cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Heisenberg Group

This chapter is meant to give a brief and by no means complete description of the Heisenberg group \(\mathbb {H}\), that will be the setting of this work. Customarily this group is presented as a particular group on \(\mathbb {R}^3\). This is not restrictive and to explain why we recall some definitions and basic properties of Carnot groups in order to make the exposition self-contained. We refer to the monograph (Bonfiglioli et al., Stratified Lie Groups and Potential Theory for their Sub-Laplacians, 2007 [1]) for a complete presentation of Carnot groups.
Repeatability of gradient ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods in instrument-controlled thermal environments.

Abstract The impact of viscous friction on eluent temperature and column efficiency in liquid chromatography is of renewed interest as the need for pressures exceeding 1000 bar to use with columns packed with sub-2 μm particles has grown. One way the development of axial and radial temperature gradients that arise due to viscous friction can be affected is by the thermal environment the column is placed in. In this study, a new column oven integrated into an ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatograph that enables both still-air and forced-air operating modes is investigated to find the magnitude of the effect of the axial thermal gradient that forms in 2.1 × 100 mm columns packed with sub-2 μm particles in these modes. Temperature increases of nearly 30 K were observed when the generated power of the column exceeded 25 W/m. The impact of the heating due to viscous friction on the repeatability of peak capacity, elution time, and peak area ratio to an internal standard for a gradient UHPLC-MS/MS method to analyze neurotransmitters was found to be limited. This result indicates that high speed UHPLC-MS/MS gradient methods under conditions of high viscous friction may be possible without the negative effects typically observed with isocratic separations under similar conditions.
Legacies of a Contested Campus: Urban Renewal, Community Resistance, and the Origins of Gentrification in Denver

The postwar urban renewal experience varied among US cities according to the result of local social contests pitting those imposing their power to transform urban space against those resisting it. ...
Experimental Investigation of Ventilation Effectiveness in an Airliner Cabin Mockup

Frequent air travel and long flight duration makes the study of airliner cabin environmental quality a topic of utmost importance. Ventilation effectiveness is one of the more crucial factors affecting air quality in any environment. Ventilation effectiveness, along with the overall ventilation rate, is a measure of the ability of the air distribution system to remove internally generated pollutants or contaminants from a given space. Because of the high occupant density in an aircraft cabin, local variations in ventilation are important as a passenger will occupy the same space for the duration of the flight. Poor ventilation in even a small portion of the cabin could impact multiple people for extended time periods. In this study, the local effective ventilation rates and local ventilation effectiveness in an eleven-row, full-scale, Boeing 767 cabin mockup were measured. These measurements were completed at each of the 77 seats in the mockup. Each seat was occupied by a heated mannequin. In order to simulate the thermal load inside the cabin, the mannequins were wrapped with a heating wire to generate approximately 100 W (341 BTU/hour) of heat. Carbon dioxide was used as a tracer gas for the experiments and the tracer gas decay method was employed to calculate the local effective ventilation rate and local ventilation effectiveness. The overall ventilation rate, based on total supply air flow, was approximately 27 air changes per hour. Local ventilation effectiveness ranged from 0.86 to 1.02 with a mean value of 0.94. These ventilation effectiveness values are higher than typically found in other indoor applications and are likely due to the relatively high airspeeds present in the aircraft cabin and the high degree of mixing they provide. The uniformity is also good with no areas of particularly low ventilation effectiveness being identified. No clear patterns with respect to seat location, window versus center versus aisle, were found.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
An Application of Advertising Planning under Inflation

This paper applies the simultaneous equation process to the planning of a firm's advertising outlays by taking into account the effect of inflation.
Corticosteroid Treatment for Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression: A Review:

Study Design:Narrative review.Objective:Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is a very frequent complication among cancer patients. Presenting commonly as nocturnal back pain, MSCC typically progresses to lower extremity paresis, loss of ambulatory capabilities, and paraplegia. In addition to standard treatment modalities, corticosteroid administration has been utilized in preclinical and clinical settings as adjunctive therapy to reduce local spinal cord edema and improve clinical symptoms. This article serves as a review of existing literature regarding corticosteroid management of MSCC and seeks to provide potential avenues of research on the topic.Methods:A literature search was performed using PubMed in order to consolidate existing information regarding dexamethasone treatment of MSCC. Of all search results, 7 articles are reviewed, establishing the current understanding of metastatic spine disease and dexamethasone treatment in both animal models and in clinical trials.Results:Treatment with h...
Bleeding by the Numbers: Rush Versus Corbett

Dr. Benjamin Rush filed one of the first professional libel lawsuits in the United States, incited by the writings of William Cobbett, a British journalist, concerning his treatment of yellow fever during the 1793 Philadelphia epidemic. The historical setting is described and the lawsuit dissected, with particular attention to the applicability of the tenets of their debate and its relevance to professional medical libel. Although Dr. Rush won his lawsuit based on the medical dogma, legal principles and political climate of his time, a similar lawsuit today would very likely fail, as recent courts have recognized the media’s right to far broader First Amendment protections against libel suits brought by public figures such as world-famous physicians.
Overuse of Chest CT in Patients With Stage I and II Breast Cancer: An Opportunity to Increase Guidelines Compliance at an NCCN Member Institution

Background: The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) recommend that patients with clinical stage I/II breast cancer undergo advanced imaging for staging only when symptomatic. Regardless, many asymptomatic patients undergo chest CT. The goal of this study was to assess the use and results of chest CT in these patients at an NCCN Member Institution. Methods: Patients with breast cancer diagnosed between 1998 and 2012 were identified in a prospectively maintained database. All patients with clinical stage I/II disease who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included. Data collected included demographics, tumor size, node status, chest CT within 6 months of diagnosis, imaging findings, need for additional workup, and identification of metastatic disease. Appropriate statistical tests were used for analysis. Results: From 1998 to 2012, 3,321 patients were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Of these, 2,062 (62.1%) had clinical stage I breast cancer at diagnosis and 1,259 (37.9%) had stage II; 227 patients (11%) with stage I and 456 (36.2%) with stage II breast cancer received staging chest CT. Of patients undergoing CT, 184 (26.9%) were found to have pulmonary nodules, which measured ≤5 mm for 128 patients (69.6%), 5 to 10 mm for 46 patients (25.0%), 11 to 20 mm for 6 patients (3.2%), and ≥20 mm for 4 patients (2.2%). Patients undergoing chest CT for staging subsequently underwent a mean of 2.34 (range, 0-16) additional CTs in follow-up. Of all patients undergoing chest CT for staging, only 9 (1.3%) were ultimately diagnosed with pulmonary metastases at an average of 25 months (range, 0-97) after initial staging chest CT. Conclusions: A significant percentage of patients with stage I/II breast cancer underwent unnecessary chest CT as part of their initial workup. Nearly one-third of these patients were found to have pulmonary nodules, but only 1.3% were ever diagnosed with pulmonary metastases. Adherence to NCCN Guidelines will reduce the excessive use of CT chest imaging.
U.S. Economic Growth: Rahn Curve and Components of Government Spending

The controversial Rahn Curve is the relation oThe controversial Rahn Curve is the relation of government spending with economic growth. It is argued that government spending is inefficient and should therefore be negatively related or uncorrelated with the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Whether there is a Rahn Curve is an empirical question which has been examined with mixed results for the U.S. economy. There has been little effort to disaggregate federal expenditures to see if there are components which are highly correlated with economic growth. However, some components of government spending which are theoretically related to economic growth, e.g., social security, funding of research grants, infrastructure building, and education. On the other hand, other expenditures such as debt service, police protection, even military spending does much to aid GDP growth. This paper uses components of federal expenditures as the explanatory variable for GDP growth.f government spending with economic growth. It is argued that government spending is inefficient and should therefore be negatively related or uncorrelated with the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Whether there is a Rahn Curve is an empirical question which has been examined with mixed results for the U.S. economy. There has been little effort to disaggregate federal expenditures to see if there are components which are highly correlated with economic growth. However, some components of government spending which are theoretically related to economic growth, e.g., social security, funding of research grants, infrastructure building, and education. On the other hand, other expenditures such as debt service, police protection, even military spending does much to aid GDP growth. This paper uses components of federal expenditures as the explanatory variable for GDP growth.
Combined Weighted Prediction Error and Minimum Variance Distortionless Response for dereverberation

Considering the dereverberation problem using multichannel processing, two main paradigms exist. The first paradigm utilizes the long-term correlation of the reverberant component for reducing it, e.g. Weighted Prediction Error (WPE) [1]. The second paradigm, treats the reverberation as a diffuse noise field, statically independent of the direct speech component, and aims to reduce it using a superdirective beamformer, e.g. [2]. Here we propose to combine the two paradigms in a two-stages algorithm. The first stage comprises of the WPE method, and the second stage comprises of a Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) beamformer for treating the residual reverberant component. We conjecture that the coherence of the reverberant component at the output of the WPE is similar to the coherence of the reverberant component at the microphones which should theoretically correspond to a diffuse noise field. By estimating the coherence from the reverberant components, linearly predicted by the WPE, non-ideal factors such as microphone positions errors, non-equalized frequency responses and acoustic shading are accounted for. The advantageous performance of the proposed method is exemplified in an experiment study using simulations.
Micromechanics of an ultra lightweight engineered cementitious composite containing polymeric latex admixture

An ultra-lightweight engineered cementitious composite (ECC) mixture has been recently developed as a durable alternative to the conventional cement-based fireproofing material for steel structures. The newly developed mixture has a dry density of 550 kg/m3, yet as a fireproofing material, it shows considerable tensile strength above 1 MPa and tensile strain capacity greater than 2%. This newly developed mixture is much more lightweight than any previously developed ECC material. It uses high tenacity polypropylene (HTPP) fibers as fiber reinforcement; and an acrylic latex based admixture is incorporated into the mix composition. All these leads to significantly different micromechanical properties from all previously developed normal-weight and lightweight ECC mixtures. In this paper, investigations have been conducted to fully understand the unique micromechanics of the newly developed material. Specifically, single fiber pull-out tests were conducted. The test result showed that a cement-polymer co-matrix was formed in presence of the latex admixture. As a result, the interfacial bond between the lightweight matrix and HTPP fibers was significantly enhanced. A scale-linking model was also used to show that such enhanced interfacial bond contributed to an increase of tensile strength and strain-hardening potential. The current research provides useful data for understanding the behavior of lightweight ECC and polymer modified ECC materials and can also serve as a guideline for future development of similar materials.
Codeficiency of Lysosomal Mucolipins 3 and 1 in Cochlear Hair Cells Diminishes Outer Hair Cell Longevity and Accelerates Age-Related Hearing Loss

Acquired hearing loss is the predominant neurodegenerative condition associated with aging in humans. Although mutations on several genes are known to cause congenital deafness in newborns, few genes have been implicated in age-related hearing loss (ARHL), perhaps because its cause is likely polygenic. Here, we generated mice lacking lysosomal calcium channel mucolipins 3 and 1 and discovered that both male and female mice suffered a polygenic form of hearing loss. Whereas mucolipin 1 is ubiquitously expressed in all cells, mucolipin 3 is expressed in a small subset of cochlear cells, hair cells (HCs) and marginal cells of the stria vascularis, and very few other cell types. Mice lacking both mucolipins 3 and 1, but not either one alone, experienced hearing loss as early as at 1 month of age. The severity of hearing impairment progressed from high to low frequencies and increased with age. Early onset of ARHL in these mice was accompanied by outer HC (OHC) loss. Adult mice conditionally lacking mucolipins in HCs exhibited comparable auditory phenotypes, thereby revealing that the reason for OHC loss is mucolipin codeficiency in the HCs and not in the stria vascularis. Furthermore, we observed that OHCs lacking mucolipins contained abnormally enlarged lysosomes aggregated at the apical region of the cell, whereas other organelles appeared normal. We also demonstrated that these aberrant lysosomes in OHCs lost their membrane integrity through lysosomal membrane permeabilization, a known cause of cellular toxicity that explains why and how OHCs die, leading to premature ARHL.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss (ARHL), is a common characteristic of aging in mammals. Although many genes have been identified to cause deafness from birth in both humans and mice, only a few are known to associate with progressive ARHL, the most prevalent form of deafness. We have found that mice lacking two lysosomal channels, mucolipins 3 and 1, suffer accelerated ARHL due to auditory outer hair cell degeneration, the most common cause of hearing loss and neurodegenerative condition in humans. Lysosomes lacking mucolipins undergo organelle membrane permeabilization and promote cytotoxicity with age, revealing a novel mechanism of outer hair cell degeneration and ARHL. These results underscore the importance of lysosomes in hair cell survival and the maintenance of hearing.
Iodine-Catalyzed Isomerization of Dimethyl Muconate.

cis,cis-Muconic acid is a platform bio-based chemical that can be upgraded to drop-in commodity and novel monomers. Among the possible drop-in products, dimethyl terephthalate can be synthesized via esterification, isomerization, Diels-Alder cycloaddition, and dehydrogenation. The isomerization of cis,cis-dimethyl muconate (ccDMM) to the trans,trans-form (ttDMM) can be catalyzed by iodine; however, studies have yet to address (i) the mechanism and reaction barriers unique to DMM, and (ii) the influence of solvent, potential for catalyst recycle, and recovery of high-purity ttDMM. To address this gap, we apply a joint computational and experimental approach to investigate iodine-catalyzed isomerization of DMM. Density functional theory calculations identified unique regiochemical considerations owing to the large number of halogen-diene coordination schemes. Both transition state theory and experiments estimate significant barrier reductions with photodissociated iodine. Solvent selection was critical for rapid kinetics, likely because of solvent complexation with iodine. Under select conditions, ttDMM yields of 95 % were achieved in 98 %) with crystallization. Lastly, post-reaction iodine can be recovered and recycled with minimal loss of activity. Overall, these findings provide new insight into the mechanism and conditions necessary for DMM isomerization with iodine to advance the state-of-the-art for bio-based chemicals.
Ferret Respiratory Diseases

Ferret behavior often brings them into close contact with potential respiratory pathogens and traumatic insults. Although respiratory disease accounts for a small percentage of cases, they are usually dramatic. Acute and chronic conditions occur, and many lesions are confined to the upper or lower respiratory tree but may not involve both. Pathogens such as influenza A account for a large percentage of upper respiratory infections and often mirror the "flu" season of humans. Traumatic insults to the head and chest are relatively common and account for many veterinary visits. Numerous diseases affecting the upper and lower respiratory systems are discussed, with suggestions for diagnostics and therapies.
Technologies and the Trial Process: The 2013 Allerton Conference

The recent biennial Allerton Conference, sponsored by the Civil Practice and Procedure Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association, focused on the adaptations of new technologies to civil case processes. The author was Conference Reporter. This is the final report.The Conference consisted of four panels and three breakout sessions. Each Conference participant was also asked to complete a questionnaire regarding current Illinois practices, both formal and informal, as well as possible law reforms. Among the issues most significantly discussed were limits on pre-suit fact investigations by lawyers and their agents after Lawlor v. North American Corp., 2012 IL 112530; lawyers’ uses of social media to advertise and solicit witnesses; Internet uses by civil case jurors; authentication of electronically stored information (ESI) evidence; evidence preservation duties; ESI discovery; and, employment of new technologies during civil case hearings and trials.Conference participants supported certain technology-related reforms, including new written guidelines on lawyer uses of technology to advertise/self-promote; authentication of ESI containing business records and personal information; pre-lawsuit judicial orders regarding information preservation; and, ESI discovery (while Conference participants agreed that not all new guidelines need follow the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, they also agreed on the need for a cost-benefit certification requirement for lawyers seeking ESI discovery in higher dollar cases).
Structural basis of DNA lesion recognition for eukaryotic transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair

Abstract Eukaryotic transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) is a pathway that removes DNA lesions capable of blocking RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription from the template strand. This process is initiated by lesion-arrested Pol II and the recruitment of Cockayne Syndrome B protein (CSB). In this review, we will focus on the lesion recognition steps of eukaryotic TC-NER and summarize the recent research progress toward understanding the structural basis of Pol II-mediated lesion recognition and Pol II-CSB interactions. We will discuss the roles of CSB in both TC-NER initiation and transcription elongation. Finally, we propose an updated model of tripartite lesion recognition and verification for TC-NER in which CSB ensures Pol II-mediated recognition of DNA lesions for TC-NER.
Is Evidential Fit Grounded in Explanatory Relations

According to evidentialism, justification is a matter of evidential fit. Some evidentialists analyze the notion of evidential fit in terms of explanation. Applied to perception, the idea is, roughly, that an experience as of p is evidence for you in support of believing p if, and only if, p is either included in, or is a logical consequence of, the set of propositions that explain why you have that seeming. In this paper, I will raise problems for this approach and argue in defense of an alternative proposal.
Gynecologic radiation oncology patients report unmet needs regarding sexual health communication with providers

Following radiation therapy (RT), women with gynecologic malignancies report high rates of sexual dysfunction, but little is known regarding sexual health communication between these patients and health-care providers. This study assessed these patients’ beliefs/attitudes toward providers’ sexual history taking. Surveys were administered to women who presented for follow-up care for gynecologic cancers in an academic radiation oncology department. The surveys assessed patient sexual health beliefs and inquiry preferences. Sexual functioning was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Ordered logistic regressions were performed to assess for correlations between survey responses, FSFI, and demographic characteristics. Seventy-five subjects participated. Most (89.8%) had FSFI scores indicating sexual dysfunction. Most patients agreed that sexual function is an important component of overall health (78.7%) and that providers should inquire regularly (62.8%). Few (12.0%) reported embarrassment around provider discussions. Most (62.7%) preferred discussion with female providers, especially married patients (p = 0.03). Half (53.4%) agreed that sexual problems are an unavoidable part of aging, a view that was more common as education level decreased (p = 0.01). Most (62.7%) patients agreed that providers should regularly ask about their sexual history, with patients having significant differences in education level. Patients with low FSFI scores were less likely to report inquiry from their OB/Gyn (p = 0.03). Gynecologic cancer radiotherapy patients want to discuss sexual health, but report suboptimal provider inquiry. Patient views and experiences varied based on marital status, education level, and FSFI score. This work highlights the need for improved sexual health communication between cancer patients and providers.
High-efficiency flexible multilevel photon sieves by single-step laser-based fabrication and optical analysis.

Over the past several decades, the need for high-resolution, high-efficiency, lightweight, high-contrast focusing optics has continued to increase due to their applications in fields such as astronomy, spectroscopy, free-space optical communications, defense, and remote sensing. In recent years, photon sieve planar diffractive optics, which are essentially Fresnel zone plates with the rings broken into individual “pinhole” apertures, have been developed on flexible, lightweight polyimide substrates. However, transmission efficiencies have continuously been very low (∼1%–11%) until this work, thus impeding the widespread use of photon sieves in practical applications. Here, we present flexible, lightweight, four- and eight-level phase photon sieves with 25.7% and 49.7% transmission efficiency, respectively, up to five times greater than that of any other photon sieve reported thus far. Additionally, these sieves were fabricated via a single step pulsed laser ablation method. The total time to fabricate a ∼3 cm2 photon sieve via the single-step fabrication was tens of seconds, giving the technique a significant advantage over traditional photolithography used to generate multilevel structures. Analytical analysis of the photon sieve was carried out via the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and was in very good agreement with experimental results. We have also calculated via FDTD modeling the behavior of higher-level photon sieves for further enhanced efficiencies, and analytically show an estimated upper bound on photon sieve efficiency of 70% within the first focal plane null in the limit of increasing step number, and the data presented herein provide a relationship between efficiency and step number. Additionally, this process of multilevel diffractive lens fabrication can be extended to multilevel Fresnel zone plates, which have not previously been demonstrated by this process. The results presented in this work represent a new step in high-resolution diffractive optics, showing efficiencies suitable for widespread applications in addition to drastically reducing the cost and complexity of fabricating multilevel focusing elements.
Knowledge Structures as a Basis for Learning Strategies in Engineering Education

Conway’s Law, which states that ‘the design of a system will map to the social structure that created it’, is a well-established principle in social network theory, as well as design. But the concept has deeper implications as well. In order for a design to be executed, the knowledge for the design must first be constructed. That observation led to what has been called ‘The Intermediate Corollary’, which then implies that different types of social structures can be mapped to specific knowledge structures. What is then required is a system of social evolution that shows the different social structures in some evolutionary form. For the case of this paper, the social system evolution model is taken from Spiral Dynamics, an outgrowth of Clare Grave’s seminal work, elaborated on by Don Beck and Integral Philosopher Ken Wilber. This system, when modified with the overarching principles contained in Conway’s Law, yields a fundamental basis set of knowledge structures that maps well to fundamental concepts in engineering education. From knowledge fragments, to advanced synergistic heuristics, all have maps from the social structures that create them, to classroom situations where optimal social structures can be utilized for acceleration of student learning. This paper explores the nexus of these main concepts, as well as the notion of optimal classroom groupings for learning different engineering concepts.
Acceptability and feasibility of a therapeutic board game for children and adolescents with cancer: the Italian version of Shop Talk

Shop Talk is a therapeutic board game for children and adolescents with cancer, aimed at helping them talk about their disease, life, and emotions in a creative way and in a secure setting. The scope of this study was to translate Shop Talk into Italian, evaluating its acceptability, feasibility, and emotional impact. The game board, question cards, and game instructions were translated into Italian from the original English–Spanish version. A sample of 30 pediatric patients aged 7–18 with cancer were enrolled and assigned to one of the following play settings: individual setting, caregiver setting, group setting. The patients’ affectivity was assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the game session using PANAS-C. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed at T1 using a specifically designed questionnaire. The patients’ acceptability and feasibility perception scores were high. Statistical analyses showed a significant decrease of the negative affect and a significant increase of the positive affect in patients. The results suggest that the patients involved appreciated the game and its content, purpose, and use. In addition, the game session with Shop Talk had a positive impact on the players’ affectivity. Therefore, Shop Talk can be considered a useful tool for psychologists working with pediatric cancer patients in Italy.
EFFECT OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE ON HIGH TEMPERATURE FAILURE IN SUPER-PLASTIC ALUMINIUM ALLOYS

ABSTRACT The superplastic properties of several aluminum based alloys are studied. There is a considerable amount of grain boundary sliding and grain rotation during superplastic deformation. The application of hydrostatic pressure during superplastic deformation leads to substantial increases in the elongation to failure by retarding the tendency towards both necking and cavitation.
Improving performance and quality of database-backed software

Modern web applications have stringent latency requirements while processing an ever-increasing amount of user data. To address these challenges and improve programmer productivity, Object Relational Mapping (ORM) frameworks have been developed to allow developers writing database processing code in an object-oriented manner. Despite such frameworks, prior work found that developers still struggle in developing ORM-based web applications. This paper presents a series of study and developed tools for optimizing web applications developed using the Ruby on Rails ORM. Using automated static analysis, we detect ORM related inefficiency problems and suggests fixes to developers. Our evaluation on 12 real-world applications shows that more than 1000 performance issues can be detected and fixed.
Selective synthesis and stabilization of peroxides via phosphine oxides

Reaction of bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane dioxide with hydrogen peroxide leads to an extended crystalline network based on the formation of hydrogen bonds with the PO groups of the diphosphine dioxide. The structural motif of the network is characterized by X-ray diffraction. A new selective synthesis for an industrially important MEKPO (methyl ethyl ketone peroxide) dimer is described. The dimer is created by reaction of dppe dioxide (bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane dioxide) with butanone and hydrogen peroxide. This peroxide is stabilized by forming strong hydrogen bonds to the phosphine oxide groups within an extended network, which has been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Reaction of acetylacetone with hydrogen peroxide, irrespective of the presence of phosphine oxide, leads to the stereoselective formation of two dioxolanes. Both cyclic peroxides have been obtained in crystalline forms suitable for single crystal X-ray diffractions.
Legalising drugs prudently: the importance of incentives and values

Various jurisdictions are legalising not just cannabis possession and use, but also large-scale commercial production, distribution and sale. Potential problems with that form of legalization raise questions about how best to implement a legalisation. This paper analyses the interests of the suppliers and regulators to help lawmakers and voters decide what over-arching architecture for legalisation might be prudent. In particular, it suggests banning for-profit companies and/or vesting regulatory authority in an agency that views its mission as protecting heavy users from suppliers’ excesses, rather than serving the interests of the cannabis industry.
Oracle lower bounds for stochastic gradient sampling algorithms.

We consider the problem of sampling from a strongly log-concave density in $\mathbb{R}^d$, and prove an information theoretic lower bound on the number of stochastic gradient queries of the log density needed. Several popular sampling algorithms (including many Markov chain Monte Carlo methods) operate by using stochastic gradients of the log density to generate a sample; our results establish an information theoretic limit for all these algorithms. We show that for every algorithm, there exists a well-conditioned strongly log-concave target density for which the distribution of points generated by the algorithm would be at least $\varepsilon$ away from the target in total variation distance if the number of gradient queries is less than $\Omega(\sigma^2 d/\varepsilon^2)$, where $\sigma^2 d$ is the variance of the stochastic gradient. Our lower bound follows by combining the ideas of Le Cam deficiency routinely used in the comparison of statistical experiments along with standard information theoretic tools used in lower bounding Bayes risk functions. To the best of our knowledge our results provide the first nontrivial dimension-dependent lower bound for this problem.
Predicting Aqueous Adsorption of Organic Compounds onto Biochars, Carbon Nanotubes, Granular Activated Carbons, and Resins with Machine Learning

Predictive models are useful tools for aqueous adsorption research; existing models such as multilinear regression (MLR), however, can only predict adsorption under specific equilibrium concentrations or for certain adsorption isotherm models. Also, few studies have discussed data processing beyond applying different modeling algorithms to improve the prediction accuracy. In this research, we employed a cosine similarity approach that focused on mining the available data before developing models; this approach can mine the most relevant data concerning the prediction target to build models and was found to considerably improve the prediction accuracy. We then built a machine-learning modeling process based on neural networks (NN), a group-selection data-splitting strategy for grouped adsorption data for adsorbent-adsorbate pairs under different equilibrium concentrations, and polyparameter linear free energy relationships (pp-LFERs) for aqueous adsorption of 165 organic compounds onto 50 biochars, 34 carbon nanotubes, 35 GACs, and 30 polymeric resins. The final NN-LFER models were successfully applied to various equilibrium concentrations regardless of the adsorption isotherm models and showed less prediction deviations than the published models with the root-mean-square errors 0.23-0.31 versus 0.23-0.97 log unit, and the predictions were improved by adding two key descriptors (BET surface area and pore volume) for the adsorbents. Finally, interpreting the NN-LFER models based on the Shapley values suggested that not considering equilibrium concentration and properties of the adsorbents in the existing MLR models is a possible reason for their higher prediction deviations.
Selling Sex and Mental Health Concerns

This book reviews empirical literature on a number of psychological concepts related to selling sex. The goals of the book and the boundaries of what is included can be found in Chap. 1. In brief, this book focuses on private, in-person, consensual sex acts exchanged between a cisgender woman and a paying customer. Research on men, minors, and victims of sex trafficking are deliberately excluded, unless otherwise noted. The review favors peer-reviewed sources of research and is most inclusive of comparative studies. Qualitative findings are used illustratively. There tends to be a social perception that selling sex is associated with mental health problems, but is this true or a myth? Does it depend on which mental health characteristics are considered? Does it change based on the setting or context of selling sex? Chapter 4 explores when, how, and to what extent mental health symptoms are associated with selling sex. We start by considering studies that have examined general or combined indicators of mental health, and then explore findings per mental health condition, including posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, suicidality, dissociative disorders, somatic symptom disorder, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders.
Citizen Education after Political Transition: Comparative Experiences from Sub-Saharan Africa

The focus of research in comparative democratization has included the study of electoral reforms and political institution-building. We know that citizens are informed and educated about political reforms through a variety of sources, including the media, governments and educational systems. These are generally analyzed from an outcome perspective, such as what citizens learn in terms of knowledge and commitment to political agreements, and what opinions they have then develop. This paper focuses on the study of high school civics in Kenya and Ethiopia. Despite the growing interest in citizenship generally, we know relatively little about the content and aims of educational reforms around political change and constitutional reforms, particularly as these relate to political outcomes, notonly educational ones. We might ask what training high school and University educators have in what is broadly termed civics or government and how they perceive their role vis-a-vis political projects around constitutional change. This paper presents an empirical and interpretive study of a particular class of actors in the citizen-creation process: teachers. Though often analyzed from a pedagogical perspective, the teaching of civic education by teachers in environments where core concepts are politicized and controversial puts these teachers at the forefront of citizen education.
The evolution of professional obstetric nursing in the United States (1880′s-present): Qualitative content analysis of specialty nursing textbooks

Abstract Background Professional maternal-newborn/obstetric nursing in the United States emerged in the mid- 19th century coinciding with the increased medical management of childbirth. Before this mothers were attended by female family members, friends, neighbors and lay nurses or midwives. Objective To trace the evolution of professional maternal-newborn/obstetric nursing since its inception, identify factors which may have influenced this evolution, and consider how this knowledge can inform current issues and challenges in caring for childbearing families. Methods Qualitative content analysis, informed by historical research methods, was used to analyze selected content from a sample of maternal-newborn/obstetric nursing textbooks published from the 1880′s to the present. Findings The last 150 years have been characterized by vast changes in medicine, technology and the healthcare system which have all influenced the evolution of professional maternal-newborn/obstetric nursing. Over the decades there has also been a significant change in the conceptualization of pregnancy/childbearing and our relative understanding of maternal and infant vulnerability. Findings revealed, however, that over time the primary focus of professional maternal-newborn/obstetric nursing care has consistently been: “protection, counseling/teaching and support” of childbearing families. In the U.S. maternal-newborn/obstetric nurses currently face many challenges including caring for an increasingly diverse patient population within a complex, technologically advanced healthcare system. This system is characterized by a high rate of cesarean section births, frequent intervention in vaginal births, disparities in access to care, and a high rate of preventable morbidity and mortality. Conclusions Since its origins the nursing profession has matured and nursing's allegience is now clearly to patients and society Today's nurses have the opportunity to play a key role in advocating for healthcare reform which would allow for less interference in the natural birth process, maximize patient outcomes, decrease inequities, and make comprehensive care for all mothers and infants a national priority.
Liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy for intramucosal carcinoma and extensive gastric intestinal metaplasia with dysplasia.

Background and Aims Gastric intestinal metaplasia with dysplasia (GIM-D) that is visible as a discrete limited lesion on endoscopy is readily treated using endoscopic mucosal resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection. However, there are few options for more extensive and invisible dysplasia. Ablating a wide swath of tissue with argon plasma coagulation or radiofrequency ablation can be challenging and carries risks, including postprocedure ulceration. Liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy is an established treatment for dysplasia in Barrett’s esophagus, but its use for GIM-D has not been previously reported. Methods Three patients with intramucosal adenocarcinoma and GIM-D underwent a total of 10 sessions of spray cryotherapy. In all cases, spray cryotherapy was performed after passing an orogastric decompression tube into the stomach for active suctioning. Ablations were performed in cycles of 20 to 40 seconds, with at least 45 seconds between cycles to allow for tissue thawing. Between 2 and 7 ablations were performed during each procedure. Before each procedure, Sydney protocol biopsy specimens were obtained. No patient reported any postprocedure adverse events. Results The first patient underwent 3 sessions of spray cryotherapy; there was no evidence of GIM-D after 1 session, no evidence of gastric intestinal metaplasia after 3 sessions, and no recurrence after 29 months. The second patient underwent 5 sessions of spray cryotherapy; after 1 session there was no adenocarcinoma, and at 14 months there was only GIM-D. The third patient underwent 2 spray cryotherapy sessions, and after 1 session there was gastric intestinal metaplasia but no GIM-D. Conclusions Very few treatment modalities exist for extensive GIM-D. We present 3 cases in which off-label spray cryotherapy was used to treat extensive high-grade dysplasia with good treatment effect and patient tolerance. This adds to the body of literature supporting spray cryotherapy as a safe, well-tolerated, and effective treatment for extensive GIM-D.
Evil in Genesis and Other Ancient Near Eastern Creation Stories

Thanks to the wealth of texts about creation that have emerged from the Middle East over the past 150 years, it can seem that creation accounts cover, as put by one commentator, “the origins of life, the universe, and everything” (Everything !). The author of this quotation seems to have the vast range of phenomena in mind that can be gleaned from the many, multifaceted ancient Near Eastern creation accounts and references now available.
Cosplayers: Gender and Identity

Cosplayers: Gender and Identity is an examination of identity practices in cosplay, as expressed by cosplayers themselves. It challenges the assumed correlation between cosplay and cosplayer identity and considers the lived experiences of cosplayers engaging in the fan practice of sartorial performance. Through a series of chapters covering the blurring lines of gender, sexualized fantasy in real spaces, and nostalgia, the author argues that observational data run the risk of affirming normative expectations of identity in the absence of cosplayer narratives, and produce misreadings that generalize. The work develops and builds an understanding of a complex cultural system of art, engaging with multiple methodologies to make identity, fandom, and critical analysis on the parts of participants and observers alike. This is an accessible and innovative study suitable for scholars and students in gender studies, cultural studies, sexuality studies, sociology, and media studies.
Temporal disruption of neuromuscular communication and muscle atrophy following non-invasive ACL injury in rats.

Many patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have persistent quadriceps muscle atrophy, even after considerable time in rehabilitation. Understanding the factors that regulate muscle mass, and the time course of atrophic events, is important for identifying therapeutic interventions. Using a non-invasive animal model of ACL injury, a longitudinal study was performed to elucidate key parameters underlying quadriceps muscle atrophy. Male Long-Evans rats were euthanized at 6, 12, 24, 48-hrs and 1, 2, 4-wks after ACL injury that was induced via tibial compression overload; controls were not injured. Vastus Lateralis muscle size was determined by wet weight and fiber CSA. Evidence of disrupted neuromuscular communication was assessed via the expression of NCAM and genes associated with denervation and neuromuscular junction instability. Abundance of MuRF-1, MAFbx, and 45s pre-rRNA along with 20S proteasome activity were determined to investigate mechanisms related to muscle atrophy. Lastly, muscle damage-related parameters were assessed by measuring IgG permeability, centronucleation, CD68 mRNA and satellite cell abundance. Compared to controls, we observed a greater percentage of NCAM positive fibers at 6-hrs post-injury, followed by higher MAFbx abundance 48-hrs post-injury, and higher 20S proteasome activity at 1-wk post-injury. A loss of muscle wet weight, smaller fiber CSA and the elevated expression of Runx1 were also observed at the 1-wk post-injury time point relative to controls. There also were no differences observed in any damage markers. These results indicate that alterations in neuromuscular communication precede the upregulation of atrophic factors that regulate quadriceps muscle mass early after non-invasive ACL injury.
Posteroanterior Cervical Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation: Interactions with Cortical and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation.

Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) has demonstrated potential to beneficially modulate spinal cord motor and autonomic circuitry. We are interested in pairing cervical TSCS with other forms of nervous system stimulation to enhance synaptic plasticity in circuits serving hand function. We use a novel configuration for cervical TSCS in which the anode is placed anteriorly over ~C4–C5 and the cathode posteriorly over ~T2–T4. We measured the effects of single pulses of TSCS paired with single pulses of motor cortex or median nerve stimulation timed to arrive at the cervical spinal cord at varying intervals. In 13 participants with and 15 participants without chronic cervical spinal cord injury, we observed that subthreshold TSCS facilitates hand muscle responses to motor cortex stimulation, with a tendency toward greater facilitation when TSCS is timed to arrive at cervical synapses simultaneously or up to 10 milliseconds after cortical stimulus arrival. Single pulses of subthreshold TSCS had no effect on the amplitudes of median H-reflex responses or F-wave responses. These findings support a model in which TSCS paired with appropriately timed cortical stimulation has the potential to facilitate convergent transmission between descending motor circuits, segmental afferents, and spinal motor neurons serving the hand. Studies with larger numbers of participants and repetitively paired cortical and spinal stimulation are needed.