cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Structure of the Land Use Regulatory System in the United States

The land use regulatory system has been criticized for causing or failing to solve social problems and for perceived inherent defects, such as inefficiency, inequality, and environmental harm. These criticisms fail to understand the land use regulatory system in the United States as a dynamic, functional, adaptive system. This paper systematically analyzes the: 1) functions; 2) location and scale; 3) components; 4) processes; and 5) values of the land use regulatory system in the United States. If we are to improve our land use practices to be fairer, more efficient, and more ecologically responsible, we must understand how land use planning and regulation function and change over time. Particular attention is given to the role of land use regulation as a mediator between people and places, between communities and power, and between freedom and boundaries. Additional attention is given to the broad array of forces shaping land use decisions, the "thinness" of land use law as a set of rules and limits (contrasted with its role as a source of tools, authority, and discretion), and the "patchiness" of land use regulatory authority in the United States. This paper also examines a specific issue of law and policy: the extent to which the land use regulatory system can value and conserve ecosystem services - the humanly beneficial services that nature provides. The paper explores both barriers to and opportunities for accounting for ecosystem services in land use planning and regulation.
The effect of intercostal artery reimplantation on spinal cord injury in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery

Objective Intercostal artery (ICA) reimplantation (ICAR) is thought to decrease spinal cord injury (SCI) in thoracic aortic aneurysm and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) surgery. Patients treated from 1989 to 2005 without ICAR were compared with those treated from 2005 to 2013 with ICAR to determine whether ICAR reduced SCI. We hypothesized that ICAR would reduce SCI, especially in the highest-risk patients. Methods This was a retrospective analysis using a prospectively maintained Investigational Review Board-approved database from a university tertiary referral center. The analysis included all patients (n = 805) undergoing thoracic aortic aneurysm and TAAA surgery from 1989 to 2013. The main outcome measure was any transient or permanent paraplegia or paraparesis (SCI). From 1989 to 2004, ICAR was not performed in patients, and open ICAs were ligated; from 2005 to 2013, open ICAs at T7 to L2 were reimplanted in patients with Crawford type I, II, and III TAAAs. Surgical technique was cross clamp without assisted circulation. Anesthetic management was the same from 1989 to 2013. Demographic, intraoperative, and outcome variables were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. Observed/expected ratios for paralysis were calculated. Results A total of 540 patients had surgery before 2005, and 265 had surgery after 2005, when ICAR was begun. There were 275 type I, II, and III TAAAs before 2005 and 164 after 2005. Aneurysm extent, acuity, SCI, mortality, renal failure, and pulmonary failure were the same in patients treated before and after 2005. Multivariate modeling of all patients showed type II TAAA ( P = .0001), dissection ( P = .00015), and age as a continuous variable ( P = .0085) were significant for SCI. Comparing only type I, II, and III TAAAs, there was no difference in SCI between those with ICAR after 2005 and those without ICAR before 2005 (5.1% vs 8.8%; P = .152). In a subanalysis of the highest-risk patients (type II, dissection, acute), ICAR was not significant ( P = .27). Observed/expected ratios ratios were 0.23 before 2005 and 0.16 after 2005 ( χ 2 = .796; P = .37). Conclusions Although there was a small decrease in SCI with ICAR, reattaching ICAs did not produce a statistically significant reduction in SCI, even in the highest-risk patients.
Implied Class Warfare: Why Rule 23 Needs an Explicit Ascertainability Requirement in the Wake of Byrd v. Aaron’s Inc.

On April 16, 2015, in Byrd v. Aaron’s Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit articulated its heightened standard for Rule 23’s implied requirement that a class be ascertainable. This standard has proven to frustrate Rule 23’s historical purpose of providing small-claim plaintiffs a mechanism through which they can economically prosecute their rights, especially in the context of consumer class actions. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the heightened standard introduced by the Third Circuit in favor of a “weak” interpretation of Rule 23’s implied ascertainability requirement. This Comment argues that Rule 23 needs to be amended to explicitly include ascertainability as a requirement to class certification so that the certification process can be adjudicated consistently in federal courts. Further, this Comment argues that modeling such an amendment on the Seventh Circuit’s “weak” version of the implied ascertainability requirement will best return Rule 23 to its historical
Excretion of Organic Sulfates Following Administration of Adrenalin

ConclusionsIn the rabbit the administration of adrenalin is followed by a markedly augmented excretion of organic sulfates. This appears to indicate that this drug is inactivated in vivo by conjugation with sulfuric acid. Conjugation with glucuronic acid does not occur. These observations confirm those reported by Richter in 1940.
Secular trends in human sex ratios : Their influence on individual and family behavior

Secular change in sex ratios is examined in relation to experience in the family. Two theoretical perspectives are outlined: Guttentag and Secord's (1983) adaptation of social exchange theory, and sexual selection theory. Because of large-scale change in number of births and typical age differentials between men and women at marriage, low sex ratios at couple formation ages existed in the U.S. between 1965 and the early 1980s. The currently high sex ratios, however, will persist until the end of the century. High sex ratios appear to be associated with lower divorce rates, male commitment to careers that promise economic rewards, male willingness to engage in child care, higher fertility, and higher rates of sexual violence. Sexual selection theory calls attention to intrasexual competition in the numerically larger sex.
Microfossil recognition in Archean rocks : an appraisal of spheroids and filaments from a 3500 M.Y. old chert-barite unit at North Pole, Western Australia

Except in exceptional circumstances, real Archean microfossils should occur in thin sections of low-grade rocks of sedimentary origin, consist of kerogen, exceed the minimum size for independently viable cells, co-exist with others of similar morphology, have a hollow structure and display cellular elaboration. Of less value are the statistical and isotopic parameters that have been proposed as biogenicity tests, which often fail to distinguish biological from abiotic assemblages. Six classes of microfossil-like objects from a ca. 3500 m.y. old chert-barite unit in the Warrawoona Group at North Pole, Western Australia, are evaluated using the above techniques. Despite their close resemblances to modern and fossil assemblages of filamentous and coccoid prokaryotic micro-organisms, none of the objects are demonstrably biogenic in origin
Animal–Symbiodinium Symbioses: Foundations of Coral Reef Ecosystems

A variety of animal taxa have benefited from symbioses with photoautotrophic symbionts that provide fixed carbon in exchange for nutrients and high-light habitats. Corals are one such animal lineage, harboring dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. This genus has remarkably high genetic diversity that translates into morphological, cellular, physiological, and even host infectivity differences. Many corals acquire their symbionts as larvae or recruits upon settlement on the reef, likely from local populations of Symbiodinium present in the sediment. Onset of symbiosis is initiated by host–symbiont recognition and proceeds through a winnowing process where only suitable, healthy Symbiodinium are retained within a host-derived symbiosome membrane. High stress, as is predicted by future climate models, can lead to symbiosis dysfunction and loss of the symbiont from host tissues with negative consequences to the host. Some corals have the ability to exchange their symbiotic partners for those that may be more thermotolerant, but the extent to which coral–dinoflagellate symbioses can acclimatize and adapt to rapid climate change remains to be determined.
Pricing of Services

Although both are viewed as products, services as intangibles can be distinguished from goods. Intangibility means that services cannot be grasped mentally, cannot be identified physically, but must be experienced for the customer to gain knowledge of with the intent to purchase. Services are not manufactured and shipped to the customer. Rather, services are dominated by experienced qualities and attributes that can be meaningfully evaluated only after purchase and during production-consumption.’ In combining goods and services into the same product package, goods give tangibility to services (for example, as souvenirs do to entertainment) while services augment goods (as, for instance, customer service does cars).
A new approach for extracting texture features to aid detection of explosive hazards using synthetic aperture acoustic sensing

Objects imaged in synthetic aperture acoustic data have a unique appearance. Due to this, we propose that examining the texture between targets and non-targets will prove more descriptive and improve classification performance. A few common texture feature extraction methods are those derived from grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), local binary patterns (LBP), and local directional patterns (LDP). LDP uses a set of filters to measure the local directional response around each pixel and then builds a binary code like LBP. The feature vector is a histogram of those binary codes. However, the set of filters used may not be the optimal set needed to achieve the best classification accuracy and a binary coding may not be the best aggregation method. In this paper, we apply known sets of two-dimensional filters, not necessarily directional, as well as develop a new approach to aggregation. Different filter sets provide the algorithm with a broader description beyond the direction of edges and thus better representation of texture. A more complex aggregation method allows more information retention in the feature vector. These modifications, to the existing LDP algorithm, will allow classifiers to more accurately distinguish between the textures of targets and non-targets. A support vector machine (SVM) helps evaluate the performance of the new feature extraction method and compare its performance to other common extraction methods on data collected at a US Army test site. This will be used to build an online classifier system for testing on lane-based data.
Corrections to “Optical Characterization of Chalcogenide Ge–Sb–Se Waveguides at Telecom Wavelengths”

The original letter [1] contains an error in the two-photon absorption coefficient of the chalcogenide waveguides. The fitting equation (1) used in [1] was incorrect, leading to an overestimation of the two-photon absorption.
Acceptance lowers stress reactivity: Dismantling mindfulness training in a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective Mindfulness interventions, which train practitioners to monitor their present-moment experience with a lens of acceptance, are known to buffer stress reactivity. Little is known about the active mechanisms driving these effects. We theorize that acceptance is a critical emotion regulation mechanism underlying mindfulness stress reduction effects. Method In this three-arm parallel trial, mindfulness components were dismantled into three structurally equivalent 15-lesson smartphone-based interventions: (1) training in both monitoring and acceptance (Monitor + Accept), (2) training in monitoring only (Monitor Only), or (3) active control training (Coping control). 153 stressed adults (mean age = 32 years; 67% female; 53% white, 21.5% black, 21.5% Asian, 4% other race) were randomly assigned to complete one of three interventions. After the intervention, cortisol, blood pressure, and subjective stress reactivity were assessed using a modified Trier Social Stress Test. Results As predicted, Monitor + Accept training reduced cortisol and systolic blood pressure reactivity compared to Monitor Only and control trainings. Participants in all three conditions reported moderate levels of subjective stress. Conclusions This study provides the first experimental evidence that brief smartphone mindfulness training can impact stress biology, and that acceptance training drives these effects. We discuss implications for basic and applied research in contemplative science, emotion regulation, stress and coping, health, and clinical interventions.
Adverse perinatal outcomes associated with trial of labor after cesarean section at term in pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity

Introduction: Obesity is associated with higher risks for intrapartum complications. Therefore, we sought to determine if trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) will lead to higher maternal ...
Advances in the Evaluation and Management of Childhood Functional Abdominal Pain

Our objective is to review recent advances in the classification, evaluation, and management of children with functional abdominal pain. The Rome IV criteria allow the provider to identify whether a child’s presentation is consistent with a functional abdominal pain disorder. The concept of the multidimensional clinical profile acknowledges that multiple unique factors can contribute to a child’s presentation. There is growing evidence on the use of a number of pharmacological treatments for functional abdominal pain disorders. A diet low in fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) can be effective in some children with irritable bowel syndrome. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be as effective as medical treatment of abdominal pain. Neuromodulation-based therapies have shown promise in functional abdominal pain disorder treatment. As our understanding of the factors that contribute to functional abdominal pain grows, so too does the feasibility of identifying personalized, effective treatment strategies.
Real-time imaging of invadopodia in tumor microenvironment context

We use intravital multiphoton microscopy in mouse models of breast carcinoma to understand cancer cell metastasis. We demonstrate that invadopodia in vivo are necessary for metastasis and that they can be eliminated by microenvironment modulation.
The Long Arc of Human Rights: A Case for Optimism

In this piece, I discuss the scholarship of the political scientist Kathryn Sikkink who, drawing on decades of research into transnational civil society networks and international institutions, counters skeptics from the left and the right who have argued that the persistence of grave human rights violations throughout the world is evidence that the international movement has failed and should be abandoned altogether. On the contrary, Sikkink concludes, the struggle for human rights has indeed made a difference: “Overall there is less violence and fewer human rights violations in the world than there were in the past.” Sikkink contends that skeptics have relied on the wrong metrics to measure progress and have failed to see shifts in the human rights movement that have made it more durable. She is even relatively bullish about the prospects for continued progress in the Trump era. In this way, she distinguishes herself from the many activists and scholars who fear that the populist nationalism that helped put Donald Trump in the White House could reverse hard-fought human rights gains of the past few decades, both in the United States and abroad. In the essay, I refer to the case of Jessica Lenahan v. United States of America (2011), which I litigated before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), to reinforce the argument that the international human rights regime has effected positive change in the world.
Stationary curves and complete integrability in the complex domain

As is well known, the function theory and geometry of strictly pseudoconvex domains and real hypersurfaces in C n began around the turn of the century with the works of Poincare, Hartogs, and Levi, and continued through the works of Oka, Cartan, Lelong, and many others. It began with the more qualitive and rigorous emphasis characteristic of a modern mathematical theory, with explicit computation playing less of a role. In fact, even at present it is essentially only for the unit ball, by reason of its symmetry, that the central objects of the theory can be computed. Examples of such “objects” include the Bergman and Szego kernels, the metrics of Caratheodory and Kobayashi, and the boundary invariants of Cartan, Chern, Moser, and Tanaka. In contrast to this, the classical theory of surfaces in real Euclidean space, for example, evolved in the light of many explicit examples and phenomena. The ellipsoidal surfaces clearly played a significant role in this, as may be seen in works of Jacobi, Lame, Chasles, Liouville, Weierstrass, Klein, and many others.
Alterations in Whole Brain Cyclic-AMP and Cerebral Cortex Na-Inducible Cyclic-AMP in Rats During and After Complete Global Ischemia

Neurologic dysfunction after cerebral ischemic anoxic insults may be due not only to irreversible neuronal necrosis and infarction but also, a possibly reversible failure in synaptic transmission. The EEG remains abnormal despite complete recovery of brain high energy phosphates after recirculation following 30 min of complete global ischemia in dogs (5). Persistent EEG alterations correlate with persistent alterations in brain catecholamine metabolism despite recovery of brain high energy phosphates (2). These findings show that there may be a disassociation between recovery of brain oxidative metabolism, reflected by brain high energy phosphates and synaptic transmission, reflected by the EEG.
The Clinical Implications of Basic Science Research in Peyronie’s Disease

Despite centuries of recognition, the condition that is Peyronie’s disease remains a puzzle. Conventional wisdom suggests that trauma to the erect or semi-erect penis is the inciting event that sets off a cascade of events at the cellular level that results in localized fibrosis of the tunica albuginea. However, many questions remain unanswered at this juncture, among the most important of which are why do so few men manifest this condition? Why is there such an ethnic predilection? What are the cofactors that, along with penile trauma, lead to plaque development? Historically, cytokine overexpression, autoimmune, and genetic factors have been cited as contributors. This chapter endeavors to conduct an evidence-based assessment of the literature as it pertains to the pathophysiology of Peyronie’s disease. Furthermore, an effort is made to evaluate contemporary literature pertaining to novel concepts in Peyronie’s disease pathogenesis including nitric oxide synthase alterations, free radical generation, pathogen involvement, and animal model development. In conclusion, although plausible that the near future will see improved developments in our understanding of this condition, groundbreaking work will require research funding beyond that which is currently available.
Smoking-cessation counseling in the home. Attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of home healthcare nurses.

Abstract Background: Despite advances in smoking treatment, cessation rates remain stagnant, possibly a function of the lack of new channels to reach heavily addicted smokers. This cross-sectional study examined home care nurses’ attitudes, beliefs, and counseling behaviors regarding counseling their home care patients who smoke. Methods: Home healthcare nurses (N=98) from the Visiting Nurse Association of Rhode Island were randomly selected to participate in a study helping home-bound medically ill smokers to quit. At baseline, nurses completed a questionnaire that assessed a constellation of cognitive factors (self-efficacy, outcome expectations, perceived effectiveness, risk perception, motivation, and perceived patient adherence) as correlates of self-reported nurse counseling behaviors. Results: Nurses with higher outcome expectations spent more time counseling their patients about quitting ( p p p n =13) provided follow-up to their patients. Nurses who reported higher levels of both risk perception (regarding the harmful effects of smoking) and perceived effectiveness were more likely to recommend the nicotine patch. Conclusions: Attitudes and beliefs about smoking are significantly associated with nurse counseling behaviors. Helping nurses to overcome their barriers to smoking counseling may open up new channels for smoking intervention.
An Improved DBSCAN Method for Self-sufficient Microgrid Design

Self-sufficiency is a key feature of a microgrid with distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy storage. Due to sizing interdependency between DERs and energy storage, the size relationship across them is investigated based on given models. For siting of DERs and storage, the new proposed method, DBSCAN based on load-impedance density, is applied to identify high load-impedance areas. For selected sizes of DERs and energy storage, siting with less power loss is achieved by comparing results of graph partition, the shortest path method, DBSCAN, and improved DBSCAN methods. The results show the proposed method identifies the members and centers of load clusters, as well as load-impedance density for each cluster. The center with high load-impedance density is the place to locate DERs and energy storage to reduce energy losses with given DERs and load profiles in the distribution system.
This sentence is not false: a review of Sonic Flux

After reading Christoph Cox’s new book Sonic Flux: Sound, Art, and Metaphysics, I found I had many questions – which in my view only the best art theory is capable of generating. Yet Sonic Flux is ...
Ancillary Service Utilization and Impact in Huntington's Disease

BACKGROUND Prior Huntington's disease (HD) studies suggest ancillary services improve motor symptoms, cognition, mood, and quality of life but frequency of use and clinicalcharacteristics are unclear. OBJECTIVE Describe ancillary service utilization in a cohort of individuals with HD and determine which participant characteristics are associated with ancillary service utilization. METHODS Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Enroll-HD database. Participants were grouped by therapy: physical and/or occupational (PT/OT), psychotherapy and/or counseling (PC), speech and/or swallowing (ST). We performed bivariate comparisons analysis of demographic and disease characteristics between those with/without each therapy and to analyze one-year mean change in assessment scores. RESULTS Of 4751 participants, 1537 (32.35%) utilized therapies (11.82% PT/OT, 5.33% PC, 3.01% ST, 1.98% all three, 10.21% two therapies). PT/OT participants had worse motor and functional scores: mean UHDRS motor score (41.17 vs. 38.05, p = 0.002), median total functional capacity score (TFC) (8.00 vs. 9.00, p < 0.001). PC participants had worse mood but better cognitive and functional scores: median depression score (7.00 vs. 2.00, p < 0.001), median MMSE (28.00 vs. 26.00, p < 0.001), median TFC (10.00 vs. 8.00, p < 0.001). ST participants had more dysarthria, and worse cognitive and functional scores: dysarthria (32.2% vs. 20.1% p < 0.001), mean correct Symbol Digit Modality Test (16.79 vs. 23.27, p < 0.001), median TFC (6.00 vs. 9.00, p < 0.001). Over one year, PC participants' depression scores improved compared to untreated (- 1.24 vs. - 0.11, p = 0.040). ST participants' depression scores worsened (1.14 vs. - 0.23, p = 0.044). Mean change in TFC was not significant for any therapies. CONCLUSIONS Only 32% of Enroll-HD site participants received ancillary services. Use correlated with expected clinical characteristics, though impact of use remains unclear.
Attack Detection and Mitigation for Sensor and CAN Bus Attacks in Vehicle Anti-lock Braking Systems

For a modern vehicle, if a sensor in the vehicle Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) or the controller area network (CAN) bus is attacked during a brake process, the vehicle will lose driving direction control and driver’s life will be highly threatened. However, current methods for detecting attacks are not sufficiently accurate and no methods can provide attack mitigation. To ensure vehicle ABS security, we propose an attack detection method to accurately detect both sensor attack and CAN bus attack in a vehicle ABS, and an attack mitigation strategy to mitigate their negative effects on the vehicle ABS. In our attack detection method, we build a vehicle state space equation which considers real-time road friction coefficient to predict vehicle states (i.e., wheel speed and longitudinal brake force) with their previous values. Based on sets of historical measured vehicle states, we develop a search algorithm to find out attack changes (vehicle state changes because of the attack) by minimizing errors between predicted vehicle states and measured vehicle states. In our attack mitigation strategy, attack changes are subtracted from measured vehicle states to generate correct vehicle states for the vehicle ABS. We conducted first real sensor attack experiments to show how a magnet affects sensor readings. Our experimental results demonstrate that our attack detection method can detect sensor attack and CAN bus attack more accurately compared with existing methods, and also our attack mitigation strategy almost eliminates attack’s effects on the vehicle ABS.
On the use of Multiple Beam-Shifters Developed using Transformation Electromagnetics to Control Propagation Characteristics

The theory of Transformation electromagnetics/Transformation Optics (TREM/TO) has emerged recently as a useful technique to design unique electromagnetic devices. One such device is a beam-shifter implemented with a non-homogenous dielectric layer. The invariant form of Maxwell’s equations under particular coordinate transformations is a foundational aspect of this theory, and the development of these beam-shifters. Using this approach, a novel application of multiple up-and down-beam-shifters is proposed and presented here to guide a normalized magnetic field from a half-wave dipole around an irremovable perfect electric conductor (PEC) at 20GHz. This beam-shifter is developed using theory and successfully validated with the full-wave finite element software COMSOL.
Chinese Higher Education

China’s system of higher education has experienced significant growth over the past two decades. Increased student enrollment, faculty hiring, newly established institutions of higher education, and transnational education initiatives are indications of the changing nature of higher education in China. Despite a period of sustained growth, recent figures indicate a decline on the horizon.
Prehospital Evaluation, ED Management, Transfers, and Management of Inpatient STEMI.

ST elevation myocardial infarction diagnoses have reduced in number over the past 10 years; however, associated morbidity and mortality remain high. Societal guidelines focus on early diagnosis and timely access to reperfusion, preferably percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with fibrinolytics reserved for those who cannot receive timely PCI. Proposed algorithms recommend emergency department bypass in stable patients with a clear diagnosis to reduced door-to-balloon time. Emergency providers should limit their evaluation, focusing on life-threatening comorbidities, unstable vitals, or contraindications to a catheterization laboratory. In-hospital patients prove diagnostically challenging because they may be unable to express symptoms, and reperfusion strategies can complicate other diagnoses.
Flow and Transport Properties of Deforming Porous Media. I. Permeability

Estimating flow and transport properties of porous media that undergo deformation as a result of applying an external pressure or force is important to a wide variety of processes, ranging from injecting a fracking liquid into shale formations, to CO $$_2$$ sequestration in spent oil reservoirs. We propose a novel model for estimating the effective flow and transport properties of such porous media. Assuming that the solid matrix of a porous medium undergoes elastic deformation, and given its initial porosity before deformation, as well as the Young’s modulus of its grains, the model uses an extension of the Hertz–Mindlin theory of contact between grains to compute the new PSD that results from applying an external pressure P to the medium, and utilizes the updated PSD in the effective-medium approximation (EMA) to estimate the effective flow and transport properties at pressure P. In the present part of this series, we use the theory to predict the effective permeability as a function of the applied pressure. Comparison between the predictions and experimental data for twenty-four types of sandstones indicates excellent agreement between the two.
Gender and Counterstereotypical Facial Expressions of Emotion in Crowdfunded Microlending

Crowdfunded microlending research implies that both communal and agentic characteristics are valued. These characteristics, however, are often viewed as being at odds with one another due to their ...
Analyzing Capital Flow Drivers Using the ‘At-Risk’ Framework: South Africa’s Case

Cross-border capital flows are important for South Africa. They fund the nation’s relatively large external financing needs and have important financial stability implications evidenced by the large capital outflows and asset price selloffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper adds to the literature on the drivers of South Africa’s capital flows by applying the ‘at-risk’ framework––which differentiates between the likelihood of “extreme” inflows (surges) and outflows (reversals) and of “typical” flows––to both nonresident and resident capital flows. Estimated results show that among nonresident flows, the portfolio debt component is most sensitive to changes in external risk sentiment particularly during reversals. This applies to flows to the sovereign sector. Nonresident equity flows, both portfolio and FDI, are most sensitive to domestic economic activity especially during surges. This applies to flows to the corporate and banking sectors. Results also suggest that resident flows, in particular the FDI component, tend to offset nonresident flows, thus acting as buffers against funding withdrawal during periods of global risk aversion.
Examination of Factors That Contribute to Breastfeeding Disparities and Inequities for Black Women in the US

Breastmilk is considered the optimal nutrition for newborns. US Black women continue to have the lowest breastfeeding initiation and duration rates. This Perspective examines factors associated with breastfeeding disparities and inequities among Black women through the lens of critical race theory and the social-ecological model. Recommendations to increase breastfeeding rates in this population include increased communication and educational strategies by health care professionals, education to recognize implicit bias and systemic racism in our health care system, early prenatal and ongoing postpartum breastfeeding support, increased community support, and breastfeeding groups developed by and for Black women. In addition, equity policies such as paid maternity leave and work policies that support milk expression would provide needed institutional support for women in the workplace.
First-Generation College Students: Understanding and Improving the Experience from Recruitment to Commencement

Foreword vii Preface xiii Acknowledgments xix About the Authors xxi 1. Who Are First-Generation Students? 1 2. Transition into College 21 3. Transition Through College 47 4. Class, Culture, Race, and Ethnicity 69 5. Transforming How We Work with First-Generation Students 85 6. A Holistic Approach to Student Success 105 References 129 Index 141
Chemical Reaction Mechanisms

This chapter focuses on chemical reaction mechanisms, which are the sequences of elementary steps that make up chemical reactions. An elementary step is one that cannot be divided into simpler steps. A gas-phase elementary process involves a single molecular collision. A liquid-phase “elementary” process is actually preceded and followed by diffusion processes. If the diffusion of the reactant molecules is a slow process compared to the chemical part, the reaction is called a diffusion-limited or diffusion-controlled reaction. In either a gaseous or liquid-state elementary process, the molecularity of a substance is equal to its order. The empirical Arrhenius formula for the temperature dependence of elementary rate constants is presented. This empirical formula was based on an idea that “activated” molecules with high energy are necessary for the reaction to occur and that the population of molecules with a characteristic activation energy is given by the Boltzmann probability distribution. A set of differential equations can be constructed for a mechanism, with one equation for each elementary step. These simultaneous differential equations cannot generally be solved analytically. Catalysis involves an alternative mechanism in which the catalyst is involved.
High-voltage electron microscopy of wet whole cancer and normal cells: Visualization of cytoplasmic structures and surface projections

Abstract A preliminary report is given of the observation of several types of cells (melanoma, 3T3, Ehrlich ascites tumor, bovine spermatozoa) in the wet state inside a differentially pumped (aperture limited) hydration chamber constructed for a high-voltage microscope. The hydration chamber functions efficiently and allows rapid insertion and examination of wet specimens on a routine basis. Initial work has shown that the scattering of water layers or drops is strong and has a pronounced effect on the resolution and contrast of the specimen. Methods have been developed for controlling the water layer thickness. Cytoplasmic details (nuclei, mitochondria, melanin granules, axial filaments of spermatozoa) have been visualized in wet whole cells. Attempts to observe cell movements in the hdyration chamber have not yet been successful, but are continuing with special attention to minimizing radiation damage and optimizing medium nutrient composition.
Microcontroller based impedance relay

A novel design for a dedicated-function multiprocessor-based impedance relay is presented. The designated processor is an INTEL MCS-96 16 bit microcontroller. The general hardware architecture of a three-level operation with 5 microcontrollers is introduced. Specifications and performance of each group of microcontrollers, as well as of each level, are discussed. Test results of the rely at various operating conditions are demonstrated. After a fault inception, the relay is able to issue trip signals to the corresponding circuit breakers within 20 ms. The proposed relay offers speed, flexibility, and economy. Potential applications of the proposed relay in an industrial environment include cogeneration or any type of self-generating plants. In such applications the relay is used for network feeder as well as loss-of-field protection. >
Microscopy with Polarized Light

The historic observation of double imaging by a highly birefringent crystal, such as that of calcite (see Chapter 1), can easily be repeated on an overhead projector. A small dot of black paper is pasted on the projector’s window near its center, then a cleavage rhombohedron of clear calcite is placed over the dot. Two images of the dot appear on the projection screen, which means that the incident beam is being divided into two beams that do not interfere with one another because they are vibrating in different (perpendicular) planes. When the calcite rhombohedron is rotated on whatever face it happens to rest, one image of the dot is stationary while the other image curiously traces a circle around the first image (see Figure 5.1). The fact that the so-called extraordinary image is displaced from the ordinary image means that the extraordinary ray travels at a different velocity than the ordinary ray. The fact that the extraordinary ray traces a circle rather than a spot confirms that the difference in velocities varies with the orientation of this crystalline species. The ordinary image is stationary because its velocity is constant with all orientations of the crystal, and accordingly the ordinary refractive index ω is constant. The various values for the refractive index in the path of the extraordinary ray can be given a general symbol, such as e′, or specific symbols, such as el, e2 e3, etc.
Post-exercise fate of lactate in the American locust (1101.2)

The fate of lactate after exercise varies between animal groups. Mammals oxidize lactic acid in their muscles, fish oxidize lactic acid in their liver, and reptiles use both their muscles and liver to oxidize post-exercise lactate. Grasshoppers are unique among insects in that they produce lactic acid during repeated jumping. However, it is unclear where the lactate is oxidized. Using the American locust (Schistocerca americana), we measured lactate levels in the jumping muscle at different time points after jumping. Lactate levels were measured using a fluorometric plate assay. Immediately after three minutes of jumping, muscle lactate levels were approximately 23 mmol kg-1. After fifteen minutes of rest, lactate levels decreased by 40% in the jumping muscle. After one hour of rest, muscle lactate levels had decreased by 70% of their post-exercise level. After approximately three hours of rest, muscle lactate was similar to pre-jumping levels. We have previously demonstrated that lactate production corre...
Cage Substitution Reactions of Monocarbollide Carbonyl Complexes of Iron: Generation of Iminium Groups at a Boron Vertex†

Treatment of [N(PPh3)2][Fe(CO)2(L)(η5-7-CB10H11)] (L = SMe2, PPh3) in SMe2 or O(CH2)4 with H2SO4 yields the neutral charge-compensated complexes [Fe(CO)2(L)(η5-9-L‘-7-CB10H10)] (L = SMe2, L‘ = SMe2 (2), O(CH2)4 (3); L = PPh3, L‘ = SMe2 (4), O(CH2)4 (5)). An X-ray crystallographic study of 2 established that one of the exopolyhedral SMe2 groups is bonded to a boron in a β-site with respect to the carbon in the ring coordinated to the iron atom. In contrast with these results, the salts [N(PPh3)2][Fe(CO)2(L)(η5-7-CB10H11)] (L = CO, PPh3, CNBut) treated with NCMe and CF3SO3Me afford complexes [Fe(CO)2(L)(η5-9-{(E)-N(Me)C(H)Me}-7-CB10H10)] (L = CO (8), PPh3 (9), CNBut (10)). An X-ray diffraction study on 8 established that the iminium group was attached to a β-B atom of the CB4 iron-bonded ring. Compound 8 is readily hydrolyzed in the presence of a base catalyst affording [Fe(CO)3(η5-9-NH2Me-7-CB10H10)] (12), and with [Na][BH3CN] yields [Fe(CO)3(η5-9-{NH(Me)Et}-7-CB10H10)] (13), the structure of which was det...
Roland Murphy, The Pontifical Biblical Commission, Jews, and the Bible

Roland Murphy's understanding of the Old Testament both on its own terms and as interpreted throughout the history of the Church provides a helpful complement to the Pontifical Biblical Institute's THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SACRED SCRIPTURES IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE. This article expands on Murphy's own critique of the document (BTB 32.3 [2002]: 145-49) in its analysis of seven issues: contextual understanding, historical criticism, use of the Old Testament to interpret the New, Jewish interpretation, comparing Testaments, Formative Judaism, and the Shoah. It concludes that Murphy's ways of understanding the Old Testament provide helpful guides for correcting and improving the PBC document.
Early Onset of Significant Mitral Stenosis

It is generally observed that symptoms of obstructive mitral stenosis manifest themselves from 15 to 20 years after the initial episode of acute rheumatic fever, thus placing most candidates for mitral commissurotomy in the third, fourth, and fifth decades. This condition presenting itself in the second decade of life is of unusual interest. For this reason, the case records of three such patients are documented and the pathogenesis is discussed.
Enhanced Fluorescent Immunoassays on Silver Fractal-like Structures

Using the effect of the fluorescence enhancement in close proximity to metal nanostructures, we have been able to demonstrate ultrasensitive immunoassays suitable for the detection of biomarkers. Silver fractal-like structures have been grown by electrochemical reduction of silver on the surface of glass slides. A model immunoassay was performed on the slide surface with rabbit IgG (antigen) noncovalently immobilized on the slide, and rhodamine red-X-labeled antirabbit IgG conjugate was subsequently bound to the immobilized antigen. The fluorescence signal was measured from the glass-fractal's surface using a confocal microscope, and the images were compared to the images from the same surface not coated with fractals. Our results showed significant enhancement (more than 100-fold) of the signal detected on fractals compared to bare glass. We thus demonstrate that such fractal-like structures can assist in improving the signals from assays used in medical diagnostics, especially those for analytes with mo...
Near-field observation of light propagation in nanocoax waveguides

We report the observation of propagating modes of visible and near infrared light in nanoscale coaxial (metal-dielectric-metal) structures, using near-field scanning optical microscopy. Together with numerical calculations, we show that the propagated modes have different nature depending on the excitation wavelength, i.e., plasmonic TE11 and TE21 modes in the near infrared and photonic TE31, TE41 and TM11 modes in the visible. Far field transmission out of the nanocoaxes is dominated by the superposition of Fabry-Perot cavity modes resonating in the structures, consistent with theory. Such coaxial optical waveguides may be useful for future nanoscale photonic systems.
Assessment of the Relationship between Lesion Segmentation Accuracy and Computer-aided Diagnosis Scheme Performance

In this study we randomly select 250 malignant and 250 benign mass regions as a training dataset. The boundary contours of these regions were manually identified and marked. Twelve image features were computed for each region. An artificial neural network (ANN) was trained as a classifier. To select a specific testing dataset, we applied a topographic multi-layer region growth algorithm to detect boundary contours of 1,903 mass regions in an initial pool of testing regions. All processed regions are sorted based on a size difference ratio between manual and automated segmentation. We selected a testing dataset involving 250 malignant and 250 benign mass regions with larger size difference ratios. Using the area under ROC curve (A Z value) as performance index we investigated the relationship between the accuracy of mass segmentation and the performance of a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) scheme. CAD performance degrades as the size difference ratio increases. Then, we developed and tested a hybrid region growth algorithm that combined the topographic region growth with an active contour approach. In this hybrid algorithm, the boundary contour detected by the topographic region growth is used as the initial contour of the active contour algorithm. The algorithm iteratively searches for the optimal region boundaries. A CAD likelihood score of the growth region being a true-positive mass is computed in each iteration. The region growth is automatically terminated once the first maximum CAD score is reached. This hybrid region growth algorithm reduces the size difference ratios between two areas segmented automatically and manually to less than ±15% for all testing regions and the testing A Z value increases to from 0.63 to 0.90. The results indicate that CAD performance heavily depends on the accuracy of mass segmentation. In order to achieve robust CAD performance, reducing lesion segmentation error is important.
Kinetics of myo…Inositol Transport in Corneal Endothelial Cells: Diverse Effects of Sugars and Implications in Corneal Deutergence

Kinetics of myo-inositol (MI) uptake into primary cultures of bovine corneal endothelial cells (CEC) were studied. Confluent corneal endothelial cells accumulated 3H-MI in a time dependent and saturable process. At a narrow range of external concentrations of 3H-MI (4–50 µM), the Na +-dependent MI uptake followed saturation kinetics. The apparent Km value was 20 µM with a maximum velocity (Vmax) of 16 pmol/20 min/µg DNA. At low external 3H-MI concentrations the uptake was dependent on Na ions, but at higher levels the Na +-independent fraction of MI uptake significantly increased. The uptake was sensitive to removal of Ca ions and to the presence of inhibitors such as n-ethyl maleimide, phlorizin, ouabain, and amiloride (an inhibitor of Na +/H+ exchanger). The sensitivity of MI uptake toward inhibitors and ionic changes in the bathing media was reduced as external concentrations of 3H-MI increased. Citrate at 0.5 mM increased the uptake, suggesting involvement of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the ...
Chiral Mutagenesis of Insulin: CONTRIBUTION OF THE B20-B23 β-TURN TO ACTIVITY AND STABILITY

Abstract Insulin contains a β-turn (residues B20-B23) interposed between two receptor-binding elements, the central α-helix of the B chain (B9-B19) and its C-terminal β-strand (B24-B28). The turn contains conserved glycines at B20 and B23. Although insulin exhibits marked conformational variability among crystal forms, these glycines consistently maintain positive φ dihedral angles within a classic type-I β-turn. Because the Ramachandran conformations of GlyB20 and GlyB23 are ordinarily forbidden to l-amino acids, turn architecture may contribute to structure or function. Here, we employ “chiral mutagenesis,” comparison of corresponding d- and l-Ala substitutions, to investigate this turn. Control substitutions are introduced at GluB21, a neighboring residue exhibiting a conventional (negative) φ angle. The d- and l-Ala substitutions at B23 are associated with a marked stereospecific difference in activity. Whereas the d-AlaB23 analog retains native activity, the l analog exhibits a 20-fold decrease in receptor binding. By contrast, d- and l-AlaB20 analogs each exhibit high activity. Stereospecific differences between the thermodynamic stabilities of the analogs are nonetheless more pronounced at B20 (ΔΔGu 2.0 kcal/mole) than at B23 (ΔΔGu 0.7 kcal/mole). Control substitutions at B21 are well tolerated without significant stereospecificity. Chiral mutagenesis thus defines the complementary contributions of these conserved glycines to protein stability (GlyB20) or receptor recognition (GlyB23).
Legal restrictions and complications of abortion: Insights from data on complication rates in the United States

Although US federal law requires all American states to permit abortion within their borders, states retain authority to impose restrictions.We used hospital discharge data to study the rates of major abortion complications in 23 states from 2001 to 2008 and their relationship to two laws: (i) restrictions on Medicaid – the state insurance programs for the poor – funding, and (ii) mandatory delays before abortion. Of 131 000 000 discharges in the data set, 10 980 involved an abortion complication. The national rate for complications was 1.90 per 1000 abortions (95 per cent CI: 1.57–2.23). Eleven states required mandatory delays and 12 restricted funding for Medicaid participants. After controlling for socioeconomic characteristics and the pregnancy complication rate, legal restrictions were associated with lower complication rates: mandatory delays (OR 0.79(0.65–0.95)) and restricted Medicaid funding (OR 0.74 (0.61–0.90)). This result may reflect the fact that states without restrictions perform a higher percentage of second-trimester abortions. This study is the first to assess the association between legal restrictions on abortion and complication rates.