cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Stiffness and Mass Matrices from Experimental Vibration Modes

With highly complex structures, it is sometimes desirable to derive a dynamic model of the system from experimental vibration data. This paper presents algorithms for synthesizing the mass and stiffness matrices from experimentally derived modal data in a way which preserves the physical significance of the individual mass and stiffness elements. The synthesizing procedures allow for the incorporation of other mass and stiffness data, whether empirical or based on the analyst's insight. The mass and stiffness matrices are derived for a cantilever beam example and are compared with those obtained using earlier techniques.
Gender, labour and the law: the nexus of domestic work, human trafficking and the informal economy in the United Arab Emirates

Based on ethnographic fieldwork with female migrants in the United Arab Emirates, the focus of this article is on the confluence of human trafficking discourses, gendered migration, domestic work and sex work in the UAE. I explore three main findings. First, domestic work and sex work are not mutually exclusive. Second, women choose to enter sex work in preference to domestic work because of poor working conditions in the latter. Third, global policies on human trafficking that seek to restrict female migration have inspired female migrants in the Gulf in search of higher wages and increased autonomy to look for employment in the informal economy. Employing a theoretical lens that emphasizes structural violence, the article chronicles the individual and macro social factors structuring the transition of female migrants from the formal economy of domestic and care work into the informal economy of sex work.
THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS : AN ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE SKILL LEARNING

This paper presents a functional brain-imaging strategy designed to isolate neural correlates of consciousness in humans. This strategy is based on skill learning. In the example presented (rapidly generating verbs for visually presented nouns), a cognitive skill is examined before and after practice. As shown, there are marked qualitative differences in the neural circuitry supporting performance of this task in the naive and practised state that include, importantly, both increases and decreases from the baseline activity of the brain.
Abortion Politics and the Decline of the Separation of Church and State: The Southern Baptist Case

Between the late 1970s and early 1990s, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) altered its First Amendment advocacy, shifting from being an ardent supporter of the strict separation of church and state to being a champion of the government accommodation of religion. At the same time, the denomination also became unswervingly pro-life. In this article, I use the SBC case to identify a previously under-analyzed link between abortion politics and church-state politics. I suggest that pro-life politics played an important role in the SBC's shift away from the separation of church and state. I focus on three areas where abortion politics aided this shift: (1) opposing separationists’ assertions that anti-abortion policies violated the Establishment Clause; (2) becoming allies rather than foes with Catholics; and (3) promoting a greater emphasis on the free exercise of religion. I conclude by discussing the implications for the relationship between religion, law, and politics.
A multi-level hierarchical cache coherence protocol for multiprocessors

In order to meet the computational needs of the next decade, shared-memory processors must be scalable. Though single shared-bus architectures have been successful in the past, lack of bus bandwidth restricts the number of processors that can be effectively put on a single bus machine. One architecture that has been proposed to solve the limited bandwidth problem consists of processors connected via a tree hierarchy of buses. The authors present a tool to study a hierarchical bus based shared-memory system. They highlight the main features of a hierarchical cache coherence protocol and give some preliminary performance results obtained via an instruction level simulator. >
Are CDS Auctions Biased

We study the design of settlement auctions for credit default swaps (CDS). We nd that the one-sided design of CDS auctions currently used in practice gives CDS buyers and sellers strong incentives to distort the nal auction price, in order to prot from existing CDS positions. In the absence of frictions, the current auction mechanism tends to overprice defaulted bonds given an excess supply and underprice them given an excess demand. We propose a double auction to mitigate price biases and provide robust price discovery. The predictions of our theory on bidding behavior are consistent with CDS auction data.
Feasibility of using ionic liquids for carbon dioxide capture

Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts that are liquids in their pure state at ambient conditions. They are frequently referred to as "environmentally benign" due to their immeasurably low vapour pressure. In addition to their more widely studied capabilities as solvents for reactions, several ionic liquids also show potential in other environmentally conscious applications, such as in the capture of CO2. In previous gas solubility studies with the ionic liquids 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [bmim][PF6], and 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [bmim][BF4] [1,2], we have found that CO2 has a much higher solubility in these ILs than many other gases, including N2, O2, and CH4. Here we show experimental measurements using a static absorber that confirm that [bmim][PF6] can be used to remove CO2 from a gas mixture containing either N2 or CH4. We also compare capture of CO2 using ILs to conventional technology using monoethanolamine (MEA).
Carbonate mineral cycles generated by foraminiferal and pteropod response to Pleistocene climate: west Florida ramp slope

Carbonate ramps are gently sloping depositional surfaces where shallow-water, coarse-grained facies pass basinward into fine-grained, deep-water sediments, with no abrupt change in slope. The objectives of this study are: (i) to integrate the depositional processes recorded in the Pleistocene stratigraphy of the west Florida outer ramp into a palaeoclimatic and palaeoceanographic framework for the eastern Gulf of Mexico; and (ii) to examine the origin of mineralogical and sedimentary cycles in the light of pteropod and planktonic foraminiferal populations corresponding to climatic oscillations. Aragonitic, pteropod-rich sediments with large amounts of insoluble residue occur in sediments deposited during glacial intervals; sandy calcitic sediments with abundant planktonic foraminifera accumulate during interglacials. These cycles reflect variations in biological productivity of pelagic pteropods and planktonic foraminifera, rather than preferential dissolution of either aragonitic or calcitic fractions. Species assemblages suggest that the productivity cycles are linked to changes in upwelling intensity at the margins of the Loop Current and variations in water mass salinities, as well as terrigenous dilution from the Mississippi Delta. These cycles are the response to Pleistocene glacial-interglacial oscillations, controlled by Milankovitch orbital parameters. Although the organisms contributing to deep-water carbonate environments have changed through geological time, facies patterns, as well as sedimentary textures and structures, identified in the west Florida sediments provide criteria for recognition of ancient ramps. An understanding of the processes on a modern ramp slope, such as west Florida, may prove valuable in palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental analysis of epicontinental carbonate sequences and ramps in the rock record.
Wireless TCP enhancements using multilevel ECN

Due to the increasing demand for mobility among the Internet users, there is a urgent requirement to identify and solve the deficiencies in the wireless domain. One such urgent problem is the poor performance of TCP over wireless links. TCP still being the only protocol used in the Internet for reliable transfers, the assumptions made by TCP in the wired domain are not valid in the wireless domain. To enhance the performace of the TCP in the wireless domain, we need to differentiate the ’congestion loss’ from the ’wireless loss’. We find that the previous attempts in this direction make unjustified demands from the network or the accuracy of the schemes are inadequate. We are convinced that reliable transport is a end-to-end semantic and other networkcomponents should not be burdened with this work. In this paper we propose a scheme called the ’Source-Centric Congestion Filtering’, based on the MECN protocol, which tries to differentiate the losses based on the networkfeedback . Our simulations using the NS-2 simulator shows that our protocol has very less percentage of error and performs better than most of the other end-to-end TCP variants.
A continental philosophy perspective on knowledge management

Abstract. Knowledge management is the computer’s contribution to management ‘science’ and claims to be the successor of various trends in the business world, including, but not necessarily limited to information resources management, business process reengineering, management information systems and organizational memory. A number of definitions have been proposed for it. The very concept of knowledge used by knowledge management writers, however, is based on a dubious epistemology. This paper looks at the concept of knowledge from a continental perspective. With this perspective, we question whether what is being managed is, in fact, knowledge, and whether management will get business what it wants anyway.
Bioflavonoids as a new growth factor for the cricket, Acheta domesticus.

The growth rate of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.), was increased two- to threefold when grass or other natural materials were added to a diet which contained all known nutrients for this insect. The growth factor from grass was organic in nature, heat stable, soluble in water and several or ganic polar solvents, and insoluble in acid and nonpolar organic solvents. The active dried butanol solubles of grass were extracted with methanol and petro leum ether. When the methanol fraction was washed with a water-chloroform mix, more of the activity went into the water fraction. These characteristics make this growth factor similar to those reported for other insects. Thin-layer Chro matographie, solubility, staining and fluorescent properties indicated the presence of bioflavonoid compounds. Subsequently rutin, hesperidin, hesperidin methyl- chalcone and esculin each produced a significant increase in the growth rate of crickets. The activity of rutin was greater than all other compounds tested. The results suggest the possible development of an acceptable assay for the biological activity previously identified as vitamin P. J. Nutr. 101: 1217-1224, 1971.
Efficacy of preoperative dual-phase sestamibi scanning in hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract Purpose: The objective of this article is to evaluate our experience with sestamibi scanning in patients with primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of patients referred to the radiology department at the University of Kansas Medical Center for parathyroid studies between January 1, 1993, and August 1, 1998, was done. Patients included in the study were those who underwent both dual-phase technetium (Tc-99m) sestamibi scanning and subsequent parathyroidectomy at our institution (n = 34). Twenty-six patients had primary hyperparathyroidism and 8 patients had secondary hyperparathyroidism. Fifteen had previous history of neck exploration. Results: Sensitivity of sestamibi scans in detection of all abnormal pathology in cases of primary hyperparathyroidism was 60% overall. Among the subset of adenoma cases, sensitivity was 82% (14/17). Among cases of primary parathyroid hyperplasia, no scan correctly localized all abnormal glands; however 60% (3/5) showed localization of at least one hyperplastic gland. Of the 2 patients with parathyroid carcinoma, in only one case was there evidence of sestamibi retention in the correct thyroid lobe. In patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism, sestamibi scanning was successful in identifying all hyperplastic tissue in only one case (sensitivity 13%). In 7 of the 8 cases of secondary hyperparathyroidism, the scan localized at least one hyperplastic gland. Conclusion: Sestamibi scanning is useful in the localization of abnormal pathology in cases of primary hyperparathyroidism, especially adenomas. In cases of hyperplasia, whether attributable to primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism, sestamibi imaging is less successful. (Am J Otolaryngol 2000;21:355-359. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company)
Adaptive noise canceler for narrowband/wideband interferences using higher-order statistics

A higher-order statistics-based adaptive interference canceler is introduced to eliminate additive narrowband and wideband interferences in environments where the interference is non-Gaussian and a reference signal, which is highly correlated with the interference, is available. The proposed scheme is independent of Gaussian uncorrelated noise sources and insensitive to the reference signal statistics and the choice of step size. Simulations demonstrate that the higher-order statistics-based adaptive algorithm performs more effectively than the second-order statistics-based adaptive algorithm not only for single and multiple narrowband interferences with/without Gaussian uncorrelated noise sources but also for wideband (AM and FM) interferences. >
From Ethnography to Items A Mixed Methods Approach to Developing a Survey to Examine Graduate Engineering Student Retention

As part of a sequential exploratory mixed methods study, 9 months of ethnographically guided observations and interviews were used to develop a survey examining graduate engineering student retenti...
Characterization of the pharyngo-UES contractile reflex in humans

Preliminary human studies suggest the presence of an upper esophageal sphincter (UES) contractile reflex triggered by pharyngeal water stimulation. The purposes of this study were to further charac...
Finite element matrices for seismic surface waves in three-dimensional structures

The finite-element technique of Lysmer and Drake has made possible the study of time-harmonic surface waves in irregular, two-dimensional structures. This paper provides the stiffness and mass matrices necessary for extending their technique to the study of time-harmonic surface waves in irregular, three-dimensional structures. The element stiffness matrix [ k ] and the element mass matrix [ m ] are obtained by symbolic integration for an isotropic, rectangular hexahedron; the elements of these 24 × 24 matrices are given in explicit form. In addition, the layer stiffness matrix [ K ] and the layer mass matrix [ M ] appropriate for horizontally layered, laterally homogeneous, three-dimensional models constructed from rectangular hexahedra are also given in explicit form. Modifications to both [ K ] and [ M ] are described which ensure surface-wave motion in the horizontally layered, laterally homogeneous, three-dimensional structure. Finally, an example is given which demonstrates the correctness of the modified forms of [ K ] and [ M ] and, by implication, the correctness of [ k ] and [ m ].
Contestations in death – the role of grief in migration struggles

This article explores forms of ‘grief-activism’ commemorating those who have perished on the move, in the waters surrounding EUrope, at physical border barriers or on EUrope’s streets and in its detention centres. Contestations in death protest the differential distribution of vulnerability and a politics of division, abandonment and necropolitical violence on which EUrope’s border regime thrives. Mobilising both Judith Butler’s notion of grievability and Jacques Ranciere’s proposition of an ‘impossible identification’ as a heterological form of politics, this article examines what occurs in attempts to form solidarities in precarious moments of collective mourning. While a politics that seeks to include lost others must always be replete with impossibilities, it is argued that grief-activist practices that counter-perform exclusions in transformative political encounters engender imaginaries of what it might mean to create community ‘beyond borders’.
United States Economic Foreign Policy: Research Requirements for 1965

The last several decades have each been broadly characterized by one or two central economic questions. In the 1920's the central problem was international capital transfers, or reparations and war debts; in the 1930's, the international spread of unemployment and destabilizing speculation; in the late 1940's, after the war, reconstruction; in the 1950's, defense economics and growth. Not only can we identify them; it is on the whole fair to say that the central problems of the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's have been solved. International capital transfer is accomplished by preventing war debts from accumulating, paying limited reparations in kind, and furnishing the capital needed for reconstruction, and in part for economic growth, as grants or on liberal loan terms.
Evaluation of Hydrogen Cracking in Weld Metal Deposited Using Cellulosic SMAW Electrodes

In a previous study of the limitations of cellulosic coated electrodes, it was found that arc length has a pronounced effect on carbon, manganese, and silicon recovery in welds made using these electrodes. The effect of arc length could not explain the extremely rich compositions observed in a series of cracked girth welds that were analyzed, however. Subsequent investigation demonstrated that it was possible to effectively double the manganese concentration and triple the silicon concentration when using cellulosic-coated electrodes with low moisture contents in the coatings. A variety of multipass weld metal cracking tests were reviewed and a test method that can be performed as part of a procedure qualification/material qualification test to determine appropriate preheat/interpass temperatures was developed. This paper describes the results of a follow-on program funded by Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) and the US Department of Transportation. The objectives of the program were to further define the conditions that can lead to hydrogen cracking in weld metal deposited using cellulosic coated electrodes, in terms of operator preference (arc length), electrode properties, power supply selection, and materials handling, and to develop welding and safe handling guidelines to prevent weld metal hydrogen cracking. Cellulosic coated electrodes were procured from several manufacturers. Initially, they were checked for weld metal chemical composition in the as-received and dried conditions. The coating moisture of each electrode in each condition was also determined. Some of the electrodes were selected for additional testing in the as-received, dried and re-hydrated conditions. Pipe sections were welded with each electrode in each condition, using both a short arc length and a medium arc length. Weld metal testing included tensile testing, bend testing and weld metal chemical analysis. In the second phase of this program, additional welds were made with two of the electrodes using different power sources. Electrodes were also exposed to conditions intended to simulate actual weather conditions from around the world, in an effort to produce guidelines for maximum exposure times at the various conditions.© 2006 ASME
Creating Group Identity: Disabled Veterans and American Government

again, and the story is alarming and gloomy. Early in the coverage of this fast emerging, twenty-first century veterans' problem, a tone of surprise inflected news reports, with only an occasional nod given to the problem's deep historical precedents within the American experience. This problem should be no surprise. As long as war has existed, it has produced victims with physical and psychological injuries. Of course, that is the objective of war. Over time, war has probably been the most constant and lethally efficient, socially created mechanism for producing injured and ill bodies and minds. Only the steady toll of workplace industrial accidents competes. What has changed in the last century is that wounds and illnesses incurred during military service are no longer as likely to result in death. Alongside the rise of increasingly lethal weaponry for prosecuting combat violence, innovations in military medical care and battlefield equipment have combined to save more lives than ever before. World War II
Atomicity And Nilpotence

There is a body of results for lattices known as “Decomposition Theory” which is aimed at proving certain existence and uniqueness theorems concerning irredundant representations of elements of a compactly generated lattice. The motivation for these results is certainly the quest for sufficient conditions on congruence lattices to insure irredundant subdirect representations of algebras. These theorems usually include some kind of modularity or distribut i v e hypothesis (for uniqueness) and some atomicity hypothesis (for existence); the precise details can be found in [3]. The atomicity condition is usually the hypothesis that the lattice in question is strongly atomic or at least atomic. Now, it is well-known that every algebra has a weakly atomic congruence lattice.
Even In An Emergency, Doctors Must Make Informed Consent An Informed Choice

When a stroke is suspected, a daughter is pressured to consent to her father's treatment without fully understanding the risks.
CATHEPSINS B AND D: PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL LOCALIZATION IN SKELETAL MUSCLE

Publisher Summary This chapter describes proteolytic activity and ultrastructural localization in skeletal muscle of cathepsins B and D. Myofibrillar protein is equivalent to approximately 25% of the total body protein, presenting a large and highly mobile protein reservoir. Tissue samples for electron microscopy, all from guinea pigs, were either a total mitochondrial fraction separated from gastrocnemius homogenates by differential centrifugation or ultrathin sections from the medial head of the gastrocnemius. Lysosomal extracts were prepared from the medial heads of gastrocnemius muscles by differential centrifugation and served as the source of enzymes. The degradation in vitro of purified myosin heavy chains and actin by cathepsins B and D, as well as actin and myosin contained in myofilaments and myofibrils, was clearly demonstrated in the experiments with SDS-PAGE. The visualization of cathepsins B and D in muscle cells by electron microscopy adds another dimension to understanding of protein catabolism, by allowing the observation of intracellular compartmentalization and transport of these enzymes.
Bioaccumulation of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes in Tetrahymena thermophila by Direct Feeding or Trophic Transfer.

Consumer goods contain multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that could be released during product life cycles into the environment, where their effects are uncertain. Here, we assessed MWCNT bioaccumulation in the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila via trophic transfer from bacterial prey (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) versus direct uptake from growth media. The experiments were conducted using 14C-labeled MWCNT (14C-MWCNT) doses at or below 1 mg/L, which proved subtoxic since there were no adverse effects on the growth of the test organisms. A novel contribution of this study was the demonstration of the ability to quantify MWCNT bioaccumulation at low (sub μg/kg) concentrations accomplished by employing accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). After the treatments with MWCNTs at nominal concentrations of 0.01 mg/L and 1 mg/L, P. aeruginosa adsorbed considerable amounts of MWCNTs: (0.18 ± 0.04) μg/mg and (21.9 ± 4.2) μg/mg bacterial dry mass, respectively. At the administered MWCNT dose of 0.3 mg/L, T. thermophila a...
Office evaluation of dysphonia.

The evaluation of patients with dysphonia has changed substantially in the last decade. A better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of voice has led to a more detailed patient history, expanded physical examination, and new technology. Instrumentation to detect and quantify voice function is helpful in the evaluation of patients with voice disorders and may be an important addition to the otolaryngologist’s office armamentarium.
Chronic sorrow: a response to living with cancer

This study investigated the occurrence of chronic sorrow in individuals diagnosed with cancer and explored factors perceived as helpful to those experiencing grief-related feelings. Using the Burke/NCRCS Chronic Sorrow Questionnaire (Affected Individual Version), interviews were conducted with 10 individuals with cancer at least one year postdiagnosis. Interviews were transcribed and coding categories were developed. Data then were sorted into categories and recurring themes were identified. Nine of the subjects demonstrated evidence of chronic sorrow. Subjects most often used cognitive or action-oriented coping strategies to deal with their grief-related feelings. Nursing roles identified as particularly helpful to subjects experiencing chronic sorrow were providing an empathetic presence and being a teacher/expert. Nurses need to be aware that individuals living with cancer may experience chronic sorrow, and they need to be prepared to intervene in ways deemed helpful.
Freedom of Speech Under Assault on Campus

Freedom of speech has been severely criticized at many American universities. Meanwhile, such prestigious transnational institutions as the United Nations and the European Union have endorsed censorship of hate speech, as well as denial of Holocaust and climate change, and even blasphemy.Those trends are antithetical to classically liberal ideals about both the freedom of speech and the purpose of the university. John Stuart Mill thought higher education should not tell us what it is our duty to believe, but should “help us to form our own belief in a manner worthy of intelligent beings.” He added that “there ought to exist the fullest liberty of professing and discussing, as a matter of ethical conviction, any doctrine,” regardless of its falsity, immorality, or even harmfulness.The classical liberal argument for free speech has historically been championed in two distinct ways. First, the Founding documents of the United States recognize freedom of speech as a natural right. Second, alternatively, that right might be grounded in utility, meaning its acceptance best promotes human flourishing. Ironically, the very trends on campus that threaten freedom of speech also lend strong support to both justifications for it.
Through Thickness Fracture Behavior of Transversely Graded Ti/TiB Material

Fracture behavior of a Ti/TiB graded material with a crack perpendicular to the gradient direction was investigated. Three-point bending experiment was conducted and full-field displacement fields were measured on both faces of the specimen, metallic and ceramic-rich surfaces, using 2D digital image correlation technique. Stress intensity factors were calculated using the displacement fields obtained on both faces of the specimen, and were compared to the effective fracture toughness determined from fracture load data. The overall fracture toughness was found to be very close to the stress intensity factor determined using the displacement field on ceramic-rich side. However, the stress intensity factors calculated on both surfaces using the displacement fields, showed different values. In addition, scanning electron microscope observations were performed to examine the fracture surface of the material. It was observed that the crack front is inclined, indicating that the fracture may have initiated in the ceramic side and followed by a very fast propagation to the metallic side.
Spin analogs of superconductivity and integer quantum Hall effect in an array of spin chains

Motivated by the successful idea of using weakly coupled quantum electronic wires to realize the quantum Hall effects and the quantum spin Hall effects, we theoretically study two systems composed of weakly coupled quantum spin chains within the mean-field approximations, which can exhibit spin analogs of superconductivity and the integer quantum Hall effect. First, a certain bilayer of two arrays of interacting spin chains is mapped, via the Jordan-Wigner transformation, to an attractive Hubbard model that exhibits fermionic superconductivity, which corresponds to spin superconductivity in the original spin Hamiltonian. Secondly, an array of spin-orbit-coupled spin chains in the presence of a suitable external magnetic field is transformed to an array of quantum wires that exhibits the integer quantum Hall effect, which translates into its spin analog in the spin Hamiltonian. The resultant spin superconductivity and spin integer quantum Hall effect can be characterized by their ability to transport spin without any resistance.
Breast carcinoma: molecular profiling and updates.

Abstract The most significant contribution of molecular subtyping of breast carcinomas has been the identification of estrogen-positive and estrogen-negative tumor subtypes, which are 2 distinct entities with differing prognoses and requiring different therapy. Molecular and genetic analyses can provide prognostic information; however, a thorough histopathologic evaluation with an evaluation of predictive biomarkers will provide similar information. Knowledge of genetic alterations in these tumors will help identify novel therapeutic targets, which might have an impact on prognosis. Understanding the progression pathways involved in the transition of in situ carcinoma to invasive carcinoma might lead to efficient risk stratification in these patients.
A Socio-Technical Perspective in Support of Information Sharing for Diverse Teams in Today's Workplace

Work today is accomplished by people in teams that are increasingly distributed, collaborative, and heterogeneous. One or more dimensions of team heterogeneity can be experienced by collaborators as distance. Geography, time zone, discipline, and organizational factors such as role and project tenure are of particular interest. This diversity, when experienced as distance, provides challenges to the social fabric of teams, and calls for additional technological development to provide information sharing tools that are capable of recognizing and addressing these gaps without adding additional burden on the individual or team. We discuss the distances, information sharing challenges, and strategies to place the human at the center, with a focus on tool and technology simplification, personalization and consolidation.
Interaktion durch die Verbindung von Telefonie‑ Anwendungen mit dem Web

Eine schriftliche Zusammenfassung des Beitrages konnte nicht rechtzeitig fertiggestellt werden.
Control of Ventilation

Ventilation serves many masters. I have emphasized ventilation as it serves gas exchange and acid-base regulation, but we should not forget its important, if less obvious functions, such as vocalization, sneezing, coughing, cooling hot coffee, and, in some species, evaporative cooling of the body. All these functions are somehow superimposed and prioritized in a combination of voluntary and autonomic control that is understood more in terms of cause and effect than in the nature of the actual control mechanisms.
Occurrence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural soil receiving dairy manure.

Animal manures are commonly used to enhance soil fertility, but there are growing concerns over the impact of this practice on the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of annual dairy manure applications on the occurrence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in an agricultural soil under crop production. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications, which included the following treatments: i) control (no fertilizer); ii) inorganic fertilizer; and iii) stockpiled dairy manure. Inorganic fertilizer was applied in the spring, while dairy manure was applied in the fall of 2012–2015 at 17.2, 34.5, and 52.0 Mg (dry wt.)/ha. Soil samples were collected in the spring (pre-plant) and fall (post-harvest) to a depth of 120 cm. DNA extracted from the soils was used in a quantitative real-time PCR reaction to determine absolute abundances (per g dry soil) and relative abundances (per 16S rRNA gene copies) of ARGs. The ARGs targeted were blaCTX-M-1, erm(B), sul1, tet(A), tet(W), and tet(X) and a class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1), but only sul1, tet(W), tet(X), and intI1 were detected in enough samples to run statistics and draw conclusions. This study found that: i) manure application increases ARG abundances above background soil levels; ii) the higher the manure application rate, the higher the ARG abundance in soil; iii) the amount of manure applied is more important than reoccurring annual applications of the same amount of manure; iv) absolute abundance and occurrence of ARGs decreases with increasing soil depth, but relative abundances remained constant; and v) ARGs correlated with each other and a number of soil chemical parameters, but not with soil moisture or 16S rRNA gene. Overall, this study demonstrated that dairy manure applications significantly increase the abundance of clinically relevant ARGs when compared to soil that received inorganic fertilizer or no fertilizer/manure.
Multi-omics Integrative Analysis of Acute and Relapsing Malaria in a Non-Human Primate Model of P. vivax infection

Summary Systems-scale analysis of multiple layers of molecular and cellular data has significant potential for providing novel insights into malaria pathology and immunity. We present here a unique longitudinal multi-omics dataset encompassing Macaca mulatta blood and bone marrow responses to infection by Plasmodium cynomolgi, a non-human primate (NHP) parasite species used to model P. vivax malaria acute and relapsing infections in humans. We analyzed relationships across multiple biological layers using a mutual information-based machine learning approach to integrate heterogeneous longitudinal datasets and constructed an atlas of multi-omics relatedness networks (MORNs). Using this technique, we were able to detect signatures that defined both acute and relapsing infections. Importantly, relapse infections could be distinguished from both acutely-infected and uninfected NHP, suggesting that the host-parasite interactions during relapses are unique compared to acute Plasmodium infections. To our knowledge, this is the first report of large-scale, longitudinal multi-omics analysis of malaria in any system. This dataset, along with the method used to analyze it, provides a unique resource for the malaria research community and demonstrates the power of longitudinal infection study designs, NHP model systems and integrative multi-omics analyses.
LGBTQ: The Communities Within a Community

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people are diverse, representing a small percentage of the American population. The identities of LGBTQ people are complex, are multilayered, and have a substantial impact on health and well-being. Oncology nurses and allied health professionals are uniquely positioned to appreciate the individuality of each patient, as well as address population-based considerations. This affords the provision of compassionate, culturally, and clinically competent care to this vulnerable population. Oncology care providers can begin to address the health inequities experienced by the LGBTQ community, restore trust in the patient-provider relationship, and improve care quality.
Single cell RNA sequencing of calvarial and long bone endocortical cells

ABSTRACT Single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) is emerging as a powerful technology to examine transcriptomes of individual cells. We determined whether scRNA-seq could be used to detect the effect of environmental and pharmacologic perturbations on osteoblasts. We began with a commonly used in vitro system in which freshly isolated neonatal mouse calvarial cells are expanded and induced to produce a mineralized matrix. We used scRNA-seq to compare the relative cell type abundances and the transcriptomes of freshly isolated cells to those that had been cultured for 12 days in vitro. We observed that the percentage of macrophage-like cells increased from 6% in freshly isolated calvarial cells to 34% in cultured cells. We also found that Bglap transcripts were abundant in freshly isolated osteoblasts but nearly undetectable in the cultured calvarial cells. Thus, scRNA-seq revealed significant differences between heterogeneity of cells in vivo and in vitro. We next performed scRNA-seq on freshly recovered long bone endocortical cells from mice that received either vehicle or Sclerostin-neutralizing antibody for 1 week. Bone anabolism-associated transcripts were also not significantly increased in immature and mature osteoblasts recovered from Sclerostin-neutralizing antibody treated mice; this is likely a consequence of being underpowered to detect modest changes in gene expression, since only 7% of the sequenced endocortical cells were osteoblasts, and a limited portion of their transcriptomes were sampled. We conclude that scRNA-seq can detect changes in cell abundance, identity, and gene expression in skeletally derived cells. In order to detect modest changes in osteoblast gene expression at the single cell level in the appendicular skeleton, larger numbers of osteoblasts from endocortical bone are required.
Developing a multi-boot computer environment and preparing for deployment to multiple workstations using Symantec Ghost: a cookbook approach

This paper describes the need for allowing faculty to control and administer the setup and configuration of computers used for teaching and learning. It presents a solution to create and deploy a multi-boot operating system configuration in a computer laboratory environment that minimizes the dependency on the already fragmented small college IT staff and maximizes the use of tools and technology in a practical way. This solution utilizing Symantec Ghost is described as a pseudo-cookbook method so that the process can be replicated by others.
Atomic emission spectroscopy from laser-induced breakdown plasmas

A focused laser beam of moderate power and any wavelength can cause breakdown in a gas, in a liquid, or at a solid surface. The resultant plasma is a good source of excited atoms for atomic emission spectroscopy, and conventional spectroscopic techniques may be used for identification of the atomic species present. Time resolution of the emission spectrum provides increased detection capabilities. Since the continuum background is short-lived and ionic lifetimes are shorter than neutrals, a carefully chosen time window can result in a better SNR than can be obtained from a spectrum integrated over the full lifetime of the plasma.
The association among adolescents' tobacco use, their beliefs and attitudes, and friends' and parents' opinions of smoking

Objective: To examine adolescents' attitudes toward smoking, the presence of a false consensus effect, and the influence of peer and parental attitudes about smoking choices on being a susceptible, never smoker; an experimenter; and a current smoker. Methods: Data from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 1996 National Study of Tobacco Price Sensitivity, Behavior, and Attitudes Among Teenagers and Young Adults (RWJF survey) were used to produce national estimates of the tobacco use behaviors and attitudes of adolescents enrolled in high school. Three logistic regression models were estimated to examine which psychosocial variables were associated with three different stages of smoking uptake. Results: Positive attitudes toward tobacco use were associated with a greater likelihood of being a susceptible, never smoker (OR = 1.50), an experimenter (OR = 1.27), and a current smoker (OR = 2.96). Those respondents who believed that 50% or more of all adolescents smoked were more likely to be current smokers (OR = 1.45). The importance of the opinions of one's friends and parents about his/her choice to smoke was also found to be associated with smoking behavior. Conclusions: Preventing the initiation and continuation of smoking among adolescents will require interventions that address individual attitudes with respect to tobacco and will also need to present a clear picture of adolescent smoking. In addition, prevention and intervention messages should emphasize the importance of parental opinions on youth tobacco use regardless of parental tobacco use behavior.
Photodynamic Therapy for Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma in 79 Consecutive Patients: Comparative Analysis of Factors Predictive of Visual Outcome.

Purpose To determine factors predictive of visual outcome in patients with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT). Design Retrospective case series. Participants Seventy-nine patients with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma treated with PDT. Methods Patients with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma treated with PDT were identified, and factors predictive of final visual acuity were assessed. Main Outcome Measures Factors predictive of final visual acuity of 20/40 or better versus 20/50 or worse. Results Seventy-nine eyes of 79 patients with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma were treated with PDT. All tumors were unilateral and posterior to the equator. Mean largest basal diameter was 5.7 mm (range, 2.0–10.0 mm); mean thickness was 3.0 mm (range, 1.4–4.5 mm). A total of 116 PDT sessions were performed (mean, 1.5 sessions; range, 1.0–7.0 sessions). Standard duration PDT was used in most cases (83 seconds; n = 110/116 [95%]). Mean follow-up was 43 months. Of 79 patients, 49 (62%) demonstrated good visual acuity (≥20/40) and 30 (38%) showed intermediate to poor visual acuity (≤20/50) after PDT. A comparison (final visual acuity, good vs. intermediate to poor) revealed a statistically significant difference in baseline features of photopsia (100% vs. 0%; P = 0.04), initial visual acuity of 20/40 or better (77% vs. 23%; P Conclusions In this comparative analysis, PDT was an effective treatment method for circumscribed choroidal hemangioma. Good final visual outcome (≥20/40) was correlated with good baseline visual acuity, smaller tumor size, lack of CME, and lack of treatment before PDT.
CHAPTER 9 – Covering Properties

Publisher Summary Paracompactness and its associated tools, such as certain refinement techniques and the locally finite or closure preserving conditions, have played a crucial role in the development of many areas of topology and analysis. This chapter discusses certain characterizations of different covering properties and the relationships among them and describes invariance under mappings, products, subspaces and sums. The covering conditions for pseudocompact or countably compact spaces to be compact and the effects of introducing local compactness and local connectedness are further discussed in the chapter. A space X is said to be paracompact if every open cover of X has a locally finite open refinement. A space X is subparacompact if every open cover has a σ-discrete closed refinement. A space X is orthocompact if every open cover of X has an interior-preserving open refinement.
Progressive Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)

The term “progressive systemic sclerosis” is preferred to “scleroderma,” since the skin is not always involved at first and rarely is not involved at all, even in fatal cases. Organic involvement is widespread. There is no satisfactory treatment, but there are measures which moderate the inexorable and fatal course of the disease, and certainly symptomatic relief can be provided. Corticosteroids cannot be endorsed as having a real place in therapy.
A conserved coccidian gene is involved in Toxoplasma sensitivity to the anti-apicomplexan compound, tartrolon E.

New treatments for the diseases caused by apicomplexans are needed. Recently, we determined that tartrolon E (trtE), a secondary metabolite derived from a shipworm symbiotic bacterium, has broad-spectrum anti-apicomplexan parasite activity. TrtE inhibits apicomplexans at nM concentrations in vitro, including Cryptosporidium parvum, Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis neurona, Plasmodium falciparum, Babesia spp. and Theileria equi. To investigate the mechanism of action of trtE against apicomplexan parasites, we examined changes in the transcriptome of trtE-treated T. gondii parasites. RNA-Seq data revealed that the gene, TGGT1_272370, which is broadly conserved in the coccidia, is significantly upregulated within 4 h of treatment. Using bioinformatics and proteome data available on ToxoDB, we determined that the protein product of this tartrolon E responsive gene (trg) has multiple transmembrane domains, a phosphorylation site, and localizes to the plasma membrane. Deletion of trg in a luciferase-expressing T. gondii strain by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in a 68% increase in parasite resistance to trtE treatment, supporting a role for the trg protein product in the response of T. gondii to trtE treatment. Trg is conserved in the coccidia, but not in more distantly related apicomplexans, indicating that this response to trtE may be unique to the coccidians, and other mechanisms may be operating in other trtE-sensitive apicomplexans. Uncovering the mechanisms by which trtE inhibits apicomplexans may identify shared pathways critical to apicomplexan parasite survival and advance the search for new treatments.
COVID’S Constitutional Conundrum: Assessing Individual Rights in Public Health Emergencies (preprint)

Considerable legal challenges alleging infringements of constitutional rights have arisen against governments imposing social distancing or other restrictive measures to quell the COVID-19 pandemic. Courts assess these claims largely under two variant approaches. Consistent with constitutional re-balancing, judges weigh the application of rights against governments’ compelling interests to protect public health and safety in emergencies. Alternatively, a minority of courts temporarily set aside existing rights to effectuate emergency responses. Neither approach is legally sufficient. Both fail to account for the flexible nature of rights and freedoms in exigencies pursuant to the Constitution’s cohesive design. In public health emergencies, courts should engage in guided assessments focused on the execution, efficacy, and purpose of public health interventions as a constitutional prerogative instead of examining alleged rights infringements framed outside crisis contexts.
Book Review: Alexander Somek, the Cosmopolitan Constitution

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of my review of Alexander Somek's book The Cosmopolitan Constitution (Oxford University Press, 2014). The review has been published in final form in Constellations 22 (December 2015) pp. 614-18. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Narrative Media’s Emphasis on Distinct Moral Intuitions Alters Early Adolescents’ Judgments

Abstract. Logic from the model of intuitive morality and exemplars (MIME) suggests that narrative media emphasizing moral intuitions can increase the salience of those intuitions in audiences. To d...
A History of Christian–Muslim Relations: by Hugh Goddard, 2nd edition, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2020, 240 pp., $29.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781474466806

It was with anticipation that I obtained a copy of the new second edition of Hugh Goddard's classic text, A History of Christian–Muslim Relations, first published twenty years ago. I have used this...