cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Venting Anger Feed or Extinguish the Flame? Catharsis, Rumination, Distraction, Anger, and Aggressive Responding:

Does distraction or rumination work better to diffuse anger? Catharsis theory predicts that rumination works best, but empirical evidence is lacking. In this study, angered participants hit a punching bag and thought about the person who had angered them (rumination group) or thought about becoming physically fit (distraction group). After hitting the punching bag, they reported how angry they felt. Next, they were given the chance to administer loud blasts of noise to the person who had angered them. There also was a no punching bag control group. People in the rumination group felt angrier than did people in the distraction or control groups. People in the rumination group were also most aggressive, followed respectively by people in the distraction and control groups. Rumination increased rather than decreased anger and aggression. Doing nothing at all was more effective than venting anger. These results directly contradict catharsis theory.
Molecular orientation behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) as influenced by the nanoparticles and plasticizer during uniaxial film stretching in the rubbery stage

The structural evolution during uniaxial stretching of poly(vinyl chloride) films was studied using our real time spectral birefringence stretching machine. The effect of clay loading and the amount of plasticizer as well as the rate effects on the birefringence development and true mechanical response are presented with a final model summarizing the molecular phenomena during stretching. Mechano-optical studies revealed that birefringence correlated with mechanical response (stress, strain, work) nonlinearly. This was primarily attributed to the preexisting strong network of largely amorphous chains connected via small crystallites that act as physical crosslinking points. These crystallites are not easily destroyed during the high-speed stretching process as evidenced from the birefringence–true strain curves along with the X-ray crystallinity measurements. At high speeds, the amorphous chains do not have enough time to relax and hence attain higher orientation levels. The crystallites, however, orient more efficiently when stretched at slow speeds. Apparently, some relaxation of the surrounding amorphous chains helps rotate the crystallites in the stretching direction. Overall birefringence is higher at high stretching speeds for a given true strain value. When the nanoparticles are incorporated, the orientation levels are increased significantly for both the crystalline and amorphous phases. Nanoplatelets increase the continuity of the network because they have strong interaction with the amorphous chains and/or crystallites. This in turn helps transfer the local stresses to the attached chains and increase the orientation levels of the chains. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 724–742, 2005
Object-oriented modeling support system: model representation, and incremental modeling

Incremental modeling is the ability to incrementally add new and more specialized modeling capabilities to existing models, thus creating larger, more complex, and more specialized models. Some of the basic functions of the object-oriented integrated modeling support (IMS) system are described. Elemental modeling constructs are presented, and the creation of the models is discussed. Capabilities are based on the object-oriented principles of abstraction, encapsulation, class-subclass structure, inheritance, polymorphism, and specialization upon which the design and operation of the IMS system is built. The benefits of incremental modeling include stepwise model building, code, object, and model reusability; fast model prototyping; and an evolutionary approach to model creation and model-base design. >
Defining a new vision for the retinoblastoma gene: report from the 3rd International Rb Meeting

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (Rb) pathway is mutated in most, if not all human tumors. In the G0/G1 phase, Rb and its family members p107 and p130 inhibit the E2F family of transcription factors. In response to mitogenic signals, Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) phosphorylate Rb family members, which results in the disruption of complexes between Rb and E2F family members and in the transcription of genes essential for S phase progression. Beyond this role in early cell cycle decisions, Rb family members regulate DNA replication and mitosis, chromatin structure, metabolism, cellular differentiation, and cell death. While the RB pathway has been extensively studied in the past three decades, new investigations continue to provide novel insights into basic mechanisms of cancer development and, beyond cancer, help better understand fundamental cellular processes, from plants to mammals. This meeting report summarizes research presented at the recently held 3rd International Rb Meeting.
Recipient cell nuclear factors are required for reprogramming by nuclear transfer

Nuclear transfer allows the reprogramming of somatic cells to totipotency. The cell cycle state of the donor and recipient cells, as well as their extent of differentiation, have each been cited as important determinants of reprogramming success. Here, we have used donor and recipient cells at various cell cycle and developmental stages to investigate the importance of these parameters. We found that many stages of the cell cycle were compatible with reprogramming as long as a sufficient supply of essential nuclear factors, such as Brg1, were retained in the recipient cell following enucleation. Consistent with this conclusion, the increased efficiency of reprogramming when using donor nuclei from embryonic cells could be explained, at least in part, by reintroduction of embryonic nuclear factors along with the donor nucleus. By contrast, cell cycle synchrony between the donor nucleus and the recipient cell was not required at the time of transfer, as long as synchrony was reached by the first mitosis. Our findings demonstrate the remarkable flexibility of the reprogramming process and support the importance of nuclear transcriptional regulators in mediating reprogramming.
Trends in Daily Solar Radiation and Precipitation Coefficients of Variation since 1984

This study investigates the possibility of changes in daily scale solar radiation and precipitation variability. Coefficients of variation (CVs) were computed for the daily downward surface solar radiation product from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project and the daily precipitation product from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project. Regression analysis was used to identify trends in CVs. Statistically significantchanges in solar radiationvariabilitywere found for 35% of the globe,and particularly largeincreases were found for tropical Africa and the Maritime Continent. These increases in solar radiationvariabilitywere correlated with increases in precipitation variability and increases in deep convective cloud amount. The changes in high-frequency climate variability identified here have consequences for any process depending nonlinearly on climate, including solar energy production and terrestrial ecosystem photosynthesis. To assess these consequences, additional work is needed to understand how high-frequency climate variability will change in the coming decades.
Molecular Recognition on Acoustic Wave Devices: Modified Zeolite-Silica Thin Films With Tailored Adsorption Properties

Microporous thin films composed either of zeolite crystals embedded in sol-gel derived glass or of a molecular coupling layer, zeolite crystals and a porous silica overlayer, were formed on the gold electrodes of Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCM). The microporosity of the thin films was characterized by in situ nitrogen and vapor sorption isotherms. Both preparation methods result in thin films with substantial microporosity. Selective adsorption based on molecular size exclusion from the microporous films could be achieved.
Converter placement on wavelength-routed network paths

In this paper, we consider the problem of optimally placing a given number of wavelength converters on a path to minimize the call blocking probability. Using a simple performance model, we first prove that uniform spacing of converters is optimal for the end-to-end performance when link loads are uniform and independent. We then show that significant gains are achievable with optimal placement compared to random placement. For non-uniform link loads, we provide a dynamic programming algorithm for the optimal placement and compare the performance with random and uniform placement.
The effect of aneuploidy on meiotic crossing over and segregation in yeast.

Meiotic chromosome associations in homothallic strains of S. cerevisiae were investigated by analysis of meiotic spore colonies and crossing over in +/+/− trisomics. The segregants of these aneuploids produce phenotypically distinguishable tetrasomic spore colonies. The data indicate that trivalent associations occur with a high frequency in trisomics of chromosome XVII and that the frequency of second division segregation is markedly increased over that found in the normal dipoid.
Decreased Expression of the Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel in Differentiated PC-12 and SH-SY5Y Cells Following Low-Level Pb Exposure

Lead (Pb) has been shown to disrupt cellular energy metabolism, which may underlie the learning deficits and cognitive dysfunctions associated with environmental Pb exposure. The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) plays a central role in regulating energy metabolism in neurons by maintaining cellular ATP levels and regulating calcium buffering, and studies have shown that VDAC expression is associated with learning in mice. In this study, we examined the effect of 5 and 10μM Pb on VDAC expression in vitro in order to determine whether Pb alters VDAC expression levels in neuronal cell lines. PC-12 and SH-SY5Y cells were used since they differentiate to resemble primary neuronal cells. VDAC expression levels were significantly decreased 48 h after exposure to Pb in both cell lines. In contrast, exposure to 24 h of hypoxia failed to produce a decrease in VDAC, suggesting that decreased VDAC expression is not a general cellular stress response but is a result of Pb exposure. This decreased VDAC expression was also correlated with a corresponding decrease in cellular ATP levels. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated a significant decrease in messenger RNA levels for the VDAC1 isoform, indicating that Pb reduces transcription of VDAC1. These results demonstrate that exposure to 5 and 10μM Pb reduces VDAC transcription and expression and is associated with reduced cellular ATP levels.
Language growth and genetics of specific language impairment

Behavioural studies of children with specific language impairment (SLI) have reported long-term growth outcomes across different dimensions of language. Genetic studies of children with SLI have identified candidate genes and putative associations of gene variants with SLI. The aims of this review are to summarize these two lines of investigation and to highlight the possible role of underlying growth timing mechanisms that influence the trajectory of language outcomes throughout childhood and into adolescence. Behavioural growth trajectories demonstrate that children with SLI have notable strengths in language acquisition, as well as limitations, across different dimensions of language. Language onset appears delayed, although the rate and pattern of change over time is similar to unaffected children. Growth rate decelerates early in adolescence for some dimensions of language. Genetic investigations reveal candidate genes that are known to influence neuronal development, and reveal possible gene interactions along a causal pathway. Epigenetic studies reveal other genetic influences implicated in the cognitive decline associated with ageing. This review highlights possible parallels between underlying genetic mechanisms and characteristics of linguistic growth trajectories. The conclusion is that new developmental perspectives are needed to inform language intervention in ways that align nurture with nature.
Physiotherapy literature in medical indexes: How comprehensive is index coverage of journals cited frequently by five physiotherapy journals?

The reasoning behind this study was to determine the most frequently cited journal publications in five physiotherapy journals during a one-year period, and which of five medical indexes provides the most comprehensive review of journals cited. The list of journals most frequently cited in the five journals of interest was created by determining the citation frequency of all cited journals in each of the ‘core’ citing journals. The top 10% of journals (in terms of citation frequency) from each of the five citing journals were combined to produce a master list of the most frequently cited journals. This master list was cross-tabulated with five different medical indexes (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Physiotherapy Index, Science Citation Index) to determine the comprehensiveness of the database of each index with regard to physiotherapy literature. The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health was not as thorough as the other indexes in its inclusion of ...
Half-lives of enzyme activities in an L5178Y mouse leukaemic cell.

SUMMARY L5178Y cells (mouse leukaemic cell lines) were grown in Fischer's medium and were utilized in the logarithmic phase of growth. Cells were incubated at 37 °C in 100 fig per ml of cycloheximide. This level of cycloheximide inhibited all cytoribosomal protein synthesis after 30 min incubation. After 70 h incubation with 100 fig per ml of cycloheximide the cell number was, in arbitrary units, 1 07 ±0001 (control: i'63±o-O3), the protein content 161 ±4 pg per cell (control: 181 ± 1) and the percentage viable cells 17 ±2 (control: 9811). Cells were removed at intervals from the incubation in 100 fig per ml of cycloheximide, extracted with 01 % Triton X-100, and assayed for various enzyme activities. From these data half-lives, stability times, and decay rates were calculated for each enzyme activity. Lysosomal enzyme activities, in particular the iV-acetyl hexosaminidases, were found to have long half-lives and stability and slow decay rates. Proteolytic enzyme activities were characterized by relatively long half-lives and stability times. The membrane marker enzyme activities, especially UDPase, were characterized by extremely short half-lives, rapid decay rates, and no stability time. Mitochondrial enzyme activities had relatively short stability time and half-lives and rather rapid decay rates. The decay occurring at late time intervals was thought to be a consequence of the death phase of the incubated cells as opposed to normal cellular decay.
Rat Palatability Study for Taste Assessment of Caffeine Citrate Formulation Prepared via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology

Developing a pediatric oral formulation with an age-appropriate dosage form and taste masking of naturally bitter active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are key challenges for formulation scientists. Several techniques are used for taste masking of bitter APIs to improve formulation palatability; however, not all the techniques are applicable to pediatric dosage forms because of the limitations on the kind and concentration of the excipients that can be used. Hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology is used successfully for taste masking of bitter APIs and overcomes some of the limitations of the existing taste-masking techniques. Likewise, analytical taste assessment is an important quality control parameter evaluated by several in vivo and in vitro methods, such as the human taste panel, electrophysiological methods, electronic sensor, and animal preference tests to aid in selecting a taste-masked formulation. However, the most appropriate in vivo method to assess the taste-masking efficacy of pediatric formulations remains unknown because it is not known to what extent the human taste panel/electronic tongue can predict the palatability in the pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to develop taste-masked caffeine citrate extrudates via HME and to demonstrate the wide applicability of a single bottle-test rat model to record and compare the volume consumed of the taste-masked solutions to that of the pure API. Thus, this rat model can be considered as a low-cost alternative taste-assessment method to the most commonly used expensive human taste panel/electronic tongue method for pediatric formulations.
Avoid Inadvertent Disclosure - And Waiver of Attorney-Client Privilege - In State and Federal Court

In recent years, there has been an increase in the accidental disclosure of confidential or privileged information by attorneys, mainly due to the sheer volume of electronically stored information (ESI). Such disclosure can cause a waiver of the attorney-client privilege with potentially devastating outcomes. Recent amendments to the federal and California rules have attempted to create guidelines as to how this type of nonintentional disclosure should be treated. For the most part, the California rules mirror the federal rules, with California perhaps providing greater protection by placing more of the burden on the receiving party.
Comparison of SAPIEN 3 and SAPIEN XT transcatheter heart valve stent-frame expansion: evaluation using multi-slice computed tomography

Aims Stent-frame morphology of the newer-generation, balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve (THV), the SAPIEN 3 (S3), after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unknown. We evaluated the THV stent-frame morphology post TAVI of the S3 using multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) compared with the prior-generation THV, SAPIEN XT (S-XT). Methods and results A total of 94 consecutive participants of RESOLVE registry ([NCT02318342][1]) had MSCT after balloon-expandable TAVI (S3 = 39 and S-XT = 55). The morphology of the THV stent-frame was evaluated for expansion area and eccentricity at the THV-inflow, native annulus, mid-THV and THV-outflow levels. Mean %-expansion area for the S3 and the S-XT was 100.9 ± 5.7 and 96.1 ± 5.5%, respectively ( P < 0.001). In the S3 group, the THV-inflow level had the largest value of %-expansion area, which decreased from THV-inflow to mid-THV level (105.2 ± 6.4 to 96.5 ± 5.9%, P < 0.001). However, in the S-XT group, %-expansion area increased from THV-inflow level to mid-THV level (93.2 ± 6.2 to 95.1 ± 6.1%, P = 0.0058). On nominal delivery balloon volume, the S3 in 88.5% of cases had overexpansion at the THV-inflow level. The observed degree of THV oversizing of the S3 was significantly lower than the S-XT (6.3 ± 8.6 vs. 11.8 ± 8.5%, P = 0.0027). Nonetheless, the incidence of post-procedural paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PVR) ≥ mild following the S3 TAVI was also significantly lower than the S-XT TAVI (17.9 vs. 43.6%, P = 0.014). Conclusion The newer-generation, balloon-expandable device, the S3, has a flared inflow morphology, whereas the prior-generation device, the S-XT, has relatively constrained inflow morphology post TAVI. This may contribute to a lesser degree of PVR with the S3. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT02318342&atom=%2Fejechocard%2F17%2F9%2F1054.atom
“I Am Because We Are”: Exploring Women’s Leadership Under Ubuntu Worldview

The ProblemAlthough there are women leading in various sectors within African societies and institutions, very little research has been done to explore and explain their experiences within their cu...
The Synthesis and Characterization of Polybenzamides Containing Siloxanes.

Three different kinds of siloxane-containing polybenzamide copolymers have been prepared: a series of siloxane-containing segmented copolymers; a siloxane-poly(benzamide) random copolymer; and a poly(benzamide) - poly(dimethylsiloxane) block copolymer. The structures of these copolymers were confirmed using diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy. Dilute solution viscometery showed them to be high polymers. The thermal stabilities of these copolymers were studied using thermal gravimetric analysis. Incorporation of siloxane units via a phenyl link was found to not affect the inherent thermal stability of the poly(benzamide) chain. The solution phase behavior of these copolymers in DMAC/LiCl was studied using an optical microscope fitted with cross-polars. The segmented copolymers and the block copolymer exhibited lyotropic behavior, which was influenced by the amount of siloxane and the overall molecular architecture. Solutions of the random copolymer were isotropic at all concentrations studied.
Relationships of Natural Enemy Field Populations to Gypsy Moth Abundance

Field populations of Porthetria dispar (L.) and its natural enemies Apanteles melanoscelus (Ratzeburg) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Blepharipa scutellata (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Tachinidae), Parasctigena agilis (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Tachinidae), and Calosoma sycophanta (L.) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were sampled during one summer and related by regression analysis. Natural enemies did not attack a greater proportion of gyspy moths at higher population densities of the latter, and so were not acting in a positive density-dependent manner at the time of the study. Also, absolute numbers of adult natural enemies were not postively correlated with gypsy moth numbers, implying that the natural enemies did not aggregate where gypsy moths were most abundant.
377 ESTIMATING SEXUAL ACTIVITY RATES IN TEENS AND THE IMPACT ON CHLAMYDIAL SCREENING RATES: HEALTH PLAN EMPLOYER DATA INFORMATION SET ADMINISTRATIVE DATA VERSUS ANONYMOUS SURVEYS

Purpose Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) screening of sexually active girls is a performance standard in the Health Plan Employer Data Information Set (HEDIS) to monitor the quality of care in managed care organizations. There has only been one study examining the validity of the HEDIS measure to identify sexually active females and this study did not specifically report on teen data. Because of the lack of data and concern about the HEDIS measure for teens (e.g., oral contraceptive prescription use for acne & reproductive counseling as a preventive service), we compared two different methods for calculating CT screening rates among sexually active adolescent females: HEDIS vs. teens9 self-report survey data. Methods This study was implemented in 10 ambulatory pediatric departments of a large California HMO as part of a larger randomized control trial designed to increase CT screening rates among sexually active 14-18 yo adolescent females (Shafer et al. 2002) during regularly scheduled health maintenance visits (HMVs). CT screening rates are the number of CT tests done in the past 12 months for a given teen divided by the estimated number of sexually active teens. Laboratory (CT tests) and HMVs data was compiled for three years (2001-2003). Two different methods were used to estimate the number of sexually active teens. First, HEDIS administrative data was used (as specified with ICD-9 and CPT-4 codes). Second, anonymous surveys at each of the pediatric clinics were administered to calculate sexual activity rates. Results Significantly more teens were estimated to be sexually active using the HEDIS specifications compared to self-reported survey data. The mean number of teens identified as sexually active via HEDIS across the 3 years was 337 compared to 140 using the self-reported survey data, p=0.008. Improvements in CT screening rates in intervention clinics compared to controls were detected in both methodologies; however, the difference was not as robust with the HEDIS measure. Conclusions There are many advantages for using administrative data to estimate sexual activity used to calculate CT screening rates; however, more research is needed to examine its validity especially for the young adolescent population. This issue is extremely important, as clinicians monitor the effectiveness of their interventions to progress towards the goal of universal CT screening of sexually active females.
NVSim-VX s : An improved NVSim for variation aware STT-RAM simulation

Spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) recently received significant attentions for its promising characteristics in cache and memory applications. As an early-stage modeling tool, NVSim has been widely adopted for simulations of emerging nonvolatile memory technologies in computer architecture research, including STT-RAM, ReRAM, PCM, etc. In this work, we introduce a new member of NVSim family -- NVSim-VXs, which enables statistical simulation of STT-RAM for write performance, errors, and energy consumption. This enhanced model takes into account the impacts of parametric variabilities of CMOS and MTJ devices and the chip operating temperature. It is also calibrated with Monte-Carlo Simulations based on macro-magnetic and SPICE models, covering five technology nodes between 22nm and 90nm. NVSim-VXs strongly supports the fast-growing needs of STT-RAM research on reliability analysis and enhancement, announcing the next important stage of NVSim development.
SU‐F‐R‐11: Designing Quality and Safety Informatics Through Implementation of a CT Radiation Dose Monitoring Program

Purpose: Recent legislative and accreditation requirements have driven rapid development and implementation of CT radiation dose monitoring solutions. Institutions must determine how to improve quality, safety, and consistency of their clinical performance. The purpose of this work was to design a strategy and meaningful characterization of results from an in-house, clinically-deployed dose monitoring solution. Methods: A dose monitoring platform was designed by our imaging physics group that focused on extracting protocol parameters, dose metrics, and patient demographics and size. Compared to most commercial solutions, which focus on individual exam alerts and global thresholds, the program sought to characterize overall consistency and targeted thresholds based on eight analytic interrogations. Those were based on explicit questions related to protocol application, national benchmarks, protocol and size-specific dose targets, operational consistency, outliers, temporal trends, intra-system variability, and consistent use of electronic protocols. Using historical data since the start of 2013, 95% and 99% intervals were used to establish yellow and amber parameterized dose alert thresholds, respectively, as a function of protocol, scanner, and size. Results: Quarterly reports have been generated for three hospitals for 3 quarters of 2015 totaling 27880, 28502, 30631 exams, respectively. Four adult and two pediatric protocols were higher than external institutional benchmarks. Four protocol dose levels were being inconsistently applied as a function of patient size. For the three hospitals, the minimum and maximum amber outlier percentages were [1.53%,2.28%], [0.76%,1.8%], [0.94%,1.17%], respectively. Compared with the electronic protocols, 10 protocols were found to be used with some inconsistency. Conclusion: Dose monitoring can satisfy requirements with global alert thresholds and patient dose records, but the real value is in optimizing patient-specific protocols, balancing image quality trade-offs that dose-reduction strategies promise, and improving the performance and consistency of a clinical operation. Data plots that capture patient demographics and scanner performance demonstrate that value.
Pre-ordering of interfacial water in the pathway of heterogeneous ice nucleation does not lead to a two-step crystallization mechanism

According to Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT), the transition from liquid to crystal occurs in a single activated step with a transition state controlled by the size of the crystal embryo. This picture has been challenged in the last two decades by several reports of two-step crystallization processes in which the liquid first produces pre-ordered or dense domains, within which the crystal nucleates in a second step. Pre-ordering preceding crystal nucleation has been recently reported in simulations of ice crystallization, raising the question of whether the mechanism of ice nucleation involves two steps. In this paper, we investigate the heterogeneous nucleation of ice on carbon surfaces. We use molecular simulations with efficient coarse-grained models combined with rare event sampling methods and free energy calculations to elucidate the role of pre-ordering of liquid water at the carbon surface in the reaction coordinate for heterogeneous nucleation. We find that ice nucleation proceeds through a classical mechanism, with a single barrier between liquid and crystal. The reaction coordinate that determines the crossing of the nucleation barrier is the size of the crystal nucleus, as predicted by CNT. Wetting of the critical ice nuclei within pre-ordered domains decreases the nucleation barrier, increasing the nucleation rates. The preferential pathway for crystallization involves the early creation of pre-ordered domains that are the birthplace of the ice crystallites but do not represent a minimum in the free energy pathway from liquid to ice. We conclude that a preferential pathway through an intermediate-order precursor does not necessarily result in a two-step mechanism.
Targeting argininosuccinate synthetase-deficient advanced solid tumors in a phase I trial of ADI-PEG20 plus cisplatin.

2563 Background: Besides its selective activity to induce autophagy and caspase-independent apoptosis in argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS)-deficient cancer cells, ADI-PEG20 (pegylated arginine dei...
“I’m the Mang!”: Latino authenticity and subversion in the boxing ring

This article demonstrates how the act of “coming out” can work to subvert hegemonic notions of “authentic” Latino male masculinity. I posit that Latino authenticity, devoid of any essentialism, is a legible, embodied performance of a cultural rhetoric that is regionally and temporally contextual. Orlando Cruz, a young gay Puerto Rican male boxer whose recent declaration of his sexuality made headlines, is the focus of this article. My assessment of the hypermasculine sport of boxing is informed by pugilistic history and an analysis of literary representation. I offer a more complex account of the cultural forces that shape Latino masculinity today by using boxing as a site of inquiry and combining the approaches of critical race theory and queer theory under the auspices of Jennifer Domingo Rudolph’s masculatinidad. I begin with the tragic events of the historic 1962 Griffith vs. Paret bout, and then move to a close reading of Blade to the Heat, a play inspired by these events. I argue that Cruz succeeds in short-circuiting the dominant masculinity/sexuality binary that is assumed of Latino men and male athletes.
Arkas: Rapid reproducible RNAseq analysis

The recently introduced Kallisto pseudoaligner has radically simplified the quantification of transcripts in RNA-sequencing experiments. We offer cloud-scale RNAseq pipelines Arkas-Quantification , and Arkas-Analysis available within Illumina’s BaseSpace cloud application platform which expedites Kallisto preparatory routines, reliably calculates differential expression, and performs gene-set enrichment of REACTOME pathways . Due to inherit inefficiencies of scale, Illumina's BaseSpace computing platform offers a massively parallel distributive environment improving data management services and data importing. Arkas-Quantification deploys Kallisto for parallel cloud computations and is conveniently integrated downstream from the BaseSpace Sequence Read Archive (SRA) import/conversion application titled SRA Import . Arkas-Analysis annotates the Kallisto results by extracting structured information directly from source FASTA files with per-contig metadata, calculates the differential expression and gene-set enrichment analysis on both coding genes and transcripts. The Arkas cloud pipeline supports ENSEMBL transcriptomes and can be used downstream from the SRA Import facilitating raw sequencing importing, SRA FASTQ conversion, RNA quantification and analysis steps.
Preoperative Smoking and Narcotic, Benzodiazepine, and Tramadol Use are Risk Factors for Narcotic Use After Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND The use of narcotics has been found to be a modifiable risk factor for success of arthroplasty. We sought to determine the risk factors leading to increased narcotic use after total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed on new patients presenting to an orthopedic reconstructive-service clinic. New patients aged 18 years or older with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee who presented over a 1-year period and underwent total knee arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty were included. The Arkansas prescription monitoring program was then used to determine recent narcotic and benzodiazepine prescriptions filled within 3 months of surgery, and this was converted into morphine milligram equivalents (MME). RESULTS One hundred seventy-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. When compared with patients who did not take any preoperative opioids, narcotic- and tramadol-only users filled an average of 86% and 38% more MME, respectively. Benzodiazepine users required an average of 81% more MME postoperative than nonusers, and smokers required an average of 90% more MME postoperative than nonsmokers. Subjects with body mass index >40 kg/m2 had 82% higher average postoperative MME than subjects with body mass index <25 kg/m2. Age and sex had no significant correlation with postoperative narcotic use. CONCLUSION This study suggests that a patient's preoperative narcotic, tramadol, benzodiazepine, and tobacco use are correlated to the amount of postoperative narcotic prescriptions filled in the 3 months following surgery. Predisposition to substance abuse may be a characteristic which leads to increased postoperative narcotic use.
Characterizations of solid-liquid interface in a wet-mate subsea HVDC connector

Abstract Wet-mate connectors represent essential and technically challenging components in a subsea HVDC system. In this paper, systematic characterizations of solid-liquid insulation system implemented in a Wet-Mate subsea connector are presented with special focus on the interfaces. First, conduction in the liquid gap was studied using the current-voltage characterization and the Kerr electro-optic field mapping to establish the correlation between conduction and DC field grading for various electrode gap configurations and oil types. Secondly, Kerr electro-optic field sensing was extended to solid-liquid interfaces for model Wet-Mate connectors. Studies suggest that DC field grading in solid-liquid insulation particularly along the interface is influenced by regimes of conduction depending on the electrode configuration, gap separation, polarity, oil type, moisture and contaminants, and such dependences are further affected by the DC properties of hybrid solid-liquid insulations. Exemplar modelling studies conducted on representative design configurations indicate that this comprehensive basic study could provide insight into the tailoring of solid-liquid interfaces with low field distortion under quasi steady-state and polarity reversal operations for safe design and optimization of DC Wet-Mate connectors.
Control of Cell Number and Type in the Developing and Evolving Neocortex

Large mammalian brains show “encephalization”: that is, in larger brains, the neocortex claims a disproportionately high percentage of their volume (Jerison, 1973; Jerison, this volume). The magnitude of encephalization is impressive, and its manner is strikingly regular across multiple mammalian radiations (Hofman, 1989). I would like to take advantage of this forum to speculate on the relationship of encephalization to current research on the ontogenetic regulation of neuron number and type in the cortex. The discussion is organized around three questions: 1. Can any persistent feature of development account for the disproportionately large volume of the cortex in large brains? 2. Why do developmental stabilizing mechanisms permit cortical hypertrophy? For example, in the spinal cord there is some trophic relationship between the number of neurons and peripheral muscle and sensory mass, regulated by normally-occurring cell death (Hamburger and Levi-Montalcini, 1949; reviewed in Hamburger and Oppenheim 1982; Oppenheim, 1981). Why is relative cortical volume allowed to grow so large with respect to the volume of its input and terminal zones? 3. Can development give us any clue as to how local areas of cortex get wired for their particular functions? Two views of the brain have competed for decades, whether the brain is best understood as a generalized computing device, or as an accretion of specialized capacities. While some of the functional change in larger brains might be described as faster, more powerful, and more general computing, the most prominent functional changes are the addition of particular, specialized skills. These skills, like echolocation, language, predictive prey tracking and the like, are apparently represented in a modular way in the brain. How can a generalized and regular neocortical hypertrophy be reconciled with the development of modularly-organized special functions?
The effects of mate separation on pair re-formation in the Texas cichlid fish (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum ).

Abstract This study tested whether mated pairs of Texas cichlid ( Cichlasoma cyanoquttatum ) would reform and continue rearing their offspring after being separated for either one, four, or ten days. All pairs successfully re-formed after one day, while only 50% re-formed after 4 days. No pair re-formed after 10 days of separation. In successfully re-formed pairs, the female was always more aggressive than her mate, irrespective of whether the female was the resident or the returning individual. Aggressiveness seemed related to the female's attempt to control the male's parental behavior. For pairs which did not re-form, the resident parent, either the male or female, violently and continously attacked the returned mate.
Organizing and hosting a student programming contest: panel discussion

ACM hosts an annual student programming contest [1]. Contests are also offered regularly by several conferences [2], student organizations, and professional societies [3]. Although specific organizational features vary, there are common requirements for organizers and host sites to be aware of. This panel discussion will address computing and infrastructure requirements, developing contest problems, scoring and judging issues, organizational and technical challenges, and how much pizza and soda it takes to keep several teams of student programmers functioning. Confirmed panel members have each been site director for an ACM or conference-based programming contest.
Biodegradable and biocompatible polymers for electronic applications: A review:

Electronic products enhance our lives and bring change in almost every field including communications, entertainment, and healthcare. However, the fast-growing surplus of electronic waste has becom...
Inspection of the residual stress on welds using laser ultrasonic supported with finite element analysis

Ultrasonic evaluation for residual stress measurement has been an effective method owing to its easy implementation, low cost and intrinsically being nondestructive. The velocity variations of acoustic waves in materials can be related to the stress state in the deformed medium by the acoustoelastic effects. In this study, a laser/EMAT ultrasonic method is proposed to evaluate the surface/subsurface longitudinal residual stress distribution generated by gas metal arc welding (GMAW). The velocity variation Δ V / V of Rayleigh wave, which is a surface wave, will be experimentally measured. Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser is used to generate a broadband ultrasonic wave. An electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) is attached to the welding plate for Rayleigh wave pick up. As the ultrasound receiver, the EMAT is used to measure time of flight (ToF) of the Rayleigh waves traveling along a specific path parallel to the direction of the welding seam. ToF measurements are obtained by changing Rayleigh wave path to welding zone center distance from 0 to 45 mm. A 3D thermomechanical-coupled finite element model is then developed to validate the capability of the proposed technique for welding-induced residual stress evaluation. The distributions of the normalized velocity variations from ToF experiments are compared with the distribution of the normalized longitudinal residual stresses from finite element analysis (FEA). It has been shown that there is a good correlation between these two distributions. The proposed technique provides a potential nondestructive avenue for surface/subsurface residual stress evaluation for welding parts.
ERAS and patient reported outcomes in thoracic surgery: a review of current data

Quality-focused, cost-effective, patient-centered care is at the forefront of current healthcare reform. Recent data show that enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) results in improved surgical outcomes and decreased hospital costs. As a result, ERAS has been widely accepted among multiple surgical subspecialties as a modality for increasing the value of healthcare delivered to our patients. While this objective data is convincing for practitioners and administrators alike, how ERAS directly impacts the patient experience is unclear. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) are starting to drive patterns of healthcare delivery and influence surgical decision-making. In order to improve surgical outcomes and deliver patient-centered care, it is imperative that clinicians start reviewing objective metrics contained within morbidity and mortality data alongside subjective data regarding patients' experience. This article reviews the current data surrounding both ERAS and PROs within thoracic surgery and investigates how the two concepts are ultimately related.
‘Undisputed’ racialised masculinities: boxing fandom, identity, and the cultural politics of masculinity

Scholarship on race and gender in boxing have examined how meanings of masculinity are produced vis-a-vis a boxer’s identity. This study offers an ethnographic exploration of boxing spectator relat...
Using Maximum Weighted Cliques in the Detection of Sub-communities’ Behaviors in OSNs

The extraction of clique relations in social networks can show information related to groups and how those groups are formed or interact with each other. In one pending application, we are showing how such “detection of abnormal cliques’ behaviors” can be possibly used to detect sub-communities’ behaviors based on information from Online Social Networks (OSNs). In social networks, a clique represents a group of people where every member in the clique is a friend with every other member in the clique. Those cliques can have containment relation with each other where large cliques can contain small size cliques. This is why most algorithms in this scope focus on finding the maximum clique. In our approach, we evaluated adding the weight factor to clique algorithm to show more insights about the level of involvement of users in the clique. In this regard clique activities are not like those in group discussions where an activity is posted by one user and is visible by all others. Our algorithm calculates the overall weight of the clique based on individual edges. Users post frequent activities. Their clique members, just like other friends, may or may not interact with all those activities.
The evolution of stent grafts for endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms: how design changes affect clinical outcomes

Introduction: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the ballooning of the patient's aortic wall. One treatment for this condition, Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR), has demonstrated a greater degree of safety in the short term and has the potential to be more cost-effective than its open surgical counterpart.Areas covered: EVAR comes with the added risks of late-term failure, however, as the endografts are subject to displacement, loss of seal against the aortic wall, or failure to serve as a means of bypassing the aneurysm. Device manufacturers have made constant iterations to the endoprostheses available on the market to reduce these complications, expand the pool of suitable patients, and reduce cost of endovascular repair while ensuring patient safety and strong clinical outcomes.Expert opinion: Short and midterm clinical outcomes have improved markedly over 20 years and the number of patients who qualify for EVAR has increased dramatically. Late-term failures and the need for life-long monitoring for complications remain the Achille's heel for this treatment paradigm. Differences in short- and long-term outcomes, as well as overall costs related to lifelong monitoring and late-term complications and reinterventions, still require continuous comparison to previous devices and the historically proven open surgical repair.
Extrapolating Antifungal Animal Data to Humans - Is it reliable?

This article aimed to review animal models of antifungals and identifies human literature to assess if the extrapolation of results is reliable. Animal studies have helped identify area under the concentration curve to minimum inhibitory concentration ratio targets for new drugs and formulations such as isavuconazole and delayed-release posaconazole that have translated to successful outcomes in humans. Models have also been influential in the identification of possible combination therapies for the treatment of aspergillosis, such as voriconazole and echinocandins. However, challenges are endured with animal models when it comes to replicating the pharmacokinetics of humans which has been exemplified with the newest itraconazole formulation. Additionally, animal models have displayed a survival benefit with the use of iron chelators and amphotericin for mucormycosis which was not demonstrated in humans. Animal models have been a staple in the development and optimization of antifungal agents. They afford the ability to investigate uncommon diseases, such as invasive fungal infections, that would otherwise take years and many resources to complete. Although there are many benefits of animal models, there are also shortcomings. This is why the reliability of extrapolating data from animal models to humans is often scrutinized.
Corporate Taxation and the Distribution of Income

Higher corporate taxes reduce corporate business operations, replacing them with operations by noncorporate businesses that are risky and have undiversified ownership. This shift contributes to income dispersion, with effects so large that higher corporate taxes can increase income inequality even when the corporate tax burden falls entirely on capital owned disproportionately by the rich. Estimates suggest that the riskiness of U.S. noncorporate business increases by 12.3% the aggregate income of the top one percent, and that income dispersion created by a higher U.S. corporate tax rate offsets more than half of the distributional effects of reducing average returns to capital.
Year in Surgical Thyroidology: Part 1

Abstract This series of two videos reprises the opening session of the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association. A summary of original research articles influencing surgical thyroido...