cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Performance Blind Carrier Frequency Offset Estimator for OFDM Systems

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) finds various applications in wireless communications. In a practical OFDM system, Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO) destroys the orthogonality among the subcarriers, and hence introduces Intercarrier Interference (ICI). This contribution proposes a novel Blind Carrier Frequency Offset Estimator (BCFOE). The BCFOE is based on kurtosis, and can identify CFO within the range of half subcarrier spacing of OFDM systems. Compared with the existing low-complexity blind CFO estimation technique [9, 10, 11], the BCFOE, for the same computational complexity, has the better performance. Simulation results confirm the superior performance of the proposed BCFOE.
SU-FF-T-277: Is Jaw-Only IMRT Feasible for Head and Neck Cancer Treatment?

Purpose: The Direct Aperture Optimization (DAO) has enabled direct machine parameters such as positions of MLC or conventional jaws use in optimization for IMRT treatment. With DAO, one can create IMRT plans using conventional jaws. Feasibility studies for simple tumor shapes such as the prostate and breast were reported. This study is to investigate the feasibility of using conventional jaws to deliver complicated IMRT plans for patients with nasopharyngeal cancerMethod and Materials: Six patients with nasopharyngeal cancer previously received IMRT treatment at our institution were re‐planned with jaw only (JO) and MLC options using a commercial treatment planning system. The same beam angle arrangements (typically 9 beams) as in the original IMRT plans were used for both JO and MLC plans. The plan acceptance criteria were established according to the RTOG‐0225 protocol. Number of segments per beam from 5 to 9 was experimented with JO and MLC plans. Results: Of six these patients, the JO plans with the maximum 9 segments per beam met the plan acceptance criteria. Four MLC plans with 9 segments per beam met the plan acceptance criteria, and one MLC plan met the criteria with minor variation. Because the TP system uses the simulated annealing method for optimization, one MLC plan did not meet the acceptance criteria, potentially trapped in local minima. More specifically, we compared the plan conformity and uniformity for one patient, and found that the MLC plan has better plan conformity than the JO plans, 77.2% vs. 69.5%. The uniformity of the MLC and JO plans was similar, 87% vs. 86%. Conclusion: We concluded that JO IMRT plans are clinically feasible for patients with head and neck cancer, with estimated delivery time of 15 minutes without including patient setup time. Conflict of Interest: This study is partly supported by Prowess.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE KdV-MKdV EQUATION

In this paper two numerical schemes for the numerical simulation of the nonlinear partial differential equation ut+6αuux+6βu2ux+uxxx=0 are implemented by the method of lines (MOL). The first scheme is based on the inverse scattering transform (IST), and the second scheme is a combination of the IST schemes for the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) and modified KdV (MKdV) equations. The only difference between the two schemes is in the discretization of the nonlinear terms. Numerical experiments have shown that the first scheme is significantly more accurate than the second one. This demonstrates the importance of a proper discretization of nonlinear terms when a numerical method is designed for solving a nonlinear differential equation.
Achievable performance of digital watermarking systems

A variety of digital watermarking applications have emerged recently that require the design of systems for embedding one signal (the "embedded signal" or "watermark") within another signal (the "host signal"). We develop a framework for analyzing achievable performance trade-offs of these systems among robustness, distortion, and embedding rate. We also describe a recently introduced class of embedding methods, quantization index modulation (QIM), in which an ensemble of quantizers is constructed and information is embedded by quantizing the host signal with a quantizer associated with the watermark. We introduce an implementation of such a method called spread-transform dither modulation where the embedded information modulates the dither signal of a dithered quantizer, which quantizes projections of the host signal onto a spreading vector. We show that QIM systems have considerable performance advantages over previously proposed spread-spectrum and low-bit modulation systems.
Conditions Affecting Plasma Amino Acid Patterns in Chickens Fed Practical and Purified Diets

Experiments were conducted to investigate plasma free amino acid concentrations in the chick. After one hour of fasting, total plasma amino acid concentration decreased to approximately half of the full-fed value. Within three to six hours, most amino acids had returned toward the full-fed level but did not exceed it throughout a 48 hour period of starvation. However, after 48 hours fasting lysine, threonine, and isoleucine accumulated three-fold, two-fold and two-fold of the full-fed level, respectively. Serine and glutamic acid exceeded the full-fed level at three hours and then declined. Alanine reached its highest level after six hours of fasting and then declined. In full-fed chicks diurnal variations of plasma free amino acid concentrations were observed. The lowest and highest concentrations were observed at 11 a.m. and 8 to 11 p.m., respectively under a 24 hr-lighting. Reference plasma amino acid patterns are reported for chicks fed a practical diet ad libitum. In day-old chicks, concentrations of total amino acids, methionine plus one half cystine, lysine, and arginine were high. Alanine and glutamic acid concentrations were low. Most amino acid concentrations declined gradually during the first four weeks of life, but methionine plus one half cystine, phenylalaine, threonine and serine concentrations decreased sharply between two and four weeks. Lysine concentration continued to decrease in chicks fed the starter diet. At 20 weeks, plasma amino acid concentrations had decreased considerably except for methionine plus one half cystine and basic amino acids. The plasma amino acid pattern for chicks fed an isolated soybean protein diet was similar to that of chicks fed the practical diet.
Free Radicals in the Atmospheres of Mars and Venus

Observational information from Mariner spacecraft and earth-based telescopes shows that the following free radicals are present in the Mars atmosphere: CO(a3Π), O(1S), O(1D), O2(a1Δ), and O3. A review of the photochemistry of the Mars atmosphere indicates that the densities of CO(a3Π) and O(1S) are controlled by radiation, while the density of O(1D) is determined by deactivation. The free radicals, HO2, H, and OH, produced in the photodissociation of H2O, interfere with the formation of O3. The photodissociation of ozone leads to an equilibrium density of O2(a1Δ) that is less than that of O3. Since Venus also has a carbon dioxide atmosphere, there may be similar free radical reactions occurring there. In der Marsatmosphare wurden mit Hilfe von Mariner-Taumsonden und Releskopen auf der Erde die folgenden freien Radikale beobachtet: CO(a3Π), O(1S), O(1D), O2(a1Δ) und O3. Eine Untersuchung der Photochemie der Marsatmosphare zeigt, das die CO(a3Π)- und O(1S)-Dichten durch Strahlungsprozesse kontrolliert werden, wahrend die O(1D)-Dichte durch Deaktivierung bestimmt wird. Die Ozonbildung wird behindert durch die freien Radikale, HO2, H, und OH, die bei der Photodisziation von Wasser entstehen. Die O3-Photodissoziation fuhrt zu einer Gleichgewichtsdichte von O2(a1Δ), die kleiner ist als die von Ozon. Da Venus eine Kohlendioxidatmosphare hat, konnten ahnliche Reaktionen von freien Radikalen auch dort stattfinden.
Impact of Epidemic and Individual Heterogeneity on the Population Distribution of Disease Progression Rates: An Example from Patient Populations in Trials of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Patients at the same stage of a chronic disease may have had different rates of disease progression. The authors developed a mathematical modeling approach that allows reconstructing and comparing populations in terms of the disease progression rates of their participants when the disease onset and progression rates are unknown for individual patients. Human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection was used as an example. Both published and hypothetical models were used to describe the human immunodeficiency virus 1 epidemic (epidemic heterogeneity) and incubation and survival functions for different disease stages (individual heterogeneity). Reconstructions of populations with late disease (e.g., acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients) show a marked predominance of rapid progressors, unless the incidence of new infections has been decreasing for a long time. Rapid progressors would also predominate in populations of acute seroconverters, unless diagnosis is based on repeated serologic screening rather than symptoms. Populations of patients who have not progressed beyond an early stage of the disease (e.g., patients with CD4 cell counts >500//iJ) tend to overrepresent slow progressors, especially if the epidemic has been decreasing for a long time. With this approach, one can assess whether the target population of a clinical trial is comparable with other patient populations at different places and times. Epidemic and individual diversity may even affect trial results if patients with different progression rates experience different benefits from a treatment. By modeling the targeted populations in trials of early versus deferred antiretroviral treatment, the authors observed larger treatment benefits in trials in which rapid progressors probably predominated, compared with trials of slow progressors. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 144:1074-85. HIV; latency; models, statistical; randomized controlled trials; study design; survival
Construction and characterization of EST libraries from the porcelain crab, Petrolisthes cinctipes.

Synopsis The thermal phenotype of an organism (heat and cold tolerance, thermal range, and thermal plasticity) is an essential feature of how the organism performs across thermal environments and in response to thermal stress. Porcelain crabs are of interest in addressing questions of thermal phenotype because of their high species diversity and the large variation in thermal phenotype among species, as well as the biogeographic patterning of these crabs along environmental stress gradients. Wearestudyingthecellularbasesofthermalphenotypeandphysiologicalresponsestoenvironmentalstressusingafunctional genomics cDNA microarray approach. To do this, we have isolated total RNA from a range of tissues from 1 species of porcelain crab (Petrolisthes cinctipes) exposed to a suite of thermal conditions, and have used this RNA to construct a 13 824clone EST library. Here, we describe construction, EST sequencing, assembly and clustering, and results of BLASTx homology search for our initial 13 824-clone library. From 12 060 usable ESTs, 6717 consensus sequences were identified, and roughly 50% of these have homology to known proteins. At present, an additional 50 000‐75 000-clone library of P. cinctipes ESTs is being generated, with the aim of developing a library with near-complete coverage of the transcriptome. The libraries and sequence information that will be generated as a result of this project should be of value for crustacean biologists working across a broad range of scientific disciplines (for example, physiology, developmental biology, biological rhythms, ecology, fisheries biology), as well as in studies of molecular evolution and phylogeography.
Mind Perception Is the Essence of Morality

Mind perception entails ascribing mental capacities to other entities, whereas moral judgment entails labeling entities as good or bad or actions as right or wrong. We suggest that mind perception is the essence of moral judgment. In particular, we suggest that moral judgment is rooted in a cognitive template of two perceived minds—a moral dyad of an intentional agent and a suffering moral patient. Diverse lines of research support dyadic morality. First, perceptions of mind are linked to moral judgments: dimensions of mind perception (agency and experience) map onto moral types (agents and patients), and deficits of mind perception correspond to difficulties with moral judgment. Second, not only are moral judgments sensitive to perceived agency and experience, but all moral transgressions are fundamentally understood as agency plus experienced suffering—that is, interpersonal harm—even ostensibly harmless acts such as purity violations. Third, dyadic morality uniquely accounts for the phenomena of dyadic completion (seeing agents in response to patients, and vice versa), and moral typecasting (characterizing others as either moral agents or moral patients). Discussion also explores how mind perception can unify morality across explanatory levels, how a dyadic template of morality may be developmentally acquired, and future directions.
How Much Does It Cost for Cinema to Tell the Truth of Sex? Cinéma Vérité and Sexography

As Foucault has shown, the Christian pastoral and modern psychiatry share a concern for sex as the truth of the subject which must be passed through `the endless mill of speech'. But what happens when the Confessional and the Couch come into contact with the Cinema? How does realist, documentary and cinema verite film-making modify confessional discourse? In this article, I compare Pier Paolo Pasolini's Love Meetings (Comizi d'amore) (1964) with a pair of documentaries by Wiktor Grodecki on young male prostitutes in Prague (Body Without Soul (1996) and Not Angels But Angels (1994)), Larry Clark's KIDS (1995), Paul Morrissey's Flesh (1968) and Andy Warhol's Blow Job (1963). I also consider how Jennie Livingston's Paris Is Burning (1990), in its similarity to Grodecki's and Clark's works, also departs from their (implicit) homophobia towards a critique of its own shared cinema verite investment in truth-telling.
Innate resistance of PD-1 blockade through loss of function mutations in JAK resulting in inability to express PD-L1 upon interferon exposure

Meeting abstracts PD-L1-negative tumors assessed by immunohistochemistry often still respond to PD-1 blockade. PD-L1 is inducible by interferon, therefore, absolute negative tumors are the ones unable to up-regulate PD-L1 in response to interferons. Genetic mutations in the interferon receptor
Content Knowledge for Teaching: What Makes It Special?

This article reports the authors' efforts to develop a practice-based theory of content knowledge for teaching built on Shulman's (1986) notion of pedagogical content knowledge. As the concept of p...
Direct measurement of asphalt binder thermal cracking

A new simple test device is proposed to directly measure the critical temperatures for thermal cracking of asphalt binders. Using the dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion for asphalt binders and common metals, the asphalt binder cracking device (ABCD) was developed to simulate thermal cracking of asphalt pavement in the laboratory. The ABCD consists of a metal ring, a strain gauge glued to the inner side of the ring, an environmental chamber, and a data acquisition system. Development of thermal stress within the asphalt binder during cooling is monitored by the strain gauge and the cracking temperature can be directly determined from the strain reading. A simplified theoretical analysis of the ABCD shows that the effects of thermal contraction of the asphalt binder and aggregate and the elastic properties of aggregates on thermal cracking could be reproduced in an ABCD test by adjusting the specimen and device geometries. Preliminary test data support the concept of the ABCD.
Experimental Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in beagles.

A canine model for human monocytic ehrlichiosis was used to assess persistent infection and antigenic variation of Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Two beagle dogs were infected subcutaneously with E. chaffeensis Arkansas strain. The dogs were observed for 6 months after inoculation for clinical signs, blood chemistry changes, antibodies to E. chaffeensis and presence of E. chaffeensis in the blood. Both dogs developed thrombocytopenia, but exhibited normal body temperatures during the entire course of infection. In one dog, E. chaffeensis was cultivated for up to 74 days post-inoculation and E. chaffeensis DNA was detected in the dog's blood for up to 81 days. In the other dog, E. chaffeensis was cultured for up to 102 days and E. chaffeensis DNA was detected in the blood for up to 117 days. PCR amplification and DNA sequence analysis indicated that there was no genetic variation in the 120 kDa outer-membrane glycoprotein gene of E. chaffeensis during infection of the dogs. The dogs developed antibodies to the immunodominant proteins of E. chaffeensis, including the 175, 140, 120, 80, 50 and 28 kDa proteins, starting in the fifth week post-inoculation. The dogs maintained high antibody titres throughout the 6-month study period. These results indicate that dogs become carriers of E. chaffeensis for 2–4 months after infection without exhibiting signs of clinical disease, suggesting that dogs may serve as a natural host for E. chaffeensis.
Folding of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans flavodoxin is accelerated by cofactor fly-casting.

Abstract Folding of cofactor-binding proteins involves ligand binding in addition to polypeptide folding. We here assess the kinetic folding/binding landscape for Desulfovibrio desulfuricans flavodoxin that coordinates an FMN cofactor. The apo-form folds in a two-step process involving a burst-phase intermediate. Studies on Tyr98Ala and Trp60Ala variants reveal that these aromatics—that stack with the FMN in the holo-form—are not participating in the apo-protein folding pathway. However, these residues are essential for FMN interactions with the unfolded protein during refolding of holo-flavodoxin. Unfolding of wild-type holo-flavodoxin is coupled to FMN dissociation whereas for Tyr98Ala and Trp60Ala holo-variants, FMN dissociates before polypeptide unfolding. Both variants refold as apo-proteins before FMN rebinds. In sharp contrast, refolding of unfolded wild-type holo-flavodoxin is over an order of magnitude faster than that of the apo-form, the pathway does not include a burst-phase intermediate, and the speed is independent of FMN excess ratio. These observations demonstrate that FMN binds rapidly to the unfolded polypeptide and guides folding straight to the native state. As this path to functional D. desulfuricans holo-flavodoxin is faster than if the cofactor binds to pre-folded apo-protein, this is one of few examples where molecular recognition via a “fly-casting” mechanism is kinetically favored.
Naltrexone facilitation of sexual receptivity in the rat.

Abstract Naltrexone hydrochloride (3 mg/kg) facilitated sexual receptivity in ovariectomized female rats given estradiol benzoate 44 hr previously. The latency of naltrexone facilitation is 3 hr, which is similar to that by progesterone. Other doses of naltrexone (1 and 5 mg/kg) were ineffective. Unlike the effect of progesterone, the facilitation of behavior by naltrexone is not blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin. Naltrexone facilitation was blocked by pargyline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor.
Observations of condensate profiles over arctic leads with a hot‐film anemometer

During the AIDJEX Lead Experiment on the Arctic Ocean large-amplitude, high-frequency spikes were observed on the voltage signals of hot-film sensors being used for turbulent velocity measurements near the water surface. Because over leads in winter temperature gradients are very steep and the super-saturation extreme, condensate droplets can form and grow to measurable size even in the few seconds the air is over the lead. the voltage spikes resulted when these condensate droplets struck the hot-films. We could, therefore, use the hot-film information to determine not only turbulence quantities but also condensate concentration profiles and the flux of condensate droplets at the surface of leads. Condensate droplets were roughly 10 μm in diameter, concentrations within 20cm of the surface were usually 20-80mg kg−1 (50-220 droplets cm−3), and the condensate flux was of order 3mgm−2s−1. Non-dimensional condensate profiles are well modelled by where c* is a concentration scale and h, an estimator of the internal boundary layer height, is fetch dependent. the condensate flux is related to average quantities through the Nusselt number, Nuc, and the fetch Reynolds number, Rx: NUc Because c* also depends on the condensate flux, the simplicity of the profile relation and this Nusselt number equation suggest two alternative ways to estimate condensate flux at the surface of leads from the measurement of bulk environmental parameters.
The Anthropology in American Historical Archaeology

Since its infancy, American historical archaeology has maintained a relationship, albeit often a tenuous one, with its anthropological parentage. Given both the history of the field and its practitioners' often-tortured efforts to define their intentions, goals, and perspectives, it is not surprising, perhaps, that many anthropologists may not recognize the important contributions historical archaeology can make to the anthropological project. A multifaceted and wide-ranging examination of the post-Columbian world gives historical archaeology a special ability to investigate modern history and to provide insights into the historical circumstances of today's world, [historical archaeology, post-Columbian archaeology, history of American archaeology]
The Staphylococcus problem versus the hexachlorophene dilemma in hospital nurseries.

Staphylococcal infections have again emerged as a problem in hospital nurseries, after a decade of apparent control; hospitals continue to be a dangerous focus for staphylococcal infection for a nuwiber of reasons. Hexachlorophene has been used to control staphylococcal infections in newborn nurseries, but the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against routine prophylactic bathing of infants with hexachlorophene (after laboratory studies revealed neurologic damage to newborn mice after prolonged use). Some hospitals that have discontinued the use of hexachlorophene and used other techniques of skin care for newborns have shown an increase in staphylococcal disease. There is also evidence that hexachlorophene may increase the risk of gram-negative organisms. Although toxicologic studies are needed to determine whether any neuropathology results from short-term bathing of infants who have normal skin, the Communicable Disease Center and the FDA have issued joint recommendations concerning the control of nursery infections.
Extreme Precipitation Events in the Western United States Related to Tropical Forcing

Abstract Three-day accumulations of precipitation for 2.5° long × 2.0° lat areas along the west coast of the United States are used to rank precipitation events. Extreme precipitation events (those above the 90th percentile) occur at all phases of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, but the largest fraction of these events (for the West Coast as a whole) occur during neutral winters just prior to the onset of El Nino. In the tropical Pacific these winters are characterized by enhanced activity on intraseasonal (roughly 20–60 day) timescales and by relatively small sea surface temperature anomalies compared to ENSO winters. For these winters, lagged composites are used to document a coherent relationship between the location of extreme precipitation events along the West Coast and the location of enhanced tropical convection on intraseasonal timescales. The evolution of the atmospheric circulation patterns associated with the extreme precipitation events is described and a physical mechanism rel...
Effects of glucocorticoids and endurance training on cytochrome oxidase expression in skeletal muscle

This investigation was undertaken to evaluate whether the mitochondrial disfunction associated with glucocorticoid treatment is expressed at the level of cytochrome-c oxidase (COX) and whether endu...
fVIII binds platelets + fibrin: no PS!

In this issue of Blood , [Gilbert et al][1] present evidence that factor VIII (fVIII) binding to thrombin-activated platelets is mediated by fibrin, in contrast to the phosphatidylserine (PS)-mediated binding to platelets activated in the presence of agonists.[1][2] ![Figure][3] fVIII shows
Localization and regulation of the cdk-activating kinase (Cak1p) from budding yeast

Eukaryotic cell cycles are controlled by the activities of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks). The major cdk in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is Cdc28p. Activation of Cdc28p requires phosphorylation on threonine 169 and binding to a cyclin. Thr-169 is phosphorylated by the cdk-activating kinase (CAK), Cak1p, which was recently identified as the physiological CAK in budding yeast. Here we present our further characterization of yeast Cak1p. We have found that Cak1p is dispersed throughout the cell as shown by immunofluorescence; biochemical subcellular fractionation confirmed that most of the Cak1p is found in the cytoplasm. Cak1p is a monomeric enzyme in crude yeast lysates. Mutagenesis of potential sites of activating phosphorylation had little effect on the activity of Cak1p in vitro or in vivo. Furthermore, Cak1p contains no posttranslational modifications detectable by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing. We found that Cak1p is a stable protein during exponential growth but that its expression decreases considerably when cells enter stationary phase. In contrast, Cak1p levels oscillate dramatically during meiosis, reflecting regulation at both the transcriptional and post-translational level. The localization and regulation of Cak1p are in contrast to those of the known vertebrate CAK, p40(MO15).
Hasse Diagrams and their Relation to Molecular Periodicity

Hasse diagrams are applied to molecules and radiation phenomena. Then the relation of these diagrams to periodicity in atoms is noted. The possibility is raised that Hasse diagrams can also be related to the growing body of evidence that periodicity exists in molecules with two, three, and four atoms; in binary inorganic molecules; and in some organic molecules.
Toward a Libertarian Theory of Inalienability: A Critique of Rothbard, Barnett, Gordon, Smith, Kinsella and Epstein

An analysis of the libertarian theory of inalienability, as well as a critique of those who have discussed this topic.
A comparison of direct S-wave and coda-wave site amplification determined from aftershocks of the Little Skull Mountain earthquake

Abstract Site amplifications of direct S waves and coda waves are studied and compared using high-quality, three-component digital data from aftershocks of the Little Skull Mountain, Neveda, earthquake. We use data from 12 stations installed on a variety of geological and topographic site conditions, distributed widely in space with different azimuths and epicentral distances. S -wave site amplifications are obtained in the frequency range from about 0.5 to over 30 Hz, while coda-wave site amplifications are obtained in a frequency range from about 1.5 to over 30 Hz. A thorough statistical analysis of these results was performed. We find that (1) for S waves, all three components at a station follow a similar frequency-dependent trend. The amplitudes of the two horizontal components match more closely, while the vertical component shows consistently lower amplification than the horizontal components at low frequencies. (2) For coda waves, all three components share both similar frequency-dependent trends and amplification level. (3) S -wave and coda-wave site amplification are consistent for stations with epicentral distance greater than about 10 km (which is about the average focal depth of the earthquakes we used). Within the epicentral distance of 10 km, however, some stations show discordant S -wave and coda-wave site amplifications. Possible factors are that the direct S waves are affected by particular wave propagation paths and that at short distance SV is partitioned with more energy on the horizontal components and less on the vertical components than at larger distances.
Thermal effects on wave propagation in liquid-filled porous media

Equations are formulated to account for the effects of temperature on the dynamical behavior of two-phase materials typified by liquid-saturated rocks. The constitutive relations reveal the existence of several interesting coupling coefficients, two of which appear to have gone unnoticed heretofore and a third, though noticed, never before measured. Specifically, the first two coefficients are associated with thermal expansion and the third with local heat flow between the phases. Experimental work is reported on the measurement of these quantities for a kerosene-saturated sandstone.
Has the Innocence Movement Become an Exoneration Movement? The Risks and Rewards of Redefining Innocence

This chapter describes the conceptual move away from factual innocence to legal exonerations based on new evidence of innocence as the emerging intellectual foundation of the Innocence Movement. The chapter also analyzes the costs and benefits of this paradigm shift in how we count, classify, talk, and think about the problem of innocence in America. The DNA revolution and its ripple effects in American criminal justice have demonstrated that the problem of wrongful conviction in America is structural and persistent. The use of post-conviction DNA testing created the opportunity for an Innocence Movement to emerge, and the DNA exonerations of the last 25 years have transformed lay and official perceptions about the problem and prevalence of wrongful conviction in America and have served as the foundation for many criminal justice policy reform proposals.The creation of the National Registry of Exonerations, which chronicles both DNA and non-DNA exonerations, has subtly changed how scholars and journalists classify and count innocence, or its proxy. The Registry moved away from actual or factual innocence to a more legalistic idea of an exoneration that, as defined by the Registry, is essentially an erasure of a pre-existing conviction by a governor, prosecutor, judge, or jury based on some new evidence of factual innocence. This conceptual move, if successful in the long run, offers the possibility of greater empirical insight and understanding into the problem of wrongful conviction and its solutions than ever before. But if the Registry’s more legalistic criteria for case inclusion return us to an era of contested judgments about the factual guilt and innocence of its subjects, critics may seek once again to dismiss the problem of wrongful conviction as too aberrational to merit serious scholarly or policy concern. The challenge of the Innocence Movement going forward is to build on the gains of the last 25 years of DNA testing while not creating opportunities for frivolous critiques from right-wing or left-wing innocence skeptics.
Images in clinical medicine. Sigmoid perforation in association with colonoscopy.

A 74-year-old woman was undergoing a screening colonoscopy when it became apparent that the rectosigmoid junction might have become perforated. The procedure was terminated, and radiographs were obtained.
Photoemission Results for Laser-Annealed Si(111) and Ge(111) Surfaces

We have studied the valence band and surface-core-level states for laser-annealed, thermally-annealed, and cleaved Ge(111) and Si(l11) surfaces with high resolution photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. For the annealed surfaces we find two surface states near the top of the valence band as well as characteristic surface core level spectra. These indicate the existence of a common local bonding geometry for all these surfaces. We observe that the (1 × 1) and cleaved (2 × 1) surfaces are not related as recently reported for Si.
Social Connectedness, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Homeless Youth Prioritizing Approaches to Service Provision in a Time of Limited Agency Resources

Homeless youth frequently meet diagnosis criteria for depressive and/or substance use disorder(s). Although prior research has established that both social connectedness and self-efficacy buffer vulnerable youth’s adverse health outcomes, few studies have compared the potential of these protective factors on homeless youth’s mental well-being. The current study analyzes comparative effects of social connectedness and self-efficacy on meeting criteria for major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, and the co-occurrence of both disorders among a sample of 601 service-seeking homeless youth in Austin, Denver, and Los Angeles. Hierarchical logistic regressions indicate that while both social connectedness and self-efficacy constructs are valuable protective factors, social connectedness may offer greater utility, particularly in buffering against more complex mental health outcomes, such as the co-occurrence of depressive and substance use disorders. Accordingly, resource-strapped homeless youth servi...
Chlorothiazide effect on feedback-mediated control of glomerular filtration rate

We examined the effect of chlorothiazide (CTZ) on the tubuloglomerular (TG) feedback system in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. During infusion of CTZ (0.25 mg.kg body wt-1.min-1) we found that whole kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreased by 19% (1.0 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.8 +/- 0.1 ml/min; P less than 0.005). To asses the activity of the TG feedback system during CTZ administration we compared measurements of single-nephron (SN)GFR from tubule fluid sampled separately at proximal and distal sites. During CTZ administration, distally measured SNGFR decreased significantly by 16% (27.3 +/- 1.3 vs. 22.9 +/- 1.1 nl/min; P less than 0.025), whereas proximally measured SNGFR was unchanged. Thus the difference in SNGFR between proximal and distal determination increased during CTZ infusion (4.7 +/- 0.7 vs. 7.7 +/- 0.7 nl/min; P less than 0.025), indicating that CTZ suppresses GFR by TG feedback. Na, K, and Cl concentrations measured in the late proximal tubule fluid during control and CTZ infusions were similar. In early distal tubule fluid samples K and Cl concentrations were unaffected by CTZ infusion, whereas Na concentrations increased by 32% (47.9 +/- 2.7 vs. 63.1 +/- 2.4 mM; P less than 0.001). Proximal tubule microperfusion with 1.0 mM CTZ decreased transport rates of Na and water by approximately 40%, whereas the transport rate of Cl was not affected. In conclusion our results indicate that CTZ reduces GFR by activating TG feedback. The mechanism by which this occurs is in part due to an increase in the strength of the signal.
Orientation Effects in Biaxially Stretched Polypropylene Film

Unoriented, quenched sheet of polypropylene has been reheated and biaxially stretched sequentially in two perpendicular directions on a pantograph stretcher for stretch ratios up to 6×6 over a twelve degree stretch temperature range. Orientation of (040) in the film plane, called population 1 crystals, predominates at and above 4×4. At 5×5 a second crystal orientation occurs which is orientation of (110) in the film plane called population 2 crystals, found also in similarly prepared polyethylene. A method of 040 peak resolution enables calculation of the fraction of population 2 crystals with stretch ratio and temperature. A proposed mechanism of formation of population 2 crystals is intralamellar slip along (110 ). Correlation of the amount of population 2 crystals with the area under the stress-strain curve obtained during stretching, as well as line breadth measurements, support such a mechanism. The generation of population 2 crystals occurs concurrent with no significant change in c-axis orientation which orients in the film plane below 4×4. The significance of biaxial over uniaxial stretching to detect this structural change is emphasized.
Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase (TdT)-negative Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Pediatric Patients: Incidence and Clinical Significance

Pediatric terminal deoxynucleotidyl tranferase (TdT)-negative precursor B- or T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (B-LL and T-LL) cases are rare and their prognostic significance remains controversial. We aimed to determine the frequency of TdT-negative B- and T-LL in the community hospital setting. Between 2005 and 2015, 43 pediatric patients were diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia at our institution, of which 6 (14%) were characterized as TdT-negative by flow cytometric analysis. Four of these 6 patients had B-LL and the other 2 had T-LL. Two of the 6 TdT-negative patients also had undetectable CD34 expression by flow cytometry (TdT/CD34 double-negatives). Subsequent paraffin immunohistochemistry confirmed the negative CD34 expression in both cases. By contrast, all the 6 patients had weak TdT-like immunoreactivity in their marrow despite the negative flow cytometric analysis. Furthermore, neither TdT/CD34-negative cases showed myc rearrangement by fluorescent in situ hybridization, ruling out Burkitt leukemia as a differential diagnostic consideration. We conclude that TdT-negative pediatric B- and T-LL cases (especially those that are TdT/CD34 double-negative) may pose diagnostic challenge to hematopathologists, and ancillary studies (paraffin immunohistochemistry to detect TdT and fluorescent in situ hybridization to exclude myc rearrangement) may be instrumental in reaching the correct diagnosis.
Deconstructing the Associations of Religiosity, Christian Denominations, and Non-Religions to Rape Myth Acceptance among University Students

ABSTRACTMinimal research exists regarding the relationship between rape myth acceptance and religion. This study assessed rape myth acceptance of 503 university students’ disaggregated by five religious identities from 21 Division I postsecondary institutions. Except for Presbyterians, females disagree with rape myths at greater levels than males. Religiosity is a non-predictor for rape myth acceptance after controlling for students’ demographic and lifestyle characteristics. The least religious (Agnostics and Atheists) reject rape myths, whereas the most religious (Baptists and Presbyterians) show non-relationships with rape myths. Catholics accept rape myths, and religiosity functions as a moderator as highly religious Catholics reject rape myths.
Fc-Gamma Receptor IIIa and Interferon-Gamma SNPs Do Not Predict Responsiveness of Follicular Lymphoma to Galiximab (Anti-CD80 Antibody).

Abstract CD80 is an immune costimulatory molecule expressed on the cell surface of follicular and other lymphomas. Galiximab, a macaque-human chimeric anti-CD80 monoclonal antibody, has been shown to have antitumor activity in patients with relapsed or refractory, follicular lymphoma. Preclinical work suggested antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) as a mechanism for galiximab-induced cell lysis. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for high-affinity Fc gamma receptor IIIa and high interferon-gamma production have been associated with increased ADCC activity. For this report, genomic DNA from peripheral blood of clinical study patients was analyzed for Fc gamma receptor IIIa and interferon-gamma gene SNPs after PCR amplification. In addition, the frequency of interferon-gamma secreting cells in peripheral blood samples was evaluated by ELISPOT. SNP and ELISPOT results were then evaluated for correlation with clinical response (CR or PR) to galiximab and reduction in tumor burden (SPD of indicator lesions). Of 35 follicular lymphoma patients evaluable for response to galiximab, 2 CRs and 1 PR were observed; time to best response was delayed (Months 3, 9, and 12). Of 34 patients with Fc gamma receptor IIIa SNP results, 6 were homozygous for the high-affinity receptor. Of 33 pts with interferon-gamma SNP results, 4 were homozygous for the high-producing allele. None of the 3 responders were homozygous for high-affinity Fc gamma receptor IIIa or high interferon-gamma production, and the degree of tumor burden reduction was smaller in these homozygotes than in the others. In addition, pretreatment interferon-gamma ELISPOT data did not predict clinical response to galiximab or tumor burden reduction. In summary, high-affinity Fc gamma receptor IIIa and high interferon-gamma production do not predict clinical responsiveness of follicular NHL to galiximab, suggesting that ADCC may not be a primary mechanism of action for this antibody. Ongoing studies are evaluating other potential mechanisms including the immunomodulatory effects of blocking CD80.
Reflections on creating Arizona: The Cost of Immigrant Detention

ABSTRACTArizona State University graduate students created a museum panel titled Arizona: The Cost of Immigrant Detention to include in the Humanities Action Lab’s (HAL) States of Incarceration traveling exhibition. This article summarizes the panel and its contents, as well as the process of creating the panel and its accompanying online material. It also looks at the author’s personal feelings toward museums and their usefulness as tools for social change. Specifically, the author and his peers hope to use the online platform created by the HAL to shape the debate during the 2018 Arizona Gubernatorial election.
Is Vitamin D Deficiency Implicated in Autonomic Dysfunction

Dysautonomia, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, presents with heterogeneous clinical features from an imbalanced regulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Low Vitamin D levels can explain the heterogeneous clinical features of migraine headaches, cardiac and gastrointestinal dysfunction, and oxidative stress evident in dysautonomia patients. The role of Vitamin D in modulating pain sensitivity has been recently established. However, there is a lack of research and understanding regarding the association between Vitamin D deficiency and autonomic dysfunction. Vitamin D is a neuroactive hormone that modulates autonomic balance, regulating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and has multisystem benefits. The following review explores the literature and addresses the relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and autonomic dysfunction. Overall, this literature review implicates Vitamin D deficiency in autonomic dysfunction and elucidates the potential therapeutic role of Vitamin D in autonomic disorders. PubMed search was performed for English articles from 1996 to 2016. Following keywords: Vitamin D, autonomic dysfunction and orthostatic hypotension, Vitamin D receptor, migraine and traumatic brain injury, Vitamin D, cardiac and gastrointestinal disease, Vitamin D, glutathione, oxidative stress, and serotonin were included. Only articles reporting primary data relevant to the above question were included in the study.
Combination therapy with capecitabine and temozolomide in patients with low and high grade neuroendocrine tumors, with an exploratory analysis of O 6 -methylguanine DNA methyltransferase as a biomarker for response

Recent advances in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NET), including the combination regimen of capecitabine and temozolomide (CAPTEM), have mostly focused on grade 1 and 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET). We undertook a retrospective review of 38 patients with advanced NET treated with CAPTEM, including patients with non-pancreatic tumors as well as grade 2 and 3 tumors. O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression was assessed as a predictive biomarker. We found that CAPTEM demonstrated activity in patients with all grades and in pNET and non-pNET. Median progression free survival (mPFS) was 13.0 months (95% CI: 5.6-17.0) and median overall survival (mOS) 29.3 months (95% CI 17.7 - 45.3). Among evaluable patients, there were 11 (38%) partial responses, 15 (52%) stable disease, and 3 (10%) progressive disease for a disease control rate of 90%. A higher rate of partial responses occurred in patients whose tumors had low levels of MGMT expression (63%) compared to intermediate-high (17%) (p=0.19). Our results show that CAPTEM therapy is active in patients with NET including in previously treated patients and in those with poorly-differentiated histology. We observed a trend towards increased response rate, median PFS, and median OS in patients whose tumors had low MGMT protein expression.
The relationship between asthma and depression in a community-based sample.

Objective: Asthma is an increasingly prevalent disease that is associated with substantial physical and financial burdens. Additionally, asthma is linked to psychiatric disorders. This study examin...
What Impacts the All Cause Risk of Reoperation after Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair? A Comparison of Mesh and Native Tissue Approaches in 110,329 Women

Purpose: Several factors are hypothesized to impact the risks of mesh augmented pelvic organ prolapse repair, including 1) the characteristics of the material, 2) surgical experience and 3) patient selection. We present a large, population based approach to explore the impact of these factors on outcomes and describe an ideal mesh use strategy.Materials and Methods: Data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development were accessed to identify all women who underwent pelvic organ prolapse repair in California from 2005 to 2011. Multivariate mixed effects logistic regression models were constructed to explore which patient, surgical and facility factors were associated with repeat surgery for a complication due to mesh or recurrent pelvic organ prolapse.Results: A total of 110,329 women underwent pelvic organ prolapse repair during the study period and mesh was used in 16.2% of the repairs. The overall repeat surgery rate was higher in women who underwent mesh repair (5.4% vs 4.3%, p <0.001). ...
Contemporary Native North American Architecture Between 1966 and 1996

Since the mid-l960s, the North American peoples indigenous to the USA and Canada have expressed their various cultural values in buildings designed for traditional practices and for introduced activities such as schools, hospitals, cultural centres and government functions. The people concerned are known as Native Americans or Indians in the USA and as First Nations peoples in Canada. This chapter addresses buildings of various types on reservations and in cities within the contiguous USA that express specific cultural values using modern architectural methods, materials and forms. They demonstrate that while Native American values have survived, they have also evolved and responded to societal forces.
Comparison of Approaches for Aggregating Quality Measures in Population‐based Payment Models

Objective To assess the impact of alternative methods of aggregating individual quality measures on Accountable Care Organization (ACO) overall scores. Data source 2014 quality scores for Medicare ACOs. Study design We compare ACO overall scores derived using CMS' aggregation approach to those derived using alternative approaches to grouping and weighting measures. Principal findings Alternative grouping and weighting methods based on statistical criteria produced overall quality scores similar to those produced using CMS' approach (κ = 0.80 to 0.95). Scores derived from giving specific domains greater weight were less similar (κ = 0.51 to 0.93). Conclusions How measures are grouped into domains and how these domains are weighted to generate overall scores can have important implications for ACO's shared savings payments.