cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dictionary learning for sparse representation based on nuclear norm minimization

This article gives a new procedure for designing dictionaries in order to represent signals sparsely. From the given set of training signals, the procedure learns to find a sparse representation of the signals by nuclear norm minimization. This method is closely related to the problem of low-rank matrix completion.
Wideband archimedean spiral antenna for millimeter-wave imaging array

This paper discusses the design of a wide-bandwidth, wide-beamwidth, cavity-backed Archimedean spiral antenna for use in 10–40 GHz holographic radar imaging arrays. Simulated and measured performance characteristics are presented along with millimeter-wave radar images obtained with the antenna arrays for security screening applications.
Real-time tools and modeling for electro-mechanical impedance structural health monitoring (Conference Presentation)

Advances in non-destructive testing and evaluation has given rise to the use of embedded structural health monitoring (SHM) for space structures. Space venturing companies and governments are looking to utilize the SHM technology to improve their missions and capabilities of future space vehicles. The need for modeling and analyzing data for SHM purposes increases with the increased interest in the field. With many different entities pursuing many different avenues to perform SHM it is important to create tools that can guide practical SHM applications. Piezoelectric transducers have seen much use in the field due to their ability to perform as sensors and actuators. The transducers can be used as active components to determine damage to a structure using electro-mechanical impedance methods. The research presented insights into creating tools for real-time electro-mechanical impedance SHM. The electro-mechanical impedance tool investigates the use of a circuit simulation to model the electro-mechanical response of a piezoelectric and a structure. Various elements of the circuit modeling are discussed and practical applications to modeling both sensor and structure are given.
Ultrasonic Differentiation Of Renal Pelvic Filling Defects

We herein describe 9 patients with non-opaque calculi and 3 patients with soft tissue filling defects in the renal pelvis studied by ultrasound. The calculi varied in size from 1.5 cm. to staghorn calculi. All stones were imaged satisfactorily by ultrasound, allowing the diagnosis of stone to be made with confidence. Ultrasonic differentiation of renal pelvic filling defects proved to be a simple, reliable, non-invasive method to differentiate these clinically perplexing lesions.
Practicing invention and style: Writing a persuasive résumé profile summary (like a Wikipedia entry)

Courses: Business and Professional Communication, PersuasionObjectives: Students demonstrate application of rhetorical invention and improved persuasive writing style through a brief, multi-draft writing activity.
The Experience of Being Aware of Disease Status in Women with Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Phenomenological Study.

Abstract Background: Awareness of disease status has been identified as a factor in the treatment decision-making process. Women with recurrent ovarian cancer are facing the challenge of making tre...
Starting Renal Replacement Therapy: Is It About Time?

Background: Studies of the timing of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have primarily defined “early” versus “late” initiation of dialysis using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)-based criteria. Our objective was to determine the theoretical time that could be spent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 prior to reaching a conservative eGFR threshold of 5 mL/min/1.73 m2 compared to the actual time spent in CKD stage 5 by risk factors of interest. Methods: Eight-hundred and seventy Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort participants with CKD stage 5 who started renal replacement therapy (RRT) were included for retrospective study. We used mixed models to estimate the person-specific trajectory of renal function. We then used these individual trajectories to estimate the amount of time that would be spent in CKD stage 5 (between eGFR of 15 and 5 mL/min/1.73 m2) and compared this estimate to the actual time spent in CKD stage 5 prior to ESRD (between eGFR of 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 and ESRD). Results: We found the median observed time between eGFR of 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 to RRT was 9.6 months, but the median predicted time between eGFR of 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 to eGFR of 5 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 17.7 months. Some of the largest differences between the predicted and actual amount of time spent in CKD stage 5 were noted among those with systolic blood pressure <140 mm Hg (9.7 months longer predicted compared to actual), proteinuria <1 g/g (9.1 months), and serum albumin ≥3.5 g/dL (9.0 months). Conclusion: We found marked differences between the actual and predicted time spent in CKD stage 5 based on risk factors of interest. We believe that placing timing of dialysis initiation in the perspective of time is novel and may identify subgroups of patients who may derive particular benefit from a more concerted effort to delay RRT.
Corruption, Accountability, and Discretion Edited by Nancy S. Lind and Cara E. Rabe-Hemp

Lind, N. S., & Rabe-Hemp, C. E. (Eds). (2017). Corruption, accountability, and discretion. United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing Limited. $95.00 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1787435568.
Cultural models of democracy among Burmese residents in the United States

This study examines implicit assumptions about democracy among Burmese residents interviewed in the Midwestern United States. A major focus of the research is the durability of foundational cultural models—basic, simple, widely-shared modes of thought that may or may not change over time—measured in this study through length-of-residency. As such, I examined three distinct sample groups: temporary residents, immigrants, and adult offspring of immigrants. This research comprised methods of ethnography, semi-structured interviews, as well as a free-listing memory task. A key point of inquiry is intracultural variation occurring between sample groups. Particular attention was paid to heterogeneous discourses from opinion communities, and the inner conflict that such discourses can generate within the mind. The findings indicate that cultural models may change over the course of the diasporic experience, with opinion communities playing a key role in conceptualizations of democracy.
ARPAP: A Novel Antenna-Radiation-Pattern-Aware Power-Based Positioning in RF System

Traditional power-based localization methods suffer from low accuracy in the practical application environment. The main challenges are the antenna directivity and fading effect. Conventional methods assume omnidirectional antenna directivity such that the solution is the intersections of multiple circle-shape contours. This strong assumption results in significant localization error in practical non-isotropic antenna applications. In this article, a novel antenna radiation-pattern-aware power-based positioning (ARPAP) scheme is proposed. It reduces the antenna directivity effect by including the antenna pattern into the localization system model. It reduces the bias error that introduced by power measurement through estimating the line-of-sight (LoS) component in received signal strength (RSS). Moreover, the error mode for the proposed ARPAP system, along with the theoretical limit, Cramer-Rao Bound (CRB), and bias of the proposed positioning system are derived. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the proposed error model and simulation result shows a high similarity score. The proposed positioning scheme and analytic error model are instantiated for the cellular network. Both analytical model and simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over traditional methods.
Performance Requirements for Terabit-Class Silicon Photonic Links Based on Cascaded Microring Resonators

The electrical interconnects in high performance computing (HPC) systems are reaching their bandwidth capacities in supporting data-intensive applications. Currently, communication between compute nodes through these interconnects is the main bottleneck for overall HPC system performance. Optical interconnects based on the emerging silicon photonics (SiP) platform are considered to be a promising replacement to boost the speed of the data transfer with reduced cost and energy consumption compared to electrical interconnects. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of a comb source microring-based SiP link architecture with p-i-n photodetectors. In particular, we direct our focus on improved grating coupler and bus waveguide designs to reduce the link power penalties. Additionally, we map the required performance from the comb laser to provide an aggregated data rate of 1 Tbps under the constraints of free spectral range (FSR) and nonlinearities of the microring resonators (MRRs). We show that a select few comb configurations satisfy these requirements, and energy consumption as low as $3\,\frac{\text{pJ}}{\text{bit}}$ is achievable.
Outcomes following Cardioversion for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter

Atrial arrhythmias commonly occur in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA), but there is limited data on safety or efficacy of cardioversion (DCCV) for management of these rhythms in CA. We identified 25 patients with CA (20 with transthyretin (TTR) and 5 with light-chain (AL) amyloidosis) at Duke University who underwent DCCV for atrial arrhythmias and documented procedural success, complications, and long-term morbidity and mortality. While DCCV successfully restored sinus rhythm in 96% of patients, 36% of patients experienced immediate procedural complications (primarily bradycardia and hypotension), 80% had recurrence of atrial arrhythmias at 1 year, and 52% died at 3 years, highlighting short-term safety concerns, long-term inefficacy, and poor prognosis associated with symptomatic atrial arrhythmias requiring DCCV in CA.
Particle size matters: The effect of particle size on carbon and oxygen isotope composition of bone hydroxyapatite.

OBJECTIVES Stable isotope studies often focus on hydroxyapatite (bioapatite) to answer questions of paleodiet, paleomobility, and paeloenvironment. This study seeks to determine the effect that sample particle size (in particular SA:V, or surface area to volume ratios) has on measured carbon and oxygen stable isotope values (δ13 C and δ18 O) in bone hydroxyapatite. MATERIALS AND METHODS Previously ground Homo sapiens sapiens cortical bone samples were subdivided using geological screens to obtain three separate sub-samples, differing only in their particle size. These aliquots (n = 60) were then treated using established protocols to remove any exogenous organic material (2.5% NaOH) and adsorbed carbonates (0.1 M CH3 COOH), and analyzed for δ13 C and δ18 O using a Kiel-IV Carbonate Device coupled to a Thermo-Finnigan DeltaPlus IRMS. RESULTS Data obtained indicate that decreased particle size leads to increases in both δ13 C and δ18 O, with oxygen isotope values being more dramatically affected. Specifically, it is possible to produce isotopic shifts of as much as 1.0‰ and 4.0‰ for δ13 C and δ18 O, respectively, solely by analyzing different sized particles from the same individual, bone, and sample. DISCUSSION Based upon the variability seen between different size fractions from the same sample, it is clear that particle size has a meaningful impact on carbon and oxygen isotope composition. We attribute these shifts to the differential adsorption or precipitation of environmental carbon and oxygen during pretreatment. We recommend that particle size be added to the list of potential variables affecting isotope composition, alongside other factors including diagenesis, reagent concentration, and treatment time. We would also note that while most individuals exhibit consistent changes, some do not, and thus further investigation into these phenomena is warranted.
The Integration of Developmental/behavioral and Mental Health Care into Pediatric Primary Care Using a Nurse Practitioner Model

Pediatric primary care practices struggle with meeting the needs of young children who have developmental, behavioral and mental health concerns or conditions (Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health and Task Force on Mental Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009). The current and projected national shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists and the scarcity of other pediatric mental health professionals makes access to mental health increasingly difficult for Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and families (Thomas & Holzer, 2006). The …
Screening Mammogram Results in the Digital Age: Video Messaging - A Pilot Study.

Objective To assess patients’ preferences for receiving screening mammogram results via a video message from their radiologist versus the traditional methods. Methods The Institutional Review Board approved this prospective study which enrolled participants from March to May 2019, after written consent was obtained. Two breast radiologists prerecorded video results for normal and abnormal screening mammograms. Women 40 years and older presenting for a screening mammogram who had a prior mammogram and no clinical symptoms were invited to participate in the study. After their mammogram, participants were assigned to obtain results via video message or by traditional methods such as a mailed letter or phone call. Participants then completed an online survey asking questions regarding the method of results delivery. Results Around 80/94 participants ranging in age from 40 to 76 years old responded (85% response rate), of which 73% (58/80) preferred a video message from the radiologist for their mammogram results (p = 0.029). When analyzed by age, the video results were most liked by patients 40-60 years old. When analyzed by education level, participants with a Master's or Bachelor's degree liked receiving their results by video. Discussion Our study suggests that patients in the screening mammography setting may prefer a video message from their radiologist to the traditional methods of delivery, including mailed letters and receiving results from their primary care provider. Video results could potentially be utilized in the delivery of other results of standardized medical tests as a method to offer more timely delivery of results and a personal connection.
Distinguishing between HPV-Associated Metastatic Anal Squamous Cell Cancer and HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer

The histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of primary and metastatic diseases from a human papilloma virus- (HPV-) related anal squamous carcinoma (ASCC) would typically demonstrate the same histology as an HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma (OPSCC). However, determining whether a site of squamous cell carcinoma represents distant metastatic ASCC versus a metastatic HPV-related metastasis from an OPSCC to a regional lymph node carries profound prognostic and therapeutic implications. A patient with a history of locally advanced ASCC treated with standard concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy in 2015 is described. In 2018, an enlarged supraclavicular lymph node was excised demonstrating squamous cell carcinoma and radiographic staging revealed no other areas suspicious for malignancy. Direct laryngoscopy with operating telescope and biopsies demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma at the tongue base. Described here are assays that might be considered in distinguishing between whether a focus distant from a previously identified ASCC represents metastatic disease or instead a separate primary HPV-related cancer.
Effects of Lower Thoracic Spinal Cord Stimulation on Bowel Management in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.

Abstract Objective To systematically determine whether use of the spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system to restore cough may improve bowel management (BM) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Experimental studies (clinical trial). Setting Inpatient hospital setting for electrode insertion; outpatient setting for measurement of respiratory pressures; home setting for application of SCS. Participants Participants (N=5) with cervical SCI. Intervention A fully implantable SCS cough system was surgically placed in each subject. SCS was applied at home, 2-3 times/d, on a chronic basis, every time bowel regimen was performed and as needed for secretion management. Stimulus parameters were set at values resulting in near maximum airway pressure generation, which was used as an index of expiratory muscle strength. Participants also used SCS during their bowel routine. Main Outcome Measures Airway pressure generation achieved with SCS. Weekly completion of Bowel Routine Log including BM time, mechanical measures, and medications used. Results Mean pressure during spontaneous efforts was 30±8 cmH2O. After a period of reconditioning, SCS resulted in pressure of 146±21 cmH2O. The time required for BM routines was reduced from 118±34 minutes to 18±2 minutes (P Conclusions Our results of this pilot study suggest that SCS to restore cough may be a useful method to improve BM and life quality for both patients with SCI and their caregivers. Our results indicate that the improvement in BM is secondary to restoration of intra-abdominal pressure development.
Offsite Construction for Emergencies: A focus on Isolation Space Creation (ISC) measures for the COVID-19 pandemic

The outbreak of a pandemic of global concern, the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has tested the capacity of healthcare facilities to the brim in many developed countries. In a minacious fashion of rapid spread and extreme transmission rate, COVID-19 has triggered a shortage of healthcare facilities such as hospital bed spaces and ventilators. Various strategies have been adopted by the worst-hit countries to slacken or halt the spread of the virus. Common Isolation Space Creation (ISC) measures for the COVID-19 pandemic containment includes self-isolation at home, isolation at regular hospitals, isolation at existing epidemic hospitals, isolation at retrofitted buildings for an emergency, isolation at Temporary Mobile Cabins (TMCs), isolation at newly constructed temporary hospitals for COVID-19. This study evaluates the ISC measures and proposes offsite and modular solutions for the construction industry and built environment to respond to emergencies. While this study has proposed a solution for creating emergency isolation spaces for effective containment of such pandemic, other critical COVID-19 challenges such as the shortage of healthcare staff and other facilities are not addressed in this study.
Minimal clinically important differences in SF-36 global score: Current value in orthopedic oncology.

The SF-36 is widely used to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with musculoskeletal tumors. Instead of typical methods, calculating the SF-36 Global Score has recently become an increasingly common reporting approach. However, numerical changes lack clear clinical relevance. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is useful for interpreting changes in functional scores by defining the smallest change patients may perceive as clinically meaningful. The aim of this study is to determine the MCID of the SF-36 Global Score in orthopedic oncology patients, which has not been reported to date. Three-hundred ten patients who underwent surgery and completed two surveys during postoperative follow-up were reviewed. The two most common methods for calculating the SF-36 Global Score were used: (1) anchor-based methods and receiver operating characteristic analysis based on one-half of the SD of change score and standard error of measurement at baseline and; (2) distribution-based methods. Using anchor-based methods, the MCIDs of SF-36 Global Scores #1 and #2 were 2.7 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.85) and 2.5 (AUC = 0.79) for improvement, and -1.5 (AUC = 0.81) and -0.6 (AUC = 0.83) for deterioration, respectively. Using distribution-based methods, the MCIDs of SF-36 Global Scores #1 and #2 were 4.1 and 4.4 by half SD, and 4.1 and 4.5 by standard error of measurement, respectively. Our findings provide benchmark values, which can serve as a reference for future studies in musculoskeletal tumor patients using the SF-36 Global Score as a single measure for HRQoL.
Civil Recourse Insurance: Increasing Access to the Tort System for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence

Most survivors of gender-based violence do not sue their perpetrators in tort because they cannot find attorneys to take their cases. Attorneys who charge contingent fees find these cases financially unappealing. The cases are unlikely to result in substantial collectible judgments because of insurance policy exclusions, laws that protect tortfeasors’ assets, and, at times, insufficient damages. Yet empirical evidence reveals that survivors do not seek to use the tort system to achieve compensation, but rather accountability, revenge, empowerment, and deterrence. Civil recourse theory suggests that their cases belong in the tort system, even assuming the absence of substantial collectible judgments. This article proposes a market-based solution to improve access to justice. It recommends the development of legal expense insurance for victims of intentional torts to the person. “Civil recourse insurance” would provide the insured with an attorney to pursue a meritorious tort claim, even if it would not result in a large collectible judgment. Civil recourse insurance appears to be commercially viable. It would avoid the moral hazard and adverse selection problems that have stymied other insurance proposals to address survivors’ needs. The article also recommends governmental action that would assure the commercial success of this product; it suggests that civil recourse theory itself supports such governmental action.
What Factors Should Be Considered to Improve Outcome of Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement in Children

Objective:To identify risk factors for pediatric mechanical mitral valve replacement (mMVR) to improve management in this challenging population.Methods:From 1993 to 2019, 93 children underwent 119...
The impact of race on postpartum opioid prescribing practices: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND To identify the association between inpatient postpartum opioid consumption, race, and amount of opioids prescribed at discharge after vaginal or cesarean delivery. METHODS A total of 416 women who were prescribed an oral opioid following vaginal or cesarean delivery at a single tertiary academic institution between July 2018 and October 2018 were identified. Women with postoperative wound complications, third and fourth degree lacerations, cesarean hysterectomy, or a history of opioid abuse were excluded. The primary outcome was the number of oxycodone 5 mg tablets prescribed at discharge, stratified by race and mode of delivery. Only "Black" and "White" women were included in analyses due to low absolute numbers of other identities. Black women were compared to white women using multivariable logistic regression. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS The median number of oxycodone tablets consumed during hospitalization following cesarean delivery was seven (IQR: 2.5-12 tablets) and following vaginal delivery was one (IQR: 0-3). White women were more likely to be older at delivery regardless of route (median 32 vs. 30 years for cesarean delivery, and 29 vs. 27 years for vaginal delivery; p < 0.01 for both). White women undergoing cesarean delivery did so at a lower maternal BMI (31.6 vs. 34.5; p = 0.02). White women were also significantly more likely to have private insurance and to experience perineal lacerations following vaginal delivery. The number of inpatient opioid tablets consumed, as well as the number prescribed at discharge, were not statistically different between Black and White women, regardless of mode of delivery. These findings persisted in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION At our large, academic hospital the number of tablets prescribed at discharge had no association with patient race or inpatient usage regardless of mode of delivery.
Infralimbic BDNF signaling is necessary for the beneficial effects of extinction on set shifting in stressed rats.

Current pharmacotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are ineffective for many patients, and often do not restore cognitive dysfunction associated with these disorders. Behavioral therapies, such as exposure therapy, can be effective for treatment-resistant patients. The mechanisms underlying exposure therapy are not well-understood. Fear extinction as an intervention after chronic stress can model the beneficial effects of exposure therapy in rats. Extinction requires neuronal activity and protein synthesis in the infralimbic (IL) cortex for its beneficial effects. We hypothesized that extinction requires Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) activity in the IL cortex to reverse stress-induced cognitive flexibility impairments. Extinction learning reversed set-shifting deficits induced by Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS), tested 24 h after extinction. Blocking BDNF signaling in the IL cortex during extinction by local administration of a neutralizing antibody prevented the beneficial effects of extinction on set shifting after stress. Extinction induced activation of the BDNF TrkB receptor, and signaling pathways associated with BDNF (Akt and Erk). Administration of exogenous BDNF into IL cortex in the absence of extinction was sufficient to reverse the effects of stress on set shifting. The effects of extinction were prevented by blocking either Erk or Akt signaling in the IL cortex, whereas the effects of exogenous BDNF were dependent on Erk, but not Akt, signaling. Our observations suggest that BDNF-Erk signaling induced by extinction underlies plastic changes that can reverse or counteract the effects of chronic stress in the IL cortex.
Reading aloud in clear speech reduces sentence recognition memory and recall for native and non-native talkers.

Speaking style variation plays a role in how listeners remember speech. Compared to conversational sentences, clearly spoken sentences were better recalled and identified as previously heard by native and non-native listeners. The present study investigated whether speaking style variation also plays a role in how talkers remember speech that they produce. Although distinctive forms of production (e.g., singing, speaking loudly) can enhance memory, the cognitive and articulatory efforts required to plan and produce listener-oriented hyper-articulated clear speech could detrimentally affect encoding and subsequent retrieval. Native and non-native English talkers' memories for sentences that they read aloud in clear and conversational speaking styles were assessed through a sentence recognition memory task (experiment 1; N = 90) and a recall task (experiment 2; N = 75). The results showed enhanced recognition memory and recall for sentences read aloud conversationally rather than clearly for both talker groups. In line with the “effortfulness” hypothesis, producing clear speech may increase the processing load diverting resources from memory encoding. Implications for the relationship between speech perception and production are discussed.
Antithrombin, the Prototypic Heparin-Binding Protein

This chapter highlights the importance of antithrombin which is a member of the serpin superfamily of proteins that includes more than 40 proteins. Each serine protease inhibitor usually plays an important role in inhibiting excessive action of its specific target protease. Such serpins combine with proteases to form inactive complexes, which are then cleared from circulation. Serpins are the “suicide substrates” for their target proteases which interact with the active sites on the proteases and are cleaved. The cleaved serpins remain in inactive complexes with their proteases. These complexes are apparently stable acyl enzyme intermediates. The heparin causes a conformation change in the serpin which facilitates the protease/serpin binding and at the same time, exposes the active center of the serpin to the protease. For antithrombin, the target proteases are thrombin, factor Xa, and perhaps factors XIa, IXa, and XIIa. Since the role of a serpin is to prevent the harmful action of its target protease, it must inactivate the protease rapidly enough under physiological conditions to fulfill this function.
Women and Media in the Middle East : From Veiling to Blogging

Introduction - From Veiling to Blogging: Women and media in the Middle East Nahed Eltantawy 1. Veiled Threats: Decentering and unification in transnational news coverage of the French veil ban Barbara Friedman and Patrick Merle 2. I am Just Doing my Bit to Promote Modesty: Niqabis' self-portraits on photo-sharing websites Anna Piela 3. They Call Me Muslim: Muslim women in the media through and beyond the veil Jennifer Sotsky 4. Finding a Place for a Muslimah Heroine in the Post-9/11 Marvel Universe: New X-Men's Dust Julie Davis and Robert Westerfelhaus 5. Selfish, Vengeful, and Full of Spite: The representations of women who have abortions on Turkish television Mary Lou O'Neil 6. Mediated Piety in Contemporary Syria: Women, Islam, and television Tatiana Rabinovich 7. A Right to Exist: A Palestinian speaks Elaine Drainville and Amir Saeed 8. Women's Experiences of Work in the Iranian Broadcast Media (IRIB): Motivations, challenges, and achievements Asemeh Ghasemi 9. "Talking Back": The poetry of Suheir Hammad Kenza Oumlil 10. Social Media and Turkish Feminism: New resources for social activism Hande Eslen-Ziya 11. The First Ladies and the Arab Spring: A textual analysis of the media coverage of the female counterparts of authoritarian oppression in the Middle East Elza Ibroscheva 12. In Their Own Voice: Technologically mediated empowerment and transformation among young Arab women Courtney C. Radsch and Sahar Khamis
Ending the Taxation of Foreign Business Income

This article examines the current system of taxation of income earned by US residents (both corporations and individuals) in foreign countries. It finds that adopting a system whereby this income was exempt from US income tax would increase economic efficiency.
Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Misguided Focus.

he public is beginning to realize that sexual abuse of children is a horrendous problem. It establishes adults as criminals and often creates mentally tortured individuals of children. And yet, we do little of consequence to prevent it. The emphasis of our present wellintentioned approach places the major burden on children with such admonitions as: "Do not talk to strangers," "Tell your parents when someone touches you," "Your private parts belong to you," etc. Though commendable, that approach falls wretchedly short of dealing with the actual source of the problem. It pits childhood innocence against adult cunning, hardly a fair contest. Only a vigorous effort to involve the initiators of the act in solving the problem will bring significant results. Molestation will continue if adults remain ignorant of or choose to ignore the potential in people to abuse children. Although the propensity for child abuse is shared among adults of all occupations and economic strata, my concern here is with child care professionals. Within a six-week period in Northern California alone, three public school teachers, two nursery school employees, a foster parent, a "little league" soccer coach, and a pediatrician were among many adults indicted for child molestation. What went wrong? Some indicted individuals may be depraved predators lurking in the shadows, ready to molest children at any time. Others might be constructively motivated adults who, despite an altruistic desire to be of service to youth, suddenly are overwhelmed, or perhaps more subtly seduced, by the temptations that they often encounter. Whatever the case may be, the result is the same: tragic violation of the trust that should exist between child and adult.
Prochlorococcus and Other Photosynthetic Picoplankton

The smallest yet most abundant photosynthetic organism on earth is the marine cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus, which represent a key component in marine ecology and global biogeochemical cycles. This tiny cell is extremely successful, dominating throughout the surface photic zone of the subtropical and tropical low nutrient, oligotrophic regions of the world's oceans from ∼45 °N to 40 °S. It has evolved to be an oligotrophic specialist, through a reduction in cell size, a streamlined genome and a reduced cellular requirement for the limited resources available in this environment. The ability to examine the abundance and distribution of Prochlorococcus in the wild, and measure its genomic and metabolic properties in the lab and field, has made Prochlorococcus a model system for advancing our understanding of the ecology of marine microbes. Key Concepts: The smallest photosynthetic cells in the oceans (picophytoplankton) dominate numerically and contribute significantly to primary production on a global scale. Prochlorococcus is a cyanobacterium with a reduced cell size and streamlined genome providing it with advantages over other phytoplankton in oligotrophic oceans around the world. The ability to measure genomic and metabolic properties in natural populations and isolates, and the ability to follow population dynamics, makes Prochlorococcus an excellent model system for studying microbial ecology on all scales. Keywords: marine cyanobacteria; phytoplankton; biological oceanography; ecophysiology; microbial genomics
Internal Sequence Variations in the Ha-ras Variable Number Tandem Repeat Rare and Common Alleles Identified by Minisatellite Variant Repeat Polymerase Chain Reaction

In this report, we describe the sequence allelotyping of the Ha- ras variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) region using a minisatellite variant repeat (MVR)-PCR approach. This method permits the rapid identification of internal sequence variations among the VNTR alleles, exploiting the presence of two polymorphic sites within the 28-bp repeat subunits that give rise to four distinct repeat types. Using MVR-PCR, 20 to 25 repeats at the 5′ end of the VNTR can be sequenced rapidly and reliably. MVR typing of the common alleles a1, a2, a3 , and a4 shows that the first six repeats at the 5′ end of each allele constitutes an invariant region. Beginning with repeat 7, characteristic “signature” MVR patterns emerge for each common allele. The a1 and a2 common alleles were found to consist of specific repeat types 1, 2, and 3, whereas a3 and a4 contain an additional repeat type 4 not present in the smaller alleles. MVR typing of rare-length alleles indicates that they are comprised of disorganized sequences, although they usually bear a resemblance to one of the common alleles at the 5′-most end. These results suggest that the rare alleles may be generated from recombination or gene conversion-type events involving the common progenitor alleles. MVR typing could, therefore, improve the ascertainment of rare Ha- ras alleles and may provide molecular insights into the genesis of cancer-associated alleles.
Visualizing Trumps Vision in Training Attention

Mental imagery can have powerful training effects on behavior, but how this occurs is not well understood. Here we show that even a single instance of mental imagery can improve attentional selection of a target more effectively than actually practicing visual search. By recording subjects’ brain activity, we found that these imagery-induced training effects were due to perceptual attention being more effectively focused on targets following imagined training. Next, we examined the downside of this potent training by changing the target after several trials of training attention with imagery and found that imagined search resulted in more potent interference than actual practice following these target changes. Finally, we found that proactive interference from task-irrelevant elements in the visual displays appears to underlie the superiority of imagined training relative to actual practice. Our findings demonstrate that visual attention mechanisms can be effectively trained to select target objects in th...
Templated synthesis of nylon nucleic acids and characterization by nuclease digestion

Nylon nucleic acids containing oligouridine nucleotides with pendent polyamide linkers and flanked by unmodified heteronucleotide sequences were prepared by DNA templated synthesis. Templation was more efficient than the single-stranded synthesis; coupling step yields were as high as 99.2%, with up to 7 amide linkages formed in the synthesis of a molecule containing 8 modified nucleotides. Controlled digestion by calf spleen phosphodiesterase enabled the mapping of modified nucleotides in the sequences. A combination of complete degradation of nylon nucleic acids by snake venom phosphodiesterase and dephosphorylation of the resulting nucleotide fragments by bacterial alkaline phosphatase, followed by LCMS analysis, clarified the linear structure of the oligo-amide linkages. The templated synthesis strategy afforded nylon nucleic acids in the target structure and was compatible with the presence heteronucleotides. The complete digestion procedure produced a new species of DNA analogues, nylon ribonucleosides, which display nucleosides attached via a 2′-alkylthio linkage to each diamine and dicarboxylate repeat unit of the original nylon nucleic acids. The binding affinity of a nylon ribonucleoside octamer to the complementary DNA was evaluated by thermal denaturing experiments. The octamer was found to form stable duplexes with an inverse dependence on salt concentration, in contrast to the salt-dependent DNA control.
Dual-energy CT discrimination of iodine and calcium: experimental results and implications for lower extremity CT angiography.

Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this work was to measure the accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography for identifying iodine and calcium and to determine the effects of calcium suppression in phantoms and lower-extremity computed tomographic (CT) angiographic data sets. Materials and Methods Using a three-material basis decomposition method for 80- and 140-kVp data, the accuracy of correctly identified contrast medium and calcium voxels and the mean attenuation before and after calcium suppression were computed. Experiments were first performed on a phantom of homogenous contrast medium and hydroxyapatite samples with mean attenuation of 57.2, 126, and 274 Hounsfield units (HU) and 50.0, 122, and 265 HU, respectively. Experiments were repeated in corresponding attenuation groups of voxels from manually segmented bones and contrast medium–enhanced arteries in a lower-extremity CT angiographic data set with mean attenuation of 293 and 434 HU, respectively. Calcium suppression in atherosclerotic plaques of a cadaveric specimen was also studied, using micro–computed tomography as a reference, and in a lower-extremity CT angiographic data set with substantial below-knee calcified plaques. Results Higher concentrations showed increased accuracy of iodine and hydroxyapatite identification of 87.4%, 99.7%, and 99.9% and 88.0%, 95.0%, and 99.9%, respectively. Calcium suppression was also more accurate with higher concentrations of iodine and hydroxyapatite, with mean attenuation after suppression of 47.1, 122, and 263 HU and 7.14, 11.6, and 12.6 HU, respectively. Similar patterns were seen in the corresponding attenuation groups of the contrast medium–enhanced arteries and bone in the clinical data set, which had overall accuracy of 81.3% and 78.9%, respectively, and mean attenuation after calcium suppression of 254 and 73.7 HU, respectively. The suppression of calcified atherosclerotic plaque was accurate compared with the micro-CT reference; however, the suppression in the clinical data set showed probable inappropriate suppression of the small vessels. Conclusion Dual-energy computed tomography can detect and differentiate between contrast medium and calcified tissues, but its accuracy is dependent on the CT density of tissues and limited when CT attenuation is low.
Family characteristics and dynamics: A systems approach to grief

This paper addresses the importance of attending to the interplay of one person’s grief with that of another in the context of the family’s relationship to the culture at large, where the individual is embedded in a larger matrix of relationships with others as well with the larger interpersonal and cultural context in which the family is embedded. Viewed systemically, grief may or may not be expressed similarly among family members, based upon the impact of a death on them as well as the meaning they attribute to this death. These intra-family differences are a function of how family members interact and communicate, in part consistent with the developmental phase at which families as intergenerational entities are functioning, wherein developmental shifts in family dynamics may also predict of individual grief over time. The therapeutic and research implications of a systems approach to grief are also discussed here.
Peptides in the sinus gland ofCardisoma carnifex: isolation and amino acid analysis

Reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) has been used to isolate most of the peptides in the sinus gland of the land crabCardisoma carnifex. The peptides accounted for at least 50% (5–10 μg) of the non-amino acid primary amine compounds of the sinus gland. Peptides were characterized by (1) amino acid analysis; (2) bioassay for erythrophore concentrating, melanophore dispersing and hyperglycemic activity; (3) a comparison of absorption at 280 nm with intrinsic fluorescence; (4) RPLC elution properties relative to the shrimp crythrophore concentrating hormone (ECH); and (5) post-column detection with the fluorescamine reagent. High sensitivity peptide maps were obtained by RPLC of the peptide fluoreseamine derivatives. Peptides in theCardisoma sinus gland can be summarized as:
Imperial Modernity: history and global inequity in rising Asia

Abstract In the recently generalised historical coincidence of neoliberal free-market policy trends with accelerating global economic growth and inequality, India and China stand out as world regions with distinctive histories of imperial inequity. The rise of Asia shows that globalisation does not work the same way everywhere. In Asia historical dynamics of imperial territorialism generate inequities that fit global patterns through their absorption and mediation of capitalism. Economic reforms that brought Asia into global leadership ranks express imperial forms of power, authority, and inequity whose long histories need to be understood to make sense of Asia and global capitalism today. This article focuses particularly on India.
Fluorescence losses from Yb:YAG slab lasers

We report on the distribution of fluorescence that can be emitted through the surfaces of a ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) slab-shaped high-power solid-state laser. Slab shapes considered include parallel or antiparallel Brewster endfaced slabs and rectangular parallelepiped slabs. We treat cases in which all the faces of these slabs are in air, or with water or another coating on the largest faces. The fraction of the fluorescence emitted through each face, its distribution over that face, and the directions in which it travels are shown to be important to the design of high-power slab lasers.
The Roles of Soil Characteristics and Toxin Adsorption in Avian Geophagy

Geophagy, the intentional ingestion of soil, is a widespread phenomenon whose function is still debated. Recent studies suggest that consumed soils adsorb dietary toxins and provide sodium. However, quantification of soil choice has been absent from most studies, prohibiting the direct comparison of soil use and characteristics. To determine correlates among bird use and soil characteristics, we analyze physical structure, mineral composition, and alkaloid adsorption (14 soil characteristics in total) for 22 soil samples from a riverbank ‘clay lick’ used by macaws and parrots (family Psittacidae) in Amazon lowland forests in the Tambopata region of southeastern Peru. We quantified bird preferences through photographic mapping. Mineral concentrations were determined using analyses designed to approximate the mineral availability in the vertebrate stomach. The sodium levels in the soil were much higher than in food plants consumed by parrots in this region. Both adsorption of quinine, the model alkaloid used, and sodium concentration correlated significantly with bird use. Sodium explained a much higher percentage of the variation in bird use than quinine adsorption. However, the analyses were complicated by the high degree of correlation among soil variables: clay percentage and sodium concentration were highly correlated with each other and with bird use, making it impossible to determine which of these may have the greater contribution to bird preference. The results suggest that the soils consumed provide an important source of dietary sodium and adsorb alkaloid toxins.
On the Fatigue Analysis of Non-Gaussian Stress Processes With Asymmetric Distribution

This paper presents a multistage regression method to obtain an empirical joint probability density function (PDF) for rainflow amplitudes and means of non-Gaussian stress processes with asymmetric distribution. The proposed PDF model captures a wide range of non-Gaussian stress processes characterized by five parameters: Standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, irregularity factor and mean frequency. It is shown that the fatigue prediction from the closed-form empirical PDF based on the multistage regression analysis agrees well with that from extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The ultimate purpose of the method is to provide a tool for engineers to predict the remaining fatigue life of a structure with direct measurements of stress responses at critical locations on a structure or stress responses at various hot-spots on a structure from the finite element analysis without conducting further Monte Carlo simulations.
Kinetics of Cation Redisribution in Ferrospinels

In situ electrical resistivity measurements were employed to follow the kinetics of cation redistribution in ferrospinels, xFe3O4–(1 –x)MeFe2O4 (Me = Co, Mg, Mn, or Ni) or xFe3O4–FeMe2O4 (Me = Al) with x≥ 0.2. Relaxation temperatures (at 20°C/min heating rate) were established and kinetic parameters—activation energies and time constants—were determined for each cation. These parameters were insensitive to grain size, cation ratio, and oxygen nonstoichiometry. The mechanism was shown to be a local “homogeneous” point defect reaction in contrast to the “heterogeneous” nucleation and growth mechanism reported to take place in ferrispinels lacking Fe2+. Electron hopping between Fe2+ and Fe3+ in ferrospinels apparently screens the excess ionic charge associated with the diffusing species and enables homogeneous point defect reactions with lower attendant activation energies to take place.
Entropy and Information in a Fractional Order Model of Anomalous Diffusion

Abstract Fractional order dynamic models (e.g., systems of ordinary and partial differential equations of non-integer order in time and space) are becoming more popular for characterizing the behavior of complex systems. Justification for such models is typically based on improved fits to experimental data or a reduced mean squared error for models with the same number of fitting parameters. This rationale, however, is relative to the form of the selected fitting function, and is dependent on the order of the derivatives. Nevertheless, there seems to be a recognition that fractional order models work better than integer order models in describing the electrical and mechanical properties of multi-scale, heterogeneous materials. In order to address this issue and to offer a new approach for establishing the utility of fractional order models, we calculate the total Shannon spectral entropy for the case of anomalous diffusion governed by a fractional order diffusion equation generalized in space and in time. This fractional order representation of the continuous time, random walk model of diffusion gives a spectral entropy minimum for normal (i.e., Gaussian) diffusion with surrounding values leading to greater values of spectral entropy.