cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Uncert-Worthiness of the Court's Unmaking of Punitive Damages

This Article is a new audit of the Supreme Court's project to unmake punitive damages and an attempt to peer into the uncertain future of tort remedies in general. The Supreme Court in Williams v. Philip Morris found that it was improper for juries to "use a punitive damages award to punish a defendant for injury that it inflicts upon nonparties or those whom they directly represent, i.e., injury that it inflicts upon those who are, essentially, strangers to the litigation." The Court's holding that it would be unfair to allow courts to award punitive damages for harm done to "strangers to the litigation" will make it more difficult for plaintiffs' counsel to introduce pattern and practice evidence against corporate defendants.While Williams reaffirms the excessiveness review articulated in earlier cases, it also sketches out new rules for trying and reviewing awards that influence trial strategy in any case against a corporation. Part One of this article presents a new look at how the Supreme Court unmade punitive damages. Part Two makes predictions on the future of constitutionalizing tort remedies in the post-Williams v. Philip Morris period. My argument is that beyond Williams the Court's next focus will be on the tort reformers' campaign to strike the wealth of the defendant from the punitive damages equation and solve the problems caused by multiple independent punitive damages awarded to a defendant for a single act. Finally, I examine the real prospect that the Court will shift its attention to non-economic damages. A more extensive federal takeover of the tort system will occur if the Court extends constitutional principles, first articulated in punitive damages rulings, to the remedy of non-economic damages as tort reformers argue that there is no principled reason to distinguish between excessive punitive and non-economic damages. I predict, or fear, that the U.S. Supreme Court will embark on a wholesale makeover of non-economic damages by finding multi-million dollar pain and suffering awards to be cert-worthy. The most critical step is to convince the Court at the petition stage whether a given issue is "cert-worthy." Thus, the petition stage is the most critical as this is where the Court decides whether a given issue is "cert-worthy." The Court will then be urged to take aim at the due process constraints of jury's awarding "standardless" non-economic damages or what is often referred to as "pain and suffering." Non-economic damages are an attractive target for judicial tort reform because, like punitive damages, these types of awards have risen in recent years. The Court could unmake non-economic damages using the very constitutional standards applied to punitive damages awards over the past decade and a half.
Optimization of parameters for hyperbolic railhead profile

This work considers the method of railhead optimization introduced with hyperbolic curves and presents the graphic chart of imprecisions for substitution of compound curve to hyperbolic curve for different railhead profiles.
Covalent Modification of CDK2 by 4-Hydroxynonenal as a Mechanism of Inhibition of Cell Cycle Progression.

Oxidative stress is a contributing factor in a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Lipid peroxidation that occurs during periods of oxidative stress results in the formation of lipid electrophiles, which can modify a multitude of proteins in the cell. 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is one of the most well-studied lipid electrophiles and has previously been shown to arrest cells at the G1/S transition. Recently, proteomic data have shown that HNE is capable of covalently modifying CDK2, the kinase responsible for the G1/S transition. Here, we identify the sites adducted by HNE using recombinant CDK2 and show that HNE treatment suppresses the kinase activity of the enzyme. We further identify sites of adduction in HNE-treated intact human colorectal carcinoma cells (RKO) and show that HNE-dependent modification in cells is long-lived, disrupts CDK2 function, and correlates with a delay of progression of the cells into S-phase. We propose that adduction o...
Abstract ED02-01: Quantitative mass spectrometry for small molecules and gene mutations

Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008 ED02-01 Advanced Methods and Technologies for Biomarker Research In recent years there have been enormous advances in the technologies and methods used to develop and validate biomarkers for use in understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of these diseases. Both genomic and proteomic research strategies have been used to understand cancer etiology, progression and metastasis. At the same time advances in mass spectrometry have helped to discern the continuing role that chemical carcinogens play in many human cancers. Collectively all of these advances in research are contributing to the translation of findings into epidemiology and prevention. This session will explore what our current state of knowledge about these technologies and methods with the goal that this will stimulate translational research in cancer prevention. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):ED02-01.
Molecular Dynamics Study of Crystalline Molecular Gyroscopes

In recent years molecular rotors have attracted the attention of many research groups for possible applications as new nanoscale devices and materials with controlled chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. One of the most unique systems with molecular rotations is amphidynamic molecular crystals, also known as crystalline molecular gyroscopes. This system can be viewed as a solid-state assembly of molecules that cannot move translationally but show internal rotations. Recent experiments on amphidynamic crystals indicate importance of rotational symmetry for describing their dynamics. However, mechanisms and rotational dynamic properties of molecular gyroscopes are still not well understood. We present here a theoretical investigation of amphidynamic crystals by utilizing extensive rigid-body molecular dynamics simulations and simple phenomenological arguments. Theoretical analysis suggests that intramolecular interactions within stator and rotator segments of molecular rotors as well as their flex...
Role of sympathetic nerves in the establishment of metastatic breast cancer cells in bone.

The bone marrow microenvironment is characterized by its multicellular nature, and perhaps less obviously by the high mobility of multiple transient and stationary cell lineages present in this environment. The trafficking of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells between the bone marrow and blood compartments is regulated by a number of bone marrow-derived factors. It is suspected that transformed metastatic cells “hijack” these processes to engraft into the skeleton and eventually cause the skeletal complications associated with metastatic disease. In this short review, experimental and association data supporting the contribution of a less recognized cell type of the bone marrow – the nerves of the sympathetic nervous system – to early events of the breast cancer bone metastatic process, are summarized.
Adipose Tissue Depots and Their Cross‐Sectional Associations With Circulating Biomarkers of Metabolic Regulation

Background Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and fatty liver differ in their associations with cardiovascular risk compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Several biomarkers have been linked to metabolic derangements and may contribute to the pathogenicity of fat depots. We examined the association between fat depots on multidetector computed tomography and metabolic regulatory biomarkers. Methods and Results Participants from the Framingham Heart Study (n=1583, 47% women) underwent assessment of SAT, VAT, and liver attenuation. We measured circulating biomarkers secreted by adipose tissue or liver (adiponectin, leptin, leptin receptor, fatty acid binding protein 4, fetuin‐A, and retinol binding protein 4). Using multivariable linear regression models, we examined relations of fat depots with biomarkers. Higher levels of fat depots were positively associated with leptin and fatty acid binding protein 4 but negatively associated with adiponectin (all P <0.001). Associations with leptin receptor, fetuin‐A, and retinol binding protein 4 varied according to fat depot type or sex. When comparing the associations of SAT and VAT with biomarkers, VAT was the stronger correlate of adiponectin (β=−0.28 [women]; β=−0.30 [men]; both P <0.001), whereas SAT was the stronger correlate of leptin (β=0.62 [women]; β=0.49 [men]; both P <0.001; P <0.001 for comparing VAT versus SAT). Although fetuin‐A and retinol binding protein 4 are secreted by the liver in addition to adipose tissue, associations of liver attenuation with these biomarkers was not stronger than that of SAT or VAT. Conclusions SAT, VAT, and liver attenuation are associated with metabolic regulatory biomarkers with differences in the associations by fat depot type and sex. These findings support the possibility of biological differences between fat depots.
Interaction of excitatory and inhibitory respiratory afterdischarge mechanisms in piglets

Afferent inputs to the central neuronal networks responsible for respiratory control can have effects on respiratory output that persist even after cessation of the original stimulus. In adults, carotid sinus nerve (CSN) stimulation activates a central excitatory mechanism which causes prolonged elevation of respiratory output. In newborns, superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) stimulation activates a central inhibitory mechanism which causes prolonged inhibition of respiratory output. The present study was designed to confirm that CSN stimulation in newborns also activates a long-acting central excitatory mechanism and to determine in what way the long-acting excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms interact. Anesthetized, paralyzed, and vagotomized piglets (2-30 days) were studied. Integrated phrenic nerve activity was determined before, during, and after stimulus trials consisting of CSN and SLN stimulation alone or following trials of sequential or simultaneous CSN and SLN stimulation. Respiratory output following CSN stimulation remained elevated and only gradually declined to the base-line value. Respiratory output following SLN stimulation remained depressed and only gradually recovered to the base-line value. One minute after cessation of the sequential trials, the respiratory output was intermediate between that of CSN or SLN stimulation alone at equivalent poststimulus times. We conclude that the central neural mechanisms which mediate the persistent poststimulus effects of CSN and SLN stimulation are independent but that they interact for a prolonged period following simultaneous or sequential activation. In infants, this interaction may effect respiratory stability during episodes of central or obstructive apnea and hypoxia.
Adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum in persons under 40 years old: A population-based study

Data collected by nine population-based tumor registries participating in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute were analyzed to characterize the epidemiology of noncarcinoid adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum in young adults. Tumors diagnosed in persons under 40 years old between 1973 and 1984 (n = 1736) were compared with those in persons 40 years and older (n = 106,760). This first large U.S. population-based study of colorectal adenocarcinomas in the young shows a higher incidence in blacks than whites and later detection in black males. It also shows a higher proportion of tumors of mucinous and signet ring histological type than in older age groups. Among the younger group, the average annual age-adjusted incidence rate was 34% higher in black males than in white males (12.6 vs. 9.4 per million persons) and 46% higher in black females than in white females (13.0 vs 8.9 per million persons). The proportion of tumors that were right-sided varied by age: 0-29 years, 30%; 30-39 years, 26%; 40-49 years, 22%; 50-59 years, 21%; 60-69 years, 24%; 70-79 years, 30%; and 80+ years, 35%. Males under age 40 were less likely to present with localized disease (whites, 27%; blacks, 21%) than were those aged 40 and older (whites, 39%; blacks, 36%). The proportion of tumors classified as mucinous decreased with age, from 28% among those aged 0-19 years to 5% among those 40 years and older. A similar trend was observed for signet ring tumors. Although this latter type accounted for 10% of large-bowel tumors among subjects aged 0-19 years, this proportion decreased with age to 0.2% in those 40 years and older.
Transthyretin Amyloidosis: A "Zebra" of Many Stripes.

Amyloidosis is a systemic disease characterized by the deposition of misfolded protein fibrils into the extracellular matrix of organs, disrupting their function. Transthyretin (TTR), previously known as prealbumin, is a circulating homotetramer carrier protein that binds either thyroid hormone or
Seeking Liberation, Facing Marginalization: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders' Conditional Acceptance in Hip-Hop Culture

Using interview data with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hip-hop participants, we analyze how respondents construct hip-hop as a liberating space where they can circumvent limiting racial and ethnic stereotypes. However, an intersectional lens reveals the constraints that hip-hop's hypermasculinity places on AAPI men as well as the ethnosexualized expectations that AAPI women must negotiate. The experience of AAPI men and women in hip-hop due to their unique position in racial and gender hierarchies interacts with stereotypical notions of AAPI people in wider society to relegate these participants to the margin rather than center of hip-hop culture. Thus, we find respondents' constructions of hip-hop less an indicator of hip-hop culture's openness than a statement of how constricting the mainstream U.S. culture is for AAPI Americans, rendering hip-hop's conditional acceptance preferable by comparison.
Soil fauna responses to natural disturbances, invasive species, and global climate change: Current state of the science and a call to action

Abstract Environmental disturbances seem to be increasing in frequency and impact, yet we have little understanding of the belowground impacts of these events. Soil fauna, while widely acknowledged to be important drivers of biogeochemical function, soil structure and sustainability, and trophic interactions, are understudied compared to other belowground organisms such as archaea, bacteria, and fungi. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge of soil fauna as it relates to and is influenced by various disturbances. We focus our review on three main natural and anthropogenic disturbance types: 1) natural disturbances, including damage from wind and flooding; 2) invasive species, including above and belowground flora and fauna; and 3) climate change impacts on the atmosphere and temperature. We do not address the impacts of wildfires, forestry, agricultural practices, mining, or human-caused pollution, as these topics have all been covered in other works. We highlight knowledge gaps and suggest future avenues of research, with hope that the importance of soil fauna and their influences on ecosystems will be given greater emphasis in future research.
Broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibition by the staurosporine analog KT-5720 reverses ethanol withdrawal-associated loss of NeuN/Fox-3

Abstract Chronic, intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure is known to produce neuroadaptive alterations in excitatory neurotransmission that contribute to the development of dependence. Although activation of protein kinases (e.g., cyclic AMP [cAMP]-dependent protein kinase) is implicated in the synaptic trafficking of these receptors following CIE exposure, the functional consequences of these effects are yet to be fully understood. The present study sought to delineate the influence of protein kinase in regulating cytotoxicity following CIE exposure, as well as to examine the relative roles of ethanol exposure and ethanol withdrawal (EWD) in promoting these effects. Rat hippocampal explants were exposed to a developmental model of CIE with or without co-application of broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitor KT-5720 (1 μM) either during ethanol exposure or EWD. Hippocampal cytotoxicity was assessed via immunofluorescence (IF) of neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) with thionine staining of Nissl bodies to confirm IF findings. Concomitant application of ethanol and KT-5720 restored the loss of NeuN/Fox-3 IF in pyramidal CA1 and granule DG cell layers produced by CIE, but there was no restoration in CA3. Application of KT-5720 during EWD failed to significantly alter levels of NeuN IF, implying that ethanol exposure activates protein kinases that, in part, mediate the effects of EWD. KT-5720 application during EWD also restored thionine staining in CA1, suggesting kinase regulation of both neurons and non-neuronal cells. These data demonstrate that CIE exposure alters protein kinase activity to promote ethanol withdrawal-associated loss of NeuN/Fox-3 and highlight the influence of kinase signaling on distinct cell types in the developing hippocampus.
Nutritional functional trait diversity of crops in south‐eastern Senegal

Ecological trait diversity metrics have been used to highlight the impacts of agriculture. Such metrics can also be used to include human nutrition—an important dimension of human well-being—into assessments of agroecosystem function and services. Although crop yield is a common agroecosystem metric, it does not capture the multiple ways in which agriculture impacts people and the environment. Given that nutrient composition of crops is a set of functional traits, I apply a suite of functional diversity metrics—functional divergence, richness, evenness and dispersion—to crop production data from south-eastern Senegal. I also propose a new nutritional diversity metric—potential nutrient adequacy—to assess nutritional outcomes of different agricultural systems. I demonstrate high variability in nutritional diversity and potential adequacy among households and administrative departments in south-eastern Senegal. I show that most households produce nutritionally similar crops, rather than crops with high nutritional diversity. As a result, most households currently do not produce enough nutrients to meet minimal nutritional requirements. Using a scenario approach, I show that intensifying yields of staple crops and diversifying production to include non-staples can increase nutritional production and the potential to meet nutritional needs. I further show that a combination of intensification and diversification is needed to meet the need for a diverse group of nutrients. Policy implications. I develop a new metric that indicates the potential for a food system to meet the nutritional requirements of a population. This tool will allow practitioners to assess the nutritional adequacy of a food system and to design food systems that optimize nutritional outcomes. Application of this metric to different production scenarios showed that combining yield intensification with crop diversification is important to meeting full nutritional targets for smallholder agriculture. There is a broader need for incorporating other social and socio-ecological traits into trait-based assessments of agroecosystems.
Lipid metabolism and functional assessment of discarded human livers with steatosis undergoing 24 hours of normothermic machine perfusion.

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is an emerging technology to preserve liver allografts more effectively than cold storage (CS). However, little is known about the effect of NMP on steatosis, and the markers indicative of hepatic quality during NMP. To address these points we perfused 10 discarded human livers with oxygenated NMP for 24 hours after 4-6 hours of CS. All livers had variable degree of steatosisat at baseline. The perfusate consisted of packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma. Perfusate analysis showed an increase in triglyceride levels from the 1st hour (median 127 mg/dL; interquartile range 95-149) to 24th hour of perfusion (203;171-304) (p=0.004), but tissue steatosis did not decrease. Five livers produced a significant amount of bile (≥5 ml/hr) consistently throughout 24 hours NMP. Lactate in the perfusate cleared to <3mmol/L in most livers within 4-8 hours of NMP, which was independent of bile production rate. This is the first study to characterize the lipid profile and functional assessment of discarded human livers at 24-hour NMP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Simple Community-Based Risk-Prediction Score for Sudden Cardiac Death

Abstract Background Although sudden cardiac death is a leading cause of death in the United States, most victims of sudden cardiac death are not identified as at risk prior to death. We sought to derive and validate a population-based risk score that predicts sudden cardiac death. Methods The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study recorded clinical measures from men and women aged 45-64 years at baseline; 11,335 white and 3780 black participants were included in this analysis. Participants were followed over 10 years and sudden cardiac death was physician adjudicated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to derive race-specific equations to estimate the 10-year sudden cardiac death risk. Covariates for the risk score were selected from available demographic and clinical variables. Utility was assessed by calculating discrimination (Harrell's C-index) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-squared test). The white-specific equation was validated among 5626 Framingham Heart Study participants. Results During 10 years' follow-up among ARIC participants (mean age 54.4 years, 52.4% women), 145 participants experienced sudden cardiac death; the majority occurred in the highest quintile of predicted risk. Model covariates included age, sex, total cholesterol, lipid-lowering and hypertension medication use, blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes, and body mass index. The score yielded very good internal discrimination (white-specific C-index 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.85; black-specific C-index 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68-0.82) and very good external discrimination among Framingham participants (C-index 0.82; 95% CI, 0.79-0.86). Calibration plots indicated excellent calibration in ARIC (white-specific chi-squared 5.3, P = .82; black-specific chi-squared 4.1, P = .77), and a simple recalibration led to excellent fit within Framingham (chi-squared 2.1, P = 0.99). Conclusions The proposed risk scores may be used to identify those at risk for sudden cardiac death within 10 years and particularly classify those at highest risk who may merit further screening.
Leukoreduction of packed red blood cells attenuates proinflammatory properties of storage-derived microvesicles

Abstract Background Leukoreduction prior to packed red blood cell (pRBC) storage is not a universally accepted practice. Our laboratory has previously shown that microvesicles (MVs) accumulate in pRBC units during storage and play an important role in lung injury after resuscitation. Currently, the effect of leukoreduction on MV formation in stored pRBC units is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that leukoreduction of pRBC units prior to storage would attenuate the production of MVs and decrease pulmonary inflammation after hemorrhage and resuscitation. Methods Leukoreduced and nonleukoreduced pRBC units were prepared from human donors and C57/Bl6 mice and stored for up to 42 d and 14 d, respectively. At intervals during storage, MVs were isolated from pRBC units, quantified and characterized based on size, morphology, and levels of proinflammatory cytokines. In additional experiments, mice underwent controlled hemorrhage followed by resuscitation with normal saline (NS) with or without equal numbers of MVs isolated from leukoreduced or nonleukoreduced stored mouse pRBC. Histologic lung sections were evaluated for the presence of tissue edema and inflammatory cells. Results For both human and mouse pRBCs, the number of MVs significantly increased throughout the storage period. There were significantly fewer MVs present in leukoreduced units. The average MV size significantly increased over time and was similar between groups. Levels of interleukin 1α (IL-1α), regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) were lower in MVs from leukoreduced pRBC units as compared with MVs from nonleukoreduced units. Hemorrhaged mice resuscitated with NS with the addition of MV from leukoreduced pRBC demonstrated significantly less pulmonary edema and inflammatory cell recruitment as compared to those resuscitated with NS with the addition of MV from nonleukoreduced pRBC. Conclusions Prestorage leukoreduction of pRBC units reduces the formation and proinflammatory properties of MV, which in turn decreases lung injury secondary to MV from stored pRBC units after hemorrhage and resuscitation.
Focused Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum for Trainees in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Introduction While evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competency, EBM teaching in pediatric subspecialties is rarely reported. Therefore, ...
Sheehan’s syndrome in a dengue parturient

Dengue fever is a mosquito borne arboviral infection which is a major health problem worldwide. Complications vary widely and become critical mostly during defervescence period. Dengue fever in pregnant women can cause variety of obstetric and neonatal complications. Sheehan’s syndrome (SS) is a parturition-related pituitary disease resulting from severe postpartum haemorrhage and can present with varying degrees of pituitary insufficiency. Emergency anaesthetic management of a dengue parturient and SS which developed subsequently, secondary to profuse intrapartum bleeding is discussed.
Perspective—Towards Establishing Apparent Hydrogen Binding Energy as the Descriptor for Hydrogen Oxidation/Evolution Reactions

This perspective article formalizes our proposal that the apparent hydrogen binding energy (HBEapp), which takes into account of the water adsorption energy as well as the intrinsic hydrogen binding energy (HBE) on metal surfaces, is the descriptor for hydrogen oxidation/evolution reactions (HOR/HERs). We show that the HBEapp, not HBE, is pH dependent and can be determined from the underpotential-deposited hydrogen peaks in cyclic voltammograms for platinum group metals including Pt, Ir, Pd, and Rh, and the decrease of their HOR/HER activities with pH is the result of a strengthened HBEapp due to a weakened water adsorption. Also discussed are the needs of further experimental and theoretical work to prove this hypothesis.
Peripheral Vocal Motor Dynamics and Combinatory Call Complexity of Ultrasonic Vocal Production in Rats

Abstract Peripheral vocal motor dynamics describes how complex interactions of laryngeal, respiratory and vocal tract movements generate and shape vocal sounds in rats. Glottal airflow provides the energy and laryngeal movements set important boundary conditions. The integration of laryngeal and breathing movements is investigated through simultaneous recordings of subglottal pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity of intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles. Laryngeal muscle activity and subglottal pressure are in a close and complex relationship associated with specific call types. Rats use combinations and recombinations of different synergies of laryngeal and respiratory muscles to produce more complex composite call types; in other words, simple calls are concatenated to complex calls. The combination of a small set of synergies to create more complex acoustic behavior is consistent with the concept of a hierarchical modular organization of the motor control network. This modular organization simplifies the neural control of vocal movement and enhances vocal complexity.
TEACHING MOTION/FORCE SKILLS TO ROBOTS BY HUMAN DEMONSTRATION

Abstract In this paper we survey a number of methods for teaching human motion/force skills to robots. Since verbal description of a human skill could only provide qualitative guidelines for machine programming, several works were motivated to identify human skills analytically through the study of human teaching data. The key advantage of direct teaching by human demonstration is that the method is highly user-friendly; it requires no special knowledge of machine programming from the users, and it automatically extracts user intentions and strategies from task performance demonstrated by the users. From the early teaching/playback method to the recent methods of teaching sensory feedback laws, a historical perspective of the field of human skill teaching is given in this paper. Limitations and applicability of methods under review are discussed. Essential issues such as representation and identification of human skills as well as consistency of teaching information are addressed.
Causal Conception and Causal Connection

In the literature on explanation, I think it is fair to say, the most popular way to respond to the problems raised by the DN model has been to appeal to causal considerations. Such a move seems closed to an advocate of a Humean view of causation. After all, the use of laws in the DN model is meant to capture just the notion that such a view sanctions. Adding a causal condition to such laws means embracing something more and stronger than Hume’s views allow.1 And the consequences of embracing such a stronger view are a challenge that any causal account must face.
Stochastic Temporal Logic Abstractions: Challenges and Opportunities

Reasoning about uncertainty is one of the fundamental challenges in the real-world deployment of many cyber-physical system applications. Several models for capturing environment uncertainty have been suggested in the past, and these typically are parametric models with either Markovian assumptions on the time-evolution of the system, or Gaussian assumptions on uncertainty. In this paper, we propose a framework for creating data-driven abstractions of the environment based on Stochastic Temporal Logics. Such logics allow combining the power of temporal logic-based absractions with powerful stochastic modeling techniques. Our framework allows constructing stochastic models using generalized master equations, which can be viewed as a nonparametric model capturing the dynamic evolution of the probabilities of system variables with time. Furthermore, we show how we can automatically infer temporal logic based abstractions from such a model. We give examples of applications for such a framework, and highlight some of the open problems and challenges in this approach.
Definitional and Prevalence Problems in Behavior Disorders of Children.

Definitions of behavior disorders in children are far from standardized. This lack of a precise vocabulary continues to plague both research and clinical practice. Confusion about definitions and d...
β-Cell mass restoration by α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation.

Although it is well-established how nutrients, growth factors, and hormones impact functional β-cell mass (BCM), the influence of the central nervous system in this regard, and especially in the context of islet immune modulation, has been understudied. Here we investigated the expression and activity of pancreatic islet α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in islet anti-inflammatory and prosurvival signaling. Systemic administration of α7nAChR agonists in mice improved glucose tolerance and curtailed streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia by retaining BCM, in part through maintaining Pdx1 and MafA expression and reducing apoptosis. α7nAChR activation of mouse islets ex vivo led to reduced inflammatory drive through a JAK2–STAT3 pathway that couples with CREB/Irs2/Akt survival signaling. Because the vagus nerve conveys anti-inflammatory signals to immune cells of the spleen and other nonneural tissues in the viscera by activating α7nAChR agonists, our study suggests a novel role for β-cell α7nAChR that functions to maintain β-cell survival and mass homeostasis through modulating islet cytokine and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–dependent signaling pathways. Exploiting these pathways may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of autoimmune diabetes.
Ultrathin Dual-Scale Nano- and Microporous Membranes for Vascular Transmigration Models

Selective cellular transmigration across the microvascular endothelium regulates innate and adaptive immune responses, stem cell localization, and cancer cell metastasis. Integration of traditional microporous membranes into microfluidic vascular models permits the rapid assay of transmigration events but suffers from poor reproduction of the cell permeable basement membrane. Current microporous membranes in these systems have large nonporous regions between micropores that inhibit cell communication and nutrient exchange on the basolateral surface reducing their physiological relevance. Here, the use of 100 nm thick continuously nanoporous silicon nitride membranes as a base substrate for lithographic fabrication of 3 µm pores is presented, resulting in a highly porous (≈30%), dual-scale nano- and microporous membrane for use in an improved vascular transmigration model. Ultrathin membranes are patterned using a precision laser writer for cost-effective, rapid micropore design iterations. The optically transparent dual-scale membranes enable complete observation of leukocyte egress across a variety of pore densities. A maximal density of ≈14 micropores per cell is discovered beyond which cell-substrate interactions are compromised giving rise to endothelial cell losses under flow. Addition of a subluminal extracellular matrix rescues cell adhesion, allowing for the creation of shear-primed endothelial barrier models on nearly 30% continuously porous substrates.
Physical Activity, Exercise, and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Sonographers:

Stretching and exercise are recommended to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) in sonographers, but evidence is lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify sonographers’ p...
Global well-posedness for the $L^2$ critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation in higher dimensions

The initial value problem for the $L^{2}$ critical semilinear Schrodinger equation in $\mathbb R^n, n \geq 3$ is considered. We show that the problem is globally well posed in $H^s(\mathbb R^n )$ when $1>s>\frac{\sqrt{7}-1}{3}$ for $n=3$, and when $1>s> \frac{-(n-2)+\sqrt{(n-2)^2+8(n-2)}}{4}$ for $n \geq 4$. We use the "$I$-method" combined with a local in time Morawetz estimate.
Effect of Mechanically Passive, Wearable Shoulder Exoskeletons on Muscle Output During Dynamic Upper Extremity Movements: A Computational Simulation Study

Wearable passive (ie, spring powered) shoulder exoskeletons could reduce muscle output during motor tasks to help prevent or treat shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. However, most wearable passive shoulder exoskeletons have been designed and evaluated for static tasks, so it is unclear how they affect muscle output during dynamic tasks. The authors used a musculoskeletal model and Computed Muscle Control optimization to estimate muscle output with and without a wearable passive shoulder exoskeleton during 2 simulated dynamic tasks: abduction and upward reach. To an existing upper extremity musculoskeletal model, the authors added an exoskeleton model with 3-dimensional representations of the exoskeleton components, including a spring, cam wheel, force-transmitting shoulder cable, and wrapping surfaces that permitted the shoulder cable to wrap over the shoulder. The exoskeleton reduced net muscle-generated moments in positive shoulder elevation by 28% and 62% during the abduction and upward reach, respectively. However, muscle outputs (joint moments and muscle effort) were higher with the exoskeleton than without at some points of the movement. Muscle output was higher with the exoskeleton because the exoskeleton moment opposed the muscle-generated moment in some postures. The results of this study highlight the importance of evaluating muscle output for passive exoskeletons designed to support dynamic movements to ensure that the exoskeletons assist, rather than impede, movement.
Evaluation of the negative predictive value of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal swab screening in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Objective: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal swabs are utilized to guide the discontinuation of empiric MRSA therapy. In multiple studies, MRSA nasal swabs have been shown to have a negative predictive value (NPV) of ~99% in non-oncology patients with pneumonia and other infections. We evaluated the performance characteristics of a negative MRSA nasal swab in the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) populaion to determine its NPV. Design: Retrospective chart review. Patients: This study included adult AML patients with a suspected infection and a MRSA nasal swab collected between 2013 and 2018. Methods: MRSA nasal swab and culture-documented infections were identified to determine the sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and positive predictive value of the MRSA nasal swabs. Results: In total, 194 patients were identified, and 484 discrete encounters were analyzed. Overall, 468 (97%) encounters had a negative MRSA nasal swab upon admission with no cultured documented MRSA infection during their hospitalization. However, 3 encounters (0.6%) had a negative MRSA nasal swab with a subsequent cultured documented MRSA infection during their admission. Identified infections were bacteremia (n = 2) and confirmed pneumonia (n = 1). MRSA nasal swab had a sensitivity of 62% (95% CI, 0.24–0.91), specificity of 98% (95% CI, 0.96–0.99), positive predictive value of 38% (95% CI, 0.21–0.6), and NPV of 99% (95% CI, 0.98–1). Conclusions: A negative MRSA nasal swab has a 99% NPV for subsequent MRSA infections in AML patients with no prior history of MRSA colonization or infection. Based on these findings, a negative MRSA nasal swab can help guide de-escalation of empiric MRSA antibiotic therapy.
Teaching About Religion at the State University: Taking the Issue Seriously and Strictly

In 1983 Robert N. Minor and Robert D. Baird wrote a piece for The Bulletin that discussed what it means to teach religion academically in a public university in the United States. By dismantling other popular notions of what it meant to teach religion in a public university—such as the inculcation of values despite the preference this method shows for one religious system over another—the authors illustrate the flaws in these pedagogical styles and ultimately propose a new purpose for teaching religion. This new purpose they highlight strives not to promote one value system over another, or to propose one way of doing religion is right or wrong, but to promote understanding among students by showcasing the individuality that exists within religious traditions.
The American Histories of President Trump: Beyond the Jacksonian Parallel:

This article begins with a consideration of the putative parallels between the presidencies of Andrew Jackson, the nation’s 7th president, and Donald Trump, the 45th. Underlying Trump’s and his sup...
On board with MOSAiC: how an Arctic research expedition can engage students in Earth's systems thinking

Why would hundreds of scientists from around the world freeze a ship in Arctic sea ice for an entire year, braving subzero temperatures and months of polar darkness? This may sound like a fictional...
Preference, performance, and chemical defense in an endangered butterfly using novel and ancestral host plants

Adoption of novel host plants by herbivorous insects can require new adaptations and may entail loss of adaptation to ancestral hosts. We examined relationships between an endangered subspecies of the butterfly Euphydryas editha (Taylor’s checkerspot) and three host plant species. Two of the hosts (Castilleja hispida, Castilleja levisecta) were used ancestrally while the other, Plantago lanceolata, is exotic and was adopted more recently. We measured oviposition preference, neonate preference, larval growth, and secondary chemical uptake on all three hosts. Adult females readily laid eggs on all hosts but favored Plantago and tended to avoid C. levisecta. Oviposition preference changed over time. Neonates had no preference among host species, but consistently chose bracts over leaves within both Castilleja species. Larvae developed successfully on all species and grew to similar size on all of them unless they ate only Castilleja leaves (rather than bracts) which limited their growth. Diet strongly influenced secondary chemical uptake by larvae. Larvae that ate Plantago or C. hispida leaves contained the highest concentrations of iridoid glycosides, and iridoid glycoside composition varied with host species and tissue type. Despite having largely switched to a novel exotic host and generally performing better on it, this population has retained breadth in preference and ability to use other hosts.
Control de la fuente respiratoria mediante el uso de una mascarilla quirúrgica: un estudio in vitro.

La etiqueta para la tos y la higiene respiratoria son formas de control de la fuente de emision cuyo uso se alienta para evitar la propagacion de infecciones respiratorias. El uso de mascarillas qu...
Analysis on a Semi-Simple Lie Group

Let G be a connected semi-simple Lie group with finite center — then the primary objective of the present chapter is to develop machinery which, by itself, is more or less independent of representation theory but which, as will become apparent in later chapters, is of decisive importance in the Harmonic Analysis on G. The basic idea which underlies most of the discussion is that of transferring a given analytical question on G, via some device or other, to an analogous question on one of its Cartan subgroups (‘non-abelian’ → ‘abelian’...), or, at least to some lower dimensional subgroup (where, presumably, induction may be applied...). There is little to be gained by giving a detailed analysis of the main results at this point; instead we shall refer the reader to the introductory remarks which (usually) preface a given number in a given section.
The organization and management of informal and formal learning

This display sketches one element of the Digital Youth Network, a program aimed at producing digitally literate youth. The practices of program leaders blend those of mentoring and teaching. Despite the potential conflict between these roles, program leaders structure activities to support role transitions. The management of youth behavior within this structure supports the successful transition. This design creates a complex learning space where informal and formal learning simultaneously occurs.
Occipitocervical instrumentation in the pediatric population using a custom loop construct: initial results and long-term follow-up experience.

Object Rigid occipitocervical instrumentation for craniovertebral instability is gaining widespread acceptance for use in pediatric patients; however, most of the instrumentation has been modified from adult-sized hardware. The Wasatch loop system (formerly the Avery-Brockmeyer-Thiokol loop system) is a rigid occipitocervical fixation device designed specifically for use in children. It affixes to the occiput and incorporates either C1–2 transarticular screws or C-2 pars screws. It is preformed and is available in a variety of sizes. The authors describe their clinical experience and long-term follow-up experience with the first 22 patients. Methods An institutional review board–approved retrospective review of medical records and radiographs was performed for patients who underwent occipitocervical fusion with the Wasatch loop. The mean patient age was 4.9 years (1.2–13 years), and the overall mean follow-up was 4 years (1.5–6.5 years). Six patients had posttraumatic instability, and 16 patients had cong...
Averaging Techniques for the Transport Operator and an Existence Theorem for the BGK Equation in Kinetic Theory

Application of velocity averaging techniques to prove existence theorems for the solution of various kinetic equations is surveyed. This approach is exploited to obtain the first existence result for the kinetic equation of Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook.
Normal and Binomial Selection Problems

Selection problems for normal means (assuming equal variances) and binomial probabilities of success are discussed. For both cases k distribution identified by these parameters are considered. The objective is to select, based on a random sample size n ..
Thermodiffusion of Polymer Solutions in Convectionless Cells

This contribution reviews the study of polymer thermodiffusion in convectionless cells. First, the development of thermodiffusion theory is summarized. Next, the apparent independence of thermodiffusion and degree of polymerization in polymers is discussed. Thermodiffusion coefficients (D T) measured by thermal field-flow fractionation on several polymer-solvent mixtures are then summarized. Polymers include a variety of different molecular weight samples of polystyrene, poly(a-methyl styrene), polyisoprene, and polymethylmethacrylate, as well as copolymers of styrene and isoprene. Solvents include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, tetrahydrofuran, 2-butanone, ethyl acetate, and cyclohexane. Measured values of D T do not correlate with predictive models of thermodiffusion, but are found to correlate with polymer density and solvent viscosity. Finally, using a hydrodynamic model of polymer thermodiffusion in nonpolar solvents, an expression is derived that expresses D T in terms of physicochemical parameters that can be estimated or measured independently. These parameters include the thermal expansion coefficient, molar volume and viscosity of the solvent, the radius of a polymer repeat unit, and the Hamaker constants. The model predicts general trends in the thermodiffusion of polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene in solvents where such parameters are available, but overestimates the values of D T by a factor of 2–4.
A Secure Routing Using Reliable 1-Hop Broadcast in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Among many ways to achieve security in wireless mobile ad hoc networks, the approach taken in this paper is to ensure that all nodes in the network receive critical information on security such as public keys. To achieve this, a reliable global broadcasting of the information must be accomplished, which in turn, relies on a reliable 1-hop broadcasting in which a message from the source node is guaranteed to be delivered to all nodes within the source node’s transmission range. This paper presents a MAC protocol that guarantees a reliable and efficient 1-hop broadcast. The unique feature of the proposed algorithm is that each node is able to dynamically adjust its transmission range depending on the node density around it. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
A Substellar Companion to van Maanen 2

The Hipparcos data for the nearest white dwarf van Maanen 2 (=HIP 3829; distance of 4.4 pc) indicate astrometric binarity, in that the proper motion has a large first derivative not accounted for as a perspective acceleration due to changing distance. The presence of a companion was suspected, but never demonstrated, from the pre-Hipparcos astrometric measurements of photographic plates. Inspection of a digital position probability chart based on the Hipparcos Intermediate Astrometry Data reveals a pendulum-like motion of the photocenter mostly in the east-west direction with a period of about 1.5 yr. Having this period as an initial constraint, an orbital fit was obtained with the following parameters: a0 = 27 mas, P = 1.57 yr, i = 89°, ω = 95°, Ω = 92°, and T0 = 1991.26. Assuming a mass of 0.83 M☉ for the primary white dwarf, the mass of the secondary is 0.08 M☉. Covariance analysis shows, however, that the uncertainty of the semimajor axis estimate and, subsequently, of the mass estimate is great for this nearly edge-on orbit. A more robust estimate is obtained for the semiminor axis, providing a lower bound mass of the companion of 0.06 ± 0.02 M☉.