cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-mail Me, Tweet Me, Follow Me, Friend Me: Online Professional Networking Between Family Therapists

Online networking is a growing way of connecting with others, both personally and professionally. The purpose of this survey study was to gain information regarding the online professional networking practices between family therapists. To do this, a survey was administered to family therapists across the United States inquiring about the frequency with which they interact with other professionals via various forms of online communications. Demographics were reported with regard to what methods family therapists used to communicate with other therapists and how frequently. General and feminist-based implications for professional engagement, training, and ethics are provided.
Automated Seizure Prediction Algorithm and its Statistical Assessment: A Report from Ten Patients

The ability to predict epileptic seizures well prior to their clinical onset provides promise for new diagnostic applications and novel approaches to seizure control. Several groups of investigators have reported that it may be possible to predict seizures based on the quantitative analysis of EEG signal characteristics. The objective of this chapter is first to report an automated seizure warning algorithm, and second to compare its performance with other, theoretically sound, statistical algorithms. The proposed automated seizure prediction algorithm (ASPA) consists of an optimization method for the selection of critical cortical sites using measures from nonlinear dynamics, and a novel method for the detection of preictal transitions using adaptive transition thresholds according to the current state of dynamical interactions among brain sites. Continuous long-term (mean 210 hours per patient) intracranial EEG recordings obtained from ten patients with intractable epilepsy (total of 130 recorded seizures) were analyzed to test the proposed algorithm. For each patient, the prediction ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve, generated from ASPA, was compared with the ones from periodic and random prediction schemes. The results showed that the performance of ASPA is significantly superior to each naive prediction method used (p-value < 0.05). This suggests that the proposed nonlinear dynamical analysis of EEG contains relevant information to prospectively predict an impending seizure, and thus has potential to be useful in clinical applications.
Urbanization and African American Veterans Road to Equality: Past, Present and Future

The United States history of African American people reveals a struggle for fair citizenship and equality. The Library of Congress has hundreds of articles related to the topic of racial inequality of the Black soldiers. The articles concludes that, the struggle was no different for African American's who served abroad in the military during World War 1 than those living in urban cities. The soldiers of color during this time fought for their country while they remained segregated and endured discriminative practices. The segregation in the urban cities were because of the "Jim Crow" rules. Therefore, the soldiers returned home to racial problems.
Interorganizational Dependence and Control as Predictors of Opportunism in Dealer-Supplier Relations

This study examines Williamson's (1975) concept of opportunism in relations between farm and power equipment dealers and their primary supplier organization. Results from a national survey generall...
Generalized range space property for group sparsity of linear underdetermined systems

Group sparse vectors are the generalization of unstructured sparse vectors, with zero and non-zero elements occurring in groups. In group sparse signal recovery problems, we are interested in finding the signal with the smallest number of active groups that satisfy our observations. Because this problem has exponential complexity, a convex relaxation is typically used, which minimizes the sum of the groups' second norm that satisfies the observations. In this paper, we provide a set of deterministic necessary and sufficient conditions that the sensing matrix should satisfy for equivalence between the l0 solution of a structured group sparse problem and its convex relaxation. These conditions are generalization of the Range Space Property that has been previously proposed for equivalence between the l0- and the l1- norms in non-structured sparse recovery problems. We also provide a sufficient condition for a unique solution of the relaxed convex problem.
The Pharmacy Clinic: A New Approach to Ambulatory Care

A pharmacy clinic was established to provide consultation and services to practitioners and patients in the ambulatory care department of a Veterans Administration hospital. Among the services provided by the pharmacist are drug therapy consultations and monitoring, drug use review, drug information, and patient education. The pharmacy clinic assures the staff of the pharmacist's availability for consultation, allows the pharmacist to better organize the time required for consultation, makes the services of the pharmacist available to all outpatients, and provides a good training environment for students.
Integrating computer science components into undergraduate level medical informatics curriculum

Medical Informatics is an applied science at the junction of the disciplines of medicine, business and information technology, which supports the health care delivery process and promotes measurable improvements in both quality of care and cost-effectiveness. Medical Informatics course has been offered in the general studies program at the author's institution for two years. According to the pre-course survey and end-of-term student feedback, about 72% of the students thought medical database management and 64% of the students thought computer and information systems basics as their top two favorite topics.
Is understanding the biological function of APP important in understanding Alzheimer's disease?

The presence of mutations around the A beta sequence in APP provides strong argument for the involvement of APP, and A beta in particular, in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In vitro studies demonstrated that A beta may cause neuronal death, supporting the hypothetical involvement of A beta in neurodegeneration in AD. However, concentrations of A beta required for neuronal death are nonphysiologically high. Nevertheless, the predominant idea in the field is that it is sufficient to postulate A beta as a major culprit in AD development. The question we pose is whether the potentially important involvement of A beta precludes the etiological (primary) involvement (not pathological, i.e., secondary) of APP functions. We do not have an adequate answer to this question. Current knowledge about APP functions indicates that APP is critically required for the maintenance of neuronal and synaptic structure and function. Because AD is a disease of neuronal and synaptic deterioration, APP may be involved during the course of AD pathogenesis, perhaps secondarily. To ponder the question whether APP may be etiologically involved in AD, much needs to be learned about APP functions. This article is intended to provide a foundation for this challenging task.
Update: Influenza Activity - United States and Worldwide, May 21-September 23, 2017.

During May 24–September 5, 2015, the United States experienced typical low levels of seasonal influenza activity. Influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 (pH1N1), influenza A (H3N2), and influenza B viruses were detected worldwide and were identified sporadically in the United States. All of the influenza viruses collected from U.S. states and other countries during that time have been characterized antigenically and/or genetically as being similar to the influenza vaccine viruses recommended for inclusion in the 2015–16 Northern Hemisphere vaccine. During May 24–September 5, 2015, three influenza variant† virus infections were reported; one influenza A (H3N2) variant virus (H3N2v) from Minnesota in July, one influenza A (H1N1) variant (H1N1v) from Iowa in August, and one H3N2v from Michigan in August.
Watching Election 2016 with a Gender Lens

The presence of women candidates in both major parties’ presidential primaries, including a likely woman Democratic nominee, has increased the attention paid to gender dynamics in the 2016 US presidential election. However, the presumption that previous presidential elections—without female prominent contenders—were gender neutral is false: gender dynamics have been at play in all US presidential elections to date. The nation’s top executive office is arguably the most masculine in American politics. Duerst-Lahti (1997) describes the presidency as a gendered space in which masculine norms and images are reified as the ideal, adding, “the masculinist assumption-made-normal is strong and is made even stronger when it goes unnoticed for its gendered aspects” (22). Presidents and presidential contenders, whether male or female, are expected to meet the masculine expectations of the office through words and actions, and those around them—family, spouses, and advisors—often play a role in shaping the degree to which they are successful. In navigating American politics, candidates also face gendered treatment by opponents, voters, and media, reminding us that presidential politics is far from gender neutral. These gender dynamics have been detailed by scholars, particularly in analyses of the presidential candidacies of women (Beail and Longworth 2013; Carlin and Winfrey 2009; Carroll and Dittmar 2009; Dittmar and Carroll 2013; Duerst-Lahti 2013; Falk 2010; Han and Heldman 2007; Heldman, Carroll, and Olson 2005; Lawrence and Rose 2009; McClain, Carter, and Brady 2005). However, the depth and nuance in scholarly analyses are rarely evident in popular dialogue about the ways in which gender shapes presidential elections.
Potassium titanyl phosphate laser welding following complete nerve transection.

Objectives/Hypothesis Cranial nerve transection during head and neck surgery is conventionally repaired by microsuture reanastomosis. Laser nerve welding (LNW), using CO2 laser to spot-weld the epineurium of transected nerve endings, has been shown in animal models to be a novel alternative to microsuture repair. This method avoids needle/suture material and minimizes instrumentation of the nerve. We hypothesized that potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser would be superior to CO2 laser in repairing transected nerves. Using a rat posterior tibial nerve injury model, we compared CO2 laser, KTP laser, and microsuture reanastomosis. Study Design Animal study. Methods Animals underwent unilateral posterior tibial nerve transection. The injury was repaired by microsuture repair (n = 15), CO2 laser repair (n = 15), or KTP laser repair (n = 15). Weekly walking tracks were performed to measure functional recovery. Nerve segments were harvested for axon counting. Results At 6 weeks, the KTP LNW had the best functional recovery (92.4 ± 8.6%) compared to microsuture repair (84.5 ± 10.2%, difference 7.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84%-14.96%). CO2 laser repair had a functional recovery of 86.8 ± 11.2%. KTP LNW had better axon recovery compared to transection/repair (difference 530.7 axons, 95% CI: 329.9-731.5). Operative time for the microsuture repair was 18.2 ± 6.8 minutes, compared to 5.8 ± 3.7 minutes for the LNW groups (difference 12.4 minutes, 95% CI: 8.6-16.2 minutes). Conclusions KTP, CO2, and microsuture repair all showed good functional recovery following complete transection of the posterior tibial nerve. Following complete nerve transection during head and neck surgery, KTP LNW may be a novel alternative to microsuture repair. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 127:1525–1530, 2017
New Advances in Humane Slaughter of Meat Animals.

On June 18, 1985, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a new method of humane slaughter for meat animals - "electrical slaughter" or deep stunning. In this method, the heart is stopped by cardiac arrest. The amount of blood loss and quality of the meat is the same as in conventional slaughter. Heart stoppage practically eliminates blood splashing and speckling.
Measuring the Sensitivity of Net Interest Paid to the Business Cycle and to Inflation

Net interest paid has been one of the most rapidly growing components of federal government expenditures since 1970. Unlike other components of the budget, public policy actions can have little effect on its riseâ€”especially in the short run. For this reason, it is important to examine the forces â€œautomaticallyâ€ affecting net interest paid. This article examines the sources of change in net interest paid and provides an analytical framework to estimate the automatic effects of the business cycle and inflation. The framework incorporates the most important factors affecting net interest paid, including interest rates, budget deficits, and outstanding stocks (short-term and long-term debt and direct loans), and highlights the simultaneous relationship between net interest paid and changes in net debt (federal debt outstanding less direct loans outstanding). A sample application of the analytical framework is discussed.
Foreign Language Assessment: Instructional Considerations for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) continue to be more likely to experience anxiety about learning a foreign language, and possibly less likely to enroll in foreign language courses at all. As schools become more inclusive and more aware of diverse learning needs, it is important to be cognizant of how the individual needs of students with SLDs may relate to classroom instruction and assessment practices. What follows is a discussion of assessment practices, with an emphasis on diagnostic and formative assessment in the context of teaching students with SLDs. Given the prevalence of mobile phones and other devices in contemporary classrooms, a strong emphasis on the role of online polling resources plays a prominent role in this discussion. Specific examples of instructional activities which align with assessments are also provided, as part of a selective literature review intended to connect larger topics in language instruction to the typical needs of students with specific learning disabilities. The perspective of the discussion pertains primarily to students with SLDs in the United States, where the vast majority of foreign language instruction occurs in the middle and secondary grades.
Progressive Changes in Walking Kinematics and Kinetics After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury and Reconstruction: A Review and Meta-Analysis

Context: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and ACL reconstruction (ACLR) result in persistent alterations in lower extremity movement patterns. The progression of lower extremity biomechanics from the time of injury has not been described. Objective: To compare the 3-dimensional (3D) lower extremity kinematics and kinetics of walking among individuals with ACL deficiency (ACLD), individuals with ACLR, and healthy control participants from 3 to 64 months after ACLR. Data Sources: We searched PubMed and Web of Science from 1970 through 2013. Study Selection and Data Extraction: We selected only articles that provided peak kinematic and kinetic values during walking in individuals with ACLD or ACLR and comparison with a healthy control group or the contralateral uninjured limb. Data Synthesis: A total of 27 of 511 identified studies were included. Weighted means, pooled standard deviations, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for the healthy control, ACLD, and ACLR groups at each reported...
Intercellular calcium signaling is regulated by morphogens during Drosophila wing development

Organ development is driven by a set of patterned inductive signals. However, how these signals are integrated to coordinate tissue patterning is still poorly understood. Calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) are critical signaling components involved in signal integration and are regulated by a core Ca 2+ signaling toolkit. Ca 2+ signaling encodes a significant fraction of information in cells through both amplitude and frequency-dependent regulation of transcription factors and key regulatory enzymes. A range of intercellular Ca 2+ transients, including coordinated oscillations, recently have been reported in Drosophila wing discs. In an accompanying paper, we show that impaired Ca 2+ signaling impacts the final size and shape of the wing. Here, we discover specific spatiotemporal signatures of Ca 2+ transients during wing disc development. To do so, we developed a new neural-network-based approach for registration of oscillatory signals in organs that frequently move during imaging, and a pipeline for spatiotemporal analysis of intercellular Ca 2+ oscillations. As a specific test case, we further demonstrated that the morphogen pathway, Hedgehog, controls frequencies of Ca 2+ oscillations uniformly in the tissue and is required for spatial patterning of oscillation amplitudes. Thus, the time-averaged dynamics of spontaneous intercellular Ca 2+ transients reflect the morphogenetic signaling state of the tissue during development. This suggests a general mechanism of physiological signaling that provides a memory of morphogenetic patterns. Additionally, our study provides a powerful approach for registering and quantifying oscillatory dynamics in developing organs.
Rapid electrochemical synthesis of δ-MnO2 from γ-MnO2 and unleashing its performance as an energy dense electrode

Abstract Birnessite (δ-MnO 2 ) is a layered polymorph of manganese dioxide used in a number of applications because of its low cost and non-toxic characteristics. In organic electrolyte battery chemistry's it has been considered as an insertion electrode for lithium, magnesium and other ions. In an alkaline environment, however, it undergoes conversion reactions. It has a high theoretical specific capacity of 617 mAh/g based on two electron reactions making it an energy dense electrode. However, its implementation in practice has been limited due to complicated, time cumbersome synthesis methods, and formation of electrochemical irreversible phases after a few cycles. In this article, we report the rapid synthesis and study of the electrochemical synthesis of δ-MnO 2 from cheap and commercially available electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD, γ-MnO 2 ), where we find the formation to proceed from γ-MnO 2 to groutite (α-MnOOH) and pyrochroite [Mn(OH) 2 ] on the first discharge and follow the reverse transition on the immediate charge to form δ-MnO 2 in alkaline electrolyte. The formation process takes only one cycle to completely form δ-MnO 2 . The electrochemical reversibility of δ-MnO 2 formed through this process is also addressed, where we find that avoiding hydrophobic binders, use of appropriate carbons, addition of certain metallic additives and possibly porosity/pore structure play an important role in unleashing its energy-dense electrochemical performance.
Heparinase treatment suggests a role for the endothelial cell glycocalyx in regulation of capillary hematocrit.

Physiological stimuli induce rapid and unexplained increases in the number of red blood cells within capillaries of skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that such alterations in intracapillary red cell...
Sparing of the ipsilateral retina after anterior chamber inoculation of HSV-1: requirement for either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells.

PURPOSE To determine whether CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, or both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are required for preservation of the ipsilateral retina after uniocular anterior chamber inoculation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). METHODS Adult-thymectomized BALB/c mice were T cell depleted by administration of anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb), anti-CD8 mAb, or anti-CD4 mAb and anti-CD8 mAb together. Control mice were thymectomized but were not T cell depleted. HSV-1 (KOS) was inoculated in one anterior chamber. At intervals after inoculation, the injected eyes were examined histopathologically or homogenized to determine the kinetics of infectious virus recovery. Additional groups of in vivo depleted mice were injected with wild type KOS and RH116 (a mutant of KOS containing the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene) to determine whether viral genes were expressed in the retina in any of the mice. RESULTS In the inoculated eyes of mice depleted of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, there was a significantly higher incidence of acute destructive retinitis at days 9 and 14 postinoculation (PI), and the titer of virus recovered at day 14 PI was significantly higher. Viral gene expression in the retina and the optic nerve was observed after day 7 PI only in the group of mice depleted of both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. In contrast, acute destructive retinitis was not observed in nondepleted mice or in mice depleted of either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells alone, and virus recovery was not significantly different among these three groups of mice. No virus-infected cells were observed in the optic nerve or the sensory retina of nondepleted mice, of mice depleted of only CD4+ cells, or of mice depleted of only CD8+ cells. CONCLUSION The results of these studies suggest that either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells can spare the retina of the injected eye after uniocular anterior chamber inoculation of HSV-1. Because virus appeared after day 7 PI in the ipsilateral optic nerve and retina only in mice depleted of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, these results suggest that spread of virus to the ipsilateral retina occurs via the optic nerve and that either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells can prevent spread of virus to the inoculated eye resulting in sparing of the ipsilateral retina.
Students’ Emotive Reasoning Through Place-Based Environmental Socioscientific Issues

Engaging environmental socioscientific issues (SSI) requires navigating diverse positions regarding people and nature. This qualitative investigation determined how 24 undergraduates experiencing place-based SSI instruction in the Greater Yellowstone Area (includes a national park and its surrounding areas in the western USA) expressed emotive reasoning about people and nature impacted by those SSI. The students’ emotive reasoning ranged from apathy, passive care, and moderated concern to empathetic dissonance—an intense concern for peoples’ and nature’s well-being and SSI resolution. Deeper analyses revealed that the students expressed moderated concern differently toward people and nature when engaging in environmental SSI through value judgments, claiming helplessness, and diffusing responsibility to others. The students also expressed four forms of empathetic dissonance toward people and nature impacted by SSI including deep compassion for those experiencing SSI hardships, guilt for not resolving SSI, anger toward those that are perceived to cause SSI, and righteous indignation when the moral principles of equity and justice were violated because of SSI impacts. The students’ responses included significantly more instances of moderated concern and empathetic dissonance toward people and nature after the place-based SSI instruction. Pedagogical implications include how to instruct SSI in authentic place-based settings that encourage emotive reasoning necessary for environmental SSI engagement.
Patterns and correlates of purchasing cigarettes on Indian reservations among daily smokers in the United States.

Abstract Introduction We described the population of daily smokers purchasing cigarettes on Indian reservations (IRs), estimated the rates of cigarette purchasing on IRs for diverse populations of daily smokers in the U.S., and assessed the trends in the period from 2010–11 to 2014–15. Methods We used the 2010–11 and 2014–15 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey data for adult daily smokers as well as additional information, e.g., state excise tax on tobacco (n = 33,871). Results Daily smokers who purchased cigarettes on IRs were primarily 45+ years old, non-Hispanic (NH) White, resided in a state with an IR, paid less than $4.50 per pack, and purchased cigarettes in the state of their residency. The majority of purchases on IRs were made in New York (28%), Oklahoma (14%), Washington (10%), Arizona (9%), and Florida (6%). The rate of purchasing cigarettes on IRs decreased from 4% in 2010–11 to 3% in 2014–15 (p = 0.012). The rates were higher for females than males (OR = 1.23, CI = 1.09:1.40) and heavy than non-heavy smokers (OR = 1.35, CI = 1.17:1.55). Higher state excise tax on tobacco, on average, was associated with purchasing cigarettes on IRs. Conclusions The rate of purchasing cigarettes on IRs is relatively low and has decreased in recent years. However, the rates differ across sociodemographic factors of daily smokers, including the state of residency and purchase. Purchasing cigarettes on IRs at lower prices can affect smokers’ intentions to quit and can reduce federal and state efforts toward a tobacco-free nation.
Gastrostomy tube displacement following spinal surgery

Abstract We present the case of a 12 year-old female with spastic quadriplegia whose gastrostomy tube button was inadvertently displaced resulting in the intraperitoneal administration of formula with subsequent severe peritonitis, septic shock and death within 48 h. The operating room findings included 700 cc of formula in the peritoneal cavity and the partial separation of the gastric wall at the gastrostomy site from the abdominal wall. The patient had undergone spinal corrective surgery 5 months prior and her gastrostomy tube has been replaced per routine by the caregiver the day prior to the onset of symptoms. We hypothesize that the postsurgical positional changes resulting from her spinal corrective surgery changed her stomach relationship to the abdominal wall placing the gastrostomy button on tension and resulting in the erosion of the balloon through the stomach wall with disruption of the gastrostomy tract. We recommend that meticulous monitoring, changing button to a regular gastrostomy tube and potential repositioning of the gastrostomy tube site be considered after spinal corrective surgery in such patients.
The Dual States of America

The United States is one of the world’s largest and most powerful democracies, and is not generally thought of as a predatory state. Although most of the literature that discusses American politics has concentrated on the “first face” of American government, including political behavior, public opinion, and questions of electoral representation, recent works have examined the second, more draconian “face” of the American government more critically. However, what is missing in the literature is a systematic conceptualization of the dichotomous structure in the United States that effectively leads to different communities living under two drastically divergent state conditions. I argue that the United States is more accurately categorized as a “dual state,” meaning that it simultaneously behaves like a welfare state in some contexts while it behaves, as a result of wide-reaching civil forfeiture laws, more like a predatory state in other contexts. Using the Marshallian framework of citizenship, I argue that the “second face” of the American government not only qualifies the United States as a predatory state, but it also deeply violates all three dimensions of race-class subjugated communities’ citizenship rights.
Servant Leadership in Sport: Theory and Practice

This chapter serves as the introductory chapter to the book. In this chapter, the reader is presented with the primary hypotheses supporting a model of servant leadership including antecedents, applications, and outcomes. Before describing the model, a brief overview of leadership is provided to offer some context as to how leadership theories have evolved from a trait, behavioral, to an other-centered approach. A brief overview of the construct of servant leadership is then offered before discussing its proposed antecedent. It is proposed that for one to be prepared to meet the needs of others, a primary tenet of servant leadership, they need to experience personal need satisfaction and well-being. Seligman’s 2011 well-being theory is used as a proxy for well-being and includes character strengths as supportive of the elements of well-being positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, and accomplishment or his PERMA model. Through experiencing well-being, it is proposed that need satisfaction is experienced. Need satisfaction is described using self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan in Intrinsic Motivation and Self-determination in Human Behavior. Plenum, New York, NY, 1985) and includes the need for autonomy, belongingness or relatedness, and competency. It is proposed that need satisfaction for servant leaders better enables them to meet the needs of others and provides a number of positive outcomes.
Barriers and enablers for prescribed burns for wildfire management in California

Prescribed burns to reduce fuel can mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires. However, multiple barriers limit their deployment, resulting in their underutilization, particularly in forests. We evaluate sociopolitical barriers and opportunities for greater deployment in California, an area recurrently affected by catastrophic fires. We use a mixed-methods approach combining expert interviews, state legislative policy analysis and prescribed-burn data from state records. We identify three categories of barriers. Risk-related barriers (fear of liability and negative public perceptions) prevent landowners from beginning the burn planning process. Both resource-related barriers (limited funding, crew availability and experience) and regulations-related barriers (poor weather conditions for burning and environmental regulations) prevent landowners from conducting burns, creating a gap between planning and implementation. Recent policies have sought to address mainly risk-related challenges, although these and regulations-related challenges remain. Fundamental shifts in prescribed-burn policies, beyond those currently under consideration, are needed to address wildfires in California and worldwide. Recent policies to address wildfires mainly addressed risk-related challenges to conduct prescribed fires, but barriers related to resources and regulations need further action, according to a mixed-methods study.
In-Plane Thermoelectric Properties of Flexible andRoom-Temperature-Doped Carbon Nanotube Films

Soft materials with high power factors (PFs) and low thermal conductivity (κ) are critically important for integration of thermoelectric (TE) modules into flexible form factors for energy harvestin...
Recovery of Hippocampal-Dependent Learning Despite Blunting Reactive Adult Neurogenesis After Alcohol Dependence.

Background The excessive alcohol drinking that occurs in alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes neurodegeneration in regions such as the hippocampus, though recovery may occur after a period of abstinence. Mechanisms of recovery are not clear, though reactive neurogenesis has been observed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following alcohol dependence and correlates to recovery of granule cell number. Objective We investigated the role of neurons born during reactive neurogenesis in the recovery of hippocampal learning behavior after 4-day binge alcohol exposure, a model of an AUD. We hypothesized that reducing reactive neurogenesis would impair functional recovery. Methods Adult male rats were subjected to 4-day binge alcohol exposure and two approaches were tested to blunt reactive adult neurogenesis, acute doses of alcohol or the chemotherapy drug, temozolomide (TMZ). Results Acute 5 g/kg doses of EtOH gavaged T6 and T7 days post binge did not inhibit significantly the number of Bromodeoxyuridine-positive (BrdU+) proliferating cells in EtOH animals receiving 5 g/kg EtOH versus controls. A single cycle of TMZ inhibited reactive proliferation (BrdU+ cells) and neurogenesis (NeuroD+ cells) to that of controls. However, despite this blunting of reactive neurogenesis to basal levels, EtOH-TMZ rats were not impaired in their recovery of acquisition of the Morris water maze (MWM), learning similarly to all other groups 35 days after 4-day binge exposure. Conclusions These studies show that TMZ is effective in decreasing reactive proliferation/neurogenesis following 4-day binge EtOH exposure, and baseline levels of adult neurogenesis are sufficient to allow recovery of hippocampal function.
Speak Dhamma But Carry A Big Stick: Violence in Early Buddhist Discourse

In keeping with the theme of Religion and the (De)legitimation of Violence, this chapter, on the Cula-Saccaka Sutta (“The Shorter Discourse to Saccaka”), proposes a relatively short discourse from the Pali Canon that relates the Buddha’s encounter with Saccaka, a sophist who arrogantly challenges the Blessed One to a debate on central points of doctrine. Not surprisingly, the Buddha defeats Saccaka, and even converts the now-chastened debater to the Dhamma.
A feminist critique of police stops: by Josephine Ross, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, xiii+229pp., $29.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1108710879

In A Feminist Critique of Police Stops, Howard University Law Professor Josephine Ross makes an impassioned and compelling argument for the Supreme Court to overturn Terry v. Ohio (392 U.S. 1 (1968...
Experiments with Neural Networks as Prognostics Engines for Patient Physiological System Health Management

Prognostics and prediction of patients‟ short term physiological health status is of critical importance in medicine because it affords medical interventions that prevent escalating medical complications. Accurate prediction of the patients‟ health status offers many benefits including faster recovery, lower medical costs and better clinical outcomes. This study proposes a prognostics engine to predict patient physiological status. The prognostics engine builds models from historical clinical data using neural network as its computational kernel. This study compared accuracy of various neural network models. Given the diversity of clinical data and disease conditions, no single model is ideal for all medical cases. Certain algorithms are more accurate than others depending on the type, amount and diversity of possible outcomes. Thus multiple neural network algorithms are necessary to build a generalizable prognostics engine. The study proposes using an oracle, an overseer program to select the most accurate predictive model that is most suited for a particular medical prediction among several neural network options.
Rescue of stalled clathrin-mediated endocytosis by asymmetric Arp2/3-mediated actin assembly

Actin assembly facilitates vesicle formation in several trafficking pathways. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) shows elevated actin assembly dependence under high membrane tension. Why actin assembly at CME sites occurs heterogeneously even within the same cell, and how assembly forces are harnessed, are not fully understood. Here, endocytic dynamics, actin presence, and geometry of CME proteins from three different functional modules, were analyzed using three-dimensional (3D) super-resolution microscopy, live-cell imaging, and machine-learning-based computation. When hundreds of CME events were compared, sites with actin assembly showed a distinct signature, a delay between completion of coat expansion and vesicle scission, indicating that actin assembly occurs preferentially at stalled CME sites. N-WASP is recruited to one side of CME sites where it is positioned to stimulate asymmetric actin assembly. We propose that asymmetric actin assembly rescues stalled CME sites by pulling vesicles into the cell much like a bottle opener pulls off a bottle cap.
Motor Neuron Diseases

Motor neuron diseases (MND) comprise a group of neurodegenerative conditions that can cause rapidly progressive muscle weakness by causing gradual degeneration of the motor neuron. It can affect both the upper motor neurons (UMN) and/or the lower motor neurons (LMN), depending on the variant type. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) belongs to this group of diseases, causing dysfunction of the UMN and LMN. ALS is mostly considered sporadic, but a small percentage (about 5–10%) of cases are familial/genetic, some with suspected association with detrimental environmental contributors. There are other variants like: Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) which affects mostly the UMN, Progressive Muscular Atrophy (PMA) selectively affecting the LMN, and Progressive Bulbar Palsy (PBP) primarily causing damage to the motor neurons of the bulbar muscles. The latter disease can progress to involve other regions including limbs, as seen in ALS, or may remain restricted to the bulbar muscles. There are many other diseases that can manifest with some of the classic symptoms of MND such as: weakness, fasciculations, spasticity, cramps, and pathologic hyperreflexia. It is imperative that the clinician distinguish amongst diseases that can mimic MND, because some can be potentially treated. Electrodiagnostic evaluation (EDX) is key in assisting the clinician with the diagnosis of MND. However, EDX has its pitfalls and limitations, and careful performance and interpretation of the nerve conduction studies (NCS) and needle electromyography (EMG) are important for proper diagnosis. Guidelines have been established for the clinical diagnosis of ALS (e.g Revised El Escorial criteria from the World Federation of Neurology), including EDX criteria for NCS and EMG. We will discuss in detail some of the MND mimics and their clinical features, EDX protocols and limitations, and provide an example case of MND/ALS type.
TIGRA: A Tightly Integrated Generic RISC-V Accelerator Interface

Field programmable gate array (FPGA) usage in HPC applications is growing with the need for energy efficient and application specific accelerators. Currently, FPGAs are used to accelerate algorithms using OpenCL with communication over PCIe (loosely coupled accelerators) or by modifying existing architectures to incorporate custom logic directly with a CPU (tightly coupled accelerators). However, only the loosely coupled paradigm is feasible to support a variety of acceleration. In this work, we introduce TIGRA, a zero latency interface designed to provide the benefit of tightly coupled accelerators without the developer burden of modifying the underlying architecture, which can enable their usage in HPC. TIGRA is demonstrated on the PicoRV32 processor with AES-128 bit encryption, posit arithmetic, and multiplication.
Pregnancy outcomes and anxiety in nulliparous women.

To examine pregnancy outcomes in women with treated and untreated anxiety in a well-characterized cohort.Secondary analysis of the NuMoM2b study, a prospective multi-center cohort of nulliparous wo...
Research Tools, Insects as

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of insects as research tools. To test hypotheses in science, a constellation of data from model systems is needed, especially in biology. Insects are used as many of these model systems. In part this is because they are so abundant and species-rich that, in terms of diversity, they make up the bulk of terrestrial species and, in many habitats, the greatest number of individuals. Because of this dominance, comprehensive biological hypotheses must account for insects if the hypotheses are to be generally accepted. Insects provide the numerous observations that are essential for developing and supporting broadly applicable hypotheses explaining the diversity and distribution of life on earth. Insects are a magnificient source of observations. The sheer number of units for study at all levels—species, populations, and individuals—provide the repeated patterns of variation that provoke questions and provide data for hypothesis testing. Also, insects usually have a relatively short life cycle, often more than one generation per year.
Bidirectional modulation of isoflurane potency by intrathecal tetrodotoxin and veratridine in rats.

Background and purpose: Results from several studies point to voltage-gated Na+ channels as potential mediators of the immobility produced by inhaled anaesthetics. We hypothesized that the intrathecal administration of tetrodotoxin, a drug that blocks Na+ channels, should enhance anaesthetic potency, and that concurrent administration of veratridine, a drug that augments Na+ channel opening, should reverse the increase in potency. Experimental approach: We measured the change in isoflurane potency for reducing movement in response to a painful stimulus as defined by MAC (minimum alveolar concentration of anaesthetic required to abolish movement in 50% of subjects) caused by intrathecal infusion of various concentrations of tetrodotoxin into the lumbothoracic subarachnoid space of rats, and the change in MAC caused by the administration of a fixed dose of tetrodotoxin plus various doses of intrathecal veratridine. Key results: Intrathecal infusion of tetrodotoxin (0.078–0.63 µM) produced a reversible dose-related decrease in MAC, of more than 50% at the highest concentration. Intrathecal co-administration of veratridine (1.6–6.4 µM) reversed this decrease in a dose-related manner, with nearly complete reversal at the highest veratridine dose tested. Conclusions and implications: Intrathecal administration of tetrodotoxin increases isoflurane potency (decreases isoflurane MAC), and intrathecal administration of veratridine counteracts this effect in vivo. These findings are consistent with a role for voltage-gated Na+ channel blockade in the immobility produced by inhaled anaesthetics.
A mobile agent-based communications middleware for data streaming in the battlefield

In this paper we introduce the FlexFeed framework in the context of military combat operations. FlexFeed realizes the notion of agile computing for data-streaming and implements a flexible, robust and efficient publish/subscribe infrastructure for dynamic ad hoc environments under resource and policy constraints. The framework uses mobile software agents for underlying configuration and policy enforcement. The paper illustrates the effectiveness of the framework with quantitative experiments over simulated scenarios
A comparison of multiple proxies for export production in the equatorial Pacific

[1] Several commonly used paleoproductivity proxies were compared to evaluate the validity of assumptions and limitations associated with each proxy. Export production fluxes (Cexport) over glacial-interglacial timescales were calculated from previously developed, proxy-specific algorithms at TTN013-pc72 and TTN013-pc114, both located in the equatorial Pacific. Comparison of data from the same core intervals yields conflicting results despite calibrations based on the same core top samples. The periodicity of marine barite, excess Ba, and excess Al-based Cexport records is similar. The relative magnitude of Cexport when calculated using excess Ba and algorithms based on sediment trap data is significantly different than records based on core top calibrations, particularly during glacial intervals. At both sites, bulk sedimentary Al/Ti and Ba/Ti ratios covary; however, these ratios do not correspond with the downcore records of their respective excess concentrations (and their accumulation rates), or with contemporaneous records based on marine barite, excess Ba, and excess Al accumulation. Although downcore records based on sediment mass accumulation rates may be compromised by sediment focusing, this process cannot explain all the differences observed among the various data sets presented here. This implies that some or all of these proxies do not exclusively respond to changes in export production. The contradictions among these data highlight the importance of addressing inconsistencies among paleoproxies and re-examining assumptions imbedded in proxy fundamentals, prior to applying paleoproductivity proxies and interpreting paleoceanographic records.
Gender and Politics: A Not-So-Simple Correlation

The recent election in Liberia is momentous in more ways than one. Most remarkable is the fact that the election itself took place at all in the wake of a long and bloody civil war. Equally significant is the emergence of Ms. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the victorious candidate and thus, the first elected African female president. We must congratulate Mama Ellen on her victory and learn from her perseverance given the fact that this was not the first time she contested elections. For me, the salience of this historic event is the fact that Liberian presidency is no longer out of bounds for women, or to use the language of Nigerian political discourse, the Liberian presidency is no longer a no-go area for women. Perhaps, the surprise is that Liberia beat even Germany, which had its elections more than eight weeks ago, in this great achievement of electing a female leader. And Americans? In the United States, the so-called mother nation of Liberia, female presidency remains a possibility only on a TV Drama, not even a TV Reality Show!!! Against this background, the significance of Mama Ellen’s political success in Monrovia, then like Mama Wangari’s Nobel Peace Prize cannot be over-celebrated. Please, pass the palm wine.
An improved algorithmic ADC clocking scheme

An improved algorithmic ADC clocking scheme is presented. Using an optimized clock generator, a significant improvement in conversion speed is achieved in the converter. This proposed optimized clock generator removes the wasted time which exists during all conversion cycles except for the first one. This technique can improve the conversion speed up to 82% compared to conventional algorithmic ADCs. Alternatively, static power consumption can also be reduced for a given conversion speed. An algorithmic ADC using the new clocking scheme is validated using MATLAB behavioral simulations.
Inhibition of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Replication by Thymidine

Replication of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was impeded in KB cells which were blocked in their capacity to synthesize DNA by 2 mM thymidine (TdR). The degree of inhibition was dependent upon the concentration of TdR. In marked contrast, HSV-1 is able to replicate under these conditions. The failure of HSV-2 to replicate is probably due to the inhibition of viral DNA synthesis; there was a marked reduction in the rate of DNA synthesis as well as the total amount of HSV-2 DNA made in the presence of 2 mM TdR. We postulated that the effect of TdR on viral replication occurs at the level of ribonucleotide reductase in a manner similar to KB cells. However, unlike KB cells, an altered ribonucleotide reductase activity, highly resistant to thymidine triphosphate inhibition, was found in extracts of HSV-2-infected KB cells. This activity was present in HSV-2-infected cells incubated in the presence or absence of TdR. Ribonucleotide reductase activity in extracts of HSV-1-infected KB cells showed a similar resistance to thymidine triphosphate inhibition. These results suggest that the effect of TdR on HSV-2 replication occurs at a stage of DNA synthesis other than reduction of cytidine nucleotides to deoxycytidine nucleotides.
Supporting groupware conventions through contextual awareness

Conventions are an important part of articulation work. They are a means to merge the various perspectives and workstyles that are involved in handling shared objects in CSCW. We report on convention use with a groupware system used in a government ministry. Our findings suggest that defining, establishing, and following conventions is aided by the visibility of other people's activities using the system. We describe a prototype that supports users in maintaining conventions by providing awareness facilities and an overview for shared objects.