cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Trends in Exercise Management for Chronic Low Back Pain: Comparison between Strengthening Exercise and Spinal Segmental Stabilization Exercise

Exercise is recognized as one of the optimal managements for chronic low back pain. Among the numerous therapeutic exercises, the approaches of traditional strengthening exercise and segmental stabilization exercise are considerably different. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the two different exercise approaches, on chronic low back pain through evaluating previous randomized control trial (RCT) studies. Pain, functional ability and physical improvement were analyzed to evaluate the recovery from chronic low back pain. While both exercises demonstrated positive effects on pain relief, functional ability and physical improvement, the evidence level of the strengthening exercise studies was not strong enough because of some methodological flaws. On the other hand, the methodological superiority of the segmental stabilization exercise studies provided high quality evidence. Another positive aspect of the segmental stabilization exercise studies was the significant long-term effect on low back pain and its low recurrence rate. Considering the overall evidence level, the segmental stabilization exercise seems to be more effective than the traditional strengthening exercise on chronic low back pain. However, the number of studies related to the segmental stabilization exercise is currently limited, therefore more direct comparative RCT studies including many other exercise approaches are necessary to confirm the effectiveness of the segmental stabilization exercise.
Taxanes in the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Paclitaxel and docetaxel, drugs that bind tightly to β-tubulin and disrupt microtubule dynamics, are widely used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common cause of cancer death in men and women living in the US. These well tolerated drugs, alone or in combination with another cytotoxic agent, have been shown to increase the survival of patients with metastatic disease or malignant effusions. Both paclitaxel and docetaxel can be combined with concurrent chest irradiation for patients with locally advanced NSCLC. The combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel, when given postoperatively to patients with stage IB NSCLC, improved survival compared with surgery alone, with little toxicity. Taxane combinations are undergoing study as adjuvant therapy for patients with other stages of operable disease. Except for a recent trial with bevacizumab, efforts to improve the efficacy of taxane/platinum combinations in patients with advanced disease by adding a third ‘targeted’ drug have thus far been unsuccessful.
Experimental investigation of laminar flow across short micro pin fin arrays

The pressure drop and friction factor of gas flow across an array of circular silicon micro-pillars with different diameters fabricated by deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) process were investigated. The pitch-to-diameter ratio (1.5 < ST/d < 2.3) and the height-to-diameter aspect ratio (0.48 < H/d < 2.28) were found to affect the friction factor of the pillar array significantly. A new correlation, which considered the coupled effect of pillar spacing and aspect ratio, was proposed to predict the friction factor in a Reynolds number range of 1–100. Silicon pillars with large artificial roughness amplitudes were also fabricated, and the effect of the roughness was studied in the laminar flow region. The results demonstrated that the pressure drop and the friction factor were reduced significantly (more than 50%) for the pillar array with a large artificial roughness, which may be used to improve the cooling efficiency for the regenerator structures in micro-coolers.
Alternative Pathways for Proline Synthesis in Mammalian Cells

Proline is synthesized in animal cells by way of two alternative pathways. Both of these pathways are functional in many cell lines. The relative contribution of a pathway to total proline synthesis may be altered by a mutational event. Differences in the developmental origin of a cell line are retained as differences in the pathways of proline synthesis.
THE BETA 3-ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR INHIBITS INSULIN-STIMULATED LEPTIN SECRETION FROM ISOLATED RAT ADIPOCYTES

Various model systems have been used to study the expression of the recently cloned ob gene, leptin. Here we report that freshly isolated rat white adipocytes incubated with insulin release leptin in a rapid and concentration-dependent manner (EC50 of 0.221 +/- .075 nM). Insulin-stimulated leptin release could be detected as early as 30 min and a maximal 2-3 fold effect was produced by 10 nM insulin. The effect of insulin was completely blocked by simultaneous activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Using the activation of lipolysis as an index of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity, we show that inhibition of leptin release by norepinephrine or the selective beta 3-adrenergic receptor agonist, CL316,243, occurred in parallel to activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In addition, beta 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptor antagonists did not impair the ability of norepinephrine or CL316,243 to inhibit leptin release from the adipocytes. These findings suggest that the beta 3-adrenergic receptor ...
Illuminating the Black Box From Within: Stakeholder Perspectives on Family Drug Court Best Practices

This article describes a mixed-methods, concept mapping study in an urban family drug court (FDC) designed to identify keys to FDC success from stakeholders’ perspectives. Participating FDC team members and clients developed a set of items they deemed integral to an FDC, thematically clustered the items, and then rated their relative importance. Using these data, cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling generated 6 themes perceived as contributing to positive outcomes. Resultant concept maps revealed that, compared to team members, clients view relational aspects of the FDC as more important. The findings point to implications for future research and social work practice.
Space-charge effects in secondary emission

Secondary emission devices fall into two classes. (1) Those in which the emitter-collector potential is such that all emitted secondary electrons are received by the collector. (2) Those in which the emitter-collector potential is such that the number of collected secondary electrons equals the number of incident primary electrons. For either class of device this potential is determined by the nature of the secondary emitter, the electrode configuration, and the secondary-electron current density. For the first class the collector must always be positive with respect to the emitter. For the second class there are cases where this potential may be negative and others where it may be positive. This paper shows how Langmuir's treatment of thermionic emission in the plane diode can be applied to secondary emission to compute the emitter-collector potential for either class of device. This treatment accounts for space-charge and initial electron velocities. The effects predicted theoretically are supported by experimental measurements. Included are nomographs which simplify the computations involved in applying Langmuir's plane-diode equations to either thermionic or secondary emission.
Engineering Ethical Curricula: Assessment and Comparison of Two Approaches

The paper assesses two approaches for delivery of engineering ethics: a full semester ethics course and an engineering course that includes an ethics module. The Defining Issues Test was used to compare the improvement of a student's moral reasoning ability in each class as compared to a control class. Our findings were that the module approach used did not provide any improvement in moral reasoning. In addition, although the ethics course showed improvement when compared to the module, it was not significantly different from the control class. We also found that there was little distinction between males and females and no distinction by age, although education level did have an impact. The results suggest that to improve a student's moral reasoning and sensitivity to ethical issues, engineering ethics must be integrative, delivered at multiple points in the curriculum, and incorporate specific discipline context.
Wind Direction Dependence of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence Parameters in the Urban Roughness Sublayer

Abstract A variety of atmospheric boundary layer parameters are examined as a function of wind direction in both urban and suburban settings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, derived from measurements during the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign. Heterogeneous surface characteristics result in significant differences in upwind fetch and, therefore, statistically significant differences in measured values, even for small changes in wind direction. Taller upwind obstructions yield larger measured values of drag coefficient and turbulence intensity than do shorter upwind obstructions regardless of whether the obstruction is a building or a tree. The fraction of turbulent kinetic energy going into streamwise, cross-stream, and vertical variances differs depending on the upwind fetch, and reduced cross-stream values may indicate locations of persistent wind stream convergence. In addition, a quadrant analysis of burst/sweep behavior near the surface is examined as a function of wind direction in urban and suburban env...
A measure of graceful degradation in parallel-computer systems

Gracefully-degrading multiprocessor systems are studied using a multistage interconnection-network-based parallel computer as an example. A measure of graceful degradation, system functionality, is used and analyzed; it is proportional to the number of data-flow paths in a system in the presence of faults. Each path consists of a processor, switches, and a memory. Under this approach, graceful degradation of a multiprocessor system can be evaluated as a combination of individual degradations in each of the processor, memory, and network subsystems. A detailed evaluation of graceful degradation of tightly coupled multiprocessor systems (of large size) based on multistage interconnection networks is given. >
Ceramic-supported traveling-wave structures for SNS fast beam chopper

The current structure for the fast 2.5-MeV beam chopper for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project was originally developed [1] to provide rise and fall times around 1 ns. The structure is based on the meander-folded notched strip line with low-dielectric-constant supports and metal separators. Since then the requirements of the chopper rise-time has been significantly relaxed, up to 10 ns, as a result of beam dynamics simulations and to simplify the voltage pulse generators. In addition, initial runs with the beam showed that this structure was prone to damage when accidental beam spills occurred. We suggest alternative meander structures for the SNS chopper that employ high-dielectric-constant substrate (e.g., alumina). Time-domain simulations show their electromagnetic performance to be well within the requirements, while their resistance to beam spills and thermal properties are expected to be much better and fabrication significantly simpler.
SMAD2 and SMAD7 Involvement in the Post-translational Regulation of Muc4 via the Transforming Growth Factor-β and Interferon-γ Pathways in Rat Mammary Epithelial Cells *

Muc4/sialomucin complex (SMC) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein complex derived from a single gene that is post-translationally processed into mucin (ASGP-1) and transmembrane (ASGP-2) subunits. Muc4/SMC is tightly regulated in the rat mammary gland, low in the virgin, increased during pregnancy and lactation, and overexpressed in some aggressive mammary tumors. Investigations of primary rat mammary epithelial cells (MEC) have shown that Muc4/SMC expression is post-translationally regulated through inhibition of Muc4/SMC precursor processing by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Localization studies suggest that TGF-β inhibition of Muc4/SMC expression is mediated through SMAD2, a TGF-β effector that, when activated, functions as a transcription factor. SMAD2 antisense oligonucleotide blocks the inhibition of Muc4/SMC expression by TGF-β. The TGF-β effect on Muc4/SMC expression is repressed by interferon-γ (IFN-γ). IFN-γ treatment of MEC activates and relocalizes signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT-1) to induce an inhibitor SMAD, SMAD7. SMAD7 antisense oligonucleotide prevents IFN-γ from blocking the TGF-β inhibition of Muc4/SMC expression. These results suggest that TGF-β regulates Muc4/SMC expression via the SMAD pathway by a transcriptional effect on a protein in the Muc4/SMC processing step, possibly the protease that cleaves the precursor.
The Transmembrane Domain Sequence Affects the Structure and Function of the Newcastle Disease Virus Fusion Protein

The role of specific sequences in the transmembrane (TM) domain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) fusion (F) protein in the structure and function of this protein was assessed by replacing this domain with the F protein TM domains from two other paramyxoviruses, Sendai virus (SV) and measles virus (MV), or the TM domain of the unrelated glycoprotein (G) of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Mutant proteins with the SV or MV F protein TM domains were expressed, transported to cell surfaces, and proteolytically cleaved at levels comparable to that of the wild-type protein, while mutant proteins with the VSV G protein TM domain were less efficiently expressed on cell surfaces and proteolytically cleaved. All mutant proteins were defective in all steps of membrane fusion, including hemifusion. In contrast to the wild-type protein, the mutant proteins did not form detectable complexes with the NDV hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein. As determined by binding of conformation-sensitive antibodies, the conformations of the ectodomains of the mutant proteins were altered. These results show that the specific sequence of the TM domain of the NDV F protein is important for the conformation of the preactivation form of the ectodomain, the interactions of the protein with HN protein, and fusion activity.
Frame bit allocation for H.264 using Cauchy-distribution based source modelling

Based on the observation that a Cauchy density is more accurate in estimating the distribution of the AC coefficients than the traditional Laplacian density for H.264 video coders, a rate model with improved accuracy is derived. Using the new rate model, a frame bit-allocation algorithm for the rate control of an H.264 video coder is developed. Extensive analysis with carefully selected anchor video sequences demonstrates a 0.43 dB average PSNR improvement over the JM 8.4 rate control algorithm, and a 0.27 dB average PSNR improvement over the TM5-based bit-allocation algorithm that has recently been proposed for H.264 by S. Ma et al. (see Proc. 2003 Int. Conf. Image Process., ICIP '03, vol.3, p.793-6, 2003). The analysis also demonstrates 20% and 60% reductions in PSNR variation among the encoded pictures when compared to the JM 8.4 rate control algorithm and the TM5-based bit-allocation algorithm, respectively.
Mechanisms of FUS1/TUSC2 deficiency in mesothelioma and its tumorigenic transcriptional effects

FUS1/TUSC2 is a novel tumor suppressor located in the critical 3p21.3 chromosomal region frequently deleted in multiple cancers. We previously showed that Tusc2-deficient mice display a complex immuno-inflammatory phenotype with a predisposition to cancer. The goal of this study was to analyze possible involvement of TUSC2 in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) - an aggressive inflammatory cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. TUSC2 insufficiency in clinical specimens of MPM was assessed via RT-PCR (mRNA level), Representational Oligonucleotide Microarray Analysis (DNA level), and immunohistochemical evaluation (protein level). A possible link between TUSC2 expression and exposure to asbestos was studied using asbestos-treated mesothelial cells and ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavengers. Transcripional effects of TUSC2 in MPM were assessed through expression array analysis of TUSC2-transfected MPM cells. Expression of TUSC2 was downregulated in ~84% of MM specimens while loss of TUSC2-containing 3p21.3 region observed in ~36% of MPMs including stage 1 tumors. Exposure to asbestos led to a transcriptional suppression of TUSC2, which we found to be ROS-dependent. Expression array studies showed that TUSC2 activates transcription of multiple genes with tumor suppressor properties and down-regulates pro-tumorigenic genes, thus supporting its role as a tumor suppressor. In agreement with our knockout model, TUSC2 up-regulated IL-15 and also modulated more than 40 other genes (~20% of total TUSC2-affected genes) associated with immune system. Among these genes, we identified CD24 and CD274, key immunoreceptors that regulate immunogenic T and B cells and play important roles in systemic autoimmune diseases. Finally, clinical significance of TUSC2 transcriptional effects was validated on the expression array data produced previously on clinical specimens of MPM. In this analysis, 42 TUSC2 targets proved to be concordantly modulated in MM serving as disease discriminators. Our data support immuno-therapeutic potential of TUSC2, define its targets, and underscore its importance as a transcriptional stimulator of anti-tumorigenic pathways.
Network Diffusion Model of Progression Predicts Longitudinal Patterns of Atrophy and Metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease

Summary Alzheimer's disease pathology (AD) originates in the hippocampus and subsequently spreads to temporal, parietal, and prefrontal association cortices in a relatively stereotyped progression. Current evidence attributes this orderly progression to transneuronal transmission of misfolded proteins along the projection pathways of affected neurons. A network diffusion model was recently proposed to mathematically predict disease topography resulting from transneuronal transmission on the brain's connectivity network. Here, we use this model to predict future patterns of regional atrophy and metabolism from baseline regional patterns of 418 subjects. The model accurately predicts end-of-study regional atrophy and metabolism starting from baseline data, with significantly higher correlation strength than given by the baseline statistics directly. The model's rate parameter encapsulates overall atrophy progression rate; group analysis revealed this rate to depend on diagnosis as well as baseline cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels. This work helps validate the model as a prognostic tool for Alzheimer's disease assessment.
Dependence of nucleation rates on sulfuric acid vapor concentration in diverse atmospheric locations

[1] Correlations between concentrations of newly formed particles and sulfuric acid vapor were analyzed for twenty one nucleation events measured in diverse continental and marine atmospheric environments. A simple power law model for formation rates of 1 nm particles, J1 = K · [H2SO4]P, where P and K are least squares parameters, was tested for each environment. We found that, to within experimental uncertainty, P = 2. Constraining P to 2, the prefactor Kkinetic ranges from 10−14 to 10−11 cm3s−1. According to the nucleation theorem, an exponent value of 2 indicates that the critical cluster contains two sulfuric acid molecules. Existing nucleation rate expressions based on classical nucleation theory predict significantly larger values of P. The prefactor values vary with environment and are 1 to 4 orders of magnitude below the hard-sphere collision limit. These results provide a simple parameterization for atmospheric new particle formation that could be used in global climate models.
Performance modeling of subnet management on fat tree InfiniBand networks using OpenSM

InfiniBand is becoming increasingly popular in the area of cluster computing due to its open standard and high performance. Fat tree is a primary interconnection topology for building large scale InfiniBand clusters. Instead of using a shared bus approach, InfiniBand employs an arbitrary switched point-to-point topology. In order to manage the subnet, InfiniBand specifies a basic management infrastructure responsible for discovery, configuration and maintaining the active state of the network. In the literature, simulation studies have been done on irregular topologies to characterize the subnet management mechanism. However, there is no study to model subnet management mechanism on regular topologies using actual implementations. In this paper, we take up the challenge of modeling subnet management mechanism for fat tree InfiniBand networks using a popular subnet manager OpenSM. We present the timings for various subnet management phases namely topology discovery, path computation and path distribution for large scale fat tree InfiniBand subnets and present basic performance evaluation on small scale InfiniBand cluster. We verify our model with the basic set of results obtained, and present the results for the model by varying different parameters on fat trees.
The Grenada Invasion, International Law and the Scoon Invitation: A 30-year Retrospective

Abstract All the international legal rationales for the US-OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) invasion of Grenada in October 1983 arguably depend, at least in part, on the nature, substance and circumstances of the request for external assistance that was made by Grenadian Governor-General Sir Paul Scoon. Of all the factual circumstances surrounding the Grenada episode, perhaps the least well known in the 1980s were those related to the so-called ‘Scoon invitation’. Thirty years later, this article identifies the politically and legally consequential details of the Scoon invitation to which we are now privy, drawing upon the memoir accounts of key participants, scholarly interviews with key Grenada decision-makers, and declassified US government documents. Situating the Grenada case within post-1983 state practice on ‘interventions by invitation’, it concludes that Sir Paul did not initiate his informal, oral invitation or author his formal, written one, and that even though he genuinely supp...
Statistical Physics of T-Cell Development and Pathogen Specificity

In addition to an innate immune system that battles pathogens in a nonspecific fashion, higher organisms, such as humans, possess an adaptive immune system to combat diverse (and evolving) microbial pathogens. Remarkably, the adaptive immune system mounts pathogen-specific responses, which can be recalled upon reinfection with the same pathogen. It is difficult to see how the adaptive immune system can be preprogrammed to respond specifically to a vast and unknown set of pathogens. Although major advances have been made in understanding pertinent molecular and cellular phenomena, the precise principles that govern many aspects of an immune response are largely unknown. We discuss complementary approaches from statistical mechanics and cell biology that can shed light on how key components of the adaptive immune system, T cells, develop to enable pathogen-specific responses against many diverse pathogens. The mechanistic understanding that emerges has implications for how host genetics may influence the de...
Transmission of 640 Gbps RZ-OOK channel over 100 km of SSMF by wavelength-transparent conjugation

We demonstrate the first uncompensated transmission of a 640 Gbps RZ-OOK channel over 100 km of standard SMF. The error-free performance of the ultrafast link was achieved by a new, wavelength-transparent and polarization-invariant signal conjugation scheme for the first time.
Performance Measure Manipulation

A two-period model in which communication restrictions preclude the usual revelation representation is analyzed, and the communication policies take on the appearance of "income smoothing." The driving force is the information content of the "smoothed" or manipulated series, relative to its counterpart were manipulation not possible. Various possibilities arise, depending on the underlying stochastic structure: performance measure manipalalion might be socially efficient, or not; and when it is best to invite and motivate this manipulation, the optimal policy itself can take on a variety of forms.
Proliferative lesions of the mouse lung: progression studies in strain A mice

The progression of pulmonary neoplasia was examined in strain A/J male mice treated with a single dose of vinyl carbamate (60 mg/kg, i.p.) 6 weeks after birth. Interim sacrifices were performed at 7, 8, 10, 12, or 14 months. Proliferative lesions of the lung were divided into four categories: hyperplasias, adenomas, carcinomas arising within adenomas, and carcinomas. Grossly visible surface tumor counts, histologic diagnoses, and morphometric measurements of histologic lesions were used to evaluate progression. Vinyl carbamate-treated mice showed increased mean surface tumor counts at all time points. Diagnostic evaluation suggested that as a function of time, the relative frequency of hyperplasias decreased and the relative frequency of adenomas increased. The relative frequency of adenomas subsequently decreased, whereas the relative frequency of carcinomas increased. At all time points, carcinomas arising within adenomas were present. As time progressed, the number of carcinomas arising within adenomas decreased, whereas the number of "pure" carcinomas increased. Morphometric analysis of lesions indicated hyperplasias to be small, that adenomas were larger than hyperplasias, and carcinomas were larger than adenomas and hyperplasias, suggesting that few adenomas or carcinomas arise de novo. Collectively, these data suggest that the majority of pulmonary tumors in A/J mice treated with vinyl carbamate arise as hyperplasias, progress to adenomas, and ultimately result in carcinomas.
Marketing Sex: US Legal Brothels and Late Capitalist Consumption:

Recent scholarship has begun to examine the effects late capitalist economic structures and cultural practices have on sexuality. What effect do recent shifts have on various parts of the global se...
Statistical calculations of spherical turbulent flames

Turbulent flame balls can be produced by the spark ignition of a fuel-air mixture in turbulent motion. Calculations of these statistically-spherical flames are reported and compared with the recent data of Hainsworth.1 The calculations are based on the Monte Carlo solution of a modelled equation for the joint probability density function (pdf) of the velocities and the reaction progress variable. In order to compare the statistical calculations with single experimental realizations, the joint pdf considered is conditioned on the turbulent velocity at the spark. This separates the flame ball's growth from its random convection by the turbulence. Excellent agreement is found between the calculated and measured evolution of the flame ball radius.
Caregiver Satisfaction with a Multisite Trial of Atomoxetine and Parent Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Behavioral Noncompliance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine caregiver satisfaction with the research experience in a randomized clinical trial of atomoxetine (ATX) and parent training (PT) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and behavioral noncompliance co-occurring with autism. Methods: The Children with Hyperactivity and Autism Research Treatment Study (CHARTS) randomly assigned 128 children 5.00–14.11 years of age to four treatment groups (ATX + PT, ATX alone, PT + placebo[PBO], and PBO). Caregivers completed an 18 item questionnaire about their satisfaction with the research experience. We summarized caregiver responses with descriptive statistics and examined whether the responses were associated with demographic variables, treatment assignment, or the child's response to treatment (positive or negative). Results: Ninety-three percent of caregivers (119) completed the questionnaire. When asked if they would join the study again if given the chance, 87% (103) responded “yes,” 13% (15)...
Local production and provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) spread for the treatment of severe childhood malnutrition.

BackgroundReady-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) spread has been shown to be very effective in the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children and facilitates home-based therapy of these children.ObjectiveTo describe how RUTF spread can be manufactured on a variety of production scales.Principles of productionRUTF spread is an edible lipid-based paste that is energy dense, resists bacterial contamination, and requires no cooking. The primary production principles include grinding all ingredients to a particle size < 200 microns, producing the food without the introduction of water, and embedding the protein and carbohydrate components of the food into the lipid matrix. The most widely used RUTF spread is a mixture of milk powder, sugar, vegetable oil, peanut butter, vitamins, and minerals.Scale of productionRUTF spread can be produced in quantities sufficient to treat several hundred children using a planetary mixer in a clinic. Production of larger quantities of RUTF spread can be achieved in partners...
ADIPONECTIN RESCUES LIPOTOXIC CARDIOMYOPATHY BY PROMOTING SPHINGOSINE-1-PHOSPHATE AND CERAMIDASE EXPRESSION

Hyperlipidemia and ceramide accumulation are significant factors in cardiovascular disease, contributing to atherosclerosis and lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. The adipose-derived circulating factor adiponectin, as well as sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), may function to limit the harmful effects of ectopic
Performance of Broilers Reared on Rubber and Plastic Mats in a Cage System and on Litter in a Floor System

Abstract Three experiments were conducted comparing the performance of broilers reared in a cage system to broilers in a litter pen system. The caged broilers were compared on three different types of floor mats: plastic, soft rubber, and hard rubber. Broilers reared in litter pens were significantly heavier (P
Diane di Prima: Extending La Famiglia

In her scandalous little book Memoirs of a Beatnik (1969), Diane di Prima tells how one afternoon someone handed her a copy of Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems (1956); she kept thinking the phrase "breaking ground," and she felt she was about to meet her brothers.1 In fact, a year later she did meet Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Another year later Lawrence Ferlinghetti, introducing her book This Kind of Bird Flies Backward (1958), wrote: "Here's a sound not heard before. The voice is gritty. The eye turns. The heart is in it." Di Prima was meeting brothers members of the Beat confraternity. Reacting to postwar consumerism, conformity and boredom, they were in spiritual crisis. They reacted with wild expenditures of energy: fast cars, wild parties, jazz, sex, drugs and kicks. This is the confraternity of John Clellon Holmes' novel Go (1952), generally credited as the first and most vivid literary account of early Beat life. Characters can be recognized as Ginsberg and Kerouac, with portraits too of Herbert Huncke, Neal Cassady, and William S. Burroughs. Kerouac's On the Road came out in 1957. The media promptly promoted the movement. By 1958, when Ferlinghetti's A Coney Island of the Mind appeared, Esquire also published "The Philosophy of the Beat Generation." In 1959, when Burroughs' The Naked Lunch was issued, so was di Prima's 13 Nightmares. Mainstream and counterculture seemed in competition to perpetrate the outrageous and the perverse and in competition to define basic values. As a difficult daughter flouting parental standards, di Prima affirmed familial relationships; in both work and personal life she was seeking out a family of affinity. "Family" has multiple meanings and, as The New York Times has reported (September 2, 1988), family law is even now the battleground of social revolution. Biologically, the term is genetic and implies descent from a common ancestry. It also includes relationships recognized by law, such as marriage and adoption. Sometimes it refers to members of a household who function together as a family. The dispersed extended family of "blood" relatives and in-laws may include attached and honorary members. Most broadly, and especially in a religious spirit, one may
Nychthemeral variations in plasma free corticosteroid levels of the rat.

SummaryNychthemeral variations in levels of plasma free corticosteroids in the rat have been observed, with highest concentrations of steroid between 4 p.m. and midnight. The magnitude of these cyclic variations is such that they will have to be considered in measurement of “resting levels” of plasma corticosteroids in this species.
Biochemical kinetic model of biogenic gas generated from organic matters and its application

The anaerobic fermentation method which was used in appraisement of biogenic gas resource failed to reflect or describe the gas generation period.In consideration of this tough problem,the biochemical kinetic model of biogenic gas generated from organic matter was established according to the biochemical kinetic theory.The kinetic parameters were calibrated by the data of simulation experiment. In consideration of the influences of the bacterium concentration and temperature on the kinetic parameters,the biochemical kinetic model with the kinetic parameters was applied in Qaidam Basin.The result shows that the biogenic gas generation rate increases with the buried depth firstly and then decreases when the rate reaches to the maximum corresponding to the buried depth of 600m.This conclusion is similar to the previous studied result,which shows that this model under consideration of the influences of bacterium concentration and temperature on the kinetic parameters can be used to appraise the biogenic gas generation period.
Making Sense of the Call for Scientifically Based Research in Education

In an unprecedented move the U.S. government has essentially defined scientifically based research by law (The No Child Left Behind Act, 2001) as the use of randomized controlled trials to provide solid evidence of what works in education to policy makers, teachers, parents, researchers, and other consumers of research. This definition is now enacted and supported by a national and international review process (e.g., The Campbell Collaborative, The What Works Clearinghouse [WWC]) and by government funding practices (e.g., The Institute of Education Sciences [IES]) as well as other funding agencies. Scientifically based research, so defined, has been placed at center stage since the creation in 2000 of the Campbell Collaborative, an international “non-profit organization that aims to help people make well-informed decisions about the effects of interventions in the social, behavioral, and educational arenas” with the aim “to prepare, maintain and disseminate systematic reviews of studies of interventions” using randomized controlled trials (The Campbell Collaboration, 2000). The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) also makes more than a hundred references to scientifically based research and many websites of the state department of education contain lengthy documents to draw school districts’ attention to the requirement of implementing scientifically based programs in the schools in order to receive federal funding.
Temporal Quantum Fluctuations in Stimulated Raman Scattering

When Stokes-shifted light is generated in a gas by stimulated Raman scatter­ing (SRS), the intensity may exhibit temporal quantum fluctuations if the light is not transform limited. The coherence time of the Stokes pulse is estimated to be c2(gL)1/2/Γ where gL is the low-signal gain-length product, and Γ is the collisional linewidth (HWHW in rad/sec) of the Raman transition. [1] For a 50 cm path of H2 at 100 atm, gL = 16.5 and Γ = 1.7x 1010 rad/sec, [2] leading to c0.5 ns. For a 7 ns laser pulse the generated pulses are observed to have a duration of about 2 ns; so some temporal modulation is expected. The goal of this study is to understand the nature of the temporal fluctuations, and to discuss a method for theoretically simulating individual random Stokes pulses.
A Scoping Review of Tailored Self-management Interventions among Adults with Mobility Impairing Neurological and Musculoskeletal Conditions.

A critical public health objective is to optimize and disseminate self-management interventions for the 56.7 million adults living with chronic disabling conditions in the United States. A possible strategy to optimize the effectiveness of self-management interventions is to understand how best to tailor self-management interventions to the needs and circumstances of each participant. Thus, the purpose of this scoping review was to describe randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of tailored self-management interventions in adults with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions that characteristically result in mobility impairments. The 13 RCTs included in the scoping review typically compared tailored interventions to non-tailored interventions or usual care among adults with chronic pain, stroke, and/or arthritis. The tailored interventions were diverse in their delivery formats, dosing, behavior change techniques, and tailoring methodology. We identified 13 personal characteristics (e.g., preferences and theoretical constructs) and 4 types of assessment formats (i.e., oral history, self-report questionnaires, provider-reported assessments, and medical records) that were used to tailor the self-management interventions. It was common to tailor intervention content using self-report questionnaires that assessed personal characteristics pertaining to impairments and preferences. Content was matched to personal characteristics using clinical judgment or computer algorithms. However, few studies adequately described the decision rules for matching content. To advance the science of tailoring self-management interventions, we recommend conducting comparative effectiveness research and further developing a taxonomy to standardize descriptions of tailoring. We discuss the opportunities that are now coalescing to optimize tailored self-management. We also provide examples of how to merge concepts from the self-management literature with conceptual frameworks of tailoring from the health communication literature.
Occurrence of Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 in Oysters in Mobile Bay, Alabama: An Ecological Investigation

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba, resembling the epidemic Latin American strains (C6706, C6707), was recovered from oysters taken from Mobile Bay, Alabama, on five separate occasions between July 1991 and September 1992. Levels of toxigenic V. cholerae in the oysters, estimated by the most probable number procedure, ranged from 101 to 107 per 100 g. Isolates characterized by pulsed field gel electrophoresis resembled isolates previously recovered from five cargo ships docked at Gulf of Mexico ports. This study details the first reported isolation of toxigenic V. cholerae O1 from oysters in U.S. coastal waters. As with the Gulf Coast strain, the occurrence of the epidemic strain seems to be sporadic and essentially limited to the warmer months.
Resident memory T cells in the skin mediate durable immunity to melanoma.

Tissue-resident memory T (T RM ) cells have been widely characterized in infectious disease settings; however, their role in mediating immunity to cancer remains unknown. We report that skin-resident memory T cell responses to melanoma are generated naturally as a result of autoimmune vitiligo. Melanoma antigen–specific T RM cells resided predominantly in melanocyte-depleted hair follicles and were maintained without recirculation or replenishment from the lymphoid compartment. These cells expressed CD103, CD69, and CLA (cutaneous lymphocyte antigen), but lacked PD-1 (programmed cell death protein–1) or LAG-3 (lymphocyte activation gene–3), and were capable of making IFN-γ (interferon-γ). CD103 expression on CD8 T cells was required for the establishment of T RM cells in the skin but was dispensable for vitiligo development. CD103 + CD8 T RM cells were critical for protection against melanoma rechallenge. This work establishes that CD103-dependent T RM cells play a key role in perpetuating antitumor immunity.
International Higher Education's ScholarPractitioners: Bridging Research and Practice

In response to dynamics like the above, readers expect international higher education research and scholarship to be situated in the broader global context and address geopolitical dynamics on transnational scales. Unfortunately, in the United States, scholarly responses to changing global dynamics are usually slow and weak. The convention here is for scholars to discuss “internationalization” in the abstract without situating national discourses in the international context or using transnational perspectives.
The Universal King? Memory, Globalization, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

This article examines how Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered and represented by journalists in Ghana, South Africa, and Mexico, looking at coverage of “critical discourse moments” from King's life and legacy (1963–2016). I argue that representations of King vary in terms of local resonance—how well foreign figures or events align with local myths, values, and expectations—and global salience—the perceived world historical importance of a past figure or event. I then propose a new typology of global memory reception.
Planar tunneling spectroscopy of the topological Kondo insulator SmB 6

Several technical issues and challenges are identified and investigated for the planar tunneling spectroscopy of the topological Kondo insulator ${\mathrm{SmB}}_{6}$. Contrasting behaviors of the tunnel junctions prepared in two different ways are analyzed and explained in detail. The conventional approach based on an ${\mathrm{AlO}}_{x}$ tunnel barrier results in unsatisfactory results due to the interdiffusion between ${\mathrm{SmB}}_{6}$ and deposited Al. On the contrary, plasma oxidation of ${\mathrm{SmB}}_{6}$ crystals produces high-quality tunnel barriers on both (001) and (011) surfaces. Resultant conductance spectra are highly reproducible with clear signatures for the predicted surface Dirac fermions and the bulk hybridization gap as well. The surface states are identified to reside on two or one distinguishable Dirac cone(s) on the (001) and (011) surface, respectively, in good agreement with the recent literature. However, their topological protection is found to be limited within the low energy region due to their inevitable interaction with the bulk excitations, called spin excitons, consistent with a recent theoretical prediction. Implications of our findings on other physical properties in ${\mathrm{SmB}}_{6}$ and also other correlated topological materials are remarked.
Teaching Bits: A Resource for Teachers of Statistics

This column features “bits” of information sampled from a variety of sources that may be of interest to teachers of statistics. Bob abstracts information from the literature on teaching and learnin...
Sheep, lilies and human genetics.

Studies of an epidemic of sheep cyclopia in the western United States have led to a possible treatment for human skin cancer. The compound that caused the cyclopia inhibits the Hedgehog cellular signalling pathway, which is activated in most basal-cell carcinomas.
3D bioprinting directly onto moving human anatomy

This paper establishes the feasibility of robotically 3D printing biomaterials such as alginate hydrogels onto moving human anatomy and a stationary plane. The alginate hydrogels used are in-vivo compatible and a proven biomaterial for tissue scaffolds. We developed a control scheme for precision material deposition via piezo microjetting while tracking in real-time to continuously sense anatomy location and deposits material in a predefined trajectory derived from two pre-selected target geometries. We show that multilayer 3D structures can be created on a moving human hand with 1.6 mm average error and 87.8 % overall accuracy.
Advanced packaging with greater simplicity

Integrated Fan-Out (InFO) is developed with greater simplicity, based on subtraction in structure, process flow and supply chain management than industry proposed solutions. It achieved un-precedent results compared to others using “additional” structure for functional or yield enhancement. The results include electrical performance, power consumption, thermal resistance, form factor/thickness and cost effectiveness. Greater simplicity continues play critical role for advanced packaging to achieve system PPAC goals.
Ecological and behavioral studies of the western bean cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in corn

The western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest of corn and dry beans in the central United States. It has recently expanded its distribution from western Iowa in 2000 to western Ohio in 2006. There has been no research conducted on the basic flight characteristics of this insect. Understanding their basic flight characteristics may help improve management techniques and understand their dispersal potential. We hypothesis that the sex, age, mating status, and Microsporidia infection level affects the flight characteristics of the western bean cutworm. Adults were raised in laboratory colonies and then tethered and flown in the laboratory on a flight mill for one night. The effects that sex, age (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-10 days post emergence), and mating had on their flight characteristics were then determined. However, there were not enough infected adults to evaluate the effect that a Microsporidia infection had on their flight characteristics. Females flew 18.9±3.2 km, which was significantly further than males (13.2±2.1 km). The average total distance flown by virgin males was relatively low when they were 1-2 days old, then rapidly increased once they were 3-4 days old followed by a gradually decrease as age increased. Virgin females initially followed the same pattern, but their mean flight
Does genetic risk for common adult diseases influence reproductive plans? Evidence from a national survey experiment in the United States.

Abstract Prospective parents have long been able to learn details about their offspring's DNA, and social scientists have demonstrated that this form of genetic information influences reproductive decision-making. Now, new tests offer adults information about their own genetic risk for common diseases that begin later in life, raising new questions about whether this kind of personal risk will also affect fertility plans. Drawing on a survey experiment (N = 223) that assigned individuals a genetic risk (20%, 30% … 80%) for an adult-onset disease (heart disease, colon cancer, Alzheimer's Disease), this study examines whether such risks lead people to reconsider their plans to have children. Bringing together qualitative research on genetic risk and reproductive decision-making with demographic analyses of uncertainty and fertility, we find that when assigned a hypothetical genetic risk for a common adult-onset disease, childless individuals who plan to have children in the future are unlikely to reconsider those plans.
The cognitive science of religion: Implications for morality

A cognitive scientific approach to religion reveals the moral role of religion in human evolutionary history and provides insight into the continuing influence of religion in human affairs. While morality can be understood and justified apart from any religious foundation, religion cannot be separated from its moral function. After setting out the evolved cognitive bases of religious beliefs and behaviors, a model for the nexus between religion and morality is developed. From this it follows that religions constitute moral worldviews that emerge from and tap into deep moral and emotional instincts. This makes religion, and moral worldviews more generally, profoundly important, but also makes them dangerously problematic. A case study of the intersection of religion, race, and politics in contemporary American presidential politics will be used to explicate these ideas. Keywords: religion, morality, cognitive science, evolution, worldviews.