cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conceptual Model of Weight Management in Overweight and Obese African-American Females

PROBLEM Weight management of overweight and obese (OWO) African-American females (AAFs) is a poorly defined concept, leading to ineffective treatment of overweight and obesity, prevention of health sequelae, and risk reduction. METHODS A conceptual model of the phenomenon of weight management in OWO AAFs was developed through dimensional analysis of the literature. Constructs were identified and sorted into the dimensions of perspective, context, conditions, process, and consequences and integrated into an explanatory matrix. FINDINGS Through dimensional analysis, weight management in OWO AAFs was characterized as a multidimensional concept, defined from the perspective of weight loss in community-dwelling AAFs. Behaviors associated with weight management are strongly influenced by intrinsic factors and extrinsic conditions, which influence engagement in the processes and consequences of weight management. CONCLUSIONS The resulting conceptual model of weight management in OWO AAFs provides a framework for research interventions applicable in a variety of settings.
Marginal to Mainstream: Medical Research: Science and Interpretation

Do herbs heal? Does acupuncture relieve pain? How do these and other modalities work? Why aren't they effective for everyone with the same condition? These questions and a host of others motivated major new research initiatives in the 1990s, most of them funded by the NIH. This research has begun the process of legitimizing CAM in American medicine. At the same time, however, certain types of CAM have become delegitimized. Some have been shown to be harmful, others useless. This chapter explores how processes of legitimation and delegitimation have evolved within the political and, most important, scientific institutions of American society. As social institutions, government and science each have distinctive sets of norms and values and both affect and are affected by their social and cultural contexts (Zuckerman 1988). In 1991, the Senate Appropriations Committee held hearings on the use of “unconventional medicine” in the United States. The result was the establishment at the NIH of, first, an advisory panel on unconventional medical practices, and then, officially in 1992, the OAM, which began operations with a budget of $2 million. The politics behind the creation of the OAM are a classic example of the vagaries of legislative initiative, highlighting in this case the role of individuals and their personal interests. Senator Thomas R. Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa and Chair of the Appropriations Committee, had recently been converted to the benefits of alternative medicine when he used bee pollen to treat his allergies.
Complications of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Pediatric Patients; A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives To systematically review risks and summarize reported complication rates associated with the performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in children during the past 2 decades. Study design A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science from January 1995 to January 2016 was conducted for observational studies published in English. Studies reporting ERCP complications in patients Results Thirty-two studies involving 2612 children and 3566 procedures were included. Subjects' ages ranged from 3 days to 21 years. Procedures were performed for biliary (54%), pancreatic (38%), and other (8%) indications; 56% of ERCPs were interventional. The pooled complication rate was 6% (95% CI 4%- 8%). Procedural complications included post-ERCP pancreatitis (166, 4.7%), bleeding (22, 0.6%), and infections (27, 0.8%). The pooled estimate of post-ERCP pancreatitis was 3% (95% CI 0.02-0.05), and other complications were 1% (95% CI 0.02-0.05). In the subgroup with neonatal cholestasis, the pooled complication rate was 3% (95% CI 0.01-0.07). Adult and pediatric gastroenterologists and surgeons performed the ERCPs. Available data limited the ability to report differences between pediatric-trained and other endoscopists. Conclusions Complications associated with pediatric ERCP range widely in severity and are reported inconsistently. Our review suggests 6% of pediatric ERCPs have complications. Further studies that use systematic and standardized methodologies are needed to determine the frequency and risk factors for ERCP-related complications.
Electoral Responsiveness, Party Government, and the Imperfect Performance of Democratic Elections

The chapter works from the premise that in a democracy, the laws are supposed to correspond to the “preferences and will” of the citizens and investigates whether, to what extent, and under which conditions we can expect elections to produce such outcomes. It begins by considering normative ideals of the electoral connection (majoritarianism vs. proportionality) and then turns to political institutions (electoral rules and constitutional design) and the outcomes they generate in terms of government composition, legislative outputs, and actual public policy. The chapter also discusses the sensitivity of decision-making structures to electoral sanctions. It concludes by highlighting differences in evaluating the results normatively from majoritarian and proportional visions of democracy and identifying empirical conditions that tend to make elections perform imperfectly
Reconceptualizing Youth Political Socialization: A Theoretical Framework

The conventional views of political socialization of youth have been largely limited to the impact of immediate family and what is learned within school curriculum (Gordon & Taft, 2011; van Deth, Abendschon, & Vollmar, 2011). Traditionally, it was held that children will almost always duplicate their parents’ or caregivers’ political views, especially as related to political party affiliation, voting patterns, and political involvement (Allen & Bang, 2015; McDevitt & Chaffee, 2002; Schulman & DeAndrea, 2014). However, this conventional or “traditional” model of youth political socialization is antiquated, as research has shown that there are several other factors at play. Political socialization is in fact a dynamic process and youth respond to it by forming their agency. Youth are part of multiple realities and influenced by a variety of factors, including family, community, and location in which they live; education, schools, and peers; gender; religious elements; and media (all of these are discussed more in depth in subsequent chapters). Youth are not passive recipients of political stimuli but play an active role in shaping their own political perspectives as they are “reflective agents growing up within specific and historical contexts…” (Yates & Youniss, 1998, p. 496). This chapter will deconstruct the traditional model of political socialization that mutes youth political agency and illustrate the different ways youth are politically socialized, with particular focus on the multiple agents, realities, and relationship between local and global discourses that assist in forming youth’s perspectives and actions, keeping in mind that all of these elements are closely interrelated.
Phononic crystal Luneburg lens for omnidirectional elastic wave focusing and energy harvesting

We explore a phononic crystal Luneburg lens through design, fabrication, and analysis for omnidirectional elastic wave focusing and enhanced energy harvesting both numerically and experimentally. The proposed lens is formed using hexagonal unit cells with blind holes of different diameters, which are determined according to the Luneburg lens refractive index distribution obtained by finite-element simulations of the lowest asymmetric mode Lamb wave band structure. Wave simulations are performed numerically under plane wave excitation from a line source, and focusing is observed at the opposite border of the lens with respect to the incident wave direction. Numerically simulated elastic wave focusing results are validated through a set of experiments. Omnidirectionality is demonstrated by testing the lens under plane wave excitation for different angles of incidence. With piezoelectric energy harvesters located at the boundary of the phononic crystal Luneburg lens, more than an order of magnitude larger po...
RAINIER: A Simulation Tool for Distributions of Excited Nuclear States and Cascade Fluctuations

Abstract A new code has been developed named RAINIER that simulates the γ -ray decay of discrete and quasi-continuum nuclear levels for a user-specified range of energy, angular momentum , and parity including a realistic treatment of level spacing and transition width fluctuations. A similar program, DICEBOX , uses the Monte Carlo method to simulate level and width fluctuations but is restricted in its initial level population algorithm. On the other hand, modern reaction codes such as TALYS and EMPIRE populate a wide range of states in the residual nucleus prior to γ -ray decay, but do not go beyond the use of deterministic functions and therefore neglect cascade fluctuations. This combination of capabilities allows RAINIER to be used to determine quasi-continuum properties through comparison with experimental data. Several examples are given that demonstrate how cascade fluctuations influence experimental high-resolution γ -ray spectra from reactions that populate a wide range of initial states.
Bacterial Infections After Burn Injuries: Impact of Multidrug Resistance

Patients who are admitted to the hospital after sustaining a large burn injury are at high risk for developing hospital-associated infections. If patients survive the initial 72 hours after a burn injury, infections are the most common cause of death. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most important infection in this patient population. The risk of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens increases with hospital length of stay in burn patients. In the first days of the postburn hospitalization, more susceptible, Gram-positive organisms predominate, whereas later more resistant Gram-negative organisms are found. These findings impact the choice of empiric antibiotics in critically ill burn patients. A proactive infection control approach is essential in burn units. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary approach to burn patients with a team that includes an infectious disease specialist and a pharmacist in addition to the burn surgeon is highly recommended.
Magnetic order multilayering in FeRh thin films by He-Ion irradiation

The heterointerfacing of different materials with competing magnetic orders forms the basis for today’s spintronic devices, however materials compatibility has remained a major limitation to the co...
Medical Care Costs Associated with Genital Warts for Commercially Insured US Patients.

Genital warts are caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and are associated with significant morbidity. Primary prevention of genital warts is possible through HPV vaccination, but vaccination rates remain low in the USA. When deciding to implement HPV vaccination programs, public health officials and policy makers rely on cost-effectiveness studies that accurately reflect costs associated with morbidity and mortality. However, previous information on the cost of treating genital warts was outdated. We estimated the mean direct medical care costs associated with genital warts in the USA. This was a retrospective case–control study of patients diagnosed with genital warts and matched controls. We used commercial healthcare claims data from 2011 through 2014 to estimate total 1- and 2-year costs from date of diagnosis. We used a generalized linear model to identify factors associated with monthly costs. We identified 34,686 eligible cases of genital warts during the period 2011–2014. The first 2-year mean direct medical cost differences between cases and controls were US$6737 for the USA. Costs were significantly higher in the first 3 months following diagnosis and were higher among older individuals, women, those with co-morbidities or psychiatric illnesses, and those located in the south and southwest USA. The mean direct cost of treating genital warts is approximately US$6700 in the first 2 years after diagnosis in the USA. These data can assist policy makers in decisions with respect to allocation of resources to implement HPV vaccine programs.
Quantifying the Entropic and Energetic Effects of Linker Length and Rigidity within Synthetic HIV-1 Antibodies designed to Bind Bivalently to Env Spikes

Due to the low density of envelope (Env) spikes on the surface of HIV-1, neutralizing IgG antibodies rarely bind bivalently using both antigen-binding arms (Fabs) to crosslink between spikes, instead resorting to weaker monovalent binding that is more sensitive to Env mutations. Synthetic antibodies capable of bivalently binding within single Env trimers (intra-spike crosslinking) were previously shown to exhibit increased neutralization potencies. In the initial work, diFabs joined by varying lengths of rigid double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) were considered. Here we investigated whether linkers with different rigidities could enhance diFab potency by synthesizing DNA-Fabs containing different combinations of rigid dsDNA and flexible single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and created a model that predicts their neutralization potencies. Model predictions, verified by experimental data, show that although a long flexible polymer may be capable of bivalent binding, it exhibits weak neutralization due to the large loss in entropic degrees of freedom during bivalent binding. In contrast, the strongest neutralization potencies require a rigid linker that optimally spans the distance between two Fab binding sites on an Env trimer. These results inform the design of bivalent anti-HIV-1 therapeutics that utilize avidity effects to remain potent against HIV-1 in the face of the rapid mutation of Env spikes.
Export Controls: Marketing Implications of Public Policy Choices:

The author contrasts two types of export controls: systematic regulation and economic sanctions. Updated information on the former shows considerable liberalization in the wake of widespread critic...
ECMO as a Bridge to Lung Transplantation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has evolved as an excellent alternative to support patients with end-stage lung disease until viable donated lungs become available for transplantation. Over the last decade, key innovations have enhanced the attractiveness of ECMO as a suitable bridging platform to lung transplant, thereby expanding the possibilities available to select patients. ECMO cannulation strategies can be adjusted according to the needs of the patient, and typically veno-venous ECMO is employed. The findings of retrospective series over the last 8 years have made it clear that less than ideal outcomes after ECMO support should not be a deterrent to pretransplant ECMO support in patients who require a bridge to lung transplantation. As ECMO technology improves, ECMO support without invasive mechanical ventilation and sedation has been applied an increasing number of patients. Newer veno-venous cannulation strategies utilizing a single, dual-lumen ECMO cannula allow the possibility of mobilization and rehabilitation.
Privacy Preserving Cyber Threat Information Sharing and Learning for Cyber Defense

To secure cyber infrastructure against intentional and potentially malicious threats, a growing collaborative effort between cybersecurity professionals and researchers from institutions, private industries, academia, and government agencies has engaged in exploiting and designing a variety of cyber defense systems. Cybersecurity researchers and designers aim to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and information management systems through various cyber defense systems that protect computers and networks from hackers who may want to steal financial, medical, or other identity-based information. The Cooperative Cyber-defense has been recognized as an essential strategy to fight against cyberattacks. Cyber-security information sharing among various organizations and leveraging the aggregated cyber information to build proactive cyber defense system is nontrivial for organizations. However, building such cyber defense system is challenged by two issues: (1) organizations are reluctant to share their private information to others (2) even when they agree on a solution where information can be shared in privacy preserving manner, the obfuscated cyber threat information has to be processed to build the trained model for future prediction of any new or unknown cyber incident. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a privacy preserving protocol where organizations can share their private information as an encrypted form with others and they can learn the information for future prediction without disclosing any private information. More specifically we propose a privacy preserving decision tree algorithm, where each organization can build and learn the decision tree based on overall organizations’ training spam/ham email data without disclosing any private information of any party. Once the building of a decision tree is done, the organizations can predict if any new email is spam or ham locally.
Phenotypic and community consequences of captive propagation in mosquitofish

Captive propagation can lead to phenotypic change in fish populations, but the broader community‐level consequences of captive phenotypes remain largely unknown. We investigate the degree to which captive propagation alters the phenotypes and ecological roles of fish stocked into wild communities. We focus on captive propagation of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) for biocontrol, which represents one of the largest scale production efforts for any fish released into the wild. Captive propagation in mosquitofish consistently generated novel mixtures of morphological and behavioural traits that deviate from those of wild populations. A mesocosm experiment showed that mosquitofish from captive propagation facilities differ from wild fish in their effects on aquatic community structure by shifting their consumption to less‐mobile, benthic prey. Synthesis and applications. Captive‐propagated and translocated wild fish stocks not only differ in phenotype, but can have substantially different ecological effects on the communities into which they are introduced. Therefore, captive propagation programmes involving continual release should expand their concerns beyond altered phenotypes and fitness to include whether propagated fish actually provide the intended ecological roles and services associated with their wild counterparts. Infusions of wild alleles and captive environments that mimic wild conditions are recommended strategies to retain the desired ecological role of captive‐propagated fish.
The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative: Rethinking Cross-Cultural Science and Teaching

The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative was founded when the Dalai Lama invited Emory to develop and teach a comprehensive curriculum in modern science to Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns. The project was built to grow and nurture a two-way exchange between complementary systems of knowledge. In the 10 years since the first days of the pilot, the interactions between people and places and the scientific and learning processes have served as a platform for exploring teaching across cultures and enriching approaches to teaching and science more generally. As a result of these interactions, we expand our definition of inclusivity in the classroom and the practice of science, emphasize connections and tensions between science and other systems of knowledge, and create space for student and instructor reflection and learning. The next phase of the project will engage students in research projects as tools for learning and as a means to contribute knowledge to the project and the larger science education community.
Multi-Model Communication and Data Assimilation for Mitigating Model Error and Improving Forecasts

Models for weather and climate prediction are complex, and each model typically has at least a small number of phenomena that are poorly represented, such as perhaps the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO for short) or El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO for short) or sea ice. Furthermore, it is often a very challenging task to modify and improve a complex model without creating new deficiencies. On the other hand, it is sometimes possible to design a low-dimensional model for a particular phenomenon, such as the MJO or ENSO, with significant skill, although the model may not represent the dynamics of the full weather-climate system. Here a strategy is proposed to mitigate these model errors by taking advantage of each model’s strengths. The strategy involves inter-model data assimilation, during a forecast simulation, whereby models can exchange information in order to obtain more faithful representations of the full weather-climate system. As an initial investigation, the method is examined here using a simplified scenario of linear models, involving a system of stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs for short) as an imperfect tropical climate model and stochastic differential equations (SDEs for short) as a low-dimensional model for the MJO. It is shown that the MJO prediction skill of the imperfect climate model can be enhanced to equal the predictive skill of the low-dimensional model. Such an approach could provide a route to improving global model forecasts in a minimally invasive way, with modifications to the prediction system but without modifying the complex global physical model itself.
Hierarchical Semantic Correspondence Learning for Post-Discharge Patient Mortality Prediction

Predicting patient mortality is an important and challenging problem in the healthcare domain, especially for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Electronic health notes serve as a rich source for learning patient representations, that can facilitate effective risk assessment. However, a large portion of clinical notes are unstructured and also contain domain specific terminologies, from which we need to extract structured information. In this paper, we introduce an embedding framework to learn semantically-plausible distributed representations of clinical notes that exploits the semantic correspondence between the unstructured texts and their corresponding structured knowledge, known as semantic frame, in a hierarchical fashion. Our approach integrates text modeling and semantic correspondence learning into a single model that comprises 1) an unstructured embedding module that makes use of self-similarity matrix representations in order to inject structural regularities of different segments inherent in clinical texts to promote local coherence, 2) a structured embedding module to embed the semantic frames (e.g., UMLS semantic types) with deep ConvNet and 3) a hierarchical semantic correspondence module that embeds by enhancing the interactions between text-semantic frame embedding pairs at multiple levels (i.e., words, sentence, note). Evaluations on multiple embedding benchmarks on post discharge intensive care patient mortality prediction tasks demonstrate its effectiveness compared to approaches that do not exploit the semantic interactions between structured and unstructured information present in clinical notes.
Microtubules Increase Diastolic Stiffness in Failing Human Cardiomyocytes and Myocardium

Background: Diastolic dysfunction is a prevalent and therapeutically intractable feature of heart failure (HF). Increasing ventricular compliance can improve diastolic performance, but the viscoela...
Hegel’s Pragmatism

This chapter examines Hegel’s complex relation to pragmatism. After a short review of the extant literature on their relation, deVries focuses on their shared rejection of the Cartesian tradition, which assumes that minds are immaterial, self-contained substances that are (1) transparent to themselves, (2) known directly or immediately to themselves, (3) prior to and independently of any knowledge of any other created substance, e.g., the external world. Hegel and the pragmatists rejected this view for at least three reasons. (1) The Cartesians employ an impoverished conception of experience that does not do justice to the complex interplay of the sensory and the conceptual nor to the fact that experience is not a screen separating us from external reality, but a mode in which we inhabit the world we live in. (2) Humans are agents, and human agency makes sense only if humans are embodied beings in an external, material world. (3) Both Hegel and the pragmatists recognized that rationality and its constitutive normativity are social achievements (both phylogenetically and ontogenetically) built on the mutual acknowledgement of the value and authority of persons as such. Still, Hegel cannot be called a pragmatist himself. Hegel does not accord the same value to the sensory as the pragmatists: he talks of freeing ourselves from the sensory, whereas the pragmatists want to better orchestrate and interpret it. More important, Hegel abjures the notion of a regulative ideal, an ideal the final achievement of which may always lie ahead. For Hegel, the ideal is the real. But in pragmatism, the real is itself an ideal. Finally, the case of Josiah Royce, deeply influenced by pragmatism, yet remaining throughout his career an absolute idealist, shows how complex the relationship between Hegelianism and pragmatism is.
Design of a Reverse-Electrowetting Transducer Based Wireless Self-Powered Motion Sensor

This paper presents a self-powered motion sensor based on reverse-electrowetting on dielectric (REWOD) energy harvesting having the capability of remotely keeping a track of any motion activity. The energy harvester includes a rectifier and a voltage regulator to provide the DC supply voltage to the analog front-end and the transmitter to wirelessly transfer the data from the motion sensor. The on-chip circuitry includes a seven-stage voltage-doubler based rectifier, an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a transmitter, and is designed in standard 180 nm CMOS process with a supply voltage of 1.8 V. The recycled folded cascode (RFC) based charge amplifier has a closed-loop gain of 53 dB within the bandwidth of 1–150 Hz, which is suitable to detect any low-frequency motion signal. An 8-bit SAR-ADC is designed to digitize the amplified signal with a sampling rate of 1 ksamples/s. The transmitter used for this application operates in the 3.1–5 GHz frequency band with an energy efficiency of 8.5 pJ/pulse at 100 kbps data rate. The wireless motion sensing device with the REWOD can be suitable for quantitatively monitoring the motion-related data as a wearable sensor.
Fever, Headache, and Sore Throat in a 7-year-old Girl.

1. Julia D. Blood, MD* 2. Adrita Khan, MD† 3. Kala Kamdar, MD* 4. Dana M. Foradori, MD, M. Ed* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 2. †Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY 1. Address correspondence to Julia D. Blood, MD, 4100 Everett Street, Suite 400, Kyle, TX 78640. E-mail: juliadanzeblood{at}gmail.com A 7-year-old previously healthy girl presents to the emergency department with 3 weeks of sore throat and a progressively worsening generalized headache. She had 1 week of low-grade fevers that resolved 1 week after the onset of these symptoms. She was evaluated by multiple medical providers, did not improve with outpatient amoxicillin for presumed streptococcal pharyngitis, and had a reportedly normal neck computed tomography (CT) scan at an outside facility. Three days before presentation, she developed nonbloody, nonbilious emesis and worsening headaches. She presents to the emergency department with concern for dehydration due to inability to tolerate oral intake. Her medical history is significant for premature twin birth at 35 weeks’ gestation. The family says there are no home medications, allergies, significant family history, or sick contacts. On examination, she is afebrile but slightly tachycardic, pale, and tired with bilateral eyelid edema. The left tonsil occupies approximately 75% of the left oropharynx; exudate is absent. She has shotty left submandibular adenopathy. The remainder of the physical examination is unremarkable. Laboratory evaluation shows a mild leukocytosis (15.1 × 103/μL), normocytic anemia (11.9 g/dL), thrombocytopenia (142 × 103/μL), and 18% immature neutrophils. A comprehensive metabolic panel is normal. A heterophile antibody test is negative. A CT scan of the head without contrast shows pan-paranasal sinus disease and enlargement of the left palatine tonsil, though only partially visualized. She is admitted with a diagnosis of dehydration secondary to sinusitis. On rounds the following morning, her left tonsil is noted to occupy the entire left oropharynx and touches the uvula, and her left neck appears full. She has no …
Contemporary Trends and Outcomes of Prosthetic Valve Infective Endocarditis in the United States: Insights from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Abstract Background Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) carries high mortality and morbidity as compared to native valve endocarditis (NVE). Contemporary data on PVE are lacking, we aimed to study contemporary trends, outcomes, and burden of PVE using nationally representative data. Methods We used the National Inpatient Sample from 2000 to 2017 to identify patients admitted with PVE using ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 codes. Risk-adjusted rates were calculated using an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with the Generalized Linear Model (GLM). Trends were assessed with linear regression and Pearson's Chi-square when appropriate. Binomial logistic regression was used to assess predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results We identified 43,602 hospitalizations for PVE. PVE hospitalizations increased from 1803 in 2000 to 3450 in 2017. Risk-adjusted mortality decreased from 10.7% in 2002 to 7.3% in 2017 (P Conclusions Over the years the adjusted in-hospital mortality in PVE has trended down but the average cost of stay has increased despite decrease in length of stay.
Self-interest, compassion, and consistency in an environmental ethics class: would students give up their retirement to stop the coronavirus?

During spring of 2020, environmental ethics students at a medium sized metropolitan university in the Southeastern United States were asked to read and comment on classic essays from Robert Heilbroner and Garrett Hardin, essays regarding our responsibilities towards future generations. In general, students seemed to hold more with Heilbroner’s stance, which left room for compassion, while condemning Hardin’s harshness. Students were then asked to provide written responses stating whether they would personally sacrifice their eventual retirement in order to stop COVID-19 and the reasons for their views. Responses were analyzed and categorized to detect inconsistencies between students’ described views and their willingness to personally sacrifice for the sake of others. Almost 72% of respondents asserted that they would be willing to intervene to stop the novel coronavirus by sacrificing their retirement. A fair number of respondents that stated they would sacrifice (28.6%) said that they would do so because they would benefit personally from the avoidance of guilt and/or from the opportunity to feel good about themselves, suggesting that even seemingly selfless behaviors are sometimes driven by egoistic motivations. Forty percent of all respondents held inconsistent views. Most notably, a number of students condemned Hardin for his lack of compassion, yet were not willing to act compassionately themselves.
The Downside of Divinity? Reputational Harm to Sectarian Universities from Overtly Religious Advertising

The present research explores whether the use of overtly religious advertising by a sectarian university affects its academic reputation. The authors propose that individuals assume universities th...
Endoscopic Detection of Esophageal Neoplasia

Endoscopic visualization of the esophagus has been practiced since the 19th century; the first illuminated views were obtained by Mikulicz in 1880 (1). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) or “upper endoscopy” is one of the most frequently performed semi-invasive procedures, currently accounting for approx 25% of all endoscopies conducted annually. Use of endoscopy to detect esophageal dysplasia in the United States is primarily limited to evaluation of Barrett’s esophagus (BE), an eponym describing metaplastic replacement of normal squamous mucosa of the esophagus with a columnar epithelium resembling that found in the small intestine (Fig. 1) (2). BE is the major predisposing condition for esophageal adenocarcinoma, one of the few cancers whose incidence has been increasing over the past few years (3). BE carries a 30- to 40-fold higher risk of progression to adenocarcinoma than baseline, with an incidence of 0.5% per year (4,5). The prevalence of BE among patients undergoing upper endoscopy for symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux is 3–6% (6,7) and is 0.3% among the general population (8). Surveillance biopsies of Barrett’s mucosa can identify foci of dysplasia and differentiate patients with dysplasia from those with adenocarcinoma (9,10), providing indispensable information for patient management. Current guidelines therefore recommend upper endoscopy BE screening for all patients with long-standing reflux symptoms, particularly those over 50 yr of age (11). Furthermore, patients with established BE undergo regular surveillance endoscopy with multiple biopsies at an interval based on presence and grade of dysplasia (11).
Air Transportation and the Outlook for the Future

In this section we shall leave aerodynamics for a while to turn to aviation. Let us look briefly at domestic and international passenger flight. There exists an extensive, readily accessible literature on the subject, and so we will view only a few interesting — and lesser-known — facets of the traffic revolution occasioned by aviation. Airplane buffs who are interested in the great variety of existing and planned aircraft for civilian and military use should consult the works listed in Appendix 4.
1 Rubber Elasticity: Basic Concepts and Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter is designed to describe the basic concepts and behavior of rubber elasticity. The most significant property of elastomers is their ability to undergo large elastic deformations, that is, to stretch and return to their original shape in a reversible way. Theories to account for this characteristic high elasticity have passed through three distinct phases: the early development of a molecular model relating experimental observations to the known molecular features of rubbery polymers; generalization of this approach by means of symmetry considerations taken from continuum mechanics that are independent of the molecular structure; and a critical reassessment of the basic premises on which these two quantitative theories are founded. This chapter outlines the theoretical treatment, which accounts quite successfully for the observed elastic behavior of rubbery materials. It discusses the special case of small elastic deformations in detail.
Economic Analysis of Loviştea Inner Mountain Depression Flora

In this paper are included the species found in th e inner Carpathian Depression Lovistea analyzed from the economic perspective. The identification of the species and their utility is very important for different industry branches. For the final catalogue it was necessary to record eac h species from the area through out field work and by consulting the specialized literature. As a result of the study the area has an economical potential for rational exploitation.
A 1.5 /spl mu/m GaInNAs(Sb) laser grown on GaAs by MBE

We have varied growth parameters including group III and V growth rates, Sb flux, and N concentration, in the MBE growth of GaInAs(Sb)/GaAs quantum well lasers. We have found that it is possible to maintain high photoluminescence intensity for samples above 1.5 /spl mu/m. By introducing the optimum Sb flux and cracking temperature, In incorporation up to 50% becomes possible. To our knowledge, this is the highest In incorporation on GaAs reported without relaxation of the crystal.
Moderate Hypothermia Reduces Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Several studies indicate that hypothermia may modulate pathological responses to experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI). For example, induction of hypothermia (30°C) prior to fluid percussion injury in rats reduces mortality (Clifton et al., 1991) and induction of hypothermia (30° or 33°C) 5 minutes after injury reduces motor deficits (Clifton et al., 1991). The mechanisms of hypothermic protection in TBI are presently not known. Recent data, however, now indicate that hypothermia (30°C) significantly reduces the increase in acetylcholine (ACh) concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of TBI rats (Lyeth et al., 1991).
Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters

An eloquent defense of liberal education, seen against the backdrop of its contested history in America Contentious debates over the benefits-or drawbacks-of a liberal education are as old as America itself. From Benjamin Franklin to the Internet pundits, critics of higher education have attacked its irrelevance and elitism-often calling for more vocational instruction. Thomas Jefferson, by contrast, believed that nurturing a student's capacity for lifelong learning was useful for science and commerce while also being essential for democracy. In this provocative contribution to the disputes, university president Michael S. Roth focuses on important moments and seminal thinkers in America's long-running argument over vocational vs. liberal education. Conflicting streams of thought flow through American intellectual history: W. E. B. DuBois's humanistic principles of pedagogy for newly emancipated slaves developed in opposition to Booker T. Washington's educational utilitarianism, for example. Jane Addams's emphasis on the cultivation of empathy and John Dewey's calls for education as civic engagement were rejected as impractical by those who aimed to train students for particular economic tasks. Roth explores these arguments (and more), considers the state of higher education today, and concludes with a stirring plea for the kind of education that has, since the founding of the nation, cultivated individual freedom, promulgated civic virtue, and instilled hope for the future.
Serum cotinine levels and diabetes mellitus in never smokers.

Abstract Objective The aim of the current study is to examine the association of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure evident by serum cotinine level, and diabetes mellitus in never smokers. Previous studies suggest that active tobacco cigarette smoking is associated with diabetes mellitus risk. However it is not clear if the low-level “background” ETS exposure is associated with diabetes among never smokers. Methods We present evidence from five independent replications based on the US nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) conducted 2003–12. Our exposure of interest is ETS exposure among never smokers, measured by serum cotinine levels (ng/mL), and our main outcome is diabetes mellitus assessed via self-reported physician-diagnosis, current use of insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic medications, plasma fasting glucose levels ≥ 126 mg/dL or glycohemoglobin levels ≥ 6.5%. The conceptual model encompassed age, sex, ethnic self-identification, education, poverty-income ratio, alcohol drinking, total cholesterol and body mass index. Results In never smokers, higher serum cotinine levels were positively associated with diabetes mellitus (the meta-analytic summary estimate is 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1, 1.2). This association was not evident among never smokers with cotinine levels below 3 ng/mL. Conclusions These replications help sustain evidence of ETS–diabetes mellitus association, which might be explained by shared psychosocial characteristics. Prospective studies with appropriate biomarkers are needed to further investigate this association.
Depletion of stromal Pi induces high ‘energy‐dependent’ antenna exciton quenching (qE) by decreasing proton conductivity at CFO‐CF1 ATP synthase

This work tests two models to account for the effects of depletion of stromal inorganic phosphate (P(i)), which results in down-regulation of light capture via the exciton quenching (q(E)) mechanism and has been proposed to act in feedback regulation of the light reactions. In both models, antenna down-regulation is activated by acidification of the lumen, despite the fact that linear electron flow (LEF) (and associated proton flux) is decreased upon P(i) depletion. In one model, an imbalance of ATP or NADPH activates cyclic electron transfer around photosystem I (CEF1), increasing proton influx to the lumen. In the second, the effective conductivity of the CF(O)-CF(1) ATP synthase to protons (g(H)(+)) is decreased, retarding proton efflux from the lumen. Sequestering of P(i) by mannose infiltration increased sensitivities of q(E) and pmf to LEF. The effects were attributable to decreases in g(H)(+), but not to CEF1 and were largely reversed by subsequent P(i) feeding. Rapid recovery of g(H)(+) in the dark suggested that dark-labile metabolic pools are responsible for regulation of the ATP synthase. Overall, these results support models where accumulation of Benson-Calvin cycle intermediates or lowering of stromal P(i) below its K(M)at the ATP synthase, retards proton efflux from the lumen, leading to build-up of pmf and subsequent down-regulation of photosynthetic light capture.
Idealizing, Abstracting, and Semantic Dispositionalism

: According to certain dispositional accounts of meaning, an agent's meaning is determined by the dispositions that an idealized version of this agent has in optimal conditions. We argue that such attempts cannot properly fix meaning. For even if there is a way to determine which features of an agent should be idealized without appealing to what the agent means, there is no non-circular way to determine how those features should be idealized. We sketch an alternative dispositional account that avoids this problem, according to which an agent's meaning is determined by the dispositions that an abstract version of this agent has in optimal conditions.
Variation in the heritability of body mass index based on diverse twin studies: a systematic review.

Summary Objectives Over the past three decades, twin studies have shown variation in the heritability of obesity. This study examined the difference of body mass index (BMI) heritability (BMI-H) by population characteristics, such as sex, age, time period of observation and average BMI, as well as by broad social-environmental factors as indicated by country-level gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and GDP growth rate. Methods Twin studies that reported BMI-H and were published in English from January 1990 to February 2011 after excluding those with disease, special occupations or combined heritability estimates for country/ethnic groups were searched in PubMed. 32 studies were identified from Finland (7), the United Kingdom (6), the United States (3), Denmark (3), China (3), Netherlands (2), South Korea (2), Sweden (2) and four from other countries. Meta-regression models with random effects were used to assess variation in BMI-H. Results Heterogeneity of BMI-H is significantly attributable to variations in age ( $26,000). BMI-H was higher in adolescents ( median) on BMI-H were shown through stratified analyses by GDP. BMI-H was lower in countries of mid-level GDP, particularly those experiencing rapid economic growth. Conclusions BMI-H is sensitive to age, time period of observation, average BMI, GDP and rapid economic growth.
Ultra-high resolution index of refraction profiles of femtosecond laser modified silica structures

Ultra-high spatial resolution index of refraction profiles of femtosecond laser modified structures in silica glass have been measured using the combination of chemical etching and atomic force microscopy.
A light- and scanning electron microscope study of the marine diatom Auliscus pruinosus bailey (Eupodiscaceae)

The diatom Auliscus pruinosus Bailey was abundant in marine fossil material collected from coastal environments of Florida and Mississippi. Examination of Slide 1786 from the Bailey Collection of the Farlow Herbarium confirmed the present author's initial identification and this slide has been designated as the lectotype. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed the fine structure of the two large ocelli and the enigmatic “frosted” striae. Neither labiate nor strutted processes are present. The epicingulum consists of three open bands—the valvocopula and two ligulate pleurae. Studies of original material led to the conclusion that A. punctatus Bailey and A. moronensis Greville should not be separated from A. pruinosus. The exact distribution of A. pruinosus is unknown since it has been confused with A. similis Hustedt in the past. However, it has been principally collected from Recent and fossil marine localities along the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the USA.
Color Changes Caused by Conformational Polymorphism: Optical-Crystallography, Single-Crystal Spectroscopy, and Computational Chemistry

5-Methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophenecarbonitrile (1) crystallizes as seven conformational polymorphs of red, orange, and yellow colors. Comparable thermodynamic stability of the polymorphs enables the solution of six crystal structures, a number unmatched by current entries in the Cambridge Structural Database, making 1 well suited for structure−property studies. The different crystal colors of 1 have been studied using optical crystallography, polarized single-crystal absorption spectroscopy and computational methods. Different crystal colors (“color polymorphism”) are well explained by the conformational differences between polymorphs, which cause varying degrees of π-conjugation between the o-nitroaniline chromophore and the thiophene group. The isolation of different conformers in crystal polymorphs permits an evaluation of computational models of electronic structures and transitions through observed spectral properties. The newly matured Time Dependent Density Functional Theory gave the bes...
Play is not learning: A critical review of the literature

It is a commonly held belief among caregivers of young children that playing leads directly to learning. In the critical interpretation of play theory and research presented here, this notion is challenged. It is recommended that greater balance be achieved in child care programs between play and nonplay, intellectually adaptive activity.
Fatigue crack growth retardation inconel 600

The effect of single-cycle overloads on the subsequent fatigue crack growth behavior of Incond 600 is studied. Overloads ranging from 10 to 50% are applied to a sample undergoing baseline fatigue crack growth at constant AK. In all cases, the crack growth rate increases slightly immediately after the overload and then decreases rapidly to a minimum value before later returning to the pre-overload value. The plastic zone size, affected crack length and the crack growth increment at minimum crack growth rate, a', are measured for each overload. The affected crack length is considerably larger than the overload plastic zone size for overloads greater than ZtQ. Consequently, although the minimum crack growth rate occurs within the plane stress overload plastic zone, the effect of the overload extends well beyond the overload region. Within the overload plastic zone, contact occurs between the crack faces due to the excessive deformation produced during the overload cycle. The size of the contact region agrees very well with the overload plastic zone size. Beyond the overload region, AI& remains less than the applied AK for some time due to the wedge action of the plastically deformed overload region, delaying recovery of the pre-overload crack growth rate. The crack growth rate recovers only after the crack grows out of the region of influence of the wedge.