cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmental Crises and the Metabolic Rift in World-Historical Perspective:

This article proposes a new theoretical framework to study the dialectic of capital and nature over the longue duree of world capitalism. The author proposes that today’s global ecological crisis has its roots in the transition to capitalism during the long sixteenth century. The emergence of capitalism marked not only a decisive shift in the arenas of politics, economy, and society, but a fundamental reorganization of world ecology, characterized by a “metabolic rift,” a progressively deepening rupture in the nutrient cycling between the country and the city. Building upon the historical political economy of Marx, Foster, Arrighi, and Wallerstein, the author proposes a new research agenda organized around the concept of systemic cycles of agro-ecological transformation. This agenda aims at discerning the ways in which capitalism’s relationship to nature developed discontinuously over time as recurrent ecological crises have formed a decisive moment of world capitalist crisis, forcing successive waves of restructuring over long historical time.
Greater Diversity of Shiga Toxin-Encoding Bacteriophage Insertion Sites among Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolates from Cattle than in Those from Humans

Escherichia coli O157:H7, a zoonotic human pathogen for which domestic cattle are a reservoir host, produces a Shiga toxin(s) (Stx) encoded by bacteriophages. Chromosomal insertion sites of these bacteriophages define three principal genotypes (clusters 1 to 3) among clinical isolates of E. coli O157:H7. Stx-encoding bacteriophage insertion site genotypes of 282 clinical and 80 bovine isolates were evaluated. A total of 268 (95.0%) of the clinical isolates, but only 41 (51.3%) of the bovine isolates, belonged to cluster 1, 2, or 3 (P < 0.001). Thirteen additional genotypes were identified in isolates from both cattle and humans (four genotypes), from only cattle (seven genotypes), or from only humans (two genotypes). Two other markers previously associated with isolates from cattle or with clinical isolates showed similar associations with genotype groups within bovine isolates; the tir allele sp-1 and the Q933W allele were under- and overrepresented, respectively, among cluster 1 to 3 genotypes. Stx-encoding bacteriophage insertion site typing demonstrated that there is broad genetic diversity of E. coli O157:H7 in the bovine reservoir and that numerous genotypes are significantly underrepresented among clinical isolates, consistent with the possibility that there is reduced virulence or transmissibility to humans of some bovine E. coli O157:H7 genotypes.
Pick me up Ego depletion and receptivity to relationship initiation

The success of a relationship initiation strategy, such as a pick-up line or opening gambit, may depend on the target’s state receptivity. Self-control is a limited resource that, when depleted, can potentially influence interpersonal interactions. The present research examines whether ego depletion can influence receptivity to various types of opening gambits. To accomplish this, 99 currently single participants either wrote a story with several restrictions (ego-depletion group) or wrote without restrictions (non-depletion group), and then read direct, innocuous, or cute opening gambits. Following each type of gambit, participants rated their receptivity by indicating how likely they would be to continue to talk to the initiator, view the initiator positively, and give the initiator their phone number. As predicted, analyses revealed that those who participated in the ego-depletion task were significantly less receptive to cute opening gambits and there was a trend of being more receptive to innocuous o...
Summary of US Fusion Program Planning Documents Relating to Innovative Confinement Concepts (1992–2005)

During the 1990’s approximately 15 planning documents were produced by community consensus and by panels of experts. These documents lead to the restructuring of the Office of Fusion Energy (OFE). The OFE adopted joint goals of science and performance and opened a solicitation for Innovative Confinement Concept (ICC) experiments. This paper summarizes the documents that appeared during this time that relate to the ICCs.
The nature that capital can see: science, state, and market in the commodification of ecosystem services

The development of stable markets in ecosystem services is now a major neoliberal policy initiative in the United States and elsewhere. Such markets, however, require ecosystem scientists to play a...
Application of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers to Rotating Superconducting Machinery

The use of superconductors in rotating electrical machinery results in high rotor stresses at cryogenic temperatures, and requires the availability of structural materials that must meet stringent performance requirements. This paper discusses the potential advantages of composite materials for such applications, the range of properties that may be achieved, and some preliminary experimental data that help define that potential. Some of the factors that arise due to anisotropy in terms of a particular design problem are considered. These are related to the example of a torque tube suitable for use in a superconducting ac generator.
Autonomous requirements of the Menkes disease protein in the nervous system

Menkes disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder arising from a systemic copper deficiency caused by loss-of-function mutations in a ubiquitously expressed copper transporter, ATP7A. Although this disorder reveals an essential role for copper in the developing human nervous system, the role of ATP7A in the pathogenesis of signs and symptoms in affected patients, including severe mental retardation, ataxia, and excitotoxic seizures, remains unknown. To directly examine the role of ATP7A within the central nervous system, we generated Atp7a(Nes) mice, in which the Atp7a gene was specifically deleted within neural and glial cell precursors without impairing systemic copper homeostasis, and compared these mice with the mottled brindle (mo-br) mutant, a murine model of Menkes disease in which Atp7a is defective in all cells. Whereas mo-br mice displayed neurodegeneration, demyelination, and 100% mortality prior to weaning, the Atp7a(Nes) mice showed none of these phenotypes, exhibiting only mild sensorimotor deficits, increased anxiety, and susceptibility to NMDA-induced seizure. Our results indicate that the pathophysiology of severe neurological signs and symptoms in Menkes disease is the result of copper deficiency within the central nervous system secondary to impaired systemic copper homeostasis and does not arise from an intrinsic lack of ATP7A within the developing brain. Furthermore, the sensorimotor deficits, hypophagia, anxiety, and sensitivity to NMDA-induced seizure in the Atp7a(Nes) mice reveal unique autonomous requirements for ATP7A in the nervous system. Taken together, these data reveal essential roles for copper acquisition in the central nervous system in early development and suggest novel therapeutic approaches in affected patients.
Treatment of Limited Shoulder Motion Using an Elevation Splint

This article describes the management of a patient with limited shoulder range of motion (ROM) by use of an elevation splint. The limited ROM was believed to be due to structural changes in the tissues surrounding the glenohumeral joint following a Magnuson-Stack repair for anterior glenohumeral instability. The patient's ROM plateaued approximately 6 months postoperatively and did not improve with a variety of physical therapy techniques. Use of an inexpensive, easily fabricated elevation splint was begun 8 months postoperatively, and subsequent improvements in ROM were observed. The rationale and suggestions for clinical use of the splint are discussed.
Beyond Classroom Discourse: Learning as Participation in Native Speaker-Learner and Learner-Learner Interactions

Consistent with the notion of learning as changing participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Rogoff, 1998; Sfard, 1998; Young & Miller, 2004), the present qualitative study investigated how social interaction between learners of Japanese as a foreign language and native speaker classroom guests contributed to the students' use of second language (L2) linguistic resources in their productive performance over time. Specifically, the study considered the kinds of L2 linguistic resources that were made available to learners during guided interpersonal interactions with native speaker guests. Findings suggest that participants' nonpedagogical interaction with a more knowledgeable native speaker interlocutor provided a wider range of linguistic resources than instructor-fronted instruction and that those linguistic forms were taken up by the learners and then appropriated in subsequent activities with peers.
Ark and Archive: Making a Place for Long-Term Research on Barro Colorado Island, Panama.

AbstractBarro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, may be the most studied tropical forest in the world. A 1,560-hectare island created by the flooding of the Panama Canal, BCI became a nature reserve and biological research station in 1923. Contemporaries saw the island as an “ark” preserving a sample of primeval tropical nature for scientific study. BCI was not simply “set aside,” however. The project of making it a place for science significantly reshaped the island through the twentieth century. This essay demonstrates that BCI was constructed specifically to allow long-term observation of tropical organisms—their complex behaviors, life histories, population dynamics, and changing species composition. An evolving system of monitoring and information technology transformed the island into a living scientific “archive,” in which the landscape became both an object and a repository of scientific knowledge. As a research site, BCI enabled a long-term, place-based form of collective empiricism, focused on the s...
Changes in plasma metabolites and glucose homeostasis during omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background Both fish (FO) and flaxseed oils (FLX) are n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Fish oil contains long chain while FLX contains essential n-3 PUFA. We demonstrated that FO altered insulin secretion and resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women but FLX did not. Surprisingly, the effects of FO were similar to those of the n-6 PUFA-rich soybean oil (SBO). Since increased branched chain (BCAA) and aromatic amino acids (AA) affect insulin secretion and resistance, we investigated whether FO, FLX and /or SBO affect plasma metabolites, especially AA.
Surveillance of disinfection in Linquan hospital,2008～2011

Objective To understand the disinfection and sterilization effects in Linquan county hospital through detection of air,the hand,the surface of the object.Methods The detection and evaluation was conducted on the basis of "Technical standard for disinfection" 2002 edition and GB 15982-1995 "hygienic standard for disinfection in hospitals".Results The qualified rates of disinfection in Linquan county hospital from 2008 to 2011 were 79.73%,84.47%,83.13% and 87.37% respectively.Conclusion The quality of disinfection was low in Linquan county hospital,and management on the disinfection should be strengthened.
Can screening for melanoma and skin cancer save lives

Although the concept of screening for skin cancers appears simple, close examination reveals that the scientific and public health issues involved are surprisingly complex. We review the rationale for screening for melanoma and skin cancer, present its current status, and suggest directions for the future.
Music Teachers' Experiences in One-to-One Computing Environments.

Ubiquitous computing scenarios such as the one-to-one model, in which every student is issued a device that is to be used across all subjects, have increased in popularity and have shown both posit...
METABOLIC AND ENZYMATIC ADAPTATIONS TO LOW TEMPERATURE

Most of the research on metabolism of tundra plant species at low temperatures concerns whole-leaf or whole-plant gas exchange. Optimum and compensation point temperatures for net photosynthesis occur at lower temperatures and absolute metabolic rates below 10°C are usually higher for tundra species and ecotypes than for species or ecotypes from warmer habitats. Metabolic acclimation in response to seasonal changes in temperature is an important adjunct to the evolutionary shift in metabolic function. Limited work on cellular mechanisms of temperature adaptation for tundra and non-tundra species is reviewed. Improved metabolic performance at low temperatures appears to be primarily a function of resistance of chloroplast and mitochondrial membranes to low temperature phase changes and quantitative increases in enzyme levels. Changes in stomatal conductance and enzyme kinetic properties occur in some species, but are of secondary importance. Based upon existing fragmentary evidence, there appear to be no qualitative differences between tundra and non-tundra species in their adaptations for low temperature metabolism.
Cytoplasmic Streaming in the Drosophila Oocyte

Objects are commonly moved within the cell by either passive diffusion or active directed transport. A third possibility is advection, in which objects within the cytoplasm are moved with the flow of the cytoplasm. Bulk movement of the cytoplasm, or streaming, as required for advection, is more common in large cells than in small cells. For example, streaming is observed in elongated plant cells and the oocytes of several species. In the Drosophila oocyte, two stages of streaming are observed: relatively slow streaming during mid-oogenesis and streaming that is approximately ten times faster during late oogenesis. These flows are implicated in two processes: polarity establishment and mixing. In this review, I discuss the underlying mechanism of streaming, how slow and fast streaming are differentiated, and what we know about the physiological roles of the two types of streaming.
Two or Three Things I Know About Professor Bruner

Jerry has been a friend and a colleague for more than 20 years now. Here are a few things I’ve learned about him in that time.
Impact of Contraceptive Type on Sexual Desire of Women and of Men Partnered to Contraceptive Users

Abstract Introduction Research investigating the impact of contraceptive use on sexual desire has produced mixed results. This scholarship also has had inconsistent methodology, with some studies not separating contraceptive types and others lacking non-hormonal comparison groups. Relationship context of contraceptive use and sexual behavior also have not been well represented. Aims To investigate the impact of contraceptive type on sexual desire in women and in men who are partnered to contraceptive-using women. Methods In two separate studies we examined the impact of contraceptives on the sexual desire of women currently using contraceptives and men partnered to women using contraceptives. The first study examined the impact of contraceptive type on sexual desire in women and in men partnered to contraceptive users in relationships of different lengths. The second study examined this impact in heterosexual couples in long-term relationships. Main Outcome Measures Solitary and dyadic sexual desire as measured by the Sexual Desire Inventory and contraceptive type as categorized into three types: oral hormonal contraceptive, other hormonal contraceptive, and non-hormonal contraceptive. Results Contraceptive type significantly affected solitary and dyadic desire. Women on non-hormonal contraceptives reported higher solitary sexual desire than women on other hormonal contraceptives. Women on oral hormonal contraceptives reported significantly higher dyadic sexual desire than women on non-hormonal contraceptives. In male partners of female contraceptive users, solitary and dyadic sexual desires were not affected by partner contraceptive type. In the multivariate model, relationship length and age were stronger predictors of contraceptive type than was solitary or dyadic sexual desire. At the couple level, contraceptive type also was not related to solitary or dyadic sexual desire in men and women. Conclusion Contraceptive type can affect solitary and dyadic sexual desire in women; however, contextual factors seem to be stronger predictors of sexual desire for long-term coupled women and men than contraception type.
Vitamin D attenuates inflammation, fatty infiltration, and cartilage loss in the knee of hyperlipidemic microswine

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint is a degenerative process resulting in cartilage loss. Recent evidence suggests that OA is not merely a disease of cartilage but a disease of the entire knee joint and that inflammation may play an important role. OA has been associated with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D as an immunomodulator and anti-inflammatory agent may attenuate inflammation in the knee. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D on inflammation in the knee. This study was conducted with 13 microswine on a high cholesterol diet categorized into three groups of vitamin D-deficient, vitamin D-sufficient, and vitamin D supplementation. After 1 year, microswine were killed, and their knee joint tissues were harvested. Histological and immunofluorescence studies were carried out on the tissue specimens to evaluate the effect of vitamin D status. Histological and immunofluorescence studies of the knee joint tissues showed (1) increased inflammation in the knee joint tissues, (2) fatty infiltration in quadriceps muscle, patellar tendon, and collateral ligaments, and (3) chondrocyte clustering in the vitamin D-deficient and vitamin D-sufficient groups compared with the vitamin D supplementation group. Architectural distortion of the quadriceps muscle, patellar tendon, and collateral ligaments was also seen in the areas of inflammatory foci and fatty infiltration in the vitamin D-deficient group. Decreased inflammation and fatty infiltration in the vitamin D supplementation group suggest the potential role of vitamin D in attenuating inflammation and fatty infiltration as well as in protecting the architecture of the tissue in the knee joint.
Study on the influence of UPFC on pilot protective relaying of transmission line

In order to enhance the power transmission capability of the west Nanjing power grid, the unified power flow controller (UPFC) project has been put into operation. However, the presence of UPFC would adversely impact the performance of transmission line pilot protective relaying, since it changes the features of the fault voltage and current measured by the relay. Based on brief introduction of the UPFC project and its protection system, the influence of UPFC on pilot zero-sequence protection, pilot distance protection and superimposed component direction protection is analyzed. It is found that the performances of pilot zero-sequence protection and pilot distance protection would not be impacted. However, the superimposed component direction protection would fail to trip or trip incorrectly, due to the trip of UPFC protection and subsequent out-of-service of UPFC.
39. Hemingway’s a farewell to Arms, Chapter XXXV

(1969). 39. Hemingway’s a farewell to Arms, Chapter XXXV. The Explicator: Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 80-80.
Discrete event simulation of green supply chain with traffic congestion factor

Reduction of Carbon-Dioxide (CO2) emission has been a global challenge in strategic supply-chain decision making for many companies. This paper focuses on the transportation sector of the supply chain since it is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions. To reduce CO 2 emissions, previous studies have focused on mathematical models, government policies that affect CO 2 emission and optimizing results. This article will focus on the impact of traffic congestion on CO 2 emission by means of simulating vehicle movement on the roads. A design of experiments was created in which thirty-two scenarios were tested using ARENA. The experiment focused on factors such as synchronization or desynchronization of traffic lights, mode of dispatch rates, and route configurations. Results revealed that the synchronization of traffic lights at each junction and the distribution of dispatched trucks would increase the amount of CO 2 emissions significantly.
Integrated Economic and Environmental Assessment of Cellulosic Biofuel Production in an Agricultural Watershed

SWAT watershed model simulated biomass yield and pollutant loadings were integrated with associated economic costs of farm production and transport to study two dedicated energy crops, switchgrass and Miscanthus, and corn stover, as feedstocks for a cellulosic biorefinery. A multi-level spatial optimization (MLSOPT) framework was employed to get spatially explicit cropping plans for a watershed under the assumption that the watershed supplies biomass to a hypothetical biorefinery considering both the biochemical and the thermochemical conversion pathways. Consistent with previous studies, the perennial grasses had higher biomass yield than corn stover, with considerably lower sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loadings, but their costs were higher. New insights were related to the tradeoffs between cost, feedstock production, and the level and form of environmental quality society faces as it implements the Renewable Fuel Standard. Economically, this involved calculating the farthest distance a biorefinery would be willing to drive to source corn residue before procuring a single unit of perennial grasses from productive agricultural soils.
Permeability of the corneal endothelium to nonelectrolytes.

The endothelial surface of the isolated rabbit cornea was perfused with modified KEI medium, according to the method reported previously. This in vitro cornea maintained its thickness within the normal range even after the epithelium ivas removed. The endothelial permeability of these in vitro corneas to tritiated water, 1J >C-labeled urea, sucrose, and inulin teas determined. The reflection coefficients of the endothelium calculated according to the physical interpretation of Kedem and Katchalsky were in fair agreement with those determined previously from osmotic fluid flow across the endothelium. Perfusion of the corneal endothelium with calciumfree KEI medium resulted in a corneal swelling with an increased endothelial permeability. Perfusion with KEI medium containing ouabain (10~ s and 10~ 5 moles per liter) induced a corneal swelling with normal endothelial permeability.
SCARe: An SRAM-Based Countermeasure Against IC Recycling

With the rapid growth of the electronics market, counterfeiting of integrated circuits (ICs), in particular IC recycling, has become a serious issue in recent years. Recycled ICs are those harvested from old systems and resold in the supply chain as new. Such ICs exhibit lower performance and shorter lifetime and, as a result, pose threats to the security and reliability of electronic systems. In this paper, we propose a recycled IC detection framework called static random-access memory (SRAM)-based countermeasure against IC recycling (SCARe) to detect the aging of SRAM cells. Our framework can be applied to both standalone SRAM chips and system on chips with embedded SRAM. For each SRAM under detection, statistical analysis is conducted to differentiate the recycled and new ICs. To mimic the practical aging scenario, 16 commodity SRAM chips from three different manufacturers and different technology nodes (e.g., 90, 110, and 130 nm) are stressed under high-temperature and supply-voltage conditions for different periods of time. The experimental results from new and aged SRAM chips, which represents recycled ICs, demonstrate that our proposed technology can achieve extremely high-detection success rate (no lower than 96.5%). The minimal in-field usage, which can be detected by SCARe, is 7 h.
Design strategies for athermal fiber lasers and amplifiers (Conference Presentation)

We will review strategies for using the radiation-balanced technique to address the problem of excessive heat generation in optical fiber lasers and amplifiers. Our approach is to study the design parameter space and explore the role of different parameters in making an effective athermal device. The fiber geometry (core and cladding dimensions), its optics (fiber materials and refractive indices), the choice of the rare-earth gain materials and their spatial distribution in the fiber, and device configuration (pumping schemes and laser-cavity or amplifier design) will be investigated. Other issues such as the thermometry of the optical fiber will also be discussed.
4-Cycle decompositions of (λ+m)K v+u \λK v

In this paper we solve the problem of decomposing $$( \lambda +m)K_{v+u} {\setminus } \lambda K_v$$ ( ? + m ) K v + u \ ? K v into 4-cycles for all $$m>0$$ m > 0 and $$u \ge 1$$ u ? 1 . This paper extends the results of "Enclosings of $$\lambda $$ ? -fold 4-cycle systems" [Newman and Rodger, Des. Codes Cryptogr. 55:297---310 (2010)].
Ethyl 1-acetyl-1H-indole-3-carboxyl-ate.

The title compound, C13H13NO3, was synthesized by acetyl­ation of ethyl 1H-indole-3-carboxyl­ate. The aromatic ring system of the mol­ecule is essentially planar, but the saturated ethyl group is also located within this plane and the overall r.m.s. deviation from planarity is only 0.034 A. Pairs of C—H⋯O inter­actions connect mol­ecules into chains along the diagonal of the unit cell. Mol­ecules also form weakly connected dimers via π⋯π stacking inter­actions of the indole rings with centroid–centroid separations of 3.571 (1) A. C—H⋯π inter­actions between methyl­ene and methyl groups and the indole and benzene ring complete the directional inter­molecular inter­actions found in the crystal structure.
Primary Use of the TruePath Crossing Device for Infrainguinal Chronic Total Occlusions With Intravascular Ultrasound Evaluation.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of the TruePath crossing device as the primary recanalization tool for infrainguinal chronic total occlusions (CTO). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of ...
Austrian themes and the Cambridge capital theory controversies

While Austrian economists and their models were only indirectly involved in the Cambridge capital theory controversies that came to a dramatic head in 1966, certain ideas argued for by the Cambridge, UK side were prefigured in some work by Austrian economists, especially F.A. Hayek in his 1941, The Pure Theory of Capital, which he wote largely as a result of earlier debates with both Sraffa and Keynes. This paper recounts the roots of the capital theory debates coming out of the nineteenth century, the arguments among Keynes, Sraffa, and Hayek, Hayek’s analysis that undermined traditional Austrian views of capital, the Cambridge controversies themselves, and then how various groups followed up in the aftermath, including neoclassicals, neo-Ricardians and Post Keynesians, and various groups of Austrians, who were themselves slow to recognize the full implications of Hayek’s work and its relation to the Cambridge capital theory controversies. A final point is that among both those following Sraffa and Joan Robinson more as well as those following Hayek more, some have seen the issues leading to broader complexity approaches to capital theory and economic dynamics.
Modeling Common-Mode Circulating Currents in Paralleled Non-Isolated DC-DC Converter-Based Systems

Non-isolated dc-dc converters play a crucial role in the electrification of transportation applications/systems. Without galvanic isolation, control of common-mode circulating current between non-isolated converters is critical, particularly when it is desired to scale power levels through paralleling modular building blocks. This paper presents the development of differential-mode and common-mode equivalent models of a three-level neutral-point-clamped buck converter suitable for high-power applications for the purpose of analytically predicting and analyzing circulating currents between paralleled converters. Indeed, a closed-form expression is derived for the peak-to-peak circulating current between converters as a function of time delay between their switching command signals. Additionally, the models are used to elucidate a subtle source of mode conversion responsible for steady-state neutral-point voltage drift.
Elevated CO2 impairs olfactory-mediated neural and behavioral responses and gene expression in ocean-phase coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).

Elevated concentrations of CO2 in seawater can disrupt numerous sensory systems in marine fish. This is of particular concern for Pacific salmon because they rely on olfaction during all aspects of their life including during their homing migrations from the ocean back to their natal streams. We investigated the effects of elevated seawater CO2 on coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) olfactory-mediated behavior, neural signaling, and gene expression within the peripheral and central olfactory system. Ocean-phase coho salmon were exposed to three levels of CO2 , ranging from those currently found in ambient marine water to projected future levels. Juvenile coho salmon exposed to elevated CO2 levels for 2 weeks no longer avoided a skin extract odor that elicited avoidance responses in coho salmon maintained in ambient CO2 seawater. Exposure to these elevated CO2 levels did not alter odor signaling in the olfactory epithelium, but did induce significant changes in signaling within the olfactory bulb. RNA-Seq analysis of olfactory tissues revealed extensive disruption in expression of genes involved in neuronal signaling within the olfactory bulb of salmon exposed to elevated CO2 , with lesser impacts on gene expression in the olfactory rosettes. The disruption in olfactory bulb gene pathways included genes associated with GABA signaling and maintenance of ion balance within bulbar neurons. Our results indicate that ocean-phase coho salmon exposed to elevated CO2 can experience significant behavioral impairments likely driven by alteration in higher-order neural signal processing within the olfactory bulb. Our study demonstrates that anadromous fish such as salmon may share a sensitivity to rising CO2 levels with obligate marine species suggesting a more wide-scale ecological impact of ocean acidification.
Spoken fictional narrative and literacy skills of children with Down syndrome.

Abstract Background Children with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit below average nonverbal intelligence and impaired language skills; however, their spoken narrative production is a relative strength. Aims We examined expressive language skills produced during fictional narrative retells and analyzed the unique contribution of expressive language skills to word-level reading and reading comprehension of children with DS. Methods and procedures The microstructure and macrostructure of fifteen, 8- to 18-year-old children with DS’s narrative retells were analyzed. Receptive vocabulary, word-level reading, and reading comprehension also were measured. Results Narrative microstructure analyses revealed restricted syntactic and semantic diversity. Further analyses of sentence complexity revealed that children with DS predominately produced prepositional phrases and produced more verbs than nouns. Narrative macrostructure analysis revealed participants use of episodic components; however, their stories did not include mental state references. Narrative microstructure contributed unique variance to word-level reading, whereas narrative macrostructure contributed unique variance to word-level reading and reading comprehension. Additionally, strong correlations were found between narrative skills and literacy skills. Conclusions and implications Findings from this study support the use of narrative microstructure and macrostructure analyses as a valuable clinical tool to guide assessment and intervention planning for school-aged children with DS.
Note on the history effect in fluid mechanics

A freshman mechanics course often includes a theoretical discussion or demonstration of the motion of solid particles through fluids. The effect of viscosity is typically considered to provide a drag force on the particle which at each instant is proportional to the particle velocity. We present a brief discussion of the limitations of this approach and the importance of the so-called history effect first considered by Boussinesq and Basset in the late 19th century.
Strong Stein neighbourhood bases

Let Ω be a smooth bounded pseudoconvex domain in ℂ n . We give several characterizations for the closure of Ω to have a Stein neighbourhood basis in the sense that Ω has a defining function ρ such that {z ∈ ℂ n : ρ(z) 0. We also show that this condition is invariant under proper holomorphic maps that extend smoothly up to the boundary.
Development of Transformer Terminal Unit Based on Virtual Technology

In order to conform the development trend of distribution network, the requirement of terminal need to have the ability of Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more and more prominent. Firstly, the paper expounds the development trend of low-voltage distribution network and emphasizes the technical transformation of the transformer terminal unit. Secondly, it puts forward the software and hardware architecture of the transformer terminal unit which is suitable for the IoT. Then, it introduces the key technologies related to the transformer terminal unit. Finally, it analyzes the next stage of the work plan for the improvement of the function.
Making Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Even Safer

Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an important stroke prevention option for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on studies of the early generation WATCHMAN (Boston Sc...
An additional physiological role for HSP70: Assistance of vascular reactivity.

Abstract Aims HSP70, a molecular chaperone, helps to maintain proteostasis. In muscle biology, however, evidence suggests HSP70 to have a more versatile range of functions, as genetic deletion of its inducible genes impairs Ca2+ handling, and consequently, cardiac and skeletal muscle contractility. Still, it is unknown whether HSP70 is involved in vascular reactivity, an intrinsic physiological mechanism of blood vessels. Therefore, we designed this study to test the hypothesis that proper vascular reactivity requires the assistance of HSP70. Main methods We performed functional studies in a wire-myograph using thoracic aorta isolated from male Sprague Dawley rats. Experiments were conducted with and without an HSP70 inhibitor as well as in heat-stressed vessels. The expression levels of HSP70 were evaluated with Western blotting. NO and ROS levels were assessed with fluorescence microscopy. Key findings We report that blockade of HSP70 weakens contraction in response to phenylephrine (dose-response) in the aorta. Additionally, we demonstrated that inhibition of HSP70 affects the amplitude of the fast and of the slow components of the time-force curve. Corroborating these findings, we found that inhibition of HSP70, in vessels over-expressing this protein, partly rescues the contractile phenotype of aortic rings. Furthermore, we show that blockade of HSP70 facilitates relaxation in response to acetylcholine and clonidine without affecting the basal levels of NO and ROS. Significance Our work introduces an additional physiological role for HSP70, the assistance of vascular reactivity, which highlights this protein as a new player in vascular physiology, and therefore, uncovers a promising research avenue for vascular diseases.
Loop, Hook, Pull: Disabled by Design—Creating a Narrative Theology of Disability

As a disabled person, Psalm 139:13–14 has long presented as theologically problematic for me. How could “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, f...
Crystal Structure and C−H Bond Cleaving Reactivity of a Mononuclear CoIV-dinitrate Complex

High-valent FeIV═O intermediates with a terminal metal-oxo moiety are key oxidants in many enzymatic and synthetic C-H bond oxidation reactions. While generating stable metal-oxo species for late transition metals remains synthetically challenging, notably, a number of high-valent non-oxo-metal species of late transition metals have been recently described as strong oxidants that activate C-H bonds. In this work, we obtained an unprecedented mononuclear CoIV-dinitrate complex (2) upon one-electron oxidation of its Co(III) precursor supported by a tridentate dianionic N3 ligand. 2 was structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, showing a square pyramidal geometry with two coordinated nitrate anions. Furthermore, characterization of 2 using combined spectroscopic and computational methods revealed that 2 is a low-spin (S = 1/2) Co(IV) species with the unpaired electron located on the cobalt dz2 orbital, which is well positioned for substrate oxidations. Indeed, while having a high thermal stability, 2 is able to cleave sp3 C-H bonds up to 87 kcal/mol to afford rate constants and kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) of 2-6 that are comparable to other high-valent metal oxidants. The ability to oxidize strong C-H bonds has yet to be observed for CoIV-O and CoIII═O species previously reported. Therefore, 2 represents the first high-valent Co(IV) species that is both structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and capable of activating strong C-H bonds.
Isoscalar and isovector giant resonances in 44Ca, 54Fe, 64,68Zn and 56,58,60,68Ni

Abstract We have studied the uncharacteristic behavior of the measured values of the isoscalar and isovector centroid energies, ECEN, of nuclear giant resonances of multipolarity from L = 0 to L = 3 in 44Ca, 54Fe, 64,68Zn and 56,58,60,68Ni. For this purpose, we carried out calculations of ECEN within the spherical Hartree-Fock (HF)-based random phase approximation (RPA) theory with 33 distinct Skyrme-like effective nucleon-nucleon interactions. We have also determined the Pearson linear correlation coefficients between centroid energies, obtained from the HF-RPA, and the various properties of nuclear matter (NM) of each interaction and determined the sensitivity of ECEN to NM properties. We compared the theoretical values of ECEN obtained from the HF-RPA calculations with experimental data and discuss the results, pointing out significant disagreements between theoretical and experimental values. We note in particular, that we obtain good agreement for the theoretical ECEN of the isovector giant dipole resonance and the available experimental data.
Enzyme assays for cGMP hydrolyzing phosphodiesterases

Cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP) as second messengers regulate a wide variety of biological processes such as cellular growth, secretary signaling, and neuroplasticity. These processes can be regulated by increasing the synthesis of cyclic nucleotides (cyclases), by regulation of cAMP and cGMP effector proteins such as cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases, or by regulation of cyclic nucleotide degradation via cyclic nucleotide phosphodiestases (PDEs). At present PDEs are classified into 11 gene families, each containing several different isoforms and splice variants. All PDEs share considerable homology in their catalytic domains but substantially differ in their N-terminal regions, that contain different types of regulatory. The different PDEs show complex substrate specificity. PDE5, PDE6, and PDE9 are considered to be cGMP specific, while PDE1, PDE2, PDE3, PDE10, and PDE11 can hydrolyze both cGMP and cAMP. PDE4, PDE7, and PDE8 use mainly cAMP as their substrates at physiological substrate levels. Here we describe two methods designed for measuring cGMP (cAMP) hydrolytic activities. The first one is a traditional method using radioactive substrates and the second one is a recently developed nonradioactive method based on Isothermal Titration Calorimetry.
Healthcare Costs of Angina in Women

This chapter examines the data on costs of cardiovascular care for women and highlights the importance of chest pain and the burden of persistent angina as driving higher costs of care. For women, a consistent body of evidence reports that women (generally) utilize more healthcare resources than men. A large component of the costs of care includes those for ongoing symptoms including the burden of angina. Within the NIH-NHLBI Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study, costs of care were estimated for symptomatic women with and without obstructive coronary artery disease. Even women with none to mild non-obstructive coronary artery disease had predicted lifetime costs of cardiovascular care of approximately 750,000 US dollars and this amount increased for women with coronary artery disease. The economic burden of angina, even in the setting of nonobstructive CAD, is costly and can result in high lifetime costs of care. Physicians should consider the intensity of resources required to adequately care for women with angina including the financial burden of family household resources.
Legalizing Undocumented Work

Eight million undocumented workers live as a separate subclass of exploited workers in the United States. The federal prohibition on undocumented work creates the plight of the undocumented worker. Social movements for undocumented workers respond by focusing on unscrupulous employers or the economic benefits provided by essential workers. These approaches, however, can fail to contest the moral disapproval to undocumented immigrants that justifies outlawing their work based on the rule of law or fairness to native-born workers. This Article proposes legalizing undocumented work separate and apart from immigration status. It responds to the moral disapproval by reframing the plight of undocumented workers as the subordination of a racial subclass of workers, which violates fundamental principles of equality and freedom. For workers who participate in and contribute to the law and economy of the American workplace, a separate caste of workers violates equality. Their inability to lawfully work also restricts their freedom to sell their own labor and work without coercion. Notably, these constraints on equality and freedom are being imposed on a primarily brown-collar workforce. At the same time, the United States has acquiesced to undocumented work, by turning a blind eye and actively profiting from such work through taxes, profits, and goods and services. A closer look at “illegality” reveals that its extension to the realm of work to justify exclusion of undocumented workers is problematic. Given the various growing social movements focused on anti-racial subordination, it is an opportune time to make such claims. The legalization of undocumented work applies more broadly to all workers in contrast to the proposals for legalizing immigration status that are inevitably limited to “deserving” subgroups of workers. Yet legalizing undocumented work means that immigrants will continue to face deportation because they lack lawful immigration status. There are practical steps, such as anti-retaliation protections and prohibitions on worksite enforcement, which can further help disentangle work from migration. While the legalization of undocumented work is not a panacea for the challenges faced by low-wage workers, having lawful work status increases the ability of workers to access the wider job market, move freely between jobs, and exercise workplace rights. Such legalization too provides a first step for reexamining the restoration of social, economic, and political rights of immigrants that have otherwise been foreclosed because of “illegality.”
Chemoprevention Against Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The number of gastric cancer-related deaths is only projected to increase, attributable primarily to the expanding aging population. Prevention is a mainstay of gastric cancer control programs, particularly in the absence of accurate, noninvasive modalities for screening and early detection, and the absence of an infrastructure for this purpose in the majority of countries worldwide. Herein, we discuss the evidence for several chemopreventive agents, along with putative mechanisms. There remains a clear, unmet need for primary chemoprevention trials for gastric cancer.
How the Middle East is facing COVID-19

Abstract The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the Middle East countries dictates different preparedness and response plans implemented locally. We aim to emphasize the unique challenges during fighting this pandemic in the region and take the opportunity to enumerate, evaluate, and illustrate the effort done by various countries in this regard. The Middle East region is geographically, politically, economically, and religiously a susceptible area, with very different health-care infrastructures, which imposes unique challenges for effective control of this pandemic. These challenges include compromised health-care systems, prolonged regional conflicts, wars and humanitarian crises, suboptimal cooperation levels, and frequent religious gatherings. These factors are interrelated and collectively influence the response to the pandemic in this region. Here, we extensively emphasize these challenges and take measures toward mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
Association between disparities in intergenerational economic mobility and cause-specific mortality among Black and White persons in the United States.

Abstract Background Evidence about the association between structural racism and mortality in the United States is limited. We examined the association between ongoing structural racism, measured as inequalities in adulthood income between White and Black children with similar parental household income (economic mobility gap) in a recent birth cohort, and Black-White disparities in death rates (mortality gap) overall and for major causes. Methods Sex-, race/ethnicity-, and county-specific data were used to examine sex-specific associations between economic mobility and mortality gaps for all causes combined, heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), injury/violence, all malignant cancers, and 14 cancer types. Economic mobility data for 1978–1983 birth cohorts and death rates during 2011–2018 were obtained from the Opportunity Atlas and National Center for Health Statistics, respectively. Data from 471 counties were included in analyses of all-cause mortality at ages 30−39 years during 2011–2018 (corresponding to partially overlapping 1978–1983 birth cohorts); and from 1,572 and 1,248 counties in analyses of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in all ages combined, respectively. Results In ages 30−39 years, a one percentile increase in the economic mobility gap was associated with a 6.8 % (95 % confidence interval 1.8 %–11.8 %) increase in the Black-White mortality gap among males and a 13.5 % (8.9 %–18.1 %) increase among females, based on data from 471 counties. In all ages combined, the corresponding percentages based on data from 1,572 counties were 10.2 % (7.2 %–13.2 %) among males and 14.8 % (11.4 %–18.2 %) among females, equivalent to an increase of 18.4 and 14.0 deaths per 100,000 in the mortality gap, respectively. Similarly, strong associations between economic mobility gap and mortality gap in all ages were found for major causes of death, notably for potentially preventable conditions, including COPD, injury/violence, and cancers of the lung, liver, and cervix. Conclusions Economic mobility gap conditional on parental income in a recent birth cohort as a marker of ongoing structural racism is strongly associated with Black-White disparities in all-cause mortality and mortality from several causes.