cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fairness Versus Welfare: The Limits of Kaplow and Shavell’s Pareto Argument

In a series of articles and a book, Louis Kaplow and Steven Shavell (KS) articulated and defended the normative approach of standard law-and-economics. KS also argued that legal analysts should think in welfare-economic terms exclusively when advising on normative social issues of tremendous import. This thesis generated controversy within the legal academic community because it implied that numerous analysts were not doing an important part of their jobs the way that they should be doing it. One of KS’s main arguments featured a very plausible version of the Pareto principle. KS claimed that their Pareto argument demonstrated that any method of policy evaluation that gives any weight to principles independently of their effect on how well-off individuals become sometimes commits the evaluator to making everyone worse off. This Article argues that KS misstated what their Pareto argument demonstrated. It also argues that KS’s Pareto argument provides no independent reason to endorse any part of welfare economics and thus no independent reason to adhere exclusively to welfare-economic thinking. Additionally, the Article clarifies much of what is at stake in deciding whether to adopt an exclusively welfare-economic approach to normative legal scholarship. Finally, the Article suggests that KS’s central thesis is incorrect—there is an important place at the table for forms of normative analysis that diverge from a purely welfare-economic approach.
How to introduce a new product

I have been asked to speak to you today on "How to Introduce a New Product". This sounds simple enough on the surface — and would be if we were discussing techniques involved in getting an appealing, uncomplicated, consumer-type product to the market. But we are not. We are in a materials $$ a component products — business, and nobody buys what we are selling on impulse alone. Far from it.
The effects of business cycles on tourism demand flows in small island destinations

This study examines the liaison between business cycles and tourism demand flows to Aruba and Barbados by considering the between- and within-dimensions of business cycle effects. The study demonst...
Acrolein Exposure in Hookah Smokers and Non-Smokers Exposed to Hookah Tobacco Secondhand Smoke: Implications for Regulating Hookah Tobacco Products.

Introduction Acrolein is a highly ciliatoxic agent, a toxic respiratory irritant, a cardiotoxicant, and a possible carcinogen present in tobacco smoke including hookah tobacco. Methods 105 hookah smokers and 103 non-smokers attended exclusively hookah smoking social events at either a hookah lounge or private home, and provided urine samples the morning of and the morning after the event. Samples were analyzed for 3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid (3-HPMA), a metabolite of acrolein. Results Geometric mean (GM) urinary 3-HPMA levels in hookah smokers and non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) increased significantly, 1.41 times, 95% CI = 1.15 to 1.74 and 1.39 times, 95% CI = 1.16 to 1.67, respectively, following a hookah social event. The highest increase (1.68 times, 95% CI = 1.15 to 2.45; p = 0.007) in 3-HPMA post a hookah social event was among daily hookah smokers (GM, from 1991 pmol/mg to 3348 pmol/mg). Pre-to-post event change in urinary 3-HPMA was significantly positively correlated with pre-to-post event change in urinary cotinine among hookah smokers at either location of hookah event, (ρ = 0.359, p = 0.001), and among non-smokers in hookah lounges (ρ = 0.369, p = 0.012). Conclusions Hookah tobacco smoke is a source of acrolein exposure. Findings support regulating hookah tobacco products including reducing humectants and sugar additives, which are precursors of acrolein under certain pyrolysis conditions. We suggest posting health warning signs for indoor smoking in hookah lounges, and encouraging voluntary bans of smoking hookah tobacco in private homes. Implications Our study is the first to quantify the increase in acrolein exposure in hookah smokers and non-smokers exposed to exclusively hookah tobacco SHS at hookah social events in homes or hookah lounges. Our findings provide additional support for regulating hookah tobacco product content, protecting non-smokers' health by posting health warning signs for indoor smoking in hookah lounges, and encouraging home bans on hookah tobacco smoking to safeguard vulnerable residents.
Abstract 3310: Atg7 overexpression promotes bladder cancer invasionviaautophagic removal of AUF1 protein and subsequently increased RhoGDI2 mRNA stabilityin vitroandin vivo

Autophagy is the basic catabolic mechanism regulating degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components and is regulated by the autophagy-related gene 7 (Atg7). Since invasive bladder cancer (BC) can progress to life threatening metastases, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying BC invasion is of tremendous importance for potentially reducing the mortality of this disease. In the present study, we for the first time found that the Atg7 was remarkably upregulated in human BC cell lines and the BBN-induced mouse invasive BCs, which is consistent with our most recent finding in human BCs. The knockdown of Atg7 in human BC cells dramatically inhibited cancer cell invasion, suggesting that Atg7 is a key player in regulation of BC invasion. Mechanistic studies revealed that Atg7 overexpression was mediated by miR-190, which was highly upregulated at transcriptional level in BC tissues and cell lines, and was able to bind to 3’-UTR of atg7 mRNA for its stabilization. Moreover, Atg7-mediated autophagic mechanism could remove AUF1 protein and in turn reduced AUF1 interaction with rhogdi2 mRNA, resulting in elevation of rhogdi2 mRNA stability, and subsequently leading to BC cell invasion. Remarkably, inhibition of Atg7-mediated autophagy led to AUF1 protein accumulation, RhoGDI2 downregulation and BC cell invasion attenuation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that overexpressed Atg7 mediates BC cell autophagy, which removes AUF1 protein, thereby reducing its binding with rhogdi2 mRNA and subsequently leading to elevation of rhogdi2 mRNA stability and protein expression, further promoting BC invasion. The identification of miR-190/Atg7 autophagic mechanism regulating AUF1/RhoGDI2 expression provides a significant insight into understanding the nature of BC invasion, and is also highly potential for developing autophagy-based-specific therapeutic strategy for treatment of human BC patients. Citation Format: Junlan Zhu, Yang Li, Chuanshu Huang, Haishan Huang. Atg7 overexpression promotes bladder cancer invasion via autophagic removal of AUF1 protein and subsequently increased RhoGDI2 mRNA stability in vitro and in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3310. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3310
Probability and Statistics

Statistical methods are used for solving a wide variety of problems in natural sciences and other fields. Statistics provides an important guidance in description and interpretation of collected data. Based on results of such interpretation, one can discover patterns in data, determine what theoretical models can describe data and what predictions can be made to predict future events, or to find connections between seemingly independent events or trends.
J M Keynes's Assessment of the Strengths and Weaknesses of his IS-LM Model in Chapter 21 of the General Theory: Comparing this Assessment with his 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics Article

Keynes made a final reassessment of his chapter 15, Section IV simultaneous, four equation IS-LM model in Section IV of chapter 21 of the General Theory that is duplicated in his 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics article . In his 1937 reply, his summary of the two main reasons for his disagreement with Classical and Neoclassical theory were connected and not in conflict with each other as has been supposed in the economic literature. The first reason for his break with the Classical and Neoclassical school was the decision theoretic problem of uncertainty. The neoclassical failure to deal with uncertainty then led to the second problem, which was an incorrect model of the rate of interest. The Neoclassicals only had an IS curve and no Liquidity Preference (LM) curve. The missing equation in the Neoclassical model was Keynes’s Chapter 15 p.199 Liquidity Preference equation. The claim that the summary in the 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics article is in conflict with the General Theory is simply false with no support. The Neoclassical failure to deal with uncertainty caused the neoclassicals to make erroneous claims about the rate of interest.Keynes’s IS-LM model fixes the problem if the D-Z model of chapters 20 and 21 is used to deal with price and profit expectations. Keynes’s summary on the last two pages of his 1937 Quarterly Journal of Economics article is the same as his extensive final analysis of his IS-LM model on pp.298-303 of the General Theory.
Tuberculosis Elimination in the United States — The Need for Renewed Action

Tuberculosis has all but vanished from the U.S. public’s mind as a perceived threat, which jeopardizes the prospect of tuberculosis elimination in the United States. Critical ethical and policy questions must be addressed if elimination is to be pursued in earnest.
An Unsentimental Education: Affective Creativity in McOndo

This article revisits the anthology McOndo (1996), edited by Alberto Fuguet and Sergio Gomez, and suggests that this collection might be reappraised by considering the affective charges of the moods and atmospheres that circulate throughout these stories. Proposing an exploration of ‘affective creativity’ in relation to the historical contingency of emotional experience, I argue that McOndo manifests the emergence of an aesthetics of non-transcendent emotions – an aesthetics that probes, engages with and resignifies trivial forms of feeling. I suggest that such an aesthetics responds to the proliferation of new modes of production and consumption that extend their reach into the affective life of individual subjects, and to the disenchantment with forms of artistic and revolutionary militancy linked to the projects of radical social reform of the 1960s in Latin America, which often banked on the ability of feelings to drive subjects towards transformative action.
Water Activity and Its Significance in Topical Dosage Forms.

Abstract Unique properties of thermodynamic activity of solvents in topical semisolids and its effects on in vitro product performance have not been fully understood. Mechanistic investigation was undertaken to demonstrate the significance of thermodynamic potential of solvents [water activity (a w ) or solvent activity (a s )] on in vitro performance of model topical formulations. Drug transport across synthetic membranes was found to decrease with decreasing water activity of formulations. Similarly, in vitro permeation of model permeant (caffeine) across porcine epidermis was found to decrease with decreasing water activity of formulations. Notably, relatively low water activity formulations (a w , 0.78) induced dehydration in porcine skin associated with significant structural changes like detachment of individual stratum corneum layers. Inclusion of hydrating agents (propylene glycol) in low water activity (a w , 0.78) formulations restored hydration levels and structural integrity of porcine skin. Most importantly, incremental inclusion of propylene glycol in low water activity formulations (a w , 0.78) enhanced in vitro permeation of model permeant (fluorescein sodium). Further investigation revealed that variability in processing conditions (high shear mixing during emulsification step) could modulate water activity in semisolid formulations despite their compositional sameness. In retrospect, water activity was found to be a critical quality attribute of topical semisolid products which impacts overall product performance and drug delivery.
Biotic disturbance mitigates effects of multiple stressors in a marine benthic community

Predicting how communities respond to multiple stressors is challenging because community dynamics, stressors, and animal–stressor interactions can vary with environmental conditions, including the intensity of natural disturbance. Nevertheless, environmental laws stipulate that we predict, measure, and mitigate the ecological effects of some human‐induced stressors in the environment, including chemical contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. We conducted an experiment in Antarctica to test how a marine soft‐sediment benthic community responded to multiple chemical contaminants and biotic disturbance by manipulating organic carbon enrichment, copper metal contamination, access by large epibenthic animals, and their interaction. Biotic disturbance caused mainly by large echinoderms was manipulated with exclusion cages and cage‐control treatments. Colonization patterns in sediment trays revealed that total infaunal abundance and arthropods decreased with toxic Cu (0, 100, and 500 ppm) and total organic carbon (TOC; 0%, 1%, and 2% by wt), as enrichment produced increasing levels of sediment hypoxia/anoxia. Annelids and echinoderms decreased with Cu but increased with TOC because many colonizing polychaete worms, seastars, and epifaunal sea urchins were deposit feeders. Bioturbation by echinoderms disturbed sediments, leading to a substantial decline in total infaunal abundance in uncontaminated sediments, but also an increase in the relative abundance in contaminated sediments, as bioturbation mitigated the effect of both chemical stressors. Biotic disturbance also caused substantial shifts in the species composition of the invertebrate assemblages and an overall increase in species diversity. Prior predictions about the response of benthic marine phyla to the separate and combined effects of Cu and carbon enrichment appear robust to variation in natural biotic disturbance.
A matrix converter fed sinusoidal input output high frequency transformer for power system applications

This paper proposes a matrix converter fed, sinusoidal input output high frequency transformer. The transformer sees sinusoidal voltages and currents, at high frequency, on both primary side and secondary side. This is achieved by low pass filters on both primary side and secondary side of the transformer. The switching frequency of power electronic transformer, proposed in this paper, is independent of the value of leakage inductance.Modulation strategies for the two matrix converters, at the two sides of the transformer, are explained. A mathematical model is developed to design the two low pass filters. The proposed power electronic transformer has been simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK and results have been presented.
Taurine Uptake and Release by the Pancreatic β-Cells

The β-amino acid taurine is abundantly present in its free form in various mammalian cells and tissues1, including the islet of Langerhans2. Although the exact physiological role of taurine in the pancreas is not understood, a number of studies suggest a possible role of taurine in glucose metabolism. Taurine has been shown to attenuate streptozotocin-induced diabetes in animals3, to increase the stimulatory effects of conventional secretagogues in cultured fetal β-cells4, and to protect against β-cells injury by NO and IL-1 beta5. Most interestingly, hyposmotic challenge that induces taurine release in many cells1 has been shown to increase secretion of insulin6,7.
Picojoule-level octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in chalcogenide waveguides

Low propagation loss Ge23Sb7S70 waveguides (0.56 dB/cm) are fabricated in a wafer scale process. Simulation of a 2 cm long, 1.2 μm wide waveguide with 100 ps/nm/km peak dispersion predicts coherent supercontinuum generation at 1.55 μm pump wavelength. Octave-spanning supercontinuum using a dispersive wave is experimentally demonstrated using picojoule-level energy (26 pJ, 240 fs pulse width, 77 W peak power) pulses.
Alleviating the nurse faculty shortage: designating and preparing the academic nurse educator as an advanced practice registered nurse

A lack of qualified nurse faculty is a persistent problem in the discipline of nursing. It limits the number of nurses prepared to provide safe, quality care in settings around the world. Many individuals, groups, and organizations have studied the nurse faculty shortage and recommended resolutions, yet the shortage persists. This opinion paper contends that designating the academic nurse educator (ANE) as an advanced practice registered nurse and identifying an educational pathway that ensures academic preparation for the role could help to alleviate the nurse faculty shortage. Evidence disseminated by national and international constituents that influence nursing and nursing education supports the perspective and serves as the basis for recommendations that could attract more nurses to faculty positions in nursing education and ensure preparation of ANEs for their role.
Optical Metabolic Imaging for Assessment of Radiation-Induced Injury to Rat Kidney and Mitigation by Lisinopril

The kidney is one of the most radiosensitive organs; it is the primary dose-limiting organ in radiotherapies for upper abdominal cancers. The role of mitochondrial redox state in the development and treatment of renal radiation injury, however, remains ill-defined. This study utilizes 3D optical cryo-imaging to quantify renal mitochondrial bioenergetics dysfunction after 13 Gy leg-out partial body irradiation (PBI). Furthermore, the mitigating effects of lisinopril (lisino), an anti-hypertensive angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, is assessed in renal radiation-induced injuries. Around day 150 post-irradiation, kidneys are harvested for cryo-imaging. The 3D images of the metabolic indices (NADH, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and FAD, flavin adenine dinucleotide) are acquired, and the mitochondrial redox states of the irradiated and irradiated + lisino kidneys are quantified by calculating the volumetric mean redox ratio (NADH/FAD). PBI oxidized renal mitochondrial redox state by 78%. The kidneys from the irradiated + lisino rats showed mitigation of mitochondrial redox state by 93% compared to the PBI group. The study provides evidence for an altered bioenergetics and energy metabolism in the rat model of irradiation-induced kidney damage. In addition, the results suggest that lisinopril mitigates irradiation damage by attenuating the oxidation of mitochondria leading to increase redox ratio.
Metric dimension of combinatorial game graphs

The study of combinatorial games is intimately tied to the study of graphs, as any game can be realized as a directed graph in which players take turns traversing the edges until reaching a sink. However, there have heretofore been few efforts towards analyzing game graphs using graph theoretic metrics and techniques. A set $S$ of vertices in a graph $G$ resolves $G$ if every vertex in $G$ is uniquely determined by the vector of its distances from the vertices in $S$. A metric basis of $G$ is a smallest resolving set and the metric dimension is the cardinality of a metric basis. In this article we examine the metric dimension of the graphs resulting from some rulesets, including both short games (those which are sure to end after finitely many turns) and loopy games (those games for which the associated graph contains cycles).
Preliminary Normative Standards of the Mayo Clinic Esophagectomy CONDUIT Tool

Abstract Objective To collect patient-reported outcomes after esophagectomy to establish a set of preliminary normative standards to aid in symptom-score interpretation. Patients and Methods Patients undergoing esophagectomy often have little understanding about postoperative symptom management. The Mayo Clinic esophageal CONDUIT tool is a validated questionnaire comprising 5 multi-item symptom-assessment domains and 2 health-assessment domains. A prospective nonrandomized cohort study was conducted on adult patients who have had esophagectomies using the CONDUIT tool from August 17, 2015, to July 30, 2018 (NCT02530983). The Statistical Analysis System v9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) was used to calculate and analyze the scores. Results Over the study period, 569 patients were assessed for eligibility, and 241 patients consented and were offered the tool. Of these, 188 patients (median age: 65 years; range: 24 to 87 years; 80% male patients) had calculable scores. Of the 188 patients, 50 (26.6%) patients were identified as potential beneficiaries for educational intervention to improve symptoms (received moderate scores for a domain), and 131 (69.7%) patients were identified as needing further testing or provider intervention (received poor scores for a domain) based on the tool. Conclusion The CONDUIT tool scores, when compared with standardized scales with established preliminary normative scores, could be used to identify and triage patients who need targeted education, further testing, or provider interventions. These score ranges will serve as the first set of normative standards to aid in the interpretation of conduit performance among providers and patients.
Zika virus non-structural protein NS4A restricts eye growth in Drosophila through regulation of JAK/STAT signaling

To gain a comprehensive view of the changes in host gene expression underlying Zika virus (ZIKV) pathogenesis, we performed whole-genome mRNAseq of ZIKV infected Drosophila adult flies. RNA-seq analysis revealed that ZIKV infection alters several and diverse biological processes including stress, locomotion, lipid metabolism, imaginal disc morphogenesis and regulation of JAK/STAT signaling, To explore the interaction between ZIKV infection and JAK/STAT signaling regulation, we generated genetic constructs overexpressing ZIKV-specific non-structural proteins NS2A, NS2B, NS4A and NS4B. We find that ectopic expression of non-structural proteins in the developing Drosophila eye significantly restricts growth of the larval and adult eye and correlates with a considerable repression of the in vivo JAK/STAT reporter, 10XStat92E-GFP. At the cellular level, eye growth defects are associated with reduced rate of proliferation without affecting the overall rate of apoptosis. In addition, ZIKV NS4A genetically interacts with the JAK/STAT signaling components; co-expression of NS4A along with dominant negative form of domeless or StatRNAi results in aggravated reduction in eye size while co-expression of NS4A in HopTuml mutant background partially rescues the Hop-induced eye overgrowth phenotype. The function of ZIKV NS4A in regulating growth is maintained in the wing, where ZIKV NS4A overexpression in the pouch domain results in reduced growth linked with diminished expression of Notch targets, Wingless and Cut and the Notch reporter, NRE-GFP. Thus, our study provides evidence that ZIKV infection in Drosophila results in restricted growth of the developing eye and wing, wherein eye phenotype is induced through regulation of JAK/STAT signaling while restricted wing growth is through regulation of Notch signaling. The interaction of ZIKV non-structural proteins with the conserved host signaling pathways further advance our understanding of ZIKV-induced pathogenesis.
The Molecular Landscape of Hürthle Cell Thyroid Cancer Is Associated with Altered Mitochondrial Function—A Comprehensive Review

Hurthle cell thyroid carcinoma (HTC) accounts for 3-5% of all thyroid malignancies. Widely invasive HTC is characterized by poor prognosis and limited responsiveness to standard therapy with radioiodine. The molecular landscape of HTC is significantly different from the genetic signature seen in other forms of thyroid cancer. We performed a comprehensive literature review on the association between the molecular features of HTC and cancer metabolism. We searched the Pubmed, Embase, and Medline databases for clinical and translational studies published between 1980 and 2020 in English, coupling "HTC" with the following keywords: "genomic analysis", "mutations", "exome sequencing", "molecular", "mitochondria", "metabolism", "oxidative phosphorylation", "glycolysis", "oxidative stress", "reactive oxygen species", and "oncogenes". HTC is characterized by frequent complex I mitochondrial DNA mutations as early clonal events. This genetic signature is associated with the abundance of malfunctioning mitochondria in cancer cells. HTC relies predominantly on aerobic glycolysis as a source of energy production, as oxidative phosphorylation-related genes are downregulated. The enhanced glucose utilization by HTC is used for diagnostic purposes in the clinical setting for the detection of metastases by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FGD-PET/CT) imaging. A comprehensive metabolomic profiling of HTC in association with its molecular landscape might be necessary for the implementation of tumor-specific therapeutic approaches.
Intimate Partner Violence and Parenting: Examining the Roles of Parenting Stress, Timing, and Maternal Abuse History

Maternal intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure has been linked to negative parenting outcomes. Studies suggest that parenting stress is an intermediary between IPV exposure and parenting, though past work has relied on small, clinically- referred samples. Moreover, it is unclear if parenting is differentially affected by a mother’s recent versus past history of IPV exposure, or whether a mother’s childhood abuse history moderates the associations of IPV with parenting stress and parenting behaviors. The current study examines whether recent IPV, versus past IPV, has stronger associations with parenting stress and parenting behaviors and tests whether maternal abuse history moderates these associations. Using structural equation modeling, we tested relations between IPV (frequency and recency), parenting stress, and parenting behaviors cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a large community sample of IPV-exposed low-income Hispanic and African American mothers of children aged 0–14 years (N = 1159). We found that mothers who reported IPV exposure in the past year reported higher negative and lower positive parenting behaviors than mothers who reported less recent exposure. Further, we found that the frequency and timing of IPV exposure affected parenting indirectly through increased parenting stress. However, a childhood history of abuse did not appear to sensitize women to these effects. These findings suggest that psychological interventions aimed at reducing the subjective experience of parenting stress, as well as increased access to resources that reduce objective childcare burden, are important for promoting resilience among families exposed to violence.
Sea Otter Behavior: Morphologic, Physiologic, and Sensory Adaptations

Morphology and physiology enable but also constrain an animal’s behavior and physical performance, and sensory systems affect how an animal perceives its environment. Sea otters are grouped with other raptorial predators even though they capture and manipulate prey with their forepaws and consume it at the water’s surface. They have a short, robust skull and mandibles that enhance bite force. Their postcanine teeth have rounded or conical cusps and large surfaces for cracking or crushing mollusk shells, crustacean exoskeletons, or the test of echinoderms, such as sea urchins. The axial skeleton of sea otters is modified for aquatic locomotion, with a flexible spine and foreshortened limbs to reduce hydrodynamic drag. Forelimbs are used to capture and manipulate prey and for using tools (e.g., rocks) to open hard-shelled prey, but not for locomotion. Sea otters use dorsoventral undulation with simultaneous pelvic paddling during routine submerged swimming, and their hindfeet are modified into flippers for more efficient thrust. Because of their large lung volume, sea otters are positively buoyant and rest (sleep) effortlessly or swim in supine position at the surface, using alternate stroking of the hind flippers, although they are clumsy and slow when walking on land. To offset the high thermal conductivity of water, sea otters have a mass-specific basal metabolic rate that is 2.9-fold higher than a terrestrial eutherian mammal. As a result, they consume about 25% of their body mass daily, which requires them to spend 14–50% of their activity budget foraging. Because sea otters rely almost exclusively on fur for thermal insulation, they groom (felt) their dense fur to trap an air layer next to the skin, and this essential behavior represents a significant part of the daily activity budget. Sea otters have dichromatic color vision, underwater acuity similar to other marine mammals, and the aerial acuity of many terrestrial mammals. Although sea otters detect underwater sounds, hearing is primarily adapted for air, and they do not vocalize underwater. Their forepaws have good tactile surface discrimination for identifying prey by touch, but the role of their vibrissae in foraging is uncertain. Sea otters discriminate odorants and have a vomeronasal gland, which may detect pheromones that convey social or sexual (endocrine) cues that influence behavior and reproductive physiology. Based on the presence of taste buds, sea otters may have a gustatory sense. Compared to cetaceans, the sensory systems of sea otters are more similar to amphibious pinnipeds and terrestrial carnivorans.
The Never-Ending Presidency: Ronald Reagan’s Sustaining Influence On African American Life

Since Reagan office in 1989, conservative Republicans have supported numerous efforts to memorialize him as the most consequential president of the modern era. Conservatives have engaged in an intentional public relations campaign to reconstruct Reagan’s image from a hardline conservative to a mild mannered, principled conservative. He is now lauded as a transformational president who improved the lives of Americans for the better. This article argues that Reagan presidential legacy pertaining has been harmful to African Americans in ways that parallel the legacy of Andrew Johnson. However, with the exception of criminal justice and anti-poverty history, Black scholars are not in place to insert the counter narratives that Reagan’s presidency continues to shape African American life. He is currently discussed within a broader history of anti-civil rights policy. Yet, the Reagan Administration served as a gateway for the removal of rights for African Americans that parallel the end of the first reconstruction era. Additionally, it is clear that Reaganism and Republicanism have become the governing doctrine that guides our national politics and confines the development of African American life. Therefore, it is essential as public intellectuals to insert a more comprehensive study of Reagan’s political career from the 1950s and through 1989. Black scholarship should and does have a role in providing an alternate examination of Reaganism as the Republican Party continues to foster racial backlash, support policies that prevent the development of economic equality, and expand a judiciary that is hostile to the interests of African Americans.
On the political origins of bias in the heavenly chorus

Discussions of bias in interest communities have remained resolutely descriptive. We try to move the literature to a more explanatory focus both by linking the study of diversity or bias in interest representation to an underlying model of the density of the different guilds of interests – Gray and Lowery’s Energy, Stability, Area (ESA) model. The results of the density models are used to assess relative bias in representation across the states in the dominance of traditional business interests in 1997. We then assess how sensitive these relative biases are to variations in the supply and demand variables that drive the ESA model of density. We conclude by discussing both further applications of our method of analysis and our substantive finding that representational bias is deeply rooted in politics.
Evaluation of a Cardiac Ultrasound Segmentation Algorithm Using a Phantom

This paper evaluates the performance of a level set algorithm for segmenting the endocardium in short-axis ultrasound images. The evaluation is carried out using an anthropomorphic ultrasound phantom. Details of the phantom design, including comparison of the ultrasound parameters with in-vitro measurements, are included. In addition to measuring segmentation accuracy, the effectiveness of the energy minimization scheme is also determined. It is argued that using the phantom along with global minimization algorithms (simulated annealing and random search) makes is possible to assess the minimization strategy.
A Complex Adaptive Systems Model of Organization Change

The study of complex adaptive systems has yielded great insight into how complex, organic-like structures can evolve order and purpose over time. Business organizations, typified by semi-autonomous organizational members interacting at many levels of cognition and action, can be portrayed by the generic constructs and driving mechanisms of complex adaptive systems theory. The purpose of this paper is to forge a unified description of complex adaptive systems from several sources, and then investigate the issue of change in a business organization via the framework of complex adaptive systems. The theory of complex adaptive systems uses components from three paradigms of management thought: systems theory, population ecology, and information processing. Specific propositions regarding the nature of dynamical change will be developed, driven by the complex adaptive systems model. Supporting evidence for these propositions is then sought within the existing management theory literature. In doing so, the complex adaptive systems approach to understanding organization change will be better grounded in domain-specific theory, and new insights and research areas will come to light.
Statistical properties of plasmaspheric hiss derived from Van Allen Probes data and their Effects on radiation belt electron dynamics

Author(s): Li, W; Ma, Q; Thorne, RM; Bortnik, J; Kletzing, CA; Kurth, WS; Hospodarsky, GB; Nishimura, Y | Abstract: ©2015. American Geophysical Union. Plasmaspheric hiss is known to play an important role in controlling the overall structure and dynamics of radiation belt electrons inside the plasmasphere. Using newly available Van Allen Probes wave data, which provide excellent coverage in the entire inner magnetosphere, we evaluate the global distribution of the hiss wave frequency spectrum and wave intensity for different levels of substorm activity. Our statistical results show that observed hiss peak frequencies are generally lower than the commonly adopted value (~550Hz), which was in frequent use, and that the hiss wave power frequently extends below 100Hz, particularly at larger L shells ( g ~3) on the dayside during enhanced levels of substorm activity. We also compare electron pitch angle scattering rates caused by hiss using the new statistical frequency spectrum and the previously adopted Gaussian spectrum and find that the differences are up to a factor of ~5 and are dependent on energy and L shell. Moreover, the new statistical hiss wave frequency spectrum including wave power below 100Hz leads to increased pitch angle scattering rates by a factor of ~1.5 for electrons above ~100keV at L~5, although their effect is negligible at L≤3. Consequently, we suggest that the new realistic hiss wave frequency spectrum should be incorporated into future modeling of radiation belt electron dynamics.
Robotic assistant for transperineal prostate interventions in 3T closed MRI

Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of image-guided needle-based therapy and biopsy in the management of prostate cancer. The accuracy of traditional prostate interventions performed using transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is limited by image fidelity, needle template guides, needle deflection and tissue deformation. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an ideal modality for guiding and monitoring such interventions due to its excellent visualization of the prostate, its sub-structure and surrounding tissues. We have designed a comprehensive robotic assistant system that allows prostate biopsy and brachytherapy procedures to be performed entirely inside a 3T closed MRI scanner. We present a detailed design of the robotic manipulator and an evaluation of its usability and MR compatibility.
Neuron–astrocyte interactions in neurodegenerative diseases: Role of neuroinflammation

Selective neuron loss in discrete brain regions is a hallmark of various neurodegenerative disorders, although the mechanisms responsible for this regional vulnerability of neurons remain largely unknown. Earlier studies attributed neuron dysfunction and eventual loss during neurodegenerative diseases as exclusively cell autonomous. Although cell-intrinsic factors are one critical aspect in dictating neuron death, recent evidence also supports the involvement of other central nervous system cell types in propagating non-cell autonomous neuronal injury during neurodegenerative diseases. One such example is astrocytes, which support neuronal and synaptic function, but can also contribute to neuroinflammatory processes through robust chemokine secretion. Indeed, aberrations in astrocyte function have been shown to negatively impact neuronal integrity in several neurological diseases. The present review focuses on neuroinflammatory paradigms influenced by neuron-astrocyte cross-talk in the context of select neurodegenerative diseases.
Hypoinsulinemia may mediate the lowering of self-stimulation thresholds by food restriction and streptozotocin-induced diabetes

Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes and chronic food restriction have both been reported to lower thresholds for lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation (LHSS). In view of recent evidence that insulin regulates monoamine transporter gene expression in brain, it is possible that the hypoinsulinemia that is common to diabetes and food restriction mediates the enhancement of brain stimulation reward. Two experiments were conducted to test predictions of this hypothesis. In Experiment 1, the effect of STZ-induced diabetes on threshold for LHSS was monitored in rats maintained on either a high fat (HF; 64% fat/0% carbohydrate) or high carbohydrate (HC; 60% carbohydrate/4% fat) diet. Although HC rats were hyperphagic and lost weight at a faster rate than the normophagic HF rats, the two dietary groups displayed similar declines in LHSS threshold, consonant with their nearly identical plasma insulin levels of 25.1±2.1 and 24.8±0.9 μIU/ml, respectively. In agreement with observations in food-restricted rats, the lowering of threshold in diabetic rats was preferentially associated with electrode placements adjacent or dorsal to the dorsolateral aspect of the fornix. In Experiment 2, the effect of subchronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) insulin treatment on LHSS threshold was determined in ad libitum fed and food-restricted rats. A five day regimen of i.c.v. insulin (3 mU twice per day) produced a long-lasting (>7 days beyond cessation of insulin treatment) elevation of threshold in ad libitum fed rats and, more transiently, reversed the threshold-lowering effect of food restriction. Acute insulin treatment (3 mU, 15 min prior) also elevated threshold in food-restricted rats. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that insulin modulates sensitivity of a brain reward system and that hypoinsulinemia may be the common factor in food restriction and diabetes that accounts for the enhancement of perifornical LHSS.
Compression of an Inflated Tube Between Rigid Surfaces as an Elementary Tire Mechanics Model

Abstract An infinitely long membrane tube under lateral compression between various rigid surfaces is used as a model to illustrate the load carrying mechanism in tires. The surfaces include parallel flat plates, indentors, and surfaces which are flat and parallel except for a semicircular hump. Such configurations are relevant to deflection of tires against flat ground, the plunger test of tire behavior, and tire enveloping properties. In the flat plate case, compression rate appreciably affects both the force‐deflection relations and strength. But even at its weakest the structure bursts only at very high deflection. In the indentor case, burst cannot occur unless the initial pressure exceeds a value dependent on the indentor radius to which behavior is otherwise insensitive. Regarding envelopment, the magnitude of the disturbance due to the presence of a hump increases with decreasing tube inflation pressure.
Average cost expansion sequencing

We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the optimality of a sequencing of capacity expansion projects based on nondecreasing ratios of investment cost to capacity.
The frequency and frequency dysuriasyndromes of childhood: Hypercalciuria as a possible etiology

Abstract Objectives The syndromes of frequency and frequency dysuria of childhoodare believed to have multifactorial etiologies. Hypercalciuria has been reported to be associated with the frequency dysuria syndrome and a direct cause and effect relationship has been postulated due to a positive response to treatment with hydrochlorothiazide. This study was designed to compare the urinary calciums of children with the frequency syndrome and the frequency dysuria syndrome. Methods Calcium screening in 30 consecutive patients with the frequency syndromeand 39 consecutive patients with the frequency dysuria syndrome is reported. Results There was no statistical difference in the urinary calcium excretion in the two groups. Conclusions There was no significant difference in the calcium excretion in childrenwith isolated urinary frequency or frequency dysuria. No definite cause and effect relationship to hypercalciuria could be identified in these two groups.
A stabilization algorithm for linear discrete constant systems

A procedure is derived for stabilizing linear constant discrete systems which is a discrete analog of the extended Bass algorithm for stabilizing linear constant continuous systems. The procedure offers a method for constructing a stabilizing feedback without the computational difficulty of raising the unstable open-loop response matrix to powers thus making the method attractive for high order or poorly conditioned systems.
Effect of noise contrast polarity and temporal asynchrony on visual sensitivity

We evaluated the effect of substitutive noise on contrast sensitivity within the context of linear (Fourier) and nonlinear (non-Fourier) visual processes. Orientation judgments for D6 (sixth spatial derivative of Gaussian) patterns were obtained from three visually normal subjects when random regions of the target and background were occluded by small (1.7 arc min) pixel arrays that were either all of the same contrast polarity or a mixture of equal percentages of negative and positive contrast. The target was presented either synchronously or asynchronously with the occluding elements. Our results indicate that the manipulation of noise characteristics in this way can bias performance either toward a nonlinear process that is insensitive to noise contrast polarity but sensitive to temporal asynchrony or toward a quasi-linear process that is sensitive to noise contrast polarity but insensitive to temporal asynchrony. These findings have relevance to models of the effect of spatial sampling on the visual performance of persons with retinal disease.
Near-field acoustical imaging with boundary arrays

High-resolution acoustical imaging requires the use of short-duration (wideband) pulses for good resolution in range, and two-dimensional (2-D) transducer arrays for good resolution and scanning in both lateral directions. However, 2-D arrays often contain an impractically large number of elements, so it is important to find sparse 2-D arrays which can perform as well as densely populated 2-D arrays. Boundary arrays are a particular class of sparse arrays which have elements located only on the boundary of some planar region. Signal processing techniques have been developed that effectively fill in the missing elements in the interior of the boundary array. These techniques were originally proposed in the context of narrowband imaging of far-field scenes. The techniques are applied to near-field imaging with wideband pulses. Simulations indicate that the methods are effective in this context also, and thus 2-D boundary arrays can produce high-quality images in acoustical imaging applications. >
Two Methods of Determining Total Phenolic Content of Foods and Juices in a General, Organic, and Biological (GOB) Chemistry Lab

The determination of total phenolics in foods and fruit juices was used successfully as a laboratory experiment in our undergraduate general, organic, and biological (GOB) chemistry course. Two different colorimetric methods were used over three years and comparative student results indicate that a ferrous ammonium sulfate (FAS) indicator procedure was a good choice for our GOB laboratory. The more complex Folin−Ciocalteu (FC) reagent method, which was applied to solid foods, also performed well, but was better suited for general chemistry students with better laboratory skills. The GOB students also learn about the benefits of phenolic antioxidants and their relative levels in various foods.
The effect of dietary restriction on cell division potential, DNA content and enzyme levels in the rotifier Asplanchna brightwwelli

Dietary restriction in the rotifer Asplanchna brightwelli, carried out by lengthening the interval between feedings, causes an increase both in mean lifespan and in the length of the reproductive period. In the present study, we found that the rate of nuclear division in the gastric glands and vitellarium of the rotifer, as determined by daily nuclear counts, was retarded by dietary restriction. Spectro-fluorimetric measurements show that total DNA content remains constant from the beginning to the end of the lifespan, and is unaffected by dietary restriction. Lactic dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase activities were also measured throughout the lifespan of the rotifer, and were not affected by dietary restriction.
Size of raindrops and their striking force at the soil surface in a red pine plantation

It is usually assumed that a forest canopy breaks the force with which rainfall strikes the soil, thus protecting it from erosion. To show that this is frequently untrue and that the protective value of the forest to the soil must, therefore, be due to lesser vegetation or to the layers of unincorporated organic material lying on the soil surface is the purpose of this paper. Measurements were made of raindrop size beneath a red pine canopy and in an adjacent open field near New Haven, Connecticut during several storms in 1946 and 1947. By reference to published tables of velocities of falling water drops, the kinetic energy at the soil surface of the rain under the pine canopy and in an open field was determined. It was found that at rates of precipitation less than two inches per hour the kinetic energy of rainfall beneath the red pine canopy exceeded that of rainfall in the open.
Prevalence and distribution of alcohol use and impairment in the workplace: a U.S. national survey.

Objective: Although much research has explored overall alcohol use in the workforce, little research has explored the extent of alcohol use and impairment in the workplace. This study explored the overall prevalence, frequency, and distribution of alcohol use and impairment during the workday. Method: Data were collected from a national probability sample of 2805 employed adults using a random digit dialing telephone survey. Alcohol use within 2 hours of reporting to work, alcohol use during the workday, working under the influence of alcohol, and working with a hangover were assessed for the 12 months preceding the interview. Results: Workplace alcohol use and impairment directly affect an estimated 15% of the U.S. workforce (19.2 million workers). Specifically, an estimated 1.83% (2.3 million workers) drink before work, 7.06% (8.9 million workers) drink during the workday, 1.68% (2.1 million workers) work under the influence of alcohol, and 9.23% (11.6 million workers) work with a hangover. The results ...