cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
[Analysis of incidence of major cancers in Dafeng, Jiangsu Province, 1999 - 2007].

Objective To examine the epidemiologic characteristics of major cancers in Dafeng City,Jiangsu Province. Methods The cancer registry data 1999-2007 of Dafeng were analyzed retrospectively. Results Over the 9 years,the crude incidence of cancers was 244.99 persons per 100 thousand and the standard incidence ratio (SIR) was 175.48 persons per 100 thousand. The crude incidence and SIR of cancers of the males was 299.22 persons per 100 thousand and 214.41 persons per 100 thousand respectively,1.57 and 1.76 times as high as those of the females (190.92 per 100 thousand and 137.34 per 100 thousand respectively). The incidence of cancers increased remarkably since the age group of 509,peaked at the age groups 70 and 80,and decreased remarkably since the age group of 85. Stomach cancer ranked first for incidence among the males while esophageal cancer ranked first for the females. Conclusion The incidence of cancers,especially the lung cancer,shows a trend to increase in both the males and females in Dafeng. Priority should be paid to prevention and treatment of cancers of the digestive and respiratory systems. Key words: Neoplasms; Incidence; JIANGSU
Gender and the Role of Women in the Associational Milieu

This chapter explores the gendered parameters of the associational milieu, and their impact both on women’s participation and on contemporary and scholarly perceptions of women’s place in the associations. Women joined both the Asociaciones de Vecinos and the Family Associations (usually through theAsociaciones de Amas de Casa), and thus contributed to the vibrancy and diversity of the associational milieu. At the same time, their contribution has generally been ignored or marginalized, both by contemporary observers of the associations and in the later historiography. The goal of this chapter is to follow these two intersecting threads, one emphasizing the recovery of women’s participation in the milieu, and the other exploring the gendered frameworks that have obscured women’s agency in the revival of civil society and the grass-roots construction of citizenship practices. In the tension exposed by these interwoven narratives lays the contested gendered terrain of the associational milieu and, more broadly, of the origins of the democratic transition.
Probability distributions II: continuous variables

This chapter discusses probability distributions in relation to continuous variables. The normal distribution function is described by two parameters that correspond to the arithmetic mean and the variance. The fact that the distribution of a variable such as serum urate does conform reasonably closely to a normal distribution is an accident of nature. There are many analytes that do not conform to a normal model (serum creatinine, urea, bilirubin, and cholesterol levels to name but a few), giving the lie-to the idea of the normal distribution as some universal biological constant. There is another reason why the normal distribution is important in statistical enquiries, relating to its appearance in the modeling of sampling variation. The fitting procedure could be applied directly to the proportional frequency densities. There are a number of different approaches to testing sample data for evidence of significant departures from the mormal model.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions With Power Source-Aware Multidomain Multilayer Networks

Traffic grooming is necessary for the efficient use of optical networks. It generally requires a signal conversion from the optical to the electrical domain and back. Planners have some freedom in selecting the location where this energy-intensive process takes place. A subset of nodes in a network may be powered by renewable energy sources. Those green nodes cause lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than others. We suggest to choose these green sites for grooming. We propose a model for GHG emissions caused by network operations. Depending on the level of penetration of renewable sources in the power supplies across the network, emissions can be reduced significantly. We introduce a hierarchical grooming approach to collect and multiplex traffic at those green nodes, groom it there, and therefore save emissions. We evaluate the emission model and the hierarchical approaches' performance. Furthermore, we apply them to various network/demand scenarios in an effort to identify favorable conditions for this scheme. We find that, by relaxing energy-efficiency requirements in green nodes and being more stringent in black nodes, we can reduce overall network emissions. The hierarchical approach is scalable and efficiently applicable to operating and future networks.
Understanding Ultrafast Rechargeable Aluminum-Ion Battery from First-Principles

First-principles calculations are performed to gain fundamental understanding of recently developed Al/graphite battery that exhibits well-defined discharge voltage plateaus, high cycling stability, and ultrafast rate performance. Crucial issues pertaining to the unprecedented performance of the battery are understood, and key controversies in literature with respect to the geometry and gallery height of the intercalant are resolved. The stage and atomic structure of the graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) are elucidated, in line with the experimental finding. It is revealed that the intercalants tend to be inserted at relative high densities with a charging potential profile and theoretical specific capacity that agree well with the experiment. Four stable GIC configurations are identified with essentially the same chemical potential for the intercalant, giving rise to charging potential plateaus. Low diffusion energy barriers of the intercalants are found, which underlie the ultrafast (dis)charging ...
Self-Assembled Monolayers as High-Resolution Etch Masks and Templates for Organic Molecular Assembly

We have used a variety of self-assembled monolayers as resists for low energy electron beam patterning. These compounds can be used as high-resolution patternable linker molecules for selected area binding of proteins and other organic compounds, as well as nanoparticles with organic chemical coatings. Because these systems can be aligned in registry to existing patterns, the organic systems may be positioned with the accuracy of electron-beam lithography. We have also explored the use of self-assembled monolayers for the creation of sub-wavelength artificial dielectric systems. The ultra-thin patterned monolayer is combined with a contrast-enhancing etch process to create high aspect ratio structures. This technique can be used to fabricate diffractive optical devices in a single-step process.
De positie van de lingula mandibularis bij kinderen

Kennis van de positie van de lingula mandibulae is nuttig voor het plaatsen van mandibulaire geleidingsanesthesie en voor het plannen van orthognathische chirurgie. Met behulp van 280 cone beam CT-beelden werd in dit onderzoek getracht bij kinderen tussen 6 en 18 jaar de positie van de lingula mandibularis te bepalen ten opzichte van anatomische referentiepunten op de ramus mandibulae en ten opzichte van het occlusale vlak van de mandibulaire dentitie. Statistisch significante verschillen tussen de leeftijdsgroepen (6- tot 9-jarigen, 10- tot 13-jarigen en 14- tot 18-jarigen) werden vastgesteld alsook tussen jongens en meisjes en tussen de rechter en de linker zijde van de mandibula. De klinische relevantie van deze verschillen is dubieus, aangezien het om zeer kleine verschillen gaat. De variatie van de meetresultaten daarentegen is veel belangrijker, omdat dit het falen van een mandibulaire anesthesie kan verklaren. Globaal genomen, als geslacht, leeftijd en zijde van de mandibula niet in acht worden genomen, kan gesteld worden dat de lingula mandibulae zich respectievelijk op ongeveer 25 mm van de anterieure rand en 20 mm van de posterieure rand van de ramus mandibulae kan bevinden en zo’n 14 mm boven het occlusievlak gelokaliseerd is.
Robust Combinatorial Circuits in Chemical Reaction Networks.

We introduce a general method for compiling any combinatorial circuit into an input/output chemical reaction network (I/O CRN). An I/O CRN receives a robust input signal over time, processes it catalytically to produce an output signal, and operates under deterministic mass action semantics (mass action kinetics). Our construction is reusable in the sense that it continues to operate correctly under changing input signals, and we prove that the construction is robust with respect to perturbations in (1) input signals; (2) initial concentrations; (3) rate constants; and (4) output measurements.
A fractional dashpot for nonlinear viscoelastic fluids

In this paper, we present a fractional dashpot that is capable of continuously adjusting the degree of dissipation between the whole dashpot and the Maxwell model (spring and dashpot in serial connection). It is related to the springpot by a frequency shift of the relaxation modulus in the complex domain. In contrast to the springpot, which is a viscoelastic solid-like model, the fractional dashpot is an intrinsically viscoelastic fluid model. We demonstrate that the fractional dashpot allows one to better model the polydispersity effect of typical viscoelastic fluids, overcoming undesired stationary predictions and reducing or even eliminating multiple modes in data fitting. The linear version of the fractional dashpot model is also scaled up to large deformation by incorporation of corotational tensor derivatives and a projected strain rate tensor for constructing an objective fractional constitutive equation. The resulting model having five model parameters (one for fractionality, two for linear viscoe...
GPS-limited cooperative localization using scalable approximate decentralized data fusion

This work addresses the problem of communication-based autonomous vehicle cooperative inertial navigation and localization in GPS-challenged environments. Specifically, we examine decentralized state estimation strategies that allow vehicles to opportunistically augment their onboard navigation filters with moving maps obtained from exchanged relative sensing and dynamic target tracking information between vehicles. While decentralized state estimation theoretically allows agents to share information efficiently with one another in a scalable, asynchronous, and ad hoc manner, several key technical issues arise. Firstly, augmentation of each vehicles navigation filters for decentralized estimation requires maintaining correlations between ownship vehicle pose states, ownship nuisance states (e.g. rate gyro biases), and pose states for all other tracked vehicles; this leads to expensive and unscalable onboard filtering requirements. Secondly, the use of distinct strapdown navigation and target tracking models onboard each vehicle implies that decentralized state estimation must occur across heterogeneous state space models; this case is usually not handled by conventional decentralized estimation theory. We present two novel strategies for addressing these problems in the context of cooperative navigation: the approximate channel filter, and factorized covariance intersection. We provide simulated examples to illustrate these approaches in simplified and realistic cooperative navigation settings, including a cooperative UAV-UGV navigation application based on recorded UAV flight data.
Charge and Spin Transport in Organic Nanosystems: Rectification, Switching, and Spin Injection

Devices for nano- and molecular size electronics should allow for an efficient current rectification and switching. A few molecular scale devices are analyzed here on the basis of first-principles and model approaches. Current rectification by molecular quantum dots can produce the rectification ratio ≲ 100. Current switching due to conformational changes in the molecules is slow, on the order of a few kHz. Fast switching (∼THz) may be achieved, at least in principle, in a molecular quantum dot with attractive carrier-carrier interactions due to strong coupling with vibrational excitations. The observed switching in many cases is extrinsic, caused by changes in molecule-electrode geometry or metallic filament formation through the film. New possibilities are opening up by using a spin injection from ferromagnetic electrodes into semiconductors. It is especially interesting in organic materials, where the spin coherence lifetime is extremely long.
THE ANATOMIC, CONSTRAINT AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF THE SCAPHOLUNATE INTEROSSEOUS LIGAMENT: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

The scapholunate interosseous ligament normally connects the scaphoid and lunate carpal bones by spanning the proximal, dorsal and palmar margins of the scapholunate joint. It has been felt to be a critical structure for maintaining structural integrity within the proximal carpal row, and thus important in maintaining normal carpal mechanics.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 Complete disruption of the scapholunate ligament has been associated with a clinical condition of instability termed dorsal intercalated segmental instability (DISI), which is felt to be a precursor of advancing degenerative disease,11 but there is no clear concensus regarding the effects of partial scapholunate ligament disruption. In the laboratory, efforts have been made to study the kinematic influences of this ligament, however conflicting results have been published.2,18 Previous anatomic investigations have revealed the complexity of the interface between the scapholunate and radioscapholunate ligaments, but specific investigations of the scapholunate ligament anatomy have not been published.3 Additionally, material property studies have been carried out on the scapholunate ligament in two published studies.13,16 In both studies, distraction to failure was applied to the entire ligament, which may not represent physiologic failure. In order to obtain a better understanding of the role of the scapholunate ligament on the mechanics of the wrist and the relative contributions of the anatomic subregions of the ligament, we designed an investigation to evaluate the detailed gross and histologic anatomy and mechanical properties of the subregions of the scapholunate interosseous ligament.
Common Penile Lesions

SUMMARY We have briefly summarized some of the most common and confusing penile lesions likely to be seen by the urologist. We have discussed the clinical features, differential diagnosis, and treatment from the dermatologist’s point of view. We have included the latest possible references, as many disorders discussed here are rapidly becoming better understood.
Readability assessment of policies and procedures of social networking sites

Many internet users today are members of social network sites, building personal profiles and interacting with millions of users worldwide. These virtual environments are based on Web 2.0 technology and offer rich user interaction, personalized use of the environment, and the option for sophisticated user-created content. Some of these environments have developed into large communities with complex relationships within the community, which are covered by policies and procedures. Users accept these when they sign up with the site, and many find that these policies and procedures can be quite complex and difficult to read. A large number of participants in these environments are children or teenagers, making it even more important to ensure that all users fully understand what these policies and procedures entail. Even adult users often have trouble understanding and applying the policies and procedures, and in many cases users just accept the default when registering with the site. This paper addresses the readability of such statements and evaluates the comprehension difficulty of standard policies and procedures of selected social network sites. It concludes with a summary and suggestions for future research.
Modeling Salt Marshes and Estuaries: Progress and Problems

Explanatory models of salt marshes must be based on realistic interactions between structure (niches and flow pathways) and function (species and their ecological attributes). These interactions produce behavior (changes in rates and standing stocks of energy and nutrients). Such models may be used for (1) management, (2) prediction of perturbations or (3) development of testable hypotheses. Difficulties facing modelers involve (a) conserved flows, (b) trophic condensation, (c) time delays and (d) feedback controls. In addition hydrodynamic problems are important involving (e) sediment water exchanges, (f) matter/energy transport by tides, (g) catastrophic storms and tides and (h) spatial heterogeneity. Construction and use of a carbon flow model of a coastal Georgia salt marsh are discussed.
The effects of osteoprotegerin on the mechanical properties of rat bone

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a naturally secreted protein that decreases bone resorption by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and activation while promoting osteoclast apoptosis [8]. In this study, the effects of osteoprotegerin injections on long bone mechanical and material properties were investigated in young male Sprague-Dawley rats. OPG increased fracture strength at the femur mid-diaphysis in three-point bending by 30%, without affecting the elastic or maximum strength. At the femoral neck, OPG significantly increased the elastic (45%), maximum (15%), and fracture (35%) strengths. There was not a difference in microhardness at the femur mid-diaphysis in comparing the placebo and OPG groups. There were, however, significant increases in whole bone dry mass (25%), mineral mass (30%), organic mass (17%), and percent mineralization (4%); percent mineralization at the mid-diaphysis (3%); and percent mineralization at the distal epiphysis (6%) due to the OPG treatment. While OPG decreased endocortical bone formation (52%), total bone area, endocortical bone area, and periosteal bone formation were maintained with OPG treatment. A 30% increase in the X-ray opacity of the bone at the proximal metaphysis of the right tibiae was observed. Overall, OPG increased mineralization and strength indices in the rat femur. Its effects on strength were more pronounced in the femoral neck than at the mid-diaphysis.
Minority Stress and LGB-Inclusive Television Viewing Frequency Among LGB Adults: The Roles of Community Connectedness and Perceived Social Support

Using a cross-sectional, correlational design, the present study examined the moderating roles of perceived social support and community connectedness in the relationship between minority stress an...
Prehospital Transportation and Optimal Utilization of Resources

Prehospital guidelines for the management of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) outline issues of injury prevention, initial evaluation, early treatment goals, and triage concerns and call for specific resuscitative efforts and neurologic assessments. All of these measures are aimed at the avoidance of secondary insults contributing to secondary injury cascades in the brain following TBI. Several factors including regional geography, topography, weather patterns, available modes of transportation, and the locales of health-care institutions and trauma centers must all be taken into account when devising transportation and prehospital treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes. Controversies regarding best type of transportation, direct-to-trauma center versus closest hospital transport, still exist, but data are emerging to support transporting sTBI patients to the highest-level trauma center available as soon as possible. Telemedicine services will aid better coordination of care in the future.
Risk Assessment in an Age of Neoliberalism: John Monahan’s The Clinical Prediction of Violent Behavior (1981)

John Monahan’s The Clinical Prediction of Violent Behavior (1981) represents a critical moment in the development of modern risk assessment among mental health providers in the United States. Monahan made the case for short-term prediction in emergency contexts, shifting the focus from a determination of innate dangerousness to managing risky situations. While his original goal was to assist clinicians called upon by the legal system to assess a person’s dangerousness, risk assessment soon became part of daily practice in the post-deinstitutionalisation world. For psychiatrists, it resonated with the growing focus on risk factors as modifiable targets in healthcare. It was also part of the process by which the state reconfigured its approach to the management of disruptive individuals during the late twentieth-century turn toward neoliberalism. It remains unclear whether the benefit to public safety gained by risk assessment’s integration into mental healthcare outweighs its costs, particularly with respect to the time and energy necessary to help patients achieve a meaningful recovery.
Crowdfunding by non-profit and social ventures

Non-profits and social enterprises face significant financing challenges that include problems in securing public funding, unpredictability and discontinuities in grant funding from foundations and charities, and the difficulty of generating earned income. Crowdfunding has emerged as a promising new option for securing large numbers of small donations from the socially conscious crowd for the needs of projects run by both established non-profit organizations as well as socially focused startups. This chapter reviews the current state of academic research on the topic of social venture and non-profit crowdfunding, and makes suggestions for future research in this area.
A promiscuous kinase inhibitor reveals secrets to cancer cell survival

Deregulated kinase signaling networks drive the growth and survival of many cancer cells. However, the genetic complexity and rapidly evolving nature of most cancer cells create challenges when identifying the most relevant kinases to inhibit to achieve optimal therapeutic benefits. A new strategy that takes advantage of a well-characterized multitargeted kinase inhibitor describes a nongenetic approach to tease out key kinases that promote proliferation of specific cancer cell types.
Understanding Improvements to Low-Temperature Rheology of Stiff Binders Modified with Epoxidized Plant–Derived Oil Materials through Analytical Chemistry

Through recent work at Iowa State University, great potential was seen from epoxidized plant oil materials, epoxidized benzyl soyate (EBS), and epoxidized methyl soyate (EMS) as fluxes/rejuvenators. This work found that improvement in low-temperature performance was greater than improvement in high-temperature performance for solvent de-asphalting (SDA) and residuum oil super critical extraction (ROSE) unit bottoms when using either EBS or EMS as compared to results from modified vacuum distillation tower bottoms with EBS and EMS. Based on these results, analytical chemistry was done using Fourier transformed infrared with attenuated total reflection and ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) equipment. Chemical analysis showed that there is indeed something in the SDA and ROSE binders that is interacting with both EBS and EMS, making them perform aggressively. The region of interest was identified from IM-MS to be between m/z 250 and m/z 400 for the SDA and ROSE binders, of which there were 35 common components where 29 of them had similar abundances in the SDA and ROSE binders.
Treatment Failures of Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Background Use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has increased over the years, because they have become a safe and effective alternative to the Vitamin-K antagonists in various clinical scenarios. With their increased use, reports have emerged describing their failure. Study question What are the patient characteristics and clinical settings in which DOAC treatment failure manifests? Data sources We searched published reports in Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase from the introduction of DOACs in any therapy until March 2019. Study design Information on patient characteristics, comorbidities, primary anticoagulation indications, pharmacologic treatment, and outcomes were collected. Primary endpoints were new thrombus formation, failure of resolution of an existing thrombus, or discovery of subtherapeutic drug level. Other endpoints were time to treatment failure, manifestations of treatment failure, and new treatment after DOAC failure. Results Our search yielded 51 manuscripts, describing 79 patients who exhibited DOAC failure. The most common treatment failures were in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (44.3%), atrial fibrillation (30.4%), and deep venous thrombosis (6.3%). There was a trend toward higher failure rate for rivaroxaban (65.8%) followed by dabigatran (27.8%), apixaban (7.6%), and then edoxaban (1.3%). Each agent had different median failure times. Most common manifestations of treatment failure were stroke/transient ischemic attack (20.3%), pulmonary embolism (19.0%), and deep venous thrombosis (19.0%). More than half of patients were transitioned to a Vitamin-K antagonist after DOAC failure (55.7%). Conclusions Our analysis illustrates that DOACs may fail in the setting of Food and Drug Administration and non-Food and Drug Administration- approved indications. In clinical practice, it may be best to choose between available anticoagulant drugs on a case-by-case basis.
Peripheral trigeminal branch stimulation for refractory facial pain: A single-center experience.

Abstract Objective Facial pain refractory to medical treatments may benefit from neurosurgical interventions. Only a few studies have reported on the efficacy of peripheral trigeminal stimulation and more specifically supraorbital nerve (SON) and infraorbital nerve (ION) stimulation for the treatment of facial pain. Patients and methods In the present study, we identified all patients at our institution who underwent SON and/or ION stimulation for treatment of facial pain due to post-herpetic, traumatic or idiopathic etiology. Relevant pre and post-operative outcomes were analyzed. Results We identified 15 patients who underwent SON and/or ION stimulation. Among them, 12 (80 %) endorsed >50 % pain relief during the trial stimulation period. After a median follow-up of 5.8 months with permanent implantation, 1 patient (8.3 %) was diagnosed with lead erosion and IPG migration, two patients had lead infections (16.7 %) and one (8.3 %) had wound dehiscence. No lead migrations were identified during the long-term follow-up. The VAS score showed a statistically significant reduction from a median pre-operative score of 7 to a post-operative score of 1.8 (p = 0.011), which corresponded to a 74.3 % average pain reduction. Conclusion SON and/or ION stimulation can be an effective treatment for intractable facial pain due to post-herpetic, traumatic or idiopathic etiology; however the complication rate is relatively high. Future prospective studies with longer follow-up periods are warranted.
An Introduction to Indigenous Ways of Knowing: A Blackfeet Perspective

This chapter introduces the epistemology and ontology of Indigenous ways of knowing. In order to understand the complex concepts, principles and philosophy of Indigenous worldview, much of the discussion is in the context of the Blackfeet (or Pikuni) knowledge. I share my individual experiences in learning Blackfeet (Pikuni) ceremony as a way of conceptualizing the challenges of understanding Indigenous ways of knowing. The holistic view introduces the belief of all existence being interrelated and having a life force. The chapter reviews the nature and relations of being through animate expression of power, dreams, and personification of the inanimate. The Indigenous origin narratives and oral tradition demonstrates the nature, origin, and scope of Indigenous knowledge through eons of observation and experience. The paper underscores how Indigenous philosophy emanates from the connectedness of cultural values, kinship, social norms and belief systems. The way Indigenous people preserve and protect intellectual property and sacred matters is keenly, integrated into rituals and rites of passage. Spirituality and the quantum nature of energy permeating in constant movement and patterns reveal the ontological nature of Indigenous ways of knowing. Power in places of the landscape reveals the significance of nature in understanding sacredness of knowledge. Elder storytelling and knowledge of the language are essential to comprehending Indigenous ways of knowing. In the end, Vine Deloria, Jr. calls for synthesis of all knowledge.
Neural Correlation of Brain Activities and Gaming Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Iowa Gambling Task.

The aim of this research is to analyze brain activity using fNIRS and the Iowa Gambling Task to identify the characteristics of behavior in gaming. Previous studies showed that playing video games influences the functionality of the prefrontal cortex, suggesting that playing games affects cognition. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess the pre-frontal cortex activity of the brain in the two regions of interest (left hemisphere, right hemisphere) during the experiment to determine the changes in prefrontal cortex activation levels in the regions of interest. The same statistical technique was used on the cognitive task to see if more cards from favorable decks were picked by participants as the task progressed. We found that during the completion of the cognitive task, both regions of interest were activated, specifically, the changes in concentration of oxy-hemoglobin in the left hemisphere was significantly higher than the right hemisphere, and participants tended to choose a significantly higher number of cards from the favorable decks during the end of the cognitive task.
Short communication: Screening stable flies and house flies as potential vectors of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle.

ABSTRACT Digital dermatitis is a bacterial infection that causes lesions above the heel bulbs on cattle hooves, and several bacterial species from the genus Treponema are suspected to be causative agents of this polymicrobial condition. Transmission of the bacteria to healthy cows is understudied, particularly with regard to potential insect vectors. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine if flies captured from a dairy farm known to have digital dermatitis are contaminated with Treponema bacteria. The DNA-based assays did not detect any Treponema phagedenis from stable flies and house flies collected at a dairy experiencing an outbreak of digital dermatitis. Other potential means of bacterial transmission are discussed.
9/11, Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), and how we got to where we are?

Abstract There had been threats to maritime commerce ever since its beginning, but never in recorded history have economies become so interdependent. The events of September 11, 2001 had a profound effect on not just aviation, but all transportation. This chapter endeavors to provide a taxonomy of all of the initiatives that have been established as pertain specifically to the maritime domaine.
GIV CARE: A Group Intervention to Reduce Accommodation Among Relatives of Individuals With Fear-Based Disorders

Abstract Fear-based disorders (FBDs) occur in an interpersonal context as relatives (e.g., partners, parents) often accommodate symptoms. Symptom accommodation, which is ubiquitous and reinforces FBD behavior, is associated with increased FBD symptom severity and interferes with treatment. Accordingly, reducing accommodation represents a crucial aim for intervention. We describe a brief, manualized group intervention to decrease symptom accommodation and caregiver burden among cohabitating relatives of individuals with FBDs. The intervention is the first to date that (a) jointly includes parents and partners to target symptom accommodation, and (b) uses a transdiagnostic group treatment approach. We also provide preliminary empirical support for this group-based intervention among adult relatives (N = 20) that participated in the five weekly intervention sessions and completed assessments at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up (1MFU). Preliminary results suggest that the group intervention is feasible and acceptable. Completers (n = 18) exhibited significant reductions in symptom accommodation and self-reported burden between baseline and 1MFU. The discussion identifies study limitations and future directions.
E-cigarette-inclusive smoke-free policies, excise taxes, tobacco 21 and changes in youth e-cigarette use: 2017–2019

Background We examined whether the implementation of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) policies at the state level (e-cigarette-inclusive smoke-free (ESF) policies, excise taxes on e-cigarettes and raising tobacco legal purchasing age to 21 years (T21)) affected recent upward trends in youth e-cigarette use. Methods Data were from participants from 34 US states who completed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) state surveys in 2017 and 2019 (n=278 271). States were classified as having or not having ESF policies, any e-cigarette excise tax and T21 policies by 1 January 2019. Participants reported ever, past 30-day and frequent (≥20 days) e-cigarette use; past 30-day combustible cigarette smoking; and age, sex and race/ethnicity. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models assessed whether changes in e-cigarette use over time differed by policy status, adjusting for participants’ demographics and combustible cigarette smoking. Results Prevalence of ever and past 30-day youth e-cigarette use in states with ESF policies decreased during 2017–2019, while the prevalence of these measures in states without ESF policies increased. States with T21 policies showed non-significant changes in prevalence of ever and past 30-day youth e-cigarette use, whereas states without T21 policies showed significant increases in ever and past 30-day youth e-cigarette use. States with ESF and T21 policies showed slower increases in youth frequent e-cigarette use. E-cigarette excise taxes were not associated with decreasing prevalence of youth e-cigarette use. Conclusions State-level ESF and T21 policies could be effective for limiting growth of youth e-cigarette use despite an overall national increase. Higher e-cigarette excise tax rates may be needed to effectively reduce youth e-cigarette use.
Animal Cruelty and the Law: Permitted Conduct

Animal welfare laws are designed based on the use of the animal. Thus, the same animal, for example a rabbit, will have different protection under U.S. law depending upon the owner’s use of the animal. This chapter will discuss the various laws designed to provide for the humane treatment of animals in a variety of contexts and explore whether they in fact provide for their well-being or merely sanction their abuse for human pleasure.
Executive Decisions After Arthrex

This paper proposal has been accepted by the Supreme Court Review for a forthcoming article in the 2021 issue of the publication. The paper will address decision-making and accountability within the Executive Branch and the impact of the Supreme Court's June 2021 decision in Arthrex on jurisprudence related to executive branch appointments and removal.
How are moral foundations associated with empathic traits and moral identity

We examined the relationship between moral foundations, empathic traits, and moral identity using an online survey via Mechanical Turk. In order to determine how moral foundations contribute to empathic traits and moral identity, we performed classical correlation analysis as well as Bayesian correlation analysis, Bayesian ANCOVA, and Bayesian regression analysis. Results showed that individualizing foundations (harm/care, fairness/reciprocity) and binding foundations (ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, purity/sanctity) had various different relationships with empathic traits. In addition, the individualizing versus binding foundations showed somewhat reverse relationships with internalization and symbolization of moral identity. This suggests that moral foundations can contribute to further understanding of empathic traits and moral identity and how they relate to moral behavior in reality. We discuss the implications of these results for moral educators when starting to teach students about moral issues.
Interoception Underlies Therapeutic Effects of Mindfulness Meditation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background Mindfulness-based interventions have proven efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but the neurobiological mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects is unknown. As mindfulness meditation cultivates attention to the present-moment and bodily sensations, neural functions related to interoception (i.e., central processes of bodily signals) might be such a mechanism. Methods We conducted a clinical trial in which veterans with PTSD were randomly assigned to receive an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention (n = 47) or an active control intervention (present-centered group therapy; PCGT; n = 51). We assessed pre- and post-intervention PTSD symptoms and electroencephalography (EEG) measures of neural outcomes, including spontaneous brain activity, cognitive task-related brain responses, and interoceptive brain responses (heartbeat-evoked brain responses [HEBR]). We conducted statistical causal mediation analyses using treatment type as a predictor, and pre- and post-intervention measures of symptom severity as treatment response, and the neural outcomes as mediators. Results Compared to controls, the MBSR group had greater improvements in PTSD symptoms and increases in spontaneous alpha (8-13 Hz) power, task-related frontal theta power (4-7 Hz in 140-220 ms post-stimulus), and frontal theta HEBR (3-5 Hz and 265-336 ms post-R-peak). The mediation analysis using latent difference score modeling revealed that only changes in frontal theta HEBR mediated the MBSR treatment effect. Conclusions Mindfulness meditation improves brain functions of attentional control and resting brain states reflective of internally oriented relaxation. However, interoceptive neural functions enhanced by MBSR appear to be a primary cerebral mechanism that improves symptoms of PTSD.
Varieties of Algebras

We at last formally define the concept of a (set-based) algebra, consider classes of algebras defined by families of identities (varieties), and prove Birkhoff’s HSP theorem. We devote several pages to Lie algebras. Clonal categories, and Lawvere’s Structure and Semantics functors, are briefly introduced.
Combination therapy with lenalidomide and nanoceria ameliorates CNS autoimmunity.

Abstract Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder involving an autoimmune reaction to oligodendrocytes and degeneration of the axons they ensheath in the CNS. Because the damage to oligodendrocytes and axons involves local inflammation and associated oxidative stress, we tested the therapeutic efficacy of combined treatment with a potent anti-inflammatory thalidomide analog (lenalidomide) and novel synthetic anti-oxidant cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS. Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to a control (no EAE) group, or one of the four myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced EAE groups: vehicle, lenalidomide, nanoceria, or lenalidomide plus nanoceria. During a 23 day period, clinical EAE symptoms were evaluated daily, and MRI brain scans were performed at 11–13 days and 20–22 days. Histological and biochemical analyses of brain tissue samples were performed to quantify myelin loss and local inflammation. Results Lenalidomide treatment alone delayed symptom onset, while nanoceria treatment had no effect on symptom onset or severity, but did promote recovery; lenalidomide and nanoceria each significantly attenuated white matter pathology and associated inflammation. Combined treatment with lenalidomide and nanoceria resulted in a near elimination of EAE symptoms, and reduced white matter pathology and inflammatory cell responses to a much greater extent than either treatment alone. Interpretation By suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress, combined treatment with lenalidomide and nanoceria can reduce demyelination and associated neurological symptoms in EAE mice. Our preclinical data suggest a potential application of this combination therapy in MS.
Cytochrome P-450-catalyzed dehydrogenation of 1,4-dihydropyridines.

A variety of different 4-substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine Hantzsch esters are substrates for ring dehydrogenation by a cytochrome P-450 (P-450) enzyme (P-450 UT-A); the substitutent could be varied from a hydrogen to a naphthalenyl, but a pyrenyl derivative was not dehydrogenated. When a 4-alkyl group is present, both the P-450 which oxidizes the substrate and other P-450s can be inactivated (by putative alkyl radicals). P-450s did not discriminate with regard to removal of the 4-H atoms from an enantiomeric pair of dihydropyridines. Losses of the 4-proton and N-methyl from a N-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridine occur at similar rates. The calculated intrinsic kinetic hydrogen isotope effect (Dk) for dehydrogenation of 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-phenyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester was 2.9 in a reconstituted P-450 UT-A enzyme system. No significant kinetic hydrogen isotope effect was observed in microsomal incubations for the dehydrogenation of this compound or 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid diethyl ester in a variety of competitive and noncompetitive experiments. In light of previous studies on the magnitude of kinetic hydrogen isotope effects in P-450 systems (e.g. Miwa et al., 1983 (Miwa, G. T., Walsh, J. S., Kedderis, G. L., and Hollenberg, P. F. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 14445-14449], the mechanistic proposals of Augusto et al., 1982 (Augusto, O., Beilan, H. S., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 11288-11295)) for enzyme inactivation by 4-alkyl-substituted Hantzsch pyridine esters, and other precedents for sequential electron transfer in amine oxidation by P-450s, we interpret these results as being consistent with P-450-mediated 1-electron oxidation of dihydropyridines followed by the facile loss of the 4-proton, with subsequent electron transfer to complete the reaction.
Regulation of adipocyte gene expression by polyunsaturated fatty acids

A wide number of adipocyte genes are regulated by exogenous polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) through the actions of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor. Such genes include the adipocyte lipid-binding protein (ALBP or aP2) which plays a central role in facilitating the trafficking of fatty acids within adipocytes. Work from a number of laboratories has suggested the key elements of the lipid signal transduction pathway include: (1) the transport of exogenous PUFAs across the plasma membrane, (2) metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids to second messengers including 15-deoxy Δ12,14 prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2), (3) trafficking of 15dPGJ2 and other second messengers from the smooth ER to the nucleus for association with peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and (4) dimerization of PPARγ with retinoid X receptor (RXR) permitting regulation of transcription via association with any of several nuclear co-activators or repressors. In addition to the aP2 gene being a target of activation by fatty acids, at the protein level ALBP/aP2 plays a role in trafficking of fatty acids and/or their metabolises. We report here that in a heterologous system using CV-1 cells transiently transfected with PPARγ2, co-expression of ALBP/aP2 enhances the PPAR-dependent activation of gene transcription. These results suggest that ALBP/aP2 functions as a positive factor in fatty acid signalling by directly targetting and delivering fatty acids metabolites to the lipid signal transduction pathway. (Mol Cell Biochem 188: 33–39, 1998)
Analysis of the effect of timing synchronization errors on pilot-aided OFDM systems

Timing synchronization errors degrade the performance of an OFDM receiver by introducing inter-carrier-interference and inter-symbol-interference. These errors can occur due to either an erroneous initial synchronization or a change in the power delay profile of the channel. In this paper, mathematical analysis of the effect of timing errors on the performance of an OFDM receiver is provided. Exact expressions for the resulting average signal to interference ratio (SIR) were derived in the presence of timing errors. Then the effect of timing errors on the performance of a pilot-aided channel estimator is analyzed. Expressions for the average power of the channel estimation error in the presence of timing errors and noise are derived for a frequency selective fading channel. The results show the non-symmetric effect of timing errors on the performance of an OFDM system. Furthermore, they show the super-sensitivity of pilot-aided channel estimator to such errors. Finally simulation results confirm the analysis.
Corporate intranets place information on the dashboard

Purpose – Discusses how to use an intranet to gain a true picture about what is going on in an organization.Design/methodology/approach – Details the rise of internet technology, examines its applications in human‐resource management and considers practical examples from Hewlett‐Packard, Claremont Technology, Xantera Parks and Resorts, KeyCorp, Sandia National Labs, Cisco Systems, JC Penney, TeamScape, Middlesex Health System and MindSpring Enterprises.Findings – Describes how intranets can be used to continually provide real‐time feedback on what is going on with an individual's or group's performance and make it possible to give feedback in a matter of minutes, not weeks.Practical implications – Explains how intranets can be used to improve the overall management process and to facilitate collaboration among widely dispersed work groups.Social implications – Describes a tool which, by improving the performance of individuals and organizations, can ultimately benefit society as a whole.Originality/value ...
Clinical, gross, and histological findings in herring gulls and Atlantic puffins that ingested Prudhoe Bay crude oil.

Oral doses of 0, 1, 4, 5, 10, or 20 ml of Prudhoe Bay crude oil/kg body weight/day were given to herring gull and Atlantic puffin nestlings for 5 to 7 consecutive days. Gulls defecated substantial ...
Educational Adequacy as Legal Theory: Implications from Equal Educational Opportunity Doctrine

Evolving school finance litigation theory reflects an evolving equal educational opportunity doctrine. Decades ago race and school desegregation litigation forged the initial modern understanding of equal opportunity. More recently, school finance litigation displaced desegregation litigation as the major instrument for enhancing equal educational opportunity. Within the school finance litigation movement equity theory understood equal educational opportunity from the perspective of school resources, principally per pupil spending. Current school finance litigation theory - adequacy - approaches the equal educational opportunity doctrine with an eye towards results, notably student academic achievement. If my central claim that adequacy litigation is the most recent judicial articulation of an evolving equal educational opportunity doctrine is correct, an understanding of adequacy litigation requires some understanding of educational opportunity. Society's unending quest for greater educational opportunity, at least since the mid-twentieth century, implies a robust role for state and federal courts. Advocates' reliance on the courts for a drive toward enhanced educational opportunity, however, places critical - and increasingly uneasy - institutional stress on the judiciary. As a consequence, adequacy litigation's future efficacy relies partly on the equal educational opportunity doctrine's stability as well as the courts' institutional capacity to achieve desired educational policy changes.