cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reolysin and Histone Deacetylase Inhibition in the Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are emerging as powerful anti-cancer agents and are currently being tested for their safety and efficacy in patients. Reovirus (Reolysin), a naturally occurring non-pathogenic, double-stranded RNA virus, has natural oncolytic activity and is being tested in phase I–III clinical trials in a variety of tumor types. With its recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) orphan drug designation for several tumor types, Reolysin is a potential therapeutic agent for various cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), which have a 5-year survival of ∼55%. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) comprise a structurally diverse class of compounds with targeted anti-cancer effects. The first FDA-approved HDACi, vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid [SAHA]), is currently being tested in patients with head and neck cancer. Recent findings indicate that HDAC inhibition in myeloma cells results in the upregulation of the Reolysin entry receptor, junctional adhesion molecule 1 (JAM-1), facilitating reovirus infection and tumor cell killing both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we tested the anti-tumor efficacy of HDAC inhibitors AR-42 or SAHA in conjunction with Reolysin in HNSCCs. While HDAC inhibition increased JAM-1 and reovirus entry, the impact of this combination therapy was tested on the development of anti-tumor immune responses.
Demographic and Operational Factors Predicting Study Completion in a Multisite Case-Control Study of Preschool Children

Participant attrition can limit inferences drawn from study results and inflate research costs. We examined factors associated with completion of the Study to Explore Early Development (2007-2011), a multiple-component, case-control study of risk factors for autism spectrum disorder in preschoolers, conducted in California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Participants (n = 3,769) were asked to complete phone interviews, questionnaires, an in-person evaluation, and biologic sampling. We examined whether participant demographic and administrative factors predicted completion using mixed-effects logistic regression models. Completion of individual key study components was generally 70% or higher. However, 58% of families completed all per-protocol data elements (defined a priori as key study components). Per-protocol completion differed according to mother's age, race, educational level, driving distance to clinic, number of contact attempts to enroll, and number of telephone numbers provided (all P < 0.05). Case status was not associated with completion, despite additional data collection for case-confirmation. Analysis of a subset that completed an early interview revealed no differences in completion by household factors of income, primary language spoken, number of adults, or number of children with chronic conditions. Differences in completion by race and education were notable and need to be carefully considered in developing future recruitment and completion strategies.
Nanoporous Atomically Thin Graphene Membranes for Desalting and Dialysis Applications

Dialysis is a ubiquitous separation process in biochemical processing and biological research. State-of-the-art dialysis membranes comprise a relatively thick polymer layer with tortuous pores, and suffer from low rates of diffusion leading to extremely long process times (often several days) and poor selectivity, especially in the 0-1000 Da molecular weight cut-off range. Here, the fabrication of large-area (cm2 ) nanoporous atomically thin membranes (NATMs) is reported, by transferring graphene synthesized using scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to polycarbonate track-etched supports. After sealing defects introduced during transfer/handling by interfacial polymerization, a facile oxygen-plasma etch is used to create size-selective pores (≤1 nm) in the CVD graphene. Size-selective separation and desalting of small model molecules (≈200-1355 Da) and proteins (≈14 000 Da) are demonstrated, with ≈1-2 orders of magnitude increase in permeance compared to state-of-the-art commercial membranes. Rapid diffusion and size-selectivity in NATMs offers transformative opportunities in purification of drugs, removal of residual reactants, biochemical analytics, medical diagnostics, therapeutics, and nano-bio separations.
The Impact of Community Violence Exposure on the Developmental Outcomes of Young Children of Color

The focus of this chapter is to discuss the ways in which community violence exposure (CVE) impacts the developmental outcomes for young children of color. The chapter provides information about (1) a conceptual framework for understanding the impact of violence on children’s developmental outcomes; (2) statistics, with a specific focus on community or neighborhood violence; (3) the impact of violence on children’s physical development including brain development that accompany their exposure to violence; (4) how exposure to community violence influences children’s academic performance, with specific attention given to learning in the classroom, and social development with an emphasis on peer relations; (5) formal and informal intervention/prevention programs; and (6) practical suggestions for educators of young children as well as a list of web resources and suggestions for additional readings.
Pilot contamination attacks in massive MIMO systems

We consider a single-cell massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system in which a base station (BS) with a large number of antennas simultaneously transmits to K single-antenna users in the presence of an attacker. Massive MIMO systems often operate in a time division duplexing (TDD) fashion. The BS estimates the channel state information (CSI) at receivers based on their uplink pilot transmissions. Downlink transmission rates are highly dependent on these estimates, as the BS utilizes the CSI to exploit the beamforming gain offered by massive MIMO. However, this CSI estimation phase is vulnerable to malicious attacks. Specifically, an attacker can contaminate the uplink pilot sequences by generating identical pilot signals to those of legitimate users. We formulate a denial of service (DoS) attack in which the attacker aims to minimize the sum-rate of downlink transmissions by contaminating the uplink pilots. We also consider another attack model where the attacker generates jamming signals in both the CSI estimation and data transmission phases by exploiting in-band full-duplex techniques. We study these attacks under two power allocation strategies for downlink transmissions. Our analysis is conducted when the attacker knows or does not know the locations of the BS and users. When the attacker does not have perfect location information, stochastic optimization techniques are utilized to assess the impact of the attack. The formulated problems are solved using interior-point, Lagrangian minimization, and game-theoretic methods. We obtain a closed-form solution for a special case of the problem. Our results indicate that even though the attacker does not have the perfect location information, proposed pilot contamination attacks degrade the throughput of a massive MIMO system by more than 50%, and reduce fairness among users significantly. In addition, we show that increasing the number of pilot symbols does not prevent the proposed attacks, if the BS uniformly allocates powers for downlink transmissions.
Answering Cross-Source Keyword Queries over Deep Web Data Sources

A popular trend in data dissemination involves online data sources that are hidden behind query forms, which are part of the deep web. Extracting information across multiple deep web sources in a domain is challenging, but increasingly crucial in many areas. Keyword search, a popular information discovery method, has been studied extensively on the surface web and relational databases. Keyword-based queries can provide a powerful yet intuitive means for accessing data from the deep web as well. However, this involves many challenges. For example, deep web data is hidden behind query interfaces, deep web data sources often contain redundant and/or incomplete data, and there is often inter-dependence among data sources. Thus, it is very hard to automatically execute cross-source queries.
Compartment Syndrome with Rhabdomyolysis in a Marathon Runner

A 38-year-old female seasoned marathon runner presented to the emergency department (ED) with increasing right lower extremity pain after running two mid-distance races in one weekend. The patient had previously run many two-day races and longer distances, but recently had gained weight and had not been training. This case report details her presenting symptoms, evaluation, review of the literature, and treatment with attention to the factors that led to the development of her pathologies.
Women, Work-Related Stress, and Smoking

Cigarette smoking, marketed to women first as glamorous and later as liberated (Davis, 1987), has become the single greatest threat to the health of women in Western industrialized countries. The prevalence of smoking among women and the health effects of this important risk behavior are reviewed in the first section of this chapter. Research that explores the relationships among work, stress, psychological distress, and women’s smoking, in keeping with the theme of this volume, is then discussed. A model integrating these factors will be presented, and data from the Women and Health Study, a work-site-based investigation of women and work, will be examined in light of this model. In the final section implications of the model for smoking cessation programs in industry will be discussed.
Parasites and Host Species Barriers in Animal Hybrid Zones

Species barriers are tested in hybrid zones when gene flow occurs between hybridizing species. Hybridization can erode species barriers, lead to the introgression of adaptive traits, or remain stable through time. Outcomes in hybrid zones are influenced by divergence between the hybridizing taxa, behavior, ecology, and geography. Parasites and pathogens play a major role in host fitness and appear to have varied impacts on species barriers in hybrid zones. We comprehensively reviewed the literature on parasitism in animal hybrid zones and present an evolutionary framework within which to consider parasite–hybrid interactions. Parasites most frequently show potential to contribute to species barrier breakdown in hybrid zones, but also frequently show potential to facilitate the maintenance of species barriers. Incorporating eco-immunology, parasite community theory, and spatiotemporal approaches will be important as genomic tools allow researchers to examine parasites and hybrid zones at greater resolution and in a diversity of natural habitats.
Long-Term Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment of Indirect Carotid Cavernous Fistulae: Superior Efficacy, Safety, and Durability of Transvenous Coiling Over Other Techniques

BACKGROUND Endovascular surgery is the first-line treatment for indirect cavernous carotid fistulae (CCFs). This study compares multiple treatment techniques. OBJECTIVE To compare endovascular techniques for indirect CCF treatment. METHODS Retrospective analysis was performed of prospectively maintained records at 4 centers, identifying patients undergoing indirect CCF embolization. Demographics, symptoms, and lesion characteristics were recorded. Medical records were reviewed for changes in symptoms, delayed complications, and angiographically proven recurrence. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify impacts of the above characteristics on outcomes. RESULTS Sufficient records were available for 267 patients treated between January 1987 and December 2016. Obliteration was achieved in 86.5% patients, occurring in 86.9% of exclusively transvenous treatments and 79.5% of other treatments. Obliteration rates were highest following transvenous embolization using coils compared to all other materials (likelihood ratio [LR] 5.0, P = .024). Complications were less common with coil embolization compared to other materials (LR 0.070, P < .001). Embolization with liquid embolics resulted in higher complication rates (LR 10.2, P = .002), although risk was reduced when used in conjunction with coils. Angiographically confirmed recurrence was more common following embolization with polyvinyl alcohol (LR 9.9, P = .004) and when multiple embolic agents were used (LR 6.6, P = .018). Delayed development of symptoms following embolization was less common following embolization with coils (LR 0.20, P = .030) and more common following embolization with liquids (LR 6.5, P = .014). CONCLUSION To treat indirect CCFs, transvenous coil embolization is the safest and most effective technique. Liquid embolics are less effective and have more complications and should be carefully considered only in extenuating circumstances.
Case 39-2018: An 18-Year-Old Man with Diplopia and Proptosis of the Left Eye.

A Man with Diplopia and Proptosis of the Left Eye An 18-year-old man presented with diplopia and proptosis of the left eye. Magnetic resonance imaging showed enlargement and increased enhancement o...
Glucose management for rewards: A randomized trial to improve glucose monitoring and associated self-management behaviors in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND This randomized, controlled trial evaluated a monetary-based reinforcement intervention for increasing self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) among youth with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. METHODS After a 2-week baseline, 60 participants were randomized to enhanced usual care (EUC) or Reinforcers. The Reinforcers group earned monetary rewards for SMBG and associated behaviors such as uploading glucose meters. Reinforcers were withdrawn at 24 weeks. A follow-up evaluation occurred at 36 weeks. RESULTS Participants in the reinforcers group increased the proportion of days they completed ≥4 SMBG from 14.6% at baseline to 64.4%, 47.5%, and 37.8% at 6, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively. In contrast, EUC participants declined from 22.7% at baseline to 17.5%, 10.5%, and 11.1% (Ps < .01 vs EUC at all time points). Group differences were attenuated but remained significant after withdrawal of reinforcers. Effect sizes for SMBG were very large during reinforcement and large after withdrawal of reinforcers. In the reinforcers group, mean A1c dropped from 9.5% ± 1.2% at baseline to 9.0% ± 1.3% at week 6 and 9.0% ± 1.4% at week 12. For EUC, A1c was 9.2% ± 0.2% at baseline and ranged from 9.2% ± 1.5% to 9.6% ± 1.6% throughout the study (P < .05 vs EUC). Group differences in A1c were no longer significant at weeks 24 and 36. Effect sizes for A1c were small during reinforcement and also after withdrawal of reinforcement. CONCLUSIONS Monetary-based reinforcement of adolescents with type 1 diabetes caused durable increases in SMBG. Modification of the reinforcement structure may be needed to sustain improved metabolic control in this challenging age group.
A doubly nonlinear evolution for the optimal Poincare inequality

We study the large time behavior of solutions of the PDE vertical bar v(t)vertical bar(p-2)v(t) = Delta(p)v. A special property of this equation is that the Rayleigh quotient integral(Omega) vertic ...
Enhanced sensitivity in graphene-based SPR biosensors using electrical bias

A theoretical framework to increase the sensitivity of graphene-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors by the application of electrical bias voltage across the sensor surface is presented. Graphene layers deposited on thin gold film (50 nm) form the sensor surface system where the surface plasmon is excited. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of this gold–graphene system can be controlled by tuning its chemical potential using electrical modulation. Numerical calculations show a promising method to enhance the sensitivity of graphene-based SPR biosensors.
Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Chronotherapy for Mood Disorders

Human circadian timing—most visibly, the sleep-wake cycle—is constantly calibrated to match changing environmental conditions, through a complex system that responds mainly to ambient light. For psychiatrists, the most familiar clinical manifestations of disordered circadian timing are sleep disorders, that is, impaired intrinsic circadian cycling or a persistent mismatch between an individual’s sleep timing and societal expectations, and this chapter discusses their psychopathology. However, the physiological significance of circadian functions extends far beyond sleep, to include mood, hormonal function, and metabolism. We will also discuss how techniques to directly influence circadian timing can be used by psychiatrists to treat mood disorders.
Calling Both Fyre Documentaries Unethical Misses the Point

Josephine Livingstone highlights the Hollywood ‘twin film phenomenon’ in her takedown of the Fyre Festival. That’s when an historical event or character gets two treatments released at about the sa...
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. - a conceptual framework to support learning in immersive environments

Interactivity with computer-generated models in an immersive environment can have a wide range of applications in education such as training, vocabulary development, collaboration, and assessment. This paper presents conceptual syntheses and thematic analyses on the educational theories, strategies of cognitive development, and innovative assessments that support immersive environments for learning. The topics involved in this synthesised concept paper include Situated Learning, Play, Embodied Interactive Learning, Connectivism and Social Learning, and Immersive Assessments for Learning. Through this paper, the authors summarise and propose a conceptual framework for educational research scientists and practitioners to explore the design and implementation of any instructional activities associated with cognition, embodiment, problem-solving, and social skills featuring immersive environments, the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. framework. An interdisciplinary educational framework can guide future research and practice on the factors which support learning outcomes in immersive environments.
Equity for women in medicine-neonatologists identify issues.

OBJECTIVE Inequity between genders with regards to leadership achievement, compensation, scholarly productivity, and grant funding exist among physicians. This study explores whether similar inequities exist among board certified neonatologists within the USA. STUDY DESIGN A voluntary anonymous survey was distributed to 3575 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine with 560 respondents (15.7% response rate). The survey contained questions assessing clinician characteristics, work environment, compensation, professional productivity, and social factors. Statistical analysis was done using JMP Pro 15.0.0 by SAS. RESULTS Female neonatologists, compared to male peers, were less likely to hold leadership positions (OR 0.36, p = 0.005), received lower compensation by an average of $34,916 or 12.47% (p < 0.001), and had 6.71 fewer primary authored publications (p = 0.025) after adjusting for several confounding factors. CONCLUSION Gender remains a significant independent factor influencing leadership attainment, compensation, and academic productivity in this cohort of neonatologists.
A Changing Religious Landscape and Community Social Bonds

In many areas of the world, the role of traditional social spaces for forming and maintaining social capital is weakening. We analyze the effects of changes in a common social space, religious institutions, on community social bonds. To accomplish this, we use a unique dyadic network sample from western Kenya, an area undergoing extensive religious shifts due to the rise of Charismatic Christianity. Utilizing an identification strategy that makes use of the fact that people in these areas are more likely to attend closer religious institutions (RIs) due to transportation constraints, we find that severing an RI link with a peer increases the likelihood of severing an information link with that peer by 45 percentage points. We do not find a positive effect from forming an RI link, suggesting that information links take longer to build than to sever. We find no evidence that an individual trusts a peer less after severing an RI link, which is consistent with a setting in which information links are severed through the lack of casual interaction in a shared social space rather than bias caused by different religions or denominations. The study has important implications for understanding the role of social spaces in maintaining relationship bonds. It provides evidence that the fragmentation of these spaces decreases the number of casual interactions among individuals in a community, decreasing average levels of relationship strength and causing sparser information networks.
Labor, Trade, and Populism: How ILO-WTO Collaboration Can Save the Global Economic Order

Populists are trying to take down the global economic order and its institutions. While some of those forces are fueled by racism, they are also motivated by legitimate social concerns that include massive plant closings and deindustrialization, inadequate skills programs, and lack of decent jobs. Some of these problems also concern the Global South, as workers there face exploitation, unhealthy working conditions, and other social ills caused by global capitalism. In light of these problems, this article argues that the International Labor Organization (ILO) should design new conventions on lead firm liability and mass layoffs. While other scholars and policymakers have already argued that lead firms should shoulder employer responsibilities of their suppliers, contractors, and franchisees, this is the first law review article that calls for an ILO convention that can diffuse such rules globally. The article also calls on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to advise the ILO on these labor-protective conventions. The WTO, as an expert trade body, can better ensure stakeholders that these new conventions will comply with international trade law and policy, including with WTO "public morals" exception rules and with rules on technical barriers on trade and tax and subsidies. In doing so, the WTO can guarantee that the new conventions, far from hurting trade, will help to enhance the global trade regime. Moreover, the WTO, through its "peer review" practice, where stakeholders can discuss how to create and implement new labor and trade policies, can help coordinate a much-needed global dialogue for a more inclusive globalization. This is also true of the ILO conventions that we advocate for here. We conclude by addressing likely arguments against our proposal, including from scholars and policymakers skeptical of the role that international law can have on the current political turmoil. After addressing those objections to our proposal, we maintain that collaboration between the ILO and the WTO, while certainly not the panacea for all the complex and daunting problems of our times, remains critical to restore legitimacy to the global economic order in a post-populist era.
Therapy Assistant Staffing and Patient Quality Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Therapy staffing declined in response to Medicare payment policy that removes incentives for intensive physical and occupational therapy in skilled nursing facilities, with therapy assistant staffi...
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator Implantation in an Ambulatory Surgery Center Versus Hospital.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Hypoglossal nerve stimulator (HGNS) implantation is highly effective in treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in select patient populations that are intolerant of continuous positive airway pressure. Implantation surgery is traditionally performed in hospital outpatient departments (HOPD) due to concern about anesthetic effects and airway manipulation in an OSA population. In this study, we examined complications and efficiency of HGNS implantation in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) versus HOPD. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Patients with HGNS implantation performed between May 2015-January 2021 at our HOPD or ACS were included. Patient-related characteristics, surgical times, and postoperative complications were obtained via chart review. Reimbursement data on a national level for Medicare patients were calculated based on publicly available data from the Center for Medicare Services. Patient characteristics, surgical times, and complications were summarized as medians with interquartile ranges (IQRs) and proportions in each surgical setting group as appropriate. These were compared between surgical setting groups via Wilcoxon rank-sum testing and χ2 testing. RESULTS A total of 122 patients were included. Patients in the HOPD group had significantly higher median apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (42.0 [IQR 27.9-51.0]) compared to the ASC group (31.0 [IQR 21.0-44.2], P = .005). The intervals between in-room and case start, case finish and out-of-room, and time in the postoperative area were significantly shorter in the ASC group compared to the HOPD group. Reimbursement on a national level was estimated at 18% lower for patients with surgery performed at the ASC. There was no significant difference in postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS HGNS implantation in an ASC is safe and more efficient than in a HOPD, and may also be more cost-effective. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.
Merit-Based Karma and Social Engineering in Germany and France

In Herman Hesse’s mystical novel, The Glass Bead Game, the perfection of the universe is embodied in the equilibrium of perfect music, as it was pursued in the aesthetic monastery of Castalia. Yet that equilibrium, as Hesse’s narrator explained in this chapter’s epigraph, depended on the righteous comportment of its musical pundits, who toiled to master the monastery’s occult glass bead game. The narrator’s appraisal thus implied a paramount behavioral component—righteousness—to achieve musical perfection. Moreover, the human being could coherently articulate musical meaning only through the perception of the meaning of the cosmos—the attainment of spiritual wholeness. As the second quote of the epigraph illustrates, this equilibrium and its musical articulation became manifest in cultural gestures. Hesse’s narrator linked human spirituality to the attainment of “perfect” music, which became tangible and verifiable through cultural discourse—gestures that come down to morality. The role of cultural discourse as a model for human behavior became inevitably entangled in the social and political spheres. A similar intersection of the sacred and secular spheres among cosmopolitan religious movements in different geopolitical locations provides a critical means to deepen our understanding of these groups, the idiosyncrasies of and the dissonance between their pledged values and actions.
Imaging Amyloid-β Deposits In Vivo

Alzheimer disease (AD) is an illness that can only be diagnosed with certainty with postmortem examination of brain tissue. Tissue samples from afflicted patients show neuronal loss, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and amyloid-beta plaques. An imaging technique that permitted in vivo detection of NFTs or amyloid-beta plaques would be extremely valuable. For example, chronic imaging of senile plaques would provide a readout of the efficacy of experimental therapeutics aimed at removing these neuropathologic lesions. This review discusses the available techniques for imaging amyloid-beta deposits in the intact brain, including magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, and multiphoton microscopy. A variety of agents that target amyloid-beta deposits specifically have been developed using one or several of these imaging modalities. The difficulty in developing these tools lies in the need for the agents to cross the blood-brain barrier while recognizing amyloid-beta with high sensitivity and specificity. This review describes the progress in developing reagents suitable for in vivo imaging of senile plaques.
Synthesis and Secretion of γ-Globulin by Lymph Node Cells II. THE INTRACELLULAR SEGREGATION OF AMINO ACID-LABELED AND CARBOHYDRATE-LABELED γ-GLOBULIN

Lymph node cell suspensions were employed to study the intracellular distribution of γ-globulins labeled either with isotopic amino acids or isotopic monosaccharides. While the bulk of the amino acid-labeled γ-globulin was confined to the microsomes, almost all of the carbohydrate-labeled γ-globulin was found in the cell sap.
Implications of heavy-ion-induced satellite X-ray emission II: Production of K and L X-rays by 0.9–2.6 MeV/u Argon Ions in Thick Targets of vanadium, copper, niobium, tantalum and platinum

Abstract Cross sections are reported for X-ray production in targets of 23V, 29Cu, 41Nb, 73Ta, and 78Pt by 40Ar ions of 36.0, 56.4, 76.6 and 103 MeV. Because the targets were relatively thick, ∼1 mg/cm2, the data were corrected - using a novel approach - for projectile energy loss and X-ray attenuation in the targets. The cross sections so analyzed are compared with the predictions of the first Born approximation as well as with those of a more extensive treatment which includes energy loss. Coulomb deflection, perturbed stationary-state, and relativistic effects. The significant discrepancies between the data and this latter theory are attributed primarily to the influence of multiple ionization on the X-ray emission probabilities.
Routines That Build Emergent Literacy Skills in Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Many children lack adequate exposure to environments that promote emergent literacy. This limits brain stimulation and can have a life-long negative impact on one's knowledge and skills. Salient points relate to the healthy development of literacy, including practical information and applications. Emphasis is placed on strategies for motivating infants, toddlers, and preschoolers as they slowly and steadily build the competences that serve as the groundwork for reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening.
The Court and Social Context in Civil Rights History (Review Essay of from Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality by Michael Klarman)

"From Jim Crow to Civil Rights" engages a theme that has been at the center of American constitutional theory since at least the 1930s: the role of judicial review in a democracy. Klarman situates himself between the heroic vision of the courts in works like Richard Kluger, "Simple Justice" and a negative view of courts in works like Gerald Rosenberg, "Hollow Hope." For Klarman, the courts are neither the hero of the story, generating needed social change, but neither are they the villain, deflecting the movement's energies from political struggles more likely to be successful. Along the way, Klarman strikes a blow at the countermajoritarian difficulty thesis, for Klarman imagines a Court without significant agency. The Court does not shape American society; instead the Court follows the flow of predominant cultural mores, reflecting changes that have their source elsewhere. This review essay focuses on a central theme in Klarman's book: his view of the relationship between law and social context. The essay examines two features of social context that Klarman sees as important: African American migration out of the South, and the impact of global developments - World War II and the Cold War - on the Court. Many African Americans migrated into segregated and soon-to-be-declining Northern cities. Because urban segregation was facilitated in part by law, the experience of migration helps to illuminate the way that social context is in part constructed by law, helping us to see that law does not simply reflect social context, but also shapes it. Klarman views war-related pressures as an important part of the social context affecting the Court; however, these issues drop out when he examines the impact of Court decisions. Because Brown and other landmark civil rights cases aided U.S. efforts to project a positive image of American democracy around the world during the Cold War, the cases had a broader impact, and arguably were more important in aiding democratization, than a purely domestic analysis of the cases would reveal.
Multi-granularity Parallel Computing in a Genome-Scale Molecular Evolution Application

Previously [1], we reported a coarse-grained parallel computational approach to identifying rare molecular evolutionary events often referred to as horizontal gene transfers. Very high degrees of parallelism (up to 65x speedup on 4,096 processors) were reported, yet the overall execution time for a realistic problem size was still on the order of 12 days. With the availability of large numbers of compute clusters, as well as genomic sequence from more than 2,000 species containing as many as 35,000 genes each, and trillions of sequence nucleotides in all, we demonstrated the computational feasibility of a method to examine "clusters" of genes using phylogenetic tree similarity as a distance metric. A full serial solution to this problem requires years of CPU time, yet only makes modest IPC and memory demands; thus, it is an ideal candidate for a grid computing approach involving low-cost compute nodes. This paper now describes a multiple granularity parallelism solution that includes exploitation of multi-core shared memory nodes to address fine-grained aspects in the tree-clustering phase of our previous deployment of XenoCluster 1.0. In addition to benchmarking results that show up to 80% speedup efficiency on 8 CPU cores, we report on the biological accuracy and relevance of our results compared to a reported set of known xenologs in yeast.
Raw Feeling: A Philosophical Account of the Essence of Consciousness

Raw Feeling:. Philosophical Account of the Essence of Consciousness. Robert Kirk. Oxford, NY: Clarendon Press, 1994- ix. 251 pp. 42.00 (cloth).
Intelligent navigation for an autonomous mobile robot

The authors present a navigational algorithm for solving the problem of collision-free path planning and real-time control of an autonomous mobile robot in an environment cluttered with moving obstacles. The proposed approach is based on geometric representation/multiobjective A* search and the path smoothing/steering control techniques. An attempt was made to introduce a geometric structure into a paradigm that lacked any previous structure, as well as a multiobject search technique. The proposed navigational system has the following three-level structure: identifier, goal selector, and adapter. The authors are currently implementing the algorithm on a Sun 4 artificial intelligence workstation. >
The effects of body mass on cremation weight.

: Cremains have become increasingly frequent in forensic contexts, while higher body mass in the general population has simultaneously made cremation a more cost-effective mortuary practice. This study analyzed the relationship between body mass and bone mass, as reflected through cremation weight. Antemortem data were recorded for samples used in the multi-regional data set. Each was rendered through commercial crematoriums and reweighed postincineration. Pearson’s correlation demonstrates clear association between body mass and cremation weight (r = 0.56; p < 0.0001). However, multiple linear regression revealed sex and age variables also have a significant relationship (t = 7.198; t = −2.5, respectively). Regressed in conjunction, body mass, sex, and age contribute approximately 67% of all variation observed in cremation weight (r = 0.668). Analysis of covariance indicates significant regional variation in body and cremation weight. Explanations include bone modification resulting from increased loading stress, as well as glucose intolerance and altered metabolic pathways related to obesity.
Modulation of late positive potentials by sexual images in problem users and controls inconsistent with “porn addiction”

Abstract “Excessive” viewing of visual sexual stimuli (VSS) is the most commonly reported hypersexual behavior problem and is especially amenable to laboratory study. A pattern of enhanced sexual cue responsiveness is expected in this sample if hypersexuality shares features of other addiction models. Participants (N = 122) who either reported or denied problematic VSS use were presented with emotional, including explicit sexual, images while their evoked response potentials were recorded. An interaction of hypersexual problem group and the level of desire for sex with a partner predicted LPP amplitude. Specifically, those reporting problems regulating their VSS use who also reported higher sexual desire had lower LPP in response to VSS. This pattern appears different from substance addiction models. These are the first functional physiological data of persons reporting VSS regulation problems.
Retrospective testing and case series study of porcine delta coronavirus in U.S. swine herds

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) was first reported in the United States (US) in February 2014. This was the second novel swine enteric coronavirus detected in the US since May 2013. In this study, we conducted retrospective testing of samples submitted to three veterinary diagnostic laboratories where qualifying biological samples were derived from previously submitted diagnostic case submissions from US commercial swine farms with a clinical history of enteric disease or from cases that had been previously tested for transmissible gastroenteritis virus, PEDV, or rotavirus. Overall, 2286 banked samples were tested from 27 States. Samples were collected in 3 separate years and in 17 different months. Test results revealed 4 positive samples, 3 collected in August 2013 and 1 collected in October 2013. In addition, a case series including 42 operations in 10 States was conducted through administration of a survey. Survey data collected included information on characteristics of swine operations that had experienced PDCoV clinical signs. Special emphasis was placed on obtaining descriptive estimates of biosecurity practices and disease status over time of each operation. Clinical signs of PDCoV were reported to be similar to those of PEDV. The average number of animals on each operation exhibiting clinical signs (morbidity) and the average number of case fatalities was greatest for suckling and weaned pigs. Average operation-level weaned pig morbidity was greatest in the first week of the outbreak while average operation-level suckling pig case fatality was greatest in the second week of the outbreak. The survey included questions regarding biosecurity practices for visitors and operation employees; trucks, equipment and drivers; and feed sources. These questions attempted to identify a likely pathway of introduction of PDCoV onto the operations surveyed.
On the role of feedback in large sensor networks

Feedback can considerably simplify the task of approaching and achieving the performance limits predicted by information theory. This paper determines some of the potential offered by feedback in a typical sensor network situation that could be termed monitoring: the task is to monitor an underlying physical reality at the highest possible fidelity. Since the sensed signals are often analog, and the communication channels noisy, it will not generally be possible to exactly communicate the sensed signals. Rather, such sensor network scenarios involve both a compression and a communication problem. It is well known that in general, these two tasks must be addressed jointly for optimal performance, but optimal performance is generally unknown. Instead, this paper focuses on the scaling behavior of performance, i.e., its dependence on the number of nodes in the network. For a Gaussian sensor network situation, where the goal of the data collector is to estimate the underlying sources to within mean-squared error distortion, we determine an explicit lower bound to the achievable distortion as a function of the number of sources, sensors, and base stations, as well as the sensor transmit power and the bandwidth of the communication channel. Our lower bound allows for feedback, and for arbitrary collaboration between the sensors. We then argue that a simple amplify-and-forward strategy achieves the optimum scaling law for a class of sensor networks, as long as the (spatio-temporal) source bandwidth is equal to the (spatio-temporal) channel bandwidth, leaving no scaling-law relevant role for feedback. When the channel bandwidth is larger than the source bandwidth, such a simple strategy is no longer sufficient to exploit the additional resources. In this paper, we analyze a simple feedback coding strategy for the sensors that permits to match the source bandwidth to the channel bandwidth whenever the latter is larger. We establish that this strategy exploits the additional channel bandwidth optimally in the scaling sense.
Assessment of the snow conditions in the major watersheds of Afghanistan using multispectral and passive microwave remote sensing

Since the winter season of 2004–2005, annual snow assessments have been conducted for the major watersheds of Afghanistan using multispectral (AVHRR and MODIS) and passive microwave (SSM/I and AMSR-E) remote sensing technologies. Because of limited ground-based observations of precipitation and snow pack conditions, remote sensing provides a unique opportunity to assess these conditions at different scales offering an appraisal of current conditions from a historical context. This paper describes the methodology that has been developed over the past seven winter seasons, wherein bi-weekly snow products and assessments are produced including the following: current snow-covered area (SCA) at regional and watershed scales; estimation of SCA by elevation band; current snowpack volume [snow water equivalent (SWE)] for each watershed with a historical perspective (1987–present); snow condition outlook by watershed; general summary of snow conditions based on remote sensing products and limited ground-based observations; and if warranted, a snow melt flooding advisory. Further analysis of these snow products and assessments are presented. Moreover, comparisons between both available passive microwave estimates of SWE (SSM/I and AMSR-E) for all watersheds differ in magnitude yet exhibit similar historical trends. The SSM/I versus AMSR-E historical differences in SWE for each of the major Afghanistan watersheds are quantified and show a strong relationship (R2 = 96%) to the mean elevation of the watershed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Magnesium sulfate for severe acute asthma in children

Magnesium is an abundant intracellular cation that has been used for years in the treatment of hyper-tension and seizures associated with eclampsia of pregnancy as well as used as a tocolytic agent.(1) Over sixty years ago, Haury showed that magnesium sulfate (MgSO(4)) could produce bronchodilation in asthmatics.(2) However, interest in magnesium sulfate as a potential therapy for acute asthma surfaced in the late 1980s following a series of studies demonstrating that magnesium produced dose-dependent bronchodilation. The precise mechanism by which magnesium produces smooth muscle relaxation is not known, but it is thought to act by enhancing calcium uptake in the sarcoplasmic reticulum(3) and/or as a calcium antagonist.(4) In addition, magnesium is a cofactor regulating a number of enzymatic and cellular activities in the body, including adenyl cyclase and sodium-potassium ATP-ase, potentially enhancing the effects of β2-agonists.(5) Other potential beneficial mechanisms in asthma include inhibition of acetylcholine release from cholinergic nerves(6) and reduction of histamine release from mast cells.(7)It is not clear whether magnesium acts as a functional antagonist to bronchoconstriction like the β2-agonists and theophylline or a specific antagonist like anticholinergics and antihistamines. Studies showing attenuation of the bronchoconstriction from histamine and methacholine would suggest functional antagonism.(8,9) Some suggest that the response to intravenous magnesium sulfate is dependent upon achieving serum magnesium concentrations of 4-6 mg/dL (1.6-2.4 mmol/L).(10) These values are similar to those that are employed to achieve tocolysis (4-8 mg/dL) and about one half those associated with severe toxicity of respiratory failure, cardiac arrhythmias and death (12-15 mg/ dL).(1) It should be pointed out that studies have not reported lower magnesium concentrations in asthmatics than controls although one study reported correlation with bronchial hyperresponsiveness and intracellular magnesium concentrations in asthmatics. (11-13) Thus, it is unlikely that the bronchodilator response to magnesium is a result of restoring normal homeostasis but most likely a function of its direct antagonistic effects on intracellular calcium activity.
Obscuration measurements of tree canopy structure using a 3D imaging ladar system

Recently-developed airborne imaging laser radar systems are capable of rapidly collecting accurate and precise spatial information for topographic characterization as well as surface imaging. However, the performance of airborne ladar (laser detection and ranging) collection systems often depends upon the density and distribution of tree canopy over the area of interest, which obscures the ground and objects close to the ground such as buildings or vehicles. Traditionally, estimates of canopy obscuration are made using ground-based methods, which are time-consuming, valid only for a small area and specific collection geometries when collecting data from an airborne platform. Since ladar systems are capable of collecting a spatially and temporally dense set of returns in 3D space, the return reflections can be used to differentiate and monitor the density of ground and tree canopy returns in order to measure, in near real-time, sensor performance for any arbitrary collection geometry or foliage density without relying on ground based measurements. Additionally, an agile airborne ladar collection system could utilize prior estimates of the degree and spatial distribution of the tree canopy for a given area in order to determine optimal geometries for future collections. In this paper, we report on methods to rapidly quantify the magnitude and distribution of the spatial structure of obscuring canopy for a series of airborne high-resolution imaging ladar collections in a mature, mixed deciduous forest.
Chemical speciation of mercury in natural waters

Abstract Improved sensitivity of the cold-vapour atomic absorption method for mercury can be obtained by equilibrating the reduced sample with a small volume of air at 90°C. An automated system has been developed that has a detection limit of 1 ng Hg l-1. By changing the reducing conditions three species of mercury can be differentiated and determined, inorganic mercury, arylmercury compounds such as phenylmercury(II) chloride, and alkylmercury compounds such as methylmercury(II) chloride. Speciation of mercury in natural waters is possible.