cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biopharmaceutical comparison of two levothyroxine sodium products.

Abstract The relative bioavailability and therapeutic equivalence of two brands of levothyroxine sodium tablets, Levothroid and Synthroid, were compared in patients who had been receiving long-term levothyroxine replacement therapy. Eighteen patients with primary hypothyroidism were randomly assigned to receive therapeutic dosages of Levothroid or Synthroid for 43 days and then were switched to the opposite product for 43 more days. The pharmacokinetic profiles of the two drugs were evaluated on days 43 and 86 by analyzing blood samples drawn at various intervals after the final dose. Relative bioavailability was determined by comparing the absorption profiles and areas under the serum concentration-time curves (AUCs) of total and free serum thyroxine. In addition, the potency of the levothyroxine sodium tablets was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The time to reach maximum concentration and the maximum concentration of total thyroxine after treatment with Levothroid did not differ significantly from those after treatment with Synthroid. The mean +/- S.D. AUC of total thyroxine after Levothroid administration (2339 +/- 404 pg.hr/mL) was slightly but significantly higher (p = 0.047) than that following Synthroid (2169 +/- 422 pg.hr/mL). However, the main index of biological activity, thyrotropin concentration, did not differ significantly between the two products. All tablets tested were within the stated potency requirements of the USP. The AUC of total serum thyroxine and the serum thyrotropin concentration after long-term replacement therapy with Levothroid or Synthroid indicate that any differences in bioavailability between the two products are clinically unimportant and that the two products are therapeutically interchangeable.
Frequency, efficiency, and physical characteristics of predation by generalist predators of brown marmorated stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) eggs

Abstract The native generalist predator community of Halyomorpha halys, an invasive species in the United States and Europe, has not been well defined to date. The aims of the current study were to determine whether generalist predators that are commonly found in mid-Atlantic orchards and vegetable crops are capable of feeding on H. halys eggs and, if so, to systematically characterize the appearance of feeding damage in order to link it to sentinel egg mass surveys. Over 25 field-collected and commercially available arthropod predator taxa, including adults and immatures, were evaluated as potential predators of H. halys eggs in laboratory trials, and a photographic library of egg mass damage was developed. In addition, over 400 sentinel egg masses were deployed in tree fruit and vegetable crops, and direct observations were made of predator taxa in situ. We found that the most frequent and efficient predators of H. halys eggs were katydids and ground beetles, and to a lesser extent earwigs, jumping spiders, and crickets. Egg damage for each taxon studied was ascribed to one of four egg damage syndromes: complete chewing, incomplete chewing, stylet sucking, and punctured sucking. The first two are caused by predators with chewing mouthparts and are differentiated by the presence of irregular chorion debris left behind in the case of incomplete chewing compared with nothing left behind or an entire segment of the egg mass completely removed for complete chewing. The latter two are caused by predators with piercing/sucking mouthparts or chelicerae and are separable by the presence of a feeding sheath for stylet sucking compared to a simple hole or slit in otherwise hollowed eggs for punctured sucking via chelicerae. Complete and incomplete chewing were the two feeding syndromes most frequently documented in the field and with the greatest number of eggs consumed per egg mass. Taxa evaluated in laboratory trials were reliably found in tree fruit and vegetable crops. Overall, our work contributes to the identification of key egg mass predators of H. halys in specialty crop agroecosytems.
Manufacturing cost relationships for vacuum bag-only prepreg processing:

Vacuum bag-only prepregs enable the out-of-autoclave manufacture of high-performance composite structures and increase the material, part, and process selection space. However, manufacturing choice...
Survey of Trihalomethanes and Other Volatile Chemical Contaminants in Processed Foods by Purge-and-Trap Capillary Gas Chromatography with Mass Selective Detection

A limited number of soft drinks, juices, beers, and waters from processed vegetables were analyzed for trihalomethanes (THMs), benzene, and toluene by a modified Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 524.2. The THMs, which include chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform, are reaction by-products of water disinfection by chlorination. EPA Method 524.2 is a purge-and-trap capillary gas chromatographic method based on mass spectrometric detection which identifies and simultaneously measures purgeable volatile organic compounds in drinking water. Chloroform was present at concentrations ranging from none detected to 94 ng/g in the 44 foods analyzed. Bromoform was not found in any of the products at a detection limit of 0.1 ng/g. Residue levels of the other THMs ranged from none detected to highs of 12 and 2 ng/g for bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane, respectively. Benzene residues were typically < 5 ng/g, except for 7 and 9 ng/g in 2 foods. Toluene residues were typically < or = 3 ng/g except for 23, 29, and 75 ng/g in 3 canned foods.
A multiscale field theory: Nano/micro materials

A multiscale field theory is proposed for the application of nano/micro materials. Field representation of the conservation equations, stress, strains and stress-strain relation are formulated. Preliminary numerical examples from the new theory are presented. The atomic view of a crystal is considered as a periodic arrangement of local atomic bonding units, Fig. 1. Each lattice point defines the location of the center of the unit. The space lattice is macroscopically homogeneous. Embedded in each lattice point is a group of bonded atoms, the smallest structural unit of the crystal. The structure of the unit together with the network of lattice points determines the crystal structure and hence the physical properties of the material.
Field Sensors and Tunable Devices Using Magnetoelectric Hexaferrite on Silicon Substrates

In this paper, the H-field and E-field sensors as well as the tunable devices are fabricated by utilizing single-phase magnetoelectric (ME) hexaferrite thin films on a silicon substrate. A buffer layer of indium–tin oxide is introduced between the Si wafer and the ME film. The required voltage excitations are reduced to values below 1 V at room temperature, hence making these devices compatible with planar integrated circuits (ICs) and CMOS. A planar spiral coil is utilized in a frequency range of 100 Hz to 10 MHz for sensing applications by applying an ac field (electric or magnetic) for excitation of the ME film. For H-field (E-field) sensing, a sensitivity of up to 1000 Vm $^{-1}$ /G ( $10^{-7}$ G/Vm $^{-1})$ is attained. The corresponding sensitivity for H-field is $4 \times 10^{4}$ up to $10^{7}$ V/T for 3 kHz up to 10 MHz. Tunability of up to 60% is achieved for tunable inductor applications; moreover, a change of 26% in voltage is observed at a single frequency by applying a voltage of 3 V on the ME film, thus performing as a single frequency detector. The proposed devices are made of single-phase materials, so they are simple to fabricate and capable to operate at the voltages of few volts; these features make them viable as a new generation of the ME devices for integration in ICs.
DFT study on the water molecule adsorption and the surface dissolution behavior of Mg alloys

Abstract Mg-based alloys have a strong potential for various structural and biomedical applications. A critical issue associated with Mg-based alloys is their high degradation (corrosion) rates in oxidation environments. It is known that both the internal crystal structures and the impurity compositions/contents in the Mg alloys can affect the degradation rates. In the present work, we employed the density-functional theory (DFT) computation technique to understand the surface degradation behaviors with different crystallographic orientations and impurity elements from an atomistic point of view. Here, we studied the adsorption response of a water molecule to the Mg alloy surface and the dissolution of surface atoms that can be potentially applied to describe the degradation behavior of Mg/Mg alloy. The tendency for water molecule adsorption was quantified for Mg-based slab systems with low-index surface planes and various alloying elements including Al, Zn, Ca, and Y. The trends for surface degradation from these systems were examined using surface energy analysis and electrode potential shift analysis. The results show that adding Ca and/or Y increases the propensity to attract a water molecule to the alloy surface. Also, it was generally found that the relative electrode potential shift of Mg-Y alloys is positive while those of all other alloys are negative.
Hrotsvit's Apostolic Mission: Prefaces, Dedications, and Other Addresses to Readers

The most complete manuscript of Hrotsvit's writings, Bavarian State Library Clm 14485 (the Munich codex), includes prefaces, dedications, and other addresses to readers in which Hrotsvit names herself and provides information about her education, writing practices, and purposes. This chapter focuses on ways her first-person addresses, including to readers both prepare for and participate in her preaching, whether it is specifically about Christ's glory or about conversion, the human responsibility to turn toward Christ and God and contribute to the redemption of the world. In addition to addressing her readers in prose prefaces and dedicatory poems, Hrotsvit often inserts into her third-person narratives direct addresses in the first-person, sometimes addressing God or a character in her poem, sometimes addressing her readers. Keywords:authorial insertions; Christ's glory; conversion; Hrotsvit's writings; poetic addresses; prose addresses
Quality quandaries: Combining engineering and statistics to assess the probability of an event

This article illustrates how to combine engineering and statistical models and propagate the distributions of model inputs to estimate the probability of an event with uncertainty.
DUOX1-Dependent Disulfide Bonding of Src Kinase in the Airway Epithelium

The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Src is ubiquitously expressed and is involved in regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and motility. Strongly linked with cancer progression, Src also contributes to non-malignant diseases such as allergic asthma. Regulation of Src activity is incompletely understood, but critically involves tyrosine (de)phosphorylation events that mediate Src “unclamping” and interactions with regulatory or substrate proteins as well as kinase activation. In addition, more recent studies indicate that Src-dependent signaling is also regulated by redox-dependent mechanisms involving reversible oxidation of one or more conserved cysteine residues. Indeed, our previous studies indicate that epithelial wound responses or innate response to airborne allergens are mediated by oxidant-mediated activation of Src by the NADPH oxidase DUOX1. However, the precise mechanisms by which cysteine oxidation regulates Src activity are still not clear, and diverse cysteine residues have been implicated. In addition to its potential role in regulating Src tyrosine kinase activity, evidence is emerging that cysteine oxidation within Src can promote intermolecular disulfide bonding, e.g. between Src monomers, with its negative regulator C-terminal Src Kinase (CSK), or its substrate cortactin. The aim of the present study was to determine whether DUOX1-dependent activation of Src oxidation in airway epithelial cells results in intermolecular disulfide cross-linking with other proteins, and to characterize Src interacting partners. Using diagonal electrophoresis to visualize intermolecular disulfides, we observed that stimulation of H292 epithelial cells with H2O2 or with ATP, which activates DUOX1, induces disulfide-based cross-linking of Src with a number of proteins. This was confirmed after immunoprecipitation of Src, and interacting proteins are being identified using mass spectrometry. We also used recombinant Src and various Cys-to-Ala variants to determine oxidant-mediated cross-linking between Src monomers, with indicated intermolecular crosslinking between Src monomers, which was diminished with Cys mutants. We seek to extend these findings in studies with epithelial cells expressing different Src Cys-to-Ala variants to gain further insight into the significance of specific cysteine oxidation events in Src-dependent activation of various signaling pathways. Supported by NIH R01 ES021476, NIH R01 HL085646, and NIH F32 HL129706.
Functional Analysis and Treatment of Self-Injurious Feather Plucking in a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

The etiology and maintenance of self-injurious feather plucking (FP) have been attributed to biological and environmental processes, yet a definitive solution has not been found. The current study investigated the application of a functional analysis and function-based treatment to reduce the FP of a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). FP was found to be maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of contingent attention. A treatment consisting of noncontingent reinforcement decreased FP, and levels of FP remained low during schedule thinning. The current study further demonstrates the validity of function-based assessment and treatment with captive animals.
Characterizing the Relationship Between Surgical Resident and Faculty Perceptions of Autonomy in the Operating Room.

Objective Characterize the concordance among faculty and resident perceptions of surgical case complexity, resident technical performance, and autonomy in a diverse sample of general surgery procedures using case-specific evaluations. Design A prospective study was conducted in which a faculty surgeon and surgical resident independently completed a postoperative assessment examining case complexity, resident operative performance (Milestone assessment) and autonomy (Zwisch model). Pearson correlation coefficients ( r ) reaching statistical significance (p r ≥ 0.40), strong ( r ≥ 0.60), or very strong ( r ≥ 0.80). Setting This study was conducted in the General Surgery Residency Program at an academic tertiary care facility (Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA). Participants Participants included 6 faculty surgeons, in addition to 5 postgraduate year (PGY) 1, 6 midlevel (PGY 2-3), and 4 chief (PGY 4-5) residents. Results In total, 75 surgical cases were analyzed. Midlevel residents accounted for the highest number of cases (35, 46.6%). Overall, faculty and resident perceptions of case complexity demonstrated a strong correlation ( r = 0.76, p r = 0.66, p r = 0.56, p Subgroup analysis revealed very strong correlations among faculty perceptions of case complexity and the perceptions of PGY 1 ( r = 0.80, p r = 0.82, p Conclusions General surgery residents generally demonstrated high correlations with faculty perceptions of case complexity, technical performance, and operative autonomy. This generalized accord supports the use of the Milestone and Zwisch assessments in residency programs. However, discordance among perceptions of midlevel resident autonomy and chief resident operative performance suggests that these trainees may need more direct communication from the faculty.
Long-Term Performance of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement Embedded in Concrete

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement has emerged as a potential alternative reinforcement to conventional steel reinforcing bars for reinforced concrete structures. GFRP reinforcing bars are reported to be noncorrosive, lightweight, easy to place, and exhibit high tensile strength-to-weight ratios. The significant rehabilitation costs associated with the deterioration of existing bridges, mostly due to steel corrosion, makes the potential corrosion resistance of GFRP reinforcing bars look attractive to provide significant value to use for structures containing reinforcement. There is still a reluctance to use GFRP reinforcing bars mostly due to the lack of long-term performance data embedded in concrete. This study investigated GFRP reinforcing bars embedded in concrete and exposed to unsubmerged conditions for 7 years. The results indicate lower rates in the loss of capacity when compared with data from the literature on accelerated exposure.
ColorMap ND : A Data-Driven Approach and Tool for Mapping Multivariate Data to Color

A wide variety of color schemes have been devised for mapping scalar data to color. We address the challenge of color-mapping multivariate data. While a number of methods can map low-dimensional data to color, for example, using bilinear or barycentric interpolation for two or three variables, these methods do not scale to higher data dimensions. Likewise, schemes that take a more artistic approach through color mixing and the like also face limits when it comes to the number of variables they can encode. Our approach does not have these limitations. It is data driven in that it determines a proper and consistent color map from first embedding the data samples into a circular interactive multivariate color mapping display (ICD) and then fusing this display with a convex (CIE HCL) color space. The variables (data attributes) are arranged in terms of their similarity and mapped to the ICD's boundary to control the embedding. Using this layout, the color of a multivariate data sample is then obtained via modified generalized barycentric coordinate interpolation of the map. The system we devised has facilities for contrast and feature enhancement, supports both regular and irregular grids, can deal with multi-field as well as multispectral data, and can produce heat maps, choropleth maps, and diagrams such as scatterplots.
The Chrysoloras Revival in England

Just at the time the Chrysoloras revival of Plato was taking place in Italy, the English people were turning away from France and toward Italy, partly because of the Hundred Years War (1337–1435) and partly because of the return of the papacy to Rome in 1378, which resulted in schism and the calling of the Council of Constance in 1413. It was mainly through contacts made at the Council of Constance that the English first became aware of the Chrysoloras revival of Plato in Italy. Most of the events of the English interchange with Italy during the fifteenth century have been described and documented by Roberto Weiss (1967). I will limit my own discussion to the new information about Plato that was conveyed during this period; I will discuss first the English visitors to Italy, and then the foreign visitors to England.
Conserved features of TBE1 transposons in ciliated protozoa.

The complete sequences of four TBE1 transposons from Oxytricha fallax and O. trifallax are presented and analyzed. Although two TBE1s are 98% identical to each other at the nucleotide level, the remaining two TBE1s are only 90% identical both to each other and to the other two. This large evolutionary divergence allows us to identify conserved TBE1 features. TBE1 transposons are 4.1 kbp long and are flanked by 3 bp target-site repeats. The elements consist of 78 bp inverted terminal repeats, of which the 17 terminal base pairs are Oxytricha telomere repeats; a central conserved section of 550 bp that includes a set of nested direct and inverted sequence repeats; and 3 open reading frames conserved for encoded amino acid sequence. The three open reading frames encode a 22 kDa basic protein of unknown function, a 42 kDa ‘D,D35E’ transposase, and a 57 kDa chimeric C 2 H 2 zinc finger/protein kinase. The protein kinase domain of the 57 kDa protein is unusual, lacking a conserved ATP-binding motif.
Teacher Education and Models of Teacher Reflection

This article articulates common definitions of teacher reflection, especially emphasizing foundations in the scholarship of Dewey and Schon. It also identifies the fine-tuning and shifts in emphasis occurring in recent years. Employing this generalized definition as a lens, a framework for analyzing and differentiating the most prevalent models of reflection in teacher education is presented. The framework consists of three interrelated continua: purpose, content, and means. The discussion concludes with a consideration of the implications of these variations, along with recommendations for how the continua might be utilized to inform and enhance subsequent steps in the research and practice of reflective teacher education.
A Summary of the Optoma Program's Mesoscale Ocean Prediction Studies in the California Current System.

Abstract The OPTOMA program sampled the California Current System mainly on the continental rise off Northern California from March 1982 to November 1986. Maps of surface dynamic height from OPTOMA surveys during summer show intense offshore jets and associated eddies in the coastal transition zone. The current meanders during summer tend to be sharper than those during winter so that eddies often have smaller horizontal scale. The mean, the standard deviation and the range of the dynamic height, and maximum surface current speeds are larger in summer than in winter. In both seasons, the horizontal structure at 200 db, relative to 450 db, is weak; current filaments are less prominent at this depth than at the surface and the regions of strongest flow are associated with eddies. An array of three moorings, separated by about 100 km, is influenced by small-scale eddies which may account for the lack of large-scale coherence between velocity or temperature variations at the three moorings. Some features appear to propagate offshore, and the temperature at the offshore mooring clearly shows the influence of onshore/offshore advection. From dynamical model hindcast experiments, as well as from dynamic height maps, both local instability processes and wind stress curl forcing are important to the evolution of mesoscale features off Northern California.
The Influence of Economic Pressure on Emerging Adult Binge Drinking: Testing the Family Stress Model over Time

The Family Stress Model proposes that disrupted family processes may help explain the association between economic adversity and poor child developmental outcomes. In this study, the Family Stress Model was tested across adolescence to emerging adulthood. Participants included 451 rural White youth who participated with their parents from age 13-23 (52% female). The data were analyzed at five developmental time periods with separate pathways for mothers and fathers. The findings reveal for both parents that economic pressure at time 1 (age 13) led to parental emotional distress which was related to harsh couple interaction at time 2 (ages 14 and 15). This marital conflict was related to harsh parenting toward the adolescent (time 2), which was then directly associated with higher levels of offspring drinking when youth were in middle adolescence (age 16) at time 3. Alcohol use in middle adolescence was associated with binge drinking in late adolescence (age 18, time 4) into emerging adulthood (age 23, time 5). Drinking behaviors did not differ for boys and girls. The current results show that economic adversity has an effect on family processes which influence offspring binge drinking patterns in later adolescence that continue into emerging adulthood.
Pyroelectric Energy Conversion from Lithium Tantalum Oxide (LiTaO3) Crystal Evaluated by Dynamic Optical Chynoweth Method and Converter Design

Pyroelectric effect is one of the phenomena that can convert dissipated thermal energy into useful electric energy. Pyroelectric energy conversion from Lithium Tantalum Oxide (LiTaO3) crystal is evaluated by dynamic optical Chynoweth method. To improve conversion efficiency, an efficient a.c./d.c. converter for the harvester and variable load is developed. Analysis and experimental research were conducted over a range of resistive load and chopping frequencies in order to optimize the energy harvesting process by implementing impedance matching for maximum power transfer. In this experiment, direct current (d.c.) at nA level and voltage (d.c.) of 100 mV level are measured for several frequency and loaded conditions. After comparing the results at different conditions, best output is identified for chopping frequency at around 4Hz for 20 MΩ resistive load, by providing cyclic temperature fluctuations of around 1.25 K/s on a single crystal lithium tantalum oxide (LiTaO3). The generated pyroelectric current is converted from a.c. to d.c. by a voltage doubler. Chopping frequency range between 2Hz-6Hz and load range between 10MΩ-40MΩ are found important for optimum power generation from a 0.5mm thick LiTaO3 sample with a surface area of 19.64 cm2. The potential for utilizing pyroelectric crystal in self-powered ultra-low power electronic devices are being further explored.
Are the subcenters adequately equipped to deliver primary healthcare? A study of public health manpower and infrastructure in the health district in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Background: India has a vast public health infrastructure, with 23,391 primary health centers (PHCs) and 145,894 subcenters (SCs) providing health services to 72.2% of the country's population living in rural areas. Although the numbers look impressive, their functional status needs to be studied in terms of physical infrastructure, manpower, equipment, drugs, and other logistical supplies that are greatly needed for ensuring quality services. This work aims to study the infrastructure facilities and manpower in a sample of SCs in the district of Nellore in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. Methods: Thirty SCs selected by multistage sampling have been studied using a structured and pretested performance standard questionnaire. Data have been analyzed with reference to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for SCs. Results: Many deficiencies were identified in the infrastructure and manpower in the SCs studied. Some of the important findings were that the deficiency of health workers (HWs) (male) was 76.7%. Only 6.7% of the SCs operate in a designated government building. Communication facilities, such as telephones, are present in only 3.3% of the SCs. About 73% of the SCs were located more than 5 km from the remotest village in the coverage area. Residential accommodations for HWs (female) were available in only 3.3% of the SCs. There is also a severe deficiency of drugs and equipment in the SCs as per the IPHS. Conclusion: SCs lack the manpower and vital infrastructure necessary to function and deliver services effectively to the rural population.
On the Bailout of Currencies

Special Drawing Rights are reserve assets which ought to provide liquidity in times of a country’s financial distress. It is a potential claim on freely usable currencies of International Monetary Fund member countries. This article examines the possible effects of a global Special Drawing Rights implementation by the International Monetary Fund in case of a collapse of one of the major currencies. The question addressed is if a distressed fiat currency can be bailed out effectively by triggering the designation mechanism to the International Monetary Fund member countries The results indicate that the liquidity benefit per created Special Drawing Rights unit would proportionally increase with the rate of money supply.
Communication of Miranda Findings

This chapter provides detailed outlines for the effective communication of clinical and forensic findings as they relate to Miranda issues. Readers will learn to write thorough, well-balanced reports that can guide criminal attorneys step-by-step through sometimes intricate findings. As discussed in Chap. 2, legal strategies may extend far beyond suppression issues per se and factor relevantly into other aspects of the case. Thus, cases may often be encountered with mixed findings concerning Miranda comprehension and reasoning, but such findings may still relevant to retaining counsel. Beyond communication to courts and attorneys, Miranda reports are intended to serve as a practical template to be used in preparing for expert testimony in a suppression hearing. The care and thoroughness of the Miranda report will signal to counsel on both sides the value and substance of the forensic practitioner’s conclusions. Based on such attributes, the suppression hearing may sometimes be averted via by a mutually advantageous plea bargain. Regarding testimony, this chapter provides constructive guidelines for building the direct examination in order to present persuasive and coherent themes to the trial court. For cross-examination, the chapter anticipates challenges and vulnerabilities that may be encountered during the suppression hearing.
Two Tales of Cities: Revisiting Sex-Based Occupational Segregation in U.S. Municipal Bureaucracies, 1991-2015:

Drawing upon 24 years (1991-2015) of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data, we ask whether sex-based occupational segregation among professional and administrative employees in municipa...
Taxing Islamic Finance Instruments under International Law

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how and why Islamic finance transactions might create challenges for tax systems and to serve as an aid to considering what tax changes might be appropriate to enable Islamic finance to operate without suffering excessive taxation costs or double taxation. Most tax systems were developed for conventional finance therefore in many cases; Islamic finance transactions suffer higher tax costs than their conventional equivalent. In the process of outlining the treatment of Islamic finance tax treatment in Europe and in Luxembourg specifically, we will introduce the reader to the basic principles of Islamic finance, the most common instruments and attach a glossary of Islamic finance terms and its synonyms in the English language.
Detention and Torture in Guantanamo

Guantanamo has become a symbol of American policy. The idea that the United States would arbitrarily hold a large number of people in a legal black hole for a period of years with no access to attorneys, no access to families, and no charges, was beyond anything that anyone could have expected.... Britain has had the IRA, Spain has had the ETA, India has had terrorism related to Kashmir, Israel has had suicide bombing.... None... did anything that is comparable to Guantanamo in the manner that they dealt with terrorism. There were delays..but Guantanamo exceeded what any other democratic government has done in dealing with those persons it accused of terrorism (Neier, 2005: 140).
Examining Racial Bias in an Online Abuse Corpus with Structural Topic Modeling

We use structural topic modeling to examine racial bias in data collected to train models to detect hate speech and abusive language in social media posts. We augment the abusive language dataset by adding an additional feature indicating the predicted probability of the tweet being written in African-American English. We then use structural topic modeling to examine the content of the tweets and how the prevalence of different topics is related to both abusiveness annotation and dialect prediction. We find that certain topics are disproportionately racialized and considered abusive. We discuss how topic modeling may be a useful approach for identifying bias in annotated data.
MRI-based Parcellation and Morphometry of the Individual Rhesus Monkey Brain: the macaque Harvard-Oxford Atlas (mHOA), a translational system referencing a standardized ontology.

Investigations of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) brain have shed light on the function and organization of the primate brain at a scale and resolution not yet possible in humans. A cornerstone of the linkage between non-human primate and human studies of the brain is magnetic resonance imaging, which allows for an association to be made between the detailed structural and physiological analysis of the non-human primate and that of the human brain. To further this end, we present a novel parcellation method and system for the rhesus monkey brain, referred to as the macaque Harvard-Oxford Atlas (mHOA), which is based on the human Harvard-Oxford Atlas (HOA) and grounded in an ontological and taxonomic framework. Consistent anatomical features were used to delimit and parcellate brain regions in the macaque, which were then categorized according to functional systems. This system of parcellation will be expanded with advances in technology and, like the HOA, will provide a framework upon which the results from other experimental studies (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), physiology, connectivity, graph theory) can be interpreted.
Localized and Collective Dynamics in Liquid-like Polyethylenimine-Based Nanoparticle Organic Hybrid Materials

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy, rheology, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are employed to study molecular dynamics in a nanoparticle organic hybrid material (NOHMs) system comprising...
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Rhode Island From a Statewide Random Sample.

Objectives. To characterize statewide seroprevalence and point prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Rhode Island.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional sur...
Colorectal cancer screening in African Americans: are we following the guidelines?

The age at onset, incidence, and mortality rate of colorectal cancer varies among racial groups being highest in African Americans. This increased risk led to the recommendation to begin screening at the age of 45 years. Whether the recommendation for screening of African Americans at an earlier age was implemented is unknown. We used data from the Cancer Control Supplement of National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted in the years 2005, 2010, and 2015 to analyze demographic data and use of colorectal screening (colonoscopy, stool heme testing, sigmoidoscopy, computed tomographic colonography) among the US population between the ages of 45–49 years. Data on colorectal screening was available from 6740 individuals; 16.5% were African Americans. Screening test use among African Americans in 2005, 2010, and 2015 was similar to use in Whites (i.e., 15.4% (95% CI 11.4–19.4), 28.4% (95% CI 19.3–30.4) and 20.2% (95% CI 14.8–25.5) vs. 16.9% (95% CI 15.1–18.6), 19.3% (95% CI 16.9–21.7), and 21.4% (95% CI 18.6–24.2) in 2005, 2010 and 2015, respectively. Observed screening test use rates may largely be accounted for by diagnostic exams. The recommendation for earlier colorectal screening of African Americans has not yet resulted in increased test utilization. These results emphasize the need for multidisciplinary actions to inform and implement public health policy.
MOLIERE ET LA PEINTURE DU BOURGEOIS DANS UN SIECLE DE TRANSITION

Depuis le Moyen Age, le personnage du bourgeois est souvent objet de comedies. Victime de farces qui se plaisent a souligner la balourdise de l’individu place de par sa situation sociale dans l’inconfort de l’entre-deux, il est puissant par le jeu commercial et financier qu’il regit mais ecarte du pouvoir, apanage de la noblesse (Rolland 79). Bien sur, dans sa peinture du bourgeois, Moliere cherche plus a distraire qu’a informer son public comme le ferait un veritable historien. Il ne faudrait donc pas considerer ce personnage de farce comme revelateur approprie des ideaux ou des vices d’une classe sociale definie. Il n’en demeure pas moins, comme le reconnait Moliere lui-meme, que le but de la comedie est de presenter les defauts et les ridicules des hommes et en particulier ceux de son temps. Les œuvres de Moliere, et en particulier Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, apparaissent donc comme un outil non negligeable pour l’historien. INDEX WORDS : Moliere, Bourgeois, Noble, 17 eme siecle, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Thesis, La Cour, Theatre, Piece MOLIERE ET LA PEINTURE DU BOURGEOIS DANS UN SIECLE DE TRANSITION
Characterization of chemokine and chemokine receptor expression during Pneumocystis infection in healthy and immunodeficient mice

Abstract We examined gene expression levels of multiple chemokines and chemokine receptors during Pneumocystis murina infection in wild-type and immunosuppressed mice, using microarrays and qPCR. In wild-type mice, expression of chemokines that are ligands for Ccr2, Cxcr3, Cxcr6, and Cxcr2 increased at days 32–41 post-infection, with a return to baseline by day 75–150. Concomitant increases were seen in Ccr2, Cxcr3, and Cxcr6, but not in Cxcr2 expression. Induction of these same factors also occurred in CD40-ligand and CD40 knockout mice but only at a much later time-point, during uncontrolled Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Expression of CD4 Th1 markers was increased in wild-type mice during clearance of infection. Ccr2 and Cx3cr1 knockout mice cleared Pneumocystis infection with kinetics similar to wild-type mice, and all animals developed anti-Pneumocystis antibodies. Upregulation of Ccr2, Cxcr3, and Cxcr6 and their ligands supports an important role for T helper cells and mononuclear phagocytes in the clearance of Pneumocystis infection. However, based on the current and prior studies, no single chemokine receptor appears to be critical to the clearance of Pneumocystis.
Agency amidst formidable structures: How girls perform gender in science class

Larger social structures such as race, class, gender, and sexuality and classroom structures like narrowly defined participation practices constrain individuals' agency to engage in untroubled and sustained science identity work. This article explores the central dilemma of attending to structure and agency in settings where inequities are blindingly pronounced. Using a framework that highlights gender as discursive performance, we examine a data set of 13 girls' engagement with school science from fourth to seventh grade (ages 9–13) that shows how structures of gender, race, and class became more salient for girls' trajectories over time. The gender performances that became most pronounced were: minimizing one's differences/fitting in, pleasing adults, and making oneself submissive or invisible. “Helping others” became a subversive, rather than celebrated, practice over time. To illustrate the themes with more depth, we present a longitudinal case study of Mirabel, an academically gifted and scientifically interested first generation immigrant to the US, whose science trajectory became increasingly precarious and entangled with larger social structures. A focus on structures pointed to the narrowly constructed classroom subject positions that left virtually no room to be simultaneously “girly” and “scientific” and the prominence of heteronormative versions of femininity. A focus on agency made evident that girls were less engaged with how to become scientific and more concerned with figuring out what kind of girl to be, given what was acceptable in the setting. We end with an account of Mirabel that highlights her resourcefulness and agency that make possible a hopeful shift in her trajectory. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 474–488, 2015
Time-multiplexed plasma-etching of high numerical aperture paraboloidal micromirror arrays

This paper presents a time-multiplexed plasma-etching method for high numerical aperture paraboloidal micromirrors. By designing the appropriate opening and spacing of etching windows, one can fabricate micromirror arrays with varying focal lengths within one batch.
Photodynamic therapy with 3‐(1′‐hexyloxyethyl) pyropheophorbide‐a for early‐stage cancer of the larynx: Phase Ib study

Background The purpose of this study was for us to report results regarding the safety of 3-(1′-hexyloxyethyl) pyropheophorbide-a (HPPH) mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) in early laryngeal disease, and offer preliminary information on treatment responses. Methods A single-institution, phase Ib, open label, noncomparative study of HPPH-PDT in patients with high-risk dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and T1 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx. The primary outcomes were safety and maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and the secondary outcome was response. Results Twenty-nine patients and 30 lesions were treated. The most common adverse event (AE) was transient hoarseness of voice. Severe edema, requiring tracheostomy, was the most serious AE, which occurred in 2 patients within several hours of therapy. The MTD was 100 J/cm2. Patients with T1 SCC seemed to have good complete response rate (82%) to HPPH-PDT at MTD. Conclusion HPPH-PDT can be safely used to treat early-staged laryngeal cancer, with potential efficacy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
Role of residue 99 at the S2 subsite of factor Xa and activated protein C in enzyme specificity.

Abstract It is thought that only a limited number of residues in the extended binding pocket of coagulation proteases are critical for substrate and inhibitor specificity. A candidate residue from the crystal structures of thrombin and factor Xa (FXa) that may be critical for specificity at the S2 subsite is residue 99. Residue 99 is Tyr in FXa and Thr in activated protein C (APC). To determine the role of residue 99 in S2 specificity, a Gla-domainless mutant of protein C (GDPC) was prepared in which Thr99 was replaced with Tyr of FXa. GDPC T99Y bound Ca2+ and was activated by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex normally. The T99Y mutant, similar to FXa, hydrolyzed the chromogenic substrates with a Gly at the P2 positions. This mutant was also inhibited by antithrombin (AT) (k2 = 4.2 ± 0.2 × 101 M−1 s−1), and heparin accelerated the reaction >350-fold (k2 = 1.5 ± 0.1 × 104 M−1 s−1). The T99Y mutant, however, did not activate prothrombin but inactivated factor Va ≈2-fold better than wild type. To try to switch the specificity of FXa, both Tyr99 and Gln192 of FXa were replaced with those of APC in the Gla-domainless factor X (GDFX Y99T/Q192E). This mutant was folded correctly as it bound Ca2+ with a similar affinity as GDFX and was also activated by the Russell's viper venom at similar rate, but it cleaved the chromogenic substrates with a Gly at the P2 positions poorly. The mutant, instead, cleaved the APC-specific chromogenic substrates efficiently. The Y99T/Q192E mutant became resistant to inhibition by AT in the absence of heparin but was inhibited by AT almost normally in the presence of heparin (k2 = 3.4 ± 0.5 × 105 M−1 s−1). The Y99T/Q192E mutant did not inactivate factor Va, and prothrombin activation by this mutant was impaired. These results indicate that 1) residue 99 is critical for enzyme specificity at the S2 subsite, 2) a role for heparin in acceleration of FXa inhibition by AT may involve the S2-P2 modulation, and 3) the exchange of residues 99 and 192 in FXa and APC may switch the enzyme specificity with the chromogenic substrates and inhibitors but not with the natural substrates.
Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Proteins Modified by Nitric Oxide-Derived Species

Nitric oxide-derived metabolites have been demonstrated to covalently modify cellular protein repertoire, thus affecting specific enzymatic functions. Among the various redox posttranslational modifications, protein nitration has been broadly recognized by immunological, spectroscopical, and chromatographic methods as a widespread reaction regulating essential phatophysiological processes. With the introduction of matrix-assisted laser desorption and electrospray as soft ionization methods for mass spectrometry of biomolecules, nitration has been investigated directly at the protein level, assigning polypeptide modification sites. Peptide mass fingerprinting and fragment fingerprinting upon collisional fragmentation approaches have been widely used to this purpose. This chapter describes how minimal levels of nitration present on a model protein, namely bovine serum albumin, generated in vitro by ONOO(-) treatment, were ascertained by integrated mass spectrometry approaches, identifying sites of modification. Critical considerations on the limits of each mass spectrometric ionization methods are also provided.
Microbial Regulation of p53 Tumor Suppressor.

p53 tumor suppressor has been identified as a protein interacting with the large T antigen produced by simian vacuolating virus 40 (SV40). Subsequent research on p53 inhibition by SV40 and other tumor viruses has not only helped to gain a better understanding of viral biology, but also shaped our knowledge of human tumorigenesis. Recent studies have found, however, that inhibition of p53 is not strictly in the realm of viruses. Some bacterial pathogens also actively inhibit p53 protein and induce its degradation, resulting in alteration of cellular stress responses. This phenomenon was initially characterized in gastric epithelial cells infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial pathogen that commonly infects the human stomach and is strongly linked to gastric cancer. Besides H. pylori, a number of other bacterial species were recently discovered to inhibit p53. These findings provide novel insights into host–bacteria interactions and tumorigenesis associated with bacterial infections.
WE-G-BRB-01: Safety and Quality Assurance in SRS and SBRT

Stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS) has been an effective modality for the treatment of benign and malignant cranial disease for over 50 years. Increasingly, the stereotactic approach is being applied in a number of extracranial disease sites. Stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT) holds significant potential for improving tumorcontrol rates across a range of locations and histologies. SRS / SBRT are fundamentally different from conventional radiotherapy in that the intent is to deliver an ablative dose that overcomes all of the abilities of a cancer cell to defend itself. It is inherently aggressive, much like a surgical approach, and therefore an increased rate of acute complications compared with conventional radiotherapy could be expected. Both SRS and SBRT require specialized technology, meticulous procedures, and dedicated personnel. Several recent high‐profile medical radiation events have generated considerable attention within the media, and serve to remind the profession that close attention to safety and ongoing quality improvement is a fundamental responsibility. The main aim of this symposium will be to address safety and quality in SRS and SBRT, highlighting the errors that have occurred in the past and determining how they can be minimized in a systematic way, starting from patient simulation, to planning and verification, immobilization and localization, delivery, and patient follow‐up, and to provide some recommendations for SRS / SBRT processes and procedures that may be beneficial in understanding and reducing risks inherent to the modalities. Specific issues to be addressed include: ‐ An overview of the accuracy requirements and the need for high levels of safety and quality in SRS/SBRT, as summarized in recent AAPM, ASTRO and ACR reports. ‐ Highlights from recent media events related to SRS, examining what went wrong and why; what could go wrong; and what nominal safety procedures, commissioning and routine QA and testing are needed for SRS and SBRT programs to ensure errors are minimized. ‐ Verification requirements for accurate image‐based localization and delivery in both rigid sites (e.g. CNS, spine) and moving targets (e.g. thorax (lung), liver, pancreas, etc.).