cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of the Flavored Cigarette Ban on Adolescent Tobacco Use

Introduction This paper estimated the association between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2009 ban on flavored cigarettes (which did not apply to menthol cigarettes or tobacco products besides cigarettes) and adolescents' tobacco use. Methods Regression modeling was used to evaluate tobacco use before and after the ban. The analyses controlled for a quadratic time trend, demographic variables, prices of cigarettes and other tobacco products, and teenage unemployment rate. Data from the 1999–2013 National Youth Tobacco Surveys were collected and analyzed in 2016. The sample included 197,834 middle and high schoolers. Outcomes were past 30–day cigarette use; cigarettes smoked in the past 30 days among smokers; rate of menthol cigarette use among smokers; and past 30–day use of cigars, smokeless tobacco, pipes, any tobacco products besides cigarettes, and any tobacco products including cigarettes. Results Banning flavored cigarettes was associated with reductions in the probability of being a cigarette smoker (17%, p p =0.005). However, the ban was positively associated with the use by smokers of menthol cigarettes (45%, p p p p Conclusions The results suggest the 2009 flavored cigarette ban did achieve its objective of reducing adolescent tobacco use, but effects were likely diminished by the continued availability of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products.
Prevalence And Spending Associated With Patients Who Have A Behavioral Health Disorder And Other Conditions

People with multiple medical conditions are a growing and increasingly costly segment of the U.S. population. Despite the co-occurrence of physical and behavioral health comorbidities, the US health care system tends to treat these conditions separately rather than holistically. To identify opportunities for population health improvement, we examined the treated prevalence of and health care spending on behavioral health disorders, by the number of coexisting physical disorders, among noninstitutionalized adults. The vast majority (85 percent) of spending was attributed to treatment of the physical comorbidities. Only 15 percent was attributed to treatments of the behavioral disorders; of these, a primary diagnosis of depression was most common, seen in 57 percent of the sample. These findings suggest the potential to improve outcomes and reduce spending by applying collaborative care models more broadly. Policies should promote payment and delivery reforms that advance the integration of behavioral healt...
Fantasy Sports and Gambling in Sport: Marketing Implications for Branding and Fan Engagement

Modern sports/media complex may be the result of complex inactions of communication technologies, social developments, and the increased sophistication of businesses in understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of consumer behavior. From the promotion options of print media, television and radio, to the self-engaging aspects of Internet sport coverage and gaming, the spectator is rapidly becoming an integral part of the branding process. Media, especially fantasy sports, has transcended the traditional roles of television's function as agents of exposure to engagement and personal involvement in athletic contest and its merchandising. Although the media aspect may been neglected in sports research, media research traditionally has considered sports too popular for traditional research. This paper explores some of the major topics for research that combines sports and newer forms of media exploitation for marketing purposes.
Apostle of Taste: Andrew Jackson Downing 1815–1852

David Schuyler. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2015. xxii and 290 pp., illustrations, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. $24.95 paper (ISBN 978-1-62534-168-6).Why would geogra...
High incidence of posterior nasal cavity obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Nasal obstruction is a common problem in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Systematic evaluation of nasal obstruction remains challenging due to the high number of variables and factors that contribute to nasal obstruction. Nasal examination by means of anterior rhinoscopy is limited to the evaluation of anterior septal deviation, internal nasal valve angle, and inferior turbinate size, but obstruction due to posterior septal deviation and nasal polyposis may go undiagnosed. The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of posterior nasal obstruction in OSA patients. Specifically, we were interested in other causes of posterior nasal obstruction that were difficult to assess by anterior rhinoscopy examination alone, and that required nasal endoscopy for identification. This is a retrospective case series study. Flexible fiberoptic examination of the nasal cavity was performed on 274 consecutive OSA patients evaluated at the Stanford Sleep Surgery Clinic. Examination video files were recorded and later reviewed and scored by a single investigator blinded to the patients’ subjective nasal complaints. Anatomic features that contribute to posterior nasal obstruction were noted. Posterior septal deviation was the most common incidental finding in OSA patients with posterior nasal obstruction. Other causes included nasal polyposis, nasal mucosal inflammation, and purulent mucosal discharge. In total, there were 73/274 (26.6%) patients for whom nasal endoscopy provided findings that directed management. Nasal endoscopy provides additional diagnostic information in a significant number of OSA patients who complain of nasal obstruction. Our findings suggest the use of nasal endoscopy for OSA patients who complain of nasal obstruction or CPAP intolerance, despite unremarkable anterior rhinoscopy examination.
Leveraging Technology to Address the Quality Chasm in Children’s Evidence-Based Psychotherapy

The quality of psychosocial treatment delivery is highly variable in community practice settings, even among well-trained providers. This column discusses the potential to improve patient outcomes by targeting two important quality-of-care indicators through technology: provider fidelity and children’s engagement. A case example describes one provider’s use of numerous tablet-based activities in the context of evidence-based psychotherapy. Providers and families responded favorably to this approach in a recent feasibility study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Further research is needed to determine whether this approach may improve outcomes, quality of care, provider fidelity, and patient engagement in community mental health service settings.
Designing Personalized Online Teaching Professional Development through Self-Assessment

Many institutions use a one-size-fits-all approach to faculty development for online teaching, which does not meet the needs of faculty who often have different levels of experience, skill, and self-efficacy in online teaching and learning. To address these issues, the [university name removed] [center name removed] designed and implemented an online teaching readiness self-assessment. The instrument was developed based on key attributes and skills needed for proficiency in online teaching, in three areas: online teaching experience and attitudes, learning management system proficiency, and access to technology. The self-assessment was distributed through a web-based survey tool to faculty who were identified to develop new online courses. Individual results were used to create personalized frameworks of professional development offerings (workshops, institutes, videos, and consultations) and just-in-time resources to support faculty in their development process.
Highly enantioselective organocatalysis of the Michael addition of benzyloxyacetaldehyde to nitroolefins

Abstract A novel category of di(N,N-dimethylbenzylamine)prolinol silyl ether catalyst, which when used in conjunction with an acidic co-catalyst, generates an ammonium salt supported organocatalyst. This catalytic system is shown to be very effective for the Michael reaction of benzyloxyacetaldehyde and various nitroolefins in isopropanol. Excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99%) and diastereoselectivities (syn/anti of 75:25) and short reaction times were obtained. The presence of the bulky OTMS group combined with the presence of two large N,N-dimethylbenzyl ammonium ion groups accounts for the effectiveness of this catalytic system.
Hybridized Tungsten Oxide Nanostructures for Food Quality Assessment: Fabrication and Performance Evaluation

Tungsten oxide based micro and nanosized structures possess good capacitance as well as enhanced rate capability. Such properties are useful in various applications including electrochemical supercapacitors. Apart from supercapacitance, WO3 and their 2D integrated structures have been modified using different methods to widen their range of the utility. Modification using layer coating, functionalization with other nanomaterial or molecules are methods that can be used to improve the core structure of WO3. But such modifications often alter electrochemical performance. The effects and outcomes of such modifications incorporated in WO3 structures were studied using electrochemical methods, sensing behavior, and morphological examination. One goal for such modifications was to improve robustness of the WO3 structures apart from any change in supercapacitance performance. After detailed electrochemical analyses of WO3 structures, a preliminary study was performed regarding the feasibility of the WO3 based sensors for food safety applications based on electrochemical detection of hazardous dyes in food. Preliminary results obtained after various electrochemical tests including pulsed voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy suggest the viability of WO3 structures for food safety applications.
ADAM28, mouse form

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of ADAM28, (mouse form). A fragment of the mouse ADAM28 cDNA encoding the disintegrin domain was identified in a screen for novel ADAM genes by PCR (sequence tag 16–3). There are at least two splice variants of ADAM28, one of which encodes a membrane-anchored form, while the other most likely encodes a soluble form lacking the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain. Full-length membrane-anchored ADAM28 contains all domains that are typical for an ADAM. Similar to other ADAMs, the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM28 includes signaling motifs, such as proline-rich SH3 ligand domains. Six potential N-linked glycosylation sites are present in the ectodomain of ADAM28. Northern blot analysis of the expression pattern of ADAM28 mRNA in different mouse tissues revealed high expression in the epididymis and lower expression in the lung. A splice variant of ADAM28 that most likely does not contain a transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic domain is found in the epididymis, but not in the lung. Similar to other ADAMs, ADAM28 is produced as a proform in the secretory pathway and is processed in transit to the cell surface.
CSF TRYPTOPHAN, 5-HIAA AND HVA IN 132 PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS CATEGORIZED BY DIAGNOSIS AND CLINICAL STATE

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of probenecid (PRO), tryptophan (TRY), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured in a diagnostically heterogeneous group of 132 psychiatric inpatients. Bipolar, manic patients were found to have significantly higher mean levels of CSF HVA than bipolar, depressed patients (p <.05). Otherwise, no significant differences between any of the major diagnostic groups were observed for any of the CSF measures. Among the 74 patients rated as clinically depressed at the time of the lumbar puncture (LP), both CSF TRY and 5-HIAA were positively correlated with severity of depressed mood. CSF TRY was also negatively correlated with psychomotor retardation and CSF 5-HIAA was positively correlated with psychomotor agitation. The correlation between CSF TRY and severity of depressed mood was enhanced by statistically controlling for the effects of psychomotor retardation (r = 0.47, N = 53, p <. 001). Similarly, the negative correlation between CSF TRY and psychomotor retardation was enhanced by controlling for the severity of depressed mood (r = −0.52, N = 53, p <. 0001). A similar analysis involving the subgroup of patients who were actively psychotic at the time of the LP did not yield significant results. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Surgical enteral access

The creation of surgical access to the gastrointestinal tract for the direct administration of food and medications or for decompression is a common procedure and familiar to most surgeons. While the technical aspects are straightforward, some degree of critical thinking in the selection of patients as well as close attention to surgical details will reward the patient, the family, and the surgeon with fewer post-operative “nuisance” problems.
Method in the madness: the design of games as valid and reliable scientific tools

Video games have great value for collecting rich data that can be used to study fundamental research questions in fields such as psychology and human-computer interaction. There is an increased use of games as scientific tools to assess and train the cognitive, as well as non-cognitive traits and abilities of players. However, games designed as research tools have a unique and challenging set of considerations so that they meet both the requirements of a scientific protocol, while also maintaining an acceptable gaming experience. Additionally, the success of a research game requires extensive planning and co-creation support for trans-disciplinary teams. This paper describes five critical considerations for the design and implementation of custom-built games as scientifically valid and reliable experimental test beds. These findings resulted from several years of work creating game artifacts to study cognitive training and assessment of individual differences. This class of games presents unique design challenges that are often at odds with traditional game design conventions. However, there are many promising applications and use cases for thoughtfully instrumented games that are capable of generating data with comparable accuracy to traditional and previously validated measures.
Redox-Active Reagents for Photocatalytic Generation of the OCF 3 Radical and (Hetero)Aryl C-H Trifluoromethoxylation

The trifluoromethoxy (OCF3 ) radical is of great importance in organic chemistry. Yet, the catalytic and selective generation of this radical at room temperature and pressure remains a longstanding challenge. Herein, the design and development of a redox-active cationic reagent (1) that enables the formation of the OCF3 radical in a controllable, selective, and catalytic fashion under visible-light photocatalytic conditions is reported. More importantly, the reagent allows catalytic, intermolecular C-H trifluoromethoxylation of a broad array of (hetero)arenes and biorelevant compounds. Experimental and computational studies suggest single electron transfer (SET) from excited photoredox catalysts to 1 resulting in exclusive liberation of the OCF3 radical. Addition of this radical to (hetero)arenes gives trifluoromethoxylated cyclohexadienyl radicals that are oxidized and deprotonated to afford the products of trifluoromethoxylation.
Sniffing the Automotive CAN Bus for Real-time Data-logging and Real Time Diagnostics Display

The Automotive CAN bus carries a lot of valuable information that is obscure to the driver. Performance parameters like Engine Efficiency, Transmission efficiency, acceleration pedal position from different Electronic Control Units in a vehicle are available on the CAN Bus. The objective was to design a Real-time Data-logger for Diagnostics Display. Data acquisition from the bus is achieved by using microcontroller Arduino Uno R3 and MCP2515 CAN Bus Shield. Vector CANoe 9.0 is used for designing and simulating the CAN network. The data acquisition system is tested on this simulated network the data, thus, acquired is displayed on MATLAB GUI which can be used for fault detection and analysis.
Microstructure and magnetic properties of dilute nanocrystalline Fe-Si prepared by high energy ball milling

Abstract The microstructure and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe-Si soft magnetic material fabricated by high energy vibratory milling are investigated. Fe-Si × wt% (x = 1.78, 3.51, 3.80, 5.08, 6.06, 6.98, 8.04) compositions are studied, with the 3.5 wt% case being used as a model system to investigate effects of processing time. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicate that the Si is fully in solution in the Fe lattice and no ordered phases are present. It is shown that microstructural evolution is accelerated compared with previously observed lower energy milling processes of iron-based alloys. It is also shown that magnetic properties are in disagreement with the formulas derived from the random anisotropy model, and explanations are provided for potential sources of this discrepancy in this and other reported work.
Librarians as faculty developers: Leading educational development initiatives

Faculty development might not immediately spring to mind as a role for librarians. It’s not something that we’re taught how to do in graduate school, and it’s easy enough to be swallowed up by all of the traditional day-to-day demands of academic librarianship. However, we have had the opportunity to work with and alongside faculty development departments at our institutions. From this work, we realized how much we enjoy it and how well it fits with many of the things we already do as librarians. It is our hope that other librarians will start to see connections between the work of librarians and the work of faculty developers, and be more willing to pursue this as a part of their larger presence at their institutions.
Aspirin Switches Biosynthetic Circuits Triggering Novel Eicosanoids during Cell-Cell Interactions that Are Potent Inhibitors of Neutrophil Migration and Tumor Cell Proliferation

Aspirin [acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)] is the lead nonsteroidal drug (NSAID) and is widely used to relieve inflammation.1, 2 Recent results indicate that its use in low doses is also associated with new, previously unappreciated beneficial effects, including reduced risk of heart disease3 and decreased incidence of lung, colon and breast cancer,4 and in vitro it can inhibit nuclear factor-κB transcription, which may be relevant in treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus.5 ASA’s target is the cyclooxygenase activity of prostaglandin G/H synthase (PGHS). It does not inhibit the lipoxygenases (LOs).6-8 Although blockage of PGs and TXs can account for many of ASA’s pharmacologic properties, the mechanism of action of this important drug in several clinical settings including lowering the risk of human cancer is still a subject of interest and debate. 1, 2
Utilizing the focused conversation method in qualitative public health research: a team-based approach.

Qualitative research studies are becoming increasingly necessary to understand the complex challenges in the healthcare setting. Successfully integrating interdisciplinary teams of investigators can be challenging, as investigators inherently view data through their disciplinary lens. Thus, new methods, such as focused conservation, are needed to facilitate qualitative data analysis by interdisciplinary teams. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a clear description of how we implemented the focused conversation method to facilitate an organized data-driven discussion that responded to our study objectives and ensured participation of our interdisciplinary team. The focused conversation method has not, to our knowledge, been utilized for this purpose to date. To better understand the experience of healthcare personnel (HCP) during preparations for the 2014–2015 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, we interviewed HCP who participated in decision making about EVD preparations and training of workers in the use of enhanced personal protective equipment ensembles in the metropolitan Chicagoland area of Illinois to attain a priori research objectives. We identified a systematic method – the focused conversation method – that enabled our interdisciplinary team to interactively contribute to the framing, analysis and interpretation of the data that would enable us to focus on our research objectives. The focused conversation developed to support our a priori research objective about the training of HCP in preparations included objective, reflective, interpretive and decisional questions. These questions grounded the conversation in the data, while leveraging discipline-specific lenses and professional experience in the analysis and interpretation. Insights from the conversation were reviewed later against interview transcripts to ensure validity. The conversation identified areas for future research directions and deficiencies in the interview instrument. The focused conversation is an efficient, organized method for analysis of qualitative data by an interdisciplinary team.
Before the “Truckee Method”: Race, Space, and Capital in Truckee’s Chinese Community, 1870–1880

Truckee, California is known to historians as the site of a late 19th century campaign to expel Chinese from the town by boycotting their employers. Before the “Truckee Method” of expulsion was imp...
Application of uncertainty quantification techniques to ductile damage predictions in the third Sandia Fracture Challenge

This report documents predictions in response to the third Sandia Fracture Challenge (Kramer et al. in Int J fract, 2019) that employs 3D component built with additive manufacturing processes. These predictions employ a modeling and simulation framework that supports uncertainty quantification by rigorous statistical methods and fast-running surrogate models. This work introduces a novel ductile damage formulation supported by recent experimental observations. This report details a calibration process that updates prior material property distributions to posterior distribution by aligning distributions of computational experiments to measurements. Finally, we discuss in detail the assumptions (with rationales) and techniques employed to set-up the challenge analyses and to process these results. Blind predictions of the challenge geometry align with global measurements in the elastic and plastic regimes. There is less agreement after the onset of ductile failure, and this lack of agreement is discussed at the end of the report. Local measurements show additional variability not captured by the statistical processes. Results in this study support the use of existing continuum-scale material models for additively manufactured components.
Microglia Metabolic Breakdown Drives Alzheimer's Pathology.

Altered metabolic function is common in stressed immune cells, but alteration in brain microglia during neurodegeneration is not understood. In this issue, Baik et al. (2019) provide insight into microglial metabolism. They demonstrate a switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis following interaction with amyloid beta acutely, and breakdown in both pathways chronically.
An examination of inmate adjustment stratified by time served in prison

Abstract Purpose Differential Coercion and Social Support (DCSS) theory is used to examine whether sources of coercion and social support differ in their effects on inmate adjustment across periods of time served ( 5 years). Method and results A nationally representative sample of male offenders incarcerated in state prisons is used to examine whether coercion (e.g., confinement in restrictive housing, victimization) and social support (e.g., perceptions of procedural justice and visits) influence assault misconducts, institutionalized resistance, and mental health outcomes across different periods of time served. The analytical strategy includes several binary logistic regressions with robust standard errors in addition to examining differences in predicted probabilities across models through average discrete changes (ADC). Sources of coercion, such as confinement in restrictive housing, largely influence each of the outcomes across periods of time served in prison, whereas sources of social support have mixed effects. However, there is limited variability in the magnitude of the effects across categories of time served. Conclusion DCSS provides an understanding of how inmates may adjust differently to the prison environment based upon the amount of time that is served in prison. Interventions and treatment programs should focus on developing prosocial interpersonal relations between inmates and correctional staff.
A comparison of ventilation with a non-invasive ventilator versus standard O 2 with a nasal cannula for colonoscopy with moderate sedation using propofol

The aim of this study was to test the effects of CPAP on moderately sedated patients undergoing colonoscopy. Our hypothesis was that CPAP can reduce the incidence and duration of obstructive apnea and hemoglobin oxygen desaturation in patients undergoing procedural sedation for colonoscopy. Two groups of consenting adult patients scheduled to undergo routine colonoscopy procedures and sedated with propofol and fentanyl were monitored in this study: control and intervention. Patients in the intervention group were connected via a facemask to a ventilator that delivered supplemental oxygen (100%) through a standard air-cushion mask. The mask had a built-in leak to facilitate CO2 clearance during CPAP. Patients in the control group received 2–10 L/min of oxygen via nasal cannula or non-rebreather mask. Subjects in the control group were collected in a prior study and used as historical controls. The primary outcome measures were the number of apneic events and the cumulative duration of apneic events. An apneic event was defined as a period longer than 10 s without respiration. The secondary outcome was the area under the curve (AUC) for the arterial oxygen saturation less than 90% versus time during sedative and analgesic administration (time (s) below threshold multiplied by percent below threshold). A desaturation event was defined as a period of time during which arterial oxygen saturation was less than 90%. 29 patients were enrolled in the intervention group and 156 patients were previously enrolled in the control group as part of an earlier study. The median number of apneic events in the control group was 7 compared to 0 in the intervention group. The intervention group experienced apnea less than 1% of the total procedure time compared to 17% in the control group (p < 0.001). There were no desaturation events observed in the 29 patients in the intervention group. In contrast, 27 out of 156 patients in the control group experienced a desaturation event. Average AUC of patients in the control group was 70%-s (time (s) * oxygen saturation below < 90%) (95% CI 32.34–108.60%) whereas the average AUC in intervention group patients was 0%-s (% time (s) * oxygen saturation < 90%) (95% CI 0–0%), p = 0.01. This preliminary study found that CPAP via a tight-fitting mask may be an effective tool to reduce the incidence and duration of obstructive apneic events as well as hemoglobin oxygen desaturation during lower endoscopy procedures that use propofol and fentanyl for sedation. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02623270. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02623270 .
Full daytime sub-ambient radiative cooling in commercial-like paints with high figure of merit

We demonstrate remarkable full-daytime subambient cooling performance with CaCO3 and BaSO4 nanoparticle paints. These fillers have a high electron band gap for low solar absorptance and phonon resonance or polymer absorption in the sky window for high sky window emissivity. With an appropriate particle size and a broad particle size distribution, the BaSO4 nanoparticle film reaches an ultrahigh solar reflectance of 97.6% and a high sky window emissivity of 0.96. During field tests, the BaSO4 film stays more than 4.5 °C below ambient temperature or achieves an average cooling power of 117 W/m2. The BaSO4-acrylic paint is developed with a 60% volume concentration to enhance the reliability in outdoor applications, achieving a solar reflectance of 98.1% and a sky window emissivity of 0.95. Field tests indicate similar cooling performance to the BaSO4 films. Overall, our BaSO4-acrylic paint shows a standard figure of merit of 0.77.
Difference in Body Weight at Breeding Affects Reproductive Performance in Replacement Beef Heifers and Carries Consequences to Next Generation Heifers

Nutrition imprinting carries consequences across generations. The effect of 55% vs. 65% of mature cow body weight (MBW; 545 kg) at breeding on the reproductive performance of heifers and their offspring was investigated. Angus-cross dam heifers were randomly fed to attain 55% (n = 1622) vs. 65% (n = 1578) of MBW, and offspring (F1) heifers born to dam heifers [55% (n = 1285) vs. 65% (n = 1324)] were fed to attain 65% of MBW. Bodyweight and reproductive indices were recorded throughout the study. In dam heifers, puberty (44% vs. 53%), breeding season pregnancy (86.4% vs. 90.6%) and 21-day calving rates (55.2% vs. 65.4%) did vary, but dystocia rate (8.7% vs. 9.0%) did not differ between 55% and 65% MBW groups. Puberty (49.2% vs. 58.2%), breeding season pregnancy (87.2% vs. 92.8%) and 21-day calving rates (53.8% vs. 64.1%) did differ (p < 0.05), but dystocia rate (8.4 vs. 9.2%) did not differ between F1 heifer groups. In conclusion, 55% of MBW at breeding negatively affected the reproductive performance of heifers and its offspring heifers. The recommendation is to feed heifers a balanced diet to reach 65% of MBW at breeding with consideration of production traits.
The Moral Patient, the Honorable Fiduciary, and a Faltering Liberalism: An Exploration of Professor Bryant's Call to Animal Respect

Professor Bryant’s article—which seeks to discover whether aspects of an anticruelty statute can be based directly on a call to virtuous conduct—is a provocative piece of scholarship that harbors a much larger question: Can a general principle mandating full respect for animals be developed out of the moral methodology inhering in virtue ethics? Insights garnered in this rejoinder are meant to stand alongside those in Professor Bryant’s article to lend deep moral grounding to animal-respect as well as provide intimations of the way virtue ethics as a moral methodology might yield determinate answers to moral questions.
Who Cares for Our Children? The Child Care Crisis in the Other America. Valerie Polakow

In Who Cares for Our Children? The Child Care Crisis in the Other America, Valerie Polakow elucidates the struggles faced by low-income parents as they attempt to secure quality child care for thei...
A semantics for advice and dynamic join points in aspect-oriented programming

A characteristic of aspect-oriented programming [KLM+97], as embodied in AspectJ [KHH+01], is the use of advice to incrementally modify the behavior of a base program. An advice expression specifies an action to be taken whenever some condition arises during the course of execution of the base program.
The use of replication-defective retroviruses for cell lineage studies of myogenic cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of replication-defective retroviruses for cell lineage studies of myogenic cells. The chapter focuses on the application of retroviral tags for the analysis of cell lineage, migration, and gene transfer. Although retroviral tags offer many attractive features, they are hampered by potentially significant problems: they cannot be used to analyze label postmitotic cell populations; the uptake of the retrovirus and the expression of its tag may not be identical in all embryonic tissues or in every cell within a tissue; and the integration of a retrovirus may alter the properties of the cell if this integration occurs at an important locus. Even with these reservations, replication-defective retroviruses have proven to be very useful for analyzing several tissues and organ systems, such as cells of the embryonic retina, cortex, neural crest, heart, vascular system, and somite-derived skeletal muscle. Retroviruses are constructed with two principal components: (1) a central core packaging two copies of a single-stranded RNA genome with associated nucleoproteins plus reverse transcriptase molecules and (2) the membrane coat bearing specific viral envelope glycoproteins. Vectors based on the murine leukemia virus (MLV), the avian Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), and the avain spleen necrosis virus (SNV) have been widely used for cell lineage studies. Each virus type exhibits a characteristic host range spectrum affecting infectivity and expression levels of its reporter gene.
Protecting Genomic Sequence Anonymity with Generalization Lattices

Objectives: Current genomic privacy technologies assume the identity of genomic sequence data is protected if personal information, such as demographics, are obscured, removed, or encrypted. While demographic features can directly compromise an individual’s identity, recent research demonstrates such protections are insufficient because sequence data itself is susceptible to re-identification. To counteract this problem, we introduce an algorithm for anonymizing a collection of person-specific DNA sequences. Methods: The technique is termed DNA lattice anonymization (DNALA), and is based upon the formal privacy protection schema of k -anonymity. Under this model, it is impossible to observe or learn features that distinguish one genetic sequence from k -1 other entries in a collection. To maximize information retained in protected sequences, we incorporate a concept generalization lattice to learn the distance between two residues in a single nucleotide region. The lattice provides the most similar generalized concept for two residues (e.g. adenine and guanine are both purines). Results: The method is tested and evaluated with several publicly available human population datasets ranging in size from 30 to 400 sequences. Our findings imply the anonymization schema is feasible for the protection of sequences privacy. Conclusions: The DNALA method is the first computational disclosure control technique for general DNA sequences. Given the computational nature of the method, guarantees of anonymity can be formally proven. There is room for improvement and validation, though this research provides the groundwork from which future researchers can construct genomics anonymization schemas tailored to specific datasharing scenarios.
3D differentiation of neural stem cells in macroporous photopolymerizable hydrogel scaffolds.

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) are the stem cell of the adult central nervous system (CNS). These cells are able to differentiate into the major cell types found in the CNS (neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes), thus NSPCs are the mechanism by which the adult CNS could potentially regenerate after injury or disorder. Microenviromental factors are critical for guiding NSPC differentiation and are thus important for neural tissue engineering. In this study, D-mannitol crystals were mixed with photocrosslinkable methacrylamide chitosan (MAC) as a porogen to enhance pore size during hydrogel formation. D-mannitol was admixed to MAC at 5, 10 and 20 wt% D-mannitol per total initial hydrogel weight. D-mannitol crystals were observed to dissolve and leave the scaffold within 1 hr. Quantification of resulting average pore sizes showed that D-mannitol addition resulted in larger average pore size (5 wt%, 4060±160 µm2, 10 wt%, 6330±1160 µm2, 20 wt%, 7600±1550 µm2) compared with controls (0 wt%, 3150±220 µm2). Oxygen diffusion studies demonstrated that larger average pore area resulted in enhanced oxygen diffusion through scaffolds. Finally, the differentiation responses of NSPCs to phenotypic differentiation conditions were studied for neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in hydrogels of varied porosity over 14 d. Quantification of total cell numbers at day 7 and 14, showed that cell numbers decreased with increased porosity and over the length of the culture. At day 14 immunohistochemistry quantification for primary cell types demonstrated significant differentiation to the desired cells types, and that total percentages of each cell type was greatest when scaffolds were more porous. These results suggest that larger pore sizes in MAC hydrogels effectively promote NSPC 3D differentiation.
Neutrino transport in stellar collapse

Abstract A multigroup flux-limited diffusion approximation to the equations of neutrino transport is outlined. Because the approximation requires no assumptions about the functional form of the neutrino distribution, it enables detailed tracing of the evolution of neutrinos when applied, as it is here, as part of a description of a collapsing stellar core. Presented are some results of such collapse calculations made using this method. They show that during the crucial period of lepton loss from the system, the neutrinos are not accurately modelled by a thermal distribution.
Plagioclase compositions and non-anatectic origin of migmatitic gneisses in Northern Cascade mountains of Washington State

Regionally developed migmatitic gneisses make up most of the Skagit Gneiss, though there are some orthogneisses also, derived from pre- to late-metamorphic intrusives. The migmatites contain countless, though quantitatively subordinate, remnants of biotite schists, less abundant amphibolitic rocks, and minor varieties of metasediments. Biotite schists (fine-grained paragneisses) predominantly are plagioclase-rich, having the compositions of highly immature graywackes; quartz-rich varieties are minor, and alumina-excess rocks very rare. There are para- and ortho-amphibolites, the latter of basaltic-gabbroic parentage. Leucocratic hornblende schists are largely meta-sedimentary. Apart from subordinate varieties in which K-feldspar is a major constituent, the leucocratic migmatitic gneisses have (leuco-) trondhjemitic and, to a lesser extent, quartz-dioritic compositions.
Canada and the Siberian Intervention, 1918–1919

RECENT scholarship has not yet mentioned a major factor in the tangled history of the intervention in Siberia at the end of World War 1:1 the participation of Canada as an intervening nation. Canadian intervention, involving four thousand troops and a special economic mission, represents the initial episode in Canada's struggle for complete control of her foreign policy after World War I. As such it illustrates the changing relationships within the British Empire more realistically than the scores of constitutional documents that the Commonwealth statesmen self-consciously drafted between I917 and 1931. The story also deserves to be told as a subsidiary but essential part of intervention as a whole, and as an example of the interplay of Canada, the United States, and Great Britainthe famous "North Atlantic Triangle"-at work in an unaccustomed quarter of the globe. Canada's part in the Siberian intervention began in June, I9I8, at a moment when the British government was exasperated by months of unavailing efforts to get the United States to approve a scheme of intervention as a means of bringing military pressure against Germany. To every entreaty President Woodrow Wilson had returned a rigid negative, basing his refusals on distrust of Japan, the only power with troops available for intervention in force. Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden of Canada knew about the thickening stalemate over intervention when he arrived in London, June 8, I9I8, to attend the Imperial War Cabinet. What he did not know was that the British War Office, impatient over President Wilson's unshakeable attitude, was looking everywhere for enough troops to begin independent British in-
Rapid acute physiology scoring in transport systems.

A multi-institutional study was undertaken to define the predictive power for mortality of the Rapid Acute Physiology Score (RAPS) in a large and diverse group of transported patients. RAPS is a truncated version of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score that uses definitions and weighting consistent with APACHE II, but is modified to provide a consistent score just before transport, just after transport, and to use the most deranged (worst) physiologic values during the initial 4 h after arrival at the receiving hospital. During an 8-month period, 1,927 patients transported by six helicopter emergency medical service programs were studied. Over 97% (1,881) of the patients had RAPS obtained before and after transport to the receiving hospital and 92.6% (1,785) had APACHE II scoring completed after hospital admission. Receiver operating curves demonstrate similar predictive power for RAPS and APACHE II (both based on the most deranged physiologic values during the initial 24 h after admission). Before- and after-transport RAPS were also highly predictive of mortality. RAPS appears to be a reliable and highly predictive measure of patient severity/physiologic stability before and after transport to critical care. Language: en
Time-dependent density-functional approach for exciton binding energies

Optical processes in insulators and semiconductors, including excitonic effects, can be described in principle exactly using time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT). Starting from a linearization of the TDDFT semiconductor Bloch equations in a two-band model, we derive a simple formalism for calculating exciton binding energies. This formalism leads to a generalization of the standard Wannier equation for excitons, featuring a nonlocal effective electron-hole interaction determined by long-range and dynamical exchange-correlation (XC) effects. We calculate exciton binding energies in several direct-gap semiconductors using exchange-only and model XC kernels.
Plenty of gloom and doom at the bottom

The relationship between humans and technology is often viewed as a debate between technophobes who oppose technology, irrespective of its benefits, and technophiles who think that all technology is good. Chris Toumey prefers the cyborg point of view.
Adsorption and adhesion energies of Pb on ( 1 × 1 ) − Mo 2 C / Mo ( 100 ) by calorimetry

This paper reports calorimetric measurements of the adsorption energy of Pb onto an ordered $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1$ Mo carbide thin film on Mo(100) at 300 K, as well as measurements of the sticking probability and film growth mode of this system. The heat of adsorption is constant up to a Pb coverage of 0.5 ML, with a value of $244.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2\mathrm{kJ}/\mathrm{mol}.$ Between 0.5 and 0.9 ML the heat decreases linearly to a value close to the heat of sublimation for bulk Pb, where it remains at higher coverages. The sticking probability increases linearly for submonolayer coverages from an initial value of about 0.97. At coverages above 0.8--0.9 ML it stays constant at 0.994. The growth mode is Stranski-Krastanov, with two-dimensional (2D) growth up to 0.9 ML and 3D island growth thereafter. A growth model, consisting of Pb adatoms not filling nearest neighbor sites up to 0.5 ML and random filling of nearest neighbor sites at higher coverages, provides a very good fit to the calorimetry data. The model involves a 14-kJ/mol Pb-Pb pairwise repulsion at nearest neighbor sites, as well as a 14-kJ/mol relaxation of the repulsion by slight relaxations from the site centers, when not constrained by other Pb nearest neighbors. The adhesion energy, from the integral heat of adsorption for multilayer Pb, is $194\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{J}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}.$
Controlled cytoplasmic and nuclear localization of plasmid DNA and siRNA by differentially tailored polyethylenimine

To maximize therapeutic effects, targeted delivery of nucleic acids (e.g., DNA and RNA) in their appropriate intracellular targets is highly desirable. In this study, primary amines of a model polymeric nonviral carrier, polyethylenimine (PEI), at two molecular weights (0.8 and 25 kDa) were differentially ketalized (i.e., 17-96%) in order to explore the possibility of precisely modulating intracellular localization of plasmid DNA- and siRNA-containing polyplexes. The size of the polyplexes revealed that the ketalization ratios of 35 to 70% were found to be the most efficient in condensing nucleic acids with the ketalized low molecular weight PEI (LMW PEI), while high molecular weight PEI (HMW PEI) ketalized at the ratio of 23% condensed nucleic acids most efficiently. Ketalization of LMW PEI (up to 70%) enhanced transfection; however, ketalization of HMW PEI reduced its transfection capability. On the contrary, HMW PEI ketalized at 23 and 37% ratios showed significant RNA interference, while LMW PEI could not successfully inhibit gene expression regardless of ketalization ratios. The results were explained by confocal microscopic studies demonstrating that ketalization ratios, molecular weights of ketalized PEI, and types of nucleic acids complexed in the polyplexes play crucial roles in intracellular localization of nucleic acids/ketalized PEI polyplexes and affect DNA transfection and RNA interference efficiencies. All ketalized PEI showed negligible cytotoxicity. This study implies a feasibility of selectively localizing nucleic acids in their intracellular targets by employing differentially tailored polymeric gene carriers.
Effects of age and Alzheimer's disease on recognition of gated spoken words

This study investigated the effects of normal aging and Alzheimer's disease on listeners' ability to recognize gated spoken words. Groups of healthy young adults, healthy older adults, and adults w...
Integrated detection and tracking of multiple faces using particle filtering and optical flow-based elastic matching

The design and implementation of a multiple face tracking framework that integrates face detection and face tracking is presented. Specifically, the incorporation of a novel proposal distribution and object shape model within the face tracking framework is proposed. A general solution that incorporates the most recent observation in the proposal distribution using a multiscale elastic matching-based optical flow algorithm is proposed. The proposed multiscale elastic matching-based optical flow algorithm is shown to be general and powerful in three significant ways. First, it allows for the tracking of both, rigid and elastic objects. Second, it enables robust tracking even in the face of sudden and gradual changes in illumination, scale and viewpoint. Third, it is suitable for tracking using both, fixed cameras and moving cameras. The proposed object shape model is based on a kernel-based line segment matching algorithm, which incorporates a voting scheme similar to the Radon Transform. The incorporation of the object shape model is shown to improve the computational complexity and accuracy of the face tracking algorithm and also enhance its robustness to occlusion, noise and scene clutter. Efficient techniques for particle sampling based on the Genetic Algorithm and for computation of the region-based likelihood function using the integral image are proposed. The incorporation of face detection within the face tracking algorithm is also proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed face tracking system is very robust in its ability to handle occlusion, noise, scene clutter and changes in illumination, scale and viewpoint and is also computationally efficient.