cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synchronized movement experience enhances peer cooperation in preschool children

Cooperating with other people is a key achievement in child development and is essential for human culture. We examined whether we could induce 4-year-old children to increase their cooperation with an unfamiliar peer by providing the peers with synchronized motion experience prior to the tasks. Children were randomly assigned to independent treatment and control groups. The treatment of synchronous motion caused children to enhance their cooperation, as measured by the speed of joint task completion, compared with control groups that underwent asynchronous motion or no motion at all. Further analysis suggested that synchronization experience increased intentional communication between peer partners, resulting in increased coordination and cooperation.
Cybersecurity Management Through Logging Analytics

To make cybersecurity efforts proactive rather than solely reactive, this work proposes using machine learning to process large network related data: We collect various performance metrics in a network and use machine learning techniques to identify anomalous behavior. We introduce the novel idea of using weighted trust to prevent corruption of classifiers. Our design combines all aspects of a log management system into one distributed application for a data center to effectively offer logging, aggregation, monitoring and intelligence services. For this, we employ a three-component log management system: (1) to actively extract metrics from machines, (2) to aggregate and analyze extracted metrics to detect anomalous behavior, and (3) to allow reviewing collected metrics and to report on anomalous behavior observed. Our system runs at network and application layers and is concerned with risk mitigation and assessment. Several machine learning techniques are compared w.r.t. their classification, as well as detection performances.
Evaluating the Population Impact on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in HIV in Adulthood of Intervening on Specific Targets: A Conceptual and Methodological Framework

Reducing racial/ethnic disparities in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease is a high priority. Reductions in HIV racial/ethnic disparities can potentially be achieved by intervening on important intermediate factors. The potential population impact of intervening on intermediates can be evaluated using observational data when certain conditions are met. However, using standard stratification-based approaches commonly employed in the observational HIV literature to estimate the potential population impact in this setting may yield results that do not accurately estimate quantities of interest. Here we describe a useful conceptual and methodological framework for using observational data to appropriately evaluate the impact on HIV racial/ethnic disparities of interventions. This framework reframes relevant scientific questions in terms of a controlled direct effect and estimates a corresponding proportion eliminated. We review methods and conditions sufficient for accurate estimation within the proposed framework. We use the framework to analyze data on 2,329 participants in the CFAR [Centers for AIDS Research] Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (2008-2014) to evaluate the potential impact of universal prescription of and ≥95% adherence to antiretroviral therapy on racial disparities in HIV virological suppression. We encourage the use of the described framework to appropriately evaluate the potential impact of targeted interventions in addressing HIV racial/ethnic disparities using observational data.
Mutual synergy between catalase and peroxidase activities of the bifunctional enzyme KatG is facilitated by electron hole-hopping within the enzyme.

KatG is a bifunctional, heme-dependent enzyme in the front-line defense of numerous bacterial and fungal pathogens against H2O2-induced oxidative damage from host immune responses. Contrary to the expectation that catalase and peroxidase activities should be mutually antagonistic, peroxidatic electron donors (PxEDs) enhance KatG catalase activity. Here, we establish the mechanism of synergistic cooperation between these activities. We show that at low pH values KatG can fully convert H2O2 to O2 and H2O only if a PxED is present in the reaction mixture. Stopped-flow spectroscopy results indicated rapid initial rates of H2O2 disproportionation slowing concomitantly with the accumulation of ferryl-like heme states. These states very slowly returned to resting (i.e. ferric) enzyme, indicating that they represented catalase-inactive intermediates. We also show that an active-site tryptophan, Trp-321, participates in off-pathway electron transfer. A W321F variant in which the proximal tryptophan was replaced with a non-oxidizable phenylalanine exhibited higher catalase activity and less accumulation of off-pathway heme intermediates. Finally, rapid freeze-quench EPR experiments indicated that both WT and W321F KatG produce the same methionine–tyrosine–tryptophan (MYW) cofactor radical intermediate at the earliest reaction time points and that Trp-321 is the preferred site of off-catalase protein oxidation in the native enzyme. Of note, PxEDs did not affect the formation of the MYW cofactor radical but could reduce non-productive protein-based radical species that accumulate during reaction with H2O2. Our results suggest that catalase-inactive intermediates accumulate because of off-mechanism oxidation, primarily of Trp-321, and PxEDs stimulate KatG catalase activity by preventing the accumulation of inactive intermediates.
Problematic alcohol use and hippocampal volume in a female sample: disentangling cause from consequence using a co-twin control study design.

Background Although there is extensive evidence that problematic alcohol use is associated with smaller hippocampal volume, the typical cross-sectional study design cannot determine whether hippocampal deviations reflect pre-existing liability toward problematic alcohol use or instead reflect an alcohol exposure-related effect. We used the co-twin control study design, which capitalizes upon differences within a twin pair in levels of drinking, to differentiate pre-existing liability from an effect of alcohol exposure. Methods The sample included 100 female twins, prospectively assessed from ages 11 to 24. Problematic alcohol use was assessed dimensionally and included indicators of quantity, frequency, and density of alcohol use and intoxication. Hippocampal volume was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. Results Problematic alcohol use (proximal and cumulative) was associated with significantly smaller left and right hippocampal volume. Follow-up co-twin control analyses that partitioned individual-level alcohol effects into pre-existing, familial liability and non-shared alcohol exposure-related effects indicated that this association reflected alcohol exposure. Greater alcohol using twins had smaller hippocampal volume relative to lesser alcohol using co-twins, beyond effects of their shared genetic and environmental liability toward problematic alcohol use. Results held accounting for recent alcohol use, other substance use, externalizing and internalizing psychopathology, personality traits, trauma exposure, and menstrual phase. Conclusions The association between problematic alcohol use and smaller hippocampal volume likely reflects an alcohol exposure-related effect. Differentiating pre-existing brain deviations that confer risk for problematic alcohol use from those that reflect effects of alcohol on the brain will inform etiological models of addiction and further prevention and intervention efforts.
Feminist Family Therapy in the United States

This entry presents a historical overview of the development of feminist family therapy in the United States from 1978 to 2013. The feminist critique was at its strongest in the 1980s and early 1990s. By identifying the way that gendered power differences in the larger society constructed intimate relationships within the family, it transformed family therapy and contributed to the social deconstruction of traditional gender roles. Since the mid-1990s, feminist family therapy has disappeared from most mainstream journals, becoming marginalized into specialized journals and books. Most recently, the field has been plagued by the failure of white feminists to embrace an intersectionalities perspective, and the failure of the evidence-based practice community to address gender and race. In contrast to these trends, some therapists are focusing on a social justice perspective, examining how multi-institutional inequalities in US society constrain family relationships. Keywords: feminisms; gender analysis; intersectionality; multicultural; psychotherapy
Reduced dependence of thermal conductivity on temperature and pressure of multi-atom component crystalline solid solutions

We investigate the effect of mass disorder, temperature, and pressure on the spectral thermal conductivity of multicomponent crystalline solid solutions via molecular dynamics simulations. The thermal conductivities of Lennard-Jones based solid solutions with one to five different atomic components in the crystalline lattice are simulated at a range of uniaxial strain levels and temperatures. Our results show that for multicomponent alloys, increasing only the mass impurity scattering by adding atoms with different masses in the solid solution does not lead to significant changes in the spectral contributions to thermal conductivity. However, increasing the impurity concentration or changing the local force-field of the impurity atoms in the solid solution has a relatively significant impact on the spectral contributions to thermal conductivity. The effect of chemical order in these alloys is shown to drastically alter the temperature dependence due to the different scattering mechanisms dictating thermal...
Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale following cryptogenic stroke: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract Background Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) after cryptogenic stroke has long been a contentious issue. Herein, we pool aggregate data examining safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of PFO compared with medical therapy following initial cryptogenic stroke. Methods We searched for randomized clinical trials (RCT) that compared device closure with medical management and reported on subsequent stroke and adverse events. Stroke was considered as the primary efficacy endpoint, whereas bleeding and atrial fibrillation were considered primary safety endpoints. Data were pooled by the random effects model and I2 was used to assess heterogeneity. Results A total of 5 RCT investigating 3630 patients met inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis revealed that device closure compared to medical management was associated with a significant reduction in stroke (RR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.02–0.57). There was, however, a significant increase in atrial arrhythmias with device therapy (RR = 4.8, 95% CI = 2.2–10.7). We found no increase in bleeding (RR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.5–1.4), death (RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.3–1.99) or “any adverse events” (RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.85–1.23) with device therapy. Sub-group analysis revealed that device closure significantly reduced the incidence of the composite primary endpoint among patients who had moderate to large shunt sizes (RR = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.02–0.42). Conclusions Transcatheter closure is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of stroke compared to medical management at the expense of an increased risk of atrial arrhythmias.
The Ultimate Goal Post

> The role of medical journals is not to tell us how to think, but what to think about… > > —Saurabh Jha On March 12, 2018, CQO published “Moving the Goal Posts Into Unblinded Territory: The Larger Lessons of DEFER and FAME 2 and Their Implications for Shifting End Points in ISCHEMIA” by Rajkumar et al.1 The article - now entitled “‘Faith Healing’ and ‘Subtraction Anxiety’ in Unblinded Trials of Procedures: Lessons from DEFER and FAME-2 for endpoints in the ISCHEMIA trial” - focused on biases that can be introduced when potentially subjective end points are used in unblinded studies of revascularization. The authors illustrated their key points in the context of DEFER (Deferral of PTCA Versus Performance of PTCA) and FAME 2 (Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Angiography for Multivessel Evaluation 2), and the ongoing ISCHEMIA trial (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches). After publication of the article by Rajkumar et al,1 the ISCHEMIA investigators pointed out factual errors in the description of their trial. We have published their response to us immediately as an online eLetter, the contents of which also will be published as a Letter to the Editor in this issue of CQO. 2 We also are updating the article to correct these …
Nitrogen Fixation (NIF) Regulatory Mutants of Klebsiella: Determination of the Energy Cost of N2 Fixation In Vivo

Experiments carried out in a number of laboratories have established that biological nitrogen fixation requires a large input of metabolic energy (see Burns & Hardy, 1975; Winter and Burris, 1976; Zumft & Mortenson, 1975). Evidence has been presented by Hardy & Havelka (1973) that the supply of energy may often be a rate-limiting step in symbiotic N2 fixation. It has, however, proved difficult to determine exactly how much energy is required. In vitro experiments with nitrogenase from various organisms have established that reduction of N2 or alternate substrates requires ATP in addition to a suitable reductant. Most recent in vitro studies have reported a minimal requirement of 12–15 moles ATP per mole N2 reduced to 2NH 4 + , but the values vary considerably with the experimental conditions (see Burns & Hardy, 1975; Winter and Burris, 1976; Zumft & Mortenson, 1975).
Ethanol administration to mice decreases myocardial accumulation of CardioPET and BFPET

1095 Objectives Previously we have demonstrated that acute ethanol administration to rats decreases radio-labeled fatty acid uptake by the heart and blood flow as measured by 201thallium uptake (Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 14: 781, 1990). In the current investigation we extended these studies using 18F PET tracers to examine the effect of ethanol administration on cardiac uptake of CardioPET (trans-9-[18F]fluoro-3,4-methyleneheptadecanoic acid) a fatty acid metabolic marker that is trapped at the first step of beta-oxidation, BFPET (4-[18F]fluorophenyltriphenylphosphonium), a marker of blood flow, and FDG a glucose metabolic marker. Methods Male mice (CD-1, 28-30 grams, Charles River), were fasted overnight. Subsequently, the mice were given ethanol (5 g/kg) by gavage. Eight hours later the mice were injected i.v. in the tail vein with 50 µCi of CardioPET, BFPET or FDG. Sixty min. after injection of CardioPET or FDG and 90 min. after administration of BFPET the animals were sacrificed and bio-distribution was measured. Radioactivity in myocardial tissue was measured with a well-type gamma counter and results were expressed as percent injected dose per gram (%ID/g, mean ± sem). Results As indicated in the table myocardial accumulation of both CardioPET and BFPET were decreased significantly (p Conclusions Acute oral administration of ethanol decreased both cardiac uptake of the radiolabeled fatty acid and blood flow. FDG uptake (glusose utilization)was not increased. These results confirm previous studies and further demonstrate the potential damaging effect of acute ethanol administration on cardiac metabolism and blood flow. Research Support Shriners Hospitals For Childre
Identities for the Univariate and Bivariate Bernstein Basis Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter examines identities for the univariate and bivariate Bernstein basis functions. Bezier curves and surfaces are essential to a wide variety of applications in computer graphics and geometric modeling, and the Bernstein basis functions play a central role in the construction and analysis of these curve and surface schemes. The purpose of this chapter is to assemble in one place those identities involving the univariate and bivariate Bernstein basis functions that help to facilitate the symbolic and numeric manipulation of Bezier curves and surfaces. The chapter presents these identities in a consistent framework and may serve as a compact reference. The formulas are organized into 25 categories. In general, each category begins with the formulas for the univariate bases and then lists the corresponding formulas for the bivariate bases, though in some cases no direct univariate or bivariate analogues exist.
Enzymatic, Spectrophotometric Determination of Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, and Inulin/Oligofructose in Foods

A fast, simple, and accurate method, using only standard laboratory equipment, was developed for the quantification of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and inulin/oligofructose in different food matrixes. Samples were extracted using boiling water and hydrolyzed with sucrase and fructanase. Sugars were determined in the initial extract and in both hydrolysates using an enzymatic, spectrophotometric kit for glucose and fructose determination with hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and phosphoglucose isomerase. Calculations of sucrose and inulin/oligofructose were based only on fructose measurement. Glucose results of the hydrolysates were not used for inulin/oligofructose calculations because of possible interference. Released glucose by the hydrolysis of maltose or by possible partial hydrolysis of other compounds like maltodextrines, starch, lactose, or maltitol could interfere in the measurement of the sucrase and the fructanase hydrolysates. To validate the method, a wide range of different food matrixes and different amounts of inulin/oligofructose (1-54%) were analyzed. Mean recovery +/- relative standard deviation (RSD) for inulin or oligofructose was 96.0 +/- 5.3%. The RSDr for inulin/oligofructose measured on 35 food samples, analyzed in duplicate, was 5.9%. Accuracy and precision of the method were less for samples with large concentrations of sucrose, maltose, maltodextrines, or starch (ratio to inulin/oligofructose >4 to 1). Precision and accuracy were comparable with those of the ion exchange chromatographic method AOAC 997.08 and the enzymatic, spectrophotometric method AOAC 999.03. In contrast to 999.03, this method allows the accurate quantification of both GFn and Fn forms.
A Method to Calculate the Resistivity of Strip Cast 3000 Series Al Alloys Based on Their Nominal Solute Content

The initial supersaturation level of 13 different 3000 series Al alloys was characterized by electrical resistivity measurements using a four-point probe method. The prediction of these electrical resistivity values as a function of electron scattering from a particular solute in solid solution was accomplished by fitting a least-squares linear regression equation to the data. The agreement between the experimental and theoretical results is within a ± 5% relative error.
Empirical Research on the Core Competencies Needed to Practice Law: What Do Clients, New Lawyers, and Legal Employers Tell Us?

Key stakeholders in legal services, legal education, and the professional regulation of lawyers are asking the following question: What are the core competencies needed for a new lawyer to practice law effectively and successfully? Since the focus of professions like law, medicine, the clergy, and the professorate is to provide assistance at a high level of commitment and professional competence to the person served (client, patient, parishioner, and student), a good place to start in answering this question would be to examine empirical research on what core competencies are needed by the person served. This article summarizes some of the empirical data available to answer this question.
The Role of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in the Treatment of Postural Instability and Gait Disorders of Parkinson's Disease

Postural instability and gait disorders are movement abnormalities commonly associated with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) that lead to loss of independence. Although the available literature varies in methodology and design, there appears to be consensus among many studies concerning the effect of subthalamic nucleus (STN) or globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) on postural stability and gait disorders in PD. In the short term, DBS improves all postural and gait subscores of the UPDRS including freezing in the off-medication state.
The Role of Phosphatases and Reactive Oxygen Species in Regulation of the JAK/STAT Pathway

Cytokine-mediated regulation of the Jak tyrosine kinases and their downstream targets involves a combination of activating and inactivating reactions to ensure that the strength and duration of the signal is appropriately controlled. Initial activation of the cascade involves ligand engagement of specific cell surface receptors that permits enhanced affinity of the Jaks with the receptor. The aggregation of the Jaks allows for their activation through transphosphorylation. Subsequently, these tyrosine kinases phosphorylate members of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) family of transcription factors. Evidence accumulated over the past several years has demonstrated that tyrosine phosphatases play important roles in modulating both activation and inactivation of the Jaks as well as the Stats. Serine/threonine phosphatases and reactive oxygen have been reported to further modulate the Jak/Stat pathway. The actions of reactive O2 may or may not be secondary to their known function as inhibitors of tyrosine phosphatases. In this chapter we discuss the role of phosphatases and reactive oxygen in the regulation of Jak kinase activity. In a separate chapter by Ke Shuai, the role of tyrosine phosphatases in dephosphorylating the Stat proteins will be reviewed.
Astronomy Research Seminar - The Impact on Students from their Perspective. Preliminary results from one spring seminar.

In an effort to give undergraduate and high school students an experience of the processes of scientific research as close to what they might expect in the field, the Astronomy Research Seminar has been taught out of Cuesta Community College in San Luis Obispo, CA, for over a decade, and for the past 3 years as a distance education course. The hope is that in providing early exposure to scientific research in a way that as closely as possible resembles the scientific endeavor outside of the classroom, more students will be given the tools to continue to pursue science in their education and careers, specifically the perseverance in the challenge of writing a scientific paper for publication. Here we present an analysis of an initial evaluation of the seminar by looking at students’ self-reported feelings about how the seminar has inspired them, and helped them learn to manage projects, write scientific papers and take charge of their own learning.
Ultrafast Dynamics of Encapsulated Molecules Reveals New Insight on the Photoisomerization Mechanism for Azobenzenes

Spatial confinement can have a profound impact on the dynamics of chemical reactions, especially for isomerization reactions that involve large-amplitude structural rearrangement of a molecule. This work uses ultrafast spectroscopy to probe the effects of confinement on trans → cis photoisomerization following ππ* excitation of 4-propyl stilbene and 4-propyl azobenzene encapsulated in a supramolecular host–guest complex. Transient absorption spectroscopy of the encapsulated azobenzene derivative reveals the formation of two distinct excited-state species with spectral signatures resembling the cis and trans isomers. Formation of the cis species indicates a direct excited-state isomerization channel that is not observed in cyclohexane solution. Comparison with the stilbene analogue suggests that this “hot” excited-state isomerization pathway for encapsulated azobenzene involves primarily in-plane inversion, whereas a 10-fold increase of the excited-state lifetime for the trans isomer suggests that crowding...
Managing Cancer Patients' Expectations Amid Hope And Hype.

How patients view oncologists—and how oncologists view themselves—matters when difficult decisions must be made.
Superstition in Sacramental Theology

Maurice Blondel’s Action (1893) illustrates that the phenomenon of superstition inveigles its way into all forms of human activity, even intellectual pursuits like philosophy and theology, when the...
The design of startup accelerators

Abstract Accelerator programs are an increasingly important part of entrepreneurial ecosystems. While accelerators have core defining features—fixed-term, cohort-based educational and mentorship programs for startups— there is also significant variation amongst them. In this paper, we relate key variation in the antecedents, organizational design and operation of these programs to theories of firm-level entrepreneurial performance. We then document descriptive correlations between these design elements and the performance of the startups that attend these programs. In doing so, we probe the connections between design and performance in ways that integrate previously disparate research on accelerators and expand our understanding of startup intermediaries. Our findings delineate the building blocks as well as an agenda for future researchers to build upon not only our understanding of accelerators, but also our understanding of what new ventures need to survive and flourish.
Resonant configurations in scalar field theories: Can some oscillons live forever?

We investigate the longevity of oscillons numerically, paying particular attention to radially symmetric oscillons that have been conjectured to have an infinitely long lifetime. In two spatial dimensions, oscillons have not been seen to decay. In three spatial dimensions, specific initial Gaussian configurations seem to lead to oscillons with spikes in lifetime that have been conjectured to be infinite. We study such ``resonant'' oscillons in two and three spatial dimensions, applying two tests to study their longevity: parametric resonance and virialization. Without offering a formal proof, our numerical results offer support for the conjecture that, in both dimensions, resonant oscillons may be infinitely long lived.
Attacks on healthcare facilities as an indicator of violence against civilians in Syria: An exploratory analysis of open-source data

Background Grasping the human cost of war requires comprehensive evaluation of multiple dimensions of conflict. While the number of civilian casualties is a frequently used indicator to evaluate intensity of violence in conflict, the inclusion of other indicators may provide a more complete understanding of how war impacts people and their communities. The Syrian conflict has been specifically marked by attacks against healthcare facilities, and the advancement of technology has provided an avenue for remote data analysis of conflict trends. This study aims to determine the feasibility of using publicly available, online data of attacks on healthcare facilities to better describe population-level violence in the Syrian Civil War. Methods This study utilized publicly available datasets from the Violations Documentation Center (VDC) and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) to compare trends in attacks on healthcare facilities and civilian casualties from March 2011 to November 2017 in the Syrian Civil War. We used descriptive statistics, bivariate tests and a multivariable hypothesis testing model to measure the association between the two indicators while adjusting for confounding variables. Results We examined for associations between attacks on healthcare facilities and overall civilian casualties. In the adjusted regression model, each attack on a healthcare facility in the Syrian conflict corresponded to an estimated 260 reported civilian casualties in the same month (95% CI: 227 to 294). This model adjusted for population displacement (using number of registered refugees as a proxy). The May 2014 interaction term, used a transition point of early/late war based on political events during that time, illustrated that each healthcare facility attack after May 2014 corresponded to a statistically significant decrease of 228 civilian deaths. This suggests that although attacks on healthcare facilities continued to contribute to overall civilian deaths, the scale that this was happening was lower after May 2014. Conclusion In the Syrian Civil War, our findings suggest that the inclusion of other humanitarian indicators, such as attacks on hospitals, may add granularity to traditional indicators of violence (e.g. such as civilian casualties) to develop a more nuanced understanding of the warring tactics used and violence against civilians in the Syrian conflict. This exploratory case study represents a novel approach to utilizing open-source data along with statistical analysis to interpret violence against civilians. Future research could benefit from analyzing attacks on healthcare facilities and other civilian infrastructure concurrently with civilian casualty data for further data-driven utilization of open-source data.
Don’t work too hard: Subsampling leads to efficient analysis of large acoustic datasets

Abstract Echo-integration measurements have been traditionally made from dedicated fisheries survey vessels, but extensive measurements from moorings, autonomous vehicles, and fishing vessels are increasingly available. Processing these data by traditional means developed for well-staffed fisheries surveys can be prohibitively time-consuming, which has limited their use. Automated processing methods exist to efficiently handle these large datasets; however, as compared to post-processing by trained analysts, these methods require substantial expertise and methodological development, and they often produce less certain results. Here, we evaluate the use of subsampling, which takes advantage of the spatial correlation common in many fish populations, to improve the efficiency of traditional processing methods while retaining a high level of precision. We subsampled data from an eastern Bering Sea walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) acoustic-trawl survey and compared estimates of pollock backscatter from subsamples to those from the full survey. Over a survey-wide scale, processing
Analysis of thermodynamic problems with the Lambert W function

We present an analysis of two problems in thermodynamics in terms of the Lambert W function, including the mean-field approximation of the Ising model, and Bose–Einstein condensation. Both problems are well known to exhibit the critical behavior of phase transition. Standard treatment of the problems involves numerical or graphical solutions. Utilizing justified simplifying approximations, we find a closed-form mean-field solution for the Ising model in terms of the special W function. With the same special function, we present an analysis of Bose–Einstein condensation, allowing approximate quantitative determination of the dependence of the chemical potential on temperature without full numerical computation. The analysis helps to facilitate understanding and to gain insight on these processes involving phase transitions in a straightforward manner.
The Law And Economics Of Cannibalism: The Limits Of Valuation Criteria And Benefit-Cost Analysis

All general rules for behavior or valuation and for law itself break down under some circumstances. The law struggles with this sort of issue in the law of necessity, in assigning rights, in valuation, in considering burdens of proof with incomplete information, and in developing common law. This is no less true of cost benefit analysis, (CBA) or benefit-cost analysis (BCA), which depend on the law for definitions of rights. Economics and economists have long been extensively faulted for their treatment of values and valuation. These criticisms usually suggest no alternatives, though voting is sometimes mentioned. The point of this paper is that there is no perfect criterion for valuation but that some are better than others, and that a sophisticated benefit-cost analysis is often the best or is at least a reasonable or possible approach even under conditions not particularly favorable to its use.
Making Up Our Minds: What School Choice is Really About, by S. Ben-Porath & M. Johanek, University of Chicago Press, 2019, 208 pp., $25.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-226-61963-7

Sigal R. Ben-Porath and Michael C. Johanek provide a brief, readable, and illustrative account of the history of schooling in the United States and discuss how history can inform today’s school cho...
S100A4 is activated by RhoA and catalyses the polymerization of non-muscle myosin, adhesion complex assembly and contraction in airway smooth muscle

Key points S100A4 is expressed in many tissues, including smooth muscle (SM), but its physiologic function is unknown. S100A4 regulates the motility of metastatic cancer cells by binding to non-muscle (NM) myosin II. Contractile stimulation causes the polymerization of NM myosin in airway SM, which is necessary for tension development. NM myosin regulates the assembly of adhesion junction signalling complexes (adhesomes) that catalyse actin polymerization. In airway SM, ACh (acetylcholine) stimulated the binding of S100A4 to the NM myosin heavy chain, which was catalysed by RhoA GTPase via the RhoA-binding protein, rhotekin. The binding of S100A4 to NM myosin was required for NM myosin polymerization, adhesome assembly and actin polymerization. S100A4 plays a critical function in the regulation of airway SM contraction by catalysing NM myosin filament assembly. The interaction of S100A4 with NM myosin may also play an important role in the physiologic function of other tissues. Abstract S100A4 binds to the heavy chain of non-muscle (NM) myosin II and can regulate the motility of crawling cells. S100A4 is widely expressed in many tissues including smooth muscle (SM), although its role in the regulation of their physiologic function is not known. We hypothesized that S100A4 contributes to the regulation of contraction in airway SM by regulating a pool of NM myosin II at the cell cortex. NM myosin II undergoes polymerization in airway SM and regulates contraction by catalysing the assembly of integrin-associated adhesome complexes that activate pathways that catalyse actin polymerization. ACh stimulated the interaction of S100A4 with NM myosin II in airway SM at the cell cortex and catalysed NM myosin filament assembly. RhoA GTPase regulated the activation of S100A4 via rhotekin, which facilitated the formation of a complex between RhoA, S100A4 and NM myosin II. The depletion of S100A4, RhoA or rhotekin from airway SM tissues using short hairpin RNA or small interfering RNA prevented NM myosin II polymerization as well as the recruitment of vinculin and paxillin to adhesome signalling complexes in response to ACh, and inhibited actin polymerization and tension development. S100A4 depletion did not affect ACh-stimulated SM myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation. The results show that S100A4 plays a critical role in tension development in airway SM tissue by catalysing NM myosin filament assembly, and that the interaction of S100A4 with NM myosin in response to contractile stimulation is activated by RhoA GTPase. These results may be broadly relevant to the physiologic function of S100A4 in other cell and tissue types.
Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Improves Spine Fusion in a Vitamin D-Deficient Rat Model

ABSTRACT Background: The effects of vitamin D deficiency on spinal fusion are not well studied, nor are approaches to overcoming deficiency-related detrimental effects. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the effects of vitamin D deficiency on spine fusion in a rat model, and (2) determine whether recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein–2 (rhBMP-2) can improve outcomes in deficient rats. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to a vitamin D group: vitamin D sufficient (14), vitamin D deficient (16), vitamin D postoperative rescue (15). Posterolateral fusion was performed at L3-4 and L5-6, with one level receiving rhBMP-2 and the other allograft. Following 6 weeks, the spines were harvested for micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analyses. Fusion was assessed via manual palpation and micro-CT assessment. Micro-CT images were analyzed for bone microarchitecture in intact L5 vertebral bodies and within fused bone masses treated with rhBMP-2. Results: There were no significant effects of vitamin D status on fusion assessments. However, the microarchitecture of native bone in the intact L5 vertebral bodies of vitamin D–sufficient rats showed significantly greater trabecular thickness (P Conclusions: Overall, vitamin D deficiency decreased trabecular bone microarchitecture, and treatment with rhBMP-2 improved outcomes across all vitamin D groups. Clinical Relevance: Given the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in spine surgery patients, vitamin D supplementation may be a cost-effective method for reducing the risk of pseudoarthrosis.
Gentrification: The role of dialogue in community engagement and social cohesion

This study focuses on a community in south Atlanta, Georgia, comprising a case study in gentrification and community engagement that supports two related phenomena: (1) the process of community dia...
Beyond the Formalist Façade: Complexity and Contradiction’s Urban Roots

Robert Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture of 1966 is an architectural, not an urban book. Its compositional principles and analysis focus on individual buildings, with the city in only a minor role. Yet urbanism was a central theme in Venturi’s second book, Learning from Las Vegas, co-authored with Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour in 1972. Moreover, Complexity and Contradiction originated as an urban study. Its genesis was Venturi’s proposal for an American Academy Rome Prize, refined in three applications from 1952–54, all on urbanism. Was Venturi’s first book merely a detour from his early urban interests, which re-emerged later? Or does it sublimate ideas about the wider built environment? His well-known interest in Townscape during the 1950s shaped his early research into context and two early essays, one on the Campidoglio’s surroundings in Rome, and another on Frank Lloyd Wright’s integration of buildings and landscape. This research remained at the core of Complexity and Contradiction. Although the book pulls architectural issues into the foreground, “crypto-urban” themes connect it to ideas about how to see and experience the broader built environment.
Functional characterization of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine elicited antibodies in immunologically naïve and pre-immune humans

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the authorization of vaccines for emergency use has been crucial in slowing down the rate of infection and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. In order to investigate the longitudinal serological responses to SARS-CoV-2 natural infection and vaccination, a large-scale, multi-year serosurveillance program entitled SPARTA (SARS SeroPrevalence and Respiratory Tract Assessment) was initiated at 4 locations in the U.S. The serological assay presented here measuring IgG binding to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) detected antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination with a 95.5% sensitivity and a 95.9% specificity. We used this assay to screen more than 3100 participants and selected 20 previously infected pre-immune and 32 immunologically nave participants to analyze their antibody binding to RBD and viral neutralization (VN) responses following vaccination with two doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 or the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine. Vaccination not only elicited a more robust immune reaction than natural infection, but the level of neutralizing and anti-RBD antibody binding after vaccination is also significantly higher in pre-immune participants compared to immunologically nave participants ( p <0.0033). Furthermore, the administration of the second vaccination did not further increase the neutralizing or binding antibody levels in pre-immune participants ( p =0.69). However, ~46% of the immunologically nave participants required both vaccinations to seroconvert.
Copyright as a Barrier to Music Therapy Telehealth Interventions: Qualitative Interview Study (preprint)

Background: Music therapy is a multifaceted discipline that harnesses the power of music to treat a wide range of patient populations. A therapist who plays music in a private room for a patient is not subject to copyright restrictions. However, in the wake up of the COVID-19 pandemic, music therapy is no longer strictly confined to the face-to-face setting. The present study explores music therapists’ perceptions of copyright law with respect to their ability to provide mediated services to their clients. Objective: The objective of our study was to investigate whether concerns about copyright law are hampering the diffusion of telehealth innovations or causing music therapists to deviate from preferred treatments. Methods: Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with credentialed music therapists in the United States between May and June of 2020, using video conference technology. Credentialed music therapists were recruited from a list of music therapists provided to the lead author by the American Music Therapy Association. The researchers used referrals from these initial interviewees’ networks and then recruited more interviewees via snowball sampling. Finally, some interviewees were recruited using contact information obtained using Internet searches for qualified participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of therapeutic interventions outside of private face-to-face environments: Environments where music therapy practices are largely shielded from copyright infringement concerns. Six main themes emerged, including therapists’ uncertainty about permissible uses of music and therapists’ erring on the side of caution causing lost opportunities for care. Our interview data suggests music therapists have altered therapeutic interventions in suboptimal ways to avoid copyright liability in a physically distanced environment. Conclusions: Music therapists “drag their feet” on offering therapeutically appropriate activities to clients because of copyright concerns. Innovative mediated therapies are shied away from or abandoned. These findings offer a novel contribution to the public health literature by highlighting copyright law as an unexpected and unwelcomed barrier to the diffusion of music therapy practices in technologically-mediated settings.
Highly nonlinear sub-micron silicon nitride trench waveguide coated with gold nanoparticles

We demonstrate the fabrication of a highly nonlinear sub-micron silicon nitride trench waveguide coated with gold nanoparticles for plasmonic enhancement. The average enhancement effect is evaluated by measuring the spectral broadening effect caused by self-phase-modulation. The nonlinear refractive index n2 was measured to be 7.0917×10 -19 m 2 /W for a waveguide whose Wopen is 5 µm. Several waveguides at different locations on one wafer were measured in order to take the randomness of the nanoparticle distribution into consideration. The largest enhancement is measured to be as high as 10 times. Fabrication of this waveguide started with a MEMS grade photomask. By using conventional optical lithography, the wide linewidth was transferred to a wafer. Then the wafer was etched anisotropically by potassium hydroxide (KOH) to engrave trapezoidal trenches with an angle of 54.7o. Side wall roughness was mitigated by KOH etching and thermal oxidation that was used to generate a buffer layer for silicon nitride waveguide. The guiding material silicon nitride was then deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The waveguide was then patterned with a chemical template, with 20 nm gold particles being chemically attached to the functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate) domains. Since the particles attached only to the PMMA domains, they were confined to localized regions, therefore forcing the nanoparticles into clusters of various numbers and geometries. Experiments reveal that the waveguide has negligible nonlinear absorption loss, and its nonlinear refractive index can be greatly enhanced by gold nano clusters. The silicon nitride trench waveguide has large nonlinear refractive index, rendering itself promising for nonlinear applications.
Slug to churn transition in upward vertical two-phase flow

Abstract Based on an analysis of the physical mechanism, a new model is developed for the transitions for slug flow to churn flow in vertical pipes. The transition is attributed to the wake effect of Taylor bubbles on highly aerated liquid slugs. The new model is compared with existing models and published experimental data. It is in better agreement with experimental data than existing models.
Clinical pharmacology of various types of fibrinolytic enzyme preparations

Abstract 1. 1. One hundred ninety-six patients were treated with various types of fibrinolytic enzyme preparations. 2. 2. Of 538 intravenous and/or intra-arterial infusions, hemorrhage occurred in twelve cases, and pulmonary embolism in two. 3. 3. Pyrogenic side effects were seen commonly with earlier preparations but only four times in 385 treatments with newer, more purified preparations. 4. 4. With four- to eight-hour infusions, decrease of factors of the blood clotting system was never of sufficient magnitude to be of clinical significance. Rapid intravenous injection resulted in more pronounced changes. Factors most often affected were prothrombin, factor V, factor VII and fibrinogen. 5. 5. Retreatment with streptokinase or streptokinase-activated plasmin three weeks after an initial course of therapy resulted in anaphylactoid reactions in two of three cases. Retreatment with urokinase-activated plasmin caused no side effects and did not result in decreased therapeutic activity in twelve cases. 6. 6. In cases of thrombophlebitis or thrombosis of the large veins (chiefly complications of neoplastic diseases in elderly patients) of less than five days' standing when treatment was initiated, of sixty-two patients treated with streptokinase, urokinase- or chloroform-activated plasmin, streptokinase or urokinase, alone or in combination with anticoagulants, twenty-eight (45 per cent) returned to normal and twenty (32 per cent) improved in less than five days, six (10 per cent) did not improve and one died of pulmonary embolism. All preparations used appeared to be therapeutically active. The objectives and methods of this study precluded the use of a matched control group of patients on a randomized double-blind basis. Nevertheless, therapeutic results in the groups of patients treated with fibrinolysin were superior to those in the untreated group or groups treated with anticoagulants.