simulated temperature distributions.
A food regime analysis of the ‘world food crisis’

The food regime concept is a key to unlock not only structured moments and transitions in the history of capitalist food relations, but also the history of capitalism itself. It is not about food per se, but about the relations within which food is produced, and through which capitalism is produced and reproduced. It provides, then, a fruitful perspective on the so-called ‘world food crisis’ of 2007–2008. This paper argues that the crisis stems from a long-term cycle of fossil-fuel dependence of industrial capitalism, combined with the inflation-producing effects of current biofuel offsets and financial speculation, and the concentration and centralization of agribusiness capital stemming from the enabling conjunctural policies of the corporate food regime. Rising costs, related to peak oil and fuel crop substitutes, combine with monopoly pricing by agribusiness to inflate food prices, globally transmitted under the liberalized terms of finance and trade associated with neoliberal policies.
The Impact of Male Work Environments and Organizational Policies on Women's Experiences of Sexual Harassment

Women's experiences with sexual harassment were analyzed with three types of variables: occupational and workplace sex ratios, organizational policies and procedures for dealing with sexual harassment problems, and women's cultural status (age and marital status). Regression analyses revealed that extent of contact with men was a key predictor of incidence of harassment, number of different types of harrassment, sexual comments, sexual categorical remarks, and sexual materials. Gender predominance was a significant predictor of physical threats and sexual materials. Informational methods were less successful than proactive methods in reducing incidents of sexual harassment. The analyses support two generalizations. The “contact hypothesis” tested and verified by Gutek and her colleagues provides a substantive understanding of our findings on workplace and occupational numerical predominance. Second, organizations that take a variety of steps to address sexual harassment are more apt to be successful in cu...
Fine Particles on Semiconductor Surfaces: Sources, Removal and Impact on the Semiconductor Industry

The impact of fine particles and organic contamination on device yield is very serious. We have investigated several technologies in this area. They include: 1) Application of thermophoresis for the prevention of surface contamination. 2) The use of electrets for collection of particles that might otherwise settle on surfaces. 3) The use of dry ice snow as a cleaning medium for the removal of particulates and organic contamination.
“Sports is Politics”: Swimming (and) Pools in Postcolonial Singapore

AbstractAlmost immediately after Singapore’s independence in 1965, sports became an agent of social engineering in the creation of the new nation, and the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) government pragmatically used the institution of sports in its nation-building enterprise. Based on an analysis of the speeches and press statements of Singaporean bureaucrats and civil servants from the 1960s to the 1980s, this article investigates the ruling elite’s general perception of sports and regional sporting events, examining how such a perception influenced Singapore’s local governance and strategic thinking in foreign relations. Although scholars have pointed out that sports were prominent in the nationalistic discourses of Singapore and in the projection of Singapore’s international image, little about the history and development of individual sports in Singapore is known. The article argues that swimming was the premier sport of choice for Singapore’s ruling elite in its projects of building bodies and th...
Abstract 3029: Biochemical evidence towards the existence of an oncogenic Hsp90 complex

To maintain homeostasis, cells employ intricate molecular machineries comprised of thousands of proteins programmed to execute well-defined functions. Dysregulation of these pathways, through protein mis-expression or mutation, provides biological advantages that confer the malignant phenotype. At the molecular level, this requires cells to invest energy in maintaining the stability and function of these proteins, and for this reason cancer cells co-opt molecular chaperones, including Hsp90. Hsp90 is recognized to play important roles in maintaining the transformed phenotype - the chaperone and its associated co-chaperones assist in the correct folding of cellular proteins, collectively referred to as “client proteins,” many of which are effectors of signal transduction pathways controlling cell growth, differentiation, the DNA damage response, and cell survival. Tumor cell addiction to these proteins (i.e. through mutations, aberrant expression, improper cellular translocation, etc) thus makes them critically reliant on Hsp90. While Hsp90 is expressed in all cells and tissues, it was shown that tumors preferentially contain Hsp90 that is in a higher order multi-chaperone complex with high affinity for certain Hsp90 inhibitors, while normal tissues harbor a latent, uncomplexed Hsp90 that has low affinity for these inhibitors. We here extend this model and propose that Hsp90 forms biochemically distinct complexes in cancer cells. In this view, a major fraction of cancer cell Hsp90 retains “house keeping” chaperone functions similar to normal cells, whereas a functionally distinct Hsp90 pool enriched or expanded in cancer cells specifically interacts with oncogenic proteins required to maintain tumor cell survival. Perhaps this Hsp90 fraction represents a cell stress specific form of chaperone complex that is expanded and constitutively maintained in the tumor cell context. Our data suggest that it may execute functions necessary to maintain the malignant phenotype. One such role is to regulate the folding of mutated (i.e. mB-Raf) or chimeric proteins (i.e. Bcr-Abl). We here also present experimental evidence for an additional role; that is, to facilitate scaffolding and complex formation of molecules involved in aberrantly activated signaling complexes. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3029. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3029
Fine and Hyperfine Structure of the 2 2 P Term of Li 6 and Li 7

Interference signals in resonance fluorescence associated with the crossing of the $J=\frac{3}{2}$, ${m}_{J}=\ensuremath{-}\frac{3}{2}$ and $J=\frac{1}{2}$, ${m}_{J}=\frac{1}{2}$ fine-structure Zeeman levels were used to investigate the fine and hyperfine structure of the $2 ^{2}P$ term of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{6}$ and ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$. The magnetic field strength corresponding to this crossing was determined for each isotope to within 1 part in 4.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{4}$. However, the precision with which the fine-structure splitting can be inferred from the crossing field is limited at the present time by a lack of knowledge of relativistic and diamagnetic corrections to the orbital $g$ factor ${g}_{L}$. The ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$ signal exhibited well-resolved hyperfine structure. Measurements of this structure have been used together with Ritter's result for the hyperfine splitting in the $2 ^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state to obtain values for ${a}_{c,\frac{3}{2}}$ and ${a}_{d,\frac{3}{2}}$, the Fermi contact and dipole-dipole contributions to the magnetic hyperfine interaction in the $2 ^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}$ state of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$, and a value for $Q$, the quadrupole moment of the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$ nucleus. They are: ${a}_{c\frac{3}{2}}=\ensuremath{-}10.53\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.23$ Mc/sec, ${a}_{d\frac{3}{2}}=7.13\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ Mc/sec, and $Q=(\ensuremath{-}3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}26}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The widths of the hyperfine components of the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$ crossing signal yield (2.72\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ sec for the life-time of the $2 ^{2}P$ term of atomic lithium.
Improved refractive outcomes of postgraduate year 4 cataract surgery after implementing a stepwise biometry lecture series reinforced by self-assessment at a teaching program

Purpose To determine whether a structured biometry course improves refractive outcomes of resident phacoemulsification. Setting Northeast Veterans Administration Hospital, Northport, New York, USA. Design Retrospective case study. Methods Phacoemulsification surgeries performed by residents before and after a biometry curriculum were reviewed. The inclusion criterion was phacoemulsification performed by residents. Patients with fewer than 3 months of follow-up were excluded. The main outcome measure—the mean absolute difference between the target and final refraction—was compared using a linear mixed model. Results Phacoemulsification surgeries performed by 4 residents before (n = 223) and by 4 residents after (n = 242) a biometry curriculum was implemented were reviewed. All measured preoperative factors were similar in both groups, including age, visual acuity, axial length, steep and flat keratometry values, astigmatism, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness. Before the biometry course was instituted, 10% of patients had a mean absolute difference of less than 0.25 diopter (D); the percentage was 35% afterward. The mean absolute difference was less than 0.50 D in 40% before the curriculum was initiated and 70% after. The mean absolute difference was less than 1.00 D in 75% before the curriculum was initiated versus 94% after (all P .05). Conclusion Residents’ refractive predictions significantly improved after a formal biometry curriculum, showing that improvements in resident surgical outcomes are possible with structured curriculums reinforcing outcome measures. Financial Disclosure None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Glucocorticoids inhibit colonic aldosterone-induced conductive Na+ absorption in adrenalectomized rat

Low-dose glucocorticoids induce only electroneutral Na absorption in rat colon. High-dose dexamethasone induces both electroneutral and electrogenic Na absorption. Aldosterone induces only electrogenic Na absorption and inhibits basal electroneutral transport in distal colon. To define the interrelationship between glucocorticoid-mediated and aldosterone-mediated Na absorption, adrenalectomized rats were treated with aldosterone and either glucocorticoid-receptor-specific doses of dexamethasone or the specific glucocorticoid RU26988. In combination the steroids did not increase Na and Cl absorption in proximal and distal colon and transmural potential difference (PD) and K secretion in distal colon as much as aldosterone alone. Na absorption was not inhibited by spironolactone or amiloride (10(-4) M). Transport in both segments was by Na-H exchange as demonstrated by marked inhibition by amiloride (10(-3) M) and the Na-H antiport inhibitor 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride. Thus glucocorticoids not only decreased Na absorption but also produced a marked qualitative change in the mode of Na absorption in aldosterone-treated rats. Acute dexamethasone infusion in rats pretreated with aldosterone decreased Na absorption and transmural PD within 30 min, suggesting inhibition of electrogenic Na absorption at a step distal to synthesis of aldosterone-induced proteins. These findings suggest that upregulation of one Na absorptive mechanism downregulates the other. This may explain why in intact unstressed rats there is little or no conductive Na absorption, despite sufficient endogenous steroid to occupy the aldosterone receptor. It may also explain why in proximal colon of intact rats, despite the presence of aldosterone receptors, even prolonged aldosterone exposure does not induce significant conductive Na absorption.
Speckle Contrast Investigation of Partially Coherent Beams Created by Random Complex Screens and Phase Screens

Partially coherent beams are modeled using complex screens and phase screens. The speckle contrast measure is applied to the developed Gaussian Schell-model beams. We find the contrast using phase screens can be smaller than with complex screens.
Communication and Cross-Sex Friendships Across the Life Cycle: A Review of the Literature

This chapter reviews the literature on cross-sex friendships and communication across the life cycle. It begins by establishing the importance and historical relevance of cross-sex friendships and the relative neglect of these relationships by the scholarly community. It then offers a delineation of conceptual and methodological issues involved in the study of male-female friendships. Next, with a focus on communication, studies are reviewed on cross-sex friendships in early childhood, middle and late childhood, adolescence, young and middle adulthood, and old age. Finally, the author makes some summarizing observations concerning the lack of theory in cross-sex friendship studies, the adoption of a “heterosexist” worldview in cross-sex friendship investigations, and the relative neglect of communication topics pertinent to those friendships. The central observation in the chapter is that cross-sex friendships have a protean quality that makes them significantly different in each stage of the life cycle, ...
An Unusual Etiology Of Hypokalemic Paralysis Secondary To Mineralocorticoid Excess In A Patient With Addison Disease

ABSTRAC Objective: To describe the effects of licorice consumption via smokeless tobacco products in combination with mineralocorticoids in a patient with Addison disease (AD) and increase awareness of this deadly combination. Methods: We present a case of hypokalemic paralysis caused by smokeless tobacco use in a patient with AD on replacement therapy and the literature describing this association. Results: A 43-year-old Caucasian male with known history of AD on replacement therapy, who presented to the emergency department with 5 days of progressive weakness and inability to ambulate. On examination he was hemodynamically stable. He had profound generalized weakness, most pronounced in lower extremities. Laboratory evaluation was notable for severe hypokalemia of 1.5 mEq/L. On further questioning, he disclosed use of daily smokeless tobacco, which ingredients included licorice. Once he discontinued chewing snuff in the hospital, potassium levels normalized and his symptoms resolved with potassium repla...
Assessment of Study Abroad Outcomes in Chinese as a Second Language: Gains in Cross-Cultural Adaptability, Language Contact and Proficiency.

AbstractParticipants were 109 American college students studying Chinese in a study-abroad programme in Beijing. Following Kelley and Meyer, intercultural competence was defined as cross-cultural adaptability involving four dimensions (emotional resilience, flexibility/openness, perceptual acuity and personal autonomy) and was measured with a survey. A language contact questionnaire was used to document the amount of time spent on social activities. Language proficiency was measured with a standardised Chinese test. Results revealed that intercultural competence and language contact combined explained 37.7% of the proficiency gains. Language contact had direct effects on proficiency, but intercultural competence had indirect effects, mediated by language contact.
Abstract 5904: Stiffness of extracellular matrix regulates breast cancer progression by stimulating mesenchymal stem cells

The tumor microenvironment contains cancer cells, non-cancerous cells, and extracellular components such as extracellular matrix (ECM). Previous studies have demonstrated that interactions between the cells and the microenvironment contribute to cancer progression via chemical stimuli, such as growth factors, and mechanical stimuli, such as stiffness of the ECM. Recently, it has been reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in response to chemical stimuli from cancer cells and thereby promote cancer progression. However, the contribution of mechanical stimuli to MSCs in cancer is poorly understood. In this study, we revealed that MSCs showed CAF phenotypes and promote mammary cancer progression in response to mechanical stimuli. On a stiff substrate, MSCs treated with conditioned media from cancer cell culture expressed increased levels of alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), a marker of CAFs, compared to the MSCs cultured on a soft substrate. MSCs grown on a stiff substrate displayed higher expression and activity of YAP and increased phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) compared to MSCs grown on a soft substrate. In addition, knockdown of YAP by shRNA decreased the expression of alpha-SMA and phosphorylation of MLC in MSCs on a stiff substrate. Pharmacological inhibition of MLC phosphorylation by H1152 treatment also reduced expression of alpha-SMA and activity of YAP in MSCs. Cell-cell communication between MSCs and carcinoma cells was bi-directional, as conditioned medium from MSCs cultured on a stiff substrate, but not a soft substrate, increased growth of mammary carcinoma cells. The soluble factor prosaposin was highly secreted by the MSCs on a stiff substrate, and the addition of recombinant prosaposin increased proliferation and survival of mammary carcinoma cells. Furthermore, secretion of prosaposin was promoted in YAP-overexpressed MSCs on a soft substrate. Mammary carcinoma cells treated with prosaposin showed increased level of phosphorylation in Akt at T308. In addition, inhibition of phosphorylation of Akt at T308 prevented proliferation and survival in mammary carcinoma cells. These results suggest that increased stiffness of the ECM in the tumor microenvironment induces differentiation of MSCs to CAFs via YAP and actomyosin contractility, secretion of prosaposion from MSCs, and as a result, trigger progression of mammary cancer via phosphorylation of Akt at T308. Citation Format: Seiichiro Ishihara, David R. Inman, Wan-Ju Li, Suzanne M. Ponik, Patricia J. Keely. Stiffness of extracellular matrix regulates breast cancer progression by stimulating mesenchymal stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5904. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5904
Exploring the imprint of social media networks on neighborhood community through the lens of gentrification

Gentrification, the rise of affluent socioeconomic populations in economically depressed urban neighborhoods, has been accused of disrupting community in these neighborhoods. Social media networks ...
Introduction to Part II: Franklian Existential Psychology

Chapter 6 provides an overview of Viktor Frankl’s existential psychology (logotherapy) as it pertains to faculty members’ search for meaning in unusually personal scholarship. This framework has therapeutic implications for readers with unusually personal connections to their research and also for mainstream scholars who want to live and work meaningfully in academic settings. Major themes include: Logotherapy as “healing through meaning”; the tragic triad of irretrievable loss, unavoidable suffering, and guilt; creative, experiential, and attitudinal values; uniqueness and responsibility; What is a human being?, the somatic, psychogenic, and noetic dimensions; and What is human life?, the freedom of will, the will to meaning, and the meaning of life. These concepts are explained and interpreted using examples from Frankl’s publications and the Part I case studies.
Generalized Degree and Nonlinear Problems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses generalized degree and nonlinear problems. It explains the use of some topological techniques in solving nonlinear problems. That chapter also discusses a proposition that a necessary and sufficient condition for the equation T(x) = 0 to be always solvable for every extension T of T0 is that the homotopy class of ψ must be nontrivial. It describes an extension of the Leray-Schauder theorem to such a situation and an application to a nonlinear elliptic boundary value problem. In recent years, extensions of the Leray-Schauder theory have been made in various directions.
Analgesics: Opioids for Chronic Pain Management and Surgical Considerations

Rational oral opioid use is a cornerstone of practice for many physicians. The number of patients on chronic opiates has increased dramatically in the past decade. Along with this increase has come corresponding concern for the abuse and misuse of such medications. Familiarity with the pharmacological properties and side effects of the various types of opioids is essential for the health-care provider in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Clone expansion and competition between quaking and bigtooth aspen suckers after clearcutting.

Quaking aspen clones expanded over more area, and regenerated greater sucker stem densities and biomass than did bigtooth aspen clones. However, sucker height growth was similar between the two species.
On cross-enterprise collaboration

Globalization, specialization, and rapid innovation are changing several aspects of business operations. Many large organizations that were once self-sufficient and that could dictate processes to partners and suppliers are now finding this model difficult to sustain. In the emerging model of global service delivery several competing service providers must work collaboratively to develop business solutions, either hierarchically or as peers. Overall project failures, uncontrollable delays, and significant financial losses have been observed in many global service delivery projects, indicating the importance of finding new ways to better support cross-enterprise work. This paper puts forth directions to explore the management and coordination of complex end-to-end processes carried out collaboratively by several organizations.
Emerging therapies for the treatment of essential thrombocythemia

Introduction: Historically the treatment of essential thrombocythemia (ET) has focused on decreasing the risk of thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications. Despite numerous available therapies with ...
Partial Rerouting for High-Availability and Low-Cost Service Function Chain

The development of Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) migrates network functions from dedicated hardware to groups of commodity servers called network points of presence (N-PoPs). Thus, network services are redefined as interconnected VNFs called Service Function Chains (SFCs). SFC has the potential to reduce costs of network services and improve scalability. However, the availability of SFC brings new challenges since a failure of any N-PoP along the SFC affects its availability. Deploying backup SFCs is a practical method to improve the availability of SFCs, but inappropriate deployments of backups may trigger the unnecessary capacity expansion of N-PoPs and thus waste VNF resources. In this paper, we solve this problem by proposing an optimization model called partial service function chain mapping. The model adopts partial SFC rerouting strategy for smaller rerouting delay and minimizes the maximum load on N- PoPs to reduce unnecessary capacity expansion of N- PoPs. We then propose a randomized rounding algorithm to solve the optimization problem, preserving the competitive ratio of O(log n), where n is the number of NPoPs in the network. Our extensive simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the availability of SFCs and limit the capacity expansion of N-PoPs.
FLUORINATION OF B10H102- WITH AN N-FLUORO REAGENT. A NEW WAY TO TRANSFORM B-H BONDS INTO B-F BONDS

Cs2B10H10 reacted with 1-(chloromethyl)-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate) (F-TEDA) to form the first fluorinated derivatives of B10H102-, including 1-B10H9F2-, 2-B10H9F2-, 1,10-B10H8F22-, and 1,2,10-B10H7F3-. The 11B NMR spectra of B10H102- and 1,10-B10H8F22-, both of which have C4v symmetry, are displayed here.
Suicide among justice-involved veterans: a brief overview of extant research, theoretical conceptualization, and recommendations for future research

Both justice-involved individuals and veterans are at elevated risk for suicide. Despite this, research examining the intersection between justice involvement and veteran status has been limited. I...
DC Confidential: Inside the Five Tricks of Washington (Introduction)

You think you know why our government in Washington is broken, but you really don't. You think it's broken because politicians curry favor with special interests and activists of the Left or Right. There's something to that and it helps explain why these politicians can't find common ground, but it misses the root cause. A half century ago, elected officials in Congress and the White House figured out a new system for enacting laws and spending programs--one that lets them take credit for promising good news while avoiding blame for government producing bad results. With five key tricks, politicians of both parties now avoid accounting to us for what government actually does to us. While you understand that these politicians seem to pull rabbits out of hats, hardly anyone sees the sleight of hand by which they get away with their tricks. Otherwise, their tricks wouldn't work. DC Confidential exposes the sleights of hand. Once they are brought to light, we can stop the tricks, fix our broken government, and make Washington work for us once again. The book explains the necessary reform and lays out an action plan to put it in place. Stopping the tricks would be a constructive, inclusive response to the anger that Americans from across the political spectrum feel toward what should be our government.
Novel drug targets for treatment of cryptosporidiosis

Introduction Cryptosporidium species are protozoan parasites that are important causes of diarrheal disease including waterborne outbreaks, childhood diarrhea in resource-poor countries, and diarrhea in compromised hosts worldwide. Recent studies highlight the importance of cryptosporidiosis in childhood diarrhea, malnutrition, and death in resource-poor countries. Despite this, only a single drug, nitazoxanide, has demonstrated efficacy in human cryptosporidiosis and its efficacy is limited in malnourished children and patients with HIV. Areas covered In this review, we highlight work on potential targets for chemotherapy and review progress on drug development. A number of new targets have been identified for chemotherapy and progress has been made at developing drugs for these targets. Targets include parasite kinases, nucleic acid synthesis and processing, proteases, and lipid metabolism. Other groups have performed high-throughput screening to identify potential drugs. Several compounds have advanced to large animal studies. Expert opinion Development of drugs for cryptosporidiosis has been plagued by a lack of success. Barriers have included poor correlations between in vitro activity and clinical success as well as frequent unanticipated adverse effects. Without a clear pathway forward, it is wise to maintain a diverse development pipeline. Drug developers should also realize that success will likely require a sustained, methodical effort.
Transforming a PICU Into an Adult ICU During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Meeting Multiple Needs

We describe the process converting half of our 40-bed PICU into a negative-pressure biocontainment ICU dedicated to adult coronavirus disease 2019 patients within a 1,003-bed academic quaternary hospital. We outline the construction, logistics, supplies, provider education, staffing, and operations. We share lessons learned of working with a predominantly pediatric staff blended with adult expertise staff while maintaining elements of family-centered care typical of pediatric critical care medicine. Critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 adult patients may be cared for in a PICU and care may be augmented by implementing elements of holistic, family-centered PICU practice.
What Happens When Genocide Is Denied

Genocide denial is a way in which to diminish the atrocities that have occurred and forget about the victims. This behavior has been hypothesized to lead to reoccurrence of genocide. Denial permits people to forget and when no survivors are left all that remains is memory. When memory is attacked and denied, the possibility of reoccurrence emerges.
Euro Housing Market Co-Movement: Medium vs. Short-Term Cycles

A lack of co-movement among the national housing markets in the euro monetary union makes the job of the ECB difficult. If markets are depressed in some countries, while booming in others, the ECB would be unable to create simultaneous loose and tight monetary conditions tailored to each national situation. Co-movement across national housing markets has thus been a topic of several previous studies. Most of these papers focused on business-cycle frequency dynamics. Medium term cycles, however, have been shown to play a more important role for long-run output and the financial cycle than short-term fluctuations. We examine both business cycle and medium-term components of housing in eight euro nations. We find that the medium cycle is more volatile than the business cycle component in all markets. This indicates the medium cycle plays a more important role for housing in the long-run than short-term fluctuations. We find, however, that there is greater co-movement among the medium cycles of different national housing markets than between the short-term fluctuations. We also find that co-movement of short-term cycles did appear to spike subsequent to the euro’s adoption, but that this greater apparent integration did not persist, and short-term co-movement has fallen in recent years. Finally, although medium-term co-movement is for most countries higher than that of the business cycle frequency, this greater synchronization does not appear to be a function of the euro common currency itself.