cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analog PLL Design With Ring Oscillators at Low-Gigahertz Frequencies in Nanometer CMOS: Challenges and Solutions

This brief discusses the challenges and present techniques in designing analog phase-locked loops in nanometer CMOS. The primary challenges are the low supply voltage of 1 V or less, large gate leakage, and the high degree of process and temperature variability. The importance of tightening the free-running frequency of the oscillator in light of these challenges is highlighted first. Process and temperature compensation techniques for minimizing the variation of the free-running frequency of an oscillator are discussed. A rail-to-rail charge-pump with matched up/down currents and a capacitance multiplication technique for reducing the loop filter area are also discussed.
Decision fusion with reliabilities in multisource data classification

A new multisource classifier based on a fusion of the class decisions of each separate data set is proposed. Each data set is separately fed into the local classifier and a final classification is performed by summarizing these local class decisions. An optimum decision fusion rule based on the minimum expected cost is derived. This new decision fusion rule can handle not only data set reliabilities but also classwise reliabilities of each data set. Classification experiments with two remotely sensed Thematic Mapper data sets showed promising improvement over conventional multisource classification algorithms. >
Cooperative multi-robot localization under communication constraints

This paper addresses the problem of cooperative localization (CL) under severe communication constraints. Specifically, we present minimum mean square error (MMSE) and maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimators that can process measurements quantized with as little as one bit per measurement. During CL, each robot quantizes and broadcasts its measurements and receives the quantized observations of its teammates. The quantization process is based on the appropriate selection of thresholds, computed using the current state estimates, that minimize the estimation error metric considered. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed Iteratively-Quantized Extended Kalman filter (IQEKF) and the Iteratively Quantized MAP (IQMAP) estimator achieve performance indistinguishable of that of their real-valued counterparts (EKF and MAP, respectively) when using as few as 4 bits for quantizing each robot measurement.
The quest for environmental equity: Mobilizing the African‐American community for social change

Abstract There is considerable evidence that pollution and other forms of environmental degradation take a heavy toll on African‐American communities. African Americans, however, have not been attracted to mainstream environmental groups. Grassroots environmental groups—with their emphasis on environmental justice—have attracted a larger following within African‐American communities. The 1980s have seen the struggle for environmental equity take on a civil rights meaning. Using preexisting social justice and grassroots organizations for leadership, black community residents have begun to challenge government and private industries that would turn their areas into the nation's dumping grounds for all types of health‐threatening toxins.
On a generalized structure for new error systems in discrete adaptive parameter estimators

The authors introduce the SPACE (split algorithm-composite error) system. The concepts of split algorithms and composite errors are generalizations of existing classes of adaptive algorithms and prediction errors, respectively. Their combination forms a new structure for adaptive parameter estimator error systems, the SPACE system, which unifies the study of several applications of adaptive theory whose prediction errors do not have a previously analyzed form. Following a description of the general structure of the SPACE system and its relation to more traditional error system forms, the authors relate existing results from the stability theory of adaptive systems to the problem of algorithm specification for parameter estimators with composite errors. They note difficulties in the direct extension to the SPACE system case and cite issues for further research. >
Single-Port Laparoscopy: Issues and Complications

The goal of decreasing the invasiveness of surgical procedures has spawned the growth of single-port laparoscopy (SPL) whereby entire operative procedures are completed via a single abdominal wall incision. Early single-institution studies have highlighted that in appropriately selected surgical candidates, SPL maintains the efficacy of conventional laparoscopy while decreasing surgical morbidity and improving cosmesis. Nonetheless, as with many innovative techniques, unique issues and complications may arise that can compromise the safe completion of SPL cases. Central to SPL is appropriate patient and lesion selection, which is predicated both on pathology but also on surgeon experience. Familiarity with much of the newer instrumentation, particularly the robotic platforms, reduces the potential for preventable instrument-related error causing iatrogenic injury. Despite optimal preparation, complications inevitably occur as surgical volume expands. While many of these are similar to complications observed with standard laparoscopy, SPL does present distinct ergonomic challenges that require consideration. In that regard, reviewing the experience of other surgeons provides a stepwise framework for management.
The Demise of the Nation-State, the Dawn of New Paradigm Warfare, and a Future for the Profession of Arms

Remarks on the occasion of the author delivering the Thomas P. Keenan Memorial Lecture at the U.S. Air Force's Judge Advocate General's School in Montgomery, Alabama, concerning the future of military operations in a post-Cold War, post-Westphalian world. In addition, the author stakes out a provocative position on the unintended consequences of high-tech, no-casualty warfare in regard to the profession of arms.
Altered Cholesterol Metabolism and Hypocholesterolemia in Patients with Single Ventricle following Fontan Palliation

Objective To assess whether an abnormality in cholesterol absorption or synthesis may be associated with hypocholesterolemia in patients with single ventricle anatomy following Fontan palliation. Study design This is a cross-sectional study of 21 patients with hypocholesterolemia following Fontan procedure and age/sex-matched healthy controls, with median age of 13.4 (IQR 10.6-16.1) years. Laboratory values of several biomarkers, including phytosterols and 5-α-cholestanol (for cholesterol absorption) and lathosterol (for cholesterol biosynthesis), as well as cholesterol levels, inflammatory markers, and indices of liver function were compared between patients following Fontan procedure and controls. Results The Fontan cohort had significantly lower total cholesterol (mean 117 ± SD 13.9, vs 128 ± 19.2 mg/dL, P = .03) and free cholesterol (35.5 ± 4.5 vs 39.2 ± 5.4 mg/dL, P = .02) compared with control patients. There was an increase in normalized 5-α-cholestanol (1.51 ± 0.6 vs 1.14 ± 0.37 μg/mL, P = .02), and a significantly lower lathosterol/5-α-cholestanol ratio (0.70 ± 0.38 vs 1.11 ± 0.76, P = .04). There was a strong correlation (r = 0.78, P P = .04). The Fontan cohort also had significantly higher C-reactive protein, transaminases, total bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels. Conclusions Patients with hypocholesterolemia following Fontan procedure have evidence of increased cholesterol absorption and decreased cholesterol synthesis. As cholesterol absorption efficiency is a regulated process, this finding suggests an upregulation of cholesterol absorption as a result of decreased cholesterol production. In the setting of elevated liver indices and possible inflammation, this finding supports a growing body of data suggesting development of liver disease in patients receiving Fontan.
Foreign Policy Makers and Their National Role Conceptions

This research focuses on national role conceptions, which are defined as foreign policy makers' perceptions of their nations' positions in the international system. They include perceptions of the general kinds of decisions, rules, commitments, and long-term functions associated with these international positions. Role conception variables concerned with the perception of status, motivational orientation, and substantive problem area are obtained from a content analysis of speeches by 29 decision makers from 17 nations. Correlational analyses show strong correspondences between role conceptions and four foreign policy behaviors. A multidimensional analysis (MDPREF) uncovers two important factors which are interpreted as “cooperative-competive” and “low status-high status.” The MDPREF results demonstrate that leaders from the same nations had very similar role conceptions. Many similarities are also apparent in the roles expressed by policy makers from the United States and the Soviet Union.
Application of Real-time Fluorescence Quantitative PCR in Identification and Selection of Salmonella

[Objective]To establish real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in detection of samonella by using taqman technology,to evaluate the specificity,sensitivity,anti-interference and repeatability of this method.[Methods]According to gene order of salmonella GenBank Accession NO DQ644631,primers and fluorescent-labeled probe were designed and synthesized.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR reaction system was established and evaluated by salmonella of various types.[Results]Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR had good specificity,high sensitivity,strong anti-interference and repeatability in identification of salmonella.[Conclusion]The real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method is accurate,fast and simple in identification and screening of salmonella,with good application prospect and research value.
Direct Effects of Shock Waves on Human Prostate Tissue

Shock waves have recently been found to cause damage to Dunning rat prostatic cancer cells and also to cause a delay in tumor growth. We studied the effect of shock waves on human prostate tissue using the Dornier XL1 lithotripter. Ten specimens of prostate tissue were obtained from patients who underwent transurethral prostatectomy for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Areas affected by electrosurgery were removed from the specimens, which were divided into four groups: controls and samples to be treated with 400, 800, or 1,600 shock waves at 15 kV. Treatment samples were individually exposed to shock waves in the tub of the XL1; a control specimen was placed in the far corner, where it was not exposed to shock waves. Examination by hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) showed no obvious histological changes in treated specimens, but examination by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed several dose-dependent changes in the cellular ultrastructure, including cytoplasmic vacuolarization and damage to mitochondrial membranes and nucleus.
Significance of a single umbilical artery. Report from the collaborative study of cerebral palsy.

Abstract 1. 1. A total of 26,539 placentas of single births obtained from 12 different institutions enrolled in the collaborative study were evaluated, in which 203 (0.76 per cent) showed a single umbilical artery on gross and microscopic examination. 2. 2. The incidence of single umbilical artery in the white was 1.22 per cent, a higher incidence than in the Negro, which was 0.44 per cent. This racial difference was consistently present in the various institutes and in all maternal age and birth weight groups. Conversely, the incidence of associated congenital malformations was higher in the Negro (42.1 per cent) than in the white (23.0 per cent). 3. 3. Associated congenital malformations were classified into three Types of malformations: A (lethal or major), B (nonlethal), and C (borderline). The over-all incidence of associated malformations (Types A, B, plus C) was 28.6 per cent. When the Type C malformations were excluded, the incidence was 16.7 per cent. Type A malformations were found in 9 of the 20 stillbirths and in 4 of the 6 neonatal deaths, but only in 7 (4.0 per cent) of the 174 survivors. Skeletal system anomalies showed the highest incidence in the associated malformations. 4. 4. The incidence of SUA was 1.98 per cent in infants of low birth weight (2,500 grams and under). In infants weighing over 2,500 grams the incidence was 0.63 per cent. 5. 5. Maternal diabetes was 6.4 per cent, an incidence 5 times higher than in the control group.
Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Nerve Procedures

Ultrasound guidance allows real-time visualization of the needle in peripheral nerve procedures, improving accuracy and safety. Sonographic visualization of the peripheral nerve and surrounding anatomy can provide valuable information for diagnostic purposes and procedure enhancement. Common procedures discussed are the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular notch, deep branch of the radial nerve at the supinator, median nerve at the pronator teres and carpal tunnel, lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh, superficial fibular nerve at the leg, tibial nerve at the ankle, and interdigital neuroma. For each procedure, the indications, relevant anatomy, preprocedural scanning technique, and injection procedure itself are detailed.
The Central Method for Positive Semi-Definite, Contractive and Strong Parrott Type Completion Problems

In this paper we obtain a new linear fractional parametrization for the set of all positive semi-definite completions of a generalized banded partial operator matrix. As applications we obtain a cascade transform parametrization for the set of all contractive completions of a triangular partial operator matrix satisfying possibly an extra linear constraint (thus extending the results on the Strong Parrott problem). In each of the problems also a maximum entropy principle appears.
Lomb algorithm versus fast fourier transform in heart rate variability analyses of pain in premature infants

Heart rate variability analysis is a promising method for measuring pain in premature infants. The Lomb algorithm was adapted and compared with fast Fourier transform (FFT) for the purposes of PSD estimation. Both FFT and the Lomb algorithm had similar low frequency (LF) estimation error rates. However, the Lomb algorithm had a significant smaller error rate than FFT when estimating high frequency (HF). In addition, the ECG signals of two premature infants in the newborn intensive care unit were analyzed while undergoing a routine heel stick, a common painful procedure. The Lomb algorithm performed as expected marking a decrease in both LF and HF power in the presence of pain.
Feminist Perspectives on Critical Information Needs

The connection between information and women’s status has long been known to women working for political change. Information (or a lack thereof) creates inequities in women’s health outcomes and levels of civic engagement. Deregulation of media ownership has been harmful to women, and women’s lack of access to and control over communication processes require laws and policies that will enable women to be better represented at the ownership levels in media industries, as well as in positions of decision making in news organizations—both traditional media and online.
Abstract 487: Whole genome screen to identify genes targeting MYCN-driven embryonal tumors

MYCN is a driver of neuroblastoma (NB) tumorigenesis and is over-expressed in a number of tumors of embryonal origin, including rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. We sought to identify regulators of MYCN transcription by performing a whole genome screen (WGS) for regulators of MYCN promoter activity using a NB cell model. A plasmid containing the MYCN promoter (1.3kb upstream of MYCN TSS) fused to luciferase and stably integrated into the genome of NGP NB cells was the readout system. NGP-MYCNpluc, was selected based on MYCN luciferase activity inhibition by ATRA and HDAC inhibitors to a similar extent as endogenous MYCN mRNA levels. After assay optimization, siRNAs targeting 11,000 genes using 3 siRNAs/gene were evaluated. The siRNA library encompassed the druggable genome and the majority of human transcription factors. Using a 384-well format, siRNAs were reverse transfected in duplicate into NGP-MYCNpluc cells, cultured for 3 days at 37oC and analyzed for luciferase activity and cell viability using a ONE-Glo and Cell Titer-Glo assays (Promega), respectively. A robust statistical measure of median absolute deviation (MAD) was used to standardize siRNA activities in the screen. This identified 36 “high-confidence” genes in which all 3 siRNAs significantly decreased NGP-MYCNpluc luciferase activity, and 49 genes which significantly decrease cell viability. Most drugs associated with the essential viability genes have shown activity in NB cells (bortizamab, gemcitabine/paclitaxel, erlotinib/gemcitabine, UCN-01 and BI 2536). A number of MYCN reporter hits also decreased a CMV luciferase promoter in HEK293 cells, suggesting these hits did not specifically regulate the MYCN promoter. However, several hits did not affect CMV reporter activity, suggesting specificity to the MYCN reporter system. Low-throughput secondary screens are being utilized for assay confirmation and mechanistic evaluation. A 23,000 unique gene set is currently under evaluation and more elegant informatics tools are being used to further illuminate actives within the data Citation Format: Carol J. Thiele, Zhihui Liu, Veronica Veschi, Eugene Buehler, Scott Martin. Whole genome screen to identify genes targeting MYCN-driven embryonal tumors. [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 487. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-487
Four Steeples over the City Streets: Religion and Society in New York’s Early Republic Congregations

Kyle Bulthuis’s thoroughly researched and carefully argued book on four New York City churches succeeds admirably in showing how the congregations’ “respective religious traditions shaped the way t...
Phallic intrusion: Girl–girl sex in Penthouse

Abstract This paper examines a representative sampling of girl–girl pictorials in Penthouse magazine to understand the relationship between its girl–girl images and the institution of heterosexuality to which the magazine is expressly devoted. We identify four types of girl–girl pictorials that portray “lesbian” sex as a performance, as convenience or excursion, as an imitation, or simply as deviant sex. The females within the images are variously heterosexualized by a complex of features, including the positioning of the bodies for the pleasure of the spectators, whom Penthouse has explicitly identified as heterosexual males; the representation of sexual climax solely through the metaphoric substitution of vaginal and anal penetration shots while regulating penetration as an exclusively male preserve; and the stabilization of gender polarity. These and other mutually reinforcing representational strategies function to colonize “lesbian” sex and commodify it as an erotic variation available in the (hetero)sexual supermarket. Consequently, girl–girl representations effectively reinscribe and renaturalize heterosexuality.
Importing Diversity: Immigration (Chapter 4)

The chapter begins by tracing the history of immigration to the United States. This brief summary emphasizes the immense demographic changes and social and political conflicts that immigration has engendered, the laws that have shaped it, and some of the many ways in which the 1965 immigration reform have transformed American society. The chapter then discusses the debate over multi-culturalism, English language policy in general, and bilingual education in particular. A final section analyzes the "diversity visas" program enacted in 1990. I propose a more diversity - and choice-friendly approach to bilingual education, as well as a scrapping of the "diversity visas" program.
Consolidated Drained Triaxial Testing of Piedmont Residual Soil

The paper describes problems encountered in performing consolidated drained triaxial tests on Piedmont residual soil specimens trimmed from both Shelby tube samples and block samples. The micaceous silty soil has steeply dipping layers, planes of weakness, and granular seams. These characteristics complicate trimming and cause specimens to bend during consolidation and shearing. Because some specimens failed at strains of 14% to 20%, the nonuniformities influence the estimation of peak shear strength. To cope with variability, a multistage test on one specimen was compared to behavior measured on three single-stage tests performed on three specimens; all four specimens were trimmed from the same block. Comparative results were inconclusive.
Is human papillomavirus and p16 expression associated with survival outcomes in nasopharyngeal cancer?: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Introduction Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a known prognostic indicator in oropharyngeal cancer. Not much is known about the prognostic role of HPV in Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to investigate if HPV status was a prognostic factor for NPC. Methods PubMed (via the web), Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched. A systematic review and meta-analysis was done to generate the pooled Hazard Ratios (HR) for Overall Survival (OS). Results A total of 7 studies from 2014 to 2018, reporting data on 2646 patients (range 43–1328) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled data showed that HPV/p16 status was not associated with OS in NPC with HR of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.55–1.09, p = 0.14). The test for heterogeneity showed little to no heterogeneity of results (I2 = 4%, p = 0.38). Subgroup analysis showed that in large sample sizes, HPV was significantly associated with survival. Conclusion Despite the finding in the pooled HR, we could not draw a definitive conclusion as to the prognostic significance of HPV in NPC. Recommendations for future research are given.
Enoxaparin-associated dermal necrosis: a consequence of cross-reactivity with heparin-mediated antibodies.

OBJECTIF: Rapporter un cas de necrose dermique induit par l'enoxaparine et revior tous les cas rapportes anterieurement de manifestations dermiques associecs a l'utilisation d'heparine a faible poids moleculaire. SOMMAIRE DE CAS: Une femme de 43 ans presentant un syndrome de detresse respiratoire a developpe une necrose dermique localisee et une thrombocytopenie secondaire a une administration sous cutanee d'heparine non-fractionnee. Les thrombus qui s'etaient developpes aux extremites superieures suite a l'administration d'heparine ont ete traitees avec l'enoxaparine. Bien que les comptes plaquettaires soient demeures stables durant la therapie a l'enoxaparine, une necrose dermique s'est developpee au site d'injection. La therapie anticoagulante parenterale a ete cessee et les lesions necrotiques secondaires a l'enoxaparine ont disparu avec des soins locaux minimaux. DISCUSSIONS: Plusieurs cas de necrose dermique secondaire a l'administration d'heparine ont ete rapportes anterieurement alors qu'aucun cas secondaire impliquant l'enoxaparine n'a ete trouve dans la documentation scientifique. Il a ete propose que la necrose dermique secondaire a l'heparine soit associee a la thrombocytopenie induite par l'heparine et est le resultat d'une thrombose mediee par l'heparine dans la microvascularisation. Une reaction croisee a ete demontree avec les anticorps a l'heparine et l'enoxaparine; il est done possible que la necrose dermique secondaire a l'enoxaparine apparaisse selon un mecanisme similaire. CONCLUSIONS: Bien que l'apparition d'une necrose dermique associee a l'enoxaparine soit rare, on suggere d'eviter l'emploi de ce produit ou de toute autre heparine a faible poids moleculaire chez un patient presentant une histoire anterieure de thrombocytopenie associee a l'heparine ou de necrose dermique induite par l'heparine.
A Comparison of Methods for the Determination of Tannins in Beer Tannin Measurement

(1961). A Comparison of Methods for the Determination of Tannins in Beer Tannin Measurement. Proceedings. Annual meeting - American Society of Brewing Chemists: Vol. 19, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting 1961, pp. 61-64.
Revisiting Bonbright’s principles of public utility rates in a DER world

Abstract Professor James Bonbright’s Principles of Public Utility Rates, first published in 1961, was built around a model of vertically integrated electricity monopolies and approached ratemaking largely as an exercise in balancing the interests of capital attraction with those of ratepayers, all within a ‘public interest’ framework. This article seeds a new conversation about changes to the venerable Bonbright principles and introduces new principles of public utility rates for an era of electric utility transformation.
Guest Editorial: Araceae, Recent Advances and Future Challenges1

The year 2018 was declared as the “Year of the Aroids” at the Missouri Botanical Garden. As part of the celebratory activities included during the year, one special aroid issue was set to be produced for each of the journals published by the Garden, the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden (this issue) and Novon 27(1). Click here to read this article on BioOne.
Use of Ground Miscanthus Straw in Container Nursery Substrates

Pine bark (PB) is the primary component in nursery substrates in the U.S. Availability of pine bark is decreasing and price is increasing. The objective of this research was to determine if miscanthus straw (MS) can replace all or part of the pine bark fraction in nursery container substrates. Five substrates were created that contained 15% sphagnum peatmoss, 5% municipal solid waste compost, and the remaining 80% consisted of one of the five following PB and MS ratios: 0:80, 20:60, 40:40, 60:20, and 80:0. Additions of ground MS affected physical properties of substrates by increasing air space, and decreasing container capacity and bulk density. Additions of MS did not affect chlorophyll content, and had negligible effects on foliar nutrient levels. Increasing levels of MS caused a decrease in plant shoot dry weight, although growth reduction was most pronounced with 80% MS. Ground MS has potential to be a suitable substrate for nursery growers, however, some changes to management practices will be necessary.
Appendicular skeleton MRI in multiple myeloma: Utility and clinical implications.

e19527Background: Skeletal MRI plays an integral role in diagnosing Multiple Myeloma and, in many cases, dictates need for treatment. While axial skeleton MRI is performed with established clinical...
Remaining in Foster Care After Age 18 and Youth Outcomes at the Transition to Adulthood: A Review:

Many foster youth do not exit care for a permanency option and remain in foster care until they age out or are emancipated. Research findings have described the alarming circumstances of these form...
Maternal Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Concerning Interpregnancy Interval.

Introduction. Few studies have examined maternal intentions andpractices related to interpregnancy interval (IPI). IPI less than 18months has been linked to increased preterm birth and infant mortality.This manuscript reports on a cross-sectional survey of mothersconducted to understand maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practiceof IPI in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Methods. New and expectant mothers and mothers of neonatalinfant care unit (NICU) graduates (n = 125) were surveyed regardingthe issues surrounding IPI. Front desk staff handed out self-administeredsurveys, which were returned to a nurse upon completion.NICU participants were emailed a link to the survey hosted on SurveyMonkey®. Results. Fewer than 30% of mothers reported previously receivinginformation about IPI from any source. When asked about risks associatedwith IPI, women frequently (n = 58, 45%) identified increasedrisk for birth outcomes with no known association with short IPI.Findings regarding maternal attitudes surrounding optimal IPI weremixed with many mothers defining ideal IPI as less than 18 months(n = 52, 42%), while broadly reporting they believed that a woman’sbody needs time to heal between pregnancies. Respondents from theNICU sample generally reported shorter optimal IPI values than theother participants. When IPI was estimated from participants’ pastpregnancies, half of IPIs were less than 18 months. Mothers reportedthey favored healthcare providers as a source for IPI education. Faceto-face discussions or printed materials were the preferred modes ofeducation. Conclusions. Women were aware of the need for spacing betweenpregnancies, however, that knowledge was unassociated with pastbehavior. These findings should be taken into consideration whenformulating future interventions. Kans J Med 2018;11(4):86-90.
Contrast sensitivity is associated with outer‐retina thickness in early‐stage diabetic retinopathy

Purpose To determine the relationship between contrast sensitivity (CS) and outer-retina thickness (ORT) in diabetics who have minimal or no diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods Twenty non-diabetic control subjects and 40 type-2 diabetic subjects participated (20 had no clinically apparent DR [NDR] and 20 had mild non-proliferative DR [NPDR]). No subject had a history of treatment for macular oedema. Letter CS, microperimetry (MP) sensitivity and visual acuity (VA) were measured. Letter CS and MP measurements were performed over the central 6° of the visual field. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images were obtained at corresponding locations, outer-retina thickness was quantified, and structure-function relationships were evaluated. Results Analysis of variance indicated significant letter CS differences among the groups (p 0.10). Nevertheless, Hoeffding's D tests indicated significant associations between ORT and letter CS (p 0.49). Conclusions Outer-retina thickness is associated with letter CS and MP sensitivity, but not VA, in mild NPDR. This finding highlights the usefulness of simple letter CS measures and suggests neural dysfunction can occur in the absence of marked structural abnormalities in early-stage DR.
Class, Race, and Hyperincarceration in Revanchist America (Republication)

The single greatest political transformation of the post-Civil Rights era in America is the joint rolling back of the stingy social state and rolling out of the gargantuan penal state that have remade the country’s stratification, cities, and civic culture, and are recasting the very character of “blackness” itself. Together, these two concurrent and convergent thrusts have effectively redrawn the perimeter, mission, and modalities of action of public authority when it turns to managing the deprived and stigmatized populations stuck at the bottom of the class, ethnic, and urban hierarchies. The concomitant downsizing of the welfare wing and upsizing of the justice wing of the American state have not been driven by trends in poverty and crime but fueled by a politics of resentment toward categories deemed undeserving and unruly, chief among them the public aid recipients and street criminals framed as the two demonic figureheads of the black “underclass” that came to dominate the journalistic, scholarly, and policy debate on the plight of America’s urban poor in the revanchist decades that digested the civil disorders of the 1960s and the stagflation of the 1970s and witnessed the biggest carceral boom in world history. In this article, I show that the stupendous expansion and intensification of the activities of the American police, criminal courts, and prisons over the past 30 years have been finely targeted, first by class, second by race, and third by place, leading not to mass incarceration but to the hyperincarceration of (sub)proletarian black men from the imploding ghetto. This triple selectivity reveals that the building of the hyperactive and hypertrophic penal state that has made the US world champion in incarceration is at once a delayed reaction to the Civil Rights movement and the ghetto riots of the mid-1960s and a disciplinary instrument unfurled to foster the neoliberal revolution by helping to impose insecure labor as the normal horizon of work for the unskilled fractions of the postindustrial laboring class. The double coupling of the prison with the dilapidated hyperghetto, on the one side, and with supervisory workfare, on the other, is not a moral dilemma but a political quandary calling for an expanded analysis of the nexus of class inequality, ethnic stigma, and the state in the age of social insecurity. To reverse the racialized penalization of poverty in the crumbling inner city requires a different policy response than mass incarceration would and calls for an analysis of the political obstacles to this response, which must go beyond “trickle-down” penal reform to encompass the multifaceted role of the state in producing and entrenching marginality.
RiboTag-Seq Reveals a Compensatory cAMP Responsive Gene Network in Striatal Microglia induced by Morphine Withdrawal

Microglia have recently been implicated in dependence to opioids. To investigate this directly, we used RNA sequencing of ribosome associated RNAs from striatal microglia (RiboTag-Seq) after the induction of morphine tolerance and then the precipitation of withdrawal by naloxone. We detected large, inverse changes in RNA translation following opioid tolerance and withdrawal, and bioinformatics analysis revealed an intriguing upregulation of cAMP-associated genes that are involved in microglial motility, morphology, and interactions with neurons. Three-dimensional histological reconstruction of microglia revealed changes in process branching and termination following opioid tolerance that were rapidly reversed during withdrawal and were consistent with cAMP effects on microglia morphology. Direct activation of Gi-coupled DREADD receptors in microglia, rather than mimicking the effects of morphine, exacerbated opioid withdrawal. Together these indicate that microglial response to cAMP signaling can mitigate the rapid manifestations of opioid withdrawal.
Non-Aspergillus invasive mould infections in patients treated with ibrutinib.

Background Invasive mould infections (IMIs) are very rare in patients with lymphoid malignancies. However, IMIs, mostly due to Aspergillus species, have been increasingly reported in such patients receiving ibrutinib (IBR). There is paucity of information regarding non-Aspergillus invasive mould infections (NAIMIs) in this setting, OBJECTIVES: To review our recent experience and the published literature on the topic. Patients/methods We present a case of invasive sinusitis caused by Fusarium in a patient with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who was treated with IBR and review the 12 published cases of NAIMIs during IBR. Results Nearly all cases of NAIMIs in the setting of IBR use were encountered in patients with CLL. Mixed fungal infections, brain involvement and late-onset infections were common. Conclusions Although rare, NAIMIs should be considered in patients who receive IBR.
Robotic liver surgery—advantages and limitations

Robotic surgery is now within the standard of care for many operations, including hepatectomy. Robotic liver surgery has advantages over laparoscopic and open surgical techniques, but these must be weighed against certain limitations when selecting an approach. Advantages and limitations of robotic liver surgery are discussed here based on a literature survey. Advantages include improved surgeon ergonomics, better access to posterior and superior liver segments, excellent visualization, and ease of using indocyanine green. There may also be a shorter learning curve for use, and there are possibilities for technological assistance with surgery in the future. Limitations are related to those known for minimally invasive surgery in general, but also include time for docking and cost. Considerations are reviewed in detail to facilitate decision making when considering a robotic approach for liver surgery. The robotic platform is not appropriate for all liver operations at this time. Benefits of robotic surgery are most clearly realized when approaching lesions in the posterior and superior segments, and when a large incision would be required to remove a small amount of liver parenchyma were the operation to be performed in an open fashion.
Neuromuscular Blocking Agents for ARDS: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in the management of ARDS have produced inconsistent results in terms of their effect on mortality. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate differences in mortality comparing subjects with ARDS who received NMBA to those who received placebo or usual care. METHODS: We searched Ovid, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials evaluating administration of NMBAs in subjects with ARDS. RESULTS: We included 6 studies (N = 1,558 subjects) from 1,814 abstracts identified by our search strategy. The use of early, continuous-infusion NMBAs reduces the risk of short-term (ie, 21–28-d) mortality (relative risk 0.71 [95% CI 0.52–0.98], P = .030, I2 = 60%) in subjects with ARDS but does not reduce the risk of long-term (ie, 90-d) mortality (relative risk 0.81 [95% CI 0.64–1.04], P = .10, I2 = 54%). NMBAs decreased the risk of barotrauma (relative risk 0.55 [95% CI 0.35–0.85], P = .008, I2 = 0%) and pneumothorax (relative risk 0.46 [95% CI 0.28–0.77], P = .003, I2 = 0%) compared to control. CONCLUSIONS: In subjects with ARDS, early use of NMBAs improves oxygenation, reduces the incidence of ventilator-induced lung injury, and decreases 21–28-d mortality, but it does not improve 90-d mortality. NMBAs should be considered for select patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS for short durations.
Emancipation and the Quest for “Development”

With independence, leaders of the struggle to end colonialism were vaulted into positions of authority, often assuming control of nascent governments. These leaders became—and are still—“fathers of the country.” From Southeast Asia to North Africa to West Africa, these leaders commonly shared a number of views: (1) a moral certitude or righteousness, tied to a faith that “history was on their side,” (2) a passionate distaste for colonialism and a desire to see it overthrown elsewhere, (3) a conviction that the popular and well-intentioned mobilization to oust colonialism could be channeled into modernizing or developing their countries, (4) a belief in the merits of socialism for organizing and managing their economies, and (5) a suspicion that the international economy was profoundly unjust and needed—somehow—to be recast. As the leadership of the newly independent countries settled into governing, they devoted considerable resources—including their time—to international relations, despite the often Herculean obstacles to governing that they faced domestically.
Medroxyprogesterone opposes estradiol-induced renal damage in midlife ovariectomized Long Evans rats.

OBJECTIVE Our laboratory previously published that long-term administration of estradiol (E2) was detrimental to the kidneys of midlife ovariectomized Long Evans rats, contrasting clinical studies in showing that menopausal hormone therapy is associated with decreased albuminuria. However, it is unknown whether this renal benefit was due to estrogen and/or the combination with progestogen. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the impact of medroxyprogesterone (MPA) on E2-mediated renal damage using a rodent model. METHODS Female Long Evans retired breeders underwent ovariectomy at 11 months of age and were treated for 40 days with subcutaneous E2, E2+MPA or vehicle at doses mimicking that of menopausal hormone therapy (N = 5-7 per group). Systolic blood pressure was measured along with indices of renal damage and function to investigate the impact of MPA on E2-mediated renal outcomes. Renal estrogen receptor alpha and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor transcript copy numbers were measured in all treatment groups through droplet digital PCR. RESULTS Middle-aged female Long Evans rats displayed spontaneous hypertension with similar systolic blood pressures and heart weights between groups. Even though blood pressure was comparable, E2 reduced glomerular filtration rate and increased proteinuria indicating pressure-independent renal damage. Coadministration with MPA prevented E2-induced glomerular filtration rate impairment and proteinuria by promoting renal hypertrophy and preventing renal interstitial fibrosis. Both E2 and E2+MPA reduced renal estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and increased renal G protein-coupled estrogen receptor mRNA, but neither ERα nor ERs protein was different between groups. CONCLUSION MPA was protective against E2-induced renal damage and dysfunction in middle-aged female Long Evans rats. Assessing the impact of hormone therapy on renal outcomes may be an important clinical factor when considering treatment options for postmenopausal women.
R. B Braithwaite’s Editorial Foreword to the 1973 Collected Writings of John Maynard Keynes Edition of Keynes’s a Treatise on Probability Is ‘…Very Puzzling, indeed.’ (Skidelsky, 1992, p.71)

It is ‘…quite puzzling,indeed’(Skidelsky,1992p.71) how a paper as extremely poor and deficient as R. B. Braithwaite’s editorial foreword could have been selected to appear at the beginning of the 1973 Collected Writings of John Maynard Keynes, Volume 8, version of the A Treatise on Probability. Cheryl Misak presents the following testament from Braithwaite on page 114 of her 2020 biography of Ramsey concerning Keynes’s A treatise on Probability as “evidence” that Ramsey had demolished Keynes’s logical theory of probability,which is silly: “Braithwaite’s reaction [author's note-Braithwaite's reaction to Ramsey's critique of Keynes] indicates how effective it was. He recalled that he read Keynes’s Treatise in the long vacation, immediately after it came out, and said that he swallowed it whole.” It is simply impossible for anyone to have read Keynes’s book that quickly. The great French mathematician, Emile Borel, was very explicit about Part II of the A Treatise on Probability in his 1924 book review. Borel later changed his mind in 1939. He apologized to Keynes (and Bertrand Russell, who had helped Keynes, along with W E Johnson and C D Broad,write Part II) for skipping Part II, even though he realized and acknowledged that this was the most important part of the book for Keynes, which it was because it contains his demonstration that the addition rule(additivity) is a special case only in chapters 10-14 while chapters 15-17 contain Keynes's theory of imprecise A similar happening occurred in 1934 when E.B. Wilson acknowledged that Keynes had indeed put forth an interval valued approach to deal with uncertainty. In fact, Braithwaite never read the A Treatise on Probability, as we will demonstrate using the claims made by Braithwaite himself in his 1973 editorial foreword to Volume 8 of the CWJMK that make absolutely no sense if he had, in fact, read the A Treatise on Probability as he claimed he did during a “long vacation” in 1921.
Low dialysis potassium bath is associated with lower mortality in end-stage renal disease patients admitted to hospital with severe hyperkalemia.

Background Hyperkalemia is a modifiable risk factor for sudden cardiac death, a leading cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The optimal treatment of hyperkalemia in hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is nonexistent in literature, which has prompted studies from outpatient dialysis to be extrapolated to inpatient care. The goal of this study was to determine if low-potassium dialysate 1 mEq/L is associated with higher mortality in hospitalized ESRD patients with severe hyperkalemia (serum potassium >6.5 mmol/L). Methods We conducted a retrospective study of all adult ESRD patients admitted with severe hyperkalemia between January 2011 and August 2016. Results There were 209 ESRD patients on HD admitted with severe hyperkalemia during the study period. Mean serum potassium was 7.1 mmol/L. In-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest in ESRD patients with severe hyperkalemia was 12.4%. Median time to dialysis after serum potassium result was 2.0 h (25, 75 interquartile range 0.9, 4.2 h). Totally, 47.4% of patients received dialysis with 1 mEq/L concentration potassium bath. The use of 1 mEq/L potassium bath was associated with significantly lower mortality or cardiac arrest in ESRD patients admitted with severe hyperkalemia (odds ratio 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.80, P = 0.01). Conclusion We conclude that use of 1 mEq/L potassium bath for treatment of severe hyperkalemia (>6.5 mmol/L) in hospitalized ESRD patients is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest.
Behavioral and Myelin-Related Abnormalities after Blast-Induced Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

In civilian and military settings, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common consequence of impacts to the head, sudden blows to the body, and exposure to high-energy atmospheric shockwaves from blast. In some cases, mTBI from blast exposure results in long-term emotional and cognitive deficits and an elevated risk for certain neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we tested the effects of mTBI on various forms of auditory-cued fear learning and other measures of cognition in male C57BL/6J mice after single or repeated blast exposure (blast TBI; bTBI). bTBI produced an abnormality in the temporal organization of cue-induced freezing behavior in a conditioned trace fear test. Spatial working memory, evaluated by the Y-maze task performance, was also deleteriously affected by bTBI. Reverse-transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis for glial markers indicated an alteration in the expression of myelin-related genes in the hippocampus and corpus callosum 1-8 weeks after bTBI. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses detected bTBI-related myelin and axonal damage in the hippocampus and corpus callosum. Together, these data suggest a possible link between blast-induced mTBI, myelin/axonal injury, and cognitive dysfunction.
Bleeding Borders and Enemies Within: How Newsmagazine Covers Portrayed Drugs of Abuse, 1979–2019:

This study examined how the covers of three newsmagazines, Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report, portrayed drugs of abuse between 1979 and 2019. Findings showed consistency with extant rese...
Mouse Models of Myeloid Leukemia

This chapter provides a broad overview of the various techniques used to model human myeloid malignancies and focuses on those areas where mouse modeling has been particularly valuable in advancing our understanding of human myeloid neoplasia. The studies in mice modeling BCR-ABL1-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia, PML-RARA-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia, and the core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemias are discussed in more detail.
Balancing Energy and the Environment

The United States government, as the primary manager of natural resources, plays potentially conflicting roles in the development of domestic oil and gas reserves. The government is often the owner of energy resources and a partner in the profitable exploitation of those assets, but the government is also the custodian of environmental resources that may be harmed by energy development. During the past two decades, the American public has become aware of the importance of both resources. Energy resources are an important input to the U.S. economy, and there is an understanding that human welfare now and in the future may depend on the protection of fragile environmental ecosystems.