cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Doppler sensing of unsteady dense particulate flows

Chemical looping combustion is a proposed process for heat or power generation with integrated carbon dioxide separation, using solid oxygen carrier particles. The circulation rate of the oxygen carrier particles is a crucial parameter in the operation of the system, but is difficult to measure. This work reports on the investigation of applying a microwave Doppler sensor approach for monitoring the flow of solids in part of a chemical looping combustion system, the L-valve, which typically has a dense bed of particles with intermittent movement horizontally.
Associations between physical activity and BMI, body fatness, and visceral adiposity in overweight or obese Latino and non-Latino adults

Associations between physical activity and BMI, body fatness, and visceral adiposity in overweight or obese Latino and non-Latino adults
Nonprofit Pricing of Services under Cost Uncertainty Alternative Pricing Strategies for the Intermuseum Laboratory

For a nonprofit organization that provides individualized services to different customers a natural rule is at-cost pricing — to cover for labor, administrative and other expenses incurred in providing the service to each customer. This not only accomplishes zero profits (losses) but also zero cross-subsidization across customers. But if costs cannot be predicted before the completion of a service, and estimates are used in obtaining such service contracts, then what should be the pricing strategy? We study such a situation facing the Intermuseum Laboratory (Oberlin, OH), a nonprofit organization that restores works of art. Two alternative pricing strategies are proposed, with dual objectives of zero cost overuns and minimum cross-subsidization across customers, and present results from a simulation of this strategy using data from the Laboratory.
Satisfaction with the Profession and Career Status among BSW Social Workers

This study replicates "a measurement of social workers' professional satisfaction" and expands the findings to include career status among BSW graduates. It was hypothesized that (1) graduates of BSW programs who practice social work were more satisfied with selected "symbolic rewards" than those who did not remain in the profession, and that (2) MSW's will express more professional satisfaction than BSW's. A 50 percent random sample of the 538 graduates from a midwestern university for the period 1971-1980 was surveyed. A total of 172 graduates participated, representing a 68 percent response rate. BSW graduates who remain in the profession were significantly more satisfied with selected "symbolic rewards" than those who left the social work profession. MSW's are significanlty more satisfied with their professional choice, their work performance, and find the monetary rewards to be more satisfying than BSW practitioners. What are the attitudes of BSW social work graduates toward the profession of social work? How do they perceive the recognition given to social work by society and other professions? How satisfied are they with monetary rewards, work performance, choice of social work as a professional career, and the purpose and function of social work? Social workers' professional satisfaction has been examined by Meinert (1975), but no study has been reported which surveyed BSW graduates and those who left the profession. While Meinert studied members of
EVIDENCE FOR BIOCHEMICAL ADAPTATION IN MORPHINE TOLERANCE DEPENDENCE

Summary Chronic morphine treatment results in altered activities of nuclear protein kinase and of the RNA polymerases from small dense nuclei of mouse brain. Because nuclear protein kinases and RNA polymerases have been suggested as important sites in the regulation of gene expression, the effect of nuclear protein kinase phosphorylation on RNA polymerase activity has been studied in vitro . The activities of RNA polymerases I and II are elevated by preincubation with protein kinase, and the change in activity is correlated with increased phosphorylation. RNA polymerase peak III activity is not altered by protein kinase preincubation although phosphorylation is observed. The finding that phosphorylation by protein kinase may regulate RNA polymerase activity, and that these enzymes are al tered by chronic morphine treatment suggests a functional relationship between them in the development of morphine tolerance-dependence.
Gastric myoelectrical and neurohormonal changes associated with nausea during tilt‐induced syncope

Background Nausea is a common prodromal symptom of neurally mediated syncope, but the biological factors linking nausea with syncope have not been studied. We aimed to characterize nausea during tilt-induced syncope by exploring related changes in gastric myoelectrical activity and plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, and vasopressin concentrations across study phases of recumbency, tilt, syncope, and recovery. Methods Electrogastrographic and plasma hormone changes were compared between patients with tilt-induced syncope and nausea (n = 18) and control subjects (n = 6) without symptoms or hemodynamic changes during tilt-table testing. Key Results Over a 4-minute period preceding syncope, sequential electrogastrography epochs demonstrated an increase over time in bradygastria (P = .003) and tachygastria (P = .014) power ratios, while the dominant frequency (P .05), also differed with syncope between cases and controls. Conclusions and Inferences The nausea related to tilt-induced syncope is temporally associated with changes in gastric myoelectrical activity and increases in plasma vasopressin and epinephrine. The biological mechanisms that induce syncope are physiologically distinct from other experimental models of nausea such as illusory self-motion, yet nausea with syncope appears to have similarly associated electrogastrographic and hormone changes. Thus, tilt-induced syncope could serve as an informative experimental model for nausea research.
Photonic crystals: Crystal growth processing and physical properties

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses crystal-growth fundamentals and the dependence of the crystal-growth process on the physical and chemical state of the solid–liquid interface. Convection is a key transport mechanism that affects the shape of the crystal–melt interface, the concentration distribution, and macro–micro defects. However, this chapter focuses on only basic differential equations and the simplest concepts—such as a few important nondimensional numbers (Re, Gr, Pr, Sc, Ra, and Ma). Crystal growth by the Czochralski, modified Bridgman–Stockbarger, top-seeded solution, and low-temperature solution growth methods are summarized and adequate details are given for fabricating the systems designed and used in laboratory for the growth of high-quality crystals. To further assist in designing and fabricating good equipment for growing crystals by melt processes, information on heating methods, temperature control techniques, and the selection of suitable crucible materials is provided.
A transcription factor network represses CFTR gene expression in airway epithelial cells

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator ( CFTR ) gene cause the inherited disorder cystic fibrosis (CF). Lung disease is the major cause of CF morbidity, though CFTR expression levels are substantially lower in the airway epithelium than in pancreatic duct and intestinal epithelia, which also show compromised function in CF. Recently developed small molecule therapeutics for CF are highly successful for one specific CFTR mutation and may have a positive impact on others. However, the low abundance of CFTR transcripts in the airway limits the opportunity for drugs to correct the defective substrate. Elucidation of the transcriptional mechanisms for the CFTR locus has largely focused on intragenic and intergenic tissue-specific enhancers and their activating trans-factors. Here we investigate whether the low CFTR levels in the airway epithelium result from the recruitment of repressive proteins directly to the locus. Using an siRNA screen to deplete ~1500 transcription factors (TFs) and associated regulatory proteins in Calu-3 lung epithelial cells we identified nearly 40 factors that upon depletion elevated CFTR mRNA levels more than two-fold. A subset of these TFs was validated in primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Among the strongest repressors of airway expression of CFTR were Kruppel like factor 5 (KLF5) and Ets homologous factor (EHF), both of which have pivotal roles in the airway epithelium. Depletion of these factors, which are both recruited to an airway-selective cis -regulatory element at -35kb from the CFTR promoter, improved CFTR production and function, thus defining novel therapeutic targets for enhancement of CFTR
ATP-Linked Chimeric Nucleotide as a Specific Luminescence Reporter of Deoxyuridine Triphosphatase

Nucleotide surveillance enzymes play important roles in human health, by monitoring damaged monomers in the nucleotide pool and deactivating them before they are incorporated into chromosomal DNA or disrupt nucleotide metabolism. In particular, deamination of cytosine, leading to uracil in DNA and in the nucleotide pool, can be deleterious, causing DNA damage. The enzyme deoxyuridine triphosphatase (dUTPase) is currently under study as a therapeutic and prognostic target for cancer. Measuring the activity of this enzyme is important both in basic research and in clinical applications involving this pathway, but current methods are nonselective, detecting pyrophosphate, which is produced by many enzymes. Here we describe the design and synthesis of a dUTPase enzyme-specific chimeric dinucleotide (DUAL) that replaces the pyrophosphate leaving group of the native substrate with ATP, enabling sensitive detection via luciferase luminescence signaling. The DUAL probe functions sensitively and selectively to qua...
Joining the Crowd: Integrating Plant Virus Proteins into the Larger World of Pathogen Effectors

The first bacterial and viral avirulence ( avr) genes were cloned in 1984. Although virus and bacterial avr genes were physically isolated in the same year, the questions associated with their characterization after discovery were very different, and these differences had a profound influence on the narrative of host-pathogen interactions for the past 30 years. Bacterial avr proteins were subsequently shown to suppress host defenses, leading to their reclassification as effectors, whereas research on viral avr proteins centered on their role in the viral infection cycle rather than their effect on host defenses. Recent studies that focus on the multifunctional nature of plant virus proteins have shown that some virus proteins are capable of suppression of the same host defenses as bacterial effectors. This is exemplified by the P6 protein of Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), a multifunctional plant virus protein that facilitates several steps in the infection, including modulation of host defenses. This review highlights the modular structure and multifunctional nature of CaMV P6 and illustrates its similarities to other, well-established pathogen effectors.
Incorporating a Nonradioactive Label into a DNA Probe by Nick Translation

After a gene or nucleic acid probe has been prepared, the probe has to be labeled or tagged to facilitate its direct or indirect detection once it has found and hybridized with its homologous or target DNA. A gene probe can be labeled by the widely used enzymatic technique known as nick translation, which efficiently incorporates radioactively or nonradioactively labeled deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) into the double-stranded DNA probe. The nick translation reaction involves the simultaneous action of two enzymes, namely pancreatic deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I] and E. coli DNA polymerase I (DNA pol I). DNase I acts by creating free 3’ hydroxyl and 5’ phosphate ends called nicks along each strand of the unlabeled probe DNA. Now DNA pol I, which has a 5’-3’ exonuclease activity, catalyzes reactions at the site of the nicks by progressively removing nucleotides from the double-stranded probe starting at the free 5’-end. Then the same DNA pol I, because of its other 5’-3’ polymerase activity, successfully incorporates a new labeled nucleotide at the position where the preexisting nucleotide was cleaved. Thus, the initial nick is sequentially translated along the DNA backbone and the net effect produces a uniformly labeled probe DNA. In this experiment, molecules of a nonradioactive biotinylated nucleotide (biotin-7-dATP) are incorporated into the purified preparation of the nif structural gene probe DNA. A commercially available nick translation kit is used.
Diversity in neuroscience. We know the problem. Are we really still debating the solutions

The lack of racial and ethnic diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematic or STEM fields requires immediate attention if the United States is to continue to compete in the global marketplace of ideas. Here, the argument is made for immediate action in four specific directions. First, we need to continue to recruit and incentivize the mentoring of a diverse pool of junior faculty. Second, we need to introduce Under-Represented Minority (URM) students to “science in practice” through our research labs as early as possible. Third, we need to provide the resources to allow URM students to succeed in STEM fields. Fourth and finally, we need to encourage students of all backgrounds to “reach back” and involve themselves in K-12 science education.
The structure and regulation of family practice residency laboratories.

BACKGROUND Increasing regulation of physician office laboratories (POLs), increased complexity of outpatient care, and technological advances have increased the need to train family practice residents in POL management. There is little information on how residency laboratories are organized, how they are regulated, and how often quality controls and proficiency testing are done. METHODS A questionnaire was sent to 385 ACGME-approved family practice residencies to determine the scope of testing, quality-assurance activities, and administrative structure of the residency laboratory. RESULTS Two hundred and ninety-seven programs responded, for a response rate of 77%; 91.6% were performing routine office tests and 40.7% were performing automated testing. Of programs that performed automated tests, 71.2% were performing daily normal and abnormal quality-control specimens. Proficiency testing was only performed by 57.8% of programs. The program's parent hospital viewed the residency laboratory as a POL in 55.6% of cases and as a satellite of the hospital laboratory in 32.6%. CONCLUSIONS Residency laboratories are more frequently organized as POLs than satellite laboratories of the parent hospitals. The POL model offers an excellent opportunity to teach residents about office laboratory management. Residency laboratories should be implementing proficiency testing for both patient safety and resident teaching. Many residency laboratories will need to increase the frequency of quality controls as the new CLIA '88 regulations are implemented. Accreditation by a private organization may be an attractive option for family practice office laboratories.
NEUROLOGIC DISEASES OF MAN WITH SLOW VIRUS ETIOLOGY

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on neurologic diseases of man with slow virus etiology. To date, two subacute degenerative diseases of the central nervous system of man, kuru and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (C-J), a presenile dementia of worldwide distribution with a basically similar lesion at the cellular level, have been shown to be caused by a very similar, very unconventional virus. Kuru is clinically characterized by cerebellar ataxia and a shivering-like tremor, which progresses to complete motor incapacity and death in about one year from onset. It has had a yearly incidence rate and prevalence ratio of about 1% of the population. During the early years of investigation, the disease was observed to affect all ages beyond infancy, being common in children of both sexes and in adult females, but rare in adult males. The Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, one of the types of presenile dementias of man, has been successfully transmitted independently from 14 human cases to 18 chimpanzees. Incubation periods have ranged from 11 to 16 months, which is considerably shorter than those observed on primary transmission of kuru to chimpanzees.
Perspectives from a Residency Training Program Following the Implementation of a Wellness Initiative.

Background and Objectives Programs that address overall wellbeing early in residency are necessary to prevent physician burnout and promote physician mental health to improve patient outcomes and ensure long and productive careers. A wellness initiative was implemented at our institution 3 years ago. We present feedback from participating residents across all levels of training. Methods A 17-question survey was administered to resident physicians in the department of neurosurgery at our institution. In addition to the resident survey results, we obtained personal perspective pieces from attendings and residents across all levels of training. Results A total of 8 resident physicians completed a 17-question survey. 100% of participants felt that health and wellness initiatives are “very important” for resident physicians, that the initiative has been “largely positive” for the department overall, and that is has positively impacted their personal life in addition to their professional life. The majority (75%) of respondents indicated that participation has not affected patient care responsibilities “at all.” Conclusions Participating resident perceptions of the wellness program are highly favorable. The survey results, combined with the perspectives across training levels, provide insight for other programs wishing to implement program of their own.
Deconstructing 'Decentralization': Exploring the Core Claim of Crypto Systems

In stating that ether is not a security, the SEC has suggested that the 'decentralization' of a blockchain system may have legal consequences. This paper examines the common ways 'decentralization' is used in blockchain discourse, arguing that it is generally used to suggest that the systems are resilient and lack concentrated power centers. The paper critically examines the claims of 'decentralization,' providing examples of actions by core developers and miners within crypto systems that undermine claims of decentralization. Finally, the paper's core contribution is to examine the consequences of uncritically applying the term 'decentralized' to blockchain systems and making legal judgments based on it. The paper argues that in suggesting that blockchain systems lack sites of centralized power, the term "decentralized" in effect functions as a liability shield for those operating the systems (developers and miners), creating what I call a "Veil of Decentralization" and giving a core benefit of organizational law to participants in these systems without accompanying obligations. Further, misunderstanding the power dynamics within blockchain systems can lead to faulty risk assessments, in that we may view the tokens of these systems as less malleable than they actually are. This errant risk assessment affects direct uses of the tokens as well as any financial products that use them as infrastructure, and may affect our understanding of them as commodities or money.
An enhanced eBook facilitates parent–child talk during shared reading by families of low socioeconomic status

Abstract Language input plays a key role in children’s language development, but children from families of low socioeconomic status often get much less input compared to more advantaged peers. In “dialogic reading” ( Whitehurst et al., 1988 ), parents are trained to ask children open-ended questions while reading, which effectively builds expressive vocabulary in at-risk children. In the research reported here, a dialogic questioning character in a narrated eBook provided effortless support for parents to ask questions while reading. Parents of lower socioeconomic status talked more than three times as much with their children using significantly more utterances and unique words when using the eBook with questioner, compared to parents using the unmodified eBook. Children also talked much more, with more varied language, in this condition. By the end of the session, parents took over asking their own unprompted questions and engaged in more conversational turns with their children. This intervention has promise to increase parent–child conversation to help bridge the word gap.
Ketorolac usage in tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty patients.

Objective Postoperative pain for tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) can be severe. Ketorolac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that can be administered for analgesia in these patients. In the literature, ketorolac has been associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy. Many other surgical fields have successfully utilized this medicine for postoperative pain control without increased incidence of hemorrhage. The goal of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of ketorolac after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy or UPPP in adults on postoperative hemorrhage rates. Methods Adult patients older than 18 years of age who underwent tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy and UPPP between 2013 and 2018 were assessed to determine hemorrhage rates. Hemorrhage rates were assessed based on patients presenting to the emergency department with complaint of hemorrhage. Results There was no significant difference between groups in the postoperative hemorrhage rates (P = .331) or the method of hemorrhage control. Conclusion Ketorolac did not increase postoperative hemorrhage rates in patients posttonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy or UPPP. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 130:876-879, 2020.
Weathering the Twitter Storm

After a disaster, news reports and online platforms often document the swift response of public libraries supporting their communities. Despite current scholarship focused on social media in disasters, early uses of social media as an extension of library services require further scrutiny. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognized Hurricane Sandy as one of the earliest U.S. disasters in which first responders used social media. This study specifically examines early uses of Twitter by selected public libraries as an information tool during Sandy’s aftermath. Results can inform uses of social media in library response to future disasters.
Legal Status and Challenges to Homosexuality

This chapter first provides a brief historical overview of the perception of and consequences of same-sex sexual behavior while also discussing recent legal gains in marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples. This chapter explicates additional legal challenges faced by the LGBT community including discrimination within the realms of employment, housing, education, public accommodations, military service, refugee protections, and hate crimes. Chapter two discusses the fact that although no federal laws currently prohibit discrimination against those persons identifying as LGBT, some progress has occurred as individual states have adopted laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Motivators of attendance at eco-friendly events

This study identifies the factors that attract U.S. residents to eco-friendly events. To achieve our research objective, we obtained data (N = 1,115) from a cross-national, web-based survey distrib...
Autonomous image segmentation and identification of anatomical landmarks from lumbar spine intraoperative computed tomography scans using machine learning: A validation study.

Purpose: Machine-learning algorithms are a subset of artificial intelligence that have proven to enhance analytics in medicine across various platforms. Spine surgery has the potential to benefit from improved hardware placement utilizing algorithms that autonomously and accurately measure pedicle and vertebral body anatomy. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of an autonomous convolutional neural network (CNN) in measuring vertebral body anatomy utilizing clinical lumbar computed tomography (CT) scans and automatically segment vertebral body anatomy. Methods: The CNN was trained utilizing 8000 manually segmented CT slices from 15 cadaveric specimens and 30 adult diagnostic scans. Validation was performed with twenty randomly selected patient datasets. Anatomic landmarks that were segmented included the pedicle, vertebral body, spinous process, transverse process, facet joint, and lamina. Morphometric measurement of the vertebral body was compared between manual measurements and automatic measurements. Results: Automatic segmentation was found to have a mean accuracy ranging from 96.38% to 98.96%. Coaxial distance from the lamina to the anterior cortex was 99.10% with pedicle angulation error of 3.47%. Conclusion: The CNN algorithm tested in this study provides an accurate means to automatically identify the vertebral body anatomy and provide measurements for implants and placement trajectories.
Implications of mRNA translation dysregulation for neurological disorders

The translation of information encoded in the DNA into functional proteins is one of the tenets of cellular biology. Cell survival and function depend on the tightly controlled processes of transcription and translation. Growing evidence suggests that dysregulation in mRNA translation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several neurodevelopmental diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS) as well as neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this review, we provide an overview of mRNA translation and its modes of regulation that have been implicated in neurological disease.
Health Differences Between Religious and Secular Subgroups in the United States: Evidence from the General Social Survey

Religious nonaffiliates who have high certainty in the existence of God or a higher power (theistic nones) have grown rapidly in size in the U.S. in the last 30 years, and are now the fourth largest American religious or secular category. This subgroup has been overlooked in prior research on religion, secularism, and health. We build on recent work on religion and health by distinguishing between atheists, agnostics, and nonaffliliated theists when examining the link between religious or secular identification and self-rated health. Specifically, we advance research on the heterogeneity of secular individuals and health by splitting nonaffiliated theists into two subgroups: those who report certainty in their beliefs about God or some higher power (i.e., theistic nones), and those who are less certain about their beliefs in God (i.e., doubting nones). We analyze 13 waves (1988–2018) of pooled data (N = 15,349) from the General Social Survey (GSS), a large, recurring, and nationally-representative sample of U.S. adults conducted on a periodic basis. Using the GSS, we assessed self-rated health across religious and secular categories in a well-controlled model. When compared with conservative Protestants, theistic nones and atheists had significantly higher levels of self-rated health, whereas agnostics and low-certainty nonaffiliated theists (doubting nones) did not report significantly higher levels of self-rated health. This study adds to previous research by differentiating between theistic and doubting nones among nonaffiliated theists in relation to overall health differences. The results suggest that the level of certainty in beliefs about God or a higher power are an important factor among religious nones for predicting health outcomes. These findings highlight the necessity of analyzing heterogenous subgroups within secular populations in studies of health and well-being.
The effect of area deprivation on COVID-19 risk in Louisiana.

Background Louisiana in the summer of 2020 had the highest per capita case count for COVID-19 in the United States and COVID-19 deaths disproportionately affects the African American population. Neighborhood deprivation has been observed to be associated with poorer health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and COVID-19 in Louisiana. Methods The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was calculated and used to classify neighborhood deprivation at the census tract level. A total of 17 US census variables were used to calculate the ADI for each of the 1148 census tracts in Louisiana. The data were extracted from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2018. The neighborhoods were categorized into quintiles as well as low and high deprivation. The publicly available COVID-19 cumulative case counts by census tract were obtained from the Louisiana Department of Health website on July 31, 2020. Descriptive and Poisson regression analyses were performed. Results Neighborhoods in Louisiana were substantially different with respect to deprivation. The ADI ranged from 136.00 for the most deprived neighborhood and –33.87 in the least deprived neighborhood. We observed that individuals residing in the most deprived neighborhoods had almost a 40% higher risk of COVID-19 compared to those residing in the least deprived neighborhoods. Conclusion While the majority of previous studies were focused on very limited socio-environmental factors such as crowding and income, this study used a composite area-based deprivation index to examine the role of neighborhood environment on COVID-19. We observed a positive relationship between neighborhood deprivation and COVID-19 risk in Louisiana. The study findings can be utilized to promote public health preventions measures besides social distancing, wearing a mask while in public and frequent handwashing in vulnerable neighborhoods with greater deprivation.
Potential Macro-Economic Impact of the Expansion of Hydroelectric Sector in Central Asia

Energy-water nexus may mean several aspects of linkages and trade-offs between water and energy resources. In this chapter, we focus on their synergistic linkages in Central Asia. In particular, we examine the potential economic impact of the expansion of hydroelectric power generation in all the Central Asian Countries on their macroeconomic variables, using an extended version of the widely used global Computable General Equilibrium model, namely, GTAP. Our results suggest that the economic impact of a major expansion in the hydroelectric sector may be significant in Central Asia, and particularly enormous in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which are both rich in water resources and mountains. Given the lack of diversity of sectors in these economies, though, imports can increase a lot and exports can fall owing to excessive domestic demand spurred by this expansion. Specifically, in Tajikistan, such expansion has to factor in the need for developing domestic supply chains in terms of manufacturing and services, to complement the expansion in a stable way.
The Modest Impact of the Modern Confrontation Clause

The Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause grants criminal defendants the right “to be confronted with the witnesses against” them. A strict reading of this text would transform the criminal justice landscape by prohibiting the prosecution’s use of hearsay at trial. But until recently, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Clause was closer to the opposite. By tying the confrontation right to traditional hearsay exceptions, the Court’s longstanding precedents granted prosecutors broad freedom to use out-of-court statements to convict criminal defendants. The Supreme Court’s 2004 decision in Crawford v. Washington was supposed to change all that. By severing the link between the Sixth Amendment and the hearsay rules, Crawford “ushered in a revolution in the world of evidence and criminal prosecutions.” But the excitement did not last. Shifting majorities filled in the details of Crawford’s lofty rhetoric, muddying the distinction between the new jurisprudence and what had gone before. This Article takes stock of the “Crawford Revolution.” First, it explores changes in confrontation doctrine since 2004 and examines, as a theoretical matter, how those changes map onto the state and federal hearsay exceptions that Crawford purportedly rendered irrelevant to constitutional analysis. This interplay between the hearsay rules and the Confrontation Clause is critical. The constitutional right would seem to have little significance if all it does is bar evidence that is already forbidden by nonconstitutional hearsay rules. Second, the Article reports the results of a novel empirical survey designed to test the theory by carefully cataloguing the hearsay pathways that generated Confrontation Clause challenges in hundreds of federal and state cases. The findings reveal an underappreciated role of the modern confrontation right, and changes to that role after 2004.
Chandra X-Ray Imaging of the Interacting Starburst Galaxy System NGC 7714/5: Tidal ULXs, Emergent Wind, and Resolved HII Regions

We present Chandra X-ray images for the interacting galaxy pair NGC 7714/5. In addition to the unresolved starburst nucleus, a variable point source with L(X) ~ 10^40 erg/s was detected 1.5" (270 pc) northwest of the nucleus, coincident with a blue, extremely optically-luminous (M(V) ~ -14.1) point source on HST images. Eleven more candidate point-like ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are seen, two >= 10^40 erg/s. Ten of these are associated with interaction-induced features but only two with star formation. We found diffuse emission with L(X) ~ 3 X 10^40 erg/s extending 11" (1.9 kpc) to the north of the nucleus. Its spectrum can be fit with a 2-temperature Mekal function (0.6/8 keV) or a 0.6 keV Mekal function plus a power law. The hard component may be due to high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) with contributions from inverse Compton radiation, while the soft component is likely from a superwind. We also detected extended X-ray emission from four extra-nuclear HII region complexes. This emission may be due to HMXBs or to diffuse gas heated by winds from supernovae, if the X-ray production efficiency L(X)/L(mech) is high (~5%). To estimate L(X)/L(mech), we collected published data for well-studied HII regions and superbubbles in nearby galaxies. For young HII regions (<3.5 Myrs), the median L(X)/L(mech) ~ 0.02%, while for older regions, L(X)/L(mech) ~ 0.2-7%. Thus gas heating by supernovae may be sufficient to account for the HII region emission. In galaxies much more distant than NGC 7714, for example, the Cartwheel galaxy, HII region complexes similar to those in NGC 7714 will be unresolved by Chandra and will mimick ULXs.
An Optimal Uniform Concentration Inequality for Discrete Entropies on Finite Alphabets in the High-dimensional Setting

We prove an exponential decay concentration inequality to bound the tail probability of the difference between the log-likelihood of discrete random variables on a finite alphabet and the negative entropy. The concentration bound we derive holds uniformly over all parameter values. The new result improves the convergence rate in an earlier result of Zhao (2020), from $(K^2\log K)/n=o(1)$ to $ (\log K)^2/n=o(1)$, where $n$ is the sample size and $K$ is the size of the alphabet. We further prove that the rate $(\log K)^2/n=o(1)$ is optimal. The results are extended to misspecified log-likelihoods for grouped random variables. We give applications of the new result in information theory.
Redefining Intermediate-Stage HCC Treatment in the Era of Immune Therapies

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. At diagnosis, most patients are ineligible for curative surgery, and approximately 20% of patients are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease. A significant proportion of patients fall under an unresectable or intermediate-stage disease who have liver-limited disease but are not surgical candidates because of large tumor size, number of lesions, or technically inoperable disease. In this unique intermediate-stage patient population, locoregional therapies have been the de facto mainstay of treatment because of high local response rates and favorable safety profile, especially in the context of minimally effective systemic therapies. However, not all patients who receive locoregional therapy for incurable disease have improved survival, and importantly, some of these patients never receive systemic therapy because of disease progression or further decline in hepatic function. Meanwhile, with the remarkable progress that has been made with systemic therapy in the past few years, revisiting the treatment of intermediate-stage HCC seems prudent. In this review, we will highlight current and emerging strategies for treating patients with unresectable, liver-limited HCC.
PHLPP: PH Domain Leucine-Rich Repeat Protein Phosphatase

Publisher Summary The recently discovered PH domain Leucine-rich repeat Protein Phosphatase (PHLPP) family of phosphatases controls the amplitude of signaling by protein kinases B/Akt and C by specifically dephosphorylating and inactivating these kinases. This chapter focuses on the regulation of Akt and protein kinase C (PKC) by PHLPP. PHLPP isoforms are ubiquitously expressed, with the relative levels of each isozyme varying amongst tissues and cell lines. They are also distributed throughout the cell, with biochemical fractionation revealing the presence of both PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 in cytosolic, membrane, and nuclear fractions. PHLPP isoforms comprise a previously undescribed subclass of the PP2C family that plays a key role in cell signaling. These evolutionarily conserved phosphatases are unusual in that their regulatory subunits are on the same polypeptide as the phosphatase domain. Their dephosphorylation of the hydrophobic motif of Akt and PKC provides an effective mechanism to oppose the function of the upstream kinase PDK-1, setting the amplitude and the brakes for signaling by these two kinases. The next few years are likely to unveil an abundance of other cellular targets for PHLPP.
Methylation of α-type embryonic globin gene απrepresses transcription in primary erythroid cells

The inverse relationship between expression and methylation of beta-type globin genes is well established. However, little is known about the relationship between expression and methylation of avian alpha-type globin genes. The embryonic alpha(pi)-globin promoter was unmethylated, and alpha(pi)-globin RNA was easily detected in 5-day chicken erythroid cells. A progressive methylation of the CpG dinucleotides in the alpha(pi) promoter associated with loss of expression of alpha(pi)-globin gene was seen during development in primary erythroid cells. A 315-bp alpha(pi)-globin promoter region was cloned in an expression construct (alpha(pi)pGL3E) containing a luciferase reporter gene and SV40 enhancer. The alpha(pi)pGL3E construct was transfected into primary erythroid cells derived from 5-day-old chicken embryos. Methylation of alpha(pi)pGL3E plasmid and alpha(pi)-globin promoter alone resulted in a 20-fold and 7-fold inhibition of expression, respectively. The fully methylated but not the unmethylated 315-bp alpha(pi)-globin gene promoter fragment formed a methyl cytosine-binding protein complex (MeCPC). Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were combined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to assess histone acetylation associated with the alpha(pi)-globin gene promoter. Slight hyperacetylation of histone H3 but a marked hyperacetylation of histone H4 was seen in 5-day when compared with 14-day erythroid cells. These results demonstrate that methylation can silence transcription of an avian alpha-type embryonic globin gene in homologous primary erythroid cells, possibly by interacting with an MeCPC and histone deacetylase complex.
Мировой Опыт Налогообложения Добывающей Промышленности (World Experience of Taxation of Extractive Industries)

В работе рассматривается мировой опыт налогообложения добывающей промышленности, включая как основные принципы, так и практику налогообложения с выделением основных групп стран, различающихся по уровню экономического развития: стран с развитой рыночной экономикой, развивающихся стран и стран с переходной экономикой. Определяются основные тенденции в налогообложении добывающей промышленности, анализируются возможности применения мирового опыта в России, включая возможности введения специального налога на дополнительный доход и отмены экспортной пошлины. С учетом мирового опыта сформулированы предложения по совершенствованию российской системы налогообложения добывающей промышленности.The paper deals with the global experience of taxation of extractive industry, including both the basic principles and practice of taxation identifying the main groups of countries with differing levels of economic development: countries with developed market economies, developing countries and countries in transition economy. Identifies the key trends in the taxation of extractive industry, exploring the possibilities of application of international experience in Russia, including the possibility of imposing a special tax on additional income and cancellations export duties. Given the international experience makes proposals for improvement of the Russian system of taxation of extractive industry.
Characterization of differential cellular effects of the genotype-selective compound, UA62001, in DPC4 isogenic cell lines

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4692 Using the pharmacological synthetic lethal screening approach we have previously identified a new anticancer agent, UA62001 that selectively targets loss-of-function mutations in the DPC4/SMAD4 gene in pancreatic cancer cells (Wang et al, Proc. AACR, 45, 2004). To elucidate the possible mechanism of action of this lead compound, we investigated the cellular responses of a pair of isogenic cell lines (BxPC-3-vector and BxPC-3-DPC4) to UA62001 treatment. We first examined the effects on cell cycle distribution by treating both BxPC-3-vector and BxPC4-DPC4 cells with UA62001 at 3.2 μM and 15 μM in a time course up to 96 hours. At 15 μM treatment, both BxPC-3-vector and BxPC-3-DPC4 cells had a significant increase in S phase population at all time points (24, 48, 72 and 96 hours). UA62001 also arrested cells in G2/M phases at the later time points (72 and 96 hours). At the lower concentration (3.2 μM), UA62001 caused a significant increase in the S and G2/M cell populations in BxPC-3-vector cells compared to untreated control at 72 and 96 hours, while no significant cell cycle change was observed in the BxPC-3-DPC4 cells. To explore the molecular basis of the genotype selectivity of UA62001, we compared the global gene expression changes in the DPC4 isogenic cell lines upon UA62001 treatment (at 3.2 μM and 15 μM for 3 and 24 hours each concentration) using DNA microarray. Using data mining tools such as GeneGo and BioRag, we identified two functional complexes, the cyclin B/CDC2 complex and the mini-chromosome maintenance complex (MCM) as the most differential expressed gene groups between the isogenic cell lines in response to UA62001 treatment. The majority of genes encoding members of both complexes were down-regulated by UA62001 treatment in both isogenic cell lines, but at a much lesser degree in the BxPC-3-DPC4 cells. The differential down-regulation of these genes in the isogenic cell lines was further confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Together, our data suggest that the cyclin B/CDC2 and MCM complexes might be the downstream targets of UA62001 and their differential down-regulation in DPC4 isogenic cell lines may contribute to the different sensitivity of UA62001. (This work was supported in part by a P01 grant from NCI (CA109552), a grant from the National Foundation for Cancer Research and research funds provided by the Translational Genomics Research Institute).
OO-in-the-Large: Software Development with Subject-Oriented Programming

Subject-oriented programming (SOP) is an extension of OO programming that permits non-invasive extension, customization and integration of OO components. Support for SOP in C++ and Java was demonstrated.
What's so different about deep-submicron test?

Functional verification of products is attetmpting to prove the absence of logical defects in a design, while test is attempting to prove the absence of physical defects in the same design. Both have many common needs; both are critical to the design and development of our products. Validating the state of a device or product has become all but impossible, without direct access to the internal state of the device. Scan based diagnostic techniques are now being used at the board, system and software debug and development stages of product development cycles; these are the same requirements that device test has always had. The implication is to enable the use of on-chip test structures and features for more than just the manufacturing process. As these on-chip features become more prevalent, their standardization and proliferation will be the norm rather than the exception. As such, advancements in diagnostics and built-in self verifying (and testing) devices and products, can and will become the dominant strategy optimizing time to market of our products, ultimately allowing our customers to becomes more successful.
Silica Nanofiber Mats containing Vanadium Pentoxide for Gas Sensing

For the first time, silica nanofiber mats containing vanadium pentoxide crystals have been made via a sol-gel/electrospinning technique without using any polymer binder. XRD analysis after calcination of the fibers indicates the presence of vanadium pentoxide crystals. The average diameter of 20mol%V fibers after calcination at 800°C is 420nm. SEM and TEM images demonstrate crystal growth on the surface of the fibers after calcination at 800°C. XPS analysis also indicates the growth of V2O5 crystals at high enough temperatures. Physisorption of 20mol%V fibers after calcination at 800°C gave a BET surface area of 1.9 m2/g and an average pore diameter of 6 nm.
Closure of tracheoesophageal fistulas with primary chemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND In patients with tracheoesophageal fistula, radiation is thought to be contraindicated because cytoreduction enlarges the size of the fistula. The same caveat should also apply to cytoreduction with chemotherapy, but there are few data addressing this issue. METHODS The records of 16 patients with esophageal cancer who received chemotherapy in 1991 were evaluated in the Medical Oncology Section of the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Washington, DC. All patients were staged radiographically and endoscopically. Four of these 16 were seen initially with or developed tracheoesophageal fistulas during therapy. Two patients whose fistulas closed during chemotherapy are presented. RESULTS All four patients with tracheoesophageal fistulas had midesophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Objective complete responses with closure of tracheoesophageal fistulas occurred in two of four patients after three and four cycles of chemotherapy, respectively. One of these fistulas first developed, then healed during treatment, whereas the other presented at the time of diagnosis with fistula. CONCLUSION The findings indicated that patients with tracheoesophageal fistulas should not be excluded from chemotherapy solely on the basis of having this condition. The treatment of patients with tracheoesophageal fistulas with chemotherapy needs to be reexamined.
Increased mucin levels in submandibular glands of aged male mice after chronic isoproterenol treatment.

Abstract Mucin levels are reduced in submandibular glands of mice during ageing. Isoproterenol (IPR) was given to mice 27 and 29 months old to assess whether levels of mucin could be restored to levels similar to those in younger mice. When compared with controls, mucin levels per gland were significantly elevated (p