cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mexican Immigrant Political and Economic Incorporation

As the United States begins the twenty-first century, it remains the world's leading immigration country. In 2000 (the latest year for which migration data are available on a global basis) the United States was home to almost 35 million legal and unauthorized migrants, or 2.7 times as many as any other country. Although other nations have higher proportions of foreign-born residents (e.g., nearly 25 percent in Australia and 20 percent in Canada), the globally dominant position of the United States in regard to numbers of new immigrants reinforces its self-image as a “nation of immigrants,” as does the fact that immigration is generally seen as contributing to the country's economic and demographic strength. However, over the past three decades, more and more new arrivals with non-European origins have come to the country (more than four-fifths are Latino and Asian), many with very low levels of education and illegal status at entry. These changes have fueled public concerns and led to heated debates over whether U.S. admissions and settlement-related policies ought to be modified.Frank D. Bean is Professor of Sociology (fbean@uci.edu), Susan K. Brown is Assistant Professor of Sociology (skbrown@uci.edu),and Ruben G. Rumbaut is Professor of Sociology at University of California, Irvine (rrumbaut@uci.edu). Some of the research results reported in this paper come from a research project entitled “Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles” and supported by a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation.
BOUNDEDNESS AND UNIFORM CONVERGENCE IN B-DUALS

Suppose E is a vector valued sequence space with operator valued s-dual EsY . If the space E satisfies certain gliding hump conditions, we consider the connection between pointwise bounded subsets A of EsY and the uniform convergence of the elements of A. For linear operators our results contain results of Li, Wang and Zhong for the spaces c0(X) and lp(X).
ℓ 2 /ℓ 1 -optimization and its strong thresholds in approximately block-sparse compressed sensing

It has been known for a while that l 1 -norm relaxation can in certain cases solve an under-determined system of linear equations. Recently, [5], [11] proved (in a large dimensional and statistical context) that if the number of equations (measurements in the compressed sensing terminology) in the system is proportional to the length of the unknown vector then there is a sparsity (number of non-zero elements of the unknown vector) also proportional to the length of the unknown vector such that l 1 -norm relaxation succeeds in solving the system. In this paper we consider a modification of this standard setup, namely the case of so-called approximately block-sparse unknown vectors [2], [27]. We determine sharp lower bounds on the values of allowable approximate block-sparsity for any given number (proportional to the length of the unknown vector) of equations. Obtained lower bounds on the allowable sparsity are as expected functions of a parameter used to describe how close the approximately block-sparse unknown vectors are to the ideally block-sparse ones.
The Role of Probiotic Cultures in the Control of Gastrointestinal Health

The use of probiotics to enhance intestinal health has been proposed for many years. Probiotics are traditionally defined as viable microorganisms that have a beneficial effect in the prevention and treatment of specific pathologic conditions when they are ingested. There is a relatively large volume of literature that supports the use of probiotics to prevent or treat intestinal disorders. However, the scientific basis of probiotic use has been firmly established only recently, and sound clinical studies have begun to be published. Currently, the best-studied probiotics are the lactic acid bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus sp. and Bifidobacterium sp. However, other organisms used as probiotics in humans include Escherichia coli, Streptococcus sp., Enterococcus sp., Bacteroides sp., Bacillus sp., Propionibacterium sp. and various fungi. Some probiotic preparations contain mixtures of more than one bacterial strain. Probiotics have been examined for their effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of a diverse spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea (including Clostridium difficile-associated intestinal disease), infectious bacterial and viral diarrhea (including diarrhea caused by rotavirus, Shigella, Salmonella, enterotoxigenic E. coli, Vibrio cholerae and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency disorder, enteral feeding diarrhea, Helicobacter pylori gastroenteritis, sucrase maltase deficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, small bowel bacterial overgrowth and lactose intolerance. Probiotics have been found to inhibit intestinal bacterial enzymes involved in the synthesis of colonic carcinogens. There are many mechanisms by which probiotics enhance intestinal health, including stimulation of immunity, competition for limited nutrients, inhibition of epithelial and mucosal adherence, inhibition of epithelial invasion and production of antimicrobial substances. Probiotics represent an exciting prophylactic and therapeutic advance, although additional investigations must be undertaken before their role in intestinal health can be delineated clearly.
Emotion and Motivation: Toward Consensus Definitions and a Common Research Purpose

Historically, the hypothesis driving emotion research has been that emotion’s data-base—in language, physiology, and behavior— is organized around specific mental states, as reflected in evaluative language. It is suggested that this approach has not greatly advanced a natural science of emotion and that the developing motivational model of emotion defines a better path: emotion is an evolved trait founded on motivational neural circuitry shared by mammalian species, primitively prompting heightened perceptual processing and reflex mobilization for action to appetitive or threatening survival cues. As the field moves forward with increasingly sophisticated measurement technology and assessing more complex affective functioning, scientific understanding of human emotion will proceed best within the framework of this mammalian brain model.
COMPARISONS OF BEHAVIORS IN EARLY VS. LATE FOUNDRESS ASSOCIATIONS OF THE PAPER WASP, POLISTES METRICUS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE)

A significant number of subordinates of the paper wasp Polistes metricus Say are former single foundresses that have had their position usurped by a more dominant foundress. Such a displaced foundress sometimes remains with the usurper as a subordinate. Some usurpers desert larger nests where they were single foundresses to usurp a smaller colony.In early foundress associations (< 14 days old), queens frequently exhibit behaviors that are characteristic of subordinates in mature hierarchies. Early queens spend large proportions of their nest time inactive, adjacent to the nest. They also commonly retreat from approaching subordinates. In contrast early subordinates rarely retreat from queens and spend a large proportion of their nest time on the face of the nest where they are more active than the queen. These behaviors are reversed in more mature colonies with queens spending more time on the nest face and showing increasing activity and aggressive behavior towards subordinates.
Time-dependent critical layers in shear flows on the beta-plane

The problem of a finite-amplitude free disturbance of an inviscid shear flow on the beta-plane is studied. Perturbation theory and matched asymptotics are used to derive an evolution equation for the amplitude of a singular neutral mode of the Kuo equation. The effects of time-dependence, nonlinearity and viscosity are included in the analysis of the critical-layer flow. Nonlinear effects inside the critical layer rather than outside the critical layer determine the evolution of the disturbance. The nonlinear term in the evolution equation is some type of convolution integral rather than a simple polynomial. This makes the evolution equation significantly different from those commonly encountered in fluid wave and stability problems.
Cognitive Radio Engine Training

Training is the task of guiding a cognitive radio engine through the process of learning a desired system's behavior and capabilities. The training speed and expected performance during this task are of paramount importance to the system's operation, especially when the system is facing new conditions. In this paper, we provide a thorough examination of cognitive engine training, and we analytically estimate the number of trials needed to conclusively find the best-performing communication method in a list of methods sorted by their possible throughput. We show that, even if only a fraction of the methods meet the minimum packet success rate requirement, near maximal performance can be reached quickly. Furthermore, we propose the Robust Training Algorithm (RoTA) for applications in which stable performance during training is of utmost importance. We show that the RoTA can facilitate training while maintaining a minimum performance level, albeit at the expense of training speed. Finally, we test four key training techniques (e-greedy; Boltzmann exploration; the Gittins index strategy; and the RoTA) and we identify and explain the three main factors that affect performance during training: the domain knowledge of the problem, the number of methods with acceptable performance, and the exploration rate.
β-Alanine Biosynthesis in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

One efficient approach to assigning function to unannotated genes is to establish the enzymes that are missing in known biosynthetic pathways. One group of such pathways is those involved in coenzyme biosynthesis. In the case of the methanogenic archaeon Methanocaldococcus jannaschii as well as most methanogens, none of the expected enzymes for the biosynthesis of the β-alanine and pantoic acid moieties required for coenzyme A are annotated. To identify the gene(s) for β-alanine biosynthesis, we have established the pathway for the formation of β-alanine in this organism after experimentally eliminating other known and proposed pathways to β-alanine from malonate semialdehyde, l-alanine, spermine, dihydrouracil, and acryloyl-coenzyme A (CoA). Our data showed that the decarboxylation of aspartate was the only source of β-alanine in cell extracts of M. jannaschii. Unlike other prokaryotes where the enzyme producing β-alanine from l-aspartate is a pyruvoyl-containing l-aspartate decarboxylase (PanD), the enzyme in M. jannaschii is a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent l-aspartate decarboxylase encoded by MJ0050, the same enzyme that was found to decarboxylate tyrosine for methanofuran biosynthesis. A Km of ∼0.80 mM for l-aspartate with a specific activity of 0.09 μmol min(-1) mg(-1) at 70°C for the decarboxylation of l-aspartate was measured for the recombinant enzyme. The MJ0050 gene was also demonstrated to complement the Escherichia coli panD deletion mutant cells, in which panD encoding aspartate decarboxylase in E. coli had been knocked out, thus confirming the function of this gene in vivo.
Detecting glaucoma using automated pupillography.

Objective To evaluate the ability of a binocular automated pupillograph to discriminate healthy subjects from those with glaucoma. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Participants Both eyes of 116 subjects, including 66 patients with glaucoma in at least 1 eye and 50 healthy subjects from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study. Eyes were classified as glaucomatous by repeatable abnormal standard automated perimetry (SAP) or progressive glaucomatous changes on stereophotographs. Methods All subjects underwent automated pupillography using the RAPDx pupillograph (Konan Medical USA, Inc., Irvine, CA). Main Outcome Measures Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic ability of pupil response parameters to white, red, green, yellow, and blue full-field and regional stimuli. A ROC regression model was used to investigate the influence of disease severity and asymmetry on diagnostic ability. Results The largest area under the ROC curve (AUC) for any single parameter was 0.75. Disease asymmetry ( P 0.001), but not disease severity ( P = 0.058), had a significant effect on diagnostic ability. At the sample mean age (60.9 years), AUCs for arbitrary values of intereye difference in SAP mean deviation (MD) of 0, 5, 10, and 15 dB were 0.58, 0.71, 0.82, and 0.90, respectively. The mean intereye difference in MD was 2.2±3.1 dB. The best combination of parameters had an AUC of 0.85; however, the cross-validated bias-corrected AUC for these parameters was only 0.74. Conclusions Although the pupillograph had a good ability to detect glaucoma in the presence of asymmetric disease, it performed poorly in those with symmetric disease.
The impact of fuel evaporation on the gas-phase kinetics in the mixing region of a diesel autothermal reformer

Abstract Autothermal reforming is a promising technology to produce syngas from diesel fuel. However, the mixing of liquid diesel fuel with high temperature streams of steam and oxygen presents a challenge: how to avoid formation of ethylene, a likely deposit precursor, in the region upstream of the catalyst bed. This work describes a coupled CFD-kinetics study in the mixing region of a diesel autothermal reformer that considers: (1) an atomizer model to explicitly account for fuel evaporation, (2) n -dodecane as a surrogate diesel fuel, (3) oxygen as the oxidant instead of air. The predictions indicate unacceptable levels of ethylene (>0.1 mol%) will be present at the mixer exit if the mixer gas temperature is greater than ∼350 °C. This temperature is likely to be too low for proper catalyst performance. Thus this analysis suggests that either improved mixer designs or a different choice of catalyst might be required to achieve suitable diesel autothermal reforming performance.
The Flow and Ebb of American Capital Punishment

Capital punishment laws and practices have changed significantly since 1608, when the first recorded execution on American soil was carried out in colonial Jamestown (Harries & Cheatwood, 1997, p. 17). A dozen or more felonies were typically punished by death in the original 13 states, including counterfeiting, burglary, robbery, arson, and others (Bye, 1926, p. 234; Mackey, 1982, pp. 40–41). Death sentences followed automatically on conviction (Bedau, 1982, pp. 9–10). They were carried out publicly, with great fanfare and normally by hanging. Public executions were designed to impress citizens with the state’s power and authority and, accompanied by gallows sermons and often-repentant offenders, to reinforce civic values and the social order (Masur, 1989, pp. 25–49). Stimulated by various developments—the late 18th century translation and circulation of Cesare Beccaria’s influential treatise, On Crimes and Punishments (1764/1963), the emergence of penitentiaries as an alternative form of punishment, and jurors’ frequent reluctance to convict accused felons and thus automatically dispatch them to the gallows, among others—changes began to occur in the reach and administration of the death penalty shortly after the nation was born (Banner, 2002, pp. 91–95; Rothman, 1971; Woodson v. North Carolina, 1976, pp. 288–295). Pennsylvania enacted legislation in 1794, soon widely copied elsewhere, that created different categories of murder and limited capital punishment to murder in the first degree (Bedau, 1982,
Characteristics associated with impaired fecundity in the United States.

The authors draw upon Cycle IV data from the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth a population-based nationally-representative sample of 8450 women aged 15-44 years as of March 15 1988 to examine the characteristics of US women who have reported impaired fecundity regardless of whether they have ever sought medical help or advice for these problems. The profile of women with impaired fecundity described in the article can help clinicians identify those who may be most likely to be infertile now or in the future and could thus be targeted for counseling and screening to reduce their risk of infertility problems. Study results on infecundity are based upon data for the subset of 5036 sexually experienced women who were not surgically sterile and whose partners were not surgically sterile. Approximately 15% of nonsterilized sexually experienced women aged 15-44 report impaired fecundity because they have difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term or their partners have problems fathering a child. Multivariate logistic regressions found that older women childless women and married women are significantly more likely to report impaired fecundity but differences by race or ethnicity are not statistically significant. Furthermore women with an history of treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease or an history of diabetes hypertension or endometriosis are all significantly more likely than those without to report that they have impaired fecundity. Women who have never used a contraceptive method are more likely than users of the pill condom or IUD to report impaired fecundity.
MR Imaging of Brain Contusions: A Comparative Study with CT

Ninety-eight brain contusions in 17 patients served as a data base for a comparative study of MR and CT for defining brain contusions. MR was the more sensitive technique, detecting 98% of the brain contusions compared with only 56% by CT. CT was slightly better for showing hemorrhagic components, documenting 77% of hemorrhages compared with 71% for MR. The appearance of the contusions on MR was variable, depending on the T1- and T2-weighting of the images and the constituents of the contusions, such as edema, hemorrhage, and encephalomalacia. On MR, hemorrhagic components appeared as high signal on T1-weighted images and as either low or high signal on T2-weighted images, depending on the age of the hemorrhage. The approximate ages of hemorrhagic contusions were often suggested by their appearance on T1- and T2-weighted images. CT is very effective for evaluating acute head trauma, but MR is recommended for documenting brain contusions during the subacute and chronic stages of head injuries.
Neurobiological correlates of distinct post-traumatic stress disorder symptom profiles during threat anticipation in combat veterans.

Background Previous research in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has identified disrupted ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) function in those with v. without PTSD. It is unclear whether this brain region is uniformly affected in all individuals with PTSD, or whether vmPFC dysfunction is related to individual differences in discrete features of this heterogeneous disorder. Method In a sample of 51 male veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data during a novel threat anticipation task with crossed factors of threat condition and temporal unpredictability. Voxelwise regression analyses related anticipatory brain activation to individual differences in overall PTSD symptom severity, as well as individual differences in discrete symptom subscales (re-experiencing, emotional numbing/avoidance, and hyperarousal). Results The vmPFC showed greater anticipatory responses for safety relative to threat, driven primarily by deactivation during threat anticipation. During unpredictable threat anticipation, increased PTSD symptoms were associated with relatively greater activation for threat v. safety. However, simultaneous regression on individual symptom subscales demonstrated that this effect was driven specifically by individual differences in hyperarousal symptoms. Furthermore, this analysis revealed an additional, anatomically distinct region of the vmPFC in which re-experiencing symptoms were associated with greater activation during threat anticipation. Conclusions Increased anticipatory responses to unpredictable threat in distinct vmPFC subregions were uniquely associated with elevated hyperarousal and re-experiencing symptoms in combat veterans. These results underscore the disruptive impact of uncertainty for veterans, and suggest that investigating individual differences in discrete aspects of PTSD may advance our understanding of underlying neurobiological mechanisms.
Head tracking algorithm based on particle filter under complex environment

Detecting and tracking human head in a complex background is one of the most important multimodal human-machine interfaces. A real time human head-tracking algorithm that is based on particle filter and improved head detecting algorithm is presented. Experimental results show that this algorithm can detect and track human head satisfactorily in various complex conditions such as head turning, sheltering, among multiple persons or in unconstrained backgrounds. This algorithm can be used in head tracking, image segmentation and face recognize.
Misdiagnosis analysis of 35 cases of congenital hypothyroidism

Objective To investigate the misdiagnosis of children with congenital hypothyroidism,to improve diagnosis and therapy level.Methods Retrospectively analyzed 35 children with CH who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 2006,the youngest was 3 months,the biggest was 7 years old,the average age was(2.5±0.1)years,analyzed the clinical manifestations,examination results,diagnosis and treatment of children with congenital hypothyroidism.Results 35 cases with CH were all misdiagnosed.Misdiagnosed disease:18 cases were cerebral palsy,5 cases were giant colon,6 cases were short stature,3 cases were fat disease,2 cases were pituitary adenoma,1 case was nephrotic syndrome.Conclusion Congenital hypothyroidism is common pediatric endocrine diseases,misprision due to the onset of the disease,the clinical manifestations of complex and diverse,easily mistaken for other diseases,clinicians should strengthen awareness of such diseases.
Torque calculation of speed-adjustable asynchronous disk type of magnetic coupling and its impact factors analysis

In order to study the impact of the parameters of the speed-adjustable asynchronous dish type of magnetic coupling on torque,a three-dimensional magnetic field numerical calculation was carried out using finite element method,and a three-dimensional magnetic field distribution of air gap of magnetic coupling under static and transient state were resulted in.Moreover,the key parameters were analyzed,such as the length of the air gap,the thickness of the permanent magnet,the number of magnetic poles,the number of the slots and the slot depth on clutch plate,the drive wheel speed and so on,which affect the torque of the magnetic coupling.The results indicate that the maximum torque is about 20N·m when its outside dimensions are determined.The number of magnetic poles is18,slots 16,and the slot depth 15mm.In addition,the torque of the magnetic coupling will be brought down with the increase of the air gap length.In a certain range,with the increase of poles of the magnetic coupling,the number and the depth of the slots on clutch plate,the torque will increase.But when it increased to a certain extent,the torque will decrease although the poles of the magnetic coupling,the number and the depth of the slots on clutch plate continue to increase,and particularly the number of the slots must not be equal to the poles.The torque increases firstly and then decreases with increasing the speed of the drive wheel,and its curve is similar to the mechanical characteristic curve of motor,and it can provide a basis for choosing appropriate motor speeds and modulating the speed of the magnetic coupling.
Establishment and Verification of Meteorological Forecast Model of Infectious Diarrhea

[Objective]To establish a meteorological forecast model of infectious diarrhea by analyzing the association of infectious diarrhea incidence with meteorological factors.[Methods]Based on the daily incidents of infectious diarrhea and weather conditions of Shanghai in 2002-2008,a forecast model was established using a generalized additive model for time series data.Corresponding daily incidents of 2009-2010 were used for verification.Forecast service for infectious diseases were then proposed.[Results]The agreement of the forecast model fitted to the selected actual incident data was 66.43%.The agreement of the forecast model in epidemic season(from May to October) was 77.23%.Diarrhea index system was recommended for public health service.[Conclusion]The meteorological forecast model of infectious diarrhea can provide diarrhea prevention service to residents of Shanghai and scientific basis for prevention and control of infectious diseases in related governmental agency.
The Beginning of the Calendar of Deaths

The 1870s began the cycle Dickinson was hoping to avoid: she wrote on July 27, 1872, to the Norcross cousins, “Little Irish Maggie went to sleep this morning at six o’clock, just the time grandpa rises, and will rest in the grass at Northampton tomorrow. She has had a hard sickness, but her awkward little life is saved and gallant now. Our Maggie is helping her mother put her in the cradle …” (LII 496). The Dickinsons’ new maid, Maggie Maher, was doing her work of bridging elements of the community with the occupants of the Homestead, and while Dickinson’s somewhat patronizing tone (speaking of the teenager’s “awkward little life”) offends today’s reader, the diminution of the young woman’s body can be forgiven. It was a practice of sentimental writing to equate women’s lives with their childhoods: the trope of innocence was the aim. In this case, the daughter of James and Ellen Kelley was dead at 17.
The Dilemmas of International Financial Regulation Consequences of the 1988 Basle Accord Should Concern Those Who Want More International Regulation of Financial Institutions

International finance has changed dramatically over the past two decades as governments eliminated barriers to cross-border capital flows and opened their domestic markets to foreign financial institutions. These changes produced an increasingly integrated world of international finance. A number of policymakers, mindful of recent financial woes in Asia, Latin America, and Russia, worry that this integration requires increased international regulation of financial institutions. But a careful look at an earlier attempt to regulate bank capital - the 1988 Basle Accord - suggests that such regulation may be more harmful than helpful and may even produce a weaker financial system.
Pharmacokinetics of oral terbinafine in adult horses

The primary study objective was to compare the pharmacokinetics of p.o. terbinafine alone to p.o. terbinafine administered with p.o. cimetidine in healthy adult horses. The second objective was to assess the pharmacokinetics of terbinafine when administered per rectum in two different suspensions at 30 mg/kg to adult horses. Six healthy adult horses were included in this crossover study. Plasma terbinafine concentrations were quantified with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The half-life (geometric mean) was 8.38 and 10.76 h, for p.o. alone and p.o. with cimetidine, respectively. The mean maximum plasma concentrations were 0.291 μg/mL at 1.54 h and 0.418 μg/mL at 1.28 h for p.o. alone and p.o. with cimetidine, respectively. Terbinafine with cimetidine had an average CMAX 44% higher and the relative F was 153% compared p.o. terbinafine alone, but was not statistically different (P > 0.05). Terbinafine was infrequently detected when administered per rectum in two different suspensions (water or olive oil). Minor adverse effects included oral irritation, fever, and colic. All resolved spontaneously. More pharmacokinetic studies are indicated assessing drug-drug interactions and using multiple dosing intervals to improve our knowledge of effective oral dosing, the potential for drug accumulation, and systemic adverse effect of terbinafine in horses.
Neurobiology: Domains to the rescue for Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome is a brain disorder caused by disrupted forms of the protein MECP2, but how MECP2 loss affects the brain is unknown. A mouse study now implicates key domains of the protein and offers therapeutic insights. See Letter p.398 Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene, which tend to be clustered in two discrete regions of the protein (MeCP2). In this report, the authors parse the minimal form of MeCP2 that is required to retain its functionality, and interrogate which of its many proposed roles is relevant for Rett syndrome progression. The identification of a minimal functional unit for MeCP2 could be helpful in the design of therapeutic strategies for gene therapy for Rett syndrome.
Temperature prediction in Inconel 718 milling with microstructure evolution

For this study, a new temperature prediction analytical model for Inconel 718 milling is presented with the consideration of microstructure evolution while accounting for the effects of dynamic recrystallization. The milling condition is transferred to equivalent orthogonal cutting condition at each rotation angle. The previous constant yield stress term in Johnson-Cook constitutive equation is replaced by a grain size-dependent term. The grain size is calculated according to dynamic recrystallization, a strain and temperature induced recrystallization process, through the recrystallized volume fraction by Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov model. The temperature rise is due to the flow stress in shear zone considered as primary heat source and the secondary rubbing heat source between the tool tip and machined surface. The heat source density is calculated based on the cutting forces predicted from flow stress. The predicted temperature field is validated by numerical model in six cases and experimental measurements in ten cases from two papers, and improvements are observed through the comparison between proposed and conventional models.
Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Treatment of Infections Among Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

To describe potential antimicrobial stewardship program strategies to enhance the optimization of antimicrobial therapy for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Cystic fibrosis is a complex medical condition known for its frequent pulmonary exacerbations attributed to microorganisms which are treated with antimicrobials administered by various routes. Due to exposure to antimicrobials from an early age, both as eradication regimens and for chronic colonization, this patient population often has drug-resistant organisms colonizing their respiratory tract. With CF patients surviving well into adulthood, preservation of antimicrobials is more essential now than ever. Antimicrobial stewardship programs have been shown to optimize antimicrobial use in the hospital and outpatient setting, but interventions applied to CF patients are not as well documented. For hospitalized patients, stewardship programs develop antibiotic dosing and monitoring guidelines and treatment algorithms. In addition to these approaches, the CF population may benefit from review of different routes or methods of administration of antimicrobials to optimize pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. These include inhaled antibiotics and prolonged infusions. In the CF population that is exposed to frequent courses of antimicrobials, we propose that collaboration with a stewardship program to engage in optimization of antimicrobial administration would benefit both patients and health care providers. Moreover, given that the majority of antibiotics that CF patients receive are prescribed and administered in the outpatient setting, antimicrobial stewardship to promote judicious use of antibiotics in the outpatient setting should be explored.
Scheler’s Theory of Intersubjectivity

We have outlined in the last chapter Scheler’s refutation of the two classical theories which have been advanced to explain our knowledge of other psychic centers. His criticism as such is internal; it proves that neither theory can explain the facts without involving itself in contradictions. He has, however, a more fundamental criticism to offer, one by which he simultaneously presents his own theory of intersubjectivity at the Ego level.
Use of Biography in the Development of Applicable Knowledge

A narrative understanding of clients is needed to supplement traditionally developed research for making clinical judgments about which approaches should be used in working with older adults. Narrative biographical knowledge of clients integrates the historical events and happenings of their lives with the social and cultural contexts through which they attribute meaning to their distresses and symptoms. Applications based on narrative knowledge differ from those based on the conventional model. The conventional model draws on general knowledge of what interventions are likely to be effective in treating particular diagnoses. Narrative understanding is concerned in knowing the configuration of past events and present tasks that compose individual lives. Expert practitioners make use of a narrative understanding of their clients in judging their intervention activities. Development of a narrative understanding of present clients can be assisted by consulting narratives of clients with whom a practitioner has previously worked. Narratives are remembered as stories, retaining the patterns and details of the individual clients’ lives. Through experience, practitioners develop a collection of remembered narratives of the clients they have assisted. A practitioner's experiential collection of narratively known clients can be supplemented with narrative biographies and case studies of clients treated by other practitioners. When working with a new client, practitioners can draw on these narratively retained past understandings by comparing the similarities and differences of their present client to a remembered past client. The process of comparison with past narratively understood clients helps the practitioner compose a new narrative that expressly captures the individual life of the present client. This narrative understanding of the client provides an integrated view of the influence of general social and biological contexts with the unique values, aims, and history of the client.
Exposure to opposing temperature extremes causes comparable effects on Cardinium density but contrasting effects on Cardinium-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility.

Terrestrial arthropods, including insects, commonly harbor maternally inherited intracellular symbionts that confer benefits to the host or manipulate host reproduction to favor infected female progeny. These symbionts may be especially vulnerable to thermal stress, potentially leading to destabilization of the symbiosis and imposing costs to the host. For example, increased temperatures can reduce the density of a common reproductive manipulator, Wolbachia, and the strength of its crossing incompatibility (cytoplasmic incompatibility, or CI) phenotype. Another manipulative symbiont, Cardinium hertigii, infects ~ 6–10% of Arthropods, and also can induce CI, but there is little homology between the molecular mechanisms of CI induced by Cardinium and Wolbachia. Here we investigated whether temperature disrupts the CI phenotype of Cardinium in a parasitic wasp host, Encarsia suzannae. We examined the effects of both warm (32°C day/ 29°C night) and cool (20°C day/ 17°C night) temperatures on Cardinium CI and found that both types of temperature stress modified aspects of this symbiosis. Warm temperatures reduced symbiont density, pupal developmental time, vertical transmission rate, and the strength of both CI modification and rescue. Cool temperatures also reduced symbiont density, however this resulted in stronger CI, likely due to cool temperatures prolonging the host pupal stage. The opposing effects of cool and warm-mediated reductions in symbiont density on the resulting CI phenotype indicates that CI strength may be independent of density in this system. Temperature stress also modified the CI phenotype only if it occurred during the pupal stage, highlighting the likely importance of this stage for CI induction in this symbiosis.
BASIC PROPERTIES OF EXPANSIVE SOIL AND TECHNICAL CONDITIONS USED IN RAILWAY SUBGRADE ENGINEERING

The paper mainly introduces the studies on the problem of expansive soil(fissure soil-similarly hereinafter),which is one of the difficult problems met with in the construction of railways.First,it presents the endangering of the problem to railway construction and transportation administration.Then it separately introduces the achievements of the distinguish standards and classification,test technique and methods,filling criterion of embankment,stability evaluation of cut slope and determination of design parameters and control- ling measures of subgrade disaster of expansive soil.Finally,it puts forward some problems about expansive soil which will be studied continuously in the future.
The potential promise and perils of introducing deferred prosecution agreements outside the U.S.

Countries around the world are reforming their corporate criminal liability regimes to introduce deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs). DPAs can help deter crime when properly structured. But otherwise they can increase the risk of corporate misconduct. This chapter identifies the steps countries need to take in order to use DPAs to deter corporate crime. It then evaluates the recent reforms adopted in the U.K. and France. Both reforms are a significant step forward, yet further reform is needed. Neither the U.K. nor France can effectively deters corporate crime because both countries have excessively restrictive corporate criminal liability laws that let companies to profit from many crimes. These laws also undermine efforts to use DPAs to induce firms to self-report or cooperate. France’s reforms raise particular concern because French law provide no genuine incentive to self-report and appears to let companies enter into DPA-like agreements without promptly and fully cooperating with authorities. In addition, concerns remain about whether France is committed to bringing the individuals responsible for corporate crimes to justice. As a result, French DPAs could be counter-productive if they operate primarily to reduce sanctions imposed on companies without enhancing French prosecutors’ ability to sanction those responsible for corporate misconduct.
Food democracy, health disparities and the New York City trans fat policy.

Objective To investigate food democracy and health disparities in the New York City (NYC) trans fat policy process. Design Texts from semi-structured interviews, public testimony and comments on the policy were analysed using categorization and thematic coding. A priori content analysis for themes of food democracy was followed by open, axial and selective coding for sub-themes on health disparities. Data and method triangulation and respondent validation were used to establish data dependability, trustworthiness and representativeness. Setting NYC. Participants Interviews from a purposive, snowballed sample of thirty-three participants included restaurateurs, scientists, health and consumer advocates, consumers and policy makers. Additionally, 261 pages of transcript from public testimony of fifty-three participants and a purposive sample of public comments on the policy from a pool of 2157 were analysed. Results Principles of food democracy involving inclusive citizenship, access to information, collaborative participation and focus on collective good were well represented in the data. Additionally, sub-themes linked to health disparities included: government responsibility for fairer access to healthier foods; recognition that people made choices based on circumstances; concern for vulnerable groups; and outrage with a food industry viewed as unconcerned for public health. Conclusions Principles of food democracy present in the successful process of adoption of the 2006 NYC trans fat policy addressed nutrition-related health. Food democracy is a contemporary food system and policy approach with potential for public health benefits in reducing nutrition-related health disparities.
Ohne Rechtsbeistand vor Gericht – wie ein Zivilprozess ältere Menschen überfordern kann

Nicht nur in Strafverfahren, auch vor den Zivilgerichten steigt die Zahl alterer und hochbetagter Beteiligter. Welchen Einfluss kann es auf das Verfahren haben, wenn eine Partei fortgeschrittenen Alters ist?
Spline-Based Modeling and Control of Soft Robots

Soft robots demonstrate superior flexibility and maneuverability than traditional rigid robots in many emerging applications. However, it is challenging to have a general modeling and control methodology to deal with soft body dynamics and its interactions with environment. We present a spline-based modeling and control framework for soft robotic systems. The dynamic model is built on non-uniform rational Bsplines (NURBS) that captures material and physical properties of soft body, while preserving exact geometric dynamics with environmental interactions. Using the NURBS-based dynamic model, the robotic optimal control based on general predictive control is designed through coordination among the finite number of control points. Therefore, the infinite-dimensional motion of soft body can be realized by significantly reduced finite particle motion control. We demonstrate the performance of the modeling and motion control framework using the snakeinspired robot simulations and experiments.
Gorillas in the Midst of a Philosophical Debate: The Invisible Gorilla Deconstructs the Negligence Conundrum

Negligence dominates tort law, but as a basis for criminal responsibility, it is a source of longstanding controversy. Few, if any, doubt that negligence is a problematic base for criminal responsibility. Yet, most jurisdictions around the world do penalize negligence. Faced with the harsh results negligent actors often cause, scholars developed a long and winding line of arguments to justify criminal negligence. In the following, I describe a work in progress in which I challenge the philosophical assumptions underlying criminal negligence with empirical findings from the field of cognitive psychology. I argue that the data shows that negligence is an illusionary basis for criminal responsibility. I take the most obvious negligent act: a failure to avert a risk in clear view. In such cases, the philosophical assumption is that the actor’s failure to pay attention to the risk is the only explanation of her failure to avoid danger. From this seed of deductive reasoning, different schools of justification developed. Utilitarians, for example, support penalization as a mean to deter future actors. They believe it will cause actors to better pay attention in future events. Retributivism detects the reason of the actor’s failure, (e.g., indifference for the harsh result) and justifies the penal as a response for this failure. To refute these presumptions, I describe a series of experiments that independently demonstrate the phenomenon “inattentional blindness”. Those experiments demonstrate our cognitive limitations in perceiving a stimulus right in front of our eyes. I show that the empirical data contradicts the philosophical presumptions. I argue that we penalize actors who are not at fault. Contrary to the philosophical presumption, their failure to avert the risk is not necessarily a result of lack of care on their part, nor a result of failure to exercise capacity. But rather, it is a result of an innate limited cognitive ability. I therefore argue, that criminal negligence allows us to adorn ourselves with a pseudo-mechanism established originally to deal with a problem, where in fact, the problem remains unsolved.
Schistosoma haematobium ova in human semen: a case report.

Objective To report a rare case of schistosomiasis observed during semen evaluation. Design Case report. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) A 30-year-old man referred for semen analysis. Interventions(s) None. Main Outcome Measures(s) Poor sperm motility and viability. Result(s) The patient produced 9.8 mL of brown colored semen with a bad odor. Total and progressive sperm motility were 9% and 2%, respectively. Sperm concentration was 112 million/mL. Microscopic semen evaluation showed slight sperm agglutination, a large number of Schistosoma haematobium ova, extensive debris, and a large numberot of amorphous cells. Approximately 20 million/mL of neutrophils were observed in the ejaculate. The sperm viability was extremely low (13%). Sperm morphology was 6% normal, and most abnormal sperm had coiled tails in addition to other abnormalities. Conclusion(s) A microscopic examination of semen from suspected Schistosoma haematobium–infected patients may not only help in confirming diagnosis but may also highlight the underlying infertility due to this infestation. Such cases are rarely observed in andrology laboratories; therefore, it is important to train all testing staff on rare semen samples.
Elastomeric Pain Pumps as an Adjunct for Postoperative Pain Control After Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum

Introduction: Pectus excavatum is a common congenital anomaly in the pediatric population. During the postoperative period, pain control is one of the top priorities. As a result, multiple techniqu...
Taste Receptor Signaling

All organisms have the ability to detect chemicals in the environment, which likely evolved out of organisms' needs to detect food sources and avoid potentially harmful compounds. The taste system detects chemicals and is used to determine whether potential food items will be ingested or rejected. The sense of taste detects five known taste qualities: bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami, which is the detection of amino acids, specifically glutamate. These different taste qualities encompass a wide variety of chemicals that differ in their structure and as a result, the peripheral taste utilizes numerous and diverse mechanisms to detect these stimuli. In this chapter, we will summarize what is currently known about the signaling mechanisms used by taste cells to transduce stimulus signals.
Hyperparameter Tuning to Optimize Implementations of Denoising Autoencoders for Imputation of Missing Spatio-temporal Data.

Abstract Spatio-temporal data collected from sensors can sometimes have gaps where data is missing. Transportation planners and engineers use such data to perform various different types of analyses, but the gaps in the data make it difficult to make accurate predictions. Denoising Autoencoders are used to generate a cleaner version of the input signals. This includes generating data for missing or dropped input signals as well. We used three different deep learning models to implement Denoising Autoencoders to measure each model’s accuracy. Since tuning the hyperparameters can influence the accuracy of the predictions of a model, each model was optimized by focusing on four main parameters. Each of the hyperparameters had a different effect on each of the models. The simplest of the models yielded much better results than anticipated after optimizing. The most complex of the models was still better, but only slightly. That slight improvement required one hundred times the computational cost required by the simplest model. Tuning the hyperparameters to optimize a simpler model can prove more beneficial than creating a more complex model that is slower and difficult to optimize.
Worst Case Performance Analysis of Linear Systems with Jumps with Applications to Sampled-Data Systems

In this paper, we consider a continuous-time linear system with finite jumps at discrete instants of time. An iterative method to compute the L 2 -induced norm of a linear system with jumps is presented. Each iteration requires solving an algebraic Riccati equation. We also show that a linear feedback interconnection of a continuous-time finite dimensional linear time- invariant (FDLTI) plant and a discrete-time finite dimensional linear Shift-invariant (FDLSI) controller can be represented as a linear system with jumps. This leads to an iterative method to compute the L 2 -induced norm of a sampled-data system.
Adel Beshara, Outright Assassination

A review of Adel Beshara's Outright Assasination, an in-depth piece examining the circumstances surrounding the Syrian Social Nationalist Party leader Antun Sa'adeh's death in a detailed inter-disciplined context.