cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Opportunities in Collecting Election Administration Data

Information about voters is commonly compiled into databases to be used by researchers and political organizations and campaigns. These voter files contain individual-level data about factors like voter registration status, absentee ballot requests, and vote history. Because of the presumed inaccuracy of self-reports of voting behavior, these voter files are often used to attempt to validate individual responses or to create benchmarks against which to compare aggregate survey data. Unfortunately, the voter files themselves often contain errors that limit their utility as a gold standard benchmark. This chapter discusses some of the issues with using election administration data, particularly those files collected and processed by third-party vendors.
Intrinsic mechanisms of neuronal axon regeneration

Permanent disabilities following CNS injuries result from the failure of injured axons to regenerate and rebuild functional connections with their original targets. By contrast, injury to peripheral nerves is followed by robust regeneration, which can lead to recovery of sensory and motor functions. This regenerative response requires the induction of widespread transcriptional and epigenetic changes in injured neurons. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding how peripheral axon injury elicits these widespread changes through the coordinated actions of transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers and, to a lesser extent, microRNAs. Although many questions remain about the interplay between these mechanisms, these new findings provide important insights into the pivotal role of coordinated gene expression and chromatin remodelling in the neuronal response to injury.
Successful ventricular tachycardia ablation in a patient with a biventricular ventricular assist device and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia using bivalirudin.

Author(s): Ho, Gordon; Tran, Hao A; Urey, Marcus A; Adler, Eric D; Pretorius, Victor G; Hsu, Jonathan C
Text and Textuality

Text and textuality entered geography when some human geographers abandoned positivist science and modeled their scholarship on literary criticism. Text was historically understood to be a verbal artifact; the purpose of textual criticism was to preserve such documents in uncorrupted and accessible form. Geographers have limited experience with this sort of textual criticism. The literary criticism on which geographers modeled post-positivist geography was primarily interpretive. Just before geographers joined in this enterprise, textual interpretation had been expanded under post-structuralism. In post-structuralism, text denoted not only verbal artifacts, but any configuration of signs, and texts were understood to be indeterminate and open to multiple readings, determined by the hermeneutics interpretive communities. Three interpretive communities emerged in the hermeneutic disciplines, and geography. A semiotic hermeneutics reads culture and landscape as texts that express the sensibility of a people. The second and third hermeneutics are hermeneutics of suspicion. Deconstruction reads the text of conceptual and metaphysical assumptions that appears to stand behind positivist geography as an illusory ontology. Knowledge/power interpretation reads the texts of discourses that minutely infiltrate life and thought as instruments of oppression. Text and textuality helped create a post-positivist geography; however these concepts encourage overinterpretation, category mistakes, and utopianism.
Rethinking Global Education in the Twenty-first Century

Global educators in the USA have come to a realization that many students at the secondary level are not developing global perspectives needed to compete in the global economy, and are lacking in the values that are critical to making the world safer politically, economically, and ecologically. The chapter builds on Merry Merryfield’s call to move beyond the global education that was conceived after World War II and in the Cold War for citizenship education to a global education for a world defined by global terrorism and environmental degradation. Indeed, if global education is to be truly global, the field of global education must develop a new framework for a new reality.
Green Tea Polyphenols Modify the Gut Microbiome in db/db Mice as Co-Abundance Groups Correlating with the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect.

Scope The effects of green tea polyphenols, Polyphenon E (PPE), and black tea polyphenols, theaflavins (TFs), on gut microbiota and development of diabetes in db/db mice are investigated and compared. Methods and results Supplementation of PPE (0.1%) in the diet of female db/db mice for 7 weeks decreases fasting blood glucose levels and mesenteric fat while increasing the serum level of insulin, possibly through protection against β-cell damage. However, TFs are less or not effective. Microbiome analysis through 16S rRNA gene sequencing shows that PPE and TFs treatments significantly alter the bacterial community structure in the cecum and colon, but not in the ileum. The key bacterial phylotypes responding to the treatments are then clustered into 11 co-abundance groups (CAGs). CAGs 6 and 7, significantly increased by PPE but not by TFs, are negatively associated with blood glucose levels. The operational taxonomic units in these CAGs are from two different phyla, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. CAG 10, decreased by PPE and TFs, is positively associated with blood glucose levels. Conclusion Gut microbiota respond to tea polyphenol treatments as CAGs instead of taxa. Some of the CAGs associated with the blood glucose lowering effect are enriched by PPE, but not TFs.
Inventing the War Crime: An Internal Theory

Ever since the war crime became a central concept in public international law during the war crimes trials at Nuremberg, international lawyers have sought to establish deep historical roots for the practice of prosecuting war crimes. But on close examination, the supposed historical precedents from long ago collapse — and for an important reason. The war crime is a distinctively modern and contingent mechanism for enforcing the laws of armed conflict. This Article offers an account of how and why the war crime arose in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, one that locates the advent of the modern concept in a set of procedural and jurisdictional developments distinctive to the modern era. A nineteenth-century configuration of legal concepts and state institutions pressed a new idea for international law out of the fissures of the international state system. For reasons rooted in the history of warfare and in the distinctive structure of the United States Constitution, that configuration arose most starkly in the United States, where Civil War jurists coined the phrase “war crime” and cemented the modern concept to which it is attached.
Se22-, Se52-, and Se72- Ligands in [NEt4]2[As2Se6], [enH][AsSe6]·2.2.2-cryptand, [NEt4][AsSe8], and [(en)2In(SeAs(Se)Se2)]·en

The extraction in ethylenediamine (en) of “AsSe4”, “TlAsSe4”, and “InAsSe4”, followed by reaction with cation sources or 2.2.2-cryptand, has led to the isolation of [NEt4]2[As2Se6] (1), [enH][AsSe6]·2.2.2-cryptand (2), [NEt4][AsSe8] (3), and [(en)2In(SeAs(Se)Se2)]·en (4). These compounds contain AsSe+ units coordinated to Se22-, Se52-, and Se72- ligands in 1 and 4, 2, and 3, respectively. The [As2Se6]2- anion features two AsSe+ units joined by Se22- ligands; the resultant As2Se4 ring exhibits a chair conformation. The [AsSe6]- anion features an AsSe+ unit coordinated in a bidentate fashion by a Se52- ligand to create an AsSe5 ring with a chair conformation. The [AsSe8]- anion contains an AsSe+ unit coordinated by a bidentate Se72- ligand; the resultant AsSe7 ring has a crown conformation. [(en)2In(SeAs(Se)Se2)] features an octahedral In atom bridged by one Se2- and one Se22- ligand to an AsSe+ unit; two bidentate en ligands complete the coordination about the In center.
Supporting Twenty-First Century Competencies Using Robots and Digital Storytelling

Design thinking is a collaborative problem-solving approach that fosters innovation and communication by enhancing learners’ creative thinking abilities. This article discusses the use of domains identified by the Framework for 21st Century Learning (P21 Framework) to conduct a qualitative, exploratory case study to identify design thinking attributes perceived to be instrumental in building students’ capacity for communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity using robots and digital storytelling. The purpose of this study was to understand how students perceive the use of robots to help them build these 21st century competencies and to help identify practical implementation strategies for teachers interested in using robots to support 21st century skills. Sixteen students in a three-week summer camp were grouped and used Sphero Bot robots to design and build an interactive story using the robots as characters. Data collected included classroom observations, student reflections, and student-created artifacts. The P21 Framework recognizes three domains related to design thinking, identified as major contributors to authentic learning, adaptive critical thinking, and new media literacies. This case study addresses two domains relevant to using robotics and digital storytelling within this bounded case, (a) learning and innovation skills and (b) information, media, and technology literacy skills. Five student competencies within these two domains provided the conceptual framework used as a foundation to facilitate reliability of this research. The results of the current study indicate that using robots in this manner to build an interactive story sparked engagement in coding and digital storytelling, offered an authentic context applying design thinking to build 21st century competencies, and encouraged participants to further explore their newly developed skills.
Development of a High-Temperature Superconducting Gas-Insulated Power Cable

Superconducting gas-insulated transmission line (S-GIL) concept for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cables was developed with practical designs that use tubular insulator spacers. The implications of spacer materials and designs were studied in terms of electric field enhancement and its role in limiting the maximum withstand voltage. Three different tubular insulator materials and two different sizes were explored using the finite-element analysis of electric field enhancement. Model cables were fabricated and tested for their response to high-voltage tests at various pressures up to 2 MPa, with two different gas media and at two different temperatures. The experimental results were compared with the expected behavior based on the finite-element analysis. Implications of the designs on cryogenic gas flow and pressure drop along the length are also discussed. Maximum withstand voltage above 40 kV was achieved for designs suitable for gas-cooled HTS cables operating at 77 K.
Nanomedicine-Based Strategies for Diabetes: Diagnostics, Monitoring, and Treatment

Traditional methods for diabetes management require constant and tedious glucose monitoring (GM) and insulin injections, impacting quality of life. The global diabetic population is expected to increase to 439 million, with approximately US$490 billion in healthcare expenditures by 2030, imposing a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Recent advances in nanotechnology have emerged as promising alternative strategies for the management of diabetes. For example, implantable nanosensors are being developed for continuous GM, new nanoparticle (NP)-based imaging approaches that quantify subtle changes in β cell mass can facilitate early diagnosis, and nanotechnology-based insulin delivery methods are being explored as novel therapies. Here, we provide a holistic summary of this rapidly advancing field compiling all aspects pertaining to the management of diabetes.
Environmental Human Rights in Earth System Governance: Democracy Beyond Democracy

Environmental rights are a category of human rights necessarily central to both democracy and effective earth system governance (any environmental-ecological-sustainable democracy). For any democracy to remain democratic, some aspects must be beyond democracy and must not be allowed to be subjected to any ordinary democratic collective choice processes shy of consensus. Real, established rights constitute a necessary boundary of legitimate everyday democratic practice. We analyze how human rights are made democratically and, in particular, how they can be made with respect to matters environmental, especially matters that have import beyond the confines of the modern nation state.
Perspectives on the Tax Avoidance Culture: Legislative, Administrative, and Judicial Ambiguity

Henry Ordower discusses the effect that legislating economic incentives through the tax system has on taxpayer behaviour and explores the resulting difficulty in drawing the line between legitimate and objectionable tax avoidance. He argues that while the attempts to separate the two types of tax avoidance – attempts such as enacting general anti-avoidance rules (GAARs) and following general principles of economic substance – may be partially successful, subsidies delivered through the tax system will inherently limit their effect. The lack of clear delineation between legitimate tax planning and objectionable tax avoidance enables an even firmer embedding of “the culture of tax avoidance” into the society. Perspectives on the tax avoidance culture: legislative, administrative, and judicial ambiguity in Yulia Epifantseva (Boston, USA) and Nigar Hashimzade (Durham, UK) editors, The Routledge Companion To Tax Avoidance Research 26 (2017) (copy of book in fac. pubs case in library in case you get back there.
Assessing nanoparticle colloidal stability with single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS).

Biological interactions, toxicity, and environmental fate of engineered nanoparticles are affected by colloidal stability and aggregation. To assess nanoparticle aggregation, analytical methods are needed that allow quantification of individual nanoparticle aggregates. However, most techniques used for nanoparticle aggregation analysis are limited to ensemble measurements or require harsh sample preparation that may introduce artifacts. An ideal method would analyze aggregate size in situ with single-nanoparticle resolution. Here, we established and validated single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) as an unbiased high-throughput analytical technique to quantify nanoparticle size distributions and aggregation in situ. We induced nanoparticle aggregation by exposure to physiologically relevant saline conditions and applied SP-ICP-MS to quantify aggregate size and aggregation kinetics at the individual aggregate level. In situ SP-ICP-MS analysis revealed rational surface engineering principles for the preparation of colloidally stable nanoparticles. Our quantitative SP-ICP-MS technique is a platform technology to evaluate aggregation characteristics of various types of surface-engineered nanoparticles under physiologically relevant conditions. Potential widespread applications of this method may include the study of nanoparticle aggregation in environmental samples and the preparation of colloidally stable nanoparticle formulations for bioanalytical assays and nanomedicine.
Impact of a Student-Run Free Clinic's Women's Health Program on Perceived Readiness for Clinical Rotations.

Introduction Women's health is only briefly explored in the preclerkship medical curriculum. Volunteering in student-run free clinics (SRFCs) increases clinical confidence; such service learning could bridge the gap between limited curricular offerings and student desire for exposure to women's health topics. This study aimed to identify weaknesses in the women's health preclerkship curriculum, build an educational intervention, and explore SRFCs as a teaching tool. Methods We performed chart review of SRFC female patients to evaluate care. We held student focus groups to elicit feedback about the established curriculum. Based on this information, we devised a workshop to review practical skills. Participants attended the workshop, volunteered at SRFC, and completed surveys preintervention and at 3 months postintervention. A control group completed baseline and follow-up surveys. Results We invited all 151 second-year students to participate; six attended the workshop and 21 served as control. There were no baseline differences between groups regarding age, prior experience with women's health, confidence in relevant skills, and subjective readiness for clinical rotations; the control group had more men. After the workshop, intervention participants reported increased confidence in women's health-related skills and in readiness for the OB/GYN rotation. Gains persisted at 3 months. Three of six students in the workshop group volunteered at SRFC; three of 12 in the control group volunteered. Conclusions The addition of an interactive workshop to the existing preclinical curriculum on women's health has lasting impact on subjective readiness for clinical clerkships. SRFC may be a useful addition to classroom learning. This initiative is student-led and reproducible, and could serve as an adjunct to established preclerkship curriculum.
Hardness of Successive-Cancellation Decoding of Linear Codes

Successive-cancellation decoding has gained much renewed interest since the advent of polar coding a decade ago. For polar codes, successive-cancellation decoding can be accomplished in time O(n log n). However, the complexity of successive-cancellation decoding for other families of codes remains largely unexplored. Herein, we prove that successive-cancellation decoding of general binary linear codes is NP-hard. In order to establish this result, we reduce from maximum-likelihood decoding of linear codes, a well-known NP-complete problem. Unlike maximum-likelihood decoding, however, the successive-cancellation decoding problem depends on the choice of a generator matrix. Thus we further strengthen our result by showing that there exist codes for which successive-cancellation decoding remains hard for every possible choice of the generator matrix. On the other hand, we also observe that polynomial-time successive-cancellation decoding can be extended from polar codes to many other linear codes. Finally, we show that every binary linear code can be encoded as a polar code with dynamically frozen bits. This approach makes it possible to use list-decoding of polar codes to approximate the maximum-likelihood decoding performance of arbitrary codes.
Adapting In Situ Accelerators for Sparsity with Granular Matrix Reordering

Neural network (NN) inference is an essential part of modern systems and is found at the heart of numerous applications ranging from image recognition to natural language processing. In situ NN accelerators can efficiently perform NN inference using resistive crossbars, which makes them a promising solution to the data movement challenges faced by conventional architectures. Although such accelerators demonstrate significant potential for dense NNs, they often do not benefit from sparse NNs, which contain relatively few non-zero weights. Processing sparse NNs on in situ accelerators results in wasted energy to charge the entire crossbar where most elements are zeros. To address this limitation, this letter proposes Granular Matrix Reordering (GMR): a preprocessing technique that enables an energy-efficient computation of sparse NNs on in situ accelerators. GMR reorders the rows and columns of sparse weight matrices to maximize the crossbars’ utilization and minimize the total number of crossbars needed to be charged. The reordering process does not rely on sparsity patterns and incurs no accuracy loss. Overall, GMR achieves an average of 28 percent and up to 34 percent reduction in energy consumption over seven pruned NNs across four different pruning methods and network architectures.
Global Multi-voltage Interface Unit for Diverse Digital Logic

In the development of low power SoCs, multi-voltage designs are most preferred options due to various reasons. Front end design methodologies often face many challenges due to multiple IPs/Design units residing on multi-voltage domains in SoCs. Design convergence in most cases, need frequent updates distributed across physical and logical partitions. This poses difficulties for design closure especially at the final stages. To minimize design efforts and cost, a global interface unit, which can house diverse digital logic, is implemented. The proposed interface unit can house level-shifters, isolation cells, buffers for signal splitting, repeaters, glue logic etc., to cater to multi-voltage designs and faster convergence.
First Department’s Reformation May Increase Postmortem Planning Options

The New York Appellate Division, First Department, in Matter of Sukenik, reversed the surrogate’s court’s denial of a petition to reform an inter vivos trust which sought to remedy "inefficient estate and income tax planning” and generate significant income tax savings to the estate. The First Department concluded that not only did the testator intend to minimize taxes as manifested by a review of the various will and trust provisions, but also that “the presumption that testators intend to take full advantage of tax deductions and exemptions” favors the requested reformation. This decision may open the door to increased post-mortem planning opportunities, where a judicial reformation can provide the estate significant tax savings while maintaining the testator's general distributive plans.
From Poison to Promise: The Evolution of Tetrodotoxin and Its Potential as a Therapeutic

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that was first identified in pufferfish but has since been isolated from an array of taxa that host TTX-producing bacteria. However, determining its origin, ecosystem roles, and biomedical applications has challenged researchers for decades. Recognized as a poison and for its lethal effects on humans when ingested, TTX is primarily a powerful sodium channel inhibitor that targets voltage-gated sodium channels, including six of the nine mammalian isoforms. Although lethal doses for humans range from 1.5–2.0 mg TTX (blood level 9 ng/mL), when it is administered at levels far below LD50, TTX exhibits therapeutic properties, especially to treat cancer-related pain, neuropathic pain, and visceral pain. Furthermore, TTX can potentially treat a variety of medical ailments, including heroin and cocaine withdrawal symptoms, spinal cord injuries, brain trauma, and some kinds of tumors. Here, we (i) describe the perplexing evolution and ecology of tetrodotoxin, (ii) review its mechanisms and modes of action, and (iii) offer an overview of the numerous ways it may be applied as a therapeutic. There is much to be explored in these three areas, and we offer ideas for future research that combine evolutionary biology with therapeutics. The TTX system holds great promise as a therapeutic and understanding the origin and chemical ecology of TTX as a poison will only improve its general benefit to humanity.
How Do Child ADHD Symptoms and Oppositionality Impact Parent-Child Interactions When Crossing Virtual Roads?

OBJECTIVE This study examined how parents and children interact when crossing virtual roads together. We examined (1) whether children's inattention/hyperactivity and oppositionality and children's failure to jointly perform the task interfered with parents' efforts to scaffold children's road-crossing skill and (2) whether experience with the joint road-crossing task impacted children's subsequent performance in a solo road-crossing task. METHODS Fifty-five 8- to 10-year-old children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and their parents first jointly crossed a lane of traffic in an immersive pedestrian simulator. Children then completed the same road-crossing task alone. Parents completed questionnaires about children's symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and oppositionality. RESULTS Analyses of the joint road-crossing task showed that when parents and children crossed different gaps, parents suggested and opposed more gaps and were less likely to use a prospective gap communication strategy (i.e., communicating about a crossable gap prior to its arrival). Crossing different gaps was also associated with increased expressions of negative affect among parents and children and an increase in collisions among children. Children's level of parent-reported oppositionality also predicted an increase in child defiance and parental redirection of child behavior. Analyses of children's subsequent crossing performance indicated that parents' use of a prospective gap communication strategy during the joint road-crossing task predicted selection of larger gaps during the solo crossing task. CONCLUSIONS Not crossing through the same gap and increased levels of child oppositionality interfered with the scaffolding process, potentially informing future parent-based intervention efforts for increasing children's road-crossing safety.
Improving the safety and quality of raw tuna fillets by X-ray irradiation

Abstract In this study, raw tuna fillet (25 g) samples were inoculated by immersing in 0.1% peptone water that contained 108−9 CFU ml−1 of a three-strain mixture of Salmonella enterica for 1 min. The samples were then air dried at 22 °C for 30 min (to allow bacterial attachment) in the biosafety cabinet and were packaged separately in sterilized bags prior to X-ray treatments (0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 kGy). The surviving Salmonella populations on raw tuna fillets samples were evaluated using a nonselective medium (tryptic soy agar) for 6 h with xylose lysine desoxycholate (XLD) selective medium overlay. The plates were then incubated for an additional 18 h at 37 °C. Finally, the colonies were counted and the results were expressed as log CFU g−1. Furthermore, un-inoculated tuna samples (25 g) were packaged separately in sterilized bags and exposed to the lowest and highest X-ray doses (0.0 and 6.0 kGy), then stored at 5 °C, 10 °C or 25 °C for 25, 15 or 5 days, respectively. On the testing-dates, samples were withdrawn and microflora (psychrotrophic and mesophilic) counts, quality [color (using Hunter colorimeter) and texture (using Instron machine)] were evaluated. The results indicated that more than a 6 log CFU reduction of Salmonella population being achieved with 0.6 kGy X-ray treatment. Furthermore, treatment with X-ray significantly reduced the initial inherent microbiota on raw tuna fillets and inherent levels were significantly (p 0.05) in color or texture of control and treated samples were observed after (day 0). These results indicated that X-ray is a good preservative technology for seafood products intended to be consumed raw.
Integrative analysis of microbiome and metabolome in mouse model simulating features of post-traumatic stress disorder (982.1)

The gastrointestinal tract is colonized by an enormous array of microbial symbiotes and pathogens. The symbiote influence of gut microbiota on the nervous system and behavior has been receiving profound interest. Rodent studies have provided suggestive evidence that probiotics (e.g. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) can influence behavior. Using "cage-within-cage resident-intruder" model, subject C57BL/6J mice were exposed to aggressors for 6 h daily for 5 or 10 days. After one day of recovery inflammatory cardiac histopathologies were prevalent. Here we report metagenomics and metabolomics approaches to understanding the microbiome activity in our social stress model of mice. Plasma samples were compared between aggressor-exposed and control mice using various Mass Spec-based techniques. Large effects of microbiome composition on plasma biochemistry were observed, and several microbiome-affected molecules such as hippurate, phenylpropionylglycine, and 3-phenylpropionic were identified in plasma. We also...
Ultracentrifugal studies in capillary cells. II. Sedimentation equilibrium molecular weight determinations.

Abstract An equilibrium centrifugation technique has been designed that allows molecular weight determination at the nanogram level. Microcapillary columns of 0.30 mm to 1.25 mm diameter and 3.0 mm to 8.0 mm length are used. After equilibrium is attained the cell is fractionated, producing a centripetal segment length 3.0 times or greater than the centrifugal segment. The corresponding solute concentration in the homogenized upper cell section is determined. This value, in connection with an approximate equation allows evaluation of the parameter σ = sω 2 D . Subsequent use of Svedberg's formula yields the molecular weight of the centrifuged substance. Adsorption effects, diffusion perturbations, concentration limits, reproducibility of working conditions, and extension of the technique to macro volumes were studied.
Deliberative, Agonistic, and Algorithmic Audiences: Journalism's Vision of its Public in an Age of Audience Transparency

Building on earlier empirical work in newsrooms, this paper contends that a fundamental transformation has occurred in journalists’ understanding of their audiences. A new level of responsiveness to the agenda of the audience is becoming built into the DNA of contemporary news work. This article argues, however, that this journalistic responsiveness to the “agenda of the audience” has multiple, often contradictory meanings. It traces these out through a critical-historical sketch of key moments in the journalism-audience relationship, including the public journalism movement, Independent Media Center (Indymedia), and Demand Media. These different visions of the audience are correlated to different images of democracy, and they have different sociological implications. The public journalism movement believed in a form of democracy that was conversational and deliberative; in contrast, traditional journalism embraced an aggregative understanding of democracy, while Indymedia's democratic vision could best be seen as agonistic in nature. Demand Media and similar ventures, this article concludes, may be presaging an image of public that can best be described as algorithmic. Understanding this algorithmic conception of the audience may be the first step into launching a broader inquiry into the sociology and politics of algorithms.
Fully automated radiosyntheses of [18F]THK tau probes for in vivo imaging of tauopathy

433 Objectives Noninvasive monitoring of tau protein aggregates will provide useful information regarding tau pathology in traumatic brain injury and diseases such as Alzheimer’s. [18F]THK-5117 and [18F]THK-5105 have shown high binding affinities to tau protein aggregates (Ki ~10 nM). Herein, we discuss their fully automated radiosyntheses using GE Tracerlab FXFN module. Methods We performed automated radiosyntheses of [18F]THK-5117 and [18F]THK-5105 by modifying the reported manual procedures. The radiosynthesis involved the displacement of the tosylate-leaving group with Kryptofix/K2CO3 activated [18F]-fluoride, followed by acidic hydrolysis of the THP protecting group, neutralization and solid phase extraction before HPLC purification. The collected product fraction was diluted with water, passed through a tC18 cartridge. The final product was formulated and filtered into a pyrogen-free collection vial as an ethanol (10%) containing saline solution. Results We initially isolated the [18F]-THK compounds in 20-30% yields. We found that addition of ascorbic acid in the previously reported procedure did not present any added value (no radiolysis was observed for 4 hr in its absence). Increasing water volume for dilution and eliminating the ascorbic acid improved the trapping of the labeled product on the tC18 cartridge. The final yields were increased to 68% for [18F]THK-5117 and 45-52% for [18F]THK-5105, with >99% chemical and radiochemical purity and 5±0.5 mCi/nmol of specific activity (EOS). Conclusions The fully automated radiosyntheses of both THK compounds were successfully and efficiently achieved on a GE Tracerlab FXFN module with reproducible and improved yields. Preclinical imaging studies with microPET are underway.
The Role of Local Labor Supply in Response to Oil Price Shocks

We find that oil price shocks decrease average wages, particularly skilled wages, and increase wage dispersion across regions, particularly unskilled wage dispersion. In a model with spatial energy intensity differences and nontradables, labor demand shifts, while explaining the response of average wages to oil price shocks, have counterfactual implications for the response of wage dispersion. Only an additional response in labor supply can explain this latter fact highlighting the importance of general equilibrium effects in a spatial context. We provide additional empirical evidence of regionally directed worker reallocation consistent with our spatial model.
Visions and Stones: Spirit Matters and the Charm of Small Things in South Korean Shamanic Rock Divination

Summary This article considers conceptualizations of the sacred via two of the founding members of The College of Sociology (1937–1939), Michel Leiris and Georges Bataille, as they relate to everyday life. Through this sacred lens everyday life in the city is reflexively intertwined with the stories of a Korean shaman, who through rock divination conjures the spirits of nature for her divinations. Her fantastic and uncanny stories are examined in detail, as well as the intricate relationship between the diviner, patron, and materials used in Korean shamanic in-house divination. Following Atkinson, Taussig, and others, this piece stresses that power in shamanism is a complicated relation of exchanges and activities, readings and writings, of which the shaman is only one component. Not only is it more and more necessary to consider the perspectives of the patrons and the patients, but the materials, social contexts, and spectral machineries that are brought to the discursive table must also bear equal weight—all of which, in turn, constitute the grounds for what might be considered “shamanic” activity. Through divination, physiognomic traces reveal the interior world of things as a waking dream, which takes part in the mysteries of what another member of The College, Roger Caillois, referred to as the “natural fantastic.” The object of divination—ourselves and our fate—is petrified into thing that can be read and critiqued, and subsequently transformed into a medicine or commodity, which is then consumed as the patron returns to the exterior landscape of the city and awaits its effects.
Biliary bacteria: significance and alterations after antibiotic therapy.

• Patients undergoing urgent and complex biliary operations were studied to determine (1) whether bactibilia is associated with postoperative complications and (2) whether antibiotic therapy influences biliary bacteriology. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were performed on hepatic bile obtained at surgery in 134 patients. Cultures were repeated four to seven days postoperatively in 111 patients who had indwelling biliary tubes. Positive operative bile cultures were associated with an increased incidence of wound infection and postoperative renal dysfunction. Postoperative bile cultures showed a significant increase in the number of patients having bactibilia, and a significant alteration in the types of organisms isolated. Anaerobes were cultured from 15% of operative and 23% of postoperative cultures. Antibiotic therapy did not sterilize bile, but merely altered biliary bacteriology. Furthermore, prolonged aminoglycoside therapy was associated with a high incidence of renal dysfunction, especially in elderly patients. ( Arch Surg 1982;117:445-449.
Child Health and Conflict in Côte d'Ivoire

We examine the impact of the 2002-07 civil conflict in Cote d'Ivoire on children's health status measured by height-for-age. We use pre- and post-war survey data coupled with information on the location of violent incidents to capture exposure to the conflict of children born during 1997-2007. Our results indicate that children from regions more affected by the conflict suffered significant health setbacks compared with children from less affected regions. Further, household-level victimization -- such as war-related economic stress, health stress, and displacement -- has a large and negative effect on child health in conflict-affected regions.
Amplification of proinflammatory phenotype, damage, and weakness by oxidative stress in the diaphragm muscle of mdx mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a common and devastating type of childhood-onset muscular dystrophy, attributed to an X-linked defect in the gene that encodes dystrophin. Myopathy with DMD is most pronounced in the diaphragm muscle and fast-twitch limb muscles and is dependent upon susceptibility to damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and proinflammatory signaling (nuclear factor-κB; NF-κB). Although recent papers have reawakened the notion that oxidative stress links inflammatory signaling with pathology in DMD in limb muscle, the importance of redox mechanisms had been clouded by inconsistent results from indirect scavenger approaches, including in the diaphragm muscle. Therefore, we used a novel catalytic mimetic of superoxide dismutase and catalase (EUK-134) as a direct scavenger of oxidative stress in myopathy in the diaphragm of the mdx mouse model. EUK-134 reduced 4-hydroxynonenal and total hydroperoxides, markers of oxidative stress in the mdx diaphragm. EUK-134 also attenuated positive staining of macrophages and T-cells as well as activation of NF-κB and p65 protein abundance. Moreover, EUK-134 ameliorated markers of muscle damage including internalized nuclei, variability of cross-sectional area, and type IIc fibers. Finally, impairment of contractile force was partially rescued by EUK-134 in the diaphragm of mdx mice. We conclude that oxidative stress amplifies DMD pathology in the diaphragm muscle.
A possible molecular mechanism for ‘stunning’ of the myocardium

Stunning of the myocardium is mechanical dysfunction that persists after the re-establishment of coronary flow despite the absence of damage and the lack of any evidence for continuing ischaemia. Many mechanisms have been put forward and largely disproved. The most probable mechanism is abnormal function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum due to the generation of oxygen radicals within the myocardium. An hypothesis is proposed based on evidence indicating that the function of the calcium release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum is modified by reactive oxygen species before the channel is rendered non-functional.
Direct ultrasound to video registration using photoacoustic markers from a single image pose

Fusion of video and other imaging modalities is common in modern surgical scenarios to provide surgeons with additional information. Doing so requires the use of interventional guidance equipment and surgical navigation systems to register the tools and devices used in surgery with each other. In this work, we focus explicitly on registering ultrasound with a stereocamera system using photoacoustic markers. Previous work has shown that photoacoustic markers can be used to register three-dimensional ultrasound with video resulting in target registration errors lower than the current available systems. Photoacoustic markers are non-collinear laser spots projected onto some surface. They can be simultaneously visualized by a stereocamera system and in an ultra-sound volume because of the photoacoustic effect. This work replaces the three-dimensional ultrasound volume with images from a single ultrasound image pose. While an ultrasound volume provides more information than an ultrasound image, it has its disadvantages such as higher cost and slower acquisition rate. However, in general, it is difficult to register two-dimensional with three-dimensional spatial data. We propose the use of photoacoustic markers viewed by a convex array ultrasound transducer. Each photoacoustic markers wavefront provides information on its elevational position, resulting in three-dimensional spatial data. This development enhances this methods practicality as convex array transducers are more common in surgical practice than three-dimensional transducers. This work is demonstrated on a synthetic phantom. The resulting target registration error for this experiment was 2.47mm and the standard deviations was 1.29mm, which is comparable to current available systems.
Small-scale wind energy portable turbine (SWEPT)

Abstract This paper reports the design and characterization of a small-scale wind energy portable turbine (SWEPT) targeted to operate below 5 m/s wind speed. Aerodynamic performance characteristics of SWEPT were extensively examined using the wind tunnel experimentation and it was found that the maximum coefficient of performance of 14% occurred at the tip speed ratio of 2.9. SWEPT was found to have very low cut-in wind speed of 2.7 m/s and it produced 0.83 W of electrical power at the rated wind speed of 5 m/s. Further, we designed a diffuser structure for SWEPT using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. It was observed that the SWEPT having diffuser of almost same length as the diameter of SWEPT can produce 1.4 to 1.6 times higher electrical power. An alternative method for the mechanical power calculation is also discussed which does not require torque measurement device and thus is highly useful for common laboratory measurements.
Thiazolidinediones decrease vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by human luteinized granulosa cells in vitro

Objective To determine the effect of thiazolidenedione derivatives (TZDs) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by human luteinized granulosa cells and the morphologic development of murine embryos. Design Prospective, experimental, in vitro and in vivo study. Setting Research laboratory. Patient(s) Follicular aspirates from 10 women undergoing oocyte retrieval. Intervention(s) Isolated human granulosa cells were treated with a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control or ciglitazone, in the presence and absence of an hCG stimulus. Embryos extracted from superovulated B6C3F1 female mice were cultured in the presence of DMSO or pioglitazone. Main Outcome Measure(s) Vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations at 24 and 48 hours. Morphologic development of murine embryos at 96 hours. Result(s) Following an hCG stimulus, treatment with 20 μM or 40 μM ciglitazone decreased VEGF production in a statistically significant manner at both time intervals. Blastocyst development at 96 hours did not significantly differ between untreated zygotes and those treated with pioglitazone. Conclusion(s) Ciglitazone significantly decreased VEGF production by human granulosa cells in an in vitro model. Pioglitazone did not adversely impact the development of cultured murine embryos. Although mechanistic evidence is not provided, the pivotal role of VEGF in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome prompts investigation of TZDs as a novel treatment for this condition.
Symmetry of the Si shallow donor state in AlAs/GaAs and Al x Ga 1-x As/GaAs heterostructures

Optically detected magnetic resonance experiments performed on Si-doped epitaxial layers of AlAs and ${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$As with x\ensuremath{\ge}0.4 grown on (001) GaAs substrates reveal the donor state to have the symmetry of the X point in the conduction band. The heteroepitaxial strain raises the ${X}_{z}$ valley relative to the ${X}_{x}$ and ${X}_{y}$ valleys. The donor g values for the AlAs/GaAs heterostructure are as follows: ${g}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$=1.976\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001 and ${g}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$=1.917\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001 with respect to the long axis of an ellipsoid. The alloy results suggest the importance of spin-orbit interactions in coupling the valley-degenerate shallow-level states.
Geometric methods for nonlinear optimal control problems

It is the purpose of this paper to develop and present new approaches to optimal control problems for which the state evolution equation is nonlinear. For bilinear systems in which the evolution equation is right invariant, it is possible to use ideas from differential geometry and Lie theory to obtain explicit closed-form solutions.
Dopamine nerve terminal degeneration produced by high doses of methylamphetamine in the rat brain

Numerous recent studies indicate that when amphetamines are administered continuously or in high doses, they exert long-lasting toxic effects on dopamine (DA) neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). Specifically, it has been shown that amphetamines can decrease the content of brain DA, reduce the number of synaptosomal DA uptake sites and selectively depress the in vitro activity of neostriatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). To date, however, anatomical evidence of DA neuronal destruction following amphetamines has not been reported. In this study, chemical methods were used in conjunction with the Fink-Heimer method which allows for the selective silver impregnation of degenerating nerve fibers, in order to determine whether methylamphetamine, a potent psychomotor stimulant often abused by man, causes actual DA neural degeneration. It has been found that methylamphetamine induces terminal degeneration along with correlative DA neurochemical deficits in the neostriatum and nucleus accumbens; furthermore, that in cresyl violet-stained sections of the substantia nigra (SN), pars compacta, and ventral tegmental area (VTA), there is no evidence of cell body loss in rats in which 50-60% of neostriatal DA terminals have been destroyed.
Young men's knowledge of testicular cancer and behavioral intentions toward testicular self-exam

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15–35 years. Testicular self-exam (TSE) is a self-care action that should be done monthly by young men to detect any changes in a previously normal testicle. Using the Men's Knowledge About Testicular Cancer and Testicular Self-Exam questionnaire, this study: (a) surveyed men's knowledge of testicular cancer and testicular self-exam, and (b) measured the effect of written information on men's behavioral intentions to do testicular self-exam. The majority of men did not know the signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with testicular cancer. Most men had never heard of testicular self-exam but the majority indicated they were interested in learning about it. The effect of written information on behavioral intentions to perform TSE was assessed using analysis of variance. Written information was shown to significantly affect men's behavioral intentions to do TSE within a week, t = 16.61, P < 0.0001, and within the month, t = 16.39, P < 0.0002. This effect was not present on a long-term basis, t = 1.77, P = 0.1879.
AVERAGING PORE STATISTICS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL IMAGES FOR PREDICTING PERMEABILITY

Effective medium theory (EMT) was employed to estimate permeability of fine-grained estuarine sediments. X-radiographs were taken of sediment cores collected in the field and from laboratory aquaria, designed to mimic the benthic environment of an estuary. Image analysis of two-dimensional X rays provided values of pore parameters required by the EMT model, which include pore body and throat radii, pore throat length, porosity, and the interconnectivity of pores. Values of these parameters were used to quantitatively calculate permeability based upon Darcy’s law. The EMT model with an arithmetic mean for averaging pore parameters predicted permeability 1 order of magnitude higher than measured values. The harmonic mean for averaging pore parameters in the EMT model provided estimates of permeability similar to measured values.