cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Citizens Abroad: State sovereignty, state resilience

The now voluminous literatures on globalization and the new security agenda intersect in their discussion of whether the state is waning in importance or manifesting forms of resistance in the face of contemporary challenges. There is no question that many issues formerly understood as being under the control of the state or falling within its sovereign realm can no longer be accurately portrayed in such a way. Environmental threats in the oceans and the air admit no boundaries; developments in military technology have rendered national boundaries vulnerable in an unprecedented way; economic restructuring in response to neoliberal dictates has reconfigured the role of the state in the domestic economy and opened the way to broader and deeper foreign investment that is less controlled by national authorities; and the speed and development of communications have rendered virtually impossible tight governmental control of information flows across borders. In the realm of population movement, the evolution of the global economy has led employers to seek low-cost (often illegal) labor, thus rendering increasingly difficult the prevention of undocumented flows. Moreover, despite state efforts to stem the tide, the numbers of refugees, displaced and asylum seekers have been steadily rising. In addition, some argue that state power is waning owing to the growth in numbers and importance of a variety of transnational actors – some of them of a supranational sort, others sub-national in origin – which engage in coordination and advocacy work on such issues as human rights, the environment, indigenous culture and women's rights, supported by like-minded activist groups abroad.
Organizational communities of practice: Review, analysis, and role of information and communications technologies

ABSTRACTInformation and communications technologies (ICTs) play a key role in supporting Communities of Practice (CoPs). A review of the extant literature reveals six factors that facilitate or constrain the development, sustenance, and effectiveness of CoPs that, in turn, enable generative and degenerative structures and behaviors that affect epistemic environments within Organizational Communities of Practice (orgCoPs). OrgCoPs are accepted as beneficial organizational learning structures and need to be deliberately designed and cultivated. The materiality of ICTs that is used to support orgCoPs may play a role in supporting or opposing seeding structures. The literature review further reveals five material properties that describe the relationship between the orgCoPs and the technologies used to support it. We argue that these distinct but intersecting properties are germane to understanding the role that ICTs play in supporting orgCoPs and propose that the future work on orgCoPs could be nuanced if ex...
Responses of aboveground C and N pools to rainfall variability and nitrogen deposition are mediated by seasonal precipitation and plant community dynamics

Plant productivity and tissue chemistry in temperate ecosystems are largely driven by water and nitrogen (N) availability. Although changes in rainfall patterns may influence nutrient limitation, few studies have considered how these two global change factors could interact to influence terrestrial ecosystem productivity and stoichiometry. Here, we examined the influence of experimentally-increased intra-annual rainfall variability and low-level nitrogen addition on aboveground productivity, C and N pools, and C:N ratios in a restored tallgrass prairie across two growing seasons. In the drier first year of the experiment, increased rainfall variability boosted productivity and C pools. In the wetter second year, aboveground productivity and C pools increased with N addition, suggesting a switch in primary resource limitation from water to N. Increased rainfall variability also reduced aboveground N pools in the second year. Community-level C:N increased under increased rainfall variability in the wetter second year and N addition slightly reduced community C:N in both years. These changes in element pools and stoichiometry were mostly a result of increased forb dominance in response to both treatments. Overall, our findings from a restored prairie indicate that increased rainfall variability and N addition can enhance aboveground productivity and C pools, but that N pools may not have a consistent response to either global change factor. Our study also suggests that these effects are dependent on growing season precipitation patterns and are mediated by shifts in plant community composition.
Increasing Generality and Power of Rare-Variant Tests by Utilizing Extended Pedigrees

Recently, multiple studies have performed whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing to identify groups of rare variants associated with complex traits and diseases. They have primarily utilized case-control study designs that often require thousands of individuals to reach acceptable statistical power. Family-based studies can be more powerful because a rare variant can be enriched in an extended pedigree and segregate with the phenotype. Although many methods have been proposed for using family data to discover rare variants involved in a disease, a majority of them focus on a specific pedigree structure and are designed to analyze either binary or continuously measured outcomes. In this article, we propose RareIBD, a general and powerful approach to identifying rare variants involved in disease susceptibility. Our method can be applied to large extended families of arbitrary structure, including pedigrees with only affected individuals. The method accommodates both binary and quantitative traits. A series of simulation experiments suggest that RareIBD is a powerful test that outperforms existing approaches. In addition, our method accounts for individuals in top generations, which are not usually genotyped in extended families. In contrast to available statistical tests, RareIBD generates accurate p values even when genetic data from these individuals are missing. We applied RareIBD, as well as other methods, to two extended family datasets generated by different genotyping technologies and representing different ethnicities. The analysis of real data confirmed that RareIBD is the only method that properly controls type I error.
Late MitraClip Embolization: A New Cause of ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using the MitraClip device (Abbott Vascular) is currently indicated for high-risk patients with symptomatic severe mitral valve regurgitation. The percutaneous approach, although inferior to surgical mitral valve repair, has an excellent safety profile. We report the first case of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction caused by late embolization of MitraClip to the right coronary ostium. An 80-year-old gentleman with severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation and multiple cardiac risk factors including coronary artery disease, moderate aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and moderately reduced left ventricular systolic function underwent percutaneous mitral valve repair with 3 MitraClips at another medical center. The first clip was deployed in A2-P2 position with a 12 to 6 o’clock orientation, despite having difficulties grasping the posterior leaflet because of significant degree of flail (Movie I in the Data Supplement). Given a moderate residual regurgitation (Movie II in the Data Supplement), a second clip was placed just lateral to the first one. After full release of the second clip, there appeared to be a single leaflet attachment of both clips with one free clip attached to the anterior leaflet and one free clip attached to the posterior leaflet (Movie III in the Data Supplement …
Touching tacit knowledge: handwork as ethnographic method in a glassblowing studio:

This article draws from an enacted ethnography conducted over four years in a glassblowing studio, where I immersed myself in the learning process to become a glassblower. Specifically, it uses the...
HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS AND BIBLICAL HEBREW: AN INDO-EUROPEANIST’S VIEW

Rezetko and Young’s Historical linguistics and Biblical Hebrew: steps toward an integrated approach brings variation analysis to bear on the question of the periodisation of Biblical Hebrew. However, this methodology is at best microdiachronic, dealing with variation in synchronic terms. In order to answer the question they pose, a language with a history as long as Biblical Hebrew requires macrodiachronic techniques which look at real linguistic processes. Several such processes are discussed in this paper, and though they collectively converge in pointing to a late date for Qoheleth, they are insufficient to establish a linguistically-based entity “Late Biblical Hebrew”. At the present time, one can at best apply this term in a non-linguistic sense to the Hebrew of those books known on extra-linguistic grounds to have been chronologically late.
Survival Mediated Heavy Element Capture Cross Sections

Formally, the cross section for producing a heavy evaporation residue, σEVR , in a fusion reaction can be written asσEVR(E)=πh22μE∑l=0∞(2l+1)T(E,l)PCN(E,l)Wsur(E,l),(1)where E is the center of mass energy, and T is the probability of the colliding nuclei to overcome the potential barrier in the entrance channel and reach the contact point. P CN is the probability that the projectile-target system will evolve from the contact point to the compound nucleus. W sur is the probability that the compound nucleus will decay to produce an evaporation residue rather than fissioning. However, one must remember that the W sur term effectively sets the allowed values of the spin, which in turn, restricts the values of the capture and fusion cross sections. We point out the implications of this fact for capture cross sections for heavy element formation reactions.
Ambient-Pressure XPS Studies of Reactions of Alcohols on SrTiO3(100)

Ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) have been employed to elucidate the adsorption and reaction of simple alcohols on SrTiO3(100). TPD experiments indicate molecular desorption of alcohols with a small amount of aldehydes below 100 °C, whereas no gas-phase products are observed above this temperature. APXPS spectra at 0.1 Torr show that alcohols adsorb dissociatively onto SrTiO3(100) to form alkoxies. Surface methoxides appear to react with each other to produce acetate as a surface intermediate. These surface species are eventually oxidized to gas-phase CO, CO2, and H2O. Ethoxide is readily oxidized to acetate species that undergo further reactions to form gas-phase products. CO2 is the only C-containing product during ethanol oxidation, whereas methanol can also produce the partial oxidation product, CO. When no O2 is present, alcohol oxidation yields gas-phase CO, CO2, or H2O and creates oxygen vacancies on the surface, resulting in the ...
Dugdale plastic zone sizes for edge cracks

A simple technique is presented for determining the size of the Dugdale plastic zone in two-dimensional edge crack problems. The technique employs a representation from which the weight function may be derived, and the only data required are a single elastic stress intensity factor calibration for the geometry of interest and the elastic stress field in the uncracked body. At most three numerical quadratures provide sufficient information to specify the coefficients in an algebraic expression for the plastic zone size. The technique is illustrated for the examples of edge cracks in semi-infinite sheets, tensile strips, curved beams, and cracked rings. Numerical results agree with existing solutions.
A scoping review of telehealth

Objectives: This scoping review of the telehealth literature over the past year was conducted to provide a snapshot of some of the current developments in the field. As with any scoping review, only a subset of papers was examined, and the rigorous methods of a systematic review are not applied. Methods: We surveyed selected dimensions of the current literature, specifically targeting telehealth or eHealth interventions at the patient (or micro) level in this scoping review. Considering the lack of clarity around the terms like mHealth, eHealth, telehealth, and telemedicine, efforts were made understand and harmonize the terminology as part of the review process. Results: A total of 171 papers that matched the search criteria were culled from the literature. After discussion and debate, a total of 26 papers were retained and classified into at least one of 5 conceptual categories that were derived form a concept analysis. The five categories are Preventive and Therapeutic Effects; Health Service Utilization; Challenges & Opportunities for Enhanced User Centered Design; Low-powered studies/inconclusive evidence; and Future trends in telehealth. Each of these 5 concept categories are discussed to provide a better understanding of present opportunities, challenges, and the overall prospects for telehealth advancement. Conclusions: The field is expanding and maturing rapidly. There is a need for larger scale studies that balance rigor while reducing translational latency. Additional attention to implementation science methods is recommended as global telehealth projects accelerate.
The Cardiac Neural Crest and Their Role in Development and Disease

Neural crest cells (NCC) are a multipotent progenitor cell population that can generate both ectodermal cell types, such as neurons, and mesodermal cell types, such as muscle. The cardiac NCC (cNCC) play key roles in the formation of the cardiac outflow tract (OFT), by which NCC migrate into the embryonic heart and contribute to formation of the pharyngeal arch arteries that subsequently remodel to establish the connections of the dorsal aorta and pulmonary arteries to the left and right ventricles, respectively. The cNCC also contribute to the aortic and pulmonary valves, thereby connecting the heart to the vascular system. This complex process involves cell delamination, migration, fate specification, and ultimately differentiation into the required tissue types. Behind the scenes of these processes are signaling molecules and transcriptional regulators that orchestrate each of these developmental events. In this chapter, we explore what is known regarding the genesis and development of the cNCC.
The Role of Power System Visualization in Enhancing Power System Security

While the operation of much of the electric power grid is automated, the human operators and engineers are still very much “in the loop.” During times of emergency operation, when the system may be close to instability and collapse, having access to timely, pertinent information about a potentially rapidly changing system state could prove crucial in preventing major blackouts. This chapter examines the role power system visualization can play in providing this information to access the margin to system instability. The focus of the chapter is on techniques for the rapid analysis and display of information, based primarily on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) data, which will allow operators and engineers to quickly assess the state of a large power grid, and then take effective control actions. It also examines how visualization can be used to provide an early warning as a secure power system state gradually approaches the system stability boundary.
An MRI biomarker of mixed pathology.

The majority of biomarker studies for Alzheimer and related dementias, whether neuroimaging or biofluid, focus on the identification of a specific underlying pathology that contributes to cognitive impairment.1 Such biomarkers have great potential utility for identifying persons who may benefit from a particular therapeutic or for monitoring the effect of the therapeutic.2–4 However, data from clinical–pathologic cohort studies find that mixed pathology, typically Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology plus another comorbid pathology such as cerebrovascular disease (CVD), is the most common cause of Alzheimer dementia in older persons.5 Biomarkers of specific pathologies have on occasion been examined jointly for their associations with Alzheimer dementia.6–8 However, efforts to identify a biomarker of mixed pathology, which may have better prognostic value for the development of and consequences of Alzheimer dementia, are limited.
Show Me What You're Thinking: Using Student-Generated Photography to Flip the Political Science Classroom

University instructors have increasingly turned to flipped classrooms as a way to promote engaged, student-centered learning. At the same time, scholars across disciplines have shown the power of v...
Designing integrated interventions to improve nutrition and WASH behaviors in Kenya

Child stunting, an indicator of chronic malnutrition, is a global public health problem. Malnutrition during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life undermines the survival, growth, and development of children. Exposure to fecal pathogens vis-a-vis inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) has been implicated in the etiology of child stunting, highlighting the need to integrate WASH with nutrition-sensitive interventions to comprehensively address this complex problem. The aim of this study was to describe a systematic, theoretically informed approach (that drew from the Starr and Fornoff approach to the Theory of Change development and the Behavior Change Wheel approach) to design a multi-component and integrated social and behavior change intervention to improve WASH and nutrition-related behaviors in western Kenya. This intervention was developed to be integrated into an existing project that utilized the care group model and aimed to create a culture of care and support for HIV/AIDS-affected children under two and their caregivers and was executed by local partners. We tested the newly created intervention packages in user-testing trials using an adapted Trials of Improved Practices approach to pilot acceptability and feasibility. Using authentic stakeholder engagement and relevant theories, we conducted an 8-step process: (1) conduct mixed methods formative research, (2) prioritize target behaviors, (3) use causal analysis to create problem trees, (4) develop solution trees and articulate assumptions and rationales for change, (5) link solution trees to intervention functions, (6) develop the intervention plan, (7) create the intervention packages, and (8) test and refine the intervention packages. This study highlights the need to take a multi-sectorial, integrated approach that integrates contextually relevant behavior change theories with the experiential knowledge gleaned from stakeholders into the design of interventions that seek to reduce child stunting. This process resulted in the creation of intervention packages that grouped behaviors thematically to be most relevant and responsive to the population context. This work has the potential to make important contributions towards achievement of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
Canadian Administrative Law: The Case for Judicial Humility

For decades, the Supreme Court of Canada has contemplated the appropriate standard of judicial review of decisions by administrative tribunals. The Court has grappled with the tension between the role of, and relationship between, courts and tribunals. The author, who has been both a judge and a tribunal member, argues for an attitude of humility towards these administrative bodies. With this approach, the author argues, even those most skeptical of tribunals might recognize their value as less formal, more expeditious, more expert, and binding dispute resolution mechanisms that complement—rather than detract from or compete with—courts. They may come to appreciate tribunals as the court’s institutional justice sibling, pursuing similar ends through different means.
Oxidative submerged lime pretreatment and high-solids saccharification of corn stover

Abstract Economic commercial-scale production of biofuels from lignocellulose depends, in part, on the development of a suitable pretreatment. In pursuit of that goal, this study assesses the repeatability and effectiveness of submerged lime pretreatment (SLP) of two batches of corn stover designated “Field” and “Module.” SLP was performed with 0.15 g Ca(OH)2 g−1 biomass and 10 g H2O g−1 biomass at 50 °C for 4 weeks while purging with air. SLP was repeated 14 times and the results of the mass balances, closures, and compositions of raw and SLP corn stover are presented. The glucan content of corn stover prior to pretreatment was determined to be 36.1 ± 0.7% (Module washed), 37.5 ± 0.4% (Field washed), and 32.6 ± 1.4% (Field unwashed). For washed corn stover (Module and Field), the standard deviation and coefficient of variation were
What Did Adam Smith Mean? The Semantics of the Opening Key Principles in the 'Wealth of Nations'

We present a semantic and textual analysis of the first two chapters of the Wealth of Nations to elucidate the meaning of several of Adam Smith’s key ideas, including “the necessaries and conveniences of life,” “power of exchanging,” and “the division of labour.” Using the methodology of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage, we produce semantic explications of some of Adam Smith’s fundamental principles of economics phrased in simple and cross-translatable words. The extracts from the original text function as textual evidence and conceptual reference for the explications we present. We demonstrate that: (i) by reducing the principles as conceived by Smith to their core meanings, it is possible to resolve some interpretive problems for general readers of economics, and (ii) by producing explications that are clear, cross-translatable, and free from terminological ethnocentrism, these principles become accessible and maximally intelligible to twenty-first century readers who are non-experts in economics and non-native speakers of English, too. Ultimately, our project re-humanizes the study of economics by drilling down to the core of what Adam Smith the moral philosopher meant in his most famous book which founded a discipline.
Capacitive imaging for adhesive bonds and quality evaluation

Defective adhesive bonds pose significant threats towards structural integrity due to reduced joint strength. The nature of the adhesion of two solids remains poorly understood since the adhesion phenomenon is relevant to so many scientific and technological areas. A concept that has been gaining our attention from the perspective of non-destructive testing is the properties discontinuity of the adhesion. Discontinued properties depend significantly on the quality of the interface that is formed between adhesive and substrate. In this research, discontinued electrical properties at the interface are considered. The simplified model is free from multidisciplinary knowledge of chemistry, fracture mechanics, mechanics of materials, rheology and other subjects. From a practical standpoint, this emphasizes the need to establish a good relationship between electrical properties of adhesive bonds and corresponding measurements. Capacitive imaging (CI) is a technique where the dielectric property of an object is determined from external capacitance measurements. Thus, it is potentially promising since adhesive and substrate differ in terms of dielectric property. At the interface between adhesive and substrate, discontinuity of the dielectric properties causes abrupt changes in electric field spatial distribution and thus alters capacitance measurement by simulating defects in adhesive joints regarding permittivity uncertainties. Further understanding of the cause of degraded adhesion quality can be obtained. This article is part of the theme issue 'Advanced electromagnetic non-destructive evaluation and smart monitoring'.
A Deep Unsupervised Feature Learning Spiking Neural Network With Binarized Classification Layers for the EMNIST Classification

End user AI is trained on large server farms with data collected from the users. With ever increasing demand for IoT devices, there is a need for deep learning approaches that can be implemented at the Edge in an energy efficient manner. In this work we approach this using spiking neural networks. The unsupervised learning technique of spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP) and binary activations are used to extract features from spiking input data. Gradient descent (backpropagation) is used only on the output layer to perform training for classification. The accuracies obtained for the balanced EMNIST data set compare favorably with other approaches. The effect of the stochastic gradient descent (SGD) approximations on learning capabilities of our network are also explored.
Analytical Comparison of the Acoustic Analogy and Kirchhoff Formulation for Moving Surfaces

The Lighthill acoustic analogy, as embodied in the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) equation, is compared with the Kirchhoff formulation for moving surfaces. A comparison of the two governing equations reveals that the primary advantage of the Kirchhoff formulation (namely, that nonlinear flow effects are included in the surface integration) is also available to the FW-H method if the integration surface used in the FW-H equation is not assumed to be impenetrable. The FW-H equation is analytically superior for aeroacoustics because it is based on the conservation laws of fluid mechanics rather than on the wave equation. Thus, the FW-H equation is valid even if the integration surface is in the nonlinear region. This advantage is demonstrated numerically. With the Kirchhoff approach, substantial errors can result if the integration surface is not positioned in the linear region, and these errors may be hard to identify. Finally, new metrics, based on the Sobolev norm, are introduced that may be used to compare input data for both quadrupole noise calculations and Kirchhoff noise predictions.
What Do the Results of Conservative Therapy Tell Us About the Need for Surgery: Lack of Improvement Means Surgery Is Indicated

Physical therapy forms the backbone of treatment in the long term management of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. Physical therapy is, however, not a sole destination therapy unless surgical decompression is contraindicated by some other patient factor, with inability to fully correct the underlying anatomic compression of the brachial plexus.
Health-seeking behaviours in the homeless population: A concept analysis.

This concept analysis aims to define the concept of health-seeking behaviour in relation to the homeless population. The altered experiences of individuals who are homeless suggest that the concept of health-seeking behaviours has distinct attributes and therefore, a new definition of this concept is needed when compared with other populations. The framework outlined by Walker and Avant was used for this analysis with model, borderline and contrary cases. Databases searched were: CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, PsycInfo, Google Scholar and PubMed. Because of the limited literature on the overall health-seeking behaviours of the homeless population, the most relevant 15 sources were selected from these databases for the literature review. Critical attributes derived from the literature were: (a) distrust in healthcare services, emerging from feelings of judgement or stigma from healthcare providers; (b) prioritising physiological needs such as food, shelter and clothing over the safety needs of health; (c) delaying seeking care until physical symptoms are severe; and (d) having decreased access to healthcare because of being uninsured or having no money, requiring transportation, experiencing long wait times for appointments, or lacking knowledge of available healthcare services. We define health-seeking behaviours in the homeless population as a complex process where a homeless individual seeks out healthcare for a problem or illness, but must first meet his or her physiological needs and then deem current symptoms severe enough to seek medical treatment despite his or her distrust in the healthcare system and barriers to accessing healthcare. Homeless individuals may face unique physiological hardships and emotional stressors compared to the general population, which results in distinct attributes surrounding health-seeking behaviours. Healthcare providers need to be aware of current barriers to care and perceived access to care in order to reduce the barriers to care that the homeless population faces.
Suicide among Veterans receiving Veterans Health Administration Home Based Primary Care and following discharge from Community Living Centers

INTRODUCTION Veterans who receive Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) services and those discharged from VHA Community Living Centers (CLC) may be at increased risk of suicide. No studies to date have assessed suicide risks among HBPC patients. This study examined suicide risks among recipients of VHA HBPC services and following discharge from VHA CLCs, as compared to other Veteran VHA users. METHODS We identified three cohorts of 2013 Veteran VHA patients: 47,842 HBPC users, 17,725 with live discharges from CLCs, and 5,554,635 other VHA users. Using proportional hazards regression, we assessed risk of suicide through 2016. RESULTS Overall, HBPC recipients did not differ from the other cohorts in suicide risk. Although in unadjusted analyses CLC discharged patients had greater suicide risk than the general VHA patient cohort (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval = 1.25-2.41), this became nonsignificant when controlling for diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS Overall findings did not identify differential suicide risk among VHA HBPC recipients in 2013, when compared to other Veteran VHA patient cohorts. Veterans discharged from VHA CLCs have increased mental health morbidity, which was associated with increased suicide risk.
US Parents’ Acceptance of Learning About Mindfulness Practices for Parents and Children: National Cross-sectional Survey

Background: Mindfulness practices are associated with improved health and well-being for children. Few studies have assessed parents’ acceptance of learning about mindfulness practices. Objective: This study aims to assess parents’ beliefs and interest in learning about mindfulness, including from their health care provider, and differences across demographic backgrounds. Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey of parents with children aged 0-18 years in October 2018. Measures included beliefs and interest in learning about mindfulness. These measures were compared across demographic backgrounds using chi-square analysis. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to perform adjusted comparisons between demographic backgrounds. Results: Participants (N=3000) were 87% (n=2621) female and 82.5% (n=2466) Caucasian. Most (n=1913, 64.2%) reported beliefs that mindfulness can be beneficial when parenting, 56.4% (n=1595) showed interest in learning about mindfulness to help their child stay healthy, and 40.8% (n=1214) reported interest in learning about mindfulness from their health care provider. Parents with a college degree 49.6% (n=444) were more likely to report interest in learning about mindfulness from a health care provider compared to those without 37.1% (n=768; P<.001). Parents interested in learning about mindfulness were more likely to be male 62.6% (n=223; P<.001). There was no significant difference in interest in learning about mindfulness from a health care provider based on race. Conclusions: This study indicates that many parents believe mindfulness can be beneficial while parenting and are interested in learning how mindfulness could help their child stay healthy. Findings suggest there is an opportunity to educate families about mindfulness practices.
Dysregulation of miR-21-associated miRNA regulatory networks by chronic ethanol consumption impairs liver regeneration.

Impaired liver regeneration has been considered as a hallmark of progression of alcohol-associated liver disease. Our previous studies demonstrated that in vivo inhibition of the microRNA (miRNA) m...
Study of the Effect of Micro patterning on Apatite Formation in Osteoblasts

Copyright: © 2013 Meng Y. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Collaborators at Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, New York, USA) and New York Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, New York, USA) recently conducted a research project to investigate bone mineralization on artificially patterned biomaterials. This project aimed to seek out novel ways to enhance the osteogenic capability of osteoblasts by culturing them on substrates containing various micro topographies. This was the first study that combines micro patterning and synchrotron techniques to examine in-situ apatite production of cultured cells in response to altered surface dimension.
Responsibility for Trenching and Excavation Design

To protect the lives of workmen and the public, traditional engineering and construction methods should be changed so that an engineer will explore each site, analyze each excavation and design any necessary support and dewatering system. This information should be completely disclosed in the bid documents. The engineer should never try to pass this legal responsibility to the contractor through exculpatory and caveatory phrases; "change of condition" clauses should be included in contract documents. Inspection of construction should be conducted by the engineer including the temparary support system as well as permanent construction. /ASCE/
Preliminary Data on Variations of OH Airglow during the Leonid 1999 Meteor Storm

As part of the 1999 Leonid MAC Campaign an extensive set of infrared (1.00 – 1.65 μm) airglow spectra and imaging data were collected from onboard the USAF FISTA aircraft. These data will permit a detailed study of the upper atmospheric conditions over a several day period centered on the Leonid meteor storm of 17/18 November, 1999 as well as during the meteor storm itself. We describe initial results of a spectral analysis that indicates a small but significant enhancement in the OH airglow emission during the peak of the storm but we cannot yet be certain of a cause and effect relationship. No similar systematic enhancement was observed in the O2 (1.27 μm) airglow emission recorded with the same instrument.
On the Edge Label Placement Problem

Let G(V, E) be a graph, and let f: G → R2 be a one to one function that produces a layout of a graph G on the plane. We consider the problem of assigning text labels to every edge of the graph such that the quality of the labeling assignment is optimal. This problem has been first encountered in automated cartography and has been referred to as the Line Feature Label Placement (LFLP) problem. Even though much effort has been devoted over the last 15 years in the area of automated drawing of maps, the Edge Label Placement (ELP) problem has received little attention. In this paper we investigate computational complexity issues of the ELP problem, which have been open up to the present time. Specifically we prove that the ELP problem is NP-Hard.
Combating “Mohammedan Indecency”: The Baptism of Muslim Slaves in Spanish Naples, 1563-1667

In the century following the Council of Trent, ecclesiastical authorities in Naples embarked on a campaign, the largest of its kind in Italy, to convert the city's Muslim slaves to Christianity. For the Church, the conversions were not only important for the conquest of individual believers, but symbolic occasions that demonstrated on a small scale important themes of Christian ethics and anti-Islamic polemic. At the same time, the number and frequency of the conversions forced secular authorities to confront the problem of the civil status of newly baptized slaves. During the seventeenth century, one of the highest tribunals of the state heard a series of cases that pitted baptized slaves who demanded their freedom against slave owners who saw their religious identity as unimportant.
Uncomplicated acute renal failure and post-hospital care: A not so uncomplicated illness

Background: Although uncomplicated acute renal failure (ARF) is associated with significant hospital resource utilization, its health care requirements following hospital discharge
An evolving view of epigenetic complexity in the brain

Recent scientific advances have revolutionized our understanding of classical epigenetic mechanisms and the broader landscape of molecular interactions and cellular functions that are inextricably linked to these processes. Our current view of epigenetics includes an increasing appreciation for the dynamic nature of DNA methylation, active mechanisms for DNA demethylation, differential functions of 5-methylcytosine and its oxidized derivatives, the intricate regulatory logic of histone post-translational modifications, the incorporation of histone variants into chromatin, nucleosome occupancy and dynamics, and direct links between cellular signalling pathways and the actions of chromatin ‘reader’, ‘writer’ and ‘eraser’ molecules. We also have an increasing awareness of the seemingly ubiquitous roles played by diverse classes of selectively expressed non-coding RNAs in transcriptional, post-transcriptional, post-translational and local and higher order chromatin modulatory processes. These perspectives are still evolving with novel insights continuing to emerge rapidly (e.g. those related to epigenetic regulation of mobile genetic elements, epigenetic mechanisms in mitochondria, roles in nuclear architecture and ‘RNA epigenetics’). The precise functions of these epigenetic factors/phenomena are largely unknown. However, it is unequivocal that they serve as key mediators of brain complexity and flexibility, including neural development and aging, cellular differentiation, homeostasis, stress responses, and synaptic and neural network connectivity and plasticity.
Regulation of human sterol 27-hydroxylase gene (CYP27A1) by bile acids and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α)

Abstract Mitochondrial sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) catalyses sterol side-chain oxidation of bile acid synthesis from cholesterol, and the first reaction of the acidic bile acid biosynthetic pathway. Hydrophobic bile acids suppress human CYP27A1 gene reporter activity when assayed in human hepatocellular blastoma HepG2 cells. Bile acids also inhibit CYP27A1 reporter activity in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. A putative bile acid response element (BARE) was mapped to a region downstream of nt −147 of the human CYP27A1 gene, within which a binding site for a liver-specific nuclear receptor, HNF4α, is identified. HNF4α strongly stimulates CYP27A1 gene transcription and mutation of its binding site markedly reduced promoter activity. Results suggest that human CYP27A1 gene transcription is suppressed by bile acids and HNF4α plays a pivotal role in transcriptional regulation of this gene.
Power and energy scaling for quasi-phase-matched OPOs

Successful incorporation into military electro-optics systems requires laser sources that are compact, reliable, versatile, and inexpensive. All-solid-state devices can meet these requirements but additional power, pulse energy, and wavelength criteria must also be met. Nonlinear frequency conversion is a viable solution for generation of high power at mid-infrared (2 - 5 μm) wavelengths. Recent advances in quasi-phasematching (QPM), particularly periodically poled lithium niobate, have shown QPM devices to be highly efficient and broadly tunable in the mid-IR. In this paper we review efforts to scale both the average power and the energy per pulse of QPM optical parametric devices pumped by Nd lasers.
Controlled Formation of Carboxylic Acid Groups at Polyphosphazene Surfaces: Oxidative and Hydrolytic Routes

Two methods have been developed for the controlled formation of carboxylic acid units at the surfaces of aryloxyphosphazene high polymers. The first involves a permanganate-induced oxidation of p-methylphenoxy side groups, with the surface density of carboxylic acid units being controlled by the ratio of p-methylphenoxy to phenoxy groups along the polymer chains. The second approach involves a base-induced hydrolysis of carboxylate ester functions at the para-positions of surface aryloxy side groups. In this method the surface density of carboxyl units is controlled by the reaction conditions, especially by the temperature and the solvent for the base. The same ester functions were converted to alcohol moieties by surface reductions using lithium aluminum hydride in diethyl ether. The surface structures before and after these reactions were studied by a combination of contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis, and ATR-IR spectroscopy.
Shared information processing links managers and affects productivity

Abstract We aren't really sharing data or information yet. Technology is forcing us toward sharing. But we haven't learned and become skilled at shared information processing (sharing data, information, decision mechanisms, and information processors). We also haven't resolved the dilemma of sharing versus hoarding, or protecting, information. We must understand the concept of sharing and apply that understanding to shared information processing. I describe the general sharing experience. Within each sharing experience, I identify a sharing product, elements, tools, and process. In diagnosing, designing, or conducting a sharing experience, we must be able to characterize what we want from the experience and how to get what we want. I accomplish those characterizations through a model and focus on the sharing process. I'm interested in what the process does and how well the process does it. I describe the performance of the process and how the process affects the performance, or productivity, of the sharing stakeholders.
Non-positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with cardiovascular morbidity. Various methods are offered to improve symptoms of OSA and its outcome. Although positive airway pressure is the most effective treatment for OSA, its clinical effectiveness is limited by patients’ compliance. Other suggested treatments for OSA focus on expanding upper airway and reducing its collapsibility. For example, mandibular advancement device (MAD) achieves this goal by mechanically protruding the mandible. Other available treatments including weight reduction, positional therapy, drugs, nasal dilators, and nasal expiratory pressure device are clearly inferior to CPAP.
Methanation on Rh surfaces at low pressure and low temperature: A pulsed-laser imaging atom-probe study

We have successfully detected methanation on Rh surfaces at low pressure (∼10−8 Torr) and low temperature (150 K) using pulsed-laser imaging atom-probe. Thus it is possible to observe directly the reaction intermediates in a time-of-flight mass spectrum and study the atomic steps of such reaction. We find direct evidence of dissociative chemisorption of CO on Rh surfaces and show that under the conditions of our experiment, a dissociative mechanism is responsible for methanation on Rh surfaces. We have also observed an oscillation in signal intensity of CO+ and that of methanation products with a time period of ∼ 8 s under the conditions of that experiment.
The effects of confession on altruism.

Summary To test the hypothesis that confession serves to reduce guilt and thus to decrease subsequent altruism, 74 adult men and 99 adult women, alone or accompanied by other men and women, were observed entering or leaving a Catholic church during confession hours and asked to donate to the March of Dimes. Both the number of people donating and the amount given were recorded. Subjects were significantly more likely to donate prior to confession, and men gave significantly more money prior to than after confession. Women, however, donated larger amounts postconfession. Men and women were significantly more likely to donate when with a woman than when alone, and women gave significantly more money when with another woman than when alone. Men, however, gave significantly less money when with a woman than when alone. Men also donated more money overall than women. The results suggest that confession may serve to reduce altruism, at least for men, and that the presence of a woman may serve to increase it, at ...
Effects of practice and distribution of auditory signals on absolute identification

In absolute identification of intensity, signals near the edges of the range being used are usually identified more accurately than those in the midrange. In one account, the extreme signals serve as anchors, and judgments are postulated to deteriorate as the distance from the signal to the nearest anchor increases. Our data suggest that, provided one corrects for the inherent asymmetry of errors for end and interior signals, the edge effect is rather smaller than it might first appear and is largely confined to the more intense edge. Moreover, anchors are not necessarily located at the edges of the range, but rather at the edges of the largest subset among which difficult discriminations are required. Further, this subset is not defined wholly by the signals used in a particular run, but by these together with those previously encountered in that day’s session. Neither practice nor payoffs appear to influence the location of the anchor so long as the discrimination requirements are maintained. Finally, the role of anchors is interpreted in terms of the differential location of an attention band which controls the sample size upon which the representation of the signal is based.
In utero immunosympathectomy of mice.

Abstract The antibody for mouse submaxillary gland nerve growth-promoting protein crosses the placenta when injected into pregnant mice and produces a partial immunosympathectomy in the fetus. A dose schedule of 300 units/g twice a day during the 11th to 16th or 12th to 17th day of gestation resulted in significant decreases in the tissue norepinephrine content of the spleen, submaxillary glands and heart (15.5, 25 and 39 per cent, respectively, of control values). Nonrepinephrine levels in other tissues (lungs, gastro-intestinal tract, kidneys and uterus) were not significantly decreased. Injection of the antiserum once a day (300 units/g) during the 13th to 18th day of gestation resulted in a less pronounced reduction in norepinephrine content of the spleen and submaxillary glands. Exposure of the fetus to the antibody during the 7th to 12th day of gestation produced less marked decreases of norepinephrine levels in the spleen and the heart, but no siignificant changes in the norepinephrine content of the submaxillary glands. The latter results could indicate that during the earlier stages of development the postganglionic sympathetic neurones are too immature to be affected, that regeneration or repair takes place or that the antibody does not readily cross the placenta. Cell counts of superior cervical ganglia showed that prenatal antiserum treatment decreased the cell population by approximately 50 per cent. Catecholamine levels in the brain and the adrenal medulla were not affected by the prenatal treatment with the antiserum.
Teaching Intraverbal Behavior to Children with Autism.

Abstract Skinner's conceptual analysis of language has influenced one model of early and intensive behavioral intervention with children, which incorporates verbal operants including mands, tacts, intraverbals, etc. Many studies have examined the mand and tact relations, with little focus on teaching intraverbal behavior. In the present experiment, children with autism were taught intraverbals using a transfer-of-stimulus-control procedure (i.e., tact to intraverbal) in combination with errorless learning (i.e., delayed prompting). Three children were successfully taught to name items associated with preselected categories (e.g., “What are some colors?”) with limited generalization to a fourth, non-targeted category, and limited maintenance of skills.