cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The reputations of NGOs: Peer evaluations of effectiveness

This article explores the reputations of transnational non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their determinants. Although the concept of reputation has received extensive treatment in international relations, NGO reputation has received less attention. Yet reputations are critical to the construction of NGO authority and to patterns of collaboration. We develop a framework for studying NGO reputation. We then provide empirical evidence on the construction of a particular dimension of NGO reputation, that of organizational effectiveness from the perspective of NGO peers. Based on a mixed-method, in-depth interview study of transnational NGO leaders, we identify specific factors associated with NGOs’ effectiveness reputations among their peers. Larger, older, more highly visible organizations, organizations adopting hybrid strategies, and organizations headquartered outside of Washington, DC enjoy higher reputations for organizational effectiveness. Our analysis provides context for understanding the influence of transnational NGOs in world affairs and offers insight into the role of reputation in global politics more generally.
Commentary: The Role of Race/Ethnicity in a Developmental Science of Equity and Justice

This commentary makes a case for the role of school racial/ethnic diversity in a new developmental science of equity and justice with a focus on intergroup attitudes, discrimination, and social exclusion. Creative ways to conceptualize and measure ethnic diversity as a multifaceted, dynamic, and fluid construct that changes across time and space are discussed. The commentary concludes with policy implications of this approach for improving the lives of children growing up in an increasingly multiracial/multiethnic society.
Abstract 3892: Somatic genetic profiling in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

Approximately one quarter of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PCC/PGLs) are malignant, defined as having distant metastases, which can be present at initial diagnosis or develop even 20 years later. Patients with malignant PCC/PGL only have a 50% five year survival rate. This poor prognosis and potential long latency period emphasizes the need for biomarkers of aggressive disease and novel targets for therapeutic intervention. More than eleven known susceptibility genes have been identified. Nevertheless, very little is known about the activated cellular pathways or the somatic genetic and genomic changes leading to tumor development and progression to malignancy. We aimed to characterize the somatic genetic profile in clinically benign and clinically aggressive PCC/PGLs in order to identify alterations leading to tumorigenesis and malignant potential. We performed exome sequencing on matched germline and tumor DNA from 21 PCC/PGLs including five VHL-associated PCCs representing clinically benign disease, seven SDHB-associated PCC/PGLs representing clinically aggressive disease, and two SDHD-associated and seven sporadic PCC/PGLs representing a mix of clinical behavior. Three hundred and twenty-one protein altering variants were identified. There were seven truncating mutations (nonsense variants and frameshifts) and twelve variants affecting splice sites. The vast majority of variants were non-synonymous variants of undetermined significance. Three of the seven sporadic tumors had somatic NF1 mutations, but no somatic mutations in any of the other known susceptibility genes were observed. In addition to somatic ATRX mutations which we have previously reported, there were a number of cancer associated genes with somatic variants including SHH, FANCD2, CTNND1, MACC1, FGFR1, GADD45A, and RBBP6. Pathway analysis identified a broad range of disrupted pathways including the WNT and cadherin signaling pathways. For tumors with a known inherited mutations in VHL or SDHx, copy number variation analysis identified loss of heterozygosity as the second hit. In summary, we performed a comprehensive somatic exome sequencing analysis of a large set of PCC/PGLs, and we identified several cancer associated genes not previously reported to be altered in PCC/PGLs. These data not only expand upon the limited prior knowledge of somatic alterations in PCC/PGLs but may also serve to identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Citation Format: Lauren Fishbein, Sanika Khare, Bradley Wubbenhorst, Virginia LiVolsi, Kathleen Montone, Douglas Fraker, Debbie L. Cohen, Katherine L. Nathanson. Somatic genetic profiling in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3892. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3892
Cascaded operation of SiC JFETs in medium voltage solid state circuit breakers

This paper reports cascaded operation of 1200V normally-on SiC JFETs in a solid state circuit breaker (SSCB) designed for medium voltage DC systems. The SSCB detects the short circuit fault by sensing the voltage rise between its two terminals and consequently uses this fault condition to power up the control circuit to turn and hold off the SiC JFETs to interrupt the fault current. Voltage sharing and balancing among the cascaded SiC JFETs during the fault current interruption process are important design considerations. Both simulation and experimental work are performed to identify an optimal circuit solution. The final SSCB prototype experimentally demonstrated a fault current interruption capability up to 125 amperes at a DC bus voltage of 1000 volts within 2.5 micro seconds.
Interactive Data Visualization

Interactive data visualization leverages human visual perception and cognition to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of data analysis. When integrated with data mining algorithms, data visualization systems combine human strengths with the computational power of machines to solve problems that neither approach can solve in isolation. In the intelligent transportation system domain, such systems are necessary to support decision making in large and complex data streams that originate from multiple sources, such as traffic cameras, vehicles, and traffic management centers. In this chapter, we provide an introduction to several key topics related to the design of data visualization systems. In addition to an overview of key techniques and strategies, we will discuss practical design principles. We conclude with a detailed case study involving the design of a multivariate visualization tool using automobile data.
Physicalism and the sortalist conception of objects

Many hold an Aristotelian metaphysic of objects: fundamentally, objects fall under sortals and have persistence conditions befitting their sort. Though sometimes offered as a theory of material objects, I argue this view is in fact incompatible with physicalism. Call a ‘sortal’ a kind of object, a ‘sortal identity’ a particular’s nature specified in sortal terms, and ‘sortal properties’ properties that are determined by an object’s sortal identity, such as its persistence conditions. From here the argument runs as follows. Something is physical only if it is physically fundamental or is determined by what is physically fundamental (P1), but sortal identities and properties are neither physically fundamental (P2) nor determined by the physically fundamental (P3). I defend each premise in turn. P1 falls out of the standard conception of physicalism. Rejecting P2 is tantamount to positing Aristotelian substantial forms and formal causes—which are themselves incompatible with physicalism. I defend P3 by showing that extant solutions to “the grounding problem”—the problem of showing how (nonfundamental) sortal properties are determined by (nonsortal) physical properties—are either physicalistically unacceptable, or else physicalistically acceptable but opposed to the sortalist metaphysic.
Septoplasty: Scepter Balloon Angioplasty for Vasospasm after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Introduction: Balloon angioplasty can be a requisite approach for the treatment of symptomatic and/or severe vasospasm. Dual-lumen microcatheter balloons have multiple potential advantages for this indication including accommodating a 0.014-inch wire and the potential to deliver superselective vasodilators directly via the microcatheter prior to angioplasty. Methods: The authors reviewed a 3-year institutional experience with the Scepter XC balloon (Microvention, Tustin, CA, USA) in the treatment of postaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage vasospasm, focusing on treatment methods, angiographic, and clinical results. Results: Sixty-four vessels were treated in 18 patients. Fifteen cases were performed under intravenous (i.v.) conscious sedation (83%). The mean pretreatment stenosis was 59% (range 40-80), and the mean post-treatment stenosis was 12% (range 0-40). Five vessels in 3 patients were subsequently retreated via angioplasty for recurrent vasospasm (8%). There were no complications related to the passage of the balloon microcatheter or inflation of the balloon such as dissection or vessel rupture. Of 14 patients with delayed cerebral ischemia, 7 had complete symptomatic resolution after treatment, and 3 had significant symptomatic improvement. Four patients did not improve after treatment though 3 already had confirmed infarcts on imaging prior to angiography. Conclusion: The Scepter XC is a safe and effective balloon microcatheter for angioplasty of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, allowing for superselective delivery of a vasodilator. Its ease of deliverability and visibility often allows for the performance of the procedure under i.v. conscious sedation.
Abstract 18258: High-intensity Interval Training Improves Aerobic Capacity and Metabolic Risk Factors in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Aging is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk including reduced aerobic capacity and increased metabolic risk factors. Aerobic exercise training improves the risk for cardiovascular disease. The optimal exercise regimen for older adults, however, remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) would be more effective than isocaloric moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in improving aerobic capacity and metabolic risks factors in older adults. Methods: Thirty eight sedentary older adults (age 65±1.0 yrs; mean±SE), free of cardiovascular disease, were randomly assigned to HIIT (n=13), MICT (n=13) or non-exercise control group (n=12). HIIT consisted of cycling at alternating intensities of 90 and 70% maximal heart rate for 40 minutes while MICT consisted of cycling at 70% maximal heart rate for 47 minutes. HIIT and MICT were performed on Airdyne bicycles, 4 days/week for 8 weeks, under supervision. Aerobic capacity was assessed by peak oxygen consumption during an incremental treadmill test. Metabolic risk factors included fasting lipid profile, glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment; HOMA-IR). Body composition was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. All measures were obtained at baseline and following the intervention. Results: Peak oxygen consumption increased by 2.8 ml/kg/min (23.0±1.6 vs. 25.7±1.5, pre- vs. post-intervention; P P >0.05). Insulin and HOMA-IR improved only in HIIT (-1.9±0.6μU/ml and -0.42±0.16, P P 0.05). Conclusions: HIIT but not MICT improves aerobic capacity and glucose control in healthy older adults without affecting lipids or body composition.
Hell, justice, and freedom

La doctrine de l'enfer ne trouve pas seulement Des detracteurs modernes. Augustin d'Hippone s'oppose a des âmes sensibles de l'Eglise ancienne qui trouvent trop dure l'idee d'une punition eternelle. Thomas d'Aquin a juge necessaire au Moyen Age de developper la defense de l'enfer d'Augustin. Apres la Reforme, certains protestants conservateurs comme Jonathan Edwards s'opposent a des mouvements universalites. Selon l'A., Augustin, Thomas et Edwards furent incapables de repondre correctement au probleme de l'enfer. Il propose un autre modele ou la doctrine generique de l'enfer est coherente avec celle de la justice de Dieu
The effects of age and ethnicity on the circadian variation of catecholamines and cortisol in employed women.

Women employed outside the home in urban settings must adapt to changing circadian microenvironments. The pattern and extent of vasoactive hormone responses to these changes may depend upon age and ethnic background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of age and ethnicity on the circadian variation of urinary norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol excretion across work, home and sleep microenvironments. The subjects of the study were 95 women (38 European-American, age = 35.4 ± 7.4; 28 African-American, age = 33.4 ± 7.9; 12 Asian-American, age = 36.7 ± 9.3 and 17 Hispanic-American age = 31.6 ± 10.9) employed as secretaries, lab technicians or office supervisors in New York City. Variation in the hormones across the microenvironments was evaluated using repeated measures ANCOVA with age group (18–29.9; 30–39.9; 40–49.9) and ethnicity as fixed factors. The results show that for norepinephrine and epinephrine, work excretion rates are substantially higher than sleep rates (p < .001), and for epinephrine home rates were higher than sleep rates (p < .001). Work and sleep cortisol excretion rates were also significantly higher than the rate at home, consistent with cortisol’s circadian rhythm. (p < .002). Women in their twenties had substantially lower norepinephrine excretion rates than women over 30 (p < .04). There were also ethnic differences in norepinephrine (p < .04) and epinephrine (p = .11) output with Asian-American women having the lowest and African-American women having the highest rates. This variation is likely related to the ethnic variation in weight. There was no significant variation in cortisol excretion with age or ethnicity. The circadian rates of norepinephrine excretion differ by age and that of both catecholamines differ by ethnicity among women working outside the home. It is speculated that the age variation in norepinephrine may contribute to the development of vasomotor symptoms.
Principles for Breast Reconstruction: Indications and Limits

Historically, a diagnosis of breast cancer required radical mastectomy, resulting in profound disfigurement. Today, with advances in multidisciplinary oncologic therapy and reconstructive techniques, most women are candidates for immediate reconstruction at the time of skin-sparing mastectomy. In this chapter, we address the controversies in breast reconstruction, including the timing of reconstruction for patients who will require postmastectomy radiotherapy. We also review the data on the oncologic safety and cosmetic results of nipple-sparing mastectomy.
Properties Invariant within Equivalence Types of Categories

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses properties invariant within equivalence types of categories. It is known that any mathematically relevant property on categories is invariant within equivalence types of categories. It is also well-known that any mathematically relevant property on objects and maps is preserved and reflected by equivalence functors. Free formulas are not preserved by equivalence functors; in fact, none of the negations of atomic predicates are preserved by equivalence functors. An elementary property on categories is invariant within equivalence types of categories if and only if it is a diagrammatic property. An elementary sentence is invariant within equivalence types if and only if there is a Frege-diagrammatic sentence such that the axioms of category theory imply S ⇔ S'.
Globalización y competencia tributaria: implicaciones para los países en desarrollo.

Este articulo analiza el efecto de la competencia tributaria sobre los paises en desarrollo. Como resultado de la globalizacion y de la mayor movilidad del capital, muchos paises en desarrollo han adoptado a partir del decenio de 1980 la politica de competir unos con otros por atraer inversion de capital. Una de las formas principales que toma esta competencia es la de otorgar franquicias tributarias y otras reducciones de gravamenes a las empresas transnacionales inversionistas. En el presente trabajo se pasa revista a los argumentos normativos a favor y en contra de esta forma de competencia tributaria, desde una perspectiva global. En seguida se examinan a fondo esos argumentos desde el punto de vista de los paises en desarrollo. En general, se concluye que, puesto que las empresas transnacionales invertirian en paises en desarrollo sin recibir subsidios tributarios, pero que tienen la posibilidad de recibirlos a traves de una suerte de licitacion entre los paises en desarrollo, a estos paises les convendria mas concordar en abstenerse de otorgar tales subsidios. Por ultimo, se analizan algunas vias para lograr una cooperacion de este tipo, ya sea regional o global (por ejemplo, a traves de la Organizacion Mundial del Comercio).
Europa imaging system wide angle camera: the effect of gamma radiation on the refractive index and transmission of radiation resistant glasses

The impact of gamma radiation on refractive index and transmission was analyzed for several glasses. The goal of the analysis is to quantify the optical performance impact of Jovian electron and proton radiation environments using gamma radiation as a proxy for the Europa Imaging System (EIS) Wide Angle Camera 1 (WAC) refractive telescope. The testing was split into two sample sets. The first set of glasses tested are baselined in the current WAC design: BK7G18, Calcium Fluoride, Fused Silica, and LF5G15. Analysis demonstrates no significant change in the refractive index or transmission in BK7G18, Calcium Fluoride, Fused Silica, and LF5G15 when exposed to 1 Mrad of gamma radiation. The second set of glasses tested was two i-line and two radiation resistant glasses from Ohara. Analysis demonstrates no significant change in the refractive index in BAL35Y, PBL25Y, S-BAL25-R, and S-BSL7-R when exposed to 1 Mrad of gamma radiation. Significant loss in transmission was observed for the two i-line glasses (BAL35Y and PBL25Y) when exposed to 1 Mrad of gamma radiation.
Role of Stress Imaging Techniques in Evaluation of Patients Before and after Myocardial Revascularization

Stress echocardiography and MPS are clinically useful tools for selection of patients with known or suspected CAD who are likely to benefit from revascularization. Both imaging modalities are the mainstay tests for the diagnosis of in-stent stenosis and graft disease and are integral parts of the investigative strategies recommended by both European and American guidelines. However, CMR and multislice computed tomography are increasingly used for this purpose in centers with access to these techniques. Myocardial perfusion and wall motion abnormalities after myocardial revascularization are predictive of cardiac events and the risk associated with these abnormalities is not related to symptoms.
Revising the worksheet with L3: a language and environment for user-script interaction

This paper describes a novel approach to the parameter and data handling issues commonly found in experimental scientific computing and scripting in general. The approach is based on the familiar combination of scripting language and user interface, but using a language expressly designed for user interaction and convenience. The L3 language combines programming facilities of procedural and functional languages with the persistence and need-based evaluation of data flow languages. It is implemented in Python, has access to all Python libraries, and retains almost complete source code compatibility to allow simple movement of code between the languages. The worksheet interface uses metadata produced by L3 to provide selection of values through the scriptit self and allow users to dynamically evolve scripts without re-running the prior versions. Scripts can be edited via text editors or manipulated as structures on a drawing canvas. Computed values are valid scripts and can be used further in other scripts via simple copy-and-paste operations. The implementation is freely available under an open-source license.
Clinical and Economic Burden of Acute Ischemic Stroke Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Acute ischemic stroke is a devastating complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Therefore, several studies have sought to investigate predictors of post-TAVR stroke, 1,2 and t...
Prevalence, Burden, and Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men Aged 50 and Older: A Systematic Review of the Literature:

We conducted a systematic review of literature from the years 2000 through 2017 on the prevalence and burden of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men aged 50 and older, and medical treatments of and alternative nonmedical approaches to LUTS. EBSCOhost (Medline with Full Text) was searched for observational, experimental, and review studies in peer-reviewed journals in the English language. Our review found that LUTS were highly prevalent in the world and estimated to affect 2.3 billion people in 2018, with 44.7% being men. Men with LUTS suffer from not only burdensome symptoms such as nocturia and urgency but also adverse psychological consequences (e.g., anxiety and depression) and financial burden. Current medical treatments are clinically effective, but their efficacy is compromised by side effects and low compliance rates. Alternative nonmedical treatments for LUTS were also sought worldwide. There is evidence that lifestyle modifications such as pelvic muscle exercises and bladder training, physical activity, dietary modification, and nutritional supplements can alleviate LUTS and improve patient quality of life; however, evidence based on rigorous methodology remains minimal and cannot be generalized across populations. Evidence of effectiveness of weight loss programs to reduce LUTS is inconclusive. We conclude that although behavioral treatment is a promising approach to alleviating LUTS, especially when combined with medical treatments, well-designed randomized controlled and longitudinal clinical trials on behavioral treatments of LUTS are still needed. Minimally invasive procedures and neuromodulation therapy also show positive results of alleviating LUTS but require further research as well.
Risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries in airline maintenance, repair & overhaul

Abstract Aircraft maintenance workers are exposed to high injury rates, but risk exposures are difficult to measure and task contributors are difficult to identify due to the wide variety of parts and irregularity of jobs in this industry. Subjective metrics, posture assessments, and lifting analyses were collected from 235 employees from five work areas in aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities to measure ergonomic risk factors and identify task factors contributing to poor biomechanics. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire indicated that the low back was the most commonly reported region of the body experiencing aches, pain, and discomfort (41% of participants), while knees were the highest (68%) in cabin maintenance, likely due to constraints in the aircraft cabin. Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) assessments showed that 57% of the jobs examined fell within the high-risk category. Causes of poor biomechanics differed by work area, e.g., overhead work was a key contributor in the engine change facility, while non-adjustable workstations were a likely contributor in cabin maintenance and engine maintenance. The under-looked cabin maintenance, engine change, and logistic jobs are the most pressing work areas in MRO that need ergonomic interventions.
Health-related impediments to learning among dental and oral surgery students.

Dental education is a challenging experience that places significant demands on students’ intellectual, financial, and psychosocial well-being. Dental students who simultaneously experience physica...
Limiting distribution of translates of the orbit of a maximal $$\pmb {\mathbb {Q}}$$ Q -torus from identity on $${{\,\mathrm{SL}\,}}_N(\pmb {\mathbb {R}})/{{\,\mathrm{SL}\,}}_N(\pmb {\mathbb {Z}})$$ SL N ( R ) / SL N ( Z )

Consider the orbit of real points of a maximal $$\mathbb {Q}$$ -torus from identity coset on $${{\,\mathrm{SL}\,}}(N,\mathbb {R})/{{\,\mathrm{SL}\,}}(N,\mathbb {Z})$$ , it naturally carries a possibly infinite Haar measure. We classify all possible limit measures of it when translated by a sequence of elements from $${{\,\mathrm{SL}\,}}(N,\mathbb {R})$$ . This is a natural extension of Shapira and Zheng’s work where only $$\mathbb {Q}$$ -split tori are considered.
Q95-squared , a tuple of singular metrics to define histogram quality for a database system

Query optimizers are used in database management systems(DBMS) to create a compilation plan that is used by the execution engine of the DBMS to run a structured query language(SQL) like query. Compilation plans are built based on physical manifestation of logical operators and optimal join orders from a tree of joins based on cardinality estimations derived from statistics stored for the relations and their attributes involved in the query. In this paper we are defining a new metric tuple called $q95 -$ squared $ $ as a means of representing the quality of the histogram generated by the statistics creation process implemented by the DBMS. No single metric successfully defines the quality of the histogram generated and norms such $l_{2}$ have been traditionally used to define a numeric metric to describe the quality of the statistics that the optimizer will be relying upon to create a compilation plan. For production systems that employ multiple strategies to generate statistics, it becomes incumbent on the system to define a quantitative measure of the quality of the histogram generated for it to tune its requirements in a way that the optimal process is identified or chosen during the actual execution of a particular workload or system under test.
Is adherence to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines associated with better self-reported health? The Chinese Dietary Guidelines Adherence Score.

Background and Objectives: Poor adherence to dietary guidelines is related to physical and mental disorders, as reflected in self-reported health statuses. This study evaluates the association between diet quality and self-reported health within the Shanghai Diet and Health Study. Methods and Study Design: We used Chinese Dietary Guidelines Adherence scores to assess diet quality in a cross-sectional study of 4487 subjects above 15 years of age, who completed three-day 24h diet recalls and responded to self-reported health questionnaires. A composite health score was calculated based on Item Response Theory, using the Rasch model. Multiple linear-regression models were evaluated to assess the relationship between self-reported health status and diet quality. Results: Based on the various adherence scores, we divided our sample into fifths. Based on these divisions and with the exception of a single instance, our results show a significant trend: self-reported health declines with declining adherence to official dietary guidelines. This trend was even significant when controlling for a large number of potential confounders. Conclusions: This study shows that consumption of a healthy and balanced diet, as reflected in adherence to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, is related to increased levels of overall health among Shanghai residents.
University Racial Composition and Self-esteem of Minority Students: Commitment, Self Views and Reflected Appraisals

A common finding in the research literature indicates that minority students tend to have higher levels of self-esteem when they attend schools with more individuals of their own racial and ethnic background. However, few studies to date have sought to explain this association. Using identity theory, this chapter develops and tests a serial mediation model to explain this well-established association. Specifically, this chapter proposes that universities represent intermediate social structures that provide the context in which social relationships develop. We argue that students in more racially consonant environments are more likely to develop satisfying social relationships with both faculty and students and in turn have more positive reflected appraisals of their abilities as a student and more positive self-evaluations. These positive self-evaluations are theorized to lead to higher levels of self-esteem. This chapter tests this serial mediation model using a sample of 863 minority students from universities across the US. Findings are supportive of our theoretical model and underscore both the importance of social structure for understanding the self-concept and the need to improve the racial climate of US universities.
Research development of short stature homeobox containing gene in short stature

Children short stature is pediatric endocrine disease.It has now been confirmed that short stature homeobox gene(SHOX gene)deletion and mutation are the molecular genetic basis of children Leri-Weill syndrome, Turner syndrome, idiopathic short stature and other short stature phenotype.SHOX gene defect has obvious heterogeneity in clinical phenotype.Early detection of SHOX gene defects provides important reference value and guiding significance for short stature diagnosis and treatment. Key words: Short stature homeobox containing gene; Leri-Weill syndrome; Turner syndrome; Idiopathic short stature
Dissenting Yogis: The Mīmāṁsaka-Buddhist Battle for Epistemological Authority

While dissent connotes a type of split or departure, it can bind as much as it separates. This paper traces a millennium-long history of debate between Buddhists and other religionists who championed the Vedic authority rejected by the Buddha, a camp that came to be known as “Mīmāṁsā.” My analysis illustrates dissent can have the paradoxical feature of forging strong relationships through its seeming antithesis: opposition. Specifically, I explore Mīmāṁsaka-Buddhist debate on meditation. Buddhists argued that meditation could yield authoritative spiritual insight once a meditator had honed their yogic perception (yogipratyakṣa). Mīmāṁsakas rejected yogic perception, arguing only the scriptural corpus of the Vedas had authority. By undermining yogic perception, Mīmāṁsakas aimed to defang religious movements, like the Buddhists’, who appealed to meditative experience as legitimate grounds for dissent. Counterintuitively, such exchanges were essential for the construction of each faction’s identity and were continually mutually formative over the long history of their interaction.
The Year of Magical Thinking: The Suddenness of Grief

The lilac coat was inspired by the book The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, in which she documents the grief she felt after the sudden loss of her husband. Two things are common to grief. First, it is sudden and creates disorder in the structure and order of life and second, it comes and goes in waves. To capture this we created the front of the coat using straight lines in the design which symbolizes life before grief. We made the back like a swing coat to get multiple folds like waves and in addition, we used 4 layers of crinkled black organza to give the illusion of waves.
Two Pandemics, Two Surveys in the United States and in Spain.

For ENE-COVID, the first wave of data collection was completed in two weeks by mobilizing and training 4400 health professionals in more than 1400 primary care centers, as well as creating an information system capable of hosting up to 2000 concurrent users The preexistence of a health care system with clinical laboratories around the country, with coordination from the National Centre for Microbiology at the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, allowed rapid transport and analysis of more than 50000 blood samples The 1918 US survey data could only be used to estimate the case fatality risk-that is, the proportion of individuals with influenza symptoms who died during the course of the disease 2 By contrast, the 2020 Spanish serosurvey data could be used to also estimate the infection fatality risk-that is, the proportion of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 (regardless of symptoms) who died 3 While knowing the case fatality risk is important for clinical purposes, knowing the infection fatality risk in different population groups assists pandemic management: we have no control over who becomes symptomatic after infection, but we can adopt measures to prevent infection
Active Exploration and Mapping via Iterative Covariance Regulation over Continuous SE(3) Trajectories.

This paper develops \emph{iterative Covariance Regulation} (iCR), a novel method for active exploration and mapping for a mobile robot equipped with on-board sensors. The problem is posed as optimal control over the $SE(3)$ pose kinematics of the robot to minimize the differential entropy of the map conditioned the potential sensor observations. We introduce a differentiable field of view formulation, and derive iCR via the gradient descent method to iteratively update an open-loop control sequence in continuous space so that the covariance of the map estimate is minimized. We demonstrate autonomous exploration and uncertainty reduction in simulated occupancy grid environments.
When #BlackLivesMatter at the Women’s March: a study of the emotional influence of racial appeals on Instagram

Protestors often carry signs expressing their support or opposition to political issues. In recent years, people often take pictures holding their protests signs and post these images to social med...
ST8Sia6 Promotes Tumor Growth in Mice by Inhibiting Immune Responses

Many tumors exhibit increased incorporation of sialic acids into cell-surface glycans, which impact the tumor microenvironment. Sialic acid immunoglobulin-like lectins (Siglec) are receptors that recognize sialic acids and modulate immune responses, including responses to tumors. However, the roles of individual sialyltransferases in tumorigenesis and tumor growth are not well understood. Here, we examined the sialyltransferase ST8Sia6, which generated α2,8-linked disialic acids that bind to murine Siglec-E and human Siglec-7 and -9. Increased ST8Sia6 expression was found on many human tumors and associated with decreased survival in several cancers, including colon cancer. Because of this, we engineered MC38 and B16-F10 tumor lines to express ST8Sia6. ST8Sia6-expressing MC38 and B16-F10 tumors exhibited faster growth and led to decreased survival, which required host Siglec-E. ST8Sia6 expression on tumors also altered macrophage polarization toward M2, including upregulation of the immune modulator arginase, which also required Siglec-E. ST8Sia6 also accelerated tumorigenesis in a genetically engineered, spontaneous murine model of colon cancer, decreasing survival from approximately 6 months to 67 days. Thus, ST8Sia6 expression on tumors inhibits antitumor immune responses to accelerate tumor growth.
Comparison of outcomes in urinary tract infections caused by AmpC-harboring organisms treated with AmpC stable versus AmpC susceptible agents.

ABSTRACT There is minimal data on the optimal treatment of lower inoculum infections such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by SPICE organisms which encode the betalactamase enzyme, AmpC. This single-center, retrospective review of adult hospitalized patients with UTIs caused by a SPICE organism compared outcomes amongst patients treated with drugs susceptible to AmpC hydrolysis versus drugs stable against AmpC. Of 156 patients, similar rates of clinical response, 30-day infection related readmission, 30-day infection recurrence, 30-day mortality rates, and median length of hospital stay were found between the two groups. Notably, 44% of patients with ceftriaxone resistance reported had recent β-lactam exposure versus only 11% of patients without ceftriaxone resistance (P = 0.002). Based on our data, there does not appear to be a difference in clinical response or any of the secondary outcomes in patients with UTIs treated with AmpC stable and AmpC susceptible agents.
Chronic Pain Treatment Preferences Change Following Participation in N-of-1 Trials, but not Always in the Expected Direction

Abstract Objective To examine pain treatment preferences before and after participation in an N-of-1 trial. Study Design and Setting In this observational study nested within a randomized trial, we examined chronic pain patients’ preferences before and after treatment in relation to N-of-1 trial results; assessed the influence of different schemes for defining comparative “superiority” on potential conclusions; and generated classification trees illustrating the relationship between pre-treatment preferences, N-of-1 trial results, and post-treatment preferences. Results Treatment preferences differed pre- and post-trial for 40% of participants. The proportion of patients whose N-of-1 trials demonstrated “superiority” of one treatment regimen over the other varied depending on how superiority was defined and ranged from 24% (using criteria that required statistically significant differences between regimens) to 62% (when relying only on differences in point estimates). Regardless of criteria for declaring treatment superiority, nearly three-fourths of patients with equivocal N-of-1 trial results nevertheless expressed definite preferences post-trial. Conclusion A large segment of patients undergoing N-of-1 trials for chronic pain altered their treatment preferences. However, the direction of preference change did not necessarily correspond to the N-of-1 results. More research is needed to understand how patients use N-of-1 trial results, why preferences are “sticky” even in the face of personalized data, and how patients and clinicians might be educated to use N-of-1 trial results more informatively.
Cost-Effectiveness of Recommendations from the Surgeon General's Call-to-Action to Control Hypertension.

In response to high prevalence of hypertension and suboptimal rates of blood pressure (BP) control in the US, the Surgeon General released a Call-to-Action to Control Hypertension (Call-to-Action) in the fall of 2020 to address the negative consequences of uncontrolled BP. In addition to morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension, hypertension has an annual cost to the US healthcare system of $71 billion. The Call-to-Action makes recommendations for improving BP control, and the purpose of this review was to summarize the literature on the cost-effectiveness of these strategies. We identified a number of studies that demonstrate the cost saving or cost-effectiveness of recommendations in the Call-to-Action including strategies to promote access to and availability of physical activity opportunities and healthy food options within communities, advance the use of standardized treatment approaches and guideline-recommended care, to promote the use of health care teams to manage hypertension, and to empower and equip patients to use self-measured blood pressure monitoring and medication adherence strategies. While the current review identified numerous cost-effective methods to achieve the Surgeon General's recommendations for improving BP control, future work should determine the cost-effectiveness of the 2017 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Hypertension guidelines, interventions to lower therapeutic inertia, and optimal team-based care strategies, among other areas of research. Economic evaluation studies should also be prioritized to generate more comprehensive data on how to provide efficient and high value care to improve BP control.
Role of human glutathione synthetase H-loop residues in substrate binding and activity (773.4)

Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant essential for mammalian cell survival and is found in every cell of almost all organisms. GSH cannot be taken up by the cell, so understanding the intercellular ...
Therapeutic management of preschool cases of alleged but unsubstantiated sexual abuse.

Alleged sexual abuse among preschoolers is often difficult to substantiate, and is rarely criminally prosecuted. Yet very young children are vulnerable when abuse is suspected but cannot be proven. These cases call for a special form of structured therapeutic management that seeks to inhibit the possibility of abuse while buying time for these very young children so that potential later abuse can be reported more accurately. Language: en
Technology and Policy in Reducing Shark Bycatch: An Overview

A solution to the widespread and damaging problems posed by high levels of shark bycatch must address the problem from a policy perspective as well as a technology perspective, and involve much higher levels of research, data collection, and uncertainty analysis. As is exemplified by the incredible success of the TED, when technology and policy are integrated with input from fishermen, they can experience high levels of success. But for these programs to be successful, there must be adequate data: not only on the impact of bycatch on a given population, but also on the status of that shark population and the ability of the gear change to exclude the non-target species. Thus a more interdisciplinary approach to manage sharks would be most successful, in which technology could be developed in conjunction with policy, all the while supported by adequate research and funding. Moreover, international policy on this front has not been effective, and could be improved by consequences for countries that do not take action. However, to make such action a possibility, more data is needed. So for those aiming to conserve sharks the next step is further research.
Fc receptors on human T lymphocytes: II. Cytotoxic capabilities of human Tγ, Tμ, B, and L cells

Abstract Subpopulations of human peripheral blood lymphocytes were prepared by rosetting techniques employing neuraminidase-treated sheep erythrocytes (SRBC n ), sheep erythrocytes coated with IgM and murine complement (EAC′), and bovine erythrocytes coated with IgG and IgM. The isolated subpopulations were tested in assays of natural cytotoxicity (NC), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and mitogen-induced cellular cytotoxicity (MICC). B cells (SRBC n −, EAC′+) did not mediate cytotoxicity. L cells (SRBC n −, EAC′−) mediated NC and ADCC but not MICC. T cells (SRBC n +) mediated NC, ADCC, and MICC. Separation of T cells into Fc-IgG (Tγ) and Fc-IgM (Tμ) subsets revealed that Tγ cells mediated NC, ADCC, and MICC while Tμ cells mediated only MICC. Thus MICC but not NC or ADCC was solely T-cell mediated. Tγ and L cells were functionally distinguishable in that Tγ cells but not L cells mediated MICC. Tγ cells and Tμ cells differed with regard to NC and ADCC effector function while both subsets mediated MICC.
Analog building blocks for high frequency applications

Design issues for UHF filters are addressed. The results show that effects of OTA parameters drastically limit the frequency response. Pseudo-differential OTAs using feedforward techniques are presented. It is concluded that linearized single stage OTAs are useful for UHF, and that combining high frequency voltage-to-current transducers with current mirrors high frequency VGAs can be designed.
Adaptive variation of reliability

This paper presents the specification and implementation of a variable reliability framework. By using this framework, applications can explore interesting performance enhancing techniques. Some of these techniques include the use of quality-based partitioning of data and the use of adaptation of reliability based on the current state of the application and the network. We present results from an initial implementation and demonstrate the usefulness of adaptive reliability variation for sample distributed applications.
The Task of Dialectical Thinking in the Age of One-Dimensionality

From time to time we find ourselves in a political and social crisis or situation that forces us to recall great insights that were once a part of our intellectual landscape. These great insights were articulated by prophetic voices that for whatever reason have been prematurely returned to our bookshelves to collect dust. This unfortunate fate befell Herbert Marcuse, who enjoyed a brief moment in the intellectual spotlight during the 1960s and 1970s. Recently there has been a renewed interest in Marcuse’s work. This new volume of Marcuse’s writings edited by Andrew Feenberg and William Leiss is an important contribution to the revival of Marcuse studies. The essays in this volume covers a 40 year range of Marcuse’s work, from 1932 to 1972. This forty year period captures the early Marcuse—under the influence of Hegel, Marx, and Heidegger—attempting to develop a post World War I social theory of Western industrial society. We see Marcuse’s program develop through his later engagement with Freud. This volume takes us up to Marcuse’s post-1968 reflections on nature and liberation. The essays are divided into three parts: political critique; Marxism, existentialism, psychoanalysis; and philosophical critique. In this review I will attempt to organize and discuss these essays under what I take to be their common theme. It is a theme that permeates all of Marcuse’s works, regardless of the wide range of topics that he covers and the multiplicity of influences from which he draws. It is not uncommon to hear Marcuse’s readers complain about his work being somewhat inconsistent. Indeed, Marcuse has been accused of mood swings. For example, Eros and Civilization is often read as an optimistic work, while One-Dimensional Man is read as more pessimistic. This way of characterizing
The photon pipeline revisited: A hardware architecture to accelerate photon mapping

With the development of real-time ray tracing in recent years, it is now very interesting to ask if real-time performance can be achieved for high-quality rendering algorithms based on ray tracing. In this paper, we propose a pipelined architecture to implement reverse photon mapping. Our architecture can use real-time ray tracing to generate photon points and camera points, so the main challenge is how to implement the gathering phase that computes the final image. Traditionally, the gathering phase of photon mapping has only allowed coarse-grain parallelism, and this situation has been a source of inefficiency, cache thrashing, and limited throughput. To avail fine-grain pipelining and data parallelism, we arrange computations so that photons can be processed independently, similar to the way that triangles are efficiently processed in traditional real-time graphics hardware. We employ several techniques to improve cache behavior and to reduce communication overhead. Simulations show that the bandwidth requirements of this architecture are within the capacity of current and future hardware, and this suggests that photon mapping may be a good choice for real-time performance in the future.
Product Line Analysis

Product line analysis (PLA) is early requirements engineering for a product line of software-intensive systems. It encompasses the rapid elicitation, analysis, specification, and verification of the requirements for a product line. The premise of product line analysis is that a sound initial understanding of the problem to be solved is essential before an organization embarks on a software product line as a solution.
Kapteyn and the Selected Areas: A Personal Perspective

A brief description is given of the origin of Kapteyn’s “Plan of Selected Areas” in which he proposed that the structure of the Galaxy could be determined by taking samples at regularly spaced intervals across the sky. The Plan was also a call for international co-operation to expedite specific programs.
Cognitive Robot Mapping: An Introduction

It is now generally accepted that an adequate computational theory of the cognitive map must include multiple representations for knowledge of space. This third section of the book discusses implementations, with physical or simulated robots, of such theories of the cognitive map.