cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drift and conversion in metropolitan governance: The rise of California’s redevelopment agencies

ABSTRACTAnalysis of formal institutions in metropolitan governance has focused primarily on observable changes such as statewide property tax limitations and municipal incorporation. By contrast, scholars have devoted little attention to the ways in which changing environmental conditions and shifting interpretations can alter the impact of formally stable institutions. For example, accounts of the diffusion of tax increment–financed redevelopment in California have emphasized the impact of Proposition 13, a statewide tax limitation adopted in 1978. But this diffusion began roughly a decade earlier, as the novel data set in this article indicates, when redevelopment project areas began to proliferate in relatively small and affluent suburban jurisdictions. The data, in combination with a case study, illustrate mechanisms by which stable formal institutions, such as state laws authorizing redevelopment, can contribute to gradual changes in metropolitan governance.
Directly deposited porous two-dimensional MoS2 films as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 has recently emerged as an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst due to its unique atomic layered structure and stability in harsh acidic environment. However, the high electrochemical performance of MoS2 is still limited to edges of its 2D layers. Here, we report the synthesis of highly porous MoS2 films exhibiting a large density of edge sites by using a direct sputter deposition method. Interestingly, the as-deposited MoS2 films resulted into a 3R phase with nano porous structure which is attributed to the lattice relaxation and high energy of sputtered ions. The as-synthesized porous MoS2 nanostructures demonstrate an excellent electrocatalytic performance with a low HER onset potential of ∼0.2 V, long-term cycling stability, and a low Tafel slope in the range of ∼80–90 mV/decade at a high cathodic current density.
Examination of muscle morphology and neuromuscular function in normal weight and overfat children aged 7-10 years.

Neuromuscular function in young overweight/obese (OF) children is not well described. AIM This study examined isometric and isokinetic leg extensor strength, muscle size (mCSA) and tissue composition as measured via echo intensity (mEI), and motor unit (MU) firing rates in normal weight (NW) and OF children aged 7-10 years. METHODS Fourteen NW (eight girls and six boys, BMI: 15.8 ± 1.4 kg/m2 ) and 15 OF (10 girls and five boys, BMI: 20.8 ± 2.3 kg/m2 ) children volunteered to perform this study. Percentage body fat (%BF) was measured, and mCSA, mEI, and subcutaneous fat (sFAT) of the vastus lateralis (VL) was assessed. MU mean firing rates (MFRs) in relation to recruitment threshold (RT) of the VL were assessed during submaximal isometric contractions. Maximal isokinetic contractions were performed at 1.05 and 4.20 rad/s. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) from the statistical tests are presented. RESULTS The OF children had greater %BF (95% CI = -15.1 to -7.2), mCSA (95% CI = -4.1 to -1.2), mEI (95% CI = -22.3 to -5.9), and sFAT (95% CI = -0.5 to -0.1), greater rate of strength loss with increasing isokinetic velocities (95% CI = 0.4 to 5.4), and a smaller range of MFRs (95% CI = 0.007 to 7.136) at the steady torque than the NW children. CONCLUSIONS The OF children had poorer muscle tissue composition, greater velocity-related impairments in muscle strength, and a smaller range of MFRs at the targeted torque that may suggest altered MU recruitment strategies. Interventions in OF children should include exercises and recruit higher-threshold MUs, such as high-intensity resistance exercises.
Trauma Systems and Trauma Care

Trauma systems are designed to care optimally for a population and its injured members. These systems extend far beyond in-hospital care of the injured patient. They must also include injury prevention, prehospital care, hospital care, education, and research, as well as long-term rehabilitation and recovery. Trauma systems require coordination between hospitals, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, policy makers, governing bodies, community leaders, and many others to be successful. This review will describe the history and development of trauma systems, the key components of such systems, and the impact that trauma systems have on a population.
CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE | Greenhouse Effect

Synopsis The Earth's climate is determined by a balance between the rate of radiation energy from Earth to space and by the rate of its receipt and absorption from the Sun. The radiation rate to space increases rapidly with temperature, so that if the rate of heating exceeds that of cooling to space, the planetary temperature will rise leading to increased radiation emitted until the balance is restored. If there is a deficit, the reverse will happen. When greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, and H2O are in the air, they cause the effective altitude of emission to space to be higher in the atmosphere where it is colder. This effect reduces the radiation to space for a given surface temperature. This reduction of emitted radiation means the planetary temperature will increase until balance is reestablished. This article addresses the question of the response of the surface temperature field to a doubling of CO2, for the case where no feedback mechanisms are operating. The value found is 1.0 ± 0.1°C, a value often quoted in the literature. Various feedback mechanisms can multiply or diminish the response. These include positive feedback mechanisms such as water vapor, ice-albedo; negative feedback mechanisms include lapse rate. Cloud feedback is not yet fully understood, but the balance of evidence suggests that it is positive.
Do the Pretectum and Accessory Optic System Play Different Roles in Optokinetic Nystagmus

Recent studies in birds and lower mammals have implicated the accessory optic system (AOS) and NOT in the generation of slow eye movements, especially OKN (reviewed by Simpson 1984). Single units in these structures respond to both the direction and velocity of full-field visual stimuli, and lesions of these structures compromise OKN. Both the AOS, which consists of lateral, medial, and dorsal terminal nuclei (LTN, MTN, DTN), and the NOT receive direct retinal input from the contralateral eye. Single units in the LTN and MTN prefer vertical visual motion (Simpson et al. 1979; Grasse and Cynader 1982, 1984; Mustari et al. 1986) whereas those in the DTN and NOT prefer horizontal visual motion (Grasse and Cynader 1984; Collewijn 1975; Hoffmann and Schoppmann 1981; Hoffmann and Distler 1986; Mustari and Fuchs 1988). One pathway by which the AOS and NOT could influence eye movements is via a projection to that part of the inferior olive (IO), the dorsal cap of Kooy, that supplies climbing fibers to the flocculus (Maekawa and Simpson 1973). The flocculus is known to have a role in smooth-pursuit (Lisberger and Fuchs 1978) and optokinetic (Zee et al. 1981; Waespe et al. 1985) eye movements.
Evolution of diagnostic criteria in psychoses.

The term psychosis was first introduced in the mid-19th century for the separation of psychiatric disorders from neurological disorders within the neuroses. The concept of psychosis has become gradually restricted from a generic term for psychiatric disorders to one of the major classes of mental illness, which was assumed to be the result of a disease process, and, more recently, to a symptom present in many psychiatric disorders. In the course of this development, the diagnostic criteria for psychosis shifted from the severity of the clinical manifestations and the degree of impairment in social functioning to the presence of one or more symptoms in a set of psychopathological symptoms, which include hallucinations, formal thought disorder manifest in disorganized or odd speech, delusions, flat/inappropriate affect, avolition/apathy disorganized behavior, catatonic motor behavior, and depersonalization/derealization. The changes in the conceptualization of psychosis and in the diagnostic criteria for psychosis are documented in the various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association (from DSM-I to DSM-IV] and the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (from ICD-9 to ICD-10].
Micro sequential injection system for monitoring of metabolites extruded by cultured cells

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a method for measuring lactate extrusion insitu from living cells in real time. In this technique, adherent cells are cultured onto microcarrier beads and packed into a column above an inverted microscope objective. Incorporation of the novel microstepping jet ring cell has allowed a significant improvement in the ability of the jet ring cell to capture and perfuse a column of microcarrier beads. The system has allowed monitoring of very short response times due to the rapid accumulation of excreted lactate into the small interstitial volume within the packed column of bead adherent cells. The advantage of the system is the direct oncolumn detection in real time, and an automated renewal of the cell column. In the wider concept, the elements of programmable flow such as stop pulsed and continuous flow can be seen as building blocks for μSI. Using LOV as a platform, a wide variety of enzymatic assays, immunoassays, and bioligand interaction assays can be patterned. In conjunction with the assay development, improvements in the process by which the renewable cell surface is generated and perfused are under discussion.
Impact of Induction Therapy on Circulating T Follicular Helper Cells and Subsequent Donor-Specific Antibody Formation After Kidney Transplant.

Introduction The cellular events that contribute to generation of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) post-kidney transplantation (KTx) are not well understood. Characterization of such mechanisms could allow tailoring of immunosuppression to benefit sensitized patients. Methods We prospectively monitored circulating T follicular helper (cTFH) cells in KTx recipients who received T-cell depleting (thymoglobulin, n = 54) or T-cell nondepleting (basiliximab, n = 20) induction therapy from pre-KTx to 1 year post-KTx and assessed their phenotypic changes due to induction and DSA occurrence, in addition to healthy controls (n = 13), for a total of 307 blood samples. Results Before KTx, patients displayed comparable levels of resting, central memory cTFH cells with similar polarization to those of healthy controls. Unlike basiliximab induction, thymoglobulin induction significantly depleted cTFH cells, triggered lymphopenia-induced proliferation that skewed cTFH cells toward increased Th1 polarization, effector memory, and elevated programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)int/hi expression, resembling activated phenotypes. Regardless of induction, patients who developed DSA post-KTx, harbored pre-KTx donor-reactive memory interleukin (IL)-21+ cTFH cells and showed higher % cTFH and lower % of T regulatory (TREG) cells post-KTx resulting in elevated cTFH:TREG ratio at DSA occurrence. Conclusion Induction therapy distinctly shapes cTFH cell phenotype post-KTx. Monitoring cTFH cells before and after KTx may help detect those patients prone to DSA generation post-KTx.
ARRHYTHMIA IN BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT: WHY WE SHOULD WORRY

The Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Study indicates that two-thirds of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) survivors develop a chronic health condition. Arrhythmia has been identified as a complication of HSCT in single-institution reports, but conclusive data at the national level is
Liver X receptor (LXR) as a target for ovarian cancer

3433 Serum oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is associated with increased ovarian cancer risk. OxLDL may also be elevated in the serum of obese individuals and we recently reported outcomes data from 216 ovarian cancer patients demonstrating that obesity was associated with reduced survival. To define the underlying mechanism for these observations, this study investigates targeting of liver X receptor (LXR) as a means to reverse proliferation of ovarian cancer cells mediated by ox-LDL. Serum oxLDL is regulated upon its binding scavenger receptors (CD36 & SRA), mediating oxLDL cell entry by receptor mediated endocytosis. Upon entering the cell oxLDL activates LXR nuclear receptors resulting in expression of ATP binding cassette transporter (ABCA1) leading to cholesterol efflux to HDL and subsequent reduction of LDL synthesis by the liver. Activation of LXR by synthetic nonsteroidal LXR ligands elicits the same response in mouse models, reducing atherosclerosis and other oxLDL-related disorders. We hypothesized that oxLDL is directly mitogenic to ovarian carcinoma cells and that LXR agonist can inhibit oxLDL mediated proliferation. Ovarian carcinoma cell lines CAOV3, OVCAR3 and SKOV3 were cultured as indicated and MTT proliferation assays were conducted. Expression of cell surface receptors was assessed by immunoblotting. Proliferation of each of the cell lines was significantly increased by oxLDL, but LDL had no mitogenic effect. A dose-dependent increase in cellular proliferation was seen with increasing oxLDL concentration. LXR synthetic ligand TO901317 doses between 10-50 ng/ml significantly inhibited the proliferation of all three cell lines. Growth stimulated by 25 μg/ml oxLDL was also reversed with the addition of 50 ng/ml TO901317. OxLDL also reduced the inhibitory effect of cisplatin for CAOV3 cells. We confirmed that each of the cell lines expressed CD36. We also showed that media conditioned on adipose cells was mitogenic to ovarian carcinoma cells. We conclude that LXR agonists may be effective for treating ovarian cancer based on dual roles of lowering LDL synthesis by the liver and directly effecting the inhibition of ovarian cancer cell proliferation.
Management of Clostridioides difficile colitis: insights for the gastroenterologist

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a common cause of diarrhea in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The last few years have seen major changes in the treatment spectrum of CDI, most notably, recommendations against using metronidazole for initial CDI, the addition of fidaxomicin and bezlotoxumab, and emergence of microbial replacement therapies. Several other therapies are undergoing clinical trials. This narrative review focuses on the treatment of CDI with a summary of literature on the newer modalities and the treatment guidelines issued by Infectious Diseases Society of America and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Basidiospore Number Variation in Agaricus

Abstract Kerrigan, R. W., and Ross, I. K., 1985. Basidiospore number variation in Agaricus . Variation in basidiospore number was investigated via light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in laboratory cultivated material of four species of Agaricus . The average spore number in A . bisporus varied among wild strains, and tended to decline as sporocarps matured. In the “tetrasporic” species A . subrufescens , and possibly in A . subfloccosus , the average spore number can be depressed by exposure to low air temperatures. One species, related to A . excellens , has been found to produce numerous basidia bearing more than four spores.
Metabolic tradeoffs and heterogeneity in microbial responses to temperature determine the fate of litter carbon in simulations of a warmer world

Abstract. Climate change has the potential to destabilize the Earth's massive terrestrial carbon (C) stocks, but the degree to which models project this destabilization to occur depends on the kinds and complexities of microbial processes they simulate. Of particular note is carbon use efficiency (CUE), which determines the fraction of C processed by microbes that is anabolized into microbial biomass rather than lost to the atmosphere and soil as carbon dioxide and extracellular products. The temperature sensitivity of CUE is often modeled as an intrinsically fixed (homogeneous) property of the community, which contrasts with empirical data and has unknown impacts on projected changes to the soil C cycle under global warming. We used the Decomposition Model of Enzymatic Traits (DEMENT) – which simulates taxon-level litter decomposition dynamics – to explore the effects of introducing organism-level heterogeneity into the CUE response to temperature for decomposition of leaf litter under 5 ∘ C of warming. We found that allowing the CUE temperature response to differ between taxa facilitated increased loss of litter C, unless fungal taxa were specifically restricted to decreasing CUE with temperature. Litter C loss was exacerbated by variable and elevated CUE at higher temperature, which effectively lowered costs for extracellular enzyme production. Together these results implicate a role for diversity of taxon-level CUE responses in driving the fate of litter C in a warmer world within DEMENT, which should be explored within the framework of additional model structures and validated with empirical studies.
Unilateral cleft lip repair

Cleft lip is one of the most commonly encountered craniofacial deformities. While comprehensive management of this deformity requires a multidisciplinary team approach, this article is specifically focused on the surgical management of the unilateral cleft lip deformity. As evidenced by the multiple techniques that have been developed for its repair, a functionally and aesthetically pleasing result is challenging to attain. Optimal surgical repair requires a thorough understanding of the underlying anatomy, which is reviewed. Generally, all methods of repair recognize that each structural component of the lip, skin, muscle, and mucosa, must be individually repaired but differ in their placement of the cutaneous incisions and how those incisions permit gains in lip height. This article reviews pre and postoperative management and gives special attention to the rotation advancement, Fisher subunit, and Tennison Triangle techniques of repair.
Effect of nicotine, low nicotine, and e-cigarette beliefs on cigarette and e-cigarette use in the US population and cancer survivors

This study examines how nicotine, low nicotine, and e-cigarette beliefs relate to cigarette and e-cigarette use in the general US population and more specifically cancer survivors. Using the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey, we assessed the prevalence of nicotine, low nicotine, and e-cigarette beliefs among smokers of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between beliefs and smoking status. In the overall population, participants who agreed that nicotine caused cancer were 70% less likely to be ever smokers of cigarettes compared to never smokers. Concern about nicotine addiction was associated with higher odds of ever smoking, and those who affirmed that low nicotine cigarettes were equally or more addictive than conventional cigarettes were more likely to be ever smokers relative to never smokers. These findings were similar among ever users of e-cigarettes relative to never users. Furthermore, participants who either believed that e-cigarettes were just as or more harmful than, or were unsure of the magnitude of harm compared to regular cigarettes were less likely to ever use them relative to those who believed that e-cigarettes were less harmful. Results were similar after stratifying by cancer survivorship status. Nicotine, low nicotine, and e-cigarette beliefs are associated with cigarette and e-cigarette use in the general population and among cancer survivors. Educational and nicotine messaging interventions are needed to ensure the dissemination of correct information about tobacco products and demystify incorrect beliefs among smokers and non-smokers.
Modeling the Origin of the Particulate Organic Matter Flux to the Hypoxic Zone of Chesapeake Bay in Early Summer

Although hypoxia has been well-studied in Chesapeake Bay, little attention has been given to the origin of the particulate organic matter (POM) that potentially contributes to early summer hypoxia. A combination of a high-resolution baroclinic physical model and a Lagrangian particle tracking model was used to study the sources of POM to the deep channel of the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay. The circulation model reasonably reproduced the salinity structure and circulation compared with observations. The particle tracking model was improved with a fast search algorithm, and a predict-correct method was developed in the backward tracking model to ensure a similar trajectory with the forward tracking. Backward tracking results revealed that the pathway of the POM has a strong dependence on the tracking initiation time and location of the particles, as well as the magnitude of the sinking speed. In general, the behavior of the POM trajectories can be explained by the three-dimensional residual circulation of the mesohaline mainstem Chesapeake Bay. The particles that accumulated in the deep channel of the upper mesohaline Chesapeake Bay where the onset of hypoxia occurs mainly come from downstream when particles stop tracking when they backtracked to the surface layer. Downstream sources accounted for roughly 83.5% of particles for a sinking speed of 1 m/day, and the proportion from the downstream decreased to 60.5% as the sinking speed increased to 25 m/day. In addition, the source from the eastern shore was larger than that from the western shore for particle sinking speed less than 8 m/day. Moreover, particles from the Potomac estuary with a sinking speed of 1 m/day can contribute 7.4% of the bottom POM accumulation in the upper mesohaline Chesapeake Bay. When particles were allowed to stay on the surface for a period before they sink, they backtracked to the upper Chesapeake Bay suggesting that more long-lived refractory organic particles originating from the upper Bay can contribute to organic matter accumulation in the deep channel. These results help to explain why hypoxia in the deep channel of the upper mesohaline Bay occurs to the north of the primary production maximum and also why hypoxia is earlier and more severe in this region compared to the rest of hypoxic zone. Overall, the model results suggest that more local sources of POM with relatively high sinking rates are most important in driving oxygen depletion. This study improves understanding of the origin and pathways of the POM that can potentially contribute to the development of hypoxia in the deep channel of the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay. Future studies need to be undertaken to better understand the relative importance of remote versus more local sources of organic matter in driving oxygen drawdown.
Regret Analysis for Learning in a Multi-Agent Linear-Quadratic Control Problem

We consider a multi-agent Linear-Quadratic (LQ) reinforcement learning problem consisting of three systems, an unknown system and two known systems. In this problem, there are three agents - the actions of agent 1 can affect the unknown system as well as the two known systems while the actions of agents 2 and 3 can only affect their respective colocated known systems. Further, the unknown system's state can affect the known systems' state evolution. In this paper, we are interested in minimizing the infinite-horizon average cost. We propose a Thompson Sampling (TS)-based multiagent learning algorithm where each agent learns the unknown system's dynamics independently. Our result indicates that the expected regret of our algorithm is upper bounded by O(√T) under certain assumptions, where O(·) hides constants and logarithmic factors. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the performance of our proposed algorithm.
Are Newly Discovered H I High-Velocity Clouds Minihalos in the Local Group?

A set of H I sources extracted from the north Galactic polar region by the ongoing ALFALFA survey has properties that are consistent with the interpretation that they are associated with isolated minihalos in the outskirts of the Local Group (LG). Unlike objects detected by previous surveys, such as the compact high-velocity clouds of Braun & Burton, the H I clouds found by ALFALFA do not violate any structural requirements or halo scaling laws of the ΛCDM structure paradigm, nor would they have been detected by extant H I surveys of nearby galaxy groups other than the LG. At a distance of d Mpc, their H I masses range between 5 × 104 d 2 and 106 d 2 M ☉ and their H I radii between <0.4d and 1.6d kpc. If they are parts of gravitationally bound halos, the total masses would be on the order of 108-109 M ☉, their baryonic content would be significantly smaller than the cosmic fraction of 0.16 and present in a ionized gas phase of mass well exceeding that of the neutral phase. This study does not however prove that the minihalo interpretation is unique. Among possible alternatives would be that the clouds are shreds of the Leading Arm of the Magellanic Stream.
High Court Pretense, Lower Court Candor: Judicial Impartiality after Caperton v. Massey Coal Co.

Apolitical, impartial judging has always been our judicial ideal. In the last twenty years, however, special interest groups have sought power over (and through) judges by pouring millions into judicial elections, and the Court has recognized their first amendment right to do so. In the midst of this politicization of judicial elections, the Court five years ago reinforced the impartiality ideal, holding very broadly in Caperton v. Massey Coal Co. that it violates due process for a judge to sit whenever there is a “probability of bias,” i.e., whenever the average judge is unlikely to be neutral. Caperton involved a judge sitting on the case of his largest campaign contributor. The lower courts have thus far risen to the standard Caperton set. Several state courts are in the process of amending their recusal procedures to allow for full court review rather than relying on decisions only by the challenged judge himself or herself. Both the state and lower federal courts applying the decision have engaged in deeper, more candid assessments of a judge’s ability to be fair. There are instances in which the decision has been used as a backstop to prevent a judge from imposing a political agenda. With that said, the Supreme Court itself now needs to follow suit. The Court itself should shift to full Court review of disqualification motions, and it should apply the Caperton standard without its traditional consideration of the numerical balance on the Court. Just as importantly, it is time for the justices to end their participation in blatantly political activities that are prohibited for every other judge in the land, for the message it sends both the lower courts and the public about judicial impartiality.
Ascertainment of Veterans With Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Electronic Health Records: Demonstrating the Case for Natural Language Processing.

PURPOSEProstate cancer (PCa) is among the leading causes of cancer deaths. While localized PCa has a 5-year survival rate approaching 100%, this rate drops to 31% for metastatic prostate cancer (mP...
Understanding Human-Prosthesis Interaction via Reinforcement Learning-Based Echo Control: A Case Study

This case study aimed to understand human-prosthesis interaction while the impedance control of a robotic prosthesis was tuned in order to echo the knee kinematics on the intact joint. Echo control derives from a common belief that if the prosthesis joint mechanics meet those of the intact joint, more symmetrical and normal gait should be reached in the prosthesis user. In this study, our previous developed reinforcement learning (RL) control was used to tune impedance of a power knee prosthesis in walking to achieve echo control. It was tested on one able-bodied human subject walking with the robotic knee. The results showed that the prosthesis control parameter tuning was coupled with changes in intact knee mechanics. Nevertheless, regardless such neuromechanic coupling between the two lower limbs, RL was robust to tune prosthesis control and meet the intact knee kinematics. Finally, the RL echo control enabled us to examine gait symmetry. Additional research efforts are still needed to identify the influence of echo control of prosthetic knee on gait tempospatial symmetry.
Chapter 6 Ion transport rhodopsins (bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin): Structure and function

Publisher Summary The bacteriorhodopsins, which are proton pumps, and the halorhodopsins, which are chloride ion pumps, constitute a class of unique light-energy-transducing systems. They serve bioenergetic functions driven more commonly by redox reactions or chlorophyll-based photosynthesis in other kinds of membranes. The general interest and the intense and voluminous research in this field originated instead from the expectation that the study of these simple active transport systems, based on the light-induced isomerization of retinal in small integral membrane proteins, would reveal general principles of translocation mechanisms and energy coupling in ionic pumps. The residues in the second category must relate to the differences inherent in the fact that proton transfer requires different functional groups than chloride transfer in the protein. The arrangement of bacteriorhodopsin into trimers and the two-dimensional extended hexagonal lattice formed by the trimers has made it possible to describe the structure of the protein with a unique electron diffraction method.
Modeling of, and reasoning with recurrent events with imprecise durations

In this paper we study how the framework of Petri nets can be extended and applied to study recurrent events. We use possibility theory to realistically model temporal properties of the recurrent processes being modeled by an extended Petri net. Such temporal properties include time-stamps stored in tokens and durations of firing the transitions. We apply our method to model the recurrent behavior of an automated manufacturing cell.
PegaSys and the Role of Logic in programming Environments

The benefits of formal approaches to program development are widely recognized. However, most programming environments have taken little advantage of them. The problem of incorporating formalism into programming environments is discussed in light of two often-competing concerns: maintaining mathematical rigor and alleviating complication in the programming of large systems. The PegaSys system [1,2] represents a practical balance between the two. It deals with an interesting class of program properties that are easy to describe formally and to reason about mechanically. Systems such as PegaSys offer the possibility of increased use of formal methods in programming environments.
Transpersonal Psychology and Social Work Education

Abstract Social workers in the 1990s are facing a postmodern world, with unique practice challenges in both the micro and macro levels of practice. Because psychological services are reactive, serving the clients that come out of a particular social context, different theories have emerged over time to address the ills of the day. Many of the practice challenges for social work practitioners today are related to diseases of the spiritual dimension or what has been labeled “spiritual malaise,” including values deficits, moral apathy, existential despair, spiritual emergencies, and the like. Transpersonal psychology is the only one of the four force theories that includes the spiritual dimension. To remain relevant in a postmodern world, social work education must fill the current void in curricula by incorporating the comprehensive perspective of transpersonal theory into education and practice.
Fiber Reinforced Concrete Extrusion

Results of tests involving extrusion of fibrous concrete (FRC) indicate the feasibility of the process. Extrusion through a stationary die proves beneficial to the mechanisms governing material behavior. The results of flexure tests are considered for extruded steel and glass fibrous concrete. The extrusion process caused a reorientation of originally randomly-oriented fibers toward an alignment parallel to the axis of extrusion, which is favorable with respect to flexural strengthening. An asbestos-cement filler provided a matrix strengthened by the addition of both glass and steel fibers. Clay fillers were weaker.
Circuit Effects: How the Norm of Federal Judicial Experience Biases the Supreme Court

For the first time in American history, all nine Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court came to their positions directly from U.S. courts of appeals. As new vacancies arise in the coming years, should the President continue to look to the circuits for Supreme Court nominees? Commentators disagree on the answer. Those who support the current practice claim that the Senate is more likely to confirm nominees with judicial experience. Proponents also argue that former federal judges are more likely to reach decisions based on precedent rather than on their own ideological values. Those opposed to current practice point to the costs of elevating federal judges. Among the most pernicious may be “circuit effects,” or the possibility that former U.S. courts of appeals judges are predisposed toward affirming decisions of the institutions they just left—their respective federal circuits. We enter this debate not by rehashing the existing arguments, but by exploring them empirically. From our analyses, a clear conclusion emerges: the
Clozapine Treatment for Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Case Series.

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are nonmotor complications of dopaminergic medications characterized by problems in behavioral self-control. Common management involves discontinuing or lowering dopaminergic medication, often producing motor worsening. We performed a retrospective chart review of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with clozapine for ICDs. Four patients treated with clozapine for ICD were identified. Three patients were men. All 4 took dopaminergic medications at the time that ICDs developed; all received dopamine agonist therapy. ICDs included compulsive shopping, binge drinking, and hypersexuality. All 4 patients had complete resolution of symptoms while taking clozapine (12.5-37.5 mg). Two patients discontinued clozapine because of side effects. Larger studies are needed to further evaluate clozapine's role in treating PD patients with ICD.
Inflammation Combined with Ischemia Produces Myelin Injury and Plaque-Like Aggregates of Myelin, Amyloid-β and AβPP in Adult Rat Brain.

Background: Ischemia, white matter injury, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathologies often co-exist in aging brain. How one condition predisposes to, interacts with, or perhaps causes the others remains unclear. Objectives: To better understand the link between ischemia, white matter injury, and AD, adult rats were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to serve as an inflammatory stimulus, and 24 h later subjected to 20-min focal cerebral ischemia (IS) followed by 30-min hypoxia (H). Methods: Myelin and axonal damage, as well as amyloid-β (Aβ) and amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) deposition were examined by Western blot and immunocytochemistry following LPS/IS/H. Findings were compared to the 5XFAD mouse AD brain. Results: Myelin/axonal injury was observed bilaterally in cortex following LPS/IS/H, along with an increase in IL-1, granzyme B, and LPS. AβPP deposition was present in ischemic striatum in regions of myelin loss. Aβ1-42 and AβPP were deposited in small foci in ischemic cortex that co-localized with myelin aggregates. In the 5XFAD mouse AD model, cortical amyloid plaques also co-localized with myelin aggregates. Conclusions: LPS/IS/H produce myelin injury and plaque-like aggregates of myelin. AβPP and Aβ co-localize with these myelin aggregates.
Abstract 65: An integrated bioinformatics approach for identifying patient-specific gene networks and novel therapeutic targets in glioblastoma

The purpose of our approach is to identify highly relevant and patient specific gene networks from next generation sequencing data and use the resulting gene combinations to identify potential novel therapeutic targets. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor. Despite medical advances in the field, the median survival time is still below 2 years since recurrence is nearly universal. Thus, the discovery of novel and specific molecular targets is needed. As with all cancers, GBM arises due to complex alterations in a patient9s genome. Identifying patient-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) though, can impose many difficulties given the discordance of different analysis methods when the sample size is low. We used the data on the large number of GBM patients within TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) as filter for identifying variations in expression. With the help of our algorithm, we produced enriched single patient RNAseq DEG lists and we calculated a hypergeometric probability and a correlation coefficient for every gene pair on these lists. By using the most significant of these pairs, we generated gene association networks. To further validate the biological relevance of the gene pairs, we looked into the presence of these networks in other types of cancer and searched for published experimental data supporting the connections of our networks. In order to assess the therapeutic potential of these genes, we used complimentary experiments involving GBM cell lines recorded through the LINCS (Library of Integrated Network-based Cell Signatures) database. This study identifies a putative workflow for uncovering differentially expressed patient specific genes and gene networks for GBM, and capitalizes on the LINCS database to assess the potential of novel therapeutic targets. Citation Format: Vasileios Stathias, Chiara Pastori, Ricardo Komotar, Ming Zhang, Stephan Schurer, Jennifer Clarke, Nagi G. Ayad. An integrated bioinformatics approach for identifying patient-specific gene networks and novel therapeutic targets in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 65. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-65
Price or Prize: The Artist as Vertreter

This article discusses different modes of delegation in Martin Kippenberger's work. Drawing both on the artist's work as a painter in post-II WW Berlin and on his performance of his own life as part of his artistic work, the article contends that Kippenberger keeps in the balance a modernist logic of art as deskilling and delegation that endorses the artist as an entrepreneur; and a postmodern position that emphasizes more performative elements in subjectivity.
Spaceflight effects on biomechanical and biochemical properties of rat vertebrae

The biomechanical and biochemical responses of lumbar vertebral bodies during a 12.5-day spaceflight (Cosmos 1887 biosatellite) were determined for rapidly growing rats (90-day-old, Czechoslovakian-Wistar). By use of age-matched vivarium controls (normal cage environment) and synchronous controls (simulated flight conditions), as well as a basal control group (killed before lift-off on the 1st day of flight), the combined influences of growth and space-flight could be examined. Centra of the sixth lumbar vertebrae (L6) were compressed to 50% strain at a fast strain rate while immersed in physiological buffer (37 degrees C). The body masses of vivarium and synchronous controls were significantly heavier than either the flight or basal controls. The flight group had an L6 vertebral body compressional stiffness that was 39% less than the vivarium controls, 47% less than the synchronous control, and 16% less than the basal controls. In addition, the average initial maximum load of the flight L6 was 22% less than vivarium controls and 18% less than the synchronous controls, whereas the linear compressional load of the flight group averaged 34% less than the vivarium and 25% less than the synchronous groups. The structural properties of the vertebrae from the 12.5-day-younger basal group closely resembled the flight vertebrae. Calcium, phosphorous, and hydroxyproline concentrations were not significantly different among the groups. Nevertheless, the lack of strength and stiffness development in spaceflight, coupled with a smaller proportion of mature hydroxypyridinoline cross-links, suggested that the 12.5 days of spaceflight slowed the maturation of trabecular bone in the vertebral bodies of rapidly growing rats.
¿Jugando bajo reglas distintas?: los derechos de propiedad sobre la tierra y el agua

En el presente texto, el autor explica de forma detallada la regulacion del derecho de propiedad sobre la tierra y el agua bajo la normativa legal y las decisiones de las cortes norteamericanas. Asi, a lo largo del presente articulo, se podra encontrar una amplia explicacion de los problemas generalmente suscitados en torno a ambos derechos desde la perspectiva tanto del Derecho Publico como del Derecho Privado, abordando temas relacionados a las servidumbres, posesion y la expropiacion. In this article, the author explains in detail the regulation of property rights over land and water under the legal rules and decisions of the United States Courts. For this purpose, Epstein, throughout this article, makes a comprehensive explanation of the issues arising out of these rights from the perspective of the Public and Private Law, touching on topics related to easements, possession and expropriation.
Late-Holocene Formation of Lake Michigan Beach Ridges Correlated with a 70-yr Oscillation in Global Climate

A radiocarbon-dated series of 75 beach ridges, formed at regular intervals averaging 72 yr over the past 5400 yr, provides further support for the existence of a 70-yr oscillation in Northern Hemisphere climate, postulated recently from instrument data representing less than two cycles of this climate oscillation. Results from this study lend support to the interpretation that internal variations in the ocean–atmosphere system are an important factor in climate fluctuations on a decadal–centennial time scale. A temperature oscillation with a period of about 70 yr has been a previously unrecognized but fundamental part of the global climate system since at least the middle Holocene.
Cyclodextrins modify the properties of cationic polyacrylamides

The hydrodynamic diameter (D(h)) of cationic polyacrylamides (c-PAM) in water can either decrease or increase dramatically in the presence of small amounts of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). It is proposed that the CD partially disperses the charge on the polymer thereby promoting associations within or among neighboring polymer strands. Turbidity measurements show that beta-CD enhances the c-PAM induced flocculation of wood pulp fibers, which is in keeping with previous observations on sludge dewatering. The CD-polymer combinations that are the most effective for fiber flocculation are also those for which D(h) of the polymer is reduced the most. In situations where the CD compacts the c-PAM, the fiber network associated with the c-PAM is also compacted giving rise to a tighter floc.
Dynamic pricing with uncertain production cost: An alternating-move approach

Abstract This article studies a two-firm dynamic pricing model with random production costs. The firms produce the same perishable products over an infinite time horizon when production (or operation) costs are random. In each period, each firm determines its price and production levels based on its current production cost and its opponent’s previous price level. We use an alternating-move game to model this problem and show that there exists a unique subgame perfect Nash equilibrium in production and pricing decisions. We provide a closed-form solution for the firm’s pricing policy. Finally, we study the game in the case of incomplete information, when both or one of the firms do not have access to the current prices charged by their opponents.
Identification of aortic arch-specific quantitative trait loci for atherosclerosis by an intercross of DBA/2J and 129S6 apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

The genetic background of apolipoprotein E (apoE) deficient mice influences atherosclerotic plaque development. We previously reported three quantitative trait loci (QTL), Aath1–Aath3, that affect aortic arch atherosclerosis independently of those in the aortic root in a cross between C57BL6 apoEKO mice (B6-apoE) and 129S6 apoEKO mice (129-apoE). To gain further insight into genetic factors that influence atherosclerosis at different vascular locations, we analyzed 335 F2 mice from an intercross between 129-apoE and apoEKO mice on a DBA/2J genetic background (DBA-apoE). The extent of atherosclerosis in the aortic arch was very similar in the two parental strains. Nevertheless, a genome-wide scan identified two significant QTL for plaque size in the aortic arch: Aath4 on Chromosome (Chr) 2 at 137 Mb and Aath5 on Chr 10 at 51 Mb. The DBA alleles of Aath4 and Aath5 respectively confer susceptibility and resistance to aortic arch atherosclerosis over 129 alleles. Both QTL are also independent of those affecting plaque size at the aortic root. Genome analysis suggests that athero-susceptibility of Aath4 in DBA may be contributed by multiple genes, including Mertk and Cd93, that play roles in phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and modulate inflammation. A candidate gene for Aath5 is Stab2, the DBA allele of which is associated with 10 times higher plasma hyaluronan than the 129 allele. Overall, our identification of two new QTL that affect atherosclerosis in an aortic arch-specific manner further supports the involvement of distinct pathological processes at different vascular locations.
Stability of performance on the PPVT-R for three ethnic groups attending a bilingual kindergarten

The degree of temporal stability of the PPVT-R was examined for Native American, Mexican-American, and Anglo-American kindergarten children. In addition, stability was examined for home language groups. The PPVT-R was administerd to 56 kindergarten children in September and May of the school year. Results indicated that strong temporal stability existed over an eight-month period for Native American, Mexican-American, and English-speaking kindergarten students.
Crash analysis of roundabouts at high-speed rural intersections.

Federal, state, and local agencies have identified increased intersection safety as an achievable objective in their campaigns for safer highways. Roundabouts could reduce the number of fatal and severe crashes. Roundabouts have been successful in Europe and Australia in both urban and rural environments for decades. The documented safety benefits associated with roundabouts address numerous concerns surrounding injury crashes at intersections; however, applications of roundabouts on two-lane, high-speed (40+ mph) rural highways have not been explored to the extent that urban roundabouts have in the United States. This research conducted a safety analysis of 17 intersections on high-speed rural roadways in the United States that were converted to roundabouts. The findings show the average injury crash frequency was reduced by 84%, average injury crash rate was reduced by 89%, angle crashes were reduced by 86%, and fatal crashes were reduced by 100%.
Generalized ellipsometry determination of non-reciprocity in chiral silicon sculptured thin films

We report on angle-resolved reflection-type generalized ellipsometry investigations of form-birefringent chiral silicon sculptured thin films. The nanodimensional structures within the sculptured thin films are designed in geometries of left-handed hollow-core three-, four-, and five-fold, and solid-core continuous screws. We identify their structurally induced non-reciprocal optical properties by comparison between off-diagonal Mueller matrix elements upon reversal of the light direction. The observed non-reciprocity cannot be described by the piecewise homogeneous approximation scheme using chiral arrangements of dielectrically anisotropic layers. We show that a simple sequence of light interaction with an ideal isotropic chiral rotator and an arbitrarily but non-chiral surface produces non-reciprocity. We provide estimates of the optical rotary power of the nanostructures.