cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verification & Validation by Risk Class: Understanding how Risk Classes affect the V&V process

There is an oft quoted saying in the space industry, “Every mission is Class A on the Launch Pad”. No matter the stated risk class of your mission, when it is time to launch, the mission must be a success. In this paper we will discuss the accuracy of this statement, and explore the strategic and tactical approaches to the Verification and Validation of four missions with distinct Risk Classifications: the Mars Science Laboratory, the Dawn mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), & the Terrain Relative Navigation and Employee Development (TRaiNED) projects. Each mission exemplifies one of the four specific risk classes of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) missions. At one extreme, the Mars Science Laboratory mission (Risk Class A), required extensive Verification and Validation, consisting of traditional Mission Systems Operational Readiness Tests (ORTs), Entry Descent and Landing (EDL), and the uncharted territory of sample handling verification on the surface of Mars. The Dawn mission (Risk Class B), designed to travel to two separate bodies in the Asteroid belt, and focused its V&V efforts primarily on the validation of the spacecraft. This emphasis allowed the team to weed out the difficulties inherent in a complex system, providing the project-level focus necessary to resolve system-wide issues. OCO-2 mission (Risk Class C), designed to measure carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere, took a different tack. It centered on the verification process and successfully adopted several lessons learned from its predecessor, the OCO mission. In particular, it has implemented more efficient ways of tracking requirements such as scheduling burn down plans based on verification milestones, rather than on precise dates. Finally, the TRaiNED mission (Risk Class D), a small sounding rocket mission designed to collect data to validate several Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) models, had to compress its Verification and Validation process into a much more condensed timeframe. To maintain this tight schedule, the team tailored the V&V plan to emphasize only the processes absolutely necessary in order to meet the systems requirements. For each of these missions, we will examine both the overarching Verification and Validation processes applied, along with some specific examples of how these processes were implemented in order to bring the mission successfully through its integration and test phase. In the process of examining these missions, we will highlight the factors that separate each mission by classification and the effect classification has on mission decision-making.
Global/Local Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Subsonic Wing

A global/local framework for multidisciplinary optimization of an aircraft wing structure has been developed. The concept of curvilinear stiffening members (spars, ribs and stiffeners) has been applied in the wing structural optimization. A global optimization framework EBF3WingOpt, which integrates the static aeroelastic, flutter and buckling analysis, has been implemented for exploiting the optimal design at the global level. The wing internal structure is optimized using curvilinear spars and ribs (SpaRibs). A two-step optimization approach, which consists of topology optimization with shape design variables and size optimization with thickness design variables, is implemented in EBF3WingOpt. A local panel optimization framework EBF3PanelOpt, which includes stress and buckling evaluation criteria, is performed to optimize the local panels for further structural weight saving. The local panel model is extracted from the global finite element model. The boundary conditions are defined on the edges of local panels using the displacement fields obtained from the global model analysis. The local panels are optimized to satisfy stress and buckling constraints. Stiffened panel with curvilinear stiffeners is implemented in EBF3PanelOpt to improve the buckling resistance of the local panels. The optimization of stiffened panels has been studied and integrated in the local optimization. The global-local optimization framework incorporates global optimization framework EBF3WingOpt and local optimization framework EBF3PanelOpt in an iterative manner. The global-local framework is developed using MATLAB and Python programming to integrate several commercial software: MSC.PATRAN for pre and post processing, MSC.NASTRAN for finite element analysis. The global-local optimization methodology is applied for NASA Common Research Model (CRM) wing. The results have shown the advantage of the multidisciplinary globallocal optimization framework in structural weight saving.
Ignác Goldziher's report on the books brought from the orient for the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

This paper contains the English translation of Ignac Goldziher's Hungarian essay Report on the Books Brought from the Orient for the Hungarian Academy of Sciences with Regard to the Conditions of the Printing Press in the Orient (1874). The introduction provides the historical and scholarly context of the article. The Arabic printed books Goldziher bought in Egypt reflect his understanding of a specialized Arabic Studies library in the 1870s. The general argument is that Goldziher connected the Arab nation and Arabic texts based on the Hungarian and German concepts of liberal nationalism. This connection instrumentalized religious texts for a non-religious goal.
Water monitoring by optofluidic Raman spectroscopy for in situ applications

The feasibility of water monitoring by Raman spectroscopy with a portable optofluidic system for in-situ applications has been successfully demonstrated. In the proposed approach, the sample under analysis is injected into a capillary nozzle in order to produce a liquid jet that acts as an optical waveguide. This jet waveguide provides an effective strategy to excite and collect the Raman signals arising from water contaminants due to the high refractive index difference between air and water. The proposed approach avoids any necessity of liquid container or flow cell and removes any background signal coming from the sample container commonly affects Raman measurements. Furthermore, this absence is a significant advantage for in situ measurements where fouling problems can be relevant and cleaning procedures are troublesome. The extreme simplicity and efficiency of the optical scheme adopted in our approach result in highly sensitive and rapid measurements that have been performed on different representative water pollutants. The experimental results demonstrate the high potentiality of our device in water quality monitoring and analysis. In particular, nitrate and sulfate are detected below the maximum contamination level allowed for drinking water, whereas a limit of detection of 40mg/l has been found for benzene.
Development of software for modeling and simulation of target and scene's infrared signature

The modeling and simulation of target and scene's infrared signature is a key technology for infrared imaging simulation and infrared imaging system's performance evaluation. In recent twenty years, various modeling and simulation methods as well as software for target and scene's infrared signature have been established abroad. In this paper, the current status of modeling and simulation methods are reviewed, software for target and scene's infrared signature been developed recently abroad.
Progressive Pentecostalism, Development, and Christian Development NGOs: A Challenge and an Opportunity

July 2015 Bryant L. Myers is professor of international development in the School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. —myers@fuller.edu S unusual happened in the Global South in the late 1980s and 1990s. A new expression of Pentecostalism arose that was distinguished by a combination of Pentecostal worship, aggressive evangelism, and grassroots efforts to provide education, health services and other relief, and development ministries. The phenomenon has attracted the attention of secular scholars. Their research makes the claim that, in five instances, these churches were better positioned and more effective in development work than international NGOs at work in the same city. This article will describe and assess these findings and then apply them to Christian development NGOs.
Gender differences in management and clinical outcomes of atrial fibrillation patients

Abstract Background Prior research has identified gender differences in the epidemiology and clinical management of atrial fibrillation (AF). The primary aim of this study is to systematically analyze a cohort of AF men and women and evaluate their baseline demographics, treatment, and clinical outcomes by gender. Methods We examined the records of 5976 (42% women) consecutive AF patients who were prescribed at least one anti-arrhythmic drug between 2006 and 2013. From this cohort, 4311 (72%) patients had anticoagulation data available and were included in the final analysis. Time to clinical events was assessed using survival analysis and adjusted for covariates using Cox regression. Results Compared to men, women were older (73 years vs. 67 years, p 2 scores (1.9 vs. 1.5, p p p p = 0.037) or to have an ischemic stroke (HR 1.35, p = 0.058). Women also had higher rates of atrioventricular-nodal ablation (adjusted HR 2.11, p p Conclusions There are significant gender differences in baseline demographics and clinical outcomes of AF patients. Women have higher mortality and ischemic strokes and are less often prescribed anticoagulation therapy despite higher CHADS 2 scores. These data have important clinical implications.
Eating Disorders in Adolescent and Young Adult Males: Presenting Characteristics

Abstract Purpose Data on the clinical characteristics of adolescent males with eating disorders are limited. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographic characteristics, presenting vital signs, laboratory results, and relevant risk factors for eating disorders among males presenting to an outpatient adolescent and young adult medicine practice. Methods Retrospective chart review of male eating disorder patients aged of 11–25 years presenting to the University of California, San Francisco Adolescent and Young Adult Eating Disorder Program between June 1, 2011, and November 1, 2014. Charts were reviewed for demographic and clinical characteristics and risk factors for eating disorders. Results Thirty-three patients were included; mean age was 16 years. Patients presented with mean heart rate was 58.7 bpm, and orthostatic heart rate change was 22 bpm, with 51.5% meeting Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine hospital admission criteria. Mean percent of median body mass index was 88%. Of patients with available laboratory data, 33.3% were anemic, 23.8% leukopenic, 19.0% thrombocytopenic, and 10.0% neutropenic. Half had a history of a psychiatric disorder; 41.5% had a history of overweight or obesity, and 12.1% had a family history of an eating disorder. The DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 diagnostic criteria were retrospectively applied to patients, with an increase in diagnosis of anorexia nervosa from 36.4% to 48.5%. Diagnoses of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, now Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder in DSM-5, decreased from 62.6% to 45.5%. Conclusions Male patients with eating disorders presented with significant abnormalities; patients were bradycardic and orthostatic; and more than half met Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine admission criteria. Patients with available laboratory data demonstrated significant abnormalities consistent with malnutrition. Given that eating disorders are less likely to be detected in males, it is important to recognize early signs of malnutrition, particularly in those who present within the normal body mass index range for age.
Mechanistic Details of Pd(II)-Catalyzed C–H Iodination with Molecular I2: Oxidative Addition vs Electrophilic Cleavage

Transition metal-catalyzed C–H bond halogenation is an important alternative to the highly utilized directed-lithiation methods and increases the accessibility of the synthetically valuable aryl halide compounds. However, this approach often requires impractical reagents, such as IOAc, or strong co-oxidants. Therefore, the development of methodology utilizing inexpensive oxidants and catalyst containing earth-abundant transition metals under mild experimental conditions would represent a significant advance in the field. Success in this endeavor requires a full understanding of the mechanisms and reactivity governing principles of this process. Here, we report intimate mechanistic details of the Pd(II)-catalyzed C–H iodination with molecular I2 as the sole oxidant. Namely, we elucidate the impact of the: (a) Pd-directing group (DG) interaction, (b) nature of oxidant, and (c) nature of the functionalized C–H bond [C(sp2)–H vs C(sp3)–H] on the Pd(II)/Pd(IV) redox and Pd(II)/Pd(II) redox-neutral mechanisms o...
Computed Tomographic Scans on Patients with Repeat Renal Calculi: A Pilot Study

Patients at risk for repeat renal calculi presenting to the ED with symptoms similar to their previous episodes, are likely to be over-exposed to computed tomographic (CT) scans. With recurrence at fifty percent minimizing CT use in this population is imperative (Goertz & Lotterman, 2010). Studies indicate using urinalysis and alternative imaging methods are necessary to prevent increases in radiation exposure, cost and ED visit time. The purpose of the project was to decrease CT use by providing current evidence-based research to ED providers on the overuse of CT scans for patients with a history of renal calculi who present with symptoms comparable to previous episodes. Using the logical model, the project was a retrospective chart review. The study took place in Charlton Memorial Hospital’s ED. Charts were reviewed of patients who had a history of renal calculi and presented to the ED with flank pain. Patients were excluded for age less than eighteen, recent surgery, and chronic renal failure and/or dialysis due to renal impairment at baseline. The pre-presentation chart review was to assess the need to decrease CT scan ordering in the given population. An informational session on current research was provided to the providers and a post presentation chart review was completed to evaluate if there was a subsequent decrease in CT ordering. The study proved using evidencebased research to educate providers could result in a decreased amount of CT scans ordered. CT scans were ordered, eighty percent pre-presentation and decreased to sixtyfive percent post.
Development of thin film metamorphic GaSb cells by epitaxial lift-off from GaAs substrates

A flexible, lightweight GaSb solar cell has been attempted. The thin-film cell was bonded to a flexible carrier and isolated from the GaAs substrate by using epitaxial lift-off technique. The characteristics of the thin-film metamorphic GaSb cells are compared to regular metamorphic cells and lattice matched GaSb substrate cells. J-V characterization under 1 sun illumination is presented.
Investigating Discretion in Executive Compensation: Extracting Private Information from Valuation Allowance Decisions

We investigate how boards incorporate private information about managerial performance in compensation and turnover decisions. Building from the literature documenting that loss firms’ publicly available valuation allowance (VA) disclosures contain value-relevant private information, we show that the decision of whether or not to record a VA also captures contract-relevant private information. We develop an approach to extract a private, firm-specific, time-varying signal of managerial performance by inferring a more positive (negative) private signal when the VA decision suggests the firm expects the loss to be transitory (persistent). Our empirical analyses rely on a joint test of whether the VA decision reflects a private signal of managerial performance and whether the board uses this private information in contracting. Confirming our hypothesis, we document significantly larger discretionary compensation for transitory loss-firm CEOs, relative to persistent loss-firms. We also show that the VA decision informs the weighting of earnings in determining CEO compensation. Additionally, we provide evidence that the likelihood of CEO turnover is lower in transitory loss-firm years relative to persistent loss-firms. Overall, extracting private information from the VA decision provides an innovative way to extend our understanding of how boards use discretion in contracting.
Off-fault deformations and shallow slip deficit from dynamic rupture simulations with fault zone plasticity

Kinematic source inversions of major (M≥7) strike-slip earthquakes show that the slip at depth exceeds surface displacements measured in the field, and it has been suggested that this shallow slip deficit (SSD) is caused by distributed plastic deformation near the surface. We perform dynamic rupture simulations of M 7.2–7.4 earthquakes in elastoplastic media and analyze the sensitivity of SSD and off-fault deformation (OFD) to rock quality parameters. While linear simulations clearly underpredict observed SSD and OFDs, nonlinear simulations for a moderately fractured fault damage zone predict a SSD of 44–53% and OFDs of 39–48%, consistent with the 30–60% SSD and 46 ± 10% (1σ) OFD reported for the 1992 M 7.3 Landers earthquake. Both SSD and OFDs are sensitive to the quality of the fractured rock mass inside the fault damage zone, and surface rupture is almost entirely suppressed in poor quality material.
Assessing cognitive functioning in individuals with cocaine use disorder

ABSTRACTIntroduction: There have been mixed findings assessing the impact of regular cocaine use on cognitive functioning. This study employed a comprehensive cognitive battery to compare the performance of individuals diagnosed with a cocaine use disorder (N = 3 abusers, N = 17 dependent) against the performance of two control groups: (a) non-drug-users, and (b) marijuana users who report no cocaine use (N = 7 marijuana abusers, N = 0 dependent, N = 13 marijuana users with no Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fourth Edition, DSM–IV, diagnosis).Method: This one-session, between-participants, outpatient study was conducted at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Sixty research volunteers completed the study. Drug users in both groups had no signs of current intoxication, but had a positive urine toxicology—which indicated use within 72 hours in the cocaine use disorder group and within the past 30 days (depending on frequency of use) for the marijuana-using control group. The Natio...
Extrusion auger improvement project

This project has designed a material treatment process to extend the lifespan of extrusion augers used by the social enterprise Appropriate Energy Saving Technologies (AEST) in Uganda. AEST uses an extruder machine to recycle agricultural waste into charcoal briquettes that they sell to low-income families. The auger components wore down quickly and needed a hardening process to remain useful for longer. The team built a custom pin-on-disk testing apparatus and used it along with optical microscopy to simulate and analyze the wear mechanism. The team then heat-treated and tested additional samples to find the best treatment. The team suggested improving AEST's current case hardening process by increasing the case depth to 0.04 in (0.1016 cm) and using oil quenching.
Fresh re-keying with strong PUFs: A new approach to side-channel security

Side-channel attacks on cryptographic implementations threaten system security via the loss of the secret key. Fresh re-keying techniques aim to mitigate these attacks by regularly updating the key so that the side-channel exposure for each key is minimized. Existing key update schemes generate fresh keys by processing a root key with arithmetic operations which have, unfortunately, been demonstrated to be also vulnerable to side-channel attacks. We propose a novel approach to fresh re-keying that replaces the arithmetic key update function with a strong Physically Unclonable Function (PUF). We show that the security of our scheme hinges on the resilience of the PUF to a power side-channel attack and propose a realization based on a Subthreshold Current Array (SCA) PUF. We show that SCA-PUF is resistant to simple power analysis and that it is resilient to a modeling attack that uses machine learning on the power side-channel. We target an insecure device and secure server encryption scenario for which we provide an efficient and scalable method of PUF enrollment. We finally propose an end-to-end encryption system with the PUF-based fresh re-keying scheme, using a reverse fuzzy extractor construction.
Application of the Delphi method to reduce disability and mortality from coal mine dust lung disease in China; a new approach to an old problem.

Cui et al report on the application of the Delphi method to identify prevention strategies for coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) in China.1 The Delphi method is a systematic iterative process that engages a panel of experts in revising and ranking proposed criteria to arrive at a consensus.2 This method has been applied internationally to guide the setting of occupational health and safety research.3 Cui et al applied this approach to ranking and grouping 69 indicators that impact CWP risk, such as ventilation and physical characteristics of the coal seam, in four Chinese state-owned coal mining enterprises. They found that the highest ranked factors for preventing and controlling CWP were ‘geological conditions’ and ‘dust control engineering technology’. Surprisingly, these factors ranked higher than occupational health management. The authors’ findings suggest that setting occupational disease prevention strategies, such as regulating permissible coal mine dust exposure levels, at the national level is inadequate when prevalence and risk vary locally by modifiable and non-modifiable factors, such as geography. Although preventable, disability and mortality from CWP remains a significant burden in China and globally.4 CWP, and its most severe form, progressive massive fibrosis, belong to a family of respiratory conditions known as coal mine dust lung disease (CMDLD). Other diseases in …
TelePsychiatry for cancer patients undergoing active treatment.

6603Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of telepsychiatry in non-cancer related disease; however, there are limited reports of telepsychiatry for cancer patients under ...
Experimental Generation of ELF Radio Signals Using a Rotating Magnet

This paper presents a simple, compact, and low-power method for generating extremely low-frequency radio signals below ~500 Hz. This paper is motivated by the prohibitively large size and low efficiency of conventional antennas operating in this frequency range. The successful generation of time-varying magnetic fields produced by the physical rotation of a 3 cm3 permanent magnet is demonstrated. Ground plane and receiver orientation effects are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. Observations as a function of distance from the source indicate that the fields are dominated by the static component, rather than by the radiation component, of the generated field. Based on these observations, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by a spinning magnet source is predicted to be weak. Nevertheless, static magnetic signaling using this technique is proven to be both possible and practical at frequencies below ~500 Hz and at distances in excess of 100 m.
Pion-heavy ion scattering total and inelastic cross sections for space radiation applications

Abstract Secondary pions are produced by cosmic ray proton and heavy ion induced collisions with spacecraft shielding materials and tissue. In this paper we describe methods for compiling a data-base of energy dependent pion-heavy ion inelastic sections for interactions of pions with common shielding and tissue atoms over a wide energy range (20 MeV to 100 GeV). Calculations are made in a 2nd order optical model solution to coupled-channel solutions to the Eikonal form of the nucleus-nucleus scattering amplitude, which are compared to 1st order optical model solutions. The 2nd order model takes into account two-body correlations in the target nucleus ground-state, which are ignored in the 1st order optical model. In addition we consider several empirical corrections related to nuclear medium effects and nuclear binding, which are ignored in the impulse approximation used in the optical model. We report on extensive comparisons to experimental data for energy-dependent total and absorption (inelastic) cross sections. General agreement between model and experiments within ±20% are found.
Venous pressure during intravenous regional anesthesia: Implications for setting tourniquet pressure.

Background and Aims: Intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) is utilized for upper extremity surgery, but higher tourniquet pressure and longer inflation time increase the risk of soft tissue and nerve injury. We investigated the duration and magnitude of elevated venous pressure during IVRA to assess the possibility of safely lowering the tourniquet pressure during surgery. Material and Methods: Twenty adult patients scheduled for distal upper extremity surgery were enrolled. An additional intravenous catheter was placed in the surgical arm connected to a digital pressure transducer for monitoring venous pressure. Venous pressure was recorded prior to IVRA and every 30 s after injection of local anesthetic (LA) until the completion of surgery. Results: All 20 subjects completed the study without complication. Peak venous pressure was 340 mmHg in one patient which lasted for less than 30 s. Mean venous pressures fell below systolic blood pressure after 4.5 min in all cases except one. This patient had elevated venous pressures for 24 of 25 min of tourniquet time exceeding systolic blood pressure. The only statistically significant intraoperative factor associated with elevated venous pressure was elevated peak systolic pressure (P = 0.001). Conclusions: We found that the mean peak venous pressure was below systolic blood pressure in only 14 of the 20 subjects, and the peak injection pressure exceeded 300 mmHg in one patient. Another patient's venous pressure remained above systolic blood pressure for 24 of 25 min of tourniquet time. Current precautions to prevent LA toxicity may be insufficient in some patients and attempts to lower tourniquet pressures to just above systolic blood pressures soon after IVRA injection may result in toxicity, specifically if systolic pressure is elevated.
Clinical and Personality Contributors to Alexithymia in Neurotic Patients

It is a well documented fact that alexithymia, a term introduced by Sifneos1, has been initially associated with the classical psychosomatic disorders. However, not all psychosomatic patients exhibit alexithymia, while the latter is not rarely found in patients suffering from other somatic or psychopathological conditions2. Thus, 30% of medically ill patients have been found to be alexithymic3, while a frequent presence of alexithymic characteristics has been observed in patients with somatoform disorders4, psychogenic pain5, drug dependence6, masked depression7 and compulsive, narcissistic or borderline personalities8.
Behavioural and pharmacological interventions are more effective than no treatment for urinary incontinence outcomes in women.

Commentary on : Balk EM, Rofeberg VN, Adam, GP, et al . Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments for urinary incontinence in women: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of clinical outcomes. Ann Intern Med 2019 Mar 19. doi: 10.7326/M18-3227. UI is a prevalent condition across the globe. UI is pervasive in all care settings and communities.1 There has been significant research regarding non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions alike that are efficacious in treating UI.2 3 While this is the case, there have …
Peak magnitudes of oral air flow during Hindi stops (plosives and affricates)

Abstract: Peak values of oral flow rate were obtained during the production of stop (plosive and affricate) consonants in CVCVC nonsense utterances which were embedded in the frame sentence “ye—hae”. Three normal adult male native speakers of Hindi served as subjects. The results suggest the following: aspirated stops were produced with substantially higher rates of air flow than their unaspirated counterparts. Air flow rates for voiceless stops were substantially higher than for voiced stops under the aspirated condition; under the unaspirated condition, on the other hand, the air flow rates in both categories were similar. All stops showed higher air flow values before a stressed syllabic than before an unstressed syllabic. The results further suggest that the oral air flow rates during various stops are largely determined by the degree of resistance at the glottis.
Inertial sensor-based measures of gait symmetry and repeatability in people with unilateral lower limb amputation

Abstract Background People with lower limb amputation often walk with asymmetrical gait patterns potentially leading to long-term health problems, ultimately affecting their quality of life. The ability to discreetly detect and quantify the movement of bilateral thighs and shanks using wearable sensor technology can provide additional insight into how a person walks with a lower limb prosthesis. This study investigated segmental symmetry and segmental repeatability of people with unilateral lower limb amputation, examining performance of the prosthetic and intact limbs. Methods Gyroscope signals were recorded from four inertial measurement units worn on bilateral lower limb segments of subjects with unilateral lower limb amputation during the 10-m walk test. Raw angular velocity signals were processed using dynamic time warping and application of algorithms resulting in symmetry measures comparing similarity of prosthetic to intact limb strides, and repeatability measures comparing movement of one limb to its consecutive strides. Findings Biomechanical differences in performance of the prosthetic and intact limb segments were detected with the segmental symmetry and segmental repeatability measures in 128 subjects. More asymmetries and less consistent movements of the lower limbs were exhibited by subjects with transfemoral amputation versus transtibial amputation (p Interpretation Sensor-based measures of segmental symmetry and segmental repeatability were found to be reliable in detecting discreet differences in movement of the prosthetic versus intact lower limbs in amputee subjects. These measures provide a convenient tool for enhanced prosthetic gait analysis with the potential to focus rehabilitative and prosthetic interventions.
Comparing the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in adults with co-occurring tobacco and substance use disorders: a systematic review of literature

ABSTRACTThis systematic literature review compares the eﬀectiveness of various behavioral interventions delivered to persons with co-occurring tobacco and substance use disorders. It examines ﬁndin...
Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health

Circadian rhythms are internal manifestations of the solar day that permit adaptations to predictable environmental temporal changes. These ~24-h rhythms are controlled by molecular clockworks within the brain that are reset daily to precisely 24 h by exposure to the light–dark cycle. Information from the master clock in the mammalian hypothalamus conveys temporal information to the entire body via humoral and neural communication. A bidirectional relationship exists between mood disorders and circadian rhythms. Mood disorders are often associated with disrupted circadian clock-controlled responses, such as sleep and cortisol secretion, whereas disruption of circadian rhythms via jet lag, night-shift work, or exposure to artificial light at night, can precipitate or exacerbate affective symptoms in susceptible individuals. Evidence suggests strong associations between circadian rhythms and mental health, but only recently have studies begun to discover the direct interactions between the circadian system and mood regulation. This review provides an overview of disrupted circadian rhythms and the relationship to behavioral health and psychiatry. The focus of this review is delineating the role of disruption of circadian rhythms on mood disorders using human night shift studies, as well as jet lag studies to identify links. We also review animal models of disrupted circadian rhythms on affective responses. Lastly, we propose low-cost behavioral and lifestyle changes to improve circadian rhythms and presumably behavioral health.
Inheriting Our Sisters’ Wisdom: Kachin Feminist Theology

This chapter discusses the authors’ understanding of identity as theological students studying in the United States from the Kachin tribe, which is one of the eight tribes in Myanmar. They discuss their encounters with Asian and Asian American scholars and students in the United States, which help them to reflect on their identity as Asian women. Asian feminist theology emerged out of the political, social, and cultural contexts of Asia. They discuss the contributions of Asian feminist theologians, focusing on the work of Myanmar theologians. Finally, they reconstruct Christ’s image as life-giving spirit, Samphwi Nang Majan, in the Kachin Christian context to destabilize gender representation of women by patriarchal and androcentric ideologies.
Oesophageal Variceal-Pulmonary Venous Fistula - A Rare Cause of a Right-to-Left Shunt

Oesophageal varices are a dilated submucosal venous plexus in the lower third of the oesophagus which result from increased pressure in the portal venous system. The portal system is connected to the systemic circulation in specific locations referred to as sites of portosystemic anastomosis. An increase in portal venous pressure is therefore reflected at these anastomotic sites, causing manifestations such as oesophageal varices, rectal varices, caput medusae and splenorenal shunts. Varices do not cause symptoms until they leak or rupture and this is the main complication which requires prompt treatment. Here, we present a post-liver transplant patient with metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma who had oesophageal varices that fistularized with a left pulmonary vein, thus creating a right-to-left shunt. Right-to-left shunts are usually intracardiac or intrapulmonary in location. The complications of a right-to-left shunt include predominantly hypoxia, cyanosis and, sometimes, paradoxical emboli in the case of intracardiac shunts. This patient had a very uncommon cause of such a shunt caused by a direct fistulous connection.
Atiyah classes and the essential obstructions in deforming a singular $G_{2}-$instanton

When the rank of the bundle is $\geq 2$, in a certain sense, we found an essential obstruction for the gluing construction of $G_{2}-$instantons with $1-$dimensional singularities. It involves the Atiyah classes generated by contracting a vector in $\mathbb{C}^{3}$ with the curvature. Intuitively speaking, the gluing does not work if the tangent connection at a component of the $1-$dimensional singular locus is not the twisted Fubini-Study connection on a twisted tangent bundle of $\mathbb{P}^{2}$. Particularly, it fails if the rank of the bundle is $\geq 3$.
The Epistemology of the Internet and the Regulation of Speech in America

The Internet is the epistemological crisis of the 21st-century: it has fundamentally altered the social epistemology of societies with relative freedom to access it. Most of what we think we know about the world is due to reliance on epistemic authorities, individuals or institutions that tell us what we ought to believe about Newtonian mechanics, evolution by natural selection, climate change, resurrection from the dead, or the Holocaust. The most practically fruitful epistemic norm of modernity, empiricism, demands that knowledge be grounded in sensory experience, but almost no one who believes in evolution by natural selection or the reality of the Holocaust has any sensory evidence in support of those beliefs. Instead, we rely on epistemic authorities—biologists and historians, for example. Epistemic authority cannot be sustained by empiricist criteria, for obvious reasons: salient anecdotal evidence, the favorite tool of propagandists, appeals to ordinary faith in the senses, but is easily exploited given that most people understand neither the perils of induction nor the finer points of sampling and Bayesian inference. Sustaining epistemic authority depends, crucially, on social institutions that inculcate reliable second-order norms about whom to believe about what. The traditional media were crucial, in the age of mass democracy, with promulgating and sustaining such norms. The Internet has obliterated the intermediaries who made that possible (and, in the process, undermined the epistemic standing of experts), while even the traditional media in the U.S., thanks to the demise of the “Fairness Doctrine,” has contributed to the same phenomenon. I argue that this crisis cries out for changes in the regulation of speech in cyberspace—including liability for certain kinds of false speech, incitement, and hate speech--but also a restoration of a version of the Fairness Doctrine for the traditional media.
A Translog Cost Analysis of Turkey Production in the Mid-Atlantic Region

The production structure of 165-hen and 200-ton turkey flocks is investigated using a translog (dual) variable cost function. The partial static equilibrium elasticities of scale, input demand, input substitution, and cross price elasticities of demand are calculated. The elasticities of scale is found to be not significantly different from one over the range of 5,900 to 9,822 birds for the hen flocks and over the range of 7,765 to 11,043 birds for the tom flocks. In general, the input demand elasticities are inelastic with the exception of the input fuel. The cross-price elasticities are in general inelastic.
Infrared Thermal Wave Studies of Coated Surfaces

In this paper we discuss the recent results of our infrared thermal wave studies of plasma-sprayed coatings, coatings on automotive metal panels, and metal to polymer adhesive joints. The purpose of this study is to develop a reliable NDE technique to assess the quality and test the integrity of these coatings and bonding. The experimental method is a pulsed heating and synchronous infrared thermal wave detection technique commonly referred to as box-car thermal wave video imaging. [1–3] The thermal wave propagation times for plasma-sprayed coatings and adhesive bonds are usually long enough for many NDE applications that the method used here can be considered to be a real time technique. In the IR thermal wave imaging method (Fig. 1) the sample surface is pulse-heated by a bank of flash lamps, and the thermal response of the surface is monitored as a function of time and space by means of an infrared video camera. The resulting video signal is sent to a fast signal processing system and averaged synchronously on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The final data are displayed in the form of 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional gray scale or pseudocolor images of subsurface thermal features.
The long life of a thoughtful teacher

Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam A Life in Physics. John Archibald Wheeler with Kenneth Ford. Norton, New York, 1998. 380 pp. $27.95, C$39.99. ISBN 0-393-04642-7. Wheeler, who coined such terms as "black hole" and "wormhole," tells the story of his lengthy and influential career, which included substantial contributions to nuclear physics, quantum electrodynamics, and general relativity.
Potato spindle tuber viroid. XI. A comparison of the ultraviolet light sensitivities of PSTV, tobacco ringspot virus, and its satellite.

Abstract Exposure of purified potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV), of tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), and of its satellite (SAT) to ultraviolet light of 254 nm, followed by determination of residual infectivity levels, indicated that the inactivation doses for PSTV and SAT are 70–90 times larger than the dose for TRSV. The high resistance of PSTV and SAT to uv irradiation may be due to the small sizes of PSTV and SAT-RNA.
(-)-gossypol-enriched cottonseed oil induces apoptosis in multi-drug resistant human breast cancer cells.

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 3221 Chemotherapy remains an important option in breast cancer treatment. However, emergence of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is a concern for breast cancer therapy. Increasing evidence indicates that resistance may be associated with defects, or dysregulation of, different steps of the apoptotic pathway. Recently research showed that gossypol (GP) possesses anti-neoplastic activity against a variety of malignant cell types in vitro and in vivo . We investigate the effect of (-)-gossypol-enriched cottonseed oil [(-)-GPCSO], which contains 65% of (-)-GP and 35% of (+)-GP on induction of apoptosis in a multi-drug resistant human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 Adr and primary cultured human breast cancer epithelial cells (PCHBCECs) using non-radioactive cell proliferation assay, quick apoptotic DNA ladder detection, RT-PCR and Western Blotting analysis after two types of cells were treated with 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1% of (-)-GPCSO for 24 hours. Our results demonstrated that (-)-GPCSO inhibited proliferation and induced DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner in both cell types. 0.05 and 0.1% of (-)-GPCSO significantly decreased Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression in MCF-7 Adr cells to 14 and 32%, and 65 and 82% respectively. In PCHBCECs, the same concentrations of (-)-GPCSO treatment significantly reduced Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression to 60 and 93% and 71 and 76%, respectively. Evaluation of the effect of (-)-GPCSO on Bax mRNA and protein expression was also performed. Compared to controls, treatment of 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1% of (-)-GPCSO significantly increased Bax mRNA expression to 40, 47, 116% in MCF-7 Adr cells, and 100, 123, 423% in PCHBCECs. The same concentrations of (-)-GPCSO significantly up-regulated Bax protein expression to 27, 50 and 62% in MCF-7 Adr cells. Our results demonstrated that (-)-GPCSO possesses potent anti-mitogenic effects on human breast cancer cells, its ability in suppressing breast cancer cell proliferation may be mediated through down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax expression in both mRNA and protein levels. Our experimental data suggest that natural food components, (-)-GPCSO might serve as low costs and effective chemopreventive ingredients for healthy consumers and anti-multidrug resistance food components for breast cancer patients (Supported by NIH Grants CA94718 & CA95915, and Cotton Incorporated Project 06-864).
Although DR3-DQB1*0201 may be associated with multiple component diseases of the autoimmune polyglandular syndromes, the human leukocyte antigen DR4-DQB1*0302 haplotype is implicated only in beta-cell autoimmunity

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 and -DQB1 alleles were analyzed using a PCR-based sequence-specific priming technique in 16 patients with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type I (APS-I), 31 patients with APS-II, and 110 patients with component diseases of APS-II, including 9 patients with isolated Addison's disease, 43 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 22 patients with Graves' disease, and 36 patients with vitiligo. No significant associations was observed between HLA and APS-I patients in our data set, nor was sharing of HLA haplotypes by sibling pairs affected by APS I significantly different from the random expectation. Thus, HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 genes are probably not involved in APS-I. To delineate the associations between HLA-DRB1, DQB1, and APS-II, we analyzed APS-II patients with or without beta-cell autoimmunity [i.e. insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) and/or islet cell or glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies]. Our results suggest that the association between DR4-DQB1*0302 and APS-II was entirely due to the presence of pancreatic beta-cell autoimmunity, since this haplotype was otherwise not significantly associated with APS-II or with any other of its component diseases. In contrast, the DR3-DQB1*0201 haplotype was associated not only with IDD, but also with APS-II in the absence of pancreatic beta-cell autoimmunity, as were several its component diseases, including isolated Addison's disease, Graves' disease, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Interestingly, the frequency of DQB1*0602, a dominantly protective allele against IDD, was not significantly decreased in the APS-II patients with IDD or beta-cell autoimmunity, albeit the patient numbers were small. This phenomenon may suggest that the development of autoimmunity to nonpancreatic endocrine glands may predispose autoimmunity to the pancreatic beta-cells and involve genes other than those of the MHC.
Early child rearing in Japan: Cross‐cultural and intra‐cultural perspectives

Within the field of cross-cultural developmental psychology, examinations of parenting serve to focus attention on development in the proximal context of the family and the distal context of the culture. Even though Japan is economically in the mainstream of the industrialized Western world, there are many cultural differences between Japan and Western countries; these include differences in cultural values, beliefs about children, parental behaviours and differences in the children themselves. The focus of this special issue is observational studies of early child rearing in Japan; included are cross-cultural comparisons with the United States, Germany and France, as well as studies within Japan. The contexts of the observations reported in this special issue include homes, laboratory playrooms, and day care centres. With intra-cultural and cross-cultural perspectives, an updated view of Japanese child rearing in the early years is presented.
Refractory Peptic Ulcer Disease

Refractory PUD is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Optimal management of severe or refractory PUD requires a multidisciplinary team approach, using primary care providers, gastroenterologists, and general surgeons. Medical management has become the cornerstone of therapy. Identification and eradication of H pylori infection combined with acid reduction regimens can heal ulceration and also prevent recurrence. Severe, intractable or recurrent PUD and associated complications mandates a careful and methodical evaluation and management strategy to determine the potential etiologies and necessary treatment (medical or surgical) required.
Emerging Practice Concerning Vitamin D in Primary Care

The establishment of practice patterns concerning the diagnosis and management of hypovitaminosis D seems to be heterogeneous among primary care physicians. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the emerging practices among primary care providers regarding screening and treatment for hypovitaminosis D, as well as factors that influence practice patterns. Trained researchers facilitated focus groups among primary care providers. We followed a grounded theory approach to transcript coding and analysis using ATLAS.ti analysis software. Testing or screening for hypovitaminosis D and subsequent replacement or supplementation practices varied among participants. Emerging practice concerning vitamin D appears to be constructed and reinforced by patient demand; incidental reading; brief, purposeful research; conversations with colleagues; results of consultations by specialists; and more patient demand. A multifaceted approach to promoting guideline adherence will be required to influence this practice.