cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing Participation and Compliance in International Climate Change Agreements

Scientific and economic consensus increasingly points to the need for a credible and cost-effective approach to address the threat of global climate change, but the Kyoto Protocol to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change appears incapable of inducing significant participation and compliance. We assess the Protocol and thirteen alternative policy architectures that have been proposed, with particular attention to their respective abilities to induce participation and compliance. We find that those approaches that offer cost-effective mitigation are unlikely to induce significant participation and compliance, while those approaches that are likely to enjoy a reasonably high level of implementation by sovereign states are sorely lacking in terms of their anticipated cost effectiveness. The feasible set of policy architectures is thus limited to second-best alternatives. Much more attention needs to be given - both by scholarly research and by international negotiations - to aspects of future international climate agreements that will affect the degrees of participation and compliance that can reasonably be expected to be forthcoming.
On directional derivatives of the theta function along its divisor

In this note we will identify the divisor of any fixed directional derivative of the Riemann theta function evaluated along the theta divisor with the divisor formed from ag−1 dimensional subspace of holomorphic one-forms from the underlying Riemann surface.
Defining the mechanisms of CD8 T-cell tumor tolerance

Evaluation of: Nagaraj S, Schrum AG, Cho HI et al.: Mechanism of T cell tolerance induced by myeloid-derived suppressor cells. J. Immunol. 184, 3106–3116 (2010). CD8 T-cell inhibition by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) is one of the presumed methods by which tumors evade the immune system, although the mechanism remains unclear. This paper provides a new insight into the inhibitory interactions between MDSCs and T cells and the mechanisms by which this occurs. The authors demonstrated that tumor-mediated CD8 T-cell suppression via MDSCs causes T cells to be suppressed only for the T-cell receptor (TCR) specific for the tumor-derived antigen while remaining responsive to antigens activating other TCRs in the same cell. They further show that the specific TCR complex is nitrated by the MDSC, which reduces the physical interaction of TCRs with CD3ζ and CD8 and results in lower levels of several TCR-related molecules, including phosphorylated CD3ζ, and reduces activation, proliferation and IFN-γ prod...
Conserved residue clustering and protein structure prediction.

Protein residues that are critical for structure and function are expected to be conserved throughout evolution. Here, we investigate the extent to which these conserved residues are clustered in three-dimensional protein structures. In 92% of the proteins in a data set of 79 proteins, the most conserved positions in multiple sequence alignments are significantly more clustered than randomly selected sets of positions. The comparison to random subsets is not necessarily appropriate, however, because the signal could be the result of differences in the amino acid composition of sets of conserved residues compared to random subsets (hydrophobic residues tend to be close together in the protein core), or differences in sequence separation of the residues in the different sets. In order to overcome these limits, we compare the degree of clustering of the conserved positions on the native structure and on alternative conformations generated by the de novo structure prediction method Rosetta. For 65% of the 79 proteins, the conserved residues are significantly more clustered in the native structure than in the alternative conformations, indicating that the clustering of conserved residues in protein structures goes beyond that expected purely from sequence locality and composition effects. The differences in the spatial distribution of conserved residues can be utilized in de novo protein structure prediction: We find that for 79% of the proteins, selection of the Rosetta generated conformations with the greatest clustering of the conserved residues significantly enriches the fraction of close-to-native structures.
Diagnostic and Sex Effects on Limbic Volumes in Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia

Objective: The limbic structures in early-onset schizophrenia-spectrum illness (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) were studied to discern patterns associated with diagnosis and sex. Methods: Thirty-five youths with DSM-IV BPD without psychosis, 19 with BPD with psychosis, 20 with SZ, and 29 healthy controls (HC), similar in age (6-17 years) and sex, underwent structured and clinical interviews, neurological examination, and cognitive testing. Structural magnetic resonance images (MRIs) were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla, General Electric Signa Scanner. Differences in subcortical brain volumes, including the amygdala and hippocampus, were evaluated using two-way (diagnosis, sex) univariate analyses covarying for total cerebral volume and age. Results: Youth with SZ and BPD showed no differences in amygdala and hippocampal volumes. However, boys with SZ had smallest left amygdala and girls with BPD had the smallest left hippocampal volumes. In exploratory analyses, SZ showed reduced thalamic volumes bilaterally and both BPD groups had larger right nucleus accumbens (NA) volumes relative to HC. Conclusion: There were no limbic volumetric differences between BPD and SZ. However, there were diagnosis-by-sex interactions in the amygdala and hippocampus, structures that are rich in sex hormone receptors. In addition, smaller thalamus was associated with SZ while larger right NA volumes were most related to BPD. This study underscores the importance of assessing diagnostic effects and sex effects on the brain in future studies and provides evidence that boys and girls with SZ and BPD may have differential patterns of neuropathology associated with disease expression.
Basil O'Connor, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and the Reorganization of Polio Research in the United States, 1935–41

The costs associated with polio research in the late 1920s were high, while sources for research funding remained scarce. This began to change in the early 1930s with the creation of three private philanthropies that would form the basis of a system to fund polio research adequately: the International Committee for the Study of Infantile Paralysis (1928), The President's Birthday Ball Commission (1934), and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (1938). This article explores how these three organizations shaped the process for directing funds to polio research. Beginning with the International Committee, all three philanthropies used medical advisory committees as vehicles for the review of proposals for research. The National Foundation adopted many of the policies and procedures of the earlier organizations, drawing on the experiences, misfortunes, and successes of its predecessors. The National Foundation also relied on some of the same personnel, although the microbiologist and writer Paul de Kruif, who was an influential figure in the early years, was gradually pushed out. This essay explores the establishment of the medical advisory committees of the National Foundation and reveals how by 1941 under leadership of Basil O'Connor and Dr. Thomas Rivers they developed a systematic and readily legitimated process for directing funding. By 1941, the NFIP had in place the fund-raising capacity to underwrite the scientific research that would ultimately produce two successful polio vaccines in the next twenty years.
Humidity Sensations In The Thermal Comfort Range

(1963). Humidity Sensations In The Thermal Comfort Range. Architectural Science Review: Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 33-34.
In-vitro susceptibility of the Bacteroides fragilis group and the inoculum effect of newer β-lactam antibiotics on this group of organisms

The susceptibility and inoculum effect of 190 selected Bacteroides fragilis group isolates were determined with six beta-lactam antibiotics by two different methods: agar dilution and broth microdilution. The results were analysed by species within this group of pathogens. The evaluation showed that imipenem had superior activity and was very stable to increased inoculum concentration. Cefoxitin and piperacillin exhibited very good activity and very small inoculum effect; latamoxef showed stability to changes in the inoculum concentration but only intermediate activity; while ceftizoxime and cefoperazone exhibited a marked inoculum effect and relatively poor activity. Resistance among the species was as follows: B. distasonis greater than B. thetaiotaomicron greater than B. ovatus greater than B. fragilis. The inoculum effect was higher when tests were performed in broth rather than in agar. In general, the effect was more pronounced among B. ovatus and less among B. distasonis isolates.
Electronic-oscillator analysis of femtosecond four-wave mixing in conjugated polyenes

Equations of motion which describe the nonlinear optical response of conjugated polyenes using a collective electronic-oscillator representation are derived. Specific signatures of electronic correlations which enter as anharmonicities and scattering between oscillators are predicted in ultrafast resonant four-wave mixing. Only few resonant oscillators need to be considered explicitly; effects of the remaining (off-resonant) oscillators are introduced via renormalized anharmonic coupling coefficients. The connection with inorganic semiconductors is established.
Experimental litterfall manipulation drives large and rapid changes in soil carbon cycling in a wet tropical forest

Global changes such as variations in plant net primary production are likely to drive shifts in leaf litterfall inputs to forest soils, but the effects of such changes on soil carbon (C) cycling and storage remain largely unknown, especially in C-rich tropical forest ecosystems. We initiated a leaf litterfall manipulation experiment in a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica to test the sensitivity of surface soil C pools and fluxes to different litter inputs. After only 2 years of treatment, doubling litterfall inputs increased surface soil C concentrations by 31%, removing litter from the forest floor drove a 26% reduction over the same time period, and these changes in soil C concentrations were associated with variations in dissolved organic matter fluxes, fine root biomass, microbial biomass, soil moisture, and nutrient fluxes. However, the litter manipulations had only small effects on soil organic C (SOC) chemistry, suggesting that changes in C cycling, nutrient cycling, and microbial processes in response to litter manipulation reflect shifts in the quantity rather than quality of SOC. The manipulation also affected soil CO2 fluxes; the relative decline in CO2 production was greater in the litter removal plots (22%) than the increase in the litter addition plots (+15%). Our analysis showed that variations in CO2 fluxes were strongly correlated with microbial biomass pools, soil C and nitrogen (N) pools, soil inorganic P fluxes, dissolved organic C fluxes, and fine root biomass. Together, our data suggest that shifts in leaf litter inputs in response to localized human disturbances and global environmental change could have rapid and important consequences for belowground C storage and fluxes in tropical rain forests, and highlight differences between tropical and temperate ecosystems, where belowground C cycling responses to changes in litterfall are generally slower and more subtle.
EFFECT OF TIME-SHARING ON MONITORING PERFORMANCE: SIMPLE MENTAL ARITHMETIC AS A LOADING TASK.

A three-group experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of a secondary task of simple mental arithmetic on visual monitoring performance. The primary task was detection of a slightly larger excursion of a voltmeter needle making 50 uniform excursions per minute. The length of the vigil was 48 min., during which 32 signals were presented. The time-sharing group (T) performed, in addition to the monitoring task, a secondary task of adding two one-digit numbers presented auditorally 3 times a minute. Two control groups, one with the numbers presented (N) and one with only random noise (C), performed only the monitoring task. Results showed no difference in detection rate between groups, but a significant time decrement (p < .001) and no group-by-time periods interaction. Commissive errors were significantly higher in the time-sharing group than the control groups. The results are seen as contrary to the arousal theory of vigilance.
False timing path identification using ATPG techniques and delay-based information

A well-known problem in timing verification of VLSI circuits using static timing analysis tools is the generation of false timing paths. This leads to a pessimistic estimation of the processor speed and wasted engineering effort spent optimizing unsensitizable paths. Earlier results have shown how ATPG techniques can be used to identify false paths efficiently, as well as how to bridge the gap between the physical design on which the static timing analysis is based and the test view on which ATPG technique is applied to identify false paths. In this paper, we will demonstrate efficient techniques to identify more false timing paths by utilizing information from an ordered list of timing paths according to the delay information. More than 10% of additional false timing paths out of the total timing paths analyzed are identified compared to earlier results on the MPC7455, a Motorola processor executing to the PowerPC/spl trade/ instruction set architecture.
Workflow Enhancement (WE) Improves Safety in Radiation Oncology: Putting the WE and Team Together

Purpose To review the impact of a workflow enhancement (WE) team in reducing treatment errors that reach patients within radiation oncology. Methods and Materials It was determined that flaws in our workflow and processes resulted in errors reaching the patient. The process improvement team (PIT) was developed in 2010 to reduce errors and was later modified in 2012 into the current WE team. Workflow issues and solutions were discussed in PIT and WE team meetings. Due to tensions within PIT that resulted in employee dissatisfaction, there was a 6-month hiatus between the end of PIT and initiation of the renamed/redesigned WE team. In addition to the PIT/WE team forms, the department had separate incident forms to document treatment errors reaching the patient. These incident forms are rapidly reviewed and monitored by our departmental and institutional quality and safety groups, reflecting how seriously these forms are treated. The number of these incident forms was compared before and after instituting the WE team. Results When PIT was disbanded, a number of errors seemed to occur in succession, requiring reinstitution and redesign of this team, rebranded the WE team. Interestingly, the number of incident forms per patient visits did not change when comparing 6 months during the PIT, 6 months during the hiatus, and the first 6 months after instituting the WE team ( P =.85). However, 6 to 12 months after instituting the WE team, the number of incident forms per patient visits decreased ( P =.028). After the WE team, employee satisfaction and commitment to quality increased as demonstrated by Gallup surveys, suggesting a correlation to the WE team. Conclusions A team focused on addressing workflow and improving processes can reduce the number of errors reaching the patient. Time is necessary before a reduction in errors reaching patients will be seen.
The Shape of branes pulled by strings

We examine the system where a string stretches between a pair of $D$-branes, and study the bending of the $D$-brane caused by the tension of the string. If the distance between the pair of $D$-branes is sent to infinity, the tension of the string stretching between them is strong enough to pull the spike all the way to infinity. We study the shape of these spikes when the branes are a finite distance apart using two different methods. First, we consider a string stretched between a pair of $D2$-branes in type-IIA theory by going to the M-theory limit in which all of these branes are M-theory two-branes embedded along a holomorphic curve. Second, we consider a $D$-string stretched between a pair of $D3$-branes in type-IIB theory and infer the geometry of the $D3$-brane embeddings from the configuration of the adjoint scalar field in the magnetic monopole solution of Prasad and Sommerfield. The case of a fundamental string stretching between a pair of $D3$-branes follows from $S$ duality. The energy of these configurations matches the expected value based on the fundamental string and $D$-string tensions.
The Diminishing Benefits Of Nae International Portfolio Diversification Following The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis

Nae international diversification has been fundamental to portfolio management over the past 30 years, but the benefits appear to be significantly diminished following the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Using monthly return data covering the period from 1970 through 2004, we found rising correlations between U.S. and international equity markets exceeding 0.85 since July 1997. Even the return correlation of emerging countries recently has reached almost 0.80. We also found a significant reduction in the variance of the international return correlation after the financial crisis. Portfolio managers should not expect to receive the same benefits from international portfolio diversification as that obtained prior to the Asian financial crisis.
An Easy Road to Nominalism

In this paper, I provide an easy road to nominalism which does not rely on a Field-type nominalization strategy for mathematics (Field 1980). According to this proposal, applications of mathematics to science, and alleged mathematical explanations of physical phenomena, only emerge when suitable physical interpretations of the mathematical formalism are advanced. And since these interpretations are rarely distinguished from the mathematical formalism, the impression arises that mathematical explanations derive from the mathematical formalism alone. I correct this misimpression by pointing out, in the cases recently discussed by Mark Colyvan (2010), exactly where the interpretations of the formalism were invoked and the function they played in the resulting explanations. A viable form of easy-road nominalism, which is also sensitive to scientific practice, then arises.
Measuring the microenvironmental temperature around magnetic nanoparticles

It is important to measure the temperature of magnetic nanoparticles during hyperthermia therapy to develop safe practices. We theoretically demonstrate a method for measuring the temperature of magnetic nanoparticles using induction coils and nanoparticle magnetization harmonics. A geometrically decoupled sensing coil is described that enhances the sensitivity to small amounts of iron and also could possibly be used to eliminate sensing challenges created by the high-powered hyperthermia drive field.
Evaluation of three commercial screening tests for AIDS virus antibodies

Three commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus antibodies were evaluated using serum that had been character­ ized by an ELISA and western blot procedure developed at the University of California at Davis (UCD). Each of the commercial tests was more specific than the UCD ELISA, but the UCD ELISA was more sensitive in the detection of sera that lacked reactivity by western blot to the envelope glycoprotein (gp-41). The HTLV-III Bio-EnzaBead® (Litton Bionetics, Charleston, SC) was less sensitive and specific than the Abbott® HTLV-III EIA (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL) or the Virgo® HTLV-III ELISA (Electro-Nucleonics Inc., Columbia, MD). Overall, 22.9% (57 of 250) and 51.0% of sera that were repeatedly (X2) positive by commercial screening kits tested at blood donor centers and clinical laboratories, respectively, were confirmed by western blot. These results indicate that the screening assays for AIDS virus antibodies are not equal in performance and that positive screening test results must be confirmed by a more spe­ cific test like western blot before results are released. (Key words: HTLV-III; ELISA; Evaluation; Western blot) Am J Clin Pathol 1986;86:357-359 COMMERCIAL SCREENING TESTS for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) have recently been approved by the Federal Drug Administra­ tion and have been applied widely, primarily to detect HTLV-III-contaminated donor blood. 5 However, only brief accounts in the medical literature detail the basic performance standards of these test kits. 2 Available in­ formation from the companies that produce these assays reveals that only epidemiologic criteria were employed to estimate sensitivity and specificity levels, i.e., their re­ ported sensitivity is based on an assumed 100% prevalence of HTLV-III antibody in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and their specificity is based on an assumed zero prevalence of HTLV-III antibody in random blood donors. To more adequately define the specific performance limits of these screening assays, it is important to test sera that have been characterized by more specific and sensitive methods including western blot. 12 The use of these reference sera should more clearly
Growth of Selected Cross-Contaminating Bacterial Pathogens on Beef and Fish at 15 and 35°C.

Isolates of Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens from beef and Aeromonas hydrophila from fish were examined for their ability to survive and grow as cross-contaminates on nonnative tissues at simulated ambient (35°C) and aging/conditioning (15°C) temperatures of handling and retailing found in the tropics. Growth of all isolates over a 10-h period was greater (P < 0.05) on their native tissues at both temperatures. The aging/conditioning temperature effectively limited growth of E. coli and A. hydrophila to less than l-logl0 CFU/g and prevented growth of C. perfringens on beef and fish samples. All three isolates demonstrated characteristic mesophilic growth response on both tissues at 35°C during the 10-h retail period. The study suggests that two muscle food products could be jointly handled to efficiently use available storage/haulage capacity in tropical countries. Potential savings in space, labor and energy would be made if cross-contamination between the two products is minimized by available packaging and sanitizing technologies.
Secure and Resilient Manufacturing Operations Inspired by Software-Defined Networking

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a relatively new concept in the cloud and computer networks domain proposed as a solution to depart from the current limitations of traditional IP networks which are complex and, many times, difficult to manage. Manufacturing operations, being them originated on a single shop-floor or distributed across many organizations, have long now been subject to limitations in performance due to the manufacturing control software. This paper investigates the SDN concept adoption for the manufacturing product design and operational flow, by promoting the logical-only centralization of the shop-floor operations control within the manufacturing shared-cloud for clusters of manufacturing networks. First, the paper proposes the adoption of SDN concept to distributed manufacturing networks, with the goal to improve the performance of manufacturing data network metrics. Then, the paper proposes the design of an SDN-inspired mechanism for manufacturing control, with the goal to optimize the performance of specific manufacturing operations metrics such as total completion time, maximum lateness, and others. Both solutions are expected to bring manufacturing operations similar benefits that SDN is reported to generate to IP-based networks.
A Madelung Fluid Based Density Gradient Model for Large Barrier Tunneling Calculations

A modified density gradient model is derived for the carrier density inside a large potential barrier from the Madelung-Bohm fluid theory of quantum mechanics (QM) and the WKB approximation. The derived model is used with simple additional assumptions on the nature of the inversion layer and dissipationless transport, and shows an excellent match to experimental tunneling current data. Though the present derivation is one-dimensional, the model shows promise for generalization to 2-D and 3-D.
Quality Improvement in Public Health: Current Status and Future Prospects

The application of quality improvement (QI) methods and techniques in public health departments has accelerated rapidly over the last decade catalyzed by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) with extensive support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Quality improvement is a distinct management process that deploys a coordinated set of techniques to assist departments in meeting the health needs of their communities.
The Effects of Face Inversion and Face Race on the P100 ERP

Research about the neural basis of face recognition has investigated the timing and anatomical substrates of different stages of face processing. Scalp-recorded ERP studies of face processing have ...
Potential for augmentation of FDG uptake in tumor cells in-vitro with A3 adenosine receptor stimulation

1474 Objectives: We previously observed that dipyridamole significantly increased intracellular 3H-FDG in various cancer cell lines, possibly through stimulation of an adenosine pathway. We evaluated the involvement of A3 adenosine receptors (A3R) as a mechanism of action of dipyridamole augmented 3H-FDG cell uptake. Methods: Ovarian adenocarcinoma (SKOV-3) cells were evaluated in cell culture. Cell were pre-treated in serum free RPMI 1640 media with low physiologic glucose (0.8 g/L) either alone, or with addition of dipyridamole, caffeine (non-selective A1, A2a, A2b, and A3 adenosine receptor antagonist), IB-MECA (A3R agonist), or rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor) for 1 hour, and 18 hours for IB-MECA. These steps were followed by cellular exposure to 3.7kBq (0.1 μCi) of 3H-FDG for 75 minutes at 37 degrees C. Cells were washed with PBS then collected for measurement in a scintillation counter. Results: High concentrations of unlabelled adenosine and caffeine did not significantly affect cell uptake of 3H-FDG. However, micromolar concentrations of a more selective A3R agonist (IB-MECA) for 1 hour significantly increased 3H-FDG cell uptake in comparison to unconditioned cells (from 967 dpm/100K cells to 2108 dpm/100K cells) (p
First record of Climacia californica (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) and its host sponge, Ephydatia mulleri (Porifera: Spongillidae), from Idaho with water quality relationships

The spongillafly, Climacia californica Chandler, and its sponge host, Ephydatia mulleri (Lieberkuhn), are reported from the state of Idaho for the first time. Climacia californica has not previously been reported from E. mulleri . Collections were made in the Burley – Twin Falls area, and detailed water quality data are provided for the first time for spongillafly larvae. The water quality data also expand the known tolerance limits of E. mulleri for water temperature, conductivity, pH, hardness, silica, and residue.
HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS IN AFRICA

The etymology of the term mathematics (mathematikos) points to two Greek words, mathema and manthanein , indexing a science and to learn respectively. Subsequently, mathematics has been defined as the study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols (Collins). More broadly, mathematics is the study or use of numbers and shapes to calculate, represent or describe things (Oxford). Distilling from the definitions above is the incontrovertible argument that mathematics is essential to reasoning. Reasoning is critical to the advancement of any society. Underwood Dudley in a paper entitled “What is mathematics for?” argues that society cannot do without mathematics. He further notes that mathematics is the best way to learn how to reason, and that is its purpose, not to find jobs. Little wonder than the WeUSeMath.org concludes that math leads to purpose, opportunities and success. Key words: mathematics, history, reasoning, Africa
Improved Arousal and Motor Function Using Zolpidem in a Patient With Space-Occupying Intracranial Lesions: A Case Report

Abstract Patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) have profound functional limitations with few treatment options for improving arousal and quality of life. Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic used to treat insomnia that has also been observed to paradoxically improve arousal in those with DOC, such as the vegetative or minimally conscious states. Little information exists on its use in patients with DOC who have intracranial space-occupying lesions. We present a case of a 24-year-old man in a minimally conscious state due to central nervous system lymphoma who was observed to have increased arousal and improved motor function after the administration of zolpidem. Level of Evidence V
Apoptosis in Carcinogenesis and Chemotherapy – Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death. Esophageal carcinoma can be divided in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma by histopathology, and these two main histologic types of esophageal cancer are quite different in many aspects. Apoptosis in esophageal cancer has been extensively studied, and a recognized mechanism for the development of esophageal cancer is an imbalance between cell renewal and cell death, with apoptosis being inhibited. The inability of esophageal cancer to undergo apoptosis when presented with an insult is an important indicator of the propensity for the esophageal malignant transformation. Many of the molecular events necessary for activation, amplification and execution of the apoptotic process in esophageal cancer, and it is evident that diverse drugs can kill esophageal tumor cells through activating common apoptotic pathways. In the last decade, it has been demonstrated that resistance to apoptotic stimuli is a hallmark feature of esophageal cancer and a complex network of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins that governs the tight regulation along apoptotic pathways in regards of esophageal carcinogenesis and chemotherapy is revealed, and these findings could lead to the identification of several new molecular targets for chemoprevention and chemotherapy in esophageal cancer.
Mediatising Political Rhetoric: Media Logic at the Long March in Pakistan

The mediatisation of politics has been a dominant theory in the field of political communication for some time, proposing that the mass media in democratic societies tend to dominate the political process. This research intends to explore the media-politics nexus as part of the protest campaign in 2014 in Pakistan, also known as the long march. Specifically, it analyses dynamics of the political rhetoric of protesting leaders and dimensions of the two selected TV talk shows. Using textual analysis as research methodology, this article concludes that by transforming the political theatre into a media theatre, the talk shows effectively mediatised the long march. TV news became part of the political process, rather than covering it objectively, either by supporting or opposing the long march. The two top political leaders of the long march voluntarily adopted media logic as a rhetorical strategy to offer a readymade product for media coverage.
Understanding the relationship between hospital volume and patient outcomes for infants with gastroschisis

Abstract Background For many surgical operations, there is a well-established relationship between surgical volume and outcome. We investigated whether this relationship exists for infants with gastroschisis. Methods Using the Kids' Inpatient Database for years 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012, we identified all patients undergoing gastroschisis repair. Controlling for patient characteristics and complexity of disease (comorbid intestinal atresia/perforation, necrotizing enterocolitis, and respiratory distress syndrome), we compared surgical outcomes (mortality, length of stay, and incidence of TPN cholestasis) by hospital volume based on quartile for gastroschisis cases treated per year. Results We identified 7769 patients treated at 743 hospitals. The majority of hospitals were low-volume (n=445), while only 49 were high-volume. The overall mortality rate was 4.3%, and the median length of stay was 34days. Adjusting for clinical and demographic characteristics, patients treated at high-volume hospitals had similar rates of TPN cholestasis and similar mortality rates, but a higher chance for a prolonged length of stay compared to those treated at low-volume hospitals. Conclusions Using national data, we found that gastroschisis patients treated at high-volume hospitals did not have improved outcomes. The benefits of high-volume hospitals, which seem to be important for complex pediatric surgery, may not apply to treatment of gastroschisis. Level of evidence Level III Retrospective Study.
Teaching Residents to Teach: Why and How

Residents are critical educators in the current undergraduate and graduate medical education environment for a variety of reasons, both intrinsic and extrinsic to their own status as learners. Accordingly, focused development of resident educational skill is a key strategy linked to professional development and the framing of the learning environment. Understanding contemporary cognition science and theories surrounding learner development and progress can inform educational effort and structure. In addition, specific techniques can be modeled and taught to help residents become more proficient teachers, whether in the technical or nontechnical realm. Ultimately, helping residents develop educational skill promotes learning across the spectrum of experience and facilitates the progression toward entrustment and independent competence that is the goal of the educational process.
Dealing with dictators: the United States, Hungary, and East Central Europe, 1942–1989

‘Small states in the international arena are like bottles floating in the sea’, writes Laszlo Borhi in his enlightening new study. ‘[T]hey may surface for a moment on the wave of history, only to d...
An integrated bayesian theory of phenotypic flexibility.

Abstract Phenotypic flexibility includes systems such as individual learning, social learning, and the adaptive immune system. Since the evolution of genes by natural selection is a relatively slow process, mechanisms of phenotypic flexibility are evolved to adapt to contingencies on the time scales ranging from a few hundred milliseconds (e.g. avoidance of immediate physical threats) to a few millennia (e.g. cultural adaptations to local environmental variation in the Holocene). Because environmental variation is non-stationary and fat tailed, systems of phenotypic flexibility sometimes have to be creative. They do this by means of random innovation, or exploration, and selective retention. The canonically rational way to deal with variable, uncertain environments is the Bayesian process of using new data to update priors based on past experience. Organic evolution updates the gene frequencies of populations based upon the fitness of alleles. Learning updates behavioral priors based upon the reinforcement of alternate behaviors. Genes and mechanisms of phenotypic flexibility are not isolated but richly interact. Classically, genes are said to code for the reinforcers that shape behavior in individual learning, for example. It is currently controversial whether or not these interactions include a role for the products phenotypic flexibility directly shaping selection on genes.
Electromyographic and Joint Kinematic Patterns in Runner's Dystonia.

Runner’s dystonia (RD) is a task-specific focal dystonia of the lower limbs that occurs when running. In this retrospective case series, we present surface electromyography (EMG) and joint kinematic data from thirteen patients with RD who underwent instrumented gait analysis (IGA) at the Functional and Biomechanics Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health. Four cases of RD are described in greater detail to demonstrate the potential utility of EMG with kinematic studies to identify dystonic muscle groups in RD. In these cases, the methodology for muscle selection for botulinum toxin therapy and the therapeutic response is discussed. Lateral heel whip, a proposed novel presentation of lower-limb dystonia, is also described.
The Cleveland Clinic: a distinctive model of American medicine

The Cleveland Clinic is a large healthcare system based in Cleveland, Ohio (USA) with an extensive American (throughout Northeast Ohio; Weston, Florida; and Las Vegas, Nevada) and global presence (in Abu Dhabi, UAE; and with training alumni in >70 countries). Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 as a distinctive medical model with a tripartite mission of “better care of the sick, investigation of their problems, and more teaching of those who serve” which has been vibrantly maintained. Distinctive aspects of the Clinic include its being a closed staff, salaried, group practice which is physician-led and which features 1-year faculty appointments and a vigorous annual review process for all physicians and leaders. Regarding its tripartite mission, the Clinic has demonstrated longstanding clinical excellence, e.g., with consistent ranking as first in cardiovascular care in U.S. News and World Report and top-10 rankings in at least 12 other specialties. A longstanding tradition of research has contributed landmark discoveries, including performance of the first coronary revascularization procedure, the first intra-coronary angiogram, the world’s third face transplant, ongoing development of a breast cancer vaccine, etc. Regarding education, the Clinic serves many educational audiences excellently through its Education Institute. These audiences include medical students, graduate medical trainees, faculty physicians, nurses, and allied health providers (both within the Cleveland Clinic and from other institutions worldwide), and patients. The Education Institute also includes the Cleveland Clinic Academy, which offers training in leadership competencies to physicians, nurses, and healthcare administrators both within the Cleveland Clinic and to visitors from abroad (through the Executive Visitors Program and the Samson Global Leadership Academy for Healthcare Executives). The latter program is an intensive 2-week residential leadership development course for emerging healthcare leaders focusing on both personal leadership competencies and on healthcare system thinking (www.portals.clevelandclinic.org). Participants from 18 countries have attended to date.
Whole body human biodistribution of the PSMA inhibitor [18F]DCFBC

1910 Objectives [18F]DCFBC is a promising PET imaging agent for prostate cancer that targets the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Whole body biodistribution analysis was performed on the initial patients of an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial. Methods Three male patients with documented prostate cancer were injected with between 360 and 373 MBq of [18F]DCFBC and subsequently underwent serial whole body PET/CT imaging. A total of five PET series were acquired for each patient over an approximate 2.5 hour period. ROIs were drawn and time-activity curves were generated for multiple organs, including heart, lung, liver, kidney, bladder, small bowel, brain and bone. Results The maximum %ID/g appeared within the bladder and contents in all patients and ranged between 0.01 and 0.02, with the peak occurring between 40 and 100 minutes post-injection. There was an initial rise in renal activity that subsequently decreased in concert with the heart contents. The brain demonstrated little uptake, consistent with the hydrophilic nature of [18F]DCFBC. Interestingly, the testes demonstrate a slow rise in activity over time before reaching a plateau after 60 minutes. The remaining organs show continual decreasing activity over time. Conclusions Initial human biodistribution data indicate that the bladder and contents receive the highest %ID/g. In contrast, preclinical data with mice demonstrated that the kidneys received the highest %ID/g, followed by the bladder. Dose reduction strategies such as hydration and bladder catheterization may allow an increase in the injected dose if desired. Biodistribution with additional patients is ongoing with formal dosimetric analysis planned in the near future. Research Support NCI R01CA13467
Contextual Strict Scrutiny and Race-Conscious Policy Making

In his oft-cited article analyzing the United States Supreme Court’s Equal Protection jurisprudence of the 1960s and early 1970s, Professor Gerald Gunther proposed that the Court’s most exacting standard of judicial review reflected a “scrutiny that was ‘strict’ in theory and fatal in fact.”1 The Court’s review of laws based on suspect classifications, such as race or national origin, and laws infringing on fundamental rights, including the right to vote, demonstrated that strict scrutiny would prove lethal to a statute challenged on Equal Protection grounds. In particular, the Court’s evaluation of laws that subordinated minority groups—including school segregation policies, discriminatory public accommodations and transportation laws, and anti-miscegenation statutes prohibiting interracial marriages—consistently led to the invalidation of racial classifications.2 Recent challenges to race-conscious policies, including laws designed to remedy discrimination and to expand opportunities for racial minorities, have confirmed the rigor of strict scrutiny. In City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co.3 and Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena,4 the Supreme Court held that strict scrutiny must be applied to all racial classifications regardless of whether the policies subordinate
Tritrophic interactions between a fungal pathogen, a spider predator, and the blacklegged tick.

The blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector for the bacterium causing Lyme disease in eastern North America and for other medically important pathogens. This species is vulnerable to attack by fungal pathogens and arthropod predators, but the impacts of interactions between biocontrol agents have not been examined. The biocontrol agent Met52®, containing the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum (=M. anisopliae), controls blacklegged ticks with efficacy comparable to chemical acaricides. The brush-legged wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata is a predator of I. scapularis that reduces their survival under field conditions. We conducted a field microcosm experiment to assess the compatibility of Met52 and S. ocreata as tick biocontrol agents. We compared the fits of alternative models in predicting survival of unfed (flat) and blood-fed (engorged) nymphs. We found the strongest support for a model that included negative effects of Met52 and S. ocreata on flat nymph survival. We found evidence for interference between biocontrol agents, with Met52 reducing spider survival, but we did not find a significant interaction effect between the two agents on nymph survival. For engorged nymphs, low recovery rates resulted in low statistical power to detect possible effects of biocontrol agents. We found that nymph questing activity was lower when the spider was active above the leaf litter than when the spider was unobserved. This provides the first evidence that predation cues might affect behavior important for tick fitness and pathogen transmission. This study presents field microcosm evidence that the biopesticide Met52 and spider Schizocosa ocreata each reduced survival of blacklegged ticks Ixodes scapularis. Met52 reduced spider survival. Potential interference between Met52 and the spider should be examined at larger scales, where overlap patterns may differ. Ticks were more likely to quest when the spider was inactive, suggesting the ticks changed their behavior to reduce danger.
Investigation of tunable acetalated dextran microparticle platform to optimize M2e-based influenza vaccine efficacy

Influenza places a significant health and economic burden on society. Efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccines can be suboptimal due to poor matching between vaccine and circulating viral strains. An influenza vaccine that is broadly protective against multiple virus strains would significantly improve vaccine efficacy. The highly conserved ectodomain of matrix protein 2 (M2e) and 3'3' cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) were selected as the antigen and adjuvant, respectively, to develop the basis for a potential universal influenza vaccine. The magnitude and kinetics of adaptive immune responses can have great impact on vaccine efficacy. M2e and cGAMP were therefore formulated within acetalated dextran (Ace-DEX) microparticles (MPs) of varying degradation profiles to examine the effect of differential vaccine delivery on humoral, cellular, and protective immunity. All Ace-DEX MP vaccines containing M2e and cGAMP elicited potent humoral and cellular responses in vivo and offered substantial protection against a lethal influenza challenge, suggesting significant vaccine efficacy. Serum antibodies from Ace-DEX MP vaccinated mice also demonstrated cross reactivity against M2e sequences of various viral strains, which indicates the potential for broadly protective immunity. Of all the formulations tested, the slowest-degrading M2e or cGAMP MPs elicited the greatest antibody production, cellular response, and protection against a viral challenge. This indicated the importance of flexible control over antigen and adjuvant delivery. Overall, robust immune responses, cross reactivity against multiple viral strains, and tunable delivery profiles make the Ace-DEX MP platform a powerful subunit vaccine delivery system.
Breast Cancer Classification from Histopathological Images with Inception Recurrent Residual Convolutional Neural Network

The Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) is one of the most powerful and successful deep learning approaches. DCNNs have already provided superior performance in different modalities of medical imaging including breast cancer classification, segmentation, and detection. Breast cancer is one of the most common and dangerous cancers impacting women worldwide. In this paper, we have proposed a method for breast cancer classification with the Inception Recurrent Residual Convolutional Neural Network (IRRCNN) model. The IRRCNN is a powerful DCNN model that combines the strength of the Inception Network (Inception-v4), the Residual Network (ResNet), and the Recurrent Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN). The IRRCNN shows superior performance against equivalent Inception Networks, Residual Networks, and RCNNs for object recognition tasks. In this paper, the IRRCNN approach is applied for breast cancer classification on two publicly available datasets including BreakHis and Breast Cancer (BC) classification challenge 2015. The experimental results are compared against the existing machine learning and deep learning-based approaches with respect to image-based, patch-based, image-level, and patient-level classification. The IRRCNN model provides superior classification performance in terms of sensitivity, area under the curve (AUC), the ROC curve, and global accuracy compared to existing approaches for both datasets.