cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In situ rifampin-soaked grafts with omental coverage and antibiotic suppression are durable with low reinfection rates in patients with aortic graft enteric erosion or fistula

Objective We previously reported that in situ rifampin-soaked grafts (ISRGs) were safe in select patients with aortic graft infections, with the best results in those with aortic graft enteric erosion or fistula (AGEF). This study evaluates the late results of ISRG for AGEF. Methods From 1990 to 2008, 183 patients were treated for aortic graft infections (121 primary and 62 AGEF). We reviewed 54 patients treated for AGEF with a standard protocol, which included excision of the infected part of the graft, intestinal repair, ISRG with omental wrap, and long-term antibiotics. We excluded 8 patients with AGEF (13%) treated with axillofemoral grafts (AXFG, n=5) or in situ femoral vein (n = 3) due to excessive perigraft purulence. Endpoints were early morbidity and mortality, late survival, reinfection, and graft-related complications. Results There were 45 male patients and 9 female patients with a mean age of 69 ± 9 years. Presentation was gastrointestinal bleeding in 33 patients, fever in 25 patients, and hemorrhagic shock in 10 patients. Other features were perigraft fluid in 29 patients and purulence in 9 patients. Forty-two patients (80%) had infections isolated to a portion of the graft body or limb, with the remainder of the graft well incorporated. Total graft excision was performed in 31 patients and partial excision in 23 patients. Total operating time was 6.2 ± 1.9 hours. Postoperative complications occurred in 28 patients (52%), and there were 5 deaths (9%). Operative mortality was 2.3% in stable patients (1 of 44) and 40% in those with hemorrhagic shock (4 of 10; P Conclusion ISRGs with omental wrap and long-term antibiotics are associated with low reinfection rates in patients with AGEF who do not have excessive perigraft purulence. Graft patency and limb salvage rates are excellent.
Causes of Increasing Atmospheric Methane: Depletion of Hydroxyl Radicals and the Rise of Emissions

A combination of anthropogenic activities and a possible decline of global concentrations for the hydroxyl radicals that formerly removed methane from the atmosphere are cited as potential causes for the 1.3 percent/year rise of atmospheric methane levels. Calculations are presented which show that much of the methane increase over the last 200 years is probably to be divided among the two main sources in the proportions of 70 percent for anthropogenic generation and 30 percent for hydroxyl radical depletion. It is projected that in 20 years, average tropospheric concentrations of methane may be about 20 percent greater than 1980 levels. The current abundance of hydroxyl radicals may be 20 percent less than two centuries ago.
Effect of structure on the electron‐capture negative ionization mass spectrometric response of steroids

The key to enhanced electron-capture negative ion mass spectrometry (ECNI-MS) response of ketosteroids is extensive α,β-unsaturation. Combinations of double bonds, carbonyl groups, epoxides and halogens within a steroid nucleus were correlated with their ECNI responses. The greatest ECNI responses result from extensive conjugation, such as the linearly conjugated 4-ene-3,6-dione system and the cross-conjugated 1,4-diene-3,11-dione system. In general, an epoxy ketosteroid has a relative response 40 times greater than that of its corresponding enone. In an α-halo ketone, an axial halogen substitution will increase the relative response by an order of magnitude, but an equatorial halogen substituent will not affect the response. The fragmentation of ketosteroids as related to ECNI response is discussed.
Certain singular integral operators revisited

This note presents an alternate approach to the analysis of the composition of some (classical) singular integral oprators that arise in a number of applications. It is based on the facts that certain naturally paired operators have the same range and are injective. In the course of this analysis the proofs of some classical identities are unified
Adaptive reduction parallelization techniques

In this paper, we propose to adapt parallelizing transformations, more specifically, reduction parallelizations, to the actual reference pattern executed by a loop, i.e., to the particular input data and dynamic phase of a program. More precisely we will show how, after validating a reduction at run-time (when this is not possible at compile time) we can dynamically characterize its reference pattern and choose the most appropriate method for parallelizing it. For this purpose, we develop a library of parallel reduction algorithms, including both previously known and novel schemes, which includes algorithms specialized for different classes of access behavior. In particular, each algorithm in our library has identified strengths related to specific reference pattern characteristics, which are matched, at run-time, with measured characteristics of the actual reference pattern. The matching of algorithm to reference pattern is performed using a decision-tree based selection scheme. The contribution of this work consists in new optimizations for reduction parallelization and in the introduction of a new approach to the optimization of irregular applications: Characteristic based customization.
The cysteine proteinase inhibitor, E-64, reduces proteinuria in an experimental model of glomerulonephritis

Proteinuria is a major manifestation of glomerular disease (glomerulonephritis, GN). We examined the effect of trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane (E-64), a specific and irreversible cysteine proteinase inhibitor, on urinary protein excretion in a complement- and neutrophil-independent model of antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody disease. A single injection of rabbit antirat-GBM IgG produced a marked increase in urinary protein excretion 24hr after injection. In two separate studies using different pools of antiGBM IgG, administration of E-64 (5mg every 6h starting 2hr prior to induction of GN) reduced proteinuria (-45 +/- 7%, and -41 +/- 14%, Mean +/- SEM, n = 6; P less than 0.001) in the 24 hour period following induction of the disease. This reduction in urinary protein excretion was accompanied by a marked decrease in the specific activity of the cysteine proteinases cathepsins B and L in glomeruli (B: -97%; L: -84%) and renal cortex (B: -87%; L: -75%) isolated from the same E-64-treated rats compared to same saline-treated controls. These data, combined with the specificity of E-64 for cysteine proteinases, suggest a potential role for cysteine proteinases in the increased GBM permeability and proteinuria in this experimental model of glomerular disease.
Design of parametric phase-locked subharmonic oscillator circuits for 3 GHz information rates

A stability analysis of parametric phase-locked subharmonic tunnel-diode circuits capable of bistable phase operation has been made. A new type of computer-produced stability-chart plot shows regions of amplification\for desired harmonics used in directional-flow logic circuits, to allow design for subharmonic pumping.
Agricultural Sustainability and Technology Adoption: Issues and Policies for Developing Countries

"Sustainable agriculture" is a concept that is both ambitious and ambiguous. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations posits that sustainable agriculture (SA) has five major attributes: it is resource conserving (of land, water, plant, and genetic resources), environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, and economically and socially acceptable (FAO). Integrated natural resource management (NRM)-a closely related concept-is conceived by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research as aimed at jointly improving human livelihoods, agroecosystem resilience, agricultural productivity, and environmental services (CGIAR). Alternative conceptions emphasize profitability and economic feasibility (Kuyvenhoven and Ruben), social equity (Conway), community building and local participation (Chambers), social learning (Pretty and Uphoff), and other dimensions. These various objectives, criteria, and characteristics may or may not be consistent.
Affective utterances as contextual feedback in interactive information retrieval: examples from help-seeking interactions

We report early results of our investigation of help-seeking behaviors during interactive information retrieval, with specific attention to one aspect of context, affective utterances made by searchers during the process of completing an assigned search task Searchers' utterances were coded as positive and negative assessments of the results of using automatic Help functionalities in two digital libraries. Although preliminary at this time, data presented in this paper indicate that affective utterances can be mapped to specific help-seeking events and therefore can be construed as important aspects of contextual feedback, worthy of further exploration.
Effect of Starch Sources on Properties of Extrudates Containing DDGS

Various levels of DDGS (20, 40, and 60% wb) were blended with starch sources (cassava, corn, and potato), and other ingredients to produce an iso-nitrogenous feed (28% protein) at varied moisture contents (15, 20, and 25% wb). The feed blends were extruded in a single-screw extruder at a preset screw speed of 130 rpm (13.6 rad/s) with three temperatures profiles 90–100–100°C, 90–120–120°C, and 90–140–140°C. The effect of these variables on processing conditions (extruder torque and die pressure) and other extrudate properties (expansion ratio (ER), unit density (UD), color (L*, a*, and b*), sinking velocity (SV), water absorption, water solubility, and pellet durability indices (PDI)) were analyzed. For all the three starch extrudates, changing the levels of DDGS, feed moisture content, and extruder barrel temperature had a significant effect on SV, PDI, a*, and b* values at α = 0.05.
Findings on Rings and Inner Satellites of Saturn by Pioneer 11.

Abstract The introductory part of this paper gives a short account of the theory of absorption by planetary rings and satellites of energetic charged particles that are trapped in a planet's magnetic field and describes the observable consequences of such absorption processes. The previously published University of Iowa observations of absorption features during Pioneer 11's passage through Saturn's inner radiation belt on 1 September 1979 are critically reanalyzed and related to other evidence on rings and satellites inside 2.9 R s , especially that from the imaging system on Voyagers 1 and 2. It is found (a) that satellites 1979 S1, 1979 S2, and 1980 S3 are almost certainly identical; (b) that the evidence for 1979 S4 is weak to nonexistent; (c) that 1979 S5 and two other nearby absorption features and 1979 S6 and one other nearby absorption feature are probably caused by longitudinal and radial structure of Ring F and not by satellites; and (d) that absorption feature 1979 S3 at 169,200 ± 600 km is identified with the opically observed Ring G.
Observational Tests of Magnetospheric Accretion Models in Young Stars

Magnetically controlled accretion of disk material onto the surface of Classical T Tauri stars is the dominant paradigm in our understanding of how these young stars interact with their surrounding disks. These stars provide a powerful test of magnetically controlled accretion models since all of the relevant parameters, including the magnetic field strength and geometry, are in principle measureable. Both the strength and the field geometry are key for understanding how these stars interact with their disks. This talk will focus on recent advances in magnetic field measurements on a large number of T Tauri stars, as well as very recent studies of the accretion rates onto a sample of young stars in NGC 2264 with known rotation periods. We discuss how these observations provide critical tests of magnetospheric accretion models which predict a rotational equilibrium is reached. We find good support for the model predictions once the complex geometry of the stellar magnetic field is taken into account. We will also explore how the observations of the accretion properties of the 2264 cluster stars can be used to test emerging ideas on how magnetic fields on young stars are generated and organized as a function of their internal structure (i.e. the presence of a radiative core). We do not find support for the hypothesis that large changes in the magentic field geometry occur when a radiative core appears in these young stars.
Synthesis and Characterization of Thorium(IV) Sulfates.

The structures of Th(SO4)2 (H2O)7·2H2O [see CI 2011-42-017], (II) and (III) are determined by single crystal XRD.
Enhancing serpentine dissolution kinetics for mineral carbon dioxide sequestration

Abstract Mineral carbon dioxide sequestration binds carbon dioxide by reacting it with magnesium silicate minerals to form solid magnesium carbonates that are ready for disposal. Research on mineral sequestration has focused on enhancing process kinetics in aqueous processing schemes. High costs of these processes are associated with mineral processing, such as ultrafine grinding, or the consumption of acids and bases, which are required to speed up silicate mineral dissolution kinetics. Neutral organic salts such as sodium oxalate, and citrate enhance dissolution kinetics of serpentine in the circum-neutral pH range appropriate for mineral carbonate precipitation and have potential for use in an enhanced carbonation process. Concentration and temperature dependencies for the dissolution of antigorite serpentine in the presence of the citrate ion are experimentally derived under weakly acidic conditions. Rates are shown to be several orders of magnitude higher in the presence of citrate than in the weakly acidic solution alone.
Differential ATP Binding and Intrinsic ATP Hydrolysis by Amino-terminal Domains of the Yeast Mlh1 and Pms1 Proteins

MutL homologs belong to a family of proteins that share a conserved ATP binding site. We demonstrate that amino-terminal domains of the yeast MutL homologs Mlh1 and Pms1 required for DNA mismatch repair both possess independent, intrinsic ATPase activities. Amino acid substitutions in the conserved ATP binding sites concomitantly reduce ATP binding, ATP hydrolysis, and DNA mismatch repair in vivo. The ATPase activities are weak, consistent with the hypothesis that ATP binding is primarily responsible for modulating interactions with other MMR components. Three approaches, ATP hydrolysis assays, limited proteolysis protection, and equilibrium dialysis, provide evidence that the amino-terminal domain of Mlh1 binds ATP with >10-fold higher affinity than does the amino-terminal domain of Pms1. This is consistent with a model wherein ATP may first bind to Mlh1, resulting in events that permit ATP binding to Pms1 and later steps in DNA mismatch repair.
The collaborative factory of the future

This work is a contribution to the ever-evolving concept of factory of the future FoF; thinking about its challenges, and how we can best accomplish its promise. Globalised economies, competitive, volatile and complex business environments have gradually transformed modern manufacturing processes into highly distributed but interconnected networks of entities, which divide their responsibilities and core competencies to sustain and evolve. To achieve these ends, collaboration among networks of intelligent and autonomous entities must be effectively engineered and augmented. In view of that need, a formalism of the collaborative control theory CCT is developed in this article, based on the state-of-the-art advances in its design principles, supported by collaborative e-Work and their roles in engineering augmentation of collaboration. Several specific examples of e-Manufacturing systems e-Factories are used to elaborate further the mechanics of the developed formalism. The goal is to provide a framework of the collaborative factory of the future CFoF. This framework is applied to enable the abstraction of disparate e-Factories as collaborative networks of entities, which in turn can be engineered and augmented through the CCT operators in order to address the FoF-2020 challenges of scalability and sustainability.
Parenting at risk: New perspectives, new approaches.

In this lead paper for this special section, we advance the perspective that new insights into parenting at risk can be gained by focusing on the dynamic emotional processes that occur during parent-child exchanges, with special emphasis on parental emotions as experienced and their regulation of emotion and underlying cognitions, as well as the role of developmentally rooted cognitions in shaping these associations. We discuss the very few but germinal studies that embody this perspective and introduce work in this section that examines emotion dynamics during parenting in real time. We believe this perspective will move us beyond static conceptualizations of parenting at risk, broadens our understanding of parenting as a process, and accelerates our ability to identify the essential targets of intervention when parenting is at risk.
AN ENZYME IN MAST CELLS WITH PROPERTIES LIKE CHYMOTRYPSIN

Mast cells contain an enzyme which hydrolyzes 3-chloroacetoxy-2-naphthoic acid anilide. By using highly purified mast cells isolated by differential centrifugation in high density sucrose solutions we have been able to study this enzymatic activity in more detail. The enzyme has properties similar to those of chymotrypsin: Chymotrypsin will hydrolyze the histochemical substrate, and the chymotrypsin and mast cell activities with this substrate are similarly inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate. The mast cell enzyme is capable of hydrolyzing the N-acetyl esters of tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine, the relative rates of hydrolysis being similar to those seen with chymotrypsin. A characteristic trypsin substrate, p-toluenesulfonyl arginine methyl ester, is not acted upon by the mast cell enzyme or chymotrypsin. The pH activity curve of the new cell enzyme is similar to that of chymotrypsin as determined with N-acetyl-L-tryptophan ethyl ester as substrate.
A Demonstration of Training, Implementing, and Using Functional Behavioral Assessment in 10 Elementary and Middle School Settings

The primary goal of this project was to increase schools' resources and staff skills in providing function-based behavior support to individual students with chronic problem behaviors. Over the course of a 3-year period, 10 school teams received training in and on-site consultation on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavior support planning. This article documents (a) how the teams were trained, (b) the level of FBA knowledge gained by each participating team member, (c) the extent to which critical features of FBA were implemented in each school, (d) the extent to which the training and procedures were found acceptable by school staff, and (e) lessons learned on how to train school teams to implement systems of FBA. Limitations of the current demonstration and future research directions in the area of FBA and behavior support are discussed.
Oviposition Site Preference and Factors Influencing Egg Mass Characteristics of the Saw-Combed Fishfly (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) in Southern Maine

Abstract We surveyed microsite conditions in the oviposition location used by female saw-combed fishflies (Nigronia serricornis) to investigate the relationship between egg hatching success and egg mass features and oviposition site selection. Egg-laying females showed a significant tree species preference at two of three sites sampled. Leaves used as ovipositon sites differed in length, width, area, and height among sites, but differences in oviposition site characteristics were attributable to stream habitat conditions, not preference. Egg hatchmg rates were very high (ca. 95%) and did not differ between streams. Egg mass size was sipficantly different among sites, but average egg size was not. Egg size was not correlated with egg mass size, but hatching rate was significantly correlated with egg mass size. Recruitment estimates ranged from 95 hatchlings per m2. Although leaf height, leaf length, and stream site were significant in predicting egg mass size, females showed great plasticity in sel...
An approach for patient-specific multi-domain vascular mesh generation featuring spatially varying wall thickness modeling

In this work, we present a computationally efficient image-derived volume mesh generation approach for vasculatures that implements spatially varying patient-specific wall thickness with a novel inward extrusion of the wall surface mesh. Multi-domain vascular meshes with arbitrary numbers, locations, and patterns of both iliac bifurcations and thrombi can be obtained without the need to specify features or landmark points as input. In addition, the mesh output is coordinate-frame independent and independent of the image grid resolution with high dimensional accuracy and mesh quality, devoid of errors typically found in off-the-shelf image-based model generation workflows. The absence of deformable template models or Cartesian grid-based methods enables the present approach to be sufficiently robust to handle aneurysmatic geometries with highly irregular shapes, arterial branches nearly parallel to the image plane, and variable wall thickness. The assessment of the methodology was based on i) estimation of the surface reconstruction accuracy, ii) validation of the output mesh using an aneurysm phantom, and iii) benchmarking the volume mesh quality against other frameworks. For the phantom image dataset (pixel size 0.105 mm; slice spacing 0.7 mm; and mean wall thickness 1.401±0.120 mm), the average wall thickness in the mesh was 1.459±0.123 mm. The absolute error in average wall thickness was 0.060±0.036 mm, or about 8.6% of the largest image grid spacing (0.7 mm) and 4.36% of the actual mean wall thickness. Mesh quality metrics and the ability to reproduce regional variations of wall thickness were found superior to similar alternative frameworks.
On Protecting Private Information in Social Networks: A Proposal

As online social networks get more popular, it becomes increasingly critical to preserve user privacy in such networks. In this paper, we propose our preliminary results on defining and tackling information aggregation attacks over online social networks. We first introduce three major threats towards private information in online social networks. We conceptually model private information into multilevel and discretionary models. Then, we articulate information aggregation attacks under discretionary model. Finally, we present our preliminary design of "privacy monitor," a framework that allows users to define their own privacy scheme, and track their actual privacy disclosure to check for any unwanted leakage.
Sexual abuse, another hidden pediatric problem: the 1977 C. Anderson Aldrich lecture.

This paper, Sexual Abuse, Another Hidden Pediatric Problem: The 1977 C. Anderson Aldrich Lecture, was published 1978 in Pediatrics. In this paper, C. Henry Kempe sought to broaden attention in child maltreatment work to include child sexual abuse. It forms the basis of the commentaries included in succeeding chapters in this section of the book
Definition of a novel promoter for the major adenovirus-associated virus mRNA

Abstract A 660 nucleotide adenovirus-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) DNA fragment which encodes the 5′ terminal leader and the entire intervening sequence of the major viral mRNA has been cloned into pBR322, and its primary sequence has been determined. The 5′ terminal viral mRNA sequence was deduced by sequencing the reverse-transcriptase cDNA extension product of a 5′ end-labeled DNA primer complementary to the RNA 5′ terminal region. From combined DNA and RNA sequence analyses (which confirm our previous mapping data) we conclude that the major AAV2 transcript contains a 5′ terminal leader sequence about 55 nucleotides in length encoded from a continuous region of DNA (near position 39 on the viral genome) 320 bases from the RNA body. The DNA sequences of the splice junctions are similar to those found for other class II genes. No other nucleotide sequence, indicative of promotion at another (upstream) site, is present at the 5′ terminus. The DNA region encoding and flanking the leader sequence displays structural features expected for a class II gene promoter, including the canonical ATATAA sequence 23–25 bases upstream from the presumed initiation site. When the cloned viral DNA fragment is transcribed in vitro by RNA polymerase II in a cell-free system, a transcript is produced with a 5′ end that is similar or identical to that found on the in vivo mRNA. Taken together these data strongly suggest that the major polysomal RNA may be generated from a transcription unit with a promoter at position 39, even though this transcription unit is part of a larger transcription unit with an upstream promoter near position 6. This indication of overlapping transcription units with independent promoters provides a major new insight into parvovirus gene expression.
Arabidopsis Proteins Containing Similarity to the Universal Stress Protein Domain of Bacteria

We have collected a set of 44 Arabidopsis proteins with similarity to the USPA (universal stress protein A of Escherichia coli ) domain of bacteria. The USPA domain is found either in small proteins, or it makes up the N-terminal portion of a larger protein, usually a protein kinase. Phylogenetic tree analysis based upon a multiple sequence alignment of the USPA domains shows that these domains of protein kinases 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 form distinct groups, as do the protein kinases 1.4.1. This indicates that their USPA domain structures have diverged appreciably and suggests that they may subserve distinct cellular functions. Two USPA fold classes have been proposed: one based on Methanococcus jannaschii MJ0577 (1MJH) that binds ATP, and the other based on the Haemophilus influenzae universal stress protein (1JMV), highly similar to E. coli UspA, which does not bind ATP. A set of common residues involved in ATP binding in 1MJH and conserved in similar bacterial sequences is also found in a distinct cluster of Arabidopsis sequences. Threading analysis, which examines aspects of secondary and tertiary structure, confirms this Arabidopsis sequence cluster as highly similar to 1MJH. This structural approach can distinguish between the characteristic fold differences of 1MJH-like and 1JMV-like bacterial proteins and was used to assign the complete set of candidate Arabidopsis proteins to one of these fold classes. It is clear that all the plant sequences have arisen from a 1MJH-like ancestor.
Design Management System Architecture

A central theme of this book is that an integrated design database is needed before a collection of design tools can be forged into a truly integrated design system. In this chapter, we present an architecture for a prototype design management system. Recall that a design management system is much more than a database system: it is responsible for choosing the data structure for representing the design and for providing an appropriate interface to this structure for design tools. The structures of the system’s storage, recovery, concurrency control, and design validation subsystems are described. Special applications programs that manipulate the structure of the design, a design browser and a system assembler, are also discussed.
Assessing the Economic Value of Neighborhood Self-Governance

Much recent literature suggests that promoting social capital and neighborhood organization may be an effective means to stabilize and improve quality of life in some urban neighborhoods (e.g. Sampson 2012). This paper analyzes a hedonic price model of sales prices of residential property in the city of Little Rock from 2007 – 2012 using geocoded data obtained from the Pulaski County tax assessor’s office. We use this model to test for the impact of three types of neighborhood governance on property values: an active homeowners’ association, an active voluntary neighborhood association, and no formal governance. We find no evidence that either voluntary neighborhood associations or property owners associations increase property values. This could indicate that these institutional forms lack institutional robustness compared to governmental arrangements for serving neighborhoods. In particular, in some cities the boundaries for these associations may not correspond to the boundaries relevant to homeowners and homebuyers.
A multiscale masking method for point geographic data

This research introduces and tests a new masking technique for sensitive point-based geospatial data. The goal of masking is to allow data to be used for general measurements of spatial distributions, but to not permit the matching of points with their true underlying observations, usually street addresses, in order to protect identity and privacy. The proposed method first converts coordinates to the Military Grid Reference System MGRS, then uses digit switching to mask coordinates. This permits encryption at five spatial levels of precision, equivalent to 1, 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000 m. Of the 1.3M possible digit switching combinations, one is chosen that minimizes the difference between the aggregate descriptive spatial statistics for the point set as a whole between the masked and the unmasked data. Most heavily weighted in the selection is the nearest neighbor statistic, a measure of clustering in the distribution. The masking method was implemented for point sets within a single MGRS cell square using NGA’s GEOTRANS software and new custom C language code, with both forward and inverse algorithms. The forward masking saves the translation code in a separate file without which the inversion is practically impossible, meaning that the masked data can be offered publicly. Four test point distributions were used to show the method in action. The method appears to offer new possibilities for the protection of sensitive geospatial data.
Racial Disparities in Comorbidities, Complications, and Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in Women With Preeclampsia/eclampsia.

Objective: The mechanisms leading to worse outcomes in African-American (AA) women with preeclampsia/eclampsia remain unclear. Our objective was to identify racial differences in maternal comorbidities, peripartum characteristics, and maternal and fetal outcomes. Methods/Results: When compared to white women with preeclampsia/eclampsia, AA women had an increased unadjusted risk of inpatient maternal mortality (OR 3.70, 95% CI: 2.19–6.24). After adjustment for covariates, in-hospital mortality for AA women remained higher than that for white women (OR 2.85, 95% CI: 1.38–5.53), while the adjusted risk of death among Hispanic women did not differ from that for white women. We also found an increased risk of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) among AA women. When compared to white women with preeclampsia, AA women had an increased unadjusted odds of IUFD (OR 2.78, 95% CI: 2.49–3.11), which remained significant after adjustment for covariates (adjusted OR 2.45, 95% CI: 2.14–2.82). In contrast, IUFD among Hispanic...
Integration and Segregation of Perceptual and Motor Behavior

We are developing a conceptual framework that provides a general basis for the dynamic grouping of individual components. Perceptual grouping is the process by which raw elements are aggregated into larger and more meaningful collections (Feldman, 1999). The emergence and disappearance of such a group has been termed differently in different areas of Science and Philosophy, such as integration and segregation, convergence and divergence, binding and loss thereof. We wish to widen the notion of grouping by viewing motor processes and perceptual processes induced by sensory information as equivalent events over time defined in their appropriate spaces (Kelso et al., 1990). Many operational formalisms for the treatment of the temporal relationship of typically two or four coupled sensorimotor components have been developed within the field of coordination dynamics (see Kelso, 1995 for a review). Within the domain of visual (Feldman, 1999), auditory (Bregman, 1990) and multi-sensory perception (Stein & Meredith, 1993), numerous systematic studies have been performed identifying parameters and conditions under which the formation of percepts changes. Less frequently, the interdependence of percept formation and motor trajectory formation has been studied (Bogaerts et al., 2003). In the current chapter we wish to identify the mutual features and factors determining percept and motor trajectory formation. Here grouping can impose decisive influences on other low-level processes resulting in different percepts, e.g. lightness perception (Gilchrist, 1977), and different movement patterns, e.g. reduced reaction times (Davis, 1959).
Asymmetric Interest Group Mobilization and Party Coalitions in U.S. Tax Politics

Arguments about national tax policy have taken center stage in U.S. politics in recent times, creating acute dilemmas for Democrats. With Republicans locked into antitax agendas for some time, Democrats have recently begun to push back, arguing for maintaining or even increasing taxes on the very wealthy in the name of deficit reduction and the need to sustain funding for public programs. But the Democratic Party as a whole has not been able to find a consistent voice on tax issues. It experienced key defections when large, upward-tilting tax cuts were enacted under President George W. Bush, and the Democratic Party could not control the agenda on debates over continuing those tax cuts even when it enjoyed unified control in Washington, DC, in 2009 and 2010. To explain these cleavages among Democrats, we examine growing pressures from small business owners, a key antitax constituency. We show that organizations claiming to speak for small business have become more active in tax politics in recent decades, and we track the ways in which constituency pressures have been enhanced by feedbacks from federal tax rules that encourage individuals to pass high incomes through legal preferences for the self-employed. Comparing debates over the inception and renewal of the Bush tax cuts, we show how small business organizations and constituencies have divided Democrats on tax issues. Our findings pinpoint the mechanisms that have propelled tax resistance in contemporary U.S. politics, and our analysis contributes to theoretical understandings of the ways in which political parties are influenced by policy feedbacks and by coalitions of policy-driven organized economic interests.
Management of surgical and procedural pain in a critical care setting.

Procedural pain has been underestimated and understudied in critically ill patients. Despite the frequency with which critical care patients undergo procedures, little is known about the degree of associated pain and the effectiveness of interventions. This article presents research findings that should help nurses to provide evidence-based interventions to adult patients experiencing surgical and procedural pain in the critical care setting. In addition, the significance and underlying mechanisms of surgical and procedural pain are discussed.
How China’s citizens view the quality of governance under Xi Jinping

AbstractXi Jinping has emphasized the need to improve the quality of governance and to crack down on corruption. The article uses a unique set of survey data from 2003 to 2014 to evaluate how Chinese citizens perceive the performance of their local officials. The findings confirm the view that Chinese citizens ‘disaggregate’ the state with satisfaction dropping as government gets closer to the people. Officials are seen to have become more competent and friendly in their dealings with citizens. Satisfaction tends to be higher with the provision of those public goods that the old planning system was good at delivering and are more concerned about the household-based challenges that the reforms have brought. Environmental worries have risen and citizens feel that progress has been made in the fight against corruption but this may have created a more critical view of local officials.
Does Age Influence the Frequency of Anxiety Symptoms and Disorders in HIV Disease

ABSTRACTThe current study examined the individual and combined effects of age and HIV serostatus on anxiety symptoms and diagnoses among a community sample. Participants included 163 Older (50+ years) HIV+ persons, 113 Younger (<40) HIV+ persons, 95 Older HIV- persons, and 75 Younger HIV- persons who completed the Profile of Mood States and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview as part of a baseline neuroAIDS research assessment. Results showed that HIV infection was associated with significantly higher rates of anxiety symptoms as well as 12-month and lifetime diagnoses of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Panic Disorder (PD). There was no significant effect of age and no significant interaction between HIV serostatus and age; however, Older HIV+ participants were significantly older at onset of anxiety diagnoses as compared to their Younger HIV+ counterparts. Among both Older and Younger HIV+ participants, there were high rates of comorbidity between anxiety disorders and Major Depressiv...
Papago Funeral Customs

ABSTRACTThe author was a resident priest-anthropologist at San Xavier Mission when he gathered the following information on the funeral customs of the Papago Indians, past and present. The current funeral rites are an interesting example of acculturation.
Dress under constraint

RUN away from the Subscriber, living in Donegall, Lancaster county, an Irish servant man, named JOHN ROBESON, about 22 years of age, about 5 feet 6 inches high, of a fresh complexion, red hair, and commonly wears it tied behind, and cued; had on, when he went away, a shirt and trowsers, a linen jacket, with 4 rows of buttons on the breast, and a pair of old shoes; he is a good scholar, and perhaps may pass for a Doctor. There went off with him, a Negroe man, named NED, well set, and strong, but not very tall, aged about 28 years, born in the Jerseys, speaks very good English, and can read and write, of a down look, and thick lips; had on, when he went away, a coarse shirt and trowsers, a hat, bound round the edge, and a hood worked in it; he may be taken for a Mulattoe, by his colour, and probably both may have provided other clothes. Likewise ran away in company with them, a likely Negroe man, belonging to Joseph Chambers in York town, named JAMES JONES, about 28 years of age, about 5 feet 11 inches high, slim made, born in this country, and has a good countenance; he took with him a blue broadcloth coat, black velvet jacket, and breeches, a pair of leather ditto, two fine shirts, one of them ruffled, 2 coarse ditto, two pair of coarse trowsers, a pair of pumps, with silver shoe buckles, a pair of strong shoes, a blanket, and a gun, with a splint in the stock, near the butt. It is likely they may have forged passes, as the white man writes a good hand. Whoever takes up and secures the said servants, so that their masters may have them again, shall have SIX POUNDS reward for the three, or Forty Shillings for either, if taken separate, and reasonable charges, paid by us, ALEXANDER LOWRY, JOSEPH CHAMBERS. This highly circumstantial advertisement was one of three concerning runaway laborers published in the Pennsylvania Gazette dated August 17, 1769. Most such listings were briefer, and it was rare for both enslaved persons and indentured servants to appear together, so this one is in effect a compendium of the types of information proffered by (and the preoccupations of) masters seeking the return of valuable human property.
Aquaculture Methods for Use in Managing Eutrophicated Waters

Macroalgae (seaweeds) are important components of nearshore marine and brackish water ecosystems throughout the world. Many macroalgae are highly productive, effectively utilizing solar energy to fix carbon into biomass. In this process, they absorb nutrients and other substances from the water, incorporating them into the thallus biomass. This biomass can serve as habitat or food for fish, shellfish, or other organisms, and if harvested can provide raw material for energy production, human food, animal fodder and industrial feedstocks for chemical production (Chapman and Chapman, 1980; Waaland 1981; Guiry and Blunden 1991). A considerable amount of recent attention has been focused on the problems that can occur when blooms of these macroalgae result from eutrophication caused by wastewater discharge and agricultural runoff. In such circumstances, the macroalgal biomass can represent a significant nuisance, impeding navigation, fouling recreational areas, and upsetting the ecological/biochemical balance in the marine system. Such problems, serious now, are sure to become even worse in the future as populations expand and industrialization spreads (Maurits la Riviere 1989). In spite of these negative effects, the environmental benefits of macroalgae, particularly their capacity to improve water quality, should be more effectively managed for beneficial purposes.
Multicultural Education in Theological Education

N. R. Howell & S. H. Matthaei (Eds.).(2014) Proleptic Pedagogy: Theological Education Anticipating the Future. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers. 170 pages, $20.00 (hardcover), ISBN: 9781498205...
Radiographic Evaluation of Suspected Scoliosis

A 10-year-old girl, an excellent athlete without any past medical history, comes to your office after a teammate on her soccer team noticed one of her shoulder blades was more prominent than the other. Her father noticed the whole spine was rotated and had a significant curve. On your examination she had no neurologic symptoms except a mild degree of hyperreflexia. You obtained scoliosis films which indicated a levoscoliotic curve with a Cobb angle of 38°.
How Many MLCs Should Impersonate SLCs to Optimize SSD Performance

Since an MLC (multi-level cell) can be used in an SLC (single-level cell) mode, an MLC-based flash SSD typically uses a fixed small portion (called log partition) in the SLC mode to accommodate hot data so that its overall performance can be improved. In this paper, we show that a fixed capacity of a log partition without considering workload characteristics can lead to an unexpected overall performance degradation. Contrary to intuition, we notice that blindly enlarging the capacity of a log partition would also result in worse performance due to the increased garbage collection cost in a data partition, which serves cold data. How many MLCs should impersonate SLCs under a particular workload to achieve an optimized performance is still an open question. To answer this question, we first measure write costs on each partition and their impact on the overall performance of an SSD. Next, a hardware-validated write cost model is built. Based on the model, we demonstrate that for each workload there always exists an optimal partitioning scheme. Further, to verify the effectiveness of our workload-aware dynamic partitioning strategy, we implement an FTL (flash translation layer) called BROMS (Best Ratio Of MLC to SLC), which adaptively adjusts the capacities of two partitions according to the workload characteristics. Experimental results from a hardware platform show that BROMS outperforms a fixed partitioning scheme by up to 86%.
Synthetic Immunology: Hacking Immune Cells to Expand Their Therapeutic Capabilities

The ability of immune cells to survey tissues and sense pathologic insults and deviations makes them a unique platform for interfacing with the body and disease. With the rapid advancement of synthetic biology, we can now engineer and equip immune cells with new sensors and controllable therapeutic response programs to sense and treat diseases that our natural immune system cannot normally handle. Here we review the current state of engineered immune cell therapeutics and their unique capabilities compared to small molecules and biologics. We then discuss how engineered immune cells are being designed to combat cancer, focusing on how new synthetic biology tools are providing potential ways to overcome the major roadblocks for treatment. Finally, we give a long-term vision for the use of synthetic biology to engineer immune cells as a general sensor-response platform to precisely detect disease, to remodel disease microenvironments, and to treat a potentially wide range of challenging diseases.
Gay Fathers’ Involvement in their Young Children’s Lives

As the contemporary fathering and family landscape grows increasingly more complex, a growing body of scholars are beginning to expand knowledge on the social matrix of men’s relationships with children by exploring the experiences of gay men as potential and active fathers. This chapter provides an overview of the existing empirical and theoretical scholarship on gay fathers and their involvement with children. In addition to reviewing the dominant themes in the literature, we detail the changing legalities facing gay fathers and their families, suggest implications for policy makers and practitioners, and offer practical resources for educators.
Essential tremor then and now: How views of the most common tremor diathesis have changed over time

Background Essential tremor (ET) is the most prevalent tremor diathesis. In this “then” and “now” piece, I detail how views of this disorder have changed over time.
Utility of The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology in Upper Urinary Tract Specimens

Introduction Diagnosing upper urinary tract (UUT) lesions using cytology has been historically difficult because of a lack of standardized terminology, cytomorphologic criteria, and the presence of instrumentation artifact. The goal of The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology (TPSRUC) was to provide standardized terminology and cytomorphologic criteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of TPSRUC in UUT cytology specimens at our institution. Materials and Methods Single ThinPrep archival slides from 30 UUT cytology cases with corresponding histological follow-up were reviewed using TPSRUC. Those results were compared with the original cytology diagnoses. Results The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) using TPSRUC were 71%, 100%, 100%, and 71%. Conclusions The TPSRUC was reliable at identifying HGUC. These data showed that this system had a lower sensitivity (71% versus 100%) and NPV (71% versus 100%) for UUT specimens compared with original cytology diagnoses. TPSRUC had a sensitivity and specificity that were comparable to reported overall sensitivity and specificity of UUT cytology for detection of HGUC. A major cause of discrepancy with TPSRUC was the classification of urine samples (n = 8) from histologically proven HGUC cases as only atypical (n = 6) or negative (n = 2), mainly owing to nuclear hypochromasia rather than hyperchromasia. Thus, hyperchromasia, a criteria used in TPSRUC, may not be as relevant in UUT specimens.
In-situ 3D visualization of composite microstructure during polymer-to-ceramic conversion

Abstract One route for producing fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites entails repeated impregnation and pyrolysis of a preceramic polymer in a fiber preform. The process relies crucially on the development of networks of contiguous cracks during pyrolysis, thereby allowing further impregnation to attain nearly-full densification. The present study employs in-situ x-ray computed tomography (XCT) to reveal in three dimensions the evolution of matrix structure during pyrolysis of a SiC-based preceramic polymer to 1200 °C. Observations are used to guide the development of a taxonomy of crack geometries and crack structures and to identify the temporal sequence of their formation. A quantitative analysis is employed to characterize effects of local microstructural dimensions on the conditions required to form cracks of various types. Complementary measurements of gas evolution and mass loss of the preceramic polymer during pyrolysis as well as changes in mass density and Young's modulus provide context for the physical changes revealed by XCT. The findings provide a foundation for future development of physics-based models to guide composite fabrication processes.