cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seismic fragility of RC shear walls in nuclear power plant Part 1: Characterization of uncertainty in concrete constitutive model

Abstract This two part manuscript proposes a framework for seismic fragility assessment of reinforced concrete structures in nuclear energy facilities. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the characterization of uncertainties in the parameters of the material constitutive model. Concrete constitutive models that comprehensively address different damage states such as tensile cracking, compression failure, stiffness degradation, and recovery of degraded stiffness due to closing of previously formed cracks under dynamic loading are generally defined in terms of a large number of variables to characterize the plasticity and damage at material level. Over the past several years, many different studies have been presented on evaluation of fragility for reinforced concrete structures using nonlinear time history simulations. However, almost all of these studies do not consider uncertainties in the parameters of a comprehensive constitutive model. Part-I of this two-part manuscript presents a study that is used to identify uncertainties associated with the critical parameters in nonlinear concrete damage plasticity model proposed by Lubliner et al. (1989. Int. J. Solids Struct., 25(3), 299) and later modified by Lee and Fenves (1998a. J. Eng. Mech., ASCE, 124(8), 892) and Lee and Fenves (1998b. Earthquake Eng. Struct. Dyn., 27(9), 937) for the purpose of seismic fragility assessment. The limitations in implementation of the damage plasticity model within a finite element framework and hence its direct use in a simulation based fragility assessment is addressed. A methodology to overcome these limitations by combining the damage plasticity based constitutive model with some existing closed-form expressions is presented in this study. A simulation-based fragility evaluation framework that incorporates the damage plasticity model and the closed-form expressions for evaluating damage variables and application of this framework to an experimentally tested shear wall is presented in the Part-II companion paper.
Eicosanoids as endogenous regulators of leptin release and lipolysis by mouse adipose tissue in primary culture.

Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) stimulated leptin re- lease over a 24-h incubation of mouse adipose tissue in pri- mary culture. The maximal stimulation of leptin release was seen with 100 n M PGE 2 . The role of endogenous eicosanoids in the regulation of lipolysis and leptin formation was ex- amined in the presence of NS-398, a selective cyclooxygen- ase-2 inhibitor. NS-398 at a concentration of 5 m M enhanced lipolysis by 30% and lowered leptin release by 24%. This concentration of NS-398 almost completely inhibited PGE 2 formation. An inhibition of basal lipolysis by PGE 2 or N 6 - cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) was seen in the presence but not in the absence of NS-398. CPA, whose receptor, like that of PGE 2 inhibits cyclic AMP accumulation in adipose tissue, also enhanced leptin release. These data indicate that PGE 2 can stimulate leptin release and suggest that endoge- nous eicosanoids affect both lipolysis and leptin formation by mouse adipose tissue. — Fain, J. N., C. W. Leffler, and S. W. Bahouth. Eicosanoids as endogenous regulators of leptin release and lipolysis by mouse adipose tissue in pri- mary culture. J. Lipid Res. 2000. 41: 1689-1694.
Holonomy and Structure in the Organization of Perception

The face of psychology has undergone a series of changes during a century of growth as a science. Initial concerns with sensory processes, (as, for instance, in the hands of Helmholtz and Mach) and thought (as studied by Kulpe, Brentano, and James) gave way to investigations of feelings (e.g., Wundt) and motivations (e.g., Freud). The introspectionism of Tichener was succeeded by the factors of Spearman, Thurston, and Cattell and by the behaviorism of Watson; the Gestalts of Koffka, Kohler, Wertheimer and Metzger were pitted against the learning theories of Pavlov, Hilgard, Hull, Spence, Tolman and Skinner. Each of these faces has left a legacy which can be traced through its descendants and the variety of their modifications, techniques and formal statements of what constitutes psychology, and attests to the vigor of this young science.
A comparative theoretical study of bonding in UO2++,UO2+,UO2,UO2−, OUCO, O2U(CO)2 and UO2CO3

Abstract Extensive ab initio calculations have been carried out to study the structure and bonding characteristics of UO2++,UO2,UO2+,UO2−,OUCO,O2U(CO)2, and UO2CO3 using various methods including complete active space multiconfiguration self consistent filed (CASMCSCF) and multireference singles plus doubles configuration (MRSDCI) techniques. The calculated vibrational frequencies of these species are compared with the matrix spectra of Andrews and coworkers. The nature of bonding in these species is discussed.
Abstract 15683: The Effect of Body Composition on the Association Between Adiposity-Associated Inflammation and Coronary Artery and Abdominal Aortic Calcium: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background: Secreted by adipose tissue, adipokines regulate glucose and fatty acid metabolism and participate in inflammatory processes linked to coronary artery and abdominal aorta calcification (CAC and AAC). Because adipokine secretion differs by adipose tissue type, we hypothesized that body composition modifies associations between these adiposity-associated inflammatory markers (AAIMs) and CAC and AAC. Methods: We evaluated 1878 MESA participants with complete measures of AAIMs, anthropometry, CAC, and AAC. Associations of AAIMs with CAC and AAC prevalence and severity were analyzed per standard deviation (SD) using staged log binomial and linear regression models. Waist-hip ratio (WHR) was dichotomized into categories based on median WHR values for sex and ethnicity. Calcium prevalence was defined as any calcium (Agatston > 0), while severity was defined as natural log Agatston score. Analyses were adjusted for demographics and traditional CVD risk factors. Interactions of WHR with AAIMs were examined on a multiplicative or additive scale as appropriate. Results: Each SD greater IL-6 and fibrinogen corresponded to 5% greater CAC prevalence (95% CI: 1.02-1.07; 1.02-1.08) and 4% greater AAC prevalence (95% CI: 1.02-1.05; 1.01-1.06). CRP corresponded to 5% greater CAC prevalence (95% CI: 1.02-1.08). IL-6 and fibrinogen were associated with 14.1% and 13.5% higher AAC severity, respectively (p=0.003; p=0.010). Adiponectin, leptin, resistin, and TNFa were not associated with CAC or AAC prevalence or severity. Associations of IL-6 and fibrinogen with CAC severity were modified by WHR; each SD greater IL-6 was associated with 21.3% greater CAC severity among higher WHR (p=0.007), whereas no association was observed among lower WHR (Interaction p = 0.014). Similarly, each SD greater fibrinogen was associated with 19.2% greater CAC severity among higher WHR (p=0.019), whereas no association was observed among lower WHR (Interaction p = 0.034). Conclusion: Higher concentrations of IL-6 and fibrinogen were significantly associated with prevalence and severity of CAC and AAC; and CRP only with CAC. However, the association of IL-6 and fibrinogen with CAC severity was modified by WHR, such that associations were stronger in those with higher WHR.
Neural Control Interfaces

The control interface is the primary component of a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system that provides user interaction. The control interface supplies cues for performing mental tasks, reports system status and task feedback, and often displays representations of the user’s brain signals. Control interfaces play a significant role in determining the usability of a BCI, and some of the traditional human-computer interaction design methods apply. However, the very specialized input methods and display paradigms of a BCI require consideration to create optimal usability for a BCI system. This chapter outlines some of the issues and challenges that make designing control interfaces for BCIs unique.
Anger in Organizations: Review and Future Directions

Anger is an important emotion in the workplace and organizations are likely to generate situations prompting anger. This has led to a range of studies exploring the implications of anger for critical organizational phenomena including emotion norms, leadership, employee relations and satisfaction, workplace aggression, gender issues, and status. Despite the dramatic increase in scholarly attention over the last decade to understanding anger experience and expression in organizations, there exist few current reviews and little integration of this diverse literature. This review will summarize current work in this vital area, provide a framework for understanding and integrating this work, and propose themes for future research.
Bionomics of sweetpotato whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on weed hosts in the Imperial Valley, California

Time required for sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), to complete development of egg to adult at 26.7 ± 2°C varied depending on the host to which it wasconfined. Development was completed in 5 fewer days on wild lettuce, Lactuca serriola L., and spiny sowthistles, Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, than on wild sunflowers, Helianthus annuus L. Catches of adults on traps adjacent to wild sunflowersand field bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis L., and of immatures on leaf samples of these plants indicated that B. tabaci was present throughout the year in the cultivated area of the Imperial Valley in California. Thus, movement of adults back into this area is not a prerequisite for annual establishment of the pest. Seasonal trends of the aphelinid parasites, Eretmocerus spp. and Encarsia spp., attacking B. tabaci were monitored on both host plants, but levels of parasitism never exceeded 40%. Therefore, effectiveness of these parasitoids in managing B. tabaci is questionable.
From Army Outpost to Military Training Installations for Worldwide Operations: How WWII Transformed the Military Presence in the Southwestern United States

The southwestern United States contains the largest and most technologically advanced military training and testing installations in the world. Many of these of these installations range in size from 1000 to 7000 km2 (386–2700 mi2) and are surrounded by several large metropolitan centers that have greatly expanded since 1970. The establishment of these installations was, in part, a serendipitous timing of the evolving and increasingly mechanized military during early World War II coupled with the availability of an extremely desolate and expansive region of the deserts in the southwestern United States. Prior to WWII, the United States military presence consisted of widely scattered and small forts that existed between 1847 and 1900 for the protection of settlers and supply routes. Military interest in the desert radically changed with the entry of the United States into WWII and with the need for troops trained for desert warfare in Northern Africa. General George Patton, clearly seeing the advantages of training in the southwestern deserts, established the Desert Training Center (DTC). The DTC, later the California-Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA), covered extensive parts of California, Arizona, and Nevada was the first of its kind in that it allowed large-scale maneuvers and training of mobile military operations including armor, mechanized infantry, and supply and logistics. Many additional training facilities were also established during WWII to support the war effort. At the end of WWII, many of the military installations in the regions (including the CAMA) were deactivated. The onset of the Cold War, with combat in Korea and later in Vietnam, several of the former WWII installations were reactivated and expanded in the size and capabilities due to the rapid evolution of military equipment and the increasing need for joint service military training. These large installations, including the Yuma Proving Ground, the National Training Center, Nellis AFB, and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, all originated during WWII and have evolved into world-class training and testing facilities for world-wide operations.
Analysis of Pneumoconiosis Cases in Beibei District from 2006 to 2012

Objective Incidence of pneumoconiosis and epidemiological characteristics were analyzed in Beibei District of Chongqing from 2006 to 2012,to provide a basis for future prevention of occupational diseases. Methods Taking new pneumoconiosis cases as an object,to analyze disease categories,clinical characteristics,industry distribution,etc. Results In the new pneumoconiosis cases of Beibei District from 2006 to 2012,389 cases were male and 2 females. Patients aged 40 to 49,50 to 59 years-old are the most common. The average age at diagnosis is 51. 97 ± 9. 58. Dust exposure duration is 19. 52 years,with no different for patients with different diseases,with 233 cases of coal workers' pneumoconiosis( 85. 66%),39 cases of silicosis( 14. 34%); period Ⅰ228 cases( 83. 82%),periodⅡ 32 cases( 11.76%),period Ⅲ 12 cases( 4. 42%). PeriodⅠis dominated of pneumoconiosis and silicosis cases,and silicosis cases have a higher proportion in period Ⅱ,Ⅲ than pneumoconiosis,whose cases constitute difference was statistically significant. Conclusions Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is the most important species of pneumoconiosis in Beibei District. Measures should be taken to prevent the incidence of pneumoconiosis and younger tend to rise,especially on prevention and treatment of small coal mines custody,while enhance health care for dust-exposed workers undergo docking and post-retirement.
Data-Oriented Method of Schema Matching Utilizing Information Theory

The development of network has led to larger and more heterogeneous datasets.In order to employ these heterogeneous data,people usually use data integration,and schema matching is the core technology of data integration.However,these data sets are always with typical heterogeneity and may have problems such as duplicate records,missing values or lack of schema information,which lead to the inapplicability of traditional schema matching technology.For this end,this paper focuses on the study of schema matching in a situation where the schema information is unknown or incomplete,and proposes a schema matching model utilizing information theory.The model is totally based on the characteristics of the data distribution they contain,and without assumption of the existence of any external knowledge.It can compute all the similarities between columns accurately,and describe the characteristics of data distribution of each attribute column and the relations between them.This paper provides algorithms for constructing original data distribution graph and evolutive data distribution graph,which help to describe the relationship between attribute columns formally.The comprehensive experimental evaluation on real datasets verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Energy measurements and requirements of critically ill patients.

Measurement of energy expenditures in critically ill patients requires indirect, sometimes difficult processes, like those associated with the Fick method, the gas exchange method, the closed circuit spirometer method, and several others. These measurements provide useful information that aids in the determination of the goals of nutritional support.
Technology in second-language learning: a student's perspective

In this paper, a student describes his experiences using technology to aid his learning of a second language, Spanish. The author describes the print and on-line resources used in his studies, and the ways in which he utilized each. The author assesses the strengths and weaknesses of these resources, and provides suggestions for improvements in the on-line resources he utilized.
Building an Equipment Checkout System from Scratch

This article will examine the practical methods the Portland State University (PSU) Library and University of Oregon Portland Library and Learning Commons implemented when developing equipment checkout systems to serve their patrons. Due to the inherent complexity of technology items and their unique lending rules, creating sound circulation policies which benefited patrons and worked well with the limitations of our integrated library systems (ILS) was of primary concern. In this document, we will describe our basic equipment lending workflows as well as highlight the basic factors to consider if launching a similar project. The PSU Library’s focus will relate to lending a variety of technology equipment (laptops, iPads) available to a large student population, while UO Portland’s will relate to lending specialized kits with many components to specific patron groups.
A methodology for obtaining diffusion coefficients in a three-phase ternary couple: GaAs/nickel

ABSTRACT A methodology was presented for determining the interdiffusion coefficients of phases formed in a ternary diffusion couple using the measured growth rates and the concentration profiles across the couple. Using this methodology the interdiffusion coefficients of the T-Ni 3 GaAs phase were obtained from several GaAs/Nickel couples. Assuming the cross-intrinsic diffusion coefficients to be negligible, relationships between intrinsic diffusion coefficients and interdiffusion coefficients were derived, and values were obtained for the three intrinsic diffusion coefficients of the T-phase. The intrinsic diffusivity for nickel was the largest and that for arsenic the smallest. These data were rationalized in terms of the structure of the T-phase.
Dilemmas and Challenges in Forging Social Cohesion Through Education: Emerging Struggles in Social Justice in Post-conflict Education in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian Ocean with a multi-ethnic and multireligious population. A free education policy in 1945, supplemented in the 1990s with free textbooks, free school uniforms and a midday meal for children in poorer districts, has ensured Sri Lanka achieved a high level of human development and also maintained a high literacy rate. Yet Sri Lanka was embroiled in a civil conflict from 1983 to 2010 with perceived social injustices as the root cause. The long period of war has caused further mistrust and intolerance among ethnic communities. Recognizing the role education could play in the promotion of social cohesion and in the growth and development of future citizens, in 2008, education policy leaders in Sri Lanka took the crucial step in preparing a national policy on social cohesion and peace education. The many issues of conflict and the lack of social harmony in the country deemed a national policy on social cohesion and peace education necessary. Although there were many initiatives already being carried out in the country to promote peace and social cohesion, there was a general lack of coherence and coordination among the programs. However, implementing this policy has not proved easy and there are many dilemmas and challenges that policy-makers have to face. This chapter will focus on the dilemmas and challenges in forging social cohesion through education and the emerging struggles in social justice in post-conflict education in Sri Lanka.
Transformation of topologically close-packed β-W to body-centered cubic α-W: Comparison of experiments and computations

The enthalpy and activation energy for the transformation of the metastable form of tungsten, β-W, which has the topologically close-packed A15 structure (space group Pm3¯n), to equilibrium α-W, which is body-centered cubic (A2, space group Im3¯m), was measured using differential scanning calorimetry. The β-W films were 1 μm-thick and were prepared by sputter deposition in argon with a small amount of nitrogen. The transformation enthalpy was measured as -8.3 ± 0.4 kJ/mol (-86 ± 4 meV/atom) and the transformation activation energy as 2.2 ± 0.1 eV. The measured enthalpy was found to agree well with the difference in energies of α and β tungsten computed using density functional theory, which gave a value of -82 meV/atom for the transformation enthalpy. A calculated concerted transformation mechanism with a barrier of 0.4 eV/atom, in which all the atoms in an A15 unit cell transform into A2, was found to be inconsistent with the experimentally measured activation energy for any critical nucleus larger than two A2 unit cells. Larger calculations of eight A15 unit cells spontaneously relax to a mechanism in which part of the supercell first transforms from A15 to A2, creating a phase boundary, before the remaining A15 transforms into the A2 phase. Both calculations indicate that a nucleation and growth mechanism is favored over a concerted transformation. More consistent with the experimental activation energy was that of a calculated local transformation mechanism at the A15-A2 phase boundary, computed as 1.7 eV using molecular dynamics simulations. This calculated phase transformation mechanism involves collective rearrangements of W atoms in the disordered interface separating the A15 and A2 phases.
Gene Expression Profiling of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells Treated with Afatinib

Purpose: To investigate gene expression profile changes in triple negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) treated with afatinib. Methods: Differential expression of 84 genes commonly involved in breast cancer carcinogenesis was examined in MDA-MB-231 cells treated with afatinib (5 µM) and compared to untreated cells. Total RNA was extracted using RNeasy mini kit and subsequently assessed by real-time PCR using the Human Breast Cancer RT2 Profiler PCR Array. Relative gene expression was computed using the ΔΔCt approach and a fold change equal to or greater than 2 was considered significant. Results: Treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with afatinib (5 µM) for 24 h resulted in significant differential expression of several genes commonly involved in breast cancer carcinogenesis. Specifically, 33 of the 84 genes examined exhibited greater than two-fold differential expression when MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to afatinib. Three genes (CTSD, ESR2 and ID1) were upregulated while thirty genes were downregulated in afatinib treated cells compared to control. Core analysis of differentially expressed genes using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software identified five regulatory networks pertinent to cell cycle, cancer, cellular growth and proliferation. This led to phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK being identified as pathways impacted by afatinib. Conclusions: Our findings elucidate molecular targets with altered expression in MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to afatinib. Based on RT2-PCR array analysis, afatinib increased expression of key tumor suppressor genes and down-regulated expression of pivotal oncogenes. This knowledge could contribute to the design and development of effective afatinib based combination therapies for treating TNBC.
ThetaMater: Bayesian estimation of population size parameter θ from genomic data.

Summary We describe ThetaMater, an open source R package comprising a suite of functions for efficient and scalable Bayesian estimation of the population size parameter θ from genomic data. Availability and implementation ThetaMater is available at GitHub (https://github.com/radamsRHA/ThetaMater). Contact todd.castoe@uta.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Loading rate optimization of hybrid power supply system in self-adaptive dual-generator parallel operation

Energy saving is a main concern of telecom operators to reduce TCO and improve market competition. Normally, single generator reaches the best fuel consumption rate when it works under 70%–85% loading rate. But in certain scenarios, the capacity of existing generator is not enough, thus more than one generator will work in parallel in the same hybrid power supply system; for instance in site sharing scenario when new tenants joins bringing larger load capacity, or in the scenario with single operator requires to increase site load capacity. In this case, how to optimize the loading rate of each generator? How to make the whole system energy efficiency reach the optimal performance? This paper introduces a self-adaptive dual-generator parallel operation system, and the optimization method of loading rate for each generator in the system, taking the hybrid system as a whole, that energy efficiency of the entire system achieves the best. In this paper, taking the dual-generator parallel system as an example, the principle of multi-generator is similar.
Enabling School Structure & Transformational School Leadership: Promoting Increased Organizational Citizenship and Professional Teacher Behavior

This study explored the relationships between enabling school structure (ESS), transformational leadership (TSL), organizational citizenship (OCB), and professional teacher behavior (PTB). Confirma...
Sexual function does not change when serum testosterone levels are pharmacologically varied within the normal male range

Objective To examine the relationship between serum T levels and sexual function when T levels are varied in the normal male range by pharmacological means. Two groups of healthy men were treated with a depot form of GnRH agonist leuprolide acetate (Lupron depot; TAP Pharmaceuticals, Chicago, IL) on days 1 and 31 to suppress endogenous T production and either 4 (n=6) or 8 (n=5) mg/d T replacement by a sustained release, long-acting T microcapsule formulation on day 1. Outcome Measures Sexual function was evaluated by daily logs of sexual activity and electroencephalogram-coupled nocturnal penile tumescence recording before and after 9weeks of treatment. Results Serum T levels in 4 and 8mg/d groups were at low and high ends of the normal male range, respectively (10.5±1.7 versus 26.5±3.4nmol/L). The number and duration of rapid eye movement (REM) periods, latency to REM sleep, erections/REM period, magnitude, and duration of tumescence were not significantly different between the 4 and 8mg groups. Sexual logs also did not show significant differences in overall scores or in subcategories of intensity of sexual feelings (libido) and sexual activity between the two doses. Conclusions These data indicate that erectile function and sexual activity and feelings are restored by relatively low T levels. These data may help explain why some partially hypogonadal men continue to have normal sexual function and the absence of good correlation between serum T levels in the normal range and sexual function.
Applications of Binary Classification and Adaptive Boosting to the Query-By-Humming Problem.

In the query-by-humming problem, we attempt to retrieve a speci c song from a target set based on a sung query. Recent evaluations of query-by-humming systems show that the state-of-the-art algorithm is a simple dynamic programming-based interval matching technique. Other techniques based on hidden Markov models are far more expensive computationally and do not appear to offer signi cant increases in performance. Here, we borrow techniques from arti cial intelligence to create an algorithm able to outperform the current state-of-the-art with only a negligible increase in running time.
Liftings for abstract valued functions and separable stochastic processes

In this paper we extend the notion of lifting from real-valued functions to abstract-valued functions (functions with values in a completely regular space). We prove the existence and uniqueness of the “abstract lifting” associated with a given “real lifting”. As an application we show that given a stochastic process with values in a completely regular space, the modification of this process obtained by applying a lifting is always separable.
Pineal region glioblastomas display features of diffuse midline and non-midline gliomas.

Pineal region glioblastomas (GBM) are very rare, with approximately 46 cases described in the literature. The epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of these lesions are poorly characterized. We identified all cases of pineal region GBM treated surgically at our institution between 1990 and 2017. Demographic and clinical follow-up data were extracted from the medical records for all cases. Pathology was reviewed and classified according to 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Specific attention was given to the frequency of histone H3 K27M mutations in these midline gliomas. Eight patients (seven men, one woman) with pineal region GBM, WHO grade IV, were identified. The most common presenting symptoms were headache (75%), vision changes (75%), and gait imbalance/ataxia (50%). Median age at diagnosis was 48.5 years (range 36–74 years). Radical subtotal resection, via a supracerebellar infratentorial approach, was achieved in 75% of patients. Review of the surgical pathology revealed seven primary GBMs (including one giant cell GBM) and one pineal region GBM that developed three years after resection of a pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation. No cases demonstrated evidence of IDH-1 R132H mutation (N = 6) or 1p/19q co-deletion (N = 3). One case tested positive for the histone H3 K27M-mutation. Targeted exome sequencing of 467 cancer-related genes revealed nonsense mutations in ATRX and NF1. Adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy was employed in 87.5% and 75.0% of patients, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 15 months (range 2–24 months) from GBM diagnosis. This study expands the clinical and pathologic spectrum of pineal region GBM, and provides the first report of the genetic landscape of these tumors.
NAFTA & the Alien Tort Claims Act: making a case for actionable offenses based on environmental harms and injuries to the public health.

Multinational corporations often wield more power than many of the world's nations. Their immense wealth and political capital make them almost hegemonic entities. These domineering enterprises are often able to undertake profit-making endeavors, particularly involving the consumption or extraction of natural resources, in developing nations with little or no regulation, and often without meeting the social and environmental standards adhered to in the United States. The emergence of multilateral free trade agreements, specifically within the developing world, has further enhanced the ability of multinational corporations to proliferate their business. Concomitant with the rise of free trade, political and legal barriers to multinational entry into the economy of developing nations are rapidly disappearing. In addition, many nations are unwilling and unable to protect their citizens from environmental abuses through domestic law. Therefore, finding a legal mechanism capable of checking the hegemonic power of multinational corporations is extremely important to the vitality of most developing nations.
Outbreeders pull harder in a parental tug-of-war

During development, seeds compete, directly or indirectly, for access to resources supplied by the maternal plant. This competition is expected to be more intense when embryos (and associated endosperms) are less related to each other because they are fertilized by less-related pollen (1). Imprinted genes of paternal origin in offspring tissues (embryos and endosperms) are predicted to engage in more intense competition for maternal resources than imprinted genes of maternal origin because offspring tissues share the same mother but may have different fathers (2, 3). Plant species vary tremendously in the extent to which they produce selfed siblings (the progeny of self-pollination), half-siblings, and full-siblings (the progeny of outcrossing). The “weak inbreeder/strong outbreeder” (WISO; pronounced “why so”) hypothesis predicts that this maternal–paternal conflict will escalate to higher levels as the degree of outcrossing increases (4). In PNAS, Raunsgard et al. (5) test this hypothesis using crosses among Mexican populations of Dalechampia scandens . The conflict over resource allocation in seeds largely takes place in the endosperm, an ephemeral organism that acquires nutrients from the diploid mother and passes them on to the diploid embryo. Endosperm is triploid in most flowering plants: two maternal genomes for each paternal genome (2m:1p). The antagonistic effects of maternal and paternal genomes on endosperm development are revealed in reciprocal crosses between diploids and their autotetraploids. When the seed parent is diploid, the resulting endosperm is tetraploid (2m:2p) and can be described as exhibiting “paternal excess.” When the seed parent is tetraploid, the resulting endosperm is pentaploid (4m:1p) and can be described as exhibiting “maternal excess.” In species in which the earliest phases of endosperm development occur without cell division, paternal excess is associated with prolonged proliferation of endosperm nuclei, with delayed or absent cellularization of endosperm. In contrast, maternal excess is associated with reduced … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: dhaig{at}oeb.harvard.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Revisiting the association of HLA alleles and haplotypes with CYP21A2 mutations in a large cohort of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Abstract The CYP21A2 gene encoding 21‑hydroxylase is on chromosome 6p21.3 within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class III major histocompatibility complex and an association between congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21‑hydroxylase deficiency and HLA class I and II alleles has been shown in genetically isolated populations. One-third of CAH causing alleles are 30-kb deletions due to homologous recombination events between active and pseudogenes resulting in chimeric genes. The aim of this study was to re-visit the association between the CYP21A2 variants and HLA polymorphisms in a large ethnically diverse cohort of patients with CAH who underwent comprehensive CYP21A2 genotyping, including specification of chimeric gene subtypes (CAH CH-1 through CH-9 of CYP21A1P/CYP21A2 chimeras; CAH-X CH-1 through CH-3 of TNXA/TNXB chimeras) in alleles with 30-kb deletions. The study population included 201 patients (86 males, 115 females, age 3–75 years) with CAH due to 21‑hydroxylase deficiency (159 classic, 42 nonclassic) and 194 parents. Based on the availability of parental genotype, we determined the haplotypes of CYP21A2 mutations and HLA types in 95 probands (190 alleles). Five prevalent haplotype associations were found: p.V281L and B*14-C*08 (P
A Pilot Study of Nutritional Tool Implementation during Autologous Transplant to Improve Caloric and Protein Intake

Background Patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy are at risk for gastrointestinal toxicities. Malnutrition is a common consequence of alteration in diet caused by chemotherapy. A review of the literature indicates that malnutrition plays an important role in cancer prognosis and outcomes, including contribution to longer hospitalizations. The few studies in which individualized, specialized nutritional interventions were implemented demonstrated a decrease in the frequency of malnourishment. Purpose The purpose of this before and after interventional study was to determine if early intervention and provision of specialized menus regarding appropriate diet choices tailored for specific GI symptoms to autologous transplant patients would improve nutrition status (overall calorie and protein intake) throughout transplant process. This pilot interventional study was designed to provide baseline data for further research in this population. Methods This study used sequential cohorts, with control group being enrolled first to reduce potential contamination with nursing staff as to which patient was receiving intervention. Calorie counts were completed on each patient per protocol. Worksheets were collected from each patient on self-reporting of GI symptoms. At end of data collection period, each patient completed a questionnaire on study experience. Results 20 patients' recorded nutritional intake measurements were analyzed with no significant differences found (reported in mean ± SD). Total caloric intake in control group was 12106.93±6970.41, compared to intervention group of 9221.86±3219.63. Total protein intake in control group of 383.73±187.8, compared to intervention group of 349.6±128.66. Average daily caloric intake in control group of 1083.53±606.88, compared to intervention group of 811.11±288.04. Average daily protein intake in control group of 37.49±20.87, compared to intervention group of 30.68±120.87. Conclusion Results indicated that there was no difference between the groups in respect to nutritional intake or patient experience. Possible explanation for this outcome includes a physical bed tower move during data collection, which affected menu item availability and contributed to changes in oral intake and patient dissatisfaction. Also, delivery of specialized menus in addition to standard hospital menu contributed to confusion in ordering. This outlined a need to incorporate information into existing menu. A larger, randomized trial with above modifications is necessary to determine impact of this intervention, with goal of providing this high risk oncologic population with a higher level of nutritional supportive care during transplant hospitalizations.
The effectiveness of taxes in decreasing candy purchases

Abstract We use candy purchase data at the household level to analyze changes in candy purchases due to Colorado’s candy tax. Colorado is one of the many states that exempts candy containing flour from their candy tax. To do this, we construct a dataset of monthly household taxed and tax-exempt candy purchases for the years 2009 and 2010 for the Denver, CO and Omaha, NE metros. Difference-in-differences estimates imply that Colorado’s candy tax led to a decrease in taxed candy purchases of at least 11.2%, which would translate into a reduction of household body weight of at least one pound during the first year the tax is in effect. Conversely, we find no effect on the purchase of tax-exempt candy.
Use of primary care services among patients with chronic skin disease seen by dermatologists.

Background Skin diseases, such as psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne, and alopecia areata, have increasingly been linked to systemic and mental health comorbidities, such as depression. Although identification and management of these comorbidities is typically a part of primary care, some patients might not have an established relationship with a primary care provider and may only be seeing their dermatologist. Objective To examine the frequency with which dermatologists are the main contact within a health care system for patients with these chronic skin conditions. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study using Optum's deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who established care with a dermatologist and had no encounters with a primary care provider during the subsequent year after this dermatology encounter. Results Across each of the skin diseases evaluated, 21.6%-31.2% of men and 16.9%-26.2% of women had no primary care visits in the subsequent year after establishing care with their dermatologist. Conclusion and Relevance For many patients with chronic skin diseases, their dermatologist might be their only source of contact with the health care system. There may be an opportunity for dermatologists to improve the quality of care for our patients by screening for associated comorbidities.
A comprehensive electromagnetic evaluation of an MRI anthropomorphic head phantom.

Electromagnetic simulations are an important tool for the safety assessment of RF coils. They are a useful resource for MRI RF coil designers, especially when complemented with experimental measurements and testing using physical phantoms. Regular-shaped (spherical/cylindrical) homogeneous phantoms are the MRI standard for RF testing but are somewhat inaccurate when compared with anthropomorphic anatomies, especially at high frequencies. In this work, using a recently developed anthropomorphic heterogeneous human head phantom, studies were performed to analyze the scattering parameters (S-parameters) and the electric and magnetic field distributions using (1) the B1+ field mapping method on a 7 T human MRI scanner and (2) numerical full-wave electromagnetic simulations. All studies used the following: a recently developed six-compartment refillable 3D-printed anthropomorphic head phantom (developed from MRI scans obtained in vivo), where the phantom itself is filled in its entirety with either heterogeneous loading, or homogeneous brain or water loading, in vivo imaging, and a commercial homogeneous spherical water phantom. Our results determined that the calculated S-parameters for all the anthropomorphic head phantom models were comparable to the model that is based on the volunteer (within 17% difference of the reflection coefficient value) but differed for the commercial homogeneous spherical water phantom (within 45% difference). The experimentally measured B1+ field maps of the anthropomorphic heterogeneous and homogeneous brain head phantoms were most comparable to the in vivo measured values. The numerical simulations also show that both the anthropomorphic homogeneous water and brain phantom models were less accurate in terms of electric field intensities/distributions when compared with the segmented in-vivo-based head model and the anthropomorphic heterogeneous head phantom model. The presented data highlights the differences between the physical phantoms/phantom models, and the in vivo measurements/segmented in-vivo-based head model. The results demonstrate the usefulness of 3D-printed anthropomorphic phantoms for RF coil evaluation and testing.
Mafia Organizations: The Visible Hand of Criminal Enterprise

The author, Maurizio Catino, has undertaken a meticulous examination of criminal organizations that dominate the illicit marketplace throughout the world. The Mafia, Cosa Nostra, Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta, Triads, Yakuza, and the South American cartels are dissected and their respective nomenclatures compared and contrasted. Catino addresses their relationship to the illicit markets that they operate within and organize in order to minimize risks and maximize profits. Relying upon electronic surveillances, investigative reports, and intelligence sources, Catino takes this ethnographic data and molds it into a series of principles that govern each criminal organization. His research has profoundly advanced our understanding of criminal organizations and the illicit markets they supply. It will likely go down as the most seminal piece of research in the past thirty or more years.
The impact of COVID-19 on substance use disorder treatment in California: Service providers' perspectives.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the U.S. health care system, including addiction treatment. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of COVID on the delivery of treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) from the perspectives of service providers. Methods Between May and September 2020, 61 service providers from 16 SUD treatment sites in California participated in virtual focus groups that lasted about an hour. We recorded the discussions and transcribed them verbatim. Two qualitative analysts independently conducted content analysis to identify themes from the transcripts. Results At the beginning of the pandemic, service providers observed a slight decrease in patient admissions, followed by an uptick in patient flow due to increased mental health issues, alcohol use, and relapse. Many of the clinics adopted flexible service delivery modes, such as curbside dosing and extended take-home medication, to enable social distancing in clinic settings. Approximately half of the clinic encounters offered telemedicime, and a considerable proportion of patients preferred to use telephone-based services rather than video-based services. Internet instability and technical difficulties limited the use of telemedicine among their patients. Conclusion COVID has been challenging for SUD treatment, but health care systems rapidly reacted with adjustments that may result in long-term changes in SUD service delivery. Telemedicine-based services have played a major role in ensuring uninterrupted patient care. Providers need organizational, technical, and logistical support to improve and sustain telemedicine services that increase access to quality care for their patients.
Accuracy of the Standardized Early Fetal Heart Assessment in Excluding Major Congenital Heart Defects in High-Risk Population

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the ability of standardized early fetal heart assessment (EFHA) that includes the 4-chamber, outflow tract relationship (OTR), transverse arches views (TAV) of the great arteries in excluding major congenital heart defects (CHDs) in high-risk populations. METHODS This retrospective study included high-risk pregnancies for CHDs undergoing EFHA at 11-14 weeks of gestation. Risk factors for CHDs were diabetes mellitus, a family history of CHDs, a history of a CHD use of teratogenic medications, seizure disorder, assisted reproductive treatment-conceived pregnancy, presence of at least one of the ultrasound markers: enlarged nuchal translucency (>95th percentile), tricuspid regurgitation, and reversed a-wave in the ductus venosus, presence of an extracardiac or a suspected cardiac anomaly, a high-risk first trimester combined screen result, and multiple pregnancies. EFHA consisted of visualization of 4ChV, OTR, and TAV, with and without power Doppler ultrasound. The primary outcome was the negative predictive value of EFHA in excluding major CHDs. RESULTS EFHA was performed on 1055 fetuses. Of these, 1024 were used for the final analysis. Of these, 94.9% (n = 923) were singleton. The most common indication for EFHA was maternal DM (n = 231, 22.6%). The sensitivity, specificity, false positive, false negative, and accuracy of EFHA were 93.2%, 99.9%, 1.4%, 0.4%, and 99.5% (P < .0001), respectively, in entire included cases. The performance of EFHA was 88%, 99.9%, 1.4%, 0.4%, and 99.5% (P < .0001) respectively when the terminated cases were excluded. CONCLUSION Early fetal heart assessment is feasible for screening for major CHDs in high-risk populations. This approach may be expanded to the general obstetric population.
Human glyphosate exposure changes over 25 years and implications for liver health

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The use of glyphosate-based herbicides has increased significantly over the past 25 years. Globally, they are now the most widely used pesticides. Few studies have documented hu...