cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The expressions of Fas and Fas L in rabbit retina with ischemia-reperfusion injury,and the effect of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor on its expression

Objective: To investigate the protective effects of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor( rh-b FGF) on retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury( RIRI) in rabbit. Methods: The models of RIRI in rabbit were established by elevating intraocular pressure.Sixty-six healthy rabbits with normal external ocular and fundus were randomly divided into the sham-operation group( 6 rabbits),retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury group( RIRI group,30 rabbits) and rh-b FGF treatment group( RIRI + rh-b FGF group,30 rabbits). The right eye was selected as the experimental eye. RIRI group and RIRI + rh-b FGF group were treated with 0. 9% sodium chloride injection and rh-b FGF,respectively. Morphological changes of retinal cells and the expressions of Fas and Fas L of retinal tissue in sham-operation group,and at 6 h,12 h,24 h,48 h and 72 h time-points of RIRI and RIRI + rh-b FGF groups were detected by HE staining and immunohistochemical method,respectively. Results: No apoptotic cells was found in sham-operation group. Apoptotic cells in RIRI group located mainly in the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer,and which arrived at peak at 24 h after reperfusion. No obvious expression of Fas in retinal tissue of the sham-operation group was found. After RIRI,little Fas expressing at 6 h,arriving at peak at 24 h,then begaining to decrease at 48 h and significant weakening at 72 h were found. No obvious expression of Fas L in retinal tissue of the sham-operation group was found. After RIRI,Fas L expression beginning to increase at 12 h,arriving at peak at 24 h,then beginning to decrease and still maintaining a high level at 72 h were found. Compared with the RIRI group,the positive expression trend of apoptotic factors at each time-point in RIRI + rh-b FGF group was similar,the expressions of Fas and Fas L in RIRI group and RIRI + rh-b FGF group obviously decreased( P 0. 05). The differences of the expression of Fas and Fas L at 6 h,12 h,24 h,48 h and 72 h between RIRI and RIRI + rh-b FGF group were statistical significance( P 0. 01). Conclusions: The protective mechanism of rh-b FGF on RIRI in rabbit may be related to inhibit the expressions of Fas and Fas L in retina.
Utilization of medium-chain triglycerides by neonatal piglets: II. Effects of even- and odd-chain triglyceride consumption over the first 2 days of life on blood metabolites and urinary nitrogen excretion.

In two experiments, 144 neonatal pigs were force-fed 12 ml of triglyceride containing fatty acids of even (C8, C10) or odd (C7, C9) medium-chain length (even-MCT, odd-MCT, respectively) or long- (greater than or equal to C16) chain length (LCT). Pigs were individually caged for measurement of urinary N excretion and(or) blood metabolites over 24 h. In Exp. 1, pigs were force-fed immediately after birth and were not allowed to suckle. Supplementation with triglyceride decreased 24-h N excretion compared with control animals given 12 ml of water, suggesting decreased breakdown of body protein and improved energy status. Blood glucose increased over 24 h in all pigs (P less than .05), but more in pigs given MCT (1.38 mM) than in those given LCT (.61 mM) or in controls (.85 mM) and more in animals given even-MCT (1.87 mM) than in those given odd-MCT (1.14 mM). In Exp. 2, pigs were allowed to suckle and were force-fed at 6, 18 or 48 h of age. An apparent improvement in utilization of even-MCT was observed between 6 and 18 h, as evidenced by a twofold vs a sixfold increase in 3-OH-butyrate (BHBA) concentration 1 h after dosing and a twofold vs 12-fold increase in plasma fatty acid concentration. This was not seen in pigs given odd-MCT. The BHBA response with odd-MCT was approximately half that observed with even-MCT in pigs 18 and 48 h old, but not in pigs 6 h old. No change in BHBA concentration (P greater than .1) was observed in pigs after force-feeding LCT at either 6, 18 or 48 h of age. Collectively, these data suggest that MCT may be better utilized than LCT and that there may be a differences in the utilization of even-MCT vs odd-MCT, depending on the age of the neonate. This could be related to chain length effects on digestion and absorption because plasma decanoate concentration changed very little, even though it composed 25% of the even-MCT supplement.
Intrinsically safe equipment and wiring

Intrinsic safety enables electrical equipments to be used without the risk of igniting any flammable gas or vapor. Equipments and associated wirings approved as intrinsically safe may be installed in any hazardous location, without fulfilling the requirements of explosion-proof equipment. There is an increasing demand for intrinsically safe equipments; for signaling and automatic process control in oil refining and other industries. However, intrinsic safety is restricted to electrical apparatus and circuits in which the output or consumption of energy is small, and the principle of it depends upon factors— such as, the supply of voltage, resistance, capacitance, inductance, the manner in which the circuit is broken, the material, the shape of the contacts, and the type of gas or vapor. The chapter also outlines guidelines for their installation in a hazardous area—such as, keeping the intrinsically safe wiring separate from non-intrinsically safe wiring, whether installed in a hazardous or nonhazardous location. However, in a nonhazardous location, intrinsically safe wiring may occupy the same enclosure or cable tray if there is a minimum two inch separation between the two, and both the types of wires are tied.
Primes and Probability: The Hawkins Random Sieve

While prime numbers are the fundamental building blocks of the integers, understanding how they are spread within the integers has turned out to be hard work. For example, the Prime Number Theorem stood as a conjecture for nearly a hundred years, and anyone who bags the Riemann Hypothesis first will be a million dollars richer. Modern cryptography assumes that the primes will retain their secrets for some time to come. In the presence of hard problems, it is tempting to employ models. A good model should provide an approximation of reality which is simple enough to understand, yet accurate enough to be useful. While there are several models for the primes, in this paper we tell the story of a beautiful and compelling probabilistic model known as the Hawkins primes. First introduced by David Hawkins in this MAGAZINE [11], the model is based on a simple variation of the sieve of Eratosthenes. Over the past fifty years, the Hawkins model has been used to predict the truth, in the strongest probabilistic sense, of results (both established and conjectured) concerning the distribution of the prime numbers, including the Twin Primes Conjecture and the Riemann Hypothesis. Also, the model (or generalizations thereof) has potential to shed light on interesting integer sequences other than the primes.
“Killing Time”: Aspects of Schnitzler’s Reigen

(1962). “Killing Time”: Aspects of Schnitzler’s Reigen. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 190-206.
Management of Regional Planning

Over the last three decades the theoretical structure of regional planning has become more sophisticated, but its application to developing countries has met with little success. One reason for this situation is that although the planning methodology is satisfactory, implementation of the plans has been very weak. There is an urgent need to use different techniques of management science to implement the planning decisions.
High-resolution optical polarimetric elastography for measuring the mechanical properties of tissue

Traditionally, chemical and molecular markers have been the predominate method in diagnostics. Recently, alternate methods of determining tissue and disease characteristics have been proposed based on testing the mechanical behavior of biomaterials. Existing methods for performing elastography measurements, such as atomic force microscopy, compression testing, and ultrasound elastography, require either extensive sample processing or have poor resolution. In the present work, we demonstrate an optical polarimetric elastography device to characterize the mechanical properties of salmon skeletal muscle. A fiber-coupled 1550nm laser paired with an optical polarizer is used to create a fiber optic sensing region. By measuring the change in polarization from the initial state to the final state within the fiber sensing region with a polarimeter, the loading-unloading curves can be determined for the biomaterial. The device is used to characterize the difference between samples with a range of collagen membranes. The loading-unloading curves are used to determine the change in polarization phase and energy loss of the samples at 10%, 20% and 30% strain. As expected, the energy loss is a better metric for measuring the mechanical properties of the tissues because it incorporates the entire loading-unloading curve rather than a single point. Using this metric, it is demonstrated the device can repeatedly differentiate between the different membrane configurations.
The Glean Machine

Nucleotide sequences contain hidden information about the forces for conservation and variation that shaped their evolutionary history. To glean sequences for hidden information motivates the study of similarities in sequence among orthologous and paralogous coding sequences, and also gives impetus for improved methods of phylogenetic estimation and hypothesis testing. Variation within populations is also evidential for evolutionary history. Within coding sequences, different patterns of variation are often observed between nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions, which cause amino acid replacements, and synonymous nucleotide substitutions, which do not. For some coding sequences these differences are consistent with an evolutionary scenario featuring greater functional constraints on amino acid sequences than on nucleotide sequences. We have developed a sampling theory of selection and random genetic drift for interpreting the numbers of wildtype and variant nucleotides found among the polymorphic sites present in sequences of multiple alleles of a gene. This sampling theory has been used to interpret the patterns of intrapopulation polymorphism of 28 genes in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica, each gene exhibiting greater than 50 polymorphic sites among the alleles examined. Many of these genes have an excess of singleton amino acid polymorphisms, relative to the number of singleton synonymous polymorphisms. (A singleton polymorphism is one in which the sample is monomorphic except for a single variant.) In 22/28 genes, there is a greater proportion of singleton nonsynonymous poly- morphisms than the proportion of singleton synonymous polymorphisms, and in 8 genes this excess is statistically significant. This pattern is consistent with a model in which most amino acid polymorphisms are slightly deleterious and hence present in samples at lower than expected frequencies. Furthermore, the sampling distribution of polymorphic synonymous nucleotide sites implies selection for optimal codon usage and enables estimation of the magnitude of the selection coefficients.
Development and implementation of a group interviews and evaluation process for pharmacy admissions at a large urban institution

Introduction: The Admissions Committee at Long Island University College of Pharmacy (LIU Pharmacy) developed and implemented a group interview format for the 2015-2016 admissions cycle. The new process, which included a group interview, a critical thinking exercise and a campus tour, allowed for 300 pharmacy school candidates to be interviewed in four full-day sessions. This article reports the experience of developing and implementing group interviews at LIU Pharmacy. Methods: Four full-day sessions were scheduled to interview pharmacy school candidates during the spring of 2016. Seventy-five candidates were divided into three groups of 25 for each session and rotated through three sections: 1) group interview; 2) critical thinking exercise; and 3) campus tour. The Office of Admissions at LIU Pharmacy organised the interview schedule and a total of 48 faculty, alumni and staff evaluators were trained. Results: Group interviews were conducted to interview 300 candidates in four full-day sessions at LIU Pharmacy. Total evaluator interviewing hours were reduced by 20% when compared to the previous year. Feedback surveys from candidates and evaluators showed acceptable levels of satisfaction and comfortability with the new interview process. Discussion : The development and implementation of group interviewing at LIU Pharmacy allowed for 300 pharmacy school candidates to be interviewed in four full-day sessions during the 2015-2016 admission cycle.
Patterns of Preterm Birth among Women of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Descent.

Objective To describe the characteristics and risk factors for preterm birth in Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of 10,470 women of Hawaiian or Pacific Islander descent drawn from a population-based birth cohort dataset in California. Variables were examined across preterm birth subtype (spontaneous, provider initiated) and by gestational age grouping (early preterm birth and late preterm birth) and all preterm births. Results Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women were at higher risk for preterm birth when they had fewer than three prenatal visits; were underweight, reported tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs use in pregnancy; had a diagnosis of anemia, gestational diabetes, preexisting diabetes, or hypertension with or without pre-eclampsia; or had a history of previous preterm birth. Obesity was found to be protective for preterm birth. Conclusion Women of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent demonstrate a similar yet unique constellation of risk and protective factors for preterm birth as compared with other groups at high risk for preterm birth. Interventions aimed to prevent preterm birth need to support the specific needs of this population.
Yersinia pestis Pla Protein Thwarts T Cell Defense against Plague

Plague is a rapidly lethal human disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis This study demonstrated that the Y. pestis plasminogen activator Pla, a protease that promotes fibrin degradation, thwarts T cell-mediated defense against fully virulent Y. pestis Introducing a single point mutation into the active site of Pla suffices to render fully virulent Y. pestis susceptible to primed T cells. Mechanistic studies revealed essential roles for fibrin during T cell-mediated defense against Pla-mutant Y. pestis Moreover, the efficacy of T cell-mediated protection against various Y. pestis strains displayed an inverse relationship with their levels of Pla activity. Together, these data indicate that Pla functions to thwart fibrin-dependent T cell-mediated defense against plague. Other important human bacterial pathogens, including staphylococci, streptococci, and borrelia, likewise produce virulence factors that promote fibrin degradation. The discovery that Y. pestis thwarts T cell defense by promoting fibrinolysis suggests novel therapeutic approaches to amplifying T cell responses against human pathogens.
Dieting and body shaming: political correctness has trumped common sense.

I’m not sure what point Kar is trying to make about body shaming.1 He expects us to provide information to patients with obesity—that requires a conversation about their weight. This must start with a judgment that it would be better for them if they lost weight. Some patients will choose to regard this as “shaming.” But he then implies …
Point-of-care ultrasound diagnosis of small bowel-small bowel vs ileocolic intussusception

Abstract Background Identification of intussusception is feasible with emergency department (ED) point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) due to its ease-of-use and high accuracy. Little is known about the clinical characteristics and outcomes of small bowel-small bowel intussusception (SB-SBI) relative to ileocolic intussusception (ICI) identified by PoCUS. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single, tertiary care, urban pediatric ED of intussusception identified by PoCUS. Demographic information, clinical data, and outcomes, including clinical course, intussusception characteristics, recurrence rates, and interobserver agreement (Cohen's kappa), were evaluated. Results ED PoCUS identified thirty-seven patients with intussusception over a 4-year period. Twenty-one patients (57%) identified were SB-SBI. The median age was 54 months (IQR 35–76 months) for SB-SBI and 8 months (IQR 5.8–13.5 months) for ICI. The mean diameter was 1.68 cm (SD 0.52 cm) for SB-SBI and 2.74 cm (SD 0.43 cm) for ICI (p Conclusions SB-SBI may be identified more frequently than previously thought when screened with ED PoCUS. Older children with SB-SBI may have underlying lead-points and may require surgical intervention. PoCUS can help differentiate between variants of intussusception that range from a surgical emergency to a transient source of abdominal pain that may be recurrent and otherwise unexplained, allowing clinicians to better manage these patients accordingly.
Utilization of medicinal cannabis for pain by individuals with spinal cord injury.

A cross-sectional multi-center study using an on-line survey addressing utilization, knowledge, and perceptions of medicinal cannabis (MC) by people with spinal cord injury (SCI). To characterize differences between current (CU), past (PU), and never users (NU) of MC with SCI; to determine why people with SCI use MC; to examine reports of MCs’ efficacy and tolerability by individuals with SCI. Three academic medical centers in the United States. Comparison of demographic and attitudinal differences between CU, PU, and NU and differences in the groups’ reports of pain, health, and quality of life (QOL). Evaluation of utilization patterns and perceived efficacy of MC among CU and PU and reports of side effects of MC versus prescription medications. Data were analyzed using either Chi Square, distribution-free exact statistics, or t-tests for continuous data. Among a nationwide sample (n = 353) of individuals with SCI, NU were less likely than CU and PU to believe that cannabis ought to be legalized and more likely to endorse risks of use. Current users and PU reported greater pain interference in daily life than did NU, but there were no between group differences in QOL or physical or emotional health. Current users and PU took MC to address pain (65.30%), spasms (63.30%), sleeplessness (32.70%), and anxiety (24.00%), and 63.30% reported it offered “great relief” from symptoms. Participants reported that MC is more effective and carries fewer side effects than prescription medications. Medicinal cannabis is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for a number of SCI-related symptoms.
Substance Use and Disparities in Teen Dating Violence Victimization by Sexual Identity Among High School Students

Sexual minority youth (SMY) report more substance use and experience more physical and sexual dating violence victimization than heterosexual youth; however, few studies have explored the relationship between substance use and disparities in teen dating violence and victimization (TDVV) using national-level estimates, and examined if these relationships vary by sexual minority subgroups. Data from the nationally representative 2015 and 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys were used to examine differences in TDVV and substance use by sexual identity, and to determine if substance use was associated with TDVV disparities between SMY and heterosexual high school students who dated 12 months prior to the survey (n = 18,704). Sex-stratified logistic regression models generated prevalence ratios adjusted for demographic characteristics and substance use behaviors to determine if substance use mediated the relationship between sexual identity and TDVV. Compared with their heterosexual peers, SMY experienced higher rates of TDVV and were more likely to report using most types of substances, although differences were more pronounced among female students compared with male students. Disparities in TDVV were reduced for male gay and bisexual students as well as for female bisexual students once substance use was entered into the model, suggesting that there is a relationship between substance use and some of gay and bisexual students’ risk for experiences of TDVV. Comprehensive efforts for violence prevention among sexual minority students may benefit from incorporating substance use prevention, given its relationship to disparities in TDVV.
Automated Myocardial T2 and Extracellular Volume Quantification in Cardiac MRI Using Transfer Learning-based Myocardium Segmentation.

A single convolutional neural network, trained for myocardium segmentation on T1 maps, can be used to automate myocardial T2 and extracellular volume maps with comparable accuracy to that of manual...
Racial disparities in inferior vena cava filter use in metabolic and bariatric surgery patients: Nationwide insights from the MBSAQIP database.

Abstract Background Prophylactic inferior vena cava (IVC) filter use in bariatric surgery patients is a physician- and patient-dependent practice pattern with unclear safety and efficacy. Factors that mediate physicians’ decisions for IVC filter placement preoperatively remain unclear. The role of race in decision-making also remains unclear. Methods From the 2015–2016 MBASQIP database, patient characteristics leading to IVC filter use and outcomes after IVC filter placement were compared between Black and White primary bariatric surgery patients. Results Prophylactic IVC filter was used in 0.66% of Black and White patients. IVC filter use was three-fold higher in Black patients, despite this cohort having a lower venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk profile than White counterparts. Black race was an independent predictor for IVC filter placement on multivariate analysis. After receiving an IVC filter, Black patients had higher rates of 30-day adverse outcomes. Conclusions In this study, Black race was independently associated with the likelihood of receiving a prophylactic IVC filter, despite lower rates of VTE risk factors and lack of recommendations for its use. Further research is needed to explore why this disparity in clinical practice exists.
Measurements of Optical Turbulence over 149-km Path

An experiment was conducted to study turbulence along a 149-km path between the Mauna Loa and Haleakala mountain tops using digital cameras and light-emitting diode (LED) beacons. Much of the path is over the ocean, and a large portion of the path is 3 km above sea level. On the Mauna Loa side, six LED beacons were placed in a roughly linear array with pair spacings from 7 to 62 m. From the Haleakala side, a pair of cameras separated by 83.8 cm observed these beacons. Turbulence along the path induces tilts on the wavefronts, which results in displacements of the LED spots in the images. The image motion is caused by unwanted noise sources such as camera platform motion. Differential motion between spots cancels much of this noise, and this differential motion is weighted by the turbulence along the path in different ways depending on the geometry between the sources and the cameras. A camera motion insensitive weighting function is developed to deal with this observational issue. A linear combination of these weighting functions is then used to generate a composite weighting function, which better rejects turbulence near the sources and receivers and is most sensitive to turbulence in the portion of the path out over the ocean. This technique is used to estimate turbulence in this region. The long range involved caused very strong scintillation in the image, which added new challenges to the data processing. A resulting estimate for Cn2 of 4 × 10 − 17 m − 2 / 3 is in good agreement with the Hufnagel–Valley HV5/7 model and the results of numerical weather modeling.
Index-Selection for Minimizing Costs of a NoSQL Cloud Database.

The index-selection problem in database systems is that of determining a set of indexes (data-access paths) that minimizes the costs of database operations. Although this problem has received significant attention in the context of relational database systems, the established methods and tools do not translate easily to the context of modern non-relational database systems (so-called NoSQL systems) that are widely used in cloud and grid computing, and in particular systems such as DynamoDB from Amazon Web Services. Although the index-selection problem in these contexts appears simple at first glance, due to the very limited indexing features, this simplicity is deceptive because the non-relational nature of these databases and indexes permits more complex indexing schemes to be expressed. This paper motivates and describes the index-selection problem for NoSQL databases, and DynamoDB in particular. It motivates and outlines a cost model to capture the specific monetary costs associated with database operations in this context. The cost model has not only been carefully checked for consistency using the system documentation but also been verified using actual usage costs in a live DynamoDB instance.
Impact of a Family Economic Intervention (Bridges) on Health Functioning of Adolescents Orphaned by HIV/AIDS: A 5-Year (2012-2017) Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Uganda.

Objectives. To investigate the long-term impacts of a family economic intervention on physical, mental, and sexual health of adolescents orphaned by AIDS in Uganda.Methods. Students in grades 5 and...
Salafism and Traditionalism: Scholarly Authority in Modern Islam

One of the most contentious topics in modern Islam is whether one should adhere to an Islamic legal school or follow scripture directly. For centuries, Sunni Muslims have practiced Islam through the framework of the four legal schools. The 20th century, however, witnessed the rise of individuals who denounced the legal schools, highlighting cases where they contradict texts from the Qur'ān or Sunna. These differences are exemplified in the heated debates between the Salafi ḥadīth scholar Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī and his Traditionalist critics. This book examines the tensions between Salafis and Traditionalists concerning scholarly authority in Islam. Emad Hamdeh offers an insider's view of the debates between Salafis and Traditionalists and their differences regarding the correct method of interpreting Islam. He provides a detailed analysis of the rise of Salafism, the impact of the printing press, the role of scholars in textual interpretation, and the divergent approaches to Islamic law.
Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine.

Vaccination is a critical means for mitigating the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (US). However, the initial high demand for COVID-19 vaccines has not persisted, and the rate of vaccination slowed significantly in the summer of 2021. This study seeks to understand the motivations to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among hesitant adopters. Hesitant adopters are individuals who express some level of hesitancy about the vaccine but have also received at least one dose of the vaccine. Using a qualitative descriptive design, three loci for motivation emerged during analysis: extrinsic motivators, intrinsic motivators, and structural motivators. Extrinsic motivations, such as protecting one's community, family, and friends, were reported as driving vaccination behavior. Among intrinsic motivators, the desire to protect themselves from COVID-19 was the most frequently reported. Structural motivators were also identified, indicating that vaccine mandates also serve to motivate hesitant adopters of the COVID-19 vaccine. These findings have important implications in ongoing efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the US and highlight the multi-dimensional motivations for vaccination among hesitant adopters. Additionally, we provide recommendations for practice based on our findings.
On the Wave Propagation Through Apertures

A multi -channel phased array is used to synthesize signals of varying frequencies through apertures in EM shielded structures. Bipolar impulses with a GHz frequency spectrum are emitted from multiple antennas and used as basis functions to pass through the aperture and undergo constructive and destructive interference at a specific point in space. Experiments based on a small antenna array demonstrate that this technique enables synthesizing a below GHz signal (~ 400 to 800 MHz) in a shielded volume with an open aperture size that would heavily attenuate a direct sub-GHz electromagnetic wave. While the experimental results demonstrate that this technique is effective at UHF frequencies, it is certainly not limited to this frequency band.
Rapid Design, Fabrication, and Optimization of 3D Printed Photonic Topological Insulators

Photonic topological insulators have emerged as an exciting new platform for backscatter-free waveguiding even in the presence of defects, with applications in robust long-range energy and quantum information transfer, low-threshold lasing, and chiral quantum optics. We demonstrate a design for spin-Hall photonic topological insulators with remarkably low refractive index contrast, enabling the synthesis of photonic topological waveguides from polymeric materials for the first time. Our design is compatible with additive manufacturing methods, including fused filament fabrication, and constitutes the first demonstration of a 3D printed photonic topological insulator. We combine rapid device fabrication through 3D printing with high-speed FDTD simulation to showcase an iterative design cycle capable of screening thousands of device configurations with unprecedented speed. We have identified and experimentally verified a non-intuitive geometry for bent topological waveguides with optimized transmission. Our rapid design cycle represents a powerful new tool set for designing, optimizing, and synthesizing photonic topological materials.
Smoking trajectories from adolescence to early adulthood as a longitudinal predictor of mental health in adulthood: Evidence from 21 years of nationally representative cohort.

Aims To measure the prospective relationship between smoking trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood and mental health in later adulthood and test whether this relationship was mediated by concurrent co-use of alcohol and marijuana. Design Longitudinal study using data drawn from Round 1 to Round 18 of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97), a nationally representative cohort study spanning 21 years. Setting United States. Participants The analytic sample included those who completed survey items about smoking behaviors on at least half of the data collection opportunities in adolescence and young adulthood (N=8,570, 48.9% female, 66.2% white). Measurements Mental health in adulthood was measured using the five-item Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5; range 0-100) at Round 18. Seven trajectories of smoking from adolescence to young adulthood were identified by group-based multi-trajectory modeling, using data over 11 years from Round 1 to Round 11. Findings Late-onset moderate smokers (β=-1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]= -3.61 to -0.29), late-onset accelerated smokers (β=-2.53, 95% CI= -4.28 to -0.78), early-onset heavy smokers (β=-3.72, 95% CI= -5.59 to -1.85), and early-onset moderate smokers (β=-2.66, 95% CI= -4.48 to -0.84) showed poorer regression-adjusted mean MHI-5 scores in later adulthood than stable abstainers, even after controlling for baseline mental health and covariates. Whether or not a difference in MHI-5 scores was present between quitters and stable abstainers was inconclusve. The concurrent co-use of alcohol and marijuana in young adulthood significantly mediated the relationship between smoking trajectory and mental health. Conclusions Continued smoking, especially early-onset and heavy smoking from adolescence to young adulthood, appears to increase the risk of poor mental health later in mid-adulthood, and quitting smoking in young adulthood may mitigate such risk even among early-onset smokers. Mediation analyses underscore the role of using multiple substances in this pathway.
Why No One Believes Us: Cognitive Neuroscience and Radiation Risk

Public perception of radiation risks and their acceptability remains far from the consensus of radiation protection specialists, despite decades of individual and organizational efforts at risk communication. We have eagerly adopted the guidance of risk communication specialists, and presented the facts in a non-threatening and understandable fashion. Nevertheless we continue to encounter intense opposition to the development of nuclear power plants, waste storage sites, food irradiation facilities, and other applications of radiation and radioactive materials. We have been told such opposition is an emotional reaction that we must allow to be expressed, and then calmly and coolly respond with our understandable facts. One understandable fact is that what we have been doing simply doesn’t work. The rapid development of the cognitive neurosciences, particularly evolutionary psychology, over the past twenty years or so has provided remarkable insights into this situation. Human brains come into the world with certain genetically determined methods of classifying sensory inputs called “memes,” a term adopted from cultural anthropology. The “contagion” meme is a key player in response to radiological issues, as is the “pattern-seeking” meme. Furthermore, the human decision-making faculty does not exist in Descartes’ res cogitans, but in a hard-wired network of literal gut feelings and other body states we call emotions. Understanding and implementing these findings may lead us to more effective communication efforts, but also warn us that effecting significant behavioural changes will be a Sisyphean task.
Standardization of a Volleyball Knowledge Test for College Men Physical Education Majors

Abstract This study presents the procedures used to construct and standardize a valid test to measure volleyball knowledge of male students in college who are majoring in physical education and who have completed their course of instruction in this sport. These procedures include the establishing of curricular validity, item selection, item difficulty, item validity, test reliability, and establishing national norms. The test is reliable and is further designed for machine scoring. Norms for this test are presented in this article.
Parallelisation of a Code for Animation of Multi-object System

In this paper we describe the realization of a computer system designed for performing 3-D animation of sets of macroscopic objects. Realistic movements observed on the computer screen are achieved by running complex simulation in the background. This simulation is based on fundamental physical rules (e.g. preservation of momentum and energy, Newton's laws of dynamics) which ensure that generated scenes are conformable to a common sense of a viewer.
Overview: Low-z Observations

Gravitational interactions and mergers affect the morphologies and dynamics of galaxies from our Local Group to the limits of the observable universe. Observations of interacting galaxies at low redshifts (z ≲ 0.2) yield detailed information about many of the processes at work. I briefly review these processes and the growing evidence that mergers play a major role in the delayed formation of elliptical and early-type disk galaxies both in the field and in clusters. Low-z observations clearly contradict the notion of a single epoch of E formation at z ≲ 2; instead, E and S0 galaxies continue forming to the present. The different rates of E and S0 formation inferred from observations of distant and nearby clusters may partially reflect the dependence of dynamical friction on mass: Major, E-forming mergers may tend to occur earlier than minor, S0-forming mergers because the dynamical friction is strongest for equal-mass galaxies.
Improved repeatability for calibration of shock accelerometers

The signal processing techniques that can then applied to the recorded waveforms to extract acceleration peak values are described. An upward-moving pneumatically-operated projectile provides a simple means for the comparison shock calibration of accelerometers. A pressure release mechanism controls the moving speed of the projectile, and the shock acceleration is created by the projectile impacting on an anvil that has pads attached to its bottom surface. A torque wrench is used to secure the mass and accelerometers to the anvil with a specified torque, and in this arrangement the top accelerometer has no mass load and the bottom accelerometer is loaded by a mass that is the sum of the cylinder mass and the mass of the top accelerometer. Replacing the 8-bit A/D converter by the 14-bit digitizer and implementing the three signal processing methods reduces the variance of the measured shock sensitivity significantly.
From Connection to Distance Using the Practice of Arts-Based Research to Interpret Field Work

This autoethnography describes the process of inquiry that led to the development of a series of ethnodramas that evoke teachers’ experience in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). I discuss the methods I used to conduct a set of interviews with two groups of elementary school teachers in CPS: beginning teachers who had never worked a classroom as a full-time job and accomplished teachers who spent many years of their lives teaching students of color. I discuss the use of arts-based research methods to engage with these data, and I describe the interpretive journey I undertook as I wrote and produced ethnodramas about CPS teachers’ experience. A major dilemma for my analysis was communicating the structural inequalities that shaped the teachers’ narratives, particularly the Chicago system’s inability to create working conditions necessary to support the retention and professional development of teachers in the city’s high poverty schools. I describe how the conversation and inner dialogue generated by arts-b...
Supporting Image-Retrieval by Database Driven Interactive 3D Information-Visualization

Supporting image-retrieval dialogues between naive users and information systems is a non-trivial task. Although a wide variety of experimental and prototypical image retrieval engines is available, most of them lack appropriate support for end-user oriented front ends. We have decided to illustrate the possible advantages of a tight coupling between interactive 3D information visualization systems and image retrieval systems based on database management systems by deriving requirements from a characteristic application scenario. By means of an "interactive 3D gallery" scenario, the paper provides an overview of the requirements, components, and architecture of a general database-driven 3D information visualization system on the basis of an RDBMS and VRML. The given approach supports loading time as well as runtime database access in various forms. It reflects the overall conceptual framework of our activities in this highly dynamic area of research and forms a basis for many other applications where information objects have to be visualized for interacting users or user groups.
4D Dark blood arterial wall magnetic resonance imaging: methodology and demonstration in the carotid arteries.

Purpose To propose and test a four-dimensional (4D) dark-blood magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method based on a radial sampling trajectory capable of displaying the human arterial wall and its motion in three spatial dimensions over the cardiac cycle. Methods The carotid arteries of volunteer and patient subjects were imaged with the proposed 4D dark-blood MRI sequence on a 3T scanner. Validation of arterial lumen and arterial wall areas obtained with the proposed 4D dark-blood technique was made with respect to established two-dimensional bright-blood cine and high spatial resolution three-dimensional dark-blood MRI protocols, respectively. Results The proposed 4D MRI method provided for dark-blood display of the carotid arterial wall and demonstrated its movement and distension over the cardiac cycle. Quantitative measurements of arterial lumen and wall areas were in statistical agreement with established MRI techniques. Conclusion 4D blood suppressed MRI of the human vascular system with submillimeter isotropic spatial resolution is feasible in a clinically reasonable scan time, and data obtained in the carotid arteries show good agreement with established MRI techniques. Future efforts will examine the constellation of data provided by the method and investigate its utility for assessing cardiovascular risk. Magn Reson Med 69:956–965, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
La radio comunitaria. Historia y sintesis de modelos y experiencias

En los Estados Unidos la radio comunitaria se inicio en 1946, el articulo da cuenta de su trayectoria y de su definicion. Se asevera que la radio es un "medio invisible". En Europa la radio local es un fenomeno que crecio desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La mayoria de redes radiales europeas han intentado descentralizar su produccion y han ofrecido una nueva forma de salir al aire. En la perspectiva de la comunicacion para el desarrollo que impulsa la UNESCO caracteriza a la comunicacion como de doble via.
Say It With Data: A Concise Guide to Making Your Case and Getting Results by Priscille Dando

Priscille Dando. 2014. Say It With Data: A Concise Guide to Making Your Case and Getting Results. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 132 pp. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1194-5. List price $46.00.This book was written...
Fluid to particle heat transfer in a fluidized bed and to single particles

Abstract A frequency response technique to evaluate gas to particle heat transfer coefficients to solid spheres and to fine particle fluidized beds is described. At low Reynolds numbers, the single particle Nusselt number approaches 2 as expected. However, the general magnitude for fine particle fluidized beds is 20–100 times those for packed or single particle systems, in marked contrast to the literature data. The present results are more rational, but still are model dependent as are all the other fluidized bed results.
Power factor of rectifiers

THE POWER FACTOR of an electric apparatus is a means of relating kilowatts to apparent power or kilovolt-amperes. With sinusoidal currents, its value permits determination of reactive power, which is a factor in defining transmission losses, regulation, and generator excitation. The effect of reactive power is often reflected in added user charges for low power factor. These charges usually justify the cost of improving power factor.
Exploring the landscape of scientific literacy

edited by Cedric Linder, Leif Ostman, Douglas A. Roberts, Per-Olof Wickman, Gaalen Erickson and Alan MacKinnon, New York and London, Routledge, 2011, 301 pp., $51.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-415-87...
A Comparative Study of Measurements of SN-10 and the 40/SEC Middle Latency Responses in Newborns

Auditory SN-10 responses and summed middle latency responses (40/sec MLR) were obtained from 36 full-term newborns. Wave V latencies from 20–70 dB nHL were in agreement with previous studies. Although the amplitudes of the SN-10 and the 40/sec MLR paradigms were not significantly different, we were able to detect the lowest thresholds with an SN-10 response for unfiltered clicks. The mean threshold for the click evoked SN-10 potential was 5 dB better than the mean threshold for the click evoked 40/sec MLR and 10 dB better than the mean threshold for the 500 Hz toneburst 40/sec MLR. We conclude that both the SN-10 and 40/sec MLR techniques can be useful in the assessment of the hearing of newborns, but that only the 40/sec MLR may be useful in obtaining responses to a 500 Hz toneburst.
A Krull–Schmidt Theorem for Noetherian Modules

Abstract We prove a version of the Krull–Schmidt theorem which applies to Noetherian modules. As a corollary we get the following cancellation rule: If A, B, C are nonzero Noetherian modules such that either A ⊕ C ≅ B ⊕ C or An ≅ Bn for some n ∈ N , then there are modules A′ ≤ A and B′ ≤ B such that A′ ≅ B′ and len A′ = len A = len B′ = len B. Here the ordinal valued length, len A, of a module A is as defined in G. Brookfield [Comm. Algebra30 (2002), 3177–3204] and T. H. Gulliksen [J. Pure Appl. Algebra3 (1973), 159–170]. In particular, A, B, A′, and B′ have the same Krull dimension, and A/A′ and B/B′ have strictly smaller Krull dimensions than A and B.
Buckminsterfullerene (C60) nanoparticle fouling of microfiltration membranes operated in a cross-flow configuration

Abstract Manufactured nanomaterials, like buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ), present unique challenges with regards to their impacts on the performance of microfiltration (MF) membranes. Of particular concern is the ability of existing physical and chemical cleaning processes to remove nanoparticle deposits on the surface and from the interior of MF membranes. The objective of this research was therefore to characterize C 60 nanoparticle fouling of hollow fiber MF membranes and assess the ability of hydraulic backwashing and different cleaning solutions to remove nanoparticle deposits from fouled MF membranes. Two nanoparticles, a manufactured C 60 and a carboxylated nanosphere, were studied and found to similarly affect membrane performance. Nanoparticle fouling resulted in a more substantial impact on membrane performance relative to that resulting from a colloidal foulant. This was attributed to the ability of the nanoparticles to form comparatively more dense surface deposits and to pass through the MF membrane resulting in standard pore blocking and cake layer formation on the filtrate side of the membrane. Using nanoparticle free backwash water was found to remove these cake structures on the filtrate side of the membrane and to displace the internal nanoparticle deposits. The C 60 cake structures were poorly removed using conventional cleaning solutions, with the exception of hydrogen peroxide; however, removal with the hydrogen peroxide was incomplete and resulted more rapid fouling after normal operation was resumed.
Dissociation between liver inflammation and hepatocellular damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in myeloid cell–specific signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 gene knockout mice

Liver injury is associated with inflammation, which is generally believed to accelerate the progression of liver diseases; however, clinical data show that inflammation does not always correlate with hepatocelluar damage in some patients. Investigating the cellular mechanisms underlying these events using an experimental animal model, we show that inflammation may attenuate liver necrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in myeloid-specific signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) knockout mice. As an important anti-inflammatory signal, conditional deletion of STAT3 in myeloid cells results in markedly enhanced liver inflammation after CCl4 injection. However, these effects are also accompanied by reduced liver necrosis, correlating with elevated serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and hepatic STAT3 activation. An additional deletion of STAT3 in hepatocytes in myeloid-specific STAT3 knockout mice restored hepatic necrosis but decreased liver inflammation. Conclusion: Inflammation-mediated STAT3 activation attenuates hepatocellular injury induced by CCl4 in myeloid-specific STAT3 knockout mice, suggesting that inflammation associated with a predominance of hepatoprotective cytokines that activate hepatic STAT3 may reduce rather than accelerate hepatocellular damage in patients with chronic liver diseases. Hepatology 2010