cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caregiver-Reports of Internet Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Among Boston-Area Youth Following the 2013 Marathon Bombing

ABSTRACTAlthough practitioners and researchers have considered children’s television-based terrorism exposure, Internet-based exposure has not been sufficiently examined. We examined the scope and correlates of children’s Internet-based exposure following the Boston Marathon bombing among Boston-area youth (N = 460; 4–19 years), and the potential moderating role of age. Further exploratory analyses examined patterns of caregiver attempts to regulate child Internet exposure. Caregivers reported on child Internet-based and direct exposure to traumatic bombing-related events, and youth posttraumatic stress. Online youth consumed on average more than 2 daily hr of Internet coverage, and roughly one third consumed more than 3 daily hr of coverage. Internet exposure was particularly high among children older than 12. Greater Internet-based exposure was associated with posttraumatic stress, and 12- to 15-year-olds were particularly vulnerable. Further exploratory analyses found that although most caregivers repo...
Conclusion — The Lingering Influence of the Linde et al. v. Arab Bank, PLC Cases

This chapter provides readers with an explanation of why the Linde et al. v. Arab Bank, PLC cases will continue to influence American perceptions of “Palestinian” or “Arab” terrorism. The author illustrates how many legal scholars, journalists, and other commentators in the U.S. and Israel have applauded participants in these cases for the way that they have contributed to the potential drying up of “Palestinian” terrorist finance, and this chapter also shows how these cases have served as precedents for the filing of lawsuits against other organizations, including the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Deep Peroneal Nerve Entrapment

This branch of the common peroneal nerve descends in the leg to its termination on the dorsum of the foot where it is subject to injury. The nerve has both muscular and sensory components, and either or both may be involved in trauma. The disturbance is seen more often in females and often in those with venous problems.
Should Antibiotic Allergy Alerts Be Alarming

Allergies to various antibiotics are reported by a substantial proportion of patients. As a result, clinical decision support programming generates frequent warnings when prescribing within electronic medical records. For a variety of reasons, the majority of these warnings may be inappropriate. Our improved understanding of the underlying physiology of allergic processes reveals that the majority of cross-reacting antibiotic allergies are implausible. Appropriate history taking and workup can invalidate many more warnings. Electronic medical records ideally should permit documentation that would facilitate more accurate entry and eliminate similar future warnings.
Seizure Mechanisms in the Piriform Cortex

We are currently involved in a series of studies whose purpose is to compare and contrast the effects of kindling and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the same cortical system, the olfactory cortex. Our findings regarding LTP are presented in detail elsewhere (20,21,22,23). This paper will present some initial observations regarding seizure mechanisms in the olfactory cortex and discuss their implications.
The Parent University Program: Factors Predicting Change in Responsive Parenting Behaviors

Abstract Few evidence-based parenting programs exist for children under the age of three and even fewer have been rigorously evaluated in comparison to parenting programs for older children. The Parent University Program (PUP), was developed to serve parents with children birth through three who lived in southwest Baltimore. Parent-child dyads ( N = 86) participated in the parenting program with the goal of increasing responsive parenting skills. Participants of the PUP showed a significant increase in responsive parenting behaviors. Participants in this open trial study who completed pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments showed a significant change from clinical to non-clinical status after attending the PUP. Neither the type of facilitator nor the number of hours attended showed an association with changing parenting behaviors. The age of the child was associated with the change in responsive parenting. Parents of older children in the birth to three age range had higher scores at pre-test and showed less change over time. The results of this study suggest that the Parent University Program was associated with positive change in responsive parenting behaviors for parents with children birth through three years of age.
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION POLICIES AND REGULATION: THE CASE OF NICARAGUA

Este artigo explora os fatores institucionais, politicos e socio-economicos que tem impedido a implementacao efectiva das politicas de combate a corrupcao na Nicaragua durante as ultimas duas decadas. Este artigo argumenta que a confluencia de varios fatores criou condicoes favoraveis ??para a propagacao da corrupcao na Nicaragua, incluindo a aplicacao deficiente, a falta de autonomia e independencia judicial legislativo, a impunidade de altos funcionarios, a sociedade civil fraca, ea falta de vontade politica para combater a corrupcao. O objetivo do artigo e desenvolver recomendacoes praticas sobre como mitigar o problema da corrupcao, com especial atencao para o papel dos principais intervenientes neste processo: as autoridades publicas, organizacoes de auto-regulacao, os meios de comunicacao e da sociedade civil.
Iron Does Not “Jiggle Free” in Mitochondria: Is Mitoferrin the Only Answer?.

The developing erythron requires tremendous amounts of iron (Fe) for the synthesis of heme for hemoproteins, such as hemoglobin, and iron-sulfur (Fe/S) clusters of proteins, which are required to catalyze redox reactions and regulate Fe uptake and storage. The uptake of Fe from transferrin (Tf) involves the binding of Tf to its cognate receptor (TfR), followed by the endocytosis of the Tf-TfR complex. 1 , 2 In the late endosome, the release of Fe3+ from TfR is achieved by acidification of the vesicle by the v-ATPase H+-pump. Steap3 reduces the liberated Fe3+ prior to its transport out of the endosome by the DMT1 transporter. In contrast to previous conventional models for a cytosolic intermediate state, new data have emerged showing the direct interorganellar transfer of Fe from the endosome to the mitochondria. 3 Although it is assumed that the exported Fe is targeted to the mitochondria for eventual incorporation into heme and Fe/S clusters, our understanding of the precise mechanism of how Fe traverses the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes remains poorly understood. Work in yeast mutants have implicated the role of solute carriers, Mrs3/4p, in mitochondrial iron homeostasis and revealed that it is the reduced form of iron, Fe2+, that is imported into the mitochondria. Subsequent studies of the zebrafish mutant, frascati, led to the discovery of mitoferrin 1 (Mfrn1, slc25a37), the vertebrate ortholog of Mrs3/4, as the major iron importer across the inner mitochondrial membrane in developing erythroblasts. 4 A structurally related paralog, mitoferrin 2 (Mfrn2, slc25a28), plays the analogous role of Fe importer in non-erythroid cells. Loss-of-function studies of Mfrn1 in the mouse have confirmed its requirement in mammalian primitive and definitive erythropoiesis and its essential role in heme and Fe/S biosynthesis. Several questions remain unanswered in mitochondrial Fe metabolism: Do the two Mfrn importers account for all Fe imported into the mitochondria? How does Fe get across the outer mitochondrial membrane to reach the Mfrn importers? How does the translocated Fe in the matrix ultimately reach ferrochelatase to form heme? How is Fe translocated across the inner mitochondrial membrane?
Nonlinear dynamics of bistable lattices with defects

Heterogeneity in a lattice system has gained continued attention from researchers due to its ability to support interesting localized dynamics and engineering applications. Most studies on the influence of the defects have been done in a one-dimensional monoatomic chain with both linear and nonlinear interactions. However, analysis of defect dynamics in a lattice under on-site potential is still a rare finding. Recently, extreme wave propagation has been demonstrated theoretically and experimentally on a bi-stable lattice with magnetic inter-site force, featuring quartic on-site potential. In this work, the nonlinear dynamics of introducing engineered defects in the form of mass impurities and inter-site forcing disparities on lattices of bi-stable elements are studied. We investigate the effect of the defect presence on the local wave propagation speed and identify the critical conditions that governs the stable propagation of transition waves. With the control of damping, we further observe a special satellite region, where stable transition of wave with intermediate jumps between the stable states of the local unit cell occurs.
Nitrogen-Coordinated Iron−Carbon as Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction and Oxygen Evolution Reactions in Acidic Media

The ORR and OER performances of N-coordinated iron–carbon (FeNC), Ir/C, and Pt/C catalysts were compared using half-cell measurements. The results suggest significant ORR and OER activity for FeNC materials unlike state-of-the-art Ir/C or Pt/C which exhibited high catalytic activity only for one of the two reactions. Bifunctionality analysis on these three catalyst materials reveals significantly lower combined overpotential for FeNC catalysts compared to that for commercial Ir/C and Pt/C samples.
A geographically weighted regression approach to investigating the spatially varied built-environment effects on community opportunity

Abstract Geographically weighted regression (GWR) has been increasingly used to better understand the spatially varied relationships between socioeconomic outcomes and policy investments. In this study, a community opportunity index (COI) is computed for Columbus, Ohio, using a set of socioeconomic factors. An ordinary regression and GWR model are estimated to account for the global and local effects of land uses and capital investments respectively, while controlling for socio-demographical characteristics. The global results indicate that the community opportunity increases as the distance from the city center increases, while The Ohio State University (OSU) has higher positive spillover-effect on near communities than on distant ones. However, the local results appear a local spatially inverse relationship in the areas adjacent to the international airport (CMH), indicating the existence of negative externalities. With the advantage of visualizing spatial variations, the GWR results suggest that the most effective location for allocating future developments is in eastern Columbus, where shows a clustering of higher COI premiums of a percentage change in residential and commercial uses. A variety of spatial variations is found among different capital-investment effects. Therefore, local characteristics require consideration when allocating additional public facilities. Finally, the GWR results reveal the existence of spatial mismatch that socially disadvantaged groups (e.g. black population, other minorities, single-parent families, and zero-vehicle households) tend to reside in vulnerable communities. These local results provide a new perspective on land-use and transportation planning to help shape a fair community opportunity framework for the future.
A high FoM lithium niobate resonant transformer for passive voltage amplification

This paper reports a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) resonant transformer with an extracted passive open-circuit voltage gain of 38. The result has been attained thanks to a high figure of merit (FoM=k t 2 · Q) of 136 that results from a high electromechanical coupling (k t 2) of 28% and a high Q of 480. To our knowledge, this is the highest FoM that has been demonstrated for a two-port MEMS resonator. The fabricated transformer also features a factional bandwidth of 0.21%, thus providing a large operation temperature range (±18 K) over which a high gain can be maintained. This work has shown promising results for wake-up radio applications, where transformers can be exploited for detection of faint signals with very low or zero power consumption.
Chapter 66 – Non-bullous Skin Diseases: Alopecia Areata, Vitiligo, Psoriasis, and Urticaria

In alopecia areata (AA), hair follicle-specific T cells and innate immunity cause reversible hair loss. AA frequently resolves spontaneously, but persistent disease is often resistant to treatment. In vitiligo, destruction of skin melanocytes is induced by melanocyte-specific T cells, innate immunity, and melanocyte-specific antibodies. Immunosuppressive drugs can reverse the disease, but repigmentation of established disease requires activation of hair follicle melanocyte stem cells by drugs and/or ultraviolet light, a classic example of regenerative medicine. Psoriasis is a T cell-dependent disease characterized by epidermal thickening, alterations in epidermal differentiation, and vascular activation. Treatment with modern biologics targeting tumor necrosis factor, T helper, or T helper-17 cell pathways is highly effective in psoriasis; affected skin returns to normal with appropriate treatment. Urticaria is a common disease characterized by immunologic control of mast cells in the skin. A subset of chronic urticaria is clearly an autoimmune disease characterized by IgE antibodies to FceRI, or antibodies to the Fc portion of IgE, and response to immunosuppressive drugs or biologics specific for FceRI.
Case Study Approach

This article focuses on the usefulness and reliability of the case study approach in both research and teaching in human geography. Examples of some of the ways that local case studies can be used to help inform larger questions, issues, and theories are provided, along with a discussion of selected mixed methods used by case study practitioners in the field. Triangulation of multiple methods such as structured and unstructured interviews, participant observation, field observation, textual analysis, survey questionnaires, and spatial analysis are discussed and encouraged within the context of a few selected perspectives used by researchers. Particular emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of the case study approach in the teaching of human geography. The case of the recently approved US advanced placement human geography course is discussed to provide an example of a classroom context rich in opportunities for using the case study approach to create a more student-centered, issues-based, and collaborative classroom. It is argued here that the use of case studies as discussion points for comparison and critique make especially effective center points for conversion of traditional classrooms into sites of interactive learning and teaching. This article concludes with a brief discussion of some of the limitations of using the case study approach in research and teaching human geography with a few suggested solutions for helping mitigate these challenges.
After-School and Informal STEM Projects: the Effect of Participant Self-Selection

This research represents an unforeseen outcome of the authors’ National Science Foundation Innovation Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program grant in science education. The grant itself focused on the use of serious educational games (SEGs) in the science classroom, both during and after school, to teach science content and affect student perceptions of science and technology. This study consists of a Bayesian artificial neural network analysis, using the preintervention measures of affect, interest, personality, and cognitive ability, in members of both the treatment and comparison groups to generate the probabilities that students would opt into the treatment group or choose not to participate. It appears, from this sample and the sampling methods of other related studies within the field, that despite sometimes profound results from technology interventions in science, interventions are affecting only those who already have a strong interest in STEM due to the manner in which participants are recruited.
Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Medications: Misguided “Autonomy” in the Information Age

Practicing physicians can expect an average of ten specific drug requests per week from patients. Many of these requests stem from direct-to-consumer drug advertising (DTCDA) [Findlay S (2000) Prescription drugs and mass media advertising. National Institute of Health Care Management Research, Washington, DC] which has rapidly increased over the past decade. This rise significantly impacts the physician-patient encounter. This chapter highlights ethical conflicts that can arise in the era of DTCDA. The chapter reviews the basic concepts of DTCDA, evaluates current data in the literature regarding its impact on the physician-patient relationship, and provides recommendations for responding to such requests in an ethical manner.
Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Femoral Nerve Block With Intraoperative Local Anesthetic Injection of Liposomal Bupivacaine in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may impact long-term results and incidence of complications. Femoral nerve block (FNB) provides excellent pain relief after TKA, although associated risks include weakness, delayed participation in therapy, and nerve injury. Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) is a potentially longer acting local anesthetic that may reduce postoperative pain. Methods We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind study of 373 TKA patients randomized to receive either an FNB (control group), or an intraoperative periarticular injection (PAI) with LB and a placebo saline FNB (experimental group). Patients were evaluated with visual analog scores for pain, range of motion, performance of straight leg raise (SLR), walking distance, and Short Form-12 up to 1 year postoperatively. Results Twelve and 24 hours postoperatively, the control group had significantly lower pain scores (mean 3.24 vs 3.87; P = .02) and higher range of motion (84.54° vs 78°; P Conclusion While pain scores were slightly lower in the control group in the first 24 hours after TKA compared with LB PAI, the magnitude of the difference was small, and excellent pain relief was provided by both interventions. Use of LB PAI in TKA is a reasonable alternative to FNB, which avoids the additional weakness and other risk associated with FNB procedures.
Review Article: Gas and vapor sorption measurements using electronic beam balances

The beam balance is one of the oldest known measuring instruments. Until the 20th century, balances had been the most sensitive and precise instruments used for scientific measurements. The original balances used a beam supported at the center with pans hung from cords on both ends. The modern electronic beam balances still resemble those original designs; however, the resolution, accuracy, and capabilities have been significantly improved. This review provides a short introduction to the history of beam balances followed by a detailed description of three gravimetric microbalances manufactured by Hiden Isochema for measuring gas and vapor sorption in a variety of materials.The beam balance is one of the oldest known measuring instruments. Until the 20th century, balances had been the most sensitive and precise instruments used for scientific measurements. The original balances used a beam supported at the center with pans hung from cords on both ends. The modern electronic beam balances still resemble those original designs; however, the resolution, accuracy, and capabilities have been significantly improved. This review provides a short introduction to the history of beam balances followed by a detailed description of three gravimetric microbalances manufactured by Hiden Isochema for measuring gas and vapor sorption in a variety of materials.
Loss of cAMP-dependent stimulation of isolated cilia motility by alcohol exposure is oxidant-dependent.

Abstract Alcohol exposure is associated with decreased mucociliary clearance, a key innate defense essential to lung immunity. Previously, we identified that prolonged alcohol exposure results in dysfunction of airway cilia that persists at the organelle level. This dysfunction is characterized by a loss of 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated cilia stimulation. However, whether or not ciliary dysfunction develops intrinsically at the organelle level has not been explored. We hypothesized that prolonged alcohol exposure directly to isolated demembranated cilia (axonemes) causes ciliary dysfunction. To test this hypothesis, we exposed isolated axonemes to alcohol (100 mM) for 1–24 h and assessed ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in response to cAMP at 1, 3, 4, 6, and 24 h post-exposure. We found that after 1 h of alcohol exposure, cilia axonemes do not increase CBF in response to cAMP. Importantly, by 6 h after the initial exposure to alcohol, cAMP-mediated CBF was restored to control levels. Additionally, we found that thioredoxin reverses ciliary dysfunction in axonemes exposed to alcohol. Finally, we identified, using a combination of a xanthine oxidase oxidant-generating system, direct application of hydrogen peroxide, and electron paramagnetic resonance, that hydrogen peroxide versus superoxide, is likely the key oxidant species driving alcohol-induced ciliary dysfunction in isolated axonemes. These data highlight the role of alcohol to stimulate local production of oxidants in the axoneme to cause ciliary dysfunction. Additionally, these data specifically add hydrogen peroxide as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment or prevention of alcohol-associated ciliary dysfunction and subsequent pneumonia.
Perceptions and Divisions in Security and Defense Structures in Arab Gulf States

This chapter looks at securitization in the Gulf after the Arab Spring. Seeing regimes being toppled by dissident crowds feeling economically, socially and politically disenfranchised, the Arab monarchies directed their attention towards reforming the struggling rentier state model that had long guaranteed a degree of socio-political stability. Ulrichsen shows that new dimensions of security have dominated regime considerations amid the rise of an outward looking, tech-savvy and globally connected generation of youth who although better educated than previous generations can no longer rely on the socio-economic certainties of the rentier state and expect more social and political liberalization. This chapter will set the security context within which to understand the 2017 Gulf Crisis.
The Impact of North American Phenomenological Organizations: The Chronicle Revisited

The “Chronicle Revisited” is a reflection on the contemporary state of phenomenological organizations in North America. I originally published a chronicle documenting the formation, key members, activities, and accomplishments of phenomenological organizations in North America in 2005. The present essay is a revisitation of the original chronicle with a reflection on the development of organizations from the standpoint of 2015. Newly formed organizations have been added to the chronicle as well. The reflection describes the fascinating regional diffusion of popular themes and interests as well as the influence of key figures in the history of North American phenomenological organizations.
Don’t cry for me, Latin America:

The upsurge of mass struggles in Latin America comes at a time when the party-based Left has lost hegemony. The far-Right is seeking a restoration of neoliberalism as part of a militarized expansio...
Flint fights back: Environmental justice and democracy in the Flint water crisis, by Benjamin Pauli: Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT Press, 2019

Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thomas (Tip) O’Neil once stated that “all politics is local.” The Flint water crisis is a local environmental justice issue until such t...
Laboratory Rearing of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) under Quarantine Conditions in Florida, USA

There is a risk that Bagrada hilaris will be transported from the southwestern USA and establish in Florida where it could infest Brassica crops. Therefore, new rearing methods were developed to maintain a colony of B. hilaris under quarantine conditions to conduct research on the potential for this pest to become established in Florida. Dental wicks, cotton balls, and Kimwipes™ were evaluated as artificial oviposition substrates. Cotton balls were the preferred oviposition substrate by B. hilaris. Sumario Existe el riesgo de que Bagrada hilaris sea transportada desde el suroeste de los EE. UU. y se establezca en Florida donde podria infestar los cultivos de Brassica. Se desarrollaron nuevos metodos de cria de B. hilaris en condiciones de cuarentena para investigar el potencial que B. hilaris se establezca en Florida. Se evaluaron, las mechas dentales, las bolas de algodon, y los KimwipesTM como sustratos artificiales de oviposicion. Las bolas de algodon fueron el sustrato preferido por B. hilaris. Key Words: oviposition substrates; insect rearing; stink bug; risk assessment View this article in BioOne
Associations between oil development and sexually transmitted infections: Public health nurse perspectives

BACKGROUND Oil development (OD) has been associated with increased sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates, with limited focus on the North Dakota (ND) oil boom. Public health (PH) nurse experiences can provide context related to health challenges during OD-related population booms. OBJECTIVE To compare reported STI rates in ND oil-producing (OP) and non-oil-producing (NOP) counties before, during, and after the oil boom and describe PH nurse experiences during this time. DESIGN We conducted secondary data analysis of oil production data and reported rates for chlamydia and gonorrhea, and conducted interviews with ND PH nurses. SAMPLE PH nurses within ND counties geographically located in or near OD in the state. MEASUREMENTS ND county-level OD data trends were compared to similarly timed reported rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea in OP and NOP counties. PH nurse interviews were conducted addressing their STI-related experiences working in PH during the oil boom. RESULTS Significant findings include a correlation between OD and gonorrhea rates. PH nurses described a limited PH infrastructure to meet the health needs of a transient, increasing population. CONCLUSIONS Expanding the role of PH nurses in ND to implement STI screening and treatment would improve access to STI testing allowing for comprehensive reporting of STIs.
Electrokinetically Assisted Paper-based DNA Concentration for Enhanced qPCR Sensing

Paper-based microfluidics have gained widespread attention for use as low-cost microfluidic diagnostic devices in low-resource settings. However, variability in fluid transport due to evaporation and lack of reproducibility with processing real-world samples limits their commercial potential and widespread adoption. We have developed a novel fabrication method to address these challenges. This approach, known as “Microfluidic Pressure in Paper” (μPiP), combines thin laminating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes and precision laser-cut paper microfluidic structures to produce devices that are low-cost, scalable, and exhibit controllable and reproducible fluid flow dynamics similar to conventional microfluidic devices. We present a new μPiP DNA sample preparation and processing device that reduces the number of sample preparation steps and improves sensitivity of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) by electrophoretically separating and concentrating nucleic acids (NAs) continuously on paper. Our device was assembled using two different microfluidic paper channels: one with a larger pore (25 microns) size for bulk fluid transport and another with a smaller pore size (11 microns) for electrophoretic sample concentration. These two paper types were aligned and laminated within PDMS sheets, and integrated with adhesive copper tape electrodes. A solution containing a custom DNA sequence was introduced into the large pore size paper channel using a low-cost pressure system and a DC voltage was applied to the copper tape to electrophoretically deflect the solution containing NAs into the paper channel with the smaller pore size. Samples were collected from both DNA enriched and depleted channels and analyzed using qPCR. Our results demonstrate the ability to use these paper devices to process and concentrate nucleic acids. Our concentration device has the potential to reduce the number of sample preparation steps and to improve qPCR sensitivity, which has immediate applications in disease diagnostics, microbial contamination, and public health monitoring.
Antibody responses boosted in seropositive healthcare workers after single dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine

Current guidelines recommend that individuals who have had COVID-19 should receive the identical vaccine regimen as those who have not had the infection. This includes two doses of the mRNA platform vaccines (BNT162b2/Pfizer; mRNA-1273/Moderna) that are approved for use in the United States. In this brief report, we show that after a single dose of the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, individuals that had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection had significantly higher antibody levels than individuals that had no history of infection. This provides the rationale for changing vaccination policy to deliver only a single dose to individuals with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection that may free up additional doses for individuals that have no preexisting immunity to the virus. Future study of other immune parameters such as T cell response and durability of immune response should be rapidly undertaken in individuals that had COVID-19 prior to vaccination.
Skeletal dysplasia-causing TRPV4 mutations suppress the hypertrophic differentiation of human iPSC-derived chondrocytes

ABSTRACT Mutations in the TRPV4 ion channel can lead to a range of skeletal dysplasias. However, the mechanisms by which TRPV4 mutations lead to distinct disease severity remain unknown. Here, we use CRISPR-Cas9-edited human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) harboring either the mild V620I or lethal T89I mutations to elucidate the differential effects on channel function and chondrogenic differentiation. We found that hiPSC-derived chondrocytes with the V620I mutation exhibited increased basal currents through TRPV4. However, both mutations showed more rapid calcium signaling with a reduced overall magnitude in response to TRPV4 agonist GSK1016790A compared to wildtype. There were no differences in overall cartilaginous matrix production, but the V620I mutation resulted in reduced mechanical properties of cartilage matrix later in chondrogenesis. mRNA sequencing revealed that both mutations upregulated several anterior HOX genes and downregulated antioxidant genes CAT and GSTA1 throughout chondrogenesis. BMP4 treatment upregulated several essential hypertrophic genes in WT chondrocytes; however, this hypertrophic maturation response was inhibited in mutant chondrocytes. These results indicate that the TRPV4 mutations alter BMP signaling in chondrocytes and prevent proper chondrocyte hypertrophy, as a potential mechanism for dysfunctional skeletal development. Our findings provide potential therapeutic targets for developing treatments for TRPV4-mediated skeletal dysplasias.
Imagining a Killer Robot's First Words: Engineering State-in-The-Loop Legal Responsibility for Fully Autonomous Weapons Systems

As the U.S., the U.K., Russia, China, South Korea, and Israel begin developing fully autonomous weapons (FAW) systems, the issue of state responsibility for such systems remains undeveloped. In fact, the term “state responsibility” did not even appear in the United Nation's Group of Governmental Experts Chair’s summary of the latest discussions on lethal autonomous weapons systems. To better strategize how to mitigate state conflict arising from this technology, policymakers should be preparing for FAWs now, by establishing a legal framework of State-in-the-Loop responsibility.
Assessment of the Diversity and Inclusion Culture in a Physician Assistant Program.

PURPOSE Physician assistant (PA) programs aim to foster a collaborative culture that enables stakeholders to feel included, empowered, and valued. The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural climate of diversity and inclusion in one PA program to identify areas of strength and to serve as a baseline needs assessment for future program initiatives. METHODS The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive approach for PA survey data (N = 85) to assess perceptions of diversity and inclusion of PA program students, faculty, and staff. RESULTS The respondents largely agreed that the program created an inclusive learning environment (92%), the curriculum positively affected their understanding of diversity and cultural responsiveness (84.6%), and the program had an adequate amount of inclusivity for all program stakeholders (87%). Some faculty members (25%) and students (6.2%) disagreed that faculty were open to diverse political beliefs, and 35% of the respondents believed that more emphasis could be put on religious diversity. A few students (7.7%) perceived faculty as not supportive of non-native English language speakers; students of color (11.5%) were more likely than White students (5.1%) to have this perception. CONCLUSIONS This study largely met the goal to create a professional environment of mutual respect and, ultimately, a climate of inclusiveness. It also identified opportunities for new initiatives to meet the needs of all program stakeholders. Follow-up research that distinguishes faculty from students and a multicenter study to explore perspectives based on demographic differences would be timely and useful.
Retailer-Driven Blind Boxes in a Decentralized Supply Chain

Blind boxes (also called mystery boxes, gift boxes, or opaque boxes) are relatively recent concepts by retailers such as Birchbox and Stichfix. The distinguishing feature of a blind box is that its content remains uncertain until the customer purchases the box and opens it. This paper examines a blind box strategy in a decentralized supply chain where the retailer can design the box by choosing, with some inclusion probability, from horizontally differentiated products produced by a manufacturer. We find that a determinant factor in whether the retailer should offer a blind box is the ratio of products’ profit potential to consumers’ product preference strength. The blind box is unprofitable if this ratio is too low or too high. Furthermore, we explore how the retailer should manage the manufacturer’s wholesale price response when selling blind boxes. We find that the retailer should preemptively communicate the product inclusion probability before wholesale prices are set. Interestingly, the optimal product inclusion probability is asymmetric even when products have symmetric wholesale prices and production costs.
Abstract 17457: Radiation Exposure is Incresead Through the Last Ten Years

BACKGROUND: Since the first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) numerous efforts have been made to reduce the exposure time to radiation and protect the operator against the radiation damage. Our purpose is to compare two periods of time and determine if the exposure time has changed over the years. METHODS: We collected all myocardial infarction (MI) procedures entered into the Cath/PCI Registry from 2006 to 2011. Our population was divided in two groups according to years of PCI (2006-2008) and (2009-2011). We used interrupted time series analysis to compare mean time of exposure between the groups. The results were adjusted according to the complications in cath lab using linear regression. Complications included tamponade, vessel dissection and bleeding at the entry site during the procedure. RESULTS: 1403 consecutive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were recorded. Among the complication we had 0.1% vessel dissection; 0.6% bleeding in the entry site, and 0.1% tamponade. The mean time of fluoro exposure was 11 minutes ± 7.1 (SD) in the first group and 14 minutes ± 8.5 in the second group. The results of the linear regression showed that the p value for the comparison between the means was highly significant (=0.000) Figure CONCLUSION: In the era of new technologies and emphasis on prevention, fluoro exposure for the operators has increased through the years. This finding suggests that efforts should be made to identify the reasons and establish the best approaches to avoid unnecessary exposure.
Suppression of Polarization Dependence of Gain in distributed Raman amplifier system with compact pump depolarizer

This paper tackles the Polarization Dependence of Gain (PDG) in distributed Raman amplifier (DRA) system with orthogonal polarization multiplexed pump lights. We show that polarization mode dispersion in transmission line degrades the orthogonality of pump lights and induces PDG. We propose a compact pump depolarizer to suppress PDG.
Transaction Costs and the Normative Elements of the Public Choice Model: An Application to Constitutional Theory

IN the wake of the Coase Theorem,' transaction costs have come to play the pivotal role in economic discourse as it relates to legal issues. The Coase Theorem posits that, absent transaction costs, the efficient outcome will occur regardless of the choice of legal rule.' In a wide variety of contexts, therefore, the quest to formulate efficient rules focuses on the nature of the transaction costs that hamper the parties' ability to contract effectively among themselves. This essay presents a model of the role that transaction costs play in the economic theory of legislation.3 By emphasizing the role of transaction costs in the "public choice" model, this exercise seeks to develop a normative argument about how consti-
Image registration and calculation of a biologically effective dose for multisession radiosurgical treatments

✓ The purpose of this study was to develop techniques for registering image sets associated with staged or multifraction radiosurgical treatments of large targets with the Leksell gamma knife to transform shot coordinates between treatment sessions and produce cumulative dose distributions and to investigate the theoretical biological effects of such protracted treatments by means of such concepts as the linear—quadratic model and biologically effective dose. An image registration technique based on normalized mutual information was adapted to produce one fused-image study from an imaging series acquired during distinct treatment sessions. A spreadsheet computer program was developed to determine coordinate transformations between the associated stereotactic coordinate systems based on digitized coordinates of fiducial markers appearing on the fused images. Coordinates of shots used during one treatment session could then be transformed to the stereotactic space of another session, and cumulative dose dis...
Towards automatic synthesis of QoS preserving implementations from object-oriented design models

The translation of object-oriented design models into implementations requires a number of decisions to be made before the code can be generated. Besides choosing the target platform, these decisions also include strategies for multi-tasking and scheduling, the selection of scheduling attributes, etc. Such decisions clearly impact the QoS properties of the implemented system. In this paper, we address the problem of synthesizing QoS-preserving implementations from object-oriented design models. Based on our recent research experience in applying fixed-priority schedulability analysis techniques to real-time object-oriented designs, we present some of the obstacles in automating this process. We also present a brief overview of our research results in addressing this problem.
The Drosophila bag of marbles gene interacts genetically with Wolbachia and shows female-specific effects of divergence.

Many reproductive proteins from diverse taxa evolve rapidly and adaptively. These proteins are typically involved in late stages of reproduction such as sperm development and fertilization, and are more often functional in males than females. Surprisingly, many germline stem cell (GSC) regulatory genes, which are essential for the earliest stages of reproduction, also evolve adaptively in Drosophila. One example is the bag of marbles (bam) gene, which is required for GSC differentiation and germline cyst development in females and for regulating mitotic divisions and entry to spermatocyte differentiation in males. Here we show that the extensive divergence of bam between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans affects bam function in females but has no apparent effect in males. We further find that infection with Wolbachia pipientis, an endosymbiotic bacterium that can affect host reproduction through various mechanisms, partially suppresses female sterility caused by bam mutations in D. melanogaster and interacts differentially with bam orthologs from D. melanogaster and D. simulans. We propose that the adaptive evolution of bam has been driven at least in part by the long-term interactions between Drosophila species and Wolbachia. More generally, we suggest that microbial infections of the germline may explain the unexpected pattern of evolution of several GSC regulatory genes.
Interfacial capacitance effects in magnetic tunneling junctions

Abstract We have investigated the AC transport properties of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) in order to characterize interfacial properties. One such property is interfacial charge accumulation, which leads to a voltage drop in the electrodes of the MTJ and the measured capacitance differing from the geometrical capacitance. Through measurement of capacitance spectra, we have extracted an interfacial capacitance of 16 μF/cm 2 per interface and a screening length of 0.55 A for FeNi electrodes.
Alterations in the subcellular distribution of guanylate cyclase and its responsiveness to nitric oxide in diethylstilbestrol‐induced renal tumors

The cyclic GMP content of diethylstilbestrol-induced renal tumors in the male golden hamster was increased nearly 130-fold over that in kidney from control animals. Cyclic GMP in tumors was 91.80 +/- 19.18 pmoles cyclic GMP/mg protein compared to 0.72 +/- 0.07 in control kidneys. Cyclic AMP in tumors was also increased over control, however, to a much lesser degree (2.7-fold). In control kidneys, 84.6% of homogenate guanylate cyclase activity was recovered in the 100,000 X g supernatant fraction. Total homogenate guanylate cyclase activity from diethylstilbestrol-induced renal tumors was increased 5.5-fold over that in control kidneys and only 8.1% was associated with the 100,000 X g supernatant fraction. Neither the soluble or particulate guanylate cyclase from renal tumors could be activated by nitric oxide. The unresponsiveness of tumor guanylate cyclase to nitric oxide was independent of the cation cofactor, and not due to a shift in the dose response curve for nitric oxide. Responsiveness to nitric oxide was not restored by thiols, sugars, other proteins, or hemoglobin. Basal cyclic AMP formation by soluble guanylate cyclase from renal tumors was dramatically increased over that observed in control kidneys, and could not be increased further by nitric oxide. This is the first study of cyclic GMP and guanylate cyclase in a primary estrogen-induced tumor. The possibility that the changes observed in guanylate cyclase from diethylstilbestrol-induced renal tumors are related to in vivo activation of the enzyme by epoxide metabolites of diethylstilbestrol is discussed.
Depression of cardiac performance by ethanol unmasked during autonomic blockade.

Abstract Experiments from this and other laboratories have indicated that ethanol can both stimulate and depress cardiac function. Surmising that extracardiac stimuli, especially catecholamine release by alcohol, were obscuring its direct effect on the heart, studies were combined with autonomic blockade in anesthetized closed-chest dogs. Ethanol was infused at rates of 25 to 33 mg. per kilogram of body weight per minute; autonomic blockade was achieved with an initial dose of atropine 1.0 mg. per kilogram of body weight, and propranol 0.2 mg. per kilogram of body weight, and maintained by constant infusion. Cardiac performance was assessed from the Frank-Starling relation of ventricular filling pressure to cardiac work at control and at intervals after the start of infusions. Saline infusion with blockade caused no change in cardiac performance over 120 minutes. Ethanol with blockade caused progressive falls from 30 minutes on. Alcohol without blockade produced rises and falls in different animals in the first 30 minutes; thereafter, cardiac performance declined but at all intervals less than in dogs given alcohol with blockade. We concluded that alcohol uniformly depressed the heart after autonomic blockade, but without blockade this effect could be masked by extracardiac mechanisms mediated through the autonomic system. Assuming that catecholamine release was an important extracardiac mechanism, the conclusion was tested against conflicting reports in the literature and was found to be a useful hypothesis.
How do kV and mAs affect CT lesion detection performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate how output (mAs) and x-ray tube voltage (kV) affect lesion detection in CT imaging. An adult Rando phantom was scanned on a GE LightSpeed CT scanner at x-ray tube voltages from 80 to 140 kV, and outputs from 90 to 360 mAs. Axial images of the abdomen were reconstructed and viewed on a high quality monitor at a soft tissue display setting. We measured detection of 2.5 to 12.5 mm sized lesions using a 2 Alternate Forced Choice (2-AFC) experimental paradigm that determined lesion contrast (I) corresponding to a 92% accuracy (I 92% ) of lesion detection. Plots of log(I 92% ) versus log(lesion size) were all approximately linear. The slope of the contrast detail curve was ~ -1.0 at 90 mAs, close to the value predicted by the Rose model, but monotonically decreased with increasing mAs to a value of ~ -0.7 at 360 mAs. Increasing the x-ray tube output by a factor of four improved lesion detection by a factor of 1.9 for the smallest lesion (2.5 mm), close to the value predicted by the Rose model, but only by a factor of 1.2 for largest lesion (12.5 mm). Increasing the kV monotonically decreased the contrast detail slopes from -1.02 at 80 kV to -0.71 at 140 kV. Increasing the x-ray tube voltage from 80 to 140 kV improved lesion detection by a factor of 2.8 for the smallest lesion (2.5 mm), but only by a factor of 1.7 for largest lesion (12.5 mm). We conclude that: (i) quantum mottle is an important factor for low contrast lesion detection in images of anthropomorphic phantoms; (ii) x-ray tube voltage has a much greater influence on lesion detection performance than x-ray tube output; (iii) the Rose model only predicts CT lesion detection performance at low x-ray tube outputs (90 mAs) and for small lesions (2.5 mm).