cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FoxO1-AMPK-ULK1 Regulates Ethanol-Induced Autophagy in Muscle by Enhanced ATG14 Association with the BECN1-PIK3C3 Complex.

Background Excessive alcohol (EtOH) consumption causes an imbalance in protein metabolism. EtOH impairs protein synthesis in C2C12 myoblasts via a FoxO1-AMPK-TSC2-mTORC1 pathway and also induces protein degradation. As the underlying regulatory signaling cascades for these processes are currently poorly defined, we tested the hypothesis that alcohol-induced autophagy is mediated via activation of the PIK3C3 complex that is regulated by FoxO1-AMPK. Methods C2C12 myoblasts were incubated with EtOH for various periods of time, and autophagy pathway-related proteins were assessed by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. Expression of targeted genes was suppressed using electroporation of specific siRNAs and chemical inhibitors. Results Incubation of C2C12 myoblasts with 100 mM EtOH increased the autophagy markers LC3B-II and ATG7, whereas levels of SQSTM1/p62 decreased. The lysosomal inhibitor bafilomycin A1 caused a similar response, although there was no additive effect when combined with EtOH. EtOH altered ULK1 S555 and S757 phosphorylation in a time- and AMPK-dependent manner. The activation of AMPK and ULK1 was associated with increased BECN1 (S93, S14) and PIK3C3/VPS34 (S164) phosphorylation as well as increased total ATG14 and PIK3C3. These changes promoted formation of the ATG14-AMBRA1-BECN1-PIK3C3 proautophagy complex that is important in autophagosome formation. EtOH-induced changes were not associated with increased production of PtdIns3P, which may be due to enhanced PIK3C3 complex binding with 14-3-3θ. Reduction of AMPK using siRNA suppressed the stimulatory effect of EtOH on BECN1 S93, BECN1 S14, and PIK3C3 S164 phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner. Likewise, knockdown of AMPK or chemical inhibition of FoxO1 attenuated phosphorylation of ULK1 at both residues. Knockdown of ULK1 or BECN1 antagonized the effect of EtOH on LC3B-II, SQSTM1, and ATG7 protein expression. Conclusions EtOH-induced autophagy is mediated through changes in phosphorylation and interaction of various PIK3C3 complex components. This, in turn, is regulated either directly via FoxO1-AMPK or indirectly via the FoxO1-AMPK-ULK1 signaling cascade in a mTORC1-independent or mTORC1-dependent manner.
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy With Benign Results Does Not Negatively Affect Future Screening Adherence.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether false-positive stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (SVAB) affects subsequent mammographic screening adherence. Materials and Methods This Institutional Review Board–approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective review of women with SVAB was performed between 2012 and 2014. Patient age, clinical history, biopsy pathology, and first postbiopsy screening mammogram were reviewed. Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher's exact, Mann-Whitney, and χ 2 tests. Results There were 913 SVABs performed in 2012 to 2014 for imaging detected lesions; of these, malignant or high-risk lesions or biopsies resulting in a recommendation of surgical excision were excluded, leaving 395 SVABs yielding benign pathology in 395 women. Findings were matched with a control population consisting of 45,126 women who had a BI-RADS 1 or 2 screening mammogram and did not undergo breast biopsy. In all, 191 of 395 (48.4%) women with a biopsy with benign results and 22,668 of 45,126 (50.2%) women without biopsy returned for annual follow-up >9 months and ≤18 months after the index examination ( P = .479). In addition, 57 of 395 (14.4%) women with a biopsy with benign results and 3,336 of 45,126 (7.4%) women without biopsy returned for annual follow-up >18 months after the index examination ( P P = .026, P = .028, and P = .026, respectively). Conclusion The findings in our study suggest that SVABs with benign results do not negatively impact screening mammography adherence. The previously described "harms" of false-positive mammography and biopsy may be exaggerated.
Tracing Toxic Legacies: GIS and the Dispersed Violence of Agent Orange

This article will discuss the U.S. military’s spraying of toxic defoliants over Vietnam from 1961 to 1971. It will first frame these attacks’ diffuse material and cultural legacies through the concept of dispersed violence. By incorporating multiple spatiotemporal scales that encompass a range of forces, this notion seeks to recognize both the long-term consequences of war and the challenges of grasping these impacts decades later. This article will then address geographic information systems (GIS) and public participatory geographic information systems (PPGIS), and examine how these technologies can newly register the tolls of Agent Orange and other herbicides. It will consider the potentialities and limitations of these visualizations, as well as analyze some extant examples. Ultimately, it will argue that resituating the violence of Agent Orange through GIS can mark one significant step towards reconceiving the toxic residues of remote warfare.
Distributed Localization: A Linear Theory

Fifth-generation (5G) networks providing much higher bandwidth and faster data rates will allow connecting vast number of stationary and mobile devices, sensors, agents, users, machines, and vehicles, supporting Internet-of-Things (IoT), real-time dynamic networks of mobile things . Positioning and location awareness will become increasingly important, enabling deployment of new services and contributing to significantly improving the overall performance of the 5G system. Many of the currently talked about solutions to positioning in 5G are centralized, mostly requiring direct communication to the access nodes (or anchors, i.e., nodes with known locations), which in turn requires a high density of anchors. But such centralized positioning solutions may become unwieldy as the number of users and devices continues to grow without limit in sight. As an alternative to the centralized solutions, this paper discusses distributed localization in a 5G-enabled IoT environment where many low power devices, users, or agents are to locate themselves without a direct access to anchors. Even though positioning is essentially a nonlinear problem (solving circle equations by trilateration or triangulation), we discuss a cooperative linear distributed iterative solution with only local measurements, local communication, and local computation needed at each agent. Linearity is obtained by reparametrization of the agent location through barycentric coordinate representations based on local neighborhood geometry that may be computed in terms of certain Cayley–Menger determinants involving relative local inter-agent distance measurements. After a brief introduction to the localization problem, and other available distributed solutions primarily based on directly addressing the nonlinear formulation, we present the distributed linear solution for stationary agent networks and study its convergence, its robustness to noise, and extensions to mobile scenarios, in which agents, users, and (possibly) anchors are dynamic.
Biomarker-Based Inferences of Past Climate: The TEX 86 Paleotemperature Proxy

This chapter provides an overview and critical assessment of the TEX 86 (tetraether index of 86 carbons) paleotemperature proxy. This proxy is widely used to reconstruct past temperatures, especially in deep geologic time where other proxy methods may not be viable. Uncertainties concerning the ecological aspects of TEX 86 remain large and the development of accurate calibration models to translate TEX 86 to temperatures is an active area of research. Nevertheless, TEX 86 has revealed important insights into Earth's climate system and illustrates the applicability of molecular geochemistry to paleoclimate problems.
A Novel Multisensory Stimulation and Data Capture System (MADCAP) for Investigating Sensory Trajectories in Infancy

Sensory processing differences, including responses to auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli, are ideal targets for early detection of neurodevelopmental risks, such as autism spectrum disorder. However, most existing studies focus on the audiovisual paradigm and ignore the sense of touch. In this paper, we present a multisensory delivery system that can deliver audio, visual, and tactile stimuli in a controlled manner and capture peripheral physiological, eye gaze, and electroencephalographic response data. The novelty of the system is the ability to provide affective touch. In particular, we have developed a tactile stimulation device that delivers tactile stimuli to infants with precisely controlled brush stroking speed and force on the skin. A usability study of 10 3–20 month-old infants was conducted to investigate the tolerability and feasibility of the system. Results have shown that the system is well tolerated by infants and all the data were collected robustly. This paper paves the way for future studies charting the sensory response trajectories in infancy.
Fracture Care in the Elderly

The prevalence of osteoporosis has increased as global life expectancy has increased. Fractures associated with osteoporosis present as challenges to the provider of musculoskeletal health care as a result of the alteration in mechanism of fracture, fracture pattern, strength of internal fixation, and bone healing that result from the weakened bone. Medical and cognitive comorbidities present further challenges to fracture care. In the past few decades, several advances in team-based patient care, internal fixation, and bone growth stimulation have enhanced the ability of musculoskeletal health care providers to treat osteoporotic fractures.
Exploration of Compact Stellarators as Power Plants: Initial Results from ARIES-CS Study

A detailed and integrated study of compact stellarators as power plants, ARIES-CS, was initiated recently to advance our understanding of attractive compact stellarator configurations and to define key R and D areas. We have completed phase 1 of ARIES-CS study - our results are described in this paper. We have identified several promising stellarator configurations. High {alpha} particle loss of these configurations is a critical issue. It appears that devices with an overall size similar to those envisioned for tokamak power plants are possible. A novel approach was developed in ARIES-CS in which the blanket at the critical areas of minimum stand-off is replaced by a highly efficient WC-based shield. In this manner, we have been able to reduce the minimum stand-off by {approx}20%-30% compared to a uniform radial build which was assumed in previous studies. Our examination of engineering options indicates that overall assembly and maintenance procedure plays a critical role in identifying acceptable engineering design and has a major impact on the optimization of a plasma/coil configuration.
Multilobulated thymoma with an acute angle: a new predictor of lung invasion.

Imaging features of thymomas such as lobulation, infiltration into lung, and adjacent lung abnormality have been associated with lung invasion but are unreliable. The goal of this study was to develop a more objective and reproducible method for predicting lung invasion by thymomas. Fifty-four thymomas resected from 2007 to 2017 were included for analysis. Pre-operative CT scans for these thymomas were reviewed, and multiple features were evaluated, including the interface of each thymoma with the adjacent lung. A multilobulated thymoma with at least one acute angle between lobulations was considered suspicious for lung invasion. Two blinded radiologists then tested this hypothesis by reviewing all 54 CT scans and using this single criterion to predict lung invasion. Twelve thymomas invaded the lung. All lung-invasive thymomas were multilobulated. Twenty-nine thymomas had a multilobulated interface with the lung. Multilobulated thymomas were more likely to invade the lung than thymomas with a single lobulation or no lobulation (p = 0.0008). Using the criterion of multilobulation with at least one acute angle between lobulations to predict lung invasion, the two readers achieved a sensitivity of 67–83%, specificity of 93–98%, positive predictive value of 77–89%, and negative predicted value of 91–95%. Nine lung-invasive thymomas also invaded mediastinal structures or disseminated to the pleura. A multilobulated thymoma with at least one acute angle between lobulations predicts lung invasion with a high degree of accuracy. When lung invasion is suspected, the findings are indicative of a locally aggressive tumor, and the pleura and mediastinal structures should also be closely inspected for invasion. • A multilobulated thymoma with at least one acute angle between lobulations is predictive of lung invasion. • Coronal and sagittal reformations and thin sections are helpful in challenging cases. • Lung invasion indicates a locally aggressive tumor, and the pleura and other mediastinal structures should also be closely inspected for invasion.
Navigating the Legal Risks of Daily Fantasy Sports: A Detailed Primer in Federal and State Gambling Law

Over the past two years, there has been a monumental shift in how U.S. professional sports leagues have perceived “daily fantasy sports.” Back in March 2013, the chief executive of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Robert Bowman, told the New York Times that he perceived “daily fantasy sports” as “akin to a flip of the coin, which is the definition of gambling.” However, today, Major League Baseball promotes a play-for-cash “daily fantasy sports” contest on its website. Similarly, the National Basketball Association once purported to oppose all forms of fantasy sports gaming; meanwhile it now owns an equity stake in FanDuel Inc. – the marketplace leader in “daily fantasy sports.” Today’s more favorable relationship between professional sports leagues and the “daily fantasy sports” industry has led many in the media to speculate that “[l]egal issues, although a concern, are relatively minor.” Nevertheless, such generalizations about the legal status of “daily fantasy sports” are grossly oversimplified. Indeed, there is no blanket immunity under federal or state law for “daily fantasy sports.” Rather, in all likelihood, the legal status of “daily fantasy sports” varies based on the nature of any specific contest’s game rules and where that particular contest operates. This article explores the legal status of “daily fantasy sports” in light of both federal and state gambling laws. Part I of this article discusses the history of “daily fantasy sports,” beginning with its dimorphic roots in both full-season fantasy sports contests and illegal online sportsbooks. Part II introduces the different formats of “daily fantasy sports” that exist in today’s online marketplace. Part III explores the legal risks of “daily fantasy sports” under state gambling laws. Part IV analyzes these same risks under federal law. Finally, Part V proposes eight best practices to enable “daily fantasy sports” companies to minimize their legal risks under both federal and state gambling laws.
Interventions in Sexual Health Care–Seeking and Provision at Multiple Levels of the U.S. Health Care System

190 Much of the time, the popular construction of health care is reactive—a woman is hit by a car, the ambulance arrives within a certain time, the medics have suitable training, and the hospital has the staff with the necessary skills and the best equipment for them to use. But, as the old proverb reminds us, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Routine health care–seeking and provision is part of that ounce, and sexual health care, here, mainly for disease or infection control, is part of high-quality comprehensive health care (1,2). For this chapter, we will focus on sexual health care–seeking and provision both in the sense of a recommended routine event (e.g., a yearly check-up) and as a reaction to suspicion of a sexually transmitted infection or disease, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HIV transmission presents perhaps the most critical rationale for improved health care–seeking and provision because unrecognized HIV infection persists in part due to lack of routine testing (3) and, in turn, increases the risk of complications and further transmission. We also include studies from the perspectives of the provider and system, as well as the patient, so some interventions covered herein optimized health care–seeking through improving access and availability. We have left questions about the quality of health care for STD aside, except as perceptions about getting appropriate care pertain to actual health care–seeking. Care may entail screening and treatment—screening is the topic of another chapter in this volume; treatment falls outside the scope of this chapter. This chapter examines the factors that lead to provision of sexual health care, with interventions using patients and providers as intervention targets, and both groups and system-level changes as the agents of change.
Fiction as Information: A Look at Reading as Information Source

Information Literacy is built on the idea that when we encounter information we can evaluate that information to incorporate into our knowledge schema. As such information can be encountered in a variety of ways, as academic information, workplace information, or everyday life information. Art forms can also be considered information, including literature. As an art form literature has been theorized to be a window, mirror, and a sliding glass door (Bishop, 1990) to the reader, an information source regarding our world. The notion that fiction is an information source is not particularly considered in much of the information literacy scholarly research. This paper examines how adolescents engage with fiction as a source of information. Using a small case study of a class of 16 and 17 year olds the paper examines how they construct ficiton and aesthetic reading as an information source, particularly using the metaphor of the window and the mirror. While students might consider reading as a way to explore their identity, elements related to their stance towards reading impacted their ability to see reading fiction as an information source. Furthermore they were unlikely to engage fiction as a "window" or a way to learn about others. Specific pedagogical structures may encourage a more critical stance towards aesthetic reading as a way to engage in as a learning object.
Heart failure self-care, factors influencing self-care and the relationship with health-related quality of life: A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract Background Self-care helps maintain health, prevents complications and improves the quality of life of patients living with heart failure (HF). Self-care is critical to HF management but has received limited attention in Nepal. Identification of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with self-care is crucial to tailoring appropriate self-care programs to improve health outcomes including patients’ quality of life. Aims The aims of this study were to describe self-care including the factors influencing self-care and the relationship between self-care and health-related quality of life in patients living with HF in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods We used a cross-sectional observational study design to measure self-care maintenance, self-care management, and self-care confidence using the Nepali Self-Care of Heart Failure Index. To analyze data, we used descriptive statistics, bivariate associations and regression modeling. Results We recruited 221 patients with HF: mean age 57.5 ± 15.76 years, 62% male. The results in this sample indicated poor self-care maintenance (38.5 ± 11.56), management (45.7 ± 15.14), and confidence (40.9 ± 16.31). Patients with higher education were associated with higher self-care maintenance and management. Living alone and a better New York Heart Association functional classification for HF were related to higher self-care confidence. Higher social support was associated with better self-care. Self-care confidence was an independent predictor of self-care maintenance, management and health-related quality of life on adjusted analyses. Conclusion Self-care was limited among patients living with HF in Nepal yet was associated with better quality of life. The study identified various sociodemographic and clinical factors related to self-care, which could be crucial while developing self-care interventions.
Concurrent Respiration Monitoring of Multiple Subjects by Phase-Comparison Monopulse Radar Using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) With JADE Algorithm and Direction of Arrival (DOA)

While non-contact monitoring of human respiration has been demonstrated using Doppler radar, the concurrent monitoring of multiple equidistant subjects remains a significant technological challenge. Reported research has so far been limited to maintaining 1-m subject separation, based on the radar antenna beam-width. Proposed here is a hybrid method consisting of an SNR-based intelligent decision algorithm which integrates two different approaches to isolate respiratory signatures of two subjects within the radar beam-width separated by less than 1 meter. Using Independent Component Analysis with the JADE algorithm (ICA-JADE) and Direction of Arrival (DOA), this SNR-based decision algorithm works with an accuracy above 93%. In addition, angular location of each subject is estimated by phase-comparison monopulse and an integrated beam switching capability is demonstrated to optimally extract respiratory information. The proposed method coherently combines two separation methods to overcome multiple-subject monitoring limits which can lead to practical adoption for many respiration monitoring applications.
Marcus Nevitt and Tanya Pollard, eds., Reader in Tragedy: An Anthology of Classical Criticism to Contemporary Theory

This review responds to Marcus Nevitt and Tanya Pollard’s Reader in Tragedy: An Anthology of Classical Criticism to Contemporary Theory, finding it to be an effective and occasionally innovative in...
Neural dynamics of trust in human-robot interaction

Abstract Understanding neural correlates and mechanisms of human trust in the context of human-robot interaction (HRI) would help designers create better, more efficient robots to be used in interactions with humans. This chapter aims at providing up-to-date coverage for researchers, students, and practitioners to be able to grapple with a synopsis of key findings regarding the neural dynamics of trust in HRI. Particularly, this chapter summarizes key neural correlates of trust in HRI in the areas of anthropomorphism, emotional gestures and conversation, and decision and feedback processing.
Treatment Bed Utilization Following Placement in a Foster Care Program for Veterans with Serious Mental Illness.

Hospital and residential treatment bed utilization rates were measured before and after foster home placement in individuals with serious mental illness. Medical records of all Veterans consecutively enrolled in a Department of Veterans Affairs Community Residential Care (CRC) program during a 6 year period (N = 140) were reviewed retrospectively. Treatment bed days were tabulated by bed type (psychiatric hospital, inpatient detoxification, medical hospital, physical rehabilitation, and psychosocial residential treatment) for each patient during symmetric pre- and post-placement time intervals. Pre- and post-placement bed days were compared using the paired-sample t test in a naturalistic one-group pretest–posttest analytic design. Psychiatric hospital and residential treatment bed days were significantly reduced post-placement (−77.5% and −99.8%, respectively). Most patients (89.0%) had fewer psychiatric hospital bed days post-placement, and all patients with pre-placement residential treatment program bed days had fewer of those days post-placement. Longer CRC placements were associated with greater reductions in bed utilization.
Role of Q-carbon in nucleation and formation of continuous diamond film

Abstract Formation of continuous and adherent diamond films on practical substrates presents a formidable challenge due to lack of diamond nucleation sites needed for diamond growth. This problem has been solved through the formation of interfacial Q-carbon layers by nanosecond laser melting of carbon layers in a highly undercooled state and subsequent quenching. The Q-carbon layer provides ready nucleation sites for epitaxial films on planar matching substrates such as sapphire, and polycrystalline films on amorphous substrates such as glass. Each laser pulse converts about a one-cm-square area, which can be repeated with a 100–200 Hz laser to produce potentially 100–200 cm2s-1 of diamond films. This is essentially a low-temperature processing, where substrate stays close to ambient temperature, because the total heat input is quite small. The Q-carbon layer is also responsible for improved adhesion of diamond films on sapphire and glass substrates. It is also argued that the formation of Q-carbon layer is also responsible for efficient diamond nucleation during negatively biased MPCVD diamond depositions.
Adaptive intervention for prevention of adolescent suicidal behavior after hospitalization: a pilot sequential multiple assignment randomized trial

Background The need for effective interventions for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents who have varying levels of postdischarge suicide risk calls for personalized approaches, such as adaptive interventions (AIs). We conducted a nonrestricted pilot Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial (SMART) to guide the development of an AI targeting suicide risk after hospitalization. Methods Adolescent inpatients (N = 80; ages 13-17; 67.5% female) were randomized in Phase 1 to a Motivational Interview-Enhanced Safety Plan (MI-SP), delivered during hospitalization, alone or in combination with postdischarge text-based support (Texts). Two weeks after discharge, participants were re-randomized in Phase 2 to added telephone booster calls or to no calls. Mechanisms of change were assessed with daily diaries for four weeks and over a 1- and 3-month follow-up. This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT03838198). Results Procedures were feasible and acceptable. Mixed effects models indicate that adolescents randomized to MI-SP + Texts (Phase 1) and those randomized to booster calls (Phase 2) experienced significant improvement in daily-level mechanisms, including safety plan use, self-efficacy to refrain from suicidal action, and coping by support seeking. Those randomized to MI-SP + Texts also reported significantly higher coping self-efficacy at 1 and 3 months. Although exploratory, results were in the expected direction for MI-SP + Texts, versus MI-SP alone, in terms of lower risk of suicide attempts (Hazard ratio = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.06, 1.48) and suicidal behavior (Hazard ratio = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.10, 1.37) three months after discharge. Moreover, augmentation with booster calls did not have an overall meaningful impact on suicide attempts (Hazard ratio = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.17, 3.05) or suicidal behavior (Hazard ratio = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.23, 2.67); however, boosters benefited most those initially assigned to MI-SP + Texts. Conclusions The current SMART was feasible and acceptable for the purpose of informing an AI for suicidal adolescents, warranting additional study. Findings also indicate that postdischarge text-based support offers a promising augmentation to safety planning delivered during hospitalization.
On the performance of additively manufactured CNF/PLA piezoresistive strain sensors

Robust and adaptable sensor technology is essential for achieving meaningful structural health monitoring (SHM) and integrated nondestructive evaluation (NDE). Unfortunately, prevailing sensor technologies are most often pre-packaged and therefore lack much adaptability. In other words, sensors are rarely structure-specific or application-specific. Rather, an existing pre-packaged sensor must be retrofit to the component or structure under inspection. Multifunctional additive manufacturing (AM) has immense potential to overcome this limitation by permitting stimulus-responsive materials to be printed onto or directly embedded within structures for application-specific sensing. Herein, we explore this concept for strain sensors fabricated via multifunctional AM. Specifically, pelletized polylactic acid (PLA) is modified by the addition of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) at 7.5% by weight. This modification is done through a dry-mix process which is followed by multiple reclaiming and re-extrusion cycles through a single-screw filament extruder. Through this process, the CNFs form an electrically conductive network within the PLA structure. Because the electrical conductivity of the CNFmodified PLA is deformation-dependent (i.e. the material is piezoresistive), the sensors printed from CNF/PLA filament can be leveraged for strain sensing. In this work, we utilize a commercially available fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer to print the CNF-modified PLA into small and thin dog-bone shapes. These sensors then are adhered to a comparatively stiff substrate such that resistance changes across the sensor can be monitored as a function of strain as the substrate is deformed within a load frame. Our preliminary results show that AM-produced CNF-modified PLA strain gauges can indeed be used to track strains consistently. These successful preliminary results show that multifunctional AM has considerable potential for the development of highly adaptive, application-specific, and on-demand sensing technology.
Subnational Digital Services Taxation

Existing tax regimes fail to tax digital services appropriately. Digital services based on extracting and monetizing user data—most notably digital advertising—are particularly problematic because tax regimes do not adequately account for the enormous value derived from user data. Internationally, taxing jurisdictions have recognized these failures and commenced a controversial push toward new digital services taxes or DSTs. Subnational taxing jurisdictions in the United States face the same issues and are searching for solutions. This Article begins by examining the motivations and justifications for digital service taxation at both the international and subnational levels. These justifications center on antiquated tax regimes that do not sufficiently capture profit from new business models, particularly business models that rely on valuable data extracted from users in the taxing jurisdiction. Next, this Article presents options for subnational digital service taxation. These options range from slightly modified existing tax regimes to novel approaches that may more appropriately tax digital services, specifically those services that extract and monetize user data. This Article also analyzes the constitutional, federal preemption, and sourcing challenges facing subnational digital services taxes. This Article concludes by examining how subnational taxing jurisdictions may most effectively tax digital services. Although states have started to embrace digital advertising taxes modeled after European digital services taxes, these taxes are narrow and susceptible to challenge. Subnational jurisdictions have several better options, including publicly traded stock-based taxes and data mining taxes.
Cereal Prices and Child Undernutrition in Ethiopia

This paper looks at how changing cereal prices affect child undernutrition in Ethiopia. It derives height for age (stunting) and weight for height (wasting) as indicators of child undernutrition fr...
On the Mathematical Modeling of Slender Biomedical Continuum Robots

The passive, mechanical adaptation of slender, deformable robots to their environment, whether the robot be made of hard materials or soft ones, makes them desirable as tools for medical procedures. Their reduced physical compliance can provide a form of embodied intelligence that allows the natural dynamics of interaction between the robot and its environment to guide the evolution of the combined robot-environment system. To design these systems, the problems of analysis, design optimization, control, and motion planning remain of great importance because, in general, the advantages afforded by increased mechanical compliance must be balanced against penalties such as slower dynamics, increased difficulty in the design of control systems, and greater kinematic uncertainty. The models that form the basis of these problems should be reasonably accurate yet not prohibitively expensive to formulate and solve. In this article, the state-of-the-art modeling techniques for continuum robots are reviewed and cast in a common language. Classical theories of mechanics are used to outline formal guidelines for the selection of appropriate degrees of freedom in models of continuum robots, both in terms of number and of quality, for geometrically nonlinear models built from the general family of one-dimensional rod models of continuum mechanics. Consideration is also given to the variety of actuators found in existing designs, the types of interaction that occur between continuum robots and their biomedical environments, the imposition of constraints on degrees of freedom, and to the numerical solution of the family of models under study. Finally, some open problems of modeling are discussed and future challenges are identified.
The Demography of Race and Ethnicity of Mexico

Mexico is a country in North America with a rich social, cultural, economic, and political history that is comprised of thirty one states and one Federal District. Racially and culturally, Mexico is the product of advanced Pre-Columbian civilizations (the Aztec, the Maya, the Olmec, the Teotihuacan, and the Zapotec), as well as Spaniard and African immigrations, and more recently, Asian, Caribbean, and European. Unfortunately, even when the complex socio-cultural history of Mexico is subject of admiration, because of Mestizaje, the richness of its racial and ethnic demography is often unacknowledged. Specifically, the demographic dynamics are determined by the characteristics of the Mexican population, including its racial and ethnic characteristics. Regrettably, because Mexico’s racial and ethnic diversity has been reduced to ethnicity alone, the critical study of the demography of race and ethnicity in Mexico encounters some conceptual and methodological limitations. In this chapter, the conceptual and methodological shortcomings are overcome by presenting a historical analysis of Mexico, by engaging in the social deconstruction of mestizo—which may be considered the foundation of Mexican nationalism, as well as by addressing the importance of the validation of non-mestizo identities to develop effective public policy.
Getting the Beginner onto the Golf Course

(1976). Getting the Beginner onto the Golf Course. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 47, No. 9, pp. 28-28.
Chapter 65 Payoff Uncertainty and Cooperation in Finitely-repeated Prisoner's Dilemma Games

Publisher Summary Several of the results reported here broadly support theories of sequential equilibria. In particular, at least four pieces of data indicate that game theory's structurally-oriented models predict some of the reasons for individuals' play in the prisoner's dilemma game: (1) more cooperation resulted when a cooperative equilibrium existed; (2) players cooperated more overall and more in the first round in SW than in SS; (3) Column was more cooperative than Row on the first trial; and (4) the SW Column Uncertain condition produced the most end game cooperation. Unfortunately, these effects only explain part of the picture. In essence, even after considering the effects of uncertainty, the original issue still remains: considerable cooperation resulted when no cooperative equilibria exist.
A Review of “A Small Town near Auschwitz: Ordinary Nazis and the Holocaust“

In her remarkable new book, Mary Fulbrook examines the experience of the Landrat (principal civil administrator) Udo Klausa in the district of Bedzin (Bendsburg), located approximately fifty miles ...
Abstract 377: SMYD2-dependent PARP1 methylation promotes Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation activity in cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) catalyzes the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of protein acceptors using NAD+ as the substrate is now considered as an important target for development of anticancer therapy. PARP1 is known to be posttranslationally modified in various ways including phosphorylation and ubiquitination, but the physiological role of PARP1 methylation is not well understood. Here we demonstrated that the histone methyltransferase SMYD2 (SET and MYND domain containing 2), which plays critical roles in human carcinogenesis, mono-methylated PARP1. We found lysine 528 to be a target of SMYD2-dependent PARP1 methylationa and that an N-Terminal DNA binding domain of PARP1 interact with an N-terminal domain of SMYD2. Importantly, methylated PARP1 revealed enhanced poly(ADP-ribose) formation after oxidative stress, and positively regulated the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation activity of PARP1. Hence, our study unveils a novel mechanism of PARP1 in human cancer through its methylation by SMYD2. Citation Format: Lianhua Piao, Yusuke Nakamura, Ryuji Hamamoto. SMYD2-dependent PARP1 methylation promotes Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation activity in cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 377. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-377
GObar: A Gene Ontology based analysis and visualization tool for gene sets

Background Microarray experiments, as well as other genomic analyses, often result in large gene sets containing up to several hundred genes. The biological significance of such sets of genes is, usually, not readily apparent. Identification of the functions of the genes in the set can help highlight features of interest. The Gene Ontology Consortium [1] has annotated genes in several model organisms using a controlled vocabulary of terms and placed the terms on a Gene Ontology (GO), which comprises three disjoint hierarchies for Molecular functions, Biological processes and Cellular locations. The annotations can be used to identify functions that are enriched in the set, but this analysis can be misleading since the underlying distribution of genes among various functions is not uniform. For example, a large number of genes in a set might be kinases just because the genome contains many kinases.
The proto-oncogene c-myb mediates an intracellular calcium rise during the late G1 phase of the cell cycle.

Abstract The intracellular concentration of ionized calcium is involved in regulating mitosis. However, little is known about intracellular levels of calcium during G1. We have demonstrated in vascular smooth muscle cells a mid-G1 decrease in ionized calcium concentration followed by a 2-fold rise at the G1/S interface (44 nM +/- 0.6 nM versus 98 nM +/- 1.1 nM, p < 0.01). The elevation of intracellular calcium is preceded by an increase in c-myb mRNA levels and is abolished with antisense but not missense c-myb oligonucleotides. Furthermore, cells stably transfected with c-myb show a similar 2-fold augmentation in intracellular calcium concentrations, as compared with untransfected cells, which is also abolished by antisense c-myb oligonucleotides. The c-myb-induced rise in intracellular calcium is dependent upon the presence of extracellular calcium and is not suppressed by L type calcium channel blockers. We conclude that c-myb induces an elevation in intracellular calcium levels of vascular smooth muscle cells at the G1/S interface which provides a novel role for this proto-oncogene as well as a potentially important control point for cell cycle regulation.
Abstract A31: Revisited use of tamoxifen for improving melanoma therapy

The rapid increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma, a highly aggressive, drug-resistant cancer, has not been accompanied by significant therapeutic breakthroughs for decades, despite the introduction of biochemotherapies. The Dartmouth regimen, of which tamoxifen is a standard component, has also had little impact on outcome. Therefore, examination of alternative melanoma vulnerabilities is essential. Sphingolipid (SL) metabolism is an area of cancer science that has recently risen to prominence. This is because ceramide, the aliphatic backbone of SL9s, can act as a powerful tumor censor. However, cancer cells rapidly inactivate ceramide via two major metabolic routes: glycosylation to form glucosylceramide and hydrolysis, which generates sphingosine 1-phosphate, a mitogenic SL. These actions severely blunt ceramide anticancer properties, thwarting potential utility in treatment. Our previous work has shown that tamoxifen is a potent inhibitor of ceramide metabolism at glycosylation and hydrolysis. Herein, we exploit these unique actions and pair tamoxifen with a cell-permeable ceramide, C6-ceramide, and demonstrate that this novel drug duo, unlike the single agents, was highly effective in inhibiting melanoma cell (A375 and cell lines established from patients) proliferation, inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis, promoting cell cycle arrest, diminishing cellular adhesion and migration, reducing cell surface expression of integrins, and downregulating expression of the main source of drug resistance in melanoma, survivin, all essential elements of a drug regimen useful for limiting melanoma growth. Because integrin expression often correlates with conversion of melanoma growth from radial to vertical, we propose that tamoxifen can serve as an effective adjuvant to C6-ceramide for countering metastatic potential. Whereas the role of tamoxifen in the Dartmouth regimen has always remained elusive, its role as a ceramide sensitizer is clear and presents novel inroads for improving melanoma therapy. Citation Format: Samy A.F Morad, Lance C. Bridges, Myles C. Cabot. Revisited use of tamoxifen for improving melanoma therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Drug Sensitivity and Resistance: Improving Cancer Therapy; Jun 18-21, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(4 Suppl): Abstract nr A31.
Adaptive critic based neural networks for control (low order system applications)

Dynamic programming is an exact method of determining optimal control for a discretized system. Unfortunately, for nonlinear systems the computations necessary with this method become prohibitive. This study investigates the use of adaptive neural networks that utilize dynamic programming methodology to develop near optimal control laws. First, a one dimensional infinite horizon problem is examined. Problems involving cost functions with final state constraints are considered for one dimensional linear and nonlinear systems. A two dimensional linear problem is also investigated. In addition to these examples, an example of the corrective capabilities of critics is shown. Synthesis of the networks in this study needs no external training; they do not need any apriori knowledge of the functional form of control. Comparison with specific optimal control techniques show that the networks yield optimal control over the entire range of training.
Iterative Scattering of a Gaussian Beam by an Array of Circular Conducting and Dielectric Cylinders

The scattering of a Gaussian beam by an array of parallel circular cylinders is investigated using an iterative scattering procedure. The cylinders are made of homogeneous, isotropic dielectric material, perfectly conducting material, or a combination thereof. The iterative scattering technique is developed to evaluate both the near and far fields due to any arbitrary number of interactions between the cylinders. The technique starts with the exact series representation of the initial scattered fields from each cylinder due to the incident Gaussian beam. Then, the sum of the initial scattered fields from all cylinders is considered to be the field of an incident wave on each individual cylinder. The additional scattered field contribution is then obtained and successive scattering takes place until the boundary conditions on the surface of every cylinder are satisfied. An error criterion is developed to predict the number of iterations required to satisfy certain predetermined percentage error in the near...
Role of KATP and L-type Ca2+ channel activities in regulation of ovine uterine vascular contractility: effect of pregnancy and chronic hypoxia.

Objective Our objective was to determine whether the pregnancy and high altitude long-term hypoxia-mediated changes in uterine artery contractility were regulated by K ATP and L-type Ca 2+ channel activities. Study Design Uterine arteries were isolated from nonpregnant and near-term pregnant ewes that had been maintained at sea level (∼300 m) or exposed to high altitude (3801 m) for 110 days. Isometric tension was measured in a tissue bath. Results Pregnancy increased diazoxide, but not verapamil-induced relaxations. Long-term hypoxia attenuated diazoxide-induced relaxations in near-term pregnant uterine arteries, but enhanced verapamil-induced relaxations in nonpregnant uterine arteries. Diazoxide decreased the maximal response (E max ) of phenylephrine-induced contractions in near-term pregnant uterin arteries but not nonpregnant uterine arteries in normoxic sheep. In contrast, diazoxide had no effect on phenylephrine-induced E max in near-term pregnant uterine arteries but decreased it in nonpregnant uterine arteries in long-term hypoxia animals. Verapamil decreased the E max and pD 2 (-logEC 50 ) of phenylephrine-induced contractions in both nonpregnant uterine arteries and near-term pregnant uterine arteries in normoxic and long-term hypoxia animals, except nonpregnant uterine arteries of normoxic animals in which verapamil showed no effect on the pD 2 . Conclusion The results suggest that pregnancy selectively increases K ATP , but not L-type Ca 2+ channel activity. Long-term hypoxia decreases the K ATP channel activity, which may contribute to the enhanced uterine vascular myogenic tone observed in pregnant sheep at high altitude hypoxia.
Effects of Electron Shot Noise and Quantum Field Fluctuations on the Photon Statistics of the Coherent Spontaneous Harmonic Radiation

We present a theoretical analysis of the statistical fluctuations in the coherent spontaneous harmonic radiation (CSHR) generated by a free electron laser (FEL) under the conditions applicable in a previously published experiment [1] where sub-Poisson optical fluctuations were observed. The numerical analyses presented here document the conclusion that the emission of CSHR can serve as a useful test bed for analyses of the nonclassical aspects of electron beam formation and radiation. Two possible explanations for the observed fluctuations in the CSHR are investigated as limiting physical mechanisms: the fluctuations in the number density of the radiating electrons, the so-called "shot noise," and the quantum fluctuations in the radiation field. When the uncertainties in the radiation field are considered as the only noise source as in the "quasi-classical" analysis, the statistical fluctuations in the CSHR would result in Poisson statistics. On the other hand, when the electron shot noise is regarded as the only noise contribution as assumed by the shot-noise model, we find numerically and analytically that the fluctuations, as characterized by the Fano factor, would be much smaller than those due to the quantum uncertainties in the radiation field in the "quasi-classical" analysis. The experimentally observed fluctuations are larger than those due to shot noise, but smaller than those due to quantum fluctuations in the field. Hence, neither the classical shot-noise model nor the quasi-classical analysis can explain the experimental results. Given the results presented in this report, it is clear that attention must be given to the other phenomena-including the quantum fluctuations in the electromagnetic field and the nonclassical electron correlation, which contributed to the observed laser fluctuations.