cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of first year student pharmacists’ perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract Background and purpose There are a limited number of pedagogical studies evaluating student pharmacists’ perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry. The objective of this two year prospective study was to evaluate changes in student pharmacists’ perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry during the first year of enrollment in the doctor of pharmacy curriculum. Educational activity and setting An online survey was developed and offered to all first-year student pharmacists during the 2014 and 2015 Fall semesters prior to didactic instruction on the pharmaceutical industry and then again at the end of the respective academic years. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings A majority of students had a positive impression of the pharmaceutical industry in both the fall (75%) and spring semesters (78%). Over the course of the year, significantly greater numbers of student pharmacists reported favorable impressions of the pharmaceutical industry with respect to research innovation, drug safety, and the provision of drug information. On the other hand, findings suggest that many students remain skeptical regarding the benefits of prescription medications relative to cost and there were significant increases in the number of students who perceived pharmaceutical industry-based marketing practices to have a negative impact on patients and society. Discussion and summary Didactic education may influence student pharmacists’ perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry. Further research is warranted to evaluate the role of pharmacy curricula and extra-curricular activities in influencing changes in student pharmacists’ perceptions and the potential implications of these changes to pharmacy practice.
Data Concealment Technique in Background Segmentation of Color ImageBased Secure Data Transmission System

Image based steganography is the most popular method for data concealment. In this paper a new approach for data concealment in background segments of color image called JSEG, (J-image segmentation) is presented. A criterion to local windows in the class-map results of the “J-image”, is applied in which high and low values correspond to possible region boundaries and region centers, respectively then a region growing method is used to segment the color image to regions based on the multi-scale J-images. The adopted system combines the effect of two methods to enhance the security of the data. System encrypts the data with a crypto algorithm and then embeds the encrypted text in a segmentation background of color image file and then merged background with other regions segmentation. The (increase in PSNR) leads to provide high secret communications, so the attacker cannot notices the difference between the stego-image and the original cover.
A droop measurement built-in self-test circuit for digital low-dropout regulators

Today's highly integrated system-on-chips (SOCs) employ several integrated voltage regulators to achieve higher power efficiency and smaller board area. Testing of voltage regulators is essential to validate the final product. In this work, we present a unique droop measurement built-in self-test (BIST) circuit for digital low-dropout regulators (DLDOs). The proposed BIST system is capable of storing transient droop information with less than 1.05 % error for droop voltages ranging from 45 mV to 520 mV for nominal DLDO output voltage of 1.6 V where supply voltage is 1.8 V. Additionally, a reuse based 10-bit successive-approximation (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is incorporated to generate a digital output corresponding to the stored droop information as the BIST measurement result. The on-chip DLDO decoupling capacitor (∼1 nF) is reconfigured as a charge scaling array for ADC operation during testing to increase reusability. The proposed BIST circuit is designed with 0.18 μm CMOS process in Cadence Virtuoso and verified with corner simulations.
A Probabilistic Endochronic Theory of Fracture

In a previous paper [7], we put forward a theory of fracture which we developed by taking into consideration simultaneously (1) the role of the strain energy density, (2) the stochastic nature of fracture, (3) ’’the time to fracture’’ hypothesis adopted by Zhurkov and others [1–3] which, at least in some cases, seems to underlie the fracture process.
Rush rods versus plate osteosyntheses for unstable ankle fractures in the elderly.

Abstract Fifty patients with unstable fibular fracture were randomized into two groups. Twenty-five were treated with Rush rods and 25 with AO plates. Eighty-eight percent of patients treated with intramedullary rods had good or fair functional results, compared with 76% of patients undergoing plate and screw fixation. Full weight bearing was possible 6 weeks earlier with Rush rods than with AO plates, and there was less morbidity in the intramedullary group than in the AO group. This study indicates that Rush rods are a useful tool in elderly patients with soft bone, who are at risk for complications with plate and screw fixation.
The influence of client socioeconomic status on psychotherapists' attributional biases and countertransference reactions.

Clinical reaction related to client socioeconomic status has not been adequately researched, yet socioeconomic status can profoundly affect psychotherapist perceptions of a client’s presenting conc...
Irreversibility Temperatures in Oxide and Metallic Superconductors

We measured the irreversibility temperatures, Tr(H) for both oxides [pure and alloyed Y(123) and Bi(2212, 2223)] and metallic [Nb, NbTi, and Nb3Sn] superconductors. These results are compared and discussed in terms of Tr(H) being the depinning line and/or the melting line OF the flux line (crystalline or disordered) lattice in the H-T plane.
Twenty questions on atherosclerosis.

BUMC PROCEEDINGS 2000;13:139–143 1. Is atherosclerosis a disease affecting all animals or only certain animals? Atherosclerosis affects only herbivores. Dogs, cats, tigers, and lions can be saturated with fat and cholesterol, and atherosclerotic plaques do not develop (1, 2). The only way to produce atherosclerosis in a carnivore is to take out the thyroid gland; then, for some reason, saturated fat and cholesterol have the same effect as in herbivores. 2. Are human beings herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores? Although most of us conduct our lives as omnivores, in that we eat flesh as well as vegetables and fruits, human beings have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores (2). The appendages of carnivores are claws; those of herbivores are hands or hooves. The teeth of carnivores are sharp; those of herbivores are mainly flat (for grinding). The intestinal tract of carnivores is short (3 times body length); that of herbivores, long (12 times body length). Body cooling of carnivores is done by panting; herbivores, by sweating. Carnivores drink fluids by lapping; herbivores, by sipping. Carnivores produce their own vitamin C, whereas herbivores obtain it from their diet. Thus, humans have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores. 3. Is atherosclerosis genetic in origin? Infrequently. Although many physicians and the lay public believe that atherosclerosis is genetic, the evidence for that is slim. One way to define the genetic variety of atherosclerosis is by the presence or absence of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors in the liver (3–5). Patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia have no LDL receptors in the liver, and their total cholesterol levels from birth are usually >800 mg/dL. The frequency of this genetic defect is 1 in 1,000,000. Patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia have only 50% of the normal number of LDL receptors in the liver. These patients generally have total cholesterol levels about 300 mg/dL, and they generally die (without lipid-lowering therapy) in their 40s or early 50s. The incidence of this familial defect is 1 in 500. The rest of us apparently have normal numbers of LDL receptors in the liver. Of course, a few patients have genetic defects involving high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride production and uptake, but these individuals are relatively few in number (6). Thus, the genetic defect producing atherosclerosis occurs in no more than 1 in 200 and possibly as low as 1 in 400 or 500 persons. This means, of course, that most persons with atherosclerosis acquire it by the types of calories they consume. Twenty questions on atherosclerosis
The Influence of Leaping Frequency on Secondary Bone in Cercopithecid Primates.

Bone remodeling is at least partially mediated by the mechanical environment created by an animal's behavior. Here, we test the hypothesis that bone remodeling is primarily induced by high magnitude loads, likely encountered during leaping/bounding behaviors. Osteon population density (OPD), osteon cross-sectional area (On.Ar), and relative osteonal area (%HAV) were measured from femoral and humeral midshaft thin sections of four cercopithecids (N = 5 per species) from Tai Forest, Cote d'Ivoire: Colobus polykomos, Piliocolobus badius, Cercopithecus diana, and Cercocebus atys. All species are generalized quadrupeds but vary in leaping frequency and overall activity budget. Differences between taxa with high (C. polykomos and P. badius) and low leaping frequency (C. diana and C. atys) were assessed via a phylogenetically informed generalized linear mixed model using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Femoral OPD and %HAV are greater in the high frequency leapers than in low frequency leapers, suggesting that frequent high magnitude loads engender remodeling, however, there is no similar pattern in the humerus, which presumably also experiences high magnitude loads during leaping. Additionally, OPD and %HAV are greater in the humerus than the femur, despite load magnitude being presumably higher in the femur. These results provide conflicting support for hypotheses about load magnitude and load frequency as they relate to bone remodeling activity. Future work is proposed to parse out the respective effects of load magnitude and frequency on bone remodeling. Anat Rec, 302:1116-1126, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Financial Literacy and Perceived Economic Outcomes

We explore the relationship between financial literacy and self-reported economic outcomes using survey data from the United States. Our dataset includes a large number of covariates from the National Financial Capability Study, widely used by literacy researchers, and we use a new econometric technique developed by Hahn et al. (2018), designed specifically for causal inference from observational data, to test whether changes in financial literacy infer positive changes in self-perceived economic outcomes. We find a negative treatment parameter on financial literacy contrary to the presumption in many empirical studies involving financial literacy, and consistent with the recent work of Netemeyer et al. (2018). Consequently, policy efforts to supply financial knowledge will not be matched by household demand if households see no value in them. We conclude with a discussion of heterogeneity of the financial literacy treatment effect on household income, gender and education level sub-populations. In general, we do not find the effect of more financial literacy is to raise perceived economic outcomes.
Implications of a Climate-Changed Atmosphere on Cool-Climate Viticulture

AbstractThe impact of anthropogenic global warming on viticulture has been thoroughly studied. However, many of the climate projections are limited by the resolution of the models that cannot resol...
Extensive childhood experience with Pokémon suggests eccentricity drives organization of visual cortex

The functional organization of human high-level visual cortex, such as the face- and place-selective regions, is strikingly consistent across individuals. An unanswered question in neuroscience concerns which dimensions of visual information constrain the development and topography of this shared brain organization. To answer this question, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan a unique group of adults who, as children, had extensive visual experience with Pokemon. These animal-like, pixelated characters are dissimilar from other ecological categories, such as faces and places, along critical dimensions (foveal bias, rectilinearity, size, animacy). We show not only that adults who have Pokemon experience demonstrate distinct distributed cortical responses to Pokemon, but also that the experienced retinal eccentricity during childhood can predict the locus of Pokemon responses in adulthood. These data demonstrate that inherent functional representations in the visual cortex-retinal eccentricity-combined with consistent viewing behaviour of particular stimuli during childhood result in a shared functional topography in adulthood.
A Dyadic Examination of Individual Symptomology and Relational Functioning Within the Context of IPV

While it is known that interpersonal violence (IPV) is a multifaceted public health issue, few studies exist that examine both individual and relational factors concurrently among distressed couples. The aim of the current study investigated how IPV impacts individual and relational functioning among couples seeking couples counseling. Secondary data from 72 couples presenting to at least one session of conjoint couple’s therapy were cleaned and structured to meet the methodological parameters of the current study. Dyadic data analyses compared couples perspectives on individual symptomology and relational functioning, comparing two IPV groups: one that screened positive for IPV and one that screened negative for IPV. Results from repeated measures MANOVAs indicated significant differences in partner individual functioning mean scores, significant relationship between partner individual functioning scores, between partner relational functioning scores, and on the relationship between individual and relational functioning scores between the positive and negative IPV screening groups. These findings indicate that it is important to consider how IPV may impact not only the individuals in the relationship, but the couple dynamic as well.
Magnetocaloric effect in Ni 2 Mn x Fe y In z Heusler alloys with second-order phase transition

The structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of Ni2MnxFeyInz with x + y + z = 2 alloys have been studied for the potential application in environment-friendly magnetic refrigeration technology. Samples were prepared using arc-melting and vacuum annealing techniques. Among the investigated materials, Ni2Mn1.32Fe0.08In0.60 possesses the highest value of entropy change with the Curie temperature close to room temperature (Tc = 315 K). The room temperature x-ray diffraction shows that the Ni2Mn1.32Fe0.08In0.60 alloy exhibits a cubic L21 structure (austenite phase) without any impurities. The isothermal magnetization curves show almost zero hysteresis with a high-field (μ0H = 3 T) magnetization at 100 K of 132 emu/g. The magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power measured at 3 T are 4.5 Jkg-1K-1 and 221 Jkg-1, respectively. The absence of thermal and magnetic hysteresis, relatively high values of magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power, and the Tc near room temperature suggest that the Ni2Mn1.32Fe0.08In0.60 alloy has a high potential for room-temperature magnetic refrigeration application.The structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of Ni2MnxFeyInz with x + y + z = 2 alloys have been studied for the potential application in environment-friendly magnetic refrigeration technology. Samples were prepared using arc-melting and vacuum annealing techniques. Among the investigated materials, Ni2Mn1.32Fe0.08In0.60 possesses the highest value of entropy change with the Curie temperature close to room temperature (Tc = 315 K). The room temperature x-ray diffraction shows that the Ni2Mn1.32Fe0.08In0.60 alloy exhibits a cubic L21 structure (austenite phase) without any impurities. The isothermal magnetization curves show almost zero hysteresis with a high-field (μ0H = 3 T) magnetization at 100 K of 132 emu/g. The magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power measured at 3 T are 4.5 Jkg-1K-1 and 221 Jkg-1, respectively. The absence of thermal and magnetic hysteresis, relatively high values of magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power, and the Tc near room temperature suggest tha...
12-LOX catalyzes the oxidation of 2-arachidonoyl-lysolipids in platelets generating eicosanoid-lysolipids that are attenuated by iPLA2γ knockout

The canonical pathway of eicosanoid production in most mammalian cells is initiated by phospholipase A2-mediated release of arachidonic acid, followed by its enzymatic oxidation resulting in a vast array of eicosanoid products. However, recent work has demonstrated that the major phospholipase in mitochondria, iPLA2γ (patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 8 (PNPLA8)), possesses sn-1 specificity, with polyunsaturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position generating polyunsaturated sn-2-acyl lysophospholipids. Through strategic chemical derivatization, chiral chromatographic separation, and multistage tandem MS, here we first demonstrate that human platelet-type 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) can directly catalyze the regioselective and stereospecific oxidation of 2-arachidonoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine (2-AA-LPC) and 2-arachidonoyl-lysophosphatidylethanolamine (2-AA-LPE). Next, we identified these two eicosanoid-lysophospholipids in murine myocardium and in isolated platelets. Moreover, we observed robust increases in 2-AA-LPC, 2-AA-LPE, and their downstream 12-LOX oxidation products, 12(S)-HETE-LPC and 12(S)-HETE-LPE, in calcium ionophore (A23187)-stimulated murine platelets. Mechanistically, genetic ablation of iPLA2γ markedly decreased the calcium-stimulated production of 2-AA-LPC, 2-AA-LPE, and 12-HETE-lysophospholipids in mouse platelets. Importantly, a potent and selective 12-LOX inhibitor, ML355, significantly inhibited the production of 12-HETE-LPC and 12-HETE-LPE in activated platelets. Furthermore, we found that aging is accompanied by significant changes in 12-HETE-LPC in murine serum that were also markedly attenuated by iPLA2γ genetic ablation. Collectively, these results identify previously unknown iPLA2γ-initiated signaling pathways mediated by direct 12-LOX oxidation of 2-AA-LPC and 2-AA-LPE. This oxidation generates previously unrecognized eicosanoid-lysophospholipids that may serve as biomarkers for age-related diseases and could potentially be used as targets in therapeutic interventions.
Epigenetics, diseases and therapy in ophthalmology

Heritable changes in gene expression are regarded as epigenetics, which do not involve coding sequence modifications. The study of ophthalmology epigenetics is a rapidly growing area in biomedical research. Epigenetic mechanisms principally include DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNA. Aberrant DNA methylation and histone modification are linked to a number of age-related disorders, such as cancer, autoimmune and others. In recent years, the modulations of epigenetic changes on the pathogenesis of eye disorders and their roles in therapeutic interventions are drawing more and more attention, and these studies deepen the understanding of relevant diseases. Since the epigenetic alterations are reversible, modifying epigenetic marks contributing to eye diseases provide a new approach to the development of disease prevention, diagnosis and therapies. Herein we discuss the roles of epigenetic changes in eye disease development, hoping that ophthalmologists and researchers pay attention to these researching cues in pathogenesis of eye disorders caused by genetic expression alterations in response to environmental changes, importantly, to the implication for relevant eye disease therapy and prevention. Key words: Epigenesis, genetic; Eye/genetic; Eye disorder/therapy; DNA methylation; Histones; MicroRNA
Acceptance of a meal kit programme in an outpatient paediatric weight management clinic: A qualitative pilot study

Lack of food preparation knowledge, time to prepare meals and concerns about fruit and vegetable spoilage before consumption are the potential barriers to home cooking. These barriers may be addressed by meal kits (bundles of recipes and ingredients). We described home cooking barriers and evaluated acceptability of meal kits, using semi-structured focus groups with caregivers and adolescent patients of an outpatient paediatric weight management clinic. One meal kit per family, containing non-perishable food, a $20 gift card to a grocery store and recipes designed by clinic dietician for two meals, were given at clinic appointments. Two in-person semi-structured focus groups were conducted within 2 weeks of meal kit receipt. Four adolescent participants (75% female; 12.7 ± 0.9 years) and eight caregivers (88% female) participated in the focus groups. Four barriers to home cooking were identified: (a) healthy food cost, (b) preparation time, (c) food preparation knowledge and (d) picky eaters. Participants felt the meal kits addressed the time and lack of food preparation knowledge barriers to home cooking. A clinical meal kit programme was acceptable to a treatment-seeking adolescent population with obesity and their caregivers.
“Bring Him the Blood of the Outlanders!”: Children of the Corn as Farm Crisis Horror

This chapter analyzes Children of the Corn (1984) as a critical response to the US Farm Crisis, a dark period in the history of agriculture. Constituted by compounding political, economic, and environmental shocks the Farm Crisis devastated the Midwestern corn belt and ushered in significant shifts in the US food system. Extending tropes common to the rural slasher and plant horror genres, Children of the Corn re-presents the trauma of the Farm Crisis, exposing the most damaging impacts of neoliberal agripolitics. Through its depictions of a deserted farm town and villainous food crop, I argue, the film articulates not only the hegemony of surplus cultivation but also an industrialized food system centered around corn.
Generation of an Unbiased Interactome for the Tetratricopeptide Repeat Domain of O-GlcNAc Transferase Indicates a Role for the Enzyme in Intellectual Disability

Abstract The O-GIcNAc transferase (OGT) is localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm where it regulates nucleocytoplasmic proteins by modifying serine and threonine residues with a non-extended monosaccharide, β-N-Acetyl-Glucosamine (O-GlcNAc). With thousands of known O-GlcNAc modified proteins but only one OGT encoded in the mammalian genome, a prevailing question is how OGT selects its substrates. Prior work has indicated that the N-terminal tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of OGT, rather than its C-terminal catalytic domain, is responsible for subcellular targeting and substrate selection. An additional impetus for exploring the OGT TPR domain interactome is the fact that missense mutations in OGT associated with X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) are primarily localized to the TPR domain without substantial impact on activity or stability of the enzyme. Therefore, we adapted the BioID labeling method to identify interactors of a TPR-BirA* fusion protein in HeLa cells. We identified 115 high confidence interactors representing both known and novel O-GlcNAc modified proteins and OGT interactors. The TPR interactors are highly enriched in processes in which OGT has a known role (e.g. chromatin remodeling, cellular survival of heat stress, circadian rhythm), as well as processes i n which OGT has yet to be implicated (e.g. pre-mRNA processing). Importantly, the identified TPR interactors are involved in several disease states but most notably are highly enriched in pathologies featuring intellectual disability. These proteins represent candidate interactors that may underlie the mechanism by which mutations in OGT lead to XLID. Furthermore, the identified interactors provide additional evidence of the importance of the TPR domain for OGT targeting and/or substrate selection. Thus, this defined interactome for the TPR domain of OGT serves as a jumping off point for future research exploring the role of OGT, the TPR domain, and its protein interactors in multiple cellular processes and disease mechanisms, including intellectual disability.
Farmers vs. lakers: Agriculture, amenity, and community in predicting opposition to United States wind energy development

Abstract Utility-scale wind energy is now the largest source of renewable electricity in the US. Wind energy’s continued growth remains contingent upon finding adequate resource potential and transmission capacity, along with communities willing to host turbines. While previous research on the social acceptance of wind has relied predominantly on case studies, resident surveys, and reviews of development practices and strategies, here we use a new method. We use a wind contention survey of energy professionals (n = 46) to assess the contention associated with 69 existing wind farms in four US Midwest states and identify underlying characteristics, i.e., agricultural, land-use, and demographic characteristics, that may have predisposed communities to either support or oppose wind farm development. We then use publicly available data to parameterize and model those characteristics using wind farm contention as our dependent variable. Our analysis shows that a greater proportion of production-oriented farming and fewer natural amenities in a community are associated with reduced opposition to wind farm development. Additionally, and perhaps counterintuitively, communities with a greater percentage of residents that voted Republican in the 2016 Presidential election demonstrate less opposition. Rather than negating the need for employing best practices in community engagement, stakeholder development, and participatory decision-making processes, this study can help prepare developers for the type of reception that might await them in potential host communities.
Development of fish-based indices of biological integrity for Minnesota lakes

Abstract Indices of biological integrity (IBIs) have been developed for a wide variety of locales and ecological systems to describe their biological condition. Due to variability in geophysical and chemical conditions, IBIs are often developed regionally and applied to similar ecological systems. Researchers in Minnesota previously developed a fish IBI (FIBI) for lakes; however, its application was limited to lakes 40–200 ha surface area and located in central Minnesota. The objectives of this study were to develop FIBIs and ecologically meaningful thresholds for application to a broader suite of Minnesota lakes with surface areas 40–4,050 ha. Fish communities in 419 lakes throughout Minnesota were sampled using gill nets, trap nets, backpack electrofishers, and beach seines between mid-June and early-September 2005–2013. Fish species were assigned to functional groups based on family, tolerance, primary feeding niche, special habitat use, and whether they were native to Minnesota. Lakes were classified into seven groups based on their geophysical and chemical attributes, and four groups were ultimately used in FIBI development. A suite of potential metrics was evaluated for each of the four FIBIs based on their relationships to measures of human-induced watershed and in-lake stressors and 8–15 were retained for each FIBI. Metrics that were retained were summed, and composite scores were scaled 0–100. Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) models were developed for each FIBI. The BCG models established thresholds for impairment and exceptional condition. The FIBIs and thresholds are being used to guide clean water planning, restoration, and protection efforts and to complement pollutant-based water quality sampling efforts in lakes during the Minnesota watershed assessment process.
Practices, challenges, and opportunities when addressing the palliative care needs of people living with dementia: Specialty memory care provider perspectives.

Introduction Palliative care focuses on reducing suffering and improving quality of life for individuals with serious illness and their families. In an effort to develop palliative care interventions for specialty memory care clinics, this study characterizes memory care providers' perspectives on addressing palliative care needs of people living with dementia (PLWD). Methods Qualitative interviews with specialty memory care providers were followed by thematic analysis by a multidisciplinary research team. Results Provider approaches overlap with key domains of palliative care. Approaches unique to dementia include having a detailed understanding of dementia syndromes, behavioral symptoms, and caregiver burden. Challenges were identified related to disease progression, provider-level factors, and systems and cultural issues. Respondents identified training needed to strengthen a palliative care approach. Discussion There are many strengths of using memory care teams to address palliative care needs of PLWD. However, they may require additional knowledge and training to strengthen their work.
Structural Racism: The Rules and Relations of Inequity.

Why do racial inequalities endure despite numerous attempts to expand civil rights in certain sectors? A major reason for this endurance is due to lack of attention to structural racism. Although structural and institutional racism are often conflated, they are not the same. Herein, we provide an analogy of a “bucky ball” (Buckminster­fullerene) to distinguish the two concepts. Structural racism is a system of intercon­nected institutions that operate with a set of racialized rules that maintain White supremacy. These connections and rules al­low racism to reinvent itself into new forms and persist, despite civil rights interventions directed at specific institutions. To illustrate these ideas, we provide examples from the fields of environmental justice, criminal justice, and medicine. Racial inequities in power and health will persist until we redi­rect our gaze away from specific institutions (and specific individuals), and instead focus on the resilient connections among institu­tions and their racialized rules. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(Suppl 1):293-300; doi:10.18865/ed.31.S1.293
Subtotal Appendectomy to Treat Gangrenous Appendicitis Incarcerated in an Obturator Hernia

Obturator hernias are quite rare in the world of hernias, and one that contains an acutely inflamed appendix becomes a very rare case indeed. An obturator hernia containing the appendix has been re...
Ethnoracial disparities in cognition are associated with multiple socioeconomic status-stress pathways.

Systemic racism can have broad impacts on health in ethnoracial minorities. One way is by suppressing socioeconomic status (SES) levels through barriers to achieve higher income, wealth, and educational attainment. Additionally, the weathering hypothesis proposes that the various stressful adversities faced by ethnoracial minorities lead to greater wear and tear on the body, known as allostatic load. In the present study, we extend these ideas to cognitive health in a tri-ethnic sample of young adults—when cognition and brain health is arguably at their peak. Specifically, we tested competing mediation models that might shed light on how two key factors caused by systemic racism—SES and perceived stress—intersect to explain ethnoracial disparities in cognition. We found evidence for partial mediation via a pathway from SES to stress on episodic memory, working memory capacity, and executive function in Black Americans relative to non-Hispanic White Americans. Additionally, we found that stress partially mediated the ethnoracial disparities in working memory updating for lower SES Black and Hispanic Americans relative to non-Hispanic White Americans, showing that higher SES can sometimes reduce the negative effects stress has on these disparities in some cognitive domains. Overall, these findings suggest that multiple pathways exist in which lower SES creates a stressful environment to impact ethnoracial disparities cognition. These pathways differ depending on the specific ethnoracial category and cognitive domain. The present results may offer insight into strategies to help mitigate the late-life risk for neurocognitive disorders in ethnoracial minorities.
Three-dimensional instability of plane channel flows at subcritical Reynolds numbers

There is a large discrepancy between the results of parallel-flow linear stability theory and experimental observations of transition in plane channel flows. Experiments by Davies and White [1.72], Kao and Park [1.73], and Patel and Head [1.74] indicate that plane Poiseuille flow can undergo transition at Reynolds numbers R of roughly 1000 when the background disturbance level is about 10 %. The strongly nonlinear nature of the problem is reflected in the fact that Nishioka et al. [1.75] have maintained laminar flow to R = 8000 by keeping the background disturbance level sufficiently low. While there have been fewer experimental investigations of plane Couette flow, available data [1.76] suggest a transitional Reynolds number as low as or lower than that for plane Poiseuille flow.
Collective, Hierarchical Clustering from Distributed, Heterogeneous Data

This paper presents the Collective Hierarchical Clustering (CHC) algorithm for analyzing distributed, heterogeneous data. This algorithm first generates local cluster models and then combines them to generate the global cluster model of the data. The proposed algorithm runs in O(|S|n2) time, with a O(|S|n) space requirement and O(n) communication requirement, where n is the number of elements in the data set and |S| is the number of data sites. This approach shows significant improvement over naive methods with O(n2) communication costs in the case that the entire distance matrix is transmitted and O(nm) communication costs to centralize the data, where m is the total number of features. A specific implementation based on the single link clustering and results comparing its performance with that of a centralized clustering algorithm are presented. An analysis of the algorithm complexity, in terms of overall computation time and communication requirements, is presented.
Toxicity manifestations following intravenous Corynebacterium parvum administration to patients with ovarian and cervical carcinoma.

Abstract Manifestations of clinical toxicity were evaluated following 341 courses of intravenous Corynebacterium parvum adjuvant immunotherapy in patients with ovarian and cervical carcinoma. Most patients exhibited symptoms of minor toxicity, which decreased in intensity as subsequent courses of therapy were administered. Temperature elevations to 38.5° C. were the most objectively measured signs of toxicity but temperature elevations greater than 38.5° C. occurred following only 20.5 per cent of the infusions. Blood pressure alterations were not a serious problem and no serious central nervous system or renal toxicity was noted. The minor side effects should not preclude the use of C. parvum as an immunopotentiating agent if it is shown to be beneficial in the treatment of human malignant disease.
Recursive Constraint Evaluation in Optimality Theory: Evidence from Cyclic Compounds in Shanghai

An important assumption in Optimality Theory is parallelism, and a proper analysis of cyclic effects is crucial. I examine a typical case of cyclicity, namely, stress in Shanghai compounds, where the layers of embedding are in principle unlimited. I show that alignment constraints are inadequate. Instead, identity constraints are needed, in particular Stress-ID which requires that stress locations in the immediate constituents of a compound be the same as when the constituents occur alone. In addition, Stress-ID (and other constraints) must be checked recursively, namely, at every layer of syntactic bracketing. This analysis incorporates the essential properties of the cycle and can therefore handle all cyclic cases. Finally, I discuss the compatibility of recursive constraint evaluation with parallelism, and the remaining differences between a cyclic analysis and recursive constraint evaluation.
Empirical evidence on the insulation properties of fixed and flexible exchange rates

Abstract This paper investigates whether Japanese output stability since the mid-1970s is attributable to the change in exchange rate regime or to the changing nature of underlying disturbances. We decompose foreign and domestic influences on output movements using restrictions on the long- run dynamics to identify the disturbances. We find that the flexible exchange rate regime is more effective in insulating the economy from foreign disturbances than is the fixed rate regime. However, in the case of Japan, it is primarily the changing nature of the fundamental disturbances to the economy that is responsible for greater output stability since the mid-1970s.
A theory of concentric, kink and sinusoidal folding and of monoclinal flexuring of compressible, elastic multilayers. VII. development of folds within Huasna Syncline, San Luis Obispo County, California

Folds in the Huasna area of the southern Coast Ranges of California provide an opportunity to study different fold forms and to estimate dimensional and relative rheological properties of rocks at the time of folding. Plunging, concentric-like and chevron-like folds with wavelengths ranging from about 0.1 to 1 km are clearly visible in natural exposures at the south end of the Huasna syncline, which has a wavelength of 12–16 km. Examination of two fresh roadcut exposures in the Miocene Monterey Formation suggests that folding within part of the Monterey was accommodated primarily by layer-parallel slip between structural layers with thicknesses ranging from 30 to 43 m, even though lithologic layers range from a few mm to a few dm in thickness. This part of the Monterey is folded into a series of concentric-like folds, with chevron-like folds at their cores and with a ratio of wavelength to total thickness of layers of about LTT= 0.42. Theoretical analysis of multilayers, comprised of identical, elastic or elastic—plastic layers with frictionless contacts, indicates that the effective, or weighted-average thickness of structural layers corresponding with an LTTratio of 0.42 is about 41 m. Thus, the theoretical predictions are roughly in agreement with available data concerning these folds. Thicknesses of structural units in other folds of this area are inadequately known to closely check theoretical predictions, but most of the data are consistent with predictions. An exception is the Huasna syncline which has a larger wavelength than we would predict. There are several likely explanations for this discrepancy. Layers in the underlying Franciscan complex may have taken part in the folding, making our estimates of total thickness too small. The basement rocks may have been much softer, relative to the overlying sedimentary rocks, than we assumed. The Huasna syncline could be partly a result of gravitational instability of relatively low density, Miocene siliceous and porcelaneous shales, overlain by relatively high density, Pliocene sandstones. The Huasna syncline and some of the smaller folds in the Miocene rocks are doubly in the northwest—southeast direction. Further, the maximum compression was approximately normal to the traces of the large faults in this part of California.
Adaptive automatic grid reconfiguration using workload phase identification

The purpose of this study is to develop an adaptive model of a very large scale data processing and storage environment. The target environment includes grid applications such as health-care and finance in which the data may be located primarily within the resources of a worldwide corporation. The approach is to use phase identification techniques that can detect over-utilized grid resources, and then to make dynamic decisions to reassign additional resources to that portion of the application processing. Two phase identification techniques are proposed, a variation technique and a real-time threshold-based technique. The techniques are validated with a simulation model and a case study using measured data from a production grid environment. The case study demonstrates that phase identification techniques can be used as the intelligent component of a reactive mechanism for a grid to adapt to changing environmental conditions by dynamic automatic reconfiguration. Results show that threshold based phase identifying techniques combined with dynamic resource allocation capabilities are effective in alleviating performance hot spots and improving response time in a large scale data grid
Measuring breath acetone for monitoring fat loss: Review.

Objective Endogenous acetone production is a by-product of the fat metabolism process. Because of its small size, acetone appears in exhaled breath. Historically, endogenous acetone has been measured in exhaled breath to monitor ketosis in healthy and diabetic subjects. Recently, breath acetone concentration (BrAce) has been shown to correlate with the rate of fat loss in healthy individuals. In this review, the measurement of breath acetone in healthy subjects is evaluated for its utility in predicting fat loss and its sensitivity to changes in physiologic parameters. Results BrAce can range from 1 ppm in healthy non-dieting subjects to 1,250 ppm in diabetic ketoacidosis. A strong correlation exists between increased BrAce and the rate of fat loss. Multiple metabolic and respiratory factors affect the measurement of BrAce. BrAce is most affected by changes in the following factors (in descending order): dietary macronutrient composition, caloric restriction, exercise, pulmonary factors, and other assorted factors that increase fat metabolism or inhibit acetone metabolism. Pulmonary factors affecting acetone exchange in the lung should be controlled to optimize the breath sample for measurement. Conclusions When biologic factors are controlled, BrAce measurement provides a non-invasive tool for monitoring the rate of fat loss in healthy subjects.
“Conditioned anticipation” with an extinction base-line: The need for a disinhibition control group

A stimulus was presented to rats lever-pressing on VI extinction and was found to produce increases in response rate regardless of whether the stimulus was neutral or had been previously paired with food in a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm. This facilitative effect of a neutral stimulus (operant dis inhibition) suggests a possible artifact in experiments by Estes and demonstrates the need for a disinhibition control group in such studies.
Frequency-shifting submillimeter single-sideband receiver

A single sideband (SSB) receiver has been developed and implemented for use with a submillimeter sideband generator. While the sideband generator emits both an upper and lower sideband, and even some unshifted laser radiation, the receiver responds to only one sideband. The operator of the system can choose which sideband to receive. Rejection of the undesired signal is accomplished through selective frequency shifting coupled with the use of a commercially available single-sideband microwave mixer.
Effect of quasi-bound states on collisional redistribution

Abstract We derive an expression for the collisional redistribution of radiation due to states trapped by an excited state potential barrier in the limit of no subsequent collisions during the excited state lifetime. By considering two simple models, we suggest three possible methods of qualitatively determining excited state well depths when no detailed knowledge of the ground or excited state interaction potentials exists a priori .
E-Paper, LED, OLED, and the Strategic Positioning of Hardware Vendors and Publishers: What It Means to Libraries

Currently Amazon and Apple are the two dominant players in the e-reader arena. The Amazon Kindle’s electrophoretic display makes it a lighter and more efficient reader platform. Apple has a large customer base and its iPad hardware is a multiuse tool and further more publishers are signaling interest in producing their e-books in a multimedia app format. Currently, LED technology limits the iPad due to weight and battery life. Organic LED (OLED) may be poised to provide a solution to the disadvantages of both e-paper and LED in one device with some new compromises. In understanding the direction of the development of these e-reader platforms, libraries and publishers will be better informed to strategically position themselves and their collections for the future.
Factors affecting the mechanical behavior of lithium fluoride single crystals.

Mechanical properties of lithium fluoride single crystals, taking into account equilibrium lattice defect structures
The inertial characteristics of dynamic robot models

Abstract Robot dynamics are embedded in the mathematical foundations of classical mechanics to introduce novel physical interpretations and structural characteristics of the Lagrangian dynamic robot model. Within this framework, the centrality of the inertial matrix emerges. The physical significance of the inertial coefficients is further illuminated by the introduction of the coefficient of coupling of robotic manipulators. The properties of the inertial matrix follow directly from the kinematic and dynamic parameters of the robot. These properties translate into the characteristics of the centrifugal, Coriolis and gravitational components of the dynamic robot model. The novel approach reinforces the need to integrate the mechanical and controller designs of robotic manipulators. The conceptual framework leads to design guidelines for simplifying and reducing the nonlinear kinematic and dynamic coupling of robot dynamics. The development of the paper is applied to illustrate the properties and structural characteristics of industrial robots.
Soil Organic Carbon Input from Urban Turfgrasses

Turfgrass is a major vegetation type in the urban and suburban environment. Management practices such as species selection, irrigation, and mowing may affect C input and storage in these systems. Research was conducted to determine the rate of soil organic C (SOC) changes, soil C sequestration, and SOC decomposition of fine fescue (Festuca spp.) (rainfed and irrigated), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (irrigated), and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) (irrigated) using C isotope techniques. We found that 4 yr after establishment, about 17 to 24% of SOC at 0 to 10 cm and 1 to 13% from 10 to 20 cm was derived from turfgrass. Irrigated fine fescue added the most SOC (3.35 Mg C ha -1 yr -1 ) to the 0- to 20-cm soil profile but also had the highest rate of SOC decomposition (2.61 Mg C ha -1 yr -1 ). The corresponding additions and decomposition rates for unirrigated fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and creeping bentgrass in the top 20-cm soil profile were 1.39 and 0.87, 2.05 and 1.73, and 2.28 and 1.50 Mg C ha -1 yr -1 , respectively. Irrigation increased both SOC input and decomposition. We found that all turfgrasses exhibited significant C sequestration (0.32-0.78 Mg ha -1 yr -1 ) during the first 4 yr after turf establishment. The net C sequestration rate was higher, however, for irrigated fine fescue and creeping bentgrass than for Kentucky bluegrass. To evaluate total C balance, additional work is needed to evaluate the total C budget and fluxes of the other greenhouse gases in turfgrass systems.