cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Must Identity Movements Self-Destruct? A Queer Dilemma

Drawing on debates in lesbian and gay periodicals and writings from and about post-structuralist “queer theory” and politics, this paper clarifies the meanings and distinctive politics of “queerness,” in order to trace its implications for social movement theory and research. The challenge of queer theory and politics, I argue, is primarily in its disruption of sex and gender identity boundaries and deconstruction of identity categories. The debates (over the use of the term “queer” and over bisexual and transgender inclusion) raise questions not only about the content of sexuality-based political identities, but over their viability and usefulness. This in turn challenges social movement theory to further articulate dynamics of collective identity formation and deployment. While recent social movement theory has paid attention to the creation and negotiation of collective identity, it has not paid sufficient attention to the simultaneous impulse to destabilize identities from within. That tendency, while especially visible in lesbian and gay movements, is also visible in other social movements. It calls attention to a general dilemma of identity politics: Fixed identity categories are both the basis for oppression and the basis for political power. The insights of both sides of the dilemma highlighted here raise important new questions for social movement theory and research.
The 1.4 Å Crystal Structure of the Class D β-Lactamase OXA-1 Complexed with Doripenem

The clinical efficacy of carbapenem antibiotics depends on their resistance to the hydrolytic action of β-lactamase enzymes. The structure of the class D β-lactamase OXA-1 as an acyl-complex with the carbapenem doripenem was determined to 1.4 A resolution. Unlike most class A and class C carbapenem complexes, the acyl carbonyl oxygen in OXA-1/doripenem is bound in the oxyanion hole. Interestingly, no water molecules were observed in the vicinity of the acyl linkage, providing an explanation for why carbapenems inhibit OXA-1. The side-chain amine of K70 remains fully carboxylated in the acyl structure, and the resulting carbamate group hydrogen bonds to the alcohol of the 6α-hydroxyethyl moiety of doripenem. The carboxylate attached to the β-lactam ring of doripenem is stabilized by a salt-bridge to K212 and a hydrogen bond with T213, in lieu of the interaction with an arginine side-chain found in most other β-lactamase/β-lactam complexes (eg. R244 in the class A member TEM-1). This novel set of interactions with the carboxylate results in a major shift of the carbapenem's pyrroline ring compared to the structure of the same ring in meropenem bound to OXA-13. Additionally, bond angles of the pyrroline ring suggest that after acylation, doripenem adopts the Δ 1 tautomer. These findings provide important insights into the role that carbapenems may have in the inactivation process of class D β-lactamases.
Node Activation to maximize expected progress in wireless networks with energy constraints

In wireless networks, the conventional routing approach is to pre-select the next-hop receiver for a packet based on knowledge of the network topology. However, when the nodes experience fading that changes on the order of the packet duration, a conventional routing approach will often offer poor performance because the pre-selected receiver may not be able to recover the packet because of fading. An alternative approach is to use geographic transmission, in which the packet is transmitted in the direction of the destination but the next-hop receiver is not pre-selected. In this approach, multiple receivers in the direction of the destination attempt to receive the packet, and one of the receivers that is able to recover the packet will be selected as the next-hop relay. Multiuser diversity can be achieved because the different receivers in the direction of the destination are likely to experience independent fading. In order to conserve energy, it may be desirable to turn on only a subset of the nodes surrounding the transmitter. Thus, we consider the problem of designing a node-activation function that allows a node to determine whether it should turn on to receive a message in order to maximize the expected progress towards the destination under a constraint on the expected number of nodes that turn on. The optimal node-activation function is difficult to find analytically, so we develop a suboptimal solution and show that it offers good performance.
Comment on Bordley's “higher derivatives of velocity and quantum theory”

Abstract This comment points out that in one dimension initial particle position, velocity and acceleration are necessary and sufficient to determine quantum continuous motion
Nonlinear signal processing

This paper studies the propagation of femtosecond pulses in a Kerr medium both experimentally and numerically. This work also investigates the similarities between the propagation of light pulses in a Kerr medium and the evolution of fluid dynamical systems, and proposes the use of an optical system to simulate fluid dynamics.
Radioimmunoassay of Serum Triiodothyronine on Small, Reusable Sephadex Columns

We have developed a radioimmunoassay method for serum triiodothyronine on small (9 x 23 mm), reusable Sephadex G-25 columns. Recoveries of triiodothyronine added to sera are 97-105%, and the coefficients of variation for within-assay and between-assay determinations are 5.8 and 9.0% , respectively. Maximum sensitivity is in the hypothyroid range (0-100 ng of T3 per dl). Triiodothyronine concentrations (ng/dl) in human serum are (mean ± SD): euthyroid 96 ± 26, euthyroid females receiving oral contraceptives 132 ± 17, hypothyroid 24 ± 22, and hyperthyroid 263 ± 58. Mild hemolysis and lipemia do not interfere, but 10-20% artifactual elevation is found with icteric sera. Interference by thyroxine is negligible. An improved, reproducible carbodiimide coupling procedure for triiodothyronine—albumin (19:1) antigen is described. A parenthetic observation of potential importance is that immunized rabbits accumulate large concentrations (30 000-90 000 ng/dl) of serum bound triiodothyronine. Our procedure offers the advantages that, on a single column, triiodothyronine is quantitatively extracted from serum that is premixed with 125l-labeled triiodothyronine, serum proteins are removed, binding with antiserum is accomplished in 1 h, and the free and bound triiodothyronine are separated. The columns are regenerated for repetitive use by eluting residual iodothyronines with excess thyroxine-binding globulin (dilute plasma).
Connectivity oracles for failure prone graphs

Dynamic graph connectivity algorithms have been studied for many years, but typically in the most general possible setting, where the graph can evolve in completely arbitrary ways. In this paper we consider a dynamic subgraph model. We assume there is some fixed, underlying graph that can be preprocessed ahead of time. The graph is subject only to vertices and edges flipping "off" (failing) and "on" (recovering), where queries naturally apply to the subgraph on edges/vertices currently flipped on. This model fits most real world scenarios, where the topology of the graph in question (say a router network or road network) is constantly evolving due to temporary failures but never deviates too far from the ideal failure-free state.We present the first efficient connectivity oracle for graphs susceptible to vertex failures. Given vertices u and v and a set D of d failed vertices, we can determine if there is a path from u to v avoiding D in time polynomial in d log n. There is a tradeoff in our oracle between the space, which is roughly mne, for 0
Fruitful Partnerships in a Rural African American Community Important Lessons for Faith-Based Initiatives

Rural African American congregations often have been pitted against their urban counterparts, with the urban churches viewed as superior social agents with a wider range of community services. An examination of social service provision in rural areas is necessary because both policy and programmatic responsibilities increasingly are delegated to state and local governance and ultimately to local communities. Legislation referred to as Charitable Choice encourages the government to contract with faith-based and community-based social service providers. This legislation also increases the importance of understanding the role that rural congregations play as the social service system favors private delivery of such services over public avenues. In this study, an in-depth examination of 17 congregations in an historically all-Black town revealed the distinct patterns of African American congregations providing a unified network of collaborative social services with secular organizations on behalf of their com...
Adaptive tracking controller of DC servomotors

An adaptive tracking controller that eliminates steady-state error is presented. The design uses a variable-structure system with a nonlinear switching surface. The proposed scheme was applied to a DC servomotor system whose Coulomb friction value was changed by a dynamometer. The transient performance of this robust and simple system was improved by the nonlinear sliding surface. The experimental results clearly show that the tracking control scheme has the advantages of robustness, accuracy, and fast response without overshoot. However, the nonlinear switching surface requires more calculation time than a linear switching surface. >
Organizational Metacognition: The Importance of Knowing the Knowledge Network

Knowledge networking is important to most competitive enterprises today. Enterprise knowledge is becoming ever more specialized in nature, so no single person or organization can know everything in detail. Hence addressing complex, multidisciplinary problems requires developing and accessing a network of knowledgeable people and organizations. The problem is, many otherwise knowledgeable people and organizations are not fully aware of their knowledge networks, and even more problematic, they are not aware that they are not aware. This focuses our attention toward organizational metacognition. The research described in this article involves fieldwork to investigate the metacognition phenomenon, at the organizational level, and to understand its effects in terms of knowledge networks and dynamics. Findings reveal insightful dynamic patterns and differential performance capabilities of various organizations, and highlight the importance of knowing the knowledge network. This work suggests immediate results amenable to practical application, and it suggests also an exciting agenda for continued research along the lines of this investigation
Historical evidence that electrification caused the 20th century epidemic of "diseases of civilization".

summary The slow spread of residential electrification in the US in the first half of the 20th century from urban to rural areas resulted by 1940 in two large populations; urban populations, with nearly complete electrification and rural populations exposed to varying levels of electrification depending on the progress of electrification in their state. It took until 1956 for US farms to reach urban and rural non-farm electrification levels. Both populations were covered by the US vital registration system. US vital statistics tabulations and census records for 1920–1960, and historical US vital statistics documents were examined. Residential electrification data was available in the US census of population for 1930, 1940 and 1950. Crude urban and rural death rates were calculated, and death rates by state were correlated with electrification rates by state for urban and rural areas for 1940 white resident deaths. Urban death rates were much higher than rural rates for cardiovascular diseases, malignant diseases, diabetes and suicide in 1940. Rural death rates were significantly correlated with level of residential electric service by state for most causes examined. I hypothesize that the 20th century epidemic of the so called diseases of civilization including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes and suicide was caused by electrification not by lifestyle. A large proportion of these diseases may therefore be preventable.
Differences in mRNA and protein expression of small proteoglycans in vaginal wall tissue from women with and without stress urinary incontinence

Background To investigate changes in mRNA and protein levels of biglycan (BGN), decorin (DCN) and fibromodulin (FMOD) in vaginal wall tissue from women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) compared to menstrual-cycle matched continent women. Methods We determined mRNA expressions of BGN, DCN and FMOD by quantitative real-time PCR. They were localized in vaginal wall tissue by immunohistochemistry. We performed western blot analysis to examine protein expression. Results BGN, DCN and FMOD co-localized with collagen and elastin in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of vaginal wall tissue from both groups. The mRNA expression of FMOD was significantly lower in cases versus controls in the proliferative phase (P = 0.03). DCN mRNA expression in cases was higher in the proliferative (P = 0.05) and secretory phases (P = 0.02) versus controls. BGN mRNA expression showed no significant differences in either phase. Protein expression of FMOD in cases was lower in the proliferative phase versus controls (six out of nine pairs), whereas DCN and BGN protein expression in the secretory phase in cases was higher (seven out of nine pairs). Conclusion BGN, DCN and FMOD expressions in vaginal wall tissue differ in women with SUI and are hormonally modulated. Differences in small proteoglycans may contribute to the altered pelvic floor connective tissues found in these women.
A TRIPHASIC ANALYSIS OF NEGATIVE OSMOTIC FLOWS THROUGH CHARGED HYDRATED SOFT TISSUES

Osmotic flow and ion transport in a one-dimensional steady diffusion process through charged hydrated soft tissues such as articular cartilage were analysed using the triphasic theory (Lai et al., 1991, J. biomech. Engng 113, 245-258). It was found that solvent would flow from the high NaCl concentration side to the low concentration side (i.e. negative osmosis) when the fixed charge density within the tissue (or membrane) separating the two electrolyte (NaCl) solutions was lower than a critical value. The condition for negative osmosis was derived based on a linear version of the triphasic theory. Distributions of ion concentration and strain field within the tissue were calculated numerically. Quantitative results of osmotic flow rates (ordinary and negative osmosis), ion flux and electric potential across the tissue during this diffusion process suggest that the negative osmosis phenomenon is due to the friction between ions and water since they could flow through the tissues at different rates and different directions.
The falsifiability of theories: Total or partial? A contemporary evaluation of the Duhem-Quine thesis

It has been maintained that there is an important asymmetry between the verification and the refutation of a theory in empirical science. Refutation has been said to be conclusive or decisive while verification was claimed to be irremediably inconclusive in the following sense: If a theory T 1 entails observational consequences O, then the truth of T 1 does not, of course, follow deductively from the truth of the conjunction $$ ({{T}_{1}} \to O) \cdot O $$ On the other hand, the falsity of T 1 is indeed deductively inferable by modus tollens from the truth of the conjunction $$ ({{T}_{1}} \to O) \cdot \sim O. $$ .
The Religious Affiliation of Representatives and Support for Funding the Iraq War

In this article, we add to the evolving literature examining the importance of religious orientation and political elite behavior. We use data on the religious affiliations of United States House of Representative members to test the influence of religion on military funding for the “War on Terror.” Our findings indicate that, even after controlling for traditional political factors, such as ideology and partisanship, representatives' religious backgrounds often played a role in support for this bill. Roman Catholics, African-American Protestants, and those of other religions and the non-religious were more strongly opposed to funding for military intervention than mainline Protestants, even after controlling for other factors. This article provides a further look at the influence of religion and suggests that factors outside the traditional political dynamics may also be important in examining elite behaviors.
MIMO sliding mode control as an alternative to reconfigurable flight control designs

Sliding mode control is applied to the design of flight control systems capable of operating with limited bandwidth actuators and in the presence of significant damage to the airframe and/or control effector actuators. The selection of the sliding manifold as well as the interpretation of the resulting linear design is accomplished in the frequency domain. The well-documented sensitivity of sliding mode controllers to parasitic dynamics is addressed through the use of asymptotic observers and reference model "hedging" also designed in the frequency domain. The design technique is exercised on a multi-input, multioutput lateral-directional controller for a simple model of the NASA High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle via computer simulation. The performance of the sliding mode design is compared with that of two competing design approaches.
GEOMETRIC INTEGRATION BY SOLUTION INTERPOLATION

Numerical schemes that are implemented by interpolation of exact solutions to a differential equation naturally preserve geometric properties of the differential equation. The solution interpolation method can be used for development of a new class of geometric integrators, which generally show better performances than standard method both quantitatively and qualitatively. Several examples including a linear convection equation and a nonlinear heat equation are included.
Adoption of Information Technology in U.S. Hotels: Strategically Driven Objectives

Using two unique, independent samples of U.S. hotels, this study examines the utilization of information technology (IT) in all hotel sectors, from deluxe to budget, to reveal strategic differences and similarities. Overall, the findings suggest that the U.S. lodging industry has focused on employing technologies that improve employee productivity and enhance revenue but has not given strategic priority to technologies designed to improve guest services. The hotel sector, lodging type, size/complexity of the property, and independent versus chain affiliation influenced the number and type of technologies adopted. Luxury and upscale hotels adopted more IT than economy and budget hotels. Similarly, IT development was greatest for certain lodging types such as convention hotels, conference centers, and casinos, and lowest for other types, such as motels and bed-and-breakfasts. Chain-affiliated properties typically adopted more technologies than independent hotels.
Annealing paths for the evaluation of topic models

Statistical topic models such as latent Dirich-let allocation have become enormously popular in the past decade, with dozens of learning algorithms and extensions being proposed each year. As these models and algorithms continue to be developed, it becomes increasingly important to evaluate them relative to previous techniques. However, evaluating the predictive performance of a topic model is a computationally difficult task. Annealed importance sampling (AIS), a Monte Carlo technique which operates by annealing between two distributions, has previously been successfully used for topic model evaluation (Wallach et al., 2009b). This technique estimates the likelihood of a held-out document by simulating an annealing process from the prior to the posterior for the latent topic assignments, and using this simulation as an importance sampling proposal distribution. In this paper we introduce new AIS annealing paths which instead anneal from one topic model to another, thereby estimating the relative performance of the models. This strategy can exhibit much lower empirical variance than previous approaches, facilitating reliable per-document comparisons of topic models. We then show how to use these paths to evaluate the predictive performance of topic model learning algorithms by efficiently estimating the likelihood at each iteration of the training procedure. The proposed method achieves better held-out likelihood estimates for this task than previous algorithms with, in some cases, an order of magnitude less computation.
Characterization of Porous Metal Flow Restrictors for Use as the J-T Expander in Hydrogen Sorption Cryocoolers

A program has been completed to measure the flow rate of hydrogen at pressures up to 10 MPa through commercially manufactured porous metal flow restrictors. Such flow restrictors offer substantially greater resistance to contamination induced plugging or changes in flow when compared with conventional orifices and capillary tubing.
A Co4O4 “Cubane” Water Oxidation Catalyst Inspired by Photosynthesis

Herein we describe the molecular Co4O4 cubane complex Co4O4(OAc)4(py)4 (1), which catalyzes efficient water oxidizing activity when powered by a standard photochemical oxidation source or electrochemical oxidation. The pH dependence of catalysis, the turnover frequency, and in situ monitoring of catalytic species have revealed the intrinsic capabilities of this core type. The catalytic activity of complex 1 and analogous Mn4O4 cubane complexes is attributed to the cubical core topology, which is analogous to that of nature’s water oxidation catalyst, a cubical CaMn4O5 cluster.
The Design of a Catalytic Reactor/Heat Exchanger and Fuel Cell for the Covert Generation of Electricity

A preliminary process design is presented for a 100-kW generator of electricity for covert use by the United States Armed Forces in an arbitrary isolated site. The special features of this analysis are the novel constraints, which consist of the use of a commonly available fuel, portability (less than 450 kg) and maneuverability of the generator and accessories both by air and on the ground, minimal generation of noise, minimal release of readily identifiable gaseous emissions, and simplicity of operation with minimally trained personnel. Fixed and operational costs are not primary considerations.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Modeling Urban Environments for Communication-Aware UAV Swarm Path Planning

Presented at the AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August, 2010.
Diagnostic scale for evaluation of graduate-level teaching assistants.

Summary.-The TA Evaluator, 20 5-point ratings of the effectiveness of graduate teaching assistants, showed split-half reliabiliry of .95. All 20 items loaded greater than .59 on a single iterative principal axis factor. Average r for 10 items pairs was .55. Use in diagnosis and improvement will be underfaken.
The Bolshevik response

Violent peasant and non-Russian resistance to Soviet power forced the Bolsheviks to recognize and to deal with the major social disparities within the largest country in the world. Although the tsarist political order collapsed in the spring of 1917, the social, economic and cultural legacy of the old order remained. Beginning in the sixteenth century, Russia annexed territories containing a wide variety of national and religious groups which were not fully developed political entities with a matching political consciousness. Located on the periphery of the empire, these territories differed not only from the center, but also from each other. Of the 140 million people in Soviet Russia and its allied republics in 1921, 75 million were Russians and 65 million were non-Russians. Of the latter, nearly 30 million were Ukrainians and 30 million were of Turkic background. The population density varied from 2.4 people per square kilometer in Kirghizia to 53.0 in the Ukrainian republic, which possessed the most densely populated urban and rural populations of all the non-Russian regions. Although these areas possessed rich natural resources, they remained economically underdeveloped. A small number of non-Russian regions did not diverge from Russia in industrial development; the majority, however, did. Capitalism barely penetrated most of these areas. As a result, the non-Russians did not possess a native bourgeoisie or their own proletariat. The indigenous populations consisted mainly of peasants or nomads. Those in Turkestan lived a “half-patriarchal, half-feudal life style.” Culturally, the non-Russians varied widely. Some national groups (such as the Poles, Finns, Latvians, and Ukrainians) possessed their own fully developed languages, cultures, and literatures.
Algebraic and geometric convergence

The focus of this chapter is on sequences of kleinian groups, typically sequences that are becoming degenerate in some way. For these, it is necessary to distinguish between convergence of groups and convergence of quotient manifolds. The former has to do with sequences of groups whose generators converge, the latter with sequences of groups whose fundamental polyhedra converge. We will continue on by introducing the operations called Dehn filling and surgery. This leads to the description of the set of volumes of finite volume hyperbolic 3-manifolds. Algebraic convergence In this section we will prove the two theorems which provide the basis for working with sequences of groups. Let Γ be an abstract group and { φ n : Γ → G n } be a sequence of homomorphisms (also called representations ) { φ n } of Γ to groups G n of Mobius transformations. Suppose for each γ ∈ Γ, lim n →∞ φ n (γ) = φ(γ) exists as a Mobius transformation. Then the sequence { φ n } is said to converge algebraically and its algebraic limit is the group of limits G ∞ = { φ(γ) : γ ∈ Γ}. When we say a sequence of groups converges algebraically, we are assuming that behind the statement is a sequence of homomorphisms or isomorphisms spawning the sequence. In particular, a sequence of r -generator groups G n = ⟨ A 1 , n , A 2 , n , … A r,n ⟩ is said to converge algebraically if A k = lim n →∞ A k ,n exists as a Mobius transformation, 1 ≤ k ≤ r . Its algebraic limit is the group G = ⟨ A 1 , A 2 , … A r ⟩. To make this terminology consistent with that used above, refer to the free group F r on r -generators and express G n as the sequence of representations φ n : F r → G n determined by sending the k -th generator of F r to A k,n . The convergence is controlled as spelled out by the following two fundamental results. Theorem 4.1.1 [Jorgensen 1976; Jorgensen and Klein 1982]. Let { G n } be a sequence of r-generator nonelementary kleinian groups converging algebraically to the group G. Then G is also a nonelementary kleinian group, and the map A k → A k,n , 1 ≤ k ≤ r, determines a homomorphism ϕ n : G → Gn for all large indices n . In general ϕ n will not be an isomorphism.
A critical role of the SUMO pathway in KRAS-driven oncogenesis

T SUMOylation pathway modulates the activity of many cellular proteins and plays an important role in cellular stress protection. Through a genome-wide shRNA synthetic lethal screen against the KRAS oncogene, we identified the SUMO E2 ligase Ubc9 to be critical for KRAS-driven transformation in colorectal cancer cells. Strikingly, shRNA depletion of Ubc9 severely impairs clonogenic and anchorage-independent growth of KRAS mutant cells in vitro and attenuates tumor growth in xenograft models. SILAC mass-spectrometry reveals that the SUMOylation of multiple proteins are elevated in KRAS mutant cells. In particular, SUMOylation of the transcriptional repressor KAP1 is selectively elevated in KRAS mutant cells under anchorage independent conditions and functionally repress p21 upregulation. Our findings suggest a model where the SUMOylation pathway relieves the oncogenic stress associated with KRAS transformation. shRNA-rescue experiments using Ubc9 mutants indicate that KRAS-driven transformation requires Ubc9 enzymatic activity, thus Ubc9 inhibitor could be potentially useful at treating KRAS mutant colorectal cancer. Ji Luo, J Cancer Sci Ther 2013, 5:10 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/1948-5956.S1.028
Multivariable Digital Decoupling Control System Design Using Output Feedback

Abstract Output decoupling is achieved for the longitudinal control system of an aircraft which is required to perform a number of maneuvers. The aircraft is represented by state and output equations and the matrix product CB is rank deficient, thus additional measurements are used to achieve a controllable system. In order to achieve tracking, the system uses output feedback and a digital proportional plus integral controller. Proper selection of the measurement matrix leads to an asymptotically decoupled system transfer function as the sampling frequency increases.
Australopithecus in Ethiopia

Australopithecus in Ethiopia is currently represented by three species: Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus garhi ranging in age from about 4.2 to 2.5 Ma. The genus is encountered from Hadar and environs in the North to Fejej in the southernmost part of the country. The relationship among the three species appears to be an anagenetic link going from the oldest to the youngest, but there is not enough evidence to relate the genus directly to any known ancestral species, which renders its origin difficult to pinpoint. Of the three, A. afarensis is by far the best known in terms of its paleobiology and paleoecology, and further research is required to reconnoiter the paleobiology of A. anamensis and A. garhi as well as to shed light on the ancestor of the genus in general.
Accreditation of Nonprofit Certificate and Degree Programs: Caveat Emptor: Why Public Administration May Not Be The Best Fit

Nonprofit certificate and degree programs are in need of the institutional support provided by credentialing to establish and maintain their quality and to support the development of an emerging field of study. NASPAA, the presumptive candidate, has a disciplinary orientation and a primary responsibility to public administration that hinder its ability to fulfill this role. Public administration programs that have spun off nonprofit certificates and degrees have not fully accommodated the curricular demands of nonprofit studies, nor have they experienced pressure to do so. Curricular certification by a nonprofit membership organization would provide support for greater academic integrity of nonprofit certificates and degrees. Finally, the body of knowledge within public administration presents an incomplete picture of nonprofits, including their roles and relationship with the administrative state. For these reasons, public administration institutions are not currently positioned to support credentialing of nonprofit academic programs. NACC should begin with curricular certification and subsequently explore whether to become a full-fledged credentialing institution.
Analysis of Serotonin Molecules on Silver Nanocolloids—A Raman Computational and Experimental Study

Combined theoretical and experimental analysis of serotonin by quantum chemical density functional calculations and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, respectively, is presented in this work to better understand phenomena related to this neurotransmitter’s detection and monitoring at very low concentrations specific to physiological levels. In addition to the successful ultrasensitive analyte detection on silver nanoparticles for concentrations as low as 10−11 molar, the relatively good agreement between the simulated and experimentally determined results indicates the presence of all serotonin molecular forms, such as neutral, ionic, and those oxidized through redox reactions. Obvious structural molecular deformations such as bending of lateral amino chains are observed for both ionic and oxidized forms. Not only does this combined approach reveal more probable adsorption of serotonin into the silver surface through hydroxyl/oxygen sites than through NH/nitrogen sites, but also that it does so predominantly in its neutral (reduced) form, somewhat less so in its ionic forms, and much less in its oxidized forms. If the development of opto-voltammetric biosensors and their effective implementation is envisioned for the future, this study provides some needed scientific background for comprehending changes in the vibrational signatures of this important neurotransmitter.
Reading and Dyslexia Legislation: Analytic Techniques and Findings on the Framing of Dyslexia

In this chapter, we review recent legislation and analyze transcripts of public hearings and associated legislative documents using frame analysis to understand how reading has been constructed as a policy problem. We then engage in a discourse analysis of frames by examining constructions of reading as a policy problem and the positioning of stakeholders made relevant within written testimony. We then discuss the various constructs of reading/reading difficulty in legislative documents within a single state and discuss their implications for implementation and future policymaking.
Single- versus double-bundle suture button reconstruction of the forearm interosseous membrane for the chronic Essex-Lopresti lesion.

Reconstruction of the ruptured interosseous membrane (IOM) is critical to restore forearm stability for the chronic Essex-Lopresti injury. Positive outcomes have been reported following IOM reconstruction with a single-bundle suture button (Mini-Tightrope) construct, although recent work suggests that double-bundle Mini-TightRope® IOM reconstruction is biomechanically superior. The purpose of this study was to determine whether double-bundle Mini-TightRope® reconstruction of the forearm IOM results in superior clinical outcomes to the single-bundle technique. Five patients with chronic Essex-Lopresti injuries treated with double-bundle Mini-TightRope® IOM reconstruction were matched to five patients treated with single-bundle Mini-TightRope® reconstruction. Improvement in clinical examination measures and patient-reported outcomes was compared between the groups. Results were good to excellent in all 10 patients. At final follow-up, forearm rotation was significantly better in the single-bundle group, while maintenance of ulnar variance was better in the double-bundle group. No significant differences were noted between the two groups for any other numerical outcomes, and no complications occurred. These findings suggest that while IOM reconstruction with a double-bundle Mini-TightRope® construct results in greater resistance to proximal migration of the radius in the intermediate term, there is a modest concomitant loss of forearm rotation when compared to single-bundle reconstruction. Therapeutic Level IV.
Gender Bias Produces Gender Gaps in STEM Engagement

We explored whether the existence of gender bias causes gender gaps in STEM engagement. In Experiment 1 (n = 322), U.S. women projected less sense of belonging, positivity toward, and aspirations to participate in STEM than did men when exposed to the reality of STEM gender bias. These gender differences disappeared when participants were told that STEM exhibits gender equality, suggesting that gender bias produces STEM gender gaps. Experiment 2 (n = 429) explored whether results generalized to a specific STEM department, and whether organizational efforts to mitigate gender bias might shrink gender gaps. U.S. women exposed to a biased chemistry department anticipated more discrimination and projected less sense of belonging, positive attitudes and trust and comfort than did men. These gender differences vanished when participants read about an unbiased department, again suggesting that gender bias promotes STEM gender gaps. Further, moderated mediation analyses suggested that in the presence of gender bias (but not gender equality), women projected less positive attitudes and trust and comfort than did men because they experienced less sense of belonging and anticipated more discrimination. Results were largely unaffected by whether departments completed a diversity training, suggesting that knowledge of diversity initiatives alone cannot close STEM gender gaps.
Evaluating pre-pregnancy dietary diversity vs. dietary quality scores as predictors of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Background Dietary diversity scores (DDS) are considered as metrics for monitoring the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, but they need to be rigorously evaluated. Objective To examine two DDS, the Food Groups Index (FGI), and the Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women (MDD-W), alongside two dietary quality scores, the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010) and the Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS), with risks of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs). Design The analysis included 21,312 (GDM) and 19,917 (HDPs) singleton births reported in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort (1991–2001), among women without major chronic disease or GDM/HDPs. Scores were derived using prepregnancy diet collected by a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable models were utilized to calculate relative risks (RR) and confidence intervals (95%CIs). Results Incident GDM (n = 916) and HDPs (n = 1,421) were reported. The MDD-W and FGI were not associated with risk of GDM or HDPs, but the AHEI-2010 and PDQS were associated with a lower risk of GDM and marginally lower risk of HDP. The RR’s of GDM comparing the highest vs. lowest quintiles were 1.00 (95%CI: 0.79, 1.27; p-trend = 0.82) for MDD-W, 0.96 (95%CI: 0.76, 1.22; p-trend = 0.88) for FGI, 0.63 (95%CI: 0.50, 0.81; p-trend <0.0001) for the AHEI-2010 and 0.68 (95%CI: 0.54, 0.86; p-trend = 0.003) for the PDQS. Similarly, the RR’s of HDPs were 0.92 (95%CI: 0.75, 1.12, p-trend = 0.94) for MDD-W, 0.97 (95%CI: 0.79, 1.17; p-trend = 0.83) for FGI, 0.84 (95%CI: 0.70, 1.02; p-trend = 0.07) for AHEI-2010 and 0.89 (95%CI: 0.74, 1.09; p-trend = 0.07) for PDQS. Conclusions MDD-W and FGI did not predict the risk of GDM and HDPs. These DDS should not be widely used as metrics for achieving dietary goals in their present form. The Prime Diet Quality Score warrants further testing as a promising measure of a sustainable and healthy diet on a global scale.
Burden of Depression among Working-Age Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective. This study estimated the excess clinical, humanistic, and economic burden associated with depression among working-age adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among working-age (18 to 64 years) RA patients with depression ( ) and without depression ( ) using data from the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for the years 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Results. Overall, 25.8% had depression. In adjusted analyses, adults with RA and depression compared to those without depression were significantly more likely to have pain interference with normal work (severe pain: AOR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.55, 3.18), functional limitations (AOR = 2.17; 95% CI = 1.61, 2.94), and lower mental health HRQoL scores. Adults with RA and depression had significantly higher annual healthcare expenditures ($14,752 versus 10,541, ) and out-of-pocket spending burden. Adults with RA and depression were more likely to be unemployed and among employed adults, those with depression had a significantly higher number of missed work days annually and higher lost annual wages due to missed work days. Conclusions. This study highlights the importance of effectively managing depression in routine clinical practice of RA patients to reduce pain and functional limitations, improve quality of life, and lower direct and indirect healthcare costs.
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery

Minimally invasive techniques have revolutionized the surgical approach to diseases of the lungs and esophagus. Nearly every major thoracic operation has been performed utilizing video-assisted techniques. Although preliminary outcomes data do appear encouraging for some of the more common procedures such as lobectomy, sympathectomy, and thoracic esophagectomy, the majority of such data are derived from individual experiences or institutional series with short- to intermediate-term follow-up. There is a relative paucity of prospective controlled studies that validate long-term efficacy of minimally invasive approaches to diseases of the thoracic cavity. In this chapter, we review the minimally invasive approaches of lobectomy for lung cancer as well as staging and resection for esophageal cancer utilizing an evidence-based analysis. Emphasis is placed on long-term results, complications, and cost-effectiveness.
Cell-free assays for HIV-1 uncoating.

The term uncoating has been used to refer to the early postentry steps in virus infection immediately following fusion of the viral and cellular membranes and delivery of the viral core into the cytoplasm. For most enveloped viruses, particularly retroviruses, the details of uncoating are essentially unknown. Uncoating can be defined more specifically as the shedding of the viral capsid from the retroviral core (reviewed in [1]). For HIV-1, this appears to involve disassembly of the conical capsid and the release of the CA protein into a soluble form (Fig.1). The intracellular location and timing of HIV-1 uncoating during infection are not known. Open in a separate window Fig. 1 Schematic of HIV-1 uncoating. During incubation at 37°C, purified HIV-1 cores spontaneously release the CA and RT proteins into a soluble form. The extent of uncoating is determined by p24 ELISA after separating free from core-associated CA by ultracentifugation.
Gastric cancer in Alaska Native people: A cancer health disparity.

AIM To evaluate recent trends in gastric cancer incidence, response to treatment, and overall survival among Alaska Native (AN) people. METHODS A retrospective analysis of the Alaska Native Medical Center patient database was performed. Patient history, clinical, pathological, response to treatment and patient outcomes were collected from one-hundred and thirty-two AN gastric cancer patients. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database 18 was used to collect comparison United States non-Hispanic White (NHW) and AN gastric cancer patient data between 2006-2014. RESULTS AN gastric cancer patients have a higher incidence rate, a poorer overall survival, and are diagnosed at a significantly younger age compared to NHW patients. AN patients differ from NHW patients in greater prevalence of non-cardia, diffuse subtype, and signet ring cell carcinomas. AN females were more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancer, stage IV, compared to AN males. Diminished overall survival was observed among AN patients with increasing stage, O+ blood type, < 15 lymph nodes examined at resection, and no treatment. This study is the first report detailing the clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer in AN people with outcome data. CONCLUSION Our findings confirm the importance of early detection, treatment, and surgical resection for optimizing AN patient outcomes. Further research on early detection markers are warranted.
Agricultural Cooperatives—Looking Ahead—Issues and Challenges

Agricultural cooperatives have been portrayed as a form of business enterprise in a market economy which is particularly adapted to serving the needs of the agricultural sector because of its structural arrangement. Cooperatives are designed to provide services to agricultural producers which they, as individuals, cannot provide for themselves or cannot do so as effectively.
Driving Results and Performance

The preceding three chapters focused on techniques that allow artificial neural networks to perform vision-based guidance of a mobile robot. Actual results employing these techniques have been included only for drawing comparisons between competing methods. In the first part of this chapter the flexibility of the techniques presented so far is demonstrated by illustrating the range of situations in which networks have been trained to drive. Accompanying the description of each situation is an analysis of the characteristics that made the domain interesting or difficult, and an outline of any situation-specific steps required to facilitate driving in that domain.
Explaining Dynamics and Stasis in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: The Challenges of Nested Public Goods

Why do states that are members of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) refuse efforts to strengthen the institution or broader nonproliferation regime? This paper systematically explores this question with a set of hypotheses that arise from the literature on collective action and international regimes. The analysis highlights the notion that a wide range of potential regime-strengthening activities creates a wide array of collective action challenges, each with different implications for the provision of an underlying public good. Thus, building responsible stakeholders for the broadest public good challenge (nuclear nonproliferation) essentially becomes a problem of “solving” the “nested public goods provision” problems within.
Valuing innovations in cancer treatment.

e18176Background: Established in 2004 by voter referendum, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine funds stem-cell research aimed at reducing the burden of diseases, including cancer. In...
The agency effect: The impact of student agency on learning, emotions, and problem-solving behaviors in a game-based learning environment

Abstract Game-based learning environments are designed to foster high levels of student engagement and motivation during learning of complex topics. Game-based learning environments allow students freedom to navigate a space to interact with game elements that foster learning, i.e., agency. Agency has been studied in learning, and it has been demonstrated that increased student agency results in greater learning outcomes. However, it is unclear what is the level of agency that is required to demonstrate this effect, and whether this effect applies only to learning or to problem solving and affect during game-based learning as well. To investigate how the level of student agency impacts learning, problem solving, and affect, a study was conducted with 138 college students interacting with a game-based learning environment for microbiology, Crystal Island. This study is an extension of a previous study that examined the impact of agency on learning and problem-solving behaviors during game-based learning with Crystal Island. Students were randomly assigned to either a High Agency condition, a Low Agency condition, or a No Agency condition. It was found that students in the Low Agency condition achieved significantly higher normalized learning gain scores than students in the No Agency condition, and marginally higher normalized learning gains than the High Agency condition. Post-surveys of interest and presence indicated that students in the No Agency condition were less interested, and perceived themselves as less present in the virtual environment, than students in the other conditions. Students in the No Agency condition also experienced less frustration, confusion, and joy than the other agency conditions, indicating a less cognitively stimulating experience. Overall the results indicate that a moderate degree of agency provided to students in game-based learning environments leads to better learning outcomes without sacrificing interest and without yielding a negative emotional experience, demonstrating how even low levels of agency can positively impact learning, problem solving, and affect during game-based learning.
The Effects of CEDA and NDT Debate Training on Critical Thinking Ability.

In recent years many critics have argued that intercollegiate debating has lost touch with its educational goals. One of the most extensively documented benefits of the debate activity is the enhan...
Click Chemistry-Based Two-Component System for Efficient Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Reverse Transcriptase (RT)

We synthesized two dTTP analogues for copper-free “click” chemistry-coupling in the active sites of DNA polymerases. We found that in the presence of both analogues, human immunodeficiency virus (H...