cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Writing (And Re-Writing) Federal Criminal Law- in the Classroom

This short contribution discusses one pedagogical approach to teaching federal criminal law in a writing seminar. It is part of a symposium on pedagogy in federal criminal law and white collar crime classes.
Compact waveguide broadband dual-polarized horn array with a novel orthomode transducer in Ku-band for high-power SAR systems

A novel compact waveguide-based broadband and dual-polarized Ku-band Synthetic Aperture Radar antenna with a high level of isolation between polarizations and high input power level has been designed for small platforms and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The antenna design is composed of 8 dual-polarized horn antennas in an array configuration fed through a very efficient and novel structure to generate two orthogonal polarizations based on a orthomode transducer to achieve a large bandwidth and an excellent isolation between polarizations needed in a polarimetric system. Finally, as the antenna will be placed inside a pod under the UAV wings it must be lightweight, robust and of small size.
Synthesis and Properties of Ultra-Thin YBa2Cu3O7 and YBa2Cu3O7/La2-xSrxCuO4 Multilayers

Using our standard single target off-axis sputter deposition procedure[1], ultra-thin YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting films were made in-situ. We have studied the thickness dependence of superconducting properties (Tc, Jc) from 20 to 5000A. Tc starts degrading below 125A and falls to 50 K for the 30 A film. Jc drops linearly with decreasing thickness below l000A. We have grown YBa2Cu3O7/La2-xSrxCuO4 superconducting thin film multilayers in-situ by the same process. The modulation wavelength of the multilayers ranged from 45A to 2000A. X-ray diffraction and cross sectional TEM confirm the superlattice periodicity. The superconducting transition temperature drops in much the same way as the single layer ultra-thin films. Both the critical current density and its magnetic field dependence decrease as the modulation wavelength decreases.
Evidence on crustal structure in California from the CHASE V explosion and the Chico earthquake of May 24, 1966

abstract An analysis is made of seismic waves recorded at some 40 stations in California (a) from the explosion CHASE V located in the ocean south of the Mendocino escarpment and (b) from a contemporaneous earthquake preceding it located deep in the crust near the west flank of the Sierra Nevada. The epicenter of CHASE V estimated by the routine Berkeley Station method is 20 km from the supplied shot-point; unfortunately, evidence from the traveltime analysis raises doubts on the supplied position and caution is necessary in using this result as a standard for locations of off-shore earthquakes in this region. Two seismic refraction profiles, CHASE V to Barrett (in southern California) and the Chico earthquake to Barrett, show strikingly different P n average velocities. The average apparent P n velocity along the coastal profile is 8.0 km/sec, in agreement with previous studies. The more easterly profile indicates a smaller speed of 7.8 km/sec; a number of lines of evidence point to subcrustal P velocities which decrease from the Coast Ranges toward the Sierra Nevada. The P n travel-times from CHASE V show significant relative delays at Shasta and Mineral, interpreted as a consequence of a root to the Klamath and Cascade ranges, and at Tinemaha, a consequence of the Sierra root. The focal depth of the Chico earthquake exceeds 20 km, deeper than coastal California earthquakes; confirmation of the depth comes from a P wave fault-plane solution which indicates dominant strike-slip motion parallel to the tectonic trend (N30°W approximately). The analysis of travel-times from the two sources substantiates the earlier finding of Dehlinger and others that anomalously low P n velocities in the upper mantle extend from California into Oregon east of the Coast Range. The frequency spectrum of the seismic signature of the explosion differs markedly from that of the earthquake, although both have been assigned a Richter magnitude of about 4.6. The CHASE V signal was highly energetic near the bubble-pulse frequency (∼ 2 c/s); measured first P motions were uniformly compressional. Amplitude measurements from CHASE V from short-period vertical component instruments yield an absorption coefficient for P n of κ = 0.00183 ± 0.0022 per kilometer for propagation across the calibrated telemetry array in the Coast Ranges (350
A Treatment Approach to Catamenial Epilepsy

The cyclic hormonal underpinnings of catamenial seizure exacerbations are consistent with the neurophysiologic activity of estrogen and progesterone. For women with catamenial epilepsy who have regular menses, intermittent treatment approaches may be utilized. These interventions are targeted at adding or increasing anti-seizure treatments during established vulnerable days of the menstrual cycle, such as perimenstrually (C1 pattern), at ovulation (C2 pattern), and during the luteal phase (C3 pattern). The single large study of natural progesterone treatment showed benefit for women with clear perimenstrual seizure exacerbations (C1 pattern), but not for subjects with other catamenial patterns or for randomized women with epilepsy of reproductive age who did not have catamenial seizure exacerbations. In this protocol, natural progesterone was given at a high dose during the luteal phase and was generally well tolerated. Other intermittent cyclic treatments include benzodiazepine use, increasing the dose of an anti-seizure drug already in use, or acetazolamide. For women with irregular menses, or those in which the intermittent cyclic treatments are not effective, pharmacologically stopping the menstrual cycle altogether by using synthetic hormones such as medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) or sustained oral contraceptives may be considered.
Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Narrative Review of Updated Therapeutic and Preventive Interventions

Context: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality for premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Many theories concerning its pathophysiology and inciting factors have been suggested but progression in preventing the onset of NEC has been minimal. While this article highlights the pathophysiology, management, and outcomes of NEC, it mainly serves as a narrative review to discuss the emerging methods of treatment and prevention. Evidence Acquisition: A literature search was done using Medline/Pub Med, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via Ovid, and CINAHL Complete with focus on articles published between 2000 and 2016. Searched terms included the following: necrotizing enterocolitis, pathogenesis, prevention, management, breast milk, formula, probiotics, prebiotics, and treatment. Results: Intestinal barrier dysfunction, hypoxic ischemic injury, receipt of packed red blood cells, immature intestinal immunity and alterations of the gut microbiome of the premature infant were reviewed factors that have been studied related to the patho- physiology of NEC. The presentation, staging and management remain relatively unchanged in the last few decades, though there have been a few studies evaluating dierent surgical options, various antibacterial regimen, and recently use of moderate hypother- mia and amniotic fluid stem cells to treat NEC. Use of breast milk, use of pre-, pro- and postbiotics show promise in the prevention of NEC. Conclusions: NEC is a likely multifactorial illness of the gastrointestinal tract aecting mostly premature infants. Recent studies have focused on preventative strategies, with promise in pre-, pro- and postbiotics; however continued research is imperative.
INTERPRETING THE PALEOZOOGEOGRAPHY AND SEA LEVEL HISTORY OF THERMALLY ANOMALOUS MARINE TERRACE FAUNAS: A CASE STUDY FROM THE LAST INTERGLACIAL COMPLEX OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Abstract. Marine invertebrate faunas with mixtures of extralimital southern and extralimital northern faunal elements, called thermally anomalous faunas, have been recognized for more than a century in the Quaternary marine terrace record of the Pacific Coast of North America. Although many mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, no single explanation seems to be applicable to all localities where thermally anomalous faunas have been observed. Here, we describe one such thermally anomalous fossil fauna that was studied on the second emergent marine terrace at Eel Point on San Clemente Island. The Eel Point terrace complex is a composite feature, consisting of a narrow upper bench (terrace 2a) and a broader lower bench (terrace 2b). Terrace 2b, previously dated from ∼128 ka to ∼114 ka, was thought to date solely to marine isotope stage (MIS) 5.5, representing the peak of the last interglacial period. Nevertheless, the fauna contains an extralimital northern species and several northward-r...
Near Middle East/North African Studies: Economics

Although the field of Middle East/North African economics has grown considerably since World War II, a handful of topics, namely the economics of oil, the role of the state in the economy, and international labor migration, dominated the field until the late 1970s. Since the decline in oil prices in the 1980s and the consolidation of the so-called Washington consensus, the state-led development model pursued by most Middle Eastern and North African countries became increasingly untenable and movement toward greater economic liberalization and market-based reforms began in earnest. Accordingly, the focus of scholarly work in Middle East economics shifted to the study of economic reform and structural adjustment, privatization, and trade and financial liberalization, including the prospects for greater trade integration with the European Union through the Euro-Mediterranean partnerships. The growing concern over youth unemployment and the greater availability of microdata on labor and human resource issues has led to a renewed interest in the study of labor markets, education, human resource development and gender issues.
Correlation study between gene and respiratory disease in children

The study was designed to explore the correlation between c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) gene and bronchitis in children with respiratory diseases. From April 2013 to April 2015, 32 cases of children who were admitted to our hospital for bronchitis were selected as the observation group, while 28 cases of normal children in the same period were selected as the control group. The JNK1 gene expression level in the blood of patients of the control and observation groups was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blot analysis. Additionally, the correlation between the levels of JNK1 expression and bronchitis in children was statistically analyzed using SPSS software. JNK1 expression significantly increased in the observation group compared to the control group, and a significant difference was identified (P<0.05). Furthermore, from the detection of JNK1 protein content of blood of child bronchitis with different conditions, we found JNK1 expression gradually increased with the aggravation of bronchitis in children, showing a positive correlation. JNK1 expression was significantly higher in the blood of patients with acute pediatric bronchitis than that of patients with chronic bronchitis. In conclusion, JNK1 promotes the production and deterioration of bronchitis in children, which provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the diagnosis and treatment of children afflicted with bronchitis.
The role of bariatric surgery in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects between 25% and 33% of the population, is more common in obese individuals, and is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in t...
Cocooned from Crime: The Relationship Between Video Games and Crime

The majority of research on the relationship between video game playing behavior and crime has been conducted by psychologists, has focused only on violent videogames, and suffers from two major shortcomings. First, psychologists have adopted correlational or experimental methodologies that do not in fact assess the empirical relationship between video game playing behavior and crime. Instead, they examine the relationship between video game playing behavior and aggression, and then infer research findings have social implications related to crime. Second, when making such inferences, these studies presume that meso and macro level phenomena are nothing more than the aggregated consequences of micro level events. Recent studies, however, have raised questions surrounding these two components of psychological research, as they have identified negative relationships between video game playing behavior and crime at county and national levels. In this study, we propose that these seemingly contradictory results can be explained using routine activities theory (Cohen and Felson 1979). We contend that video game playing behavior, particularly insofar as it occurs within the home, alters the routine activities of individuals in such a way as to decrease the number of criminal opportunities present within a society. We provide an initial test of this hypothesis using UCR, CPS, and Census data. As predicted by routine activities theory, we find that rates of video game playing behavior in the home are negatively associated with both violent and property crime.
Inhibition of Glycolysis in Prostate Cancer Chemoprevention by Phenethyl Isothiocyanate

We have shown previously that dietary administration of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a small molecule from edible cruciferous vegetables, significantly decreases the incidence of poorly differentiated prostate cancer in Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) mice without any side effects. In this study, we investigated the role of c-Myc-regulated glycolysis in prostate cancer chemoprevention by PEITC. Exposure of LNCaP (androgen-responsive) and 22Rv1 (castration-resistant) human prostate cancer cells to PEITC resulted in suppression of expression as well as transcriptional activity of c-Myc. Prostate cancer cell growth inhibition by PEITC was significantly attenuated by stable overexpression of c-Myc. Analysis of the RNA-Seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas indicated a significant positive association between Myc expression and gene expression of many glycolysis-related genes, including hexokinase II and lactate dehydrogenase A Expression of these enzyme proteins and lactate levels were decreased upon PEITC treatment in prostate cancer cells, and these effects were significantly attenuated by ectopic expression of c-Myc. A normal prostate stromal cell line (PrSC) was resistant to lactic acid suppression by PEITC treatment. Prostate cancer chemoprevention by PEITC in TRAMP mice was associated with a significant decrease in plasma lactate and pyruvate levels. However, a 1-week intervention with 10 mg PEITC (orally, 4 times/day) was not sufficient to decrease lactate levels in the serum of human subjects. These results indicated that although prostate cancer prevention by PEITC in TRAMP mice was associated with suppression of glycolysis, longer than 1-week intervention might be necessary to observe such an effect in human subjects. Cancer Prev Res; 11(6); 337-46. ©2018 AACR.
ERCP in Surgically Altered Anatomy Patients

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with surgically altered anatomy is a challenging clinical situation. In order to successfully perform such procedures, the clinician must first understand the indications for ERCP, the surgical anatomy involved which can often be complex, the equipment needed including endoscopes and accessories, and finally the different alternative approaches if failure occurs. In addition, with the advent of bariatric bypass surgery, altered anatomy ERCP has not only grown in complexity but also in volume given that both rapid weight loss and bariatric surgery are associated with increased biliary lithogenicity and its complications. The development of novel endoscopes and assist devices such as the single-balloon enteroscope (SBE), double-balloon enteroscope (DBE), and spiral enteroscope (SE) as well as accessories such as the transparent cap has facilitated and increased the capabilities of the endoscopic approach in the management of biliary pathologies in altered anatomy. However, the expanding technology can also be often confusing to the clinician, and proper selection of the appropriate endoscope, assist devices, and accessories requires a deep understanding of both the patient’s anatomy and subtle nuances in the different endoscopic tools. Despite these challenges, the current success rate of altered anatomy ERCP is quite respectable ranging from 60% to 91% depending on the anatomy involved. In addition, in the event of failure with the traditional endoscopic route, several novel techniques have been developed including the laparoscopic-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP), the ERCP via the gastrostomy tract (GT), the percutaneous-assisted transprosthetic endoscopic therapy (PATENT), and the interventional radiology (IR) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-assisted ERCP.
A multiplexed homology-directed DNA repair assay reveals the impact of ~1,700 BRCA1 variants on protein function

Loss-of-function mutations in BRCA1 confer a predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer. Genetic testing for mutations in the BRCA1 gene frequently reveals a missense variant for which the impact on the molecular function of the BRCA1 protein is unknown. Functional BRCA1 is required for homology directed repair (HDR) of double-strand DNA breaks, a key activity for maintaining genome integrity and tumor suppression. Here we describe a multiplex HDR reporter assay to simultaneously measure the effect of hundreds of variants of BRCA1 on its role in DNA repair. Using this assay, we measured the effects of ~1,700 amino acid substitutions in the first 302 residues of BRCA1. Benchmarking these results against variants with known effects, we demonstrate accurate discrimination of loss-of-function versus benign variants. We anticipate that this assay can be used to functionally characterize BRCA1 missense variants at scale, even before the variants are observed in results from genetic testing.
Initial Sterilization of Soil Affected Interactions of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles and Soybean Seedlings (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in a Greenhouse Study

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) have exhibited strong impacts on many physiological and biochemical processes in agricultural crops. However, almost all previous studies directly linked the responses of plants to the impact of ENPs, ignoring the potential role of local organisms in the rhizosphere. The primary goal of this study was to assess the effects of the rhizosphere biocommunity on the interactions of CeO2NPs with soybeans, including CeO2NPs transformation in the rhizosphere and in plant tissues. Soybean seedlings grown in initially sterilized soil or unsterilized soil were exposed to different concentrations of CeO2NPs (0, 100, and 500 mg/kg) in a growth chamber for 27 days. Initial sterilization significantly affected the interactions of CeO2NPs and soybeans, compared with the unsterilized soil (p ≤ 0.05). For example, the net photosynthesis rate of soybean seedlings exposed to 100 mg/kg of CeO2NPs for 25 days was 122% higher in sterilized soil than in unsterilized soil. However, at 500 mg/k...
African-American Adolescent Women:: Perceptions of Gender, Race, and Class

This is a reflexive account of a study of the perceptions of young women of African-American descent on gender, race, and class. These abstractions come to life as these young women provide concrete instances of how these stratifications systems affect their everyday lives. The young informants clearly perceive the chal- lenges that these systems represent. In reporting the results of this study, the researcher is reflexive on two counts. First, she reflects upon the implications of her European-American heritage for the quality of her interviews and analysis. Second, she discusses the challenges of writing qualitative research reports. Not only was she inexperienced in how to write reports based on qualitative data, but she also felt constrained by the length restrictions from telling the whole story.
Multiple Objective Path Optimization for Time Dependent Objective Functions

The study of time dependent, non-monotone increasing objective functions is interesting for several applications of multiple objective path optimization. In this paper an algorithm which finds the set of non-dominated paths is derived and shown to converge. This algorithm does not reduce to dynamic programming, even for constant cost functions.
A review of coastal management approaches to support the integration of ecological and human community planning for climate change

The resilience of socio-ecological systems to sea level rise, storms and flooding can be enhanced when coastal habitats are used as natural infrastructure. Grey infrastructure has long been used for coastal flood protection but can lead to unintended negative impacts. Natural infrastructure often provides similar services as well as added benefits that support short- and long-term biological, cultural, social, and economic goals. While natural infrastructure is becoming more widespread in practice, it often represents a relatively small fraction within portfolios of coastal risk-reducing strategies compared to more traditional grey infrastructure. This study provides a comprehensive review of how natural infrastructure is being used along the United States Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts related to four habitats – tidal marshes, beaches and barrier islands, mangroves, and biogenic reefs. We compare information on the benefits, opportunities and challenges of implementing natural, grey and hybrid infrastructure in the coastal zone. In addition, we present a suite of actions to increase information and reduce uncertainty so that coastal mangers and planners are aware of the full suite of options for restoration, conservation and planning that maximize ecosystem services over short- and long-term planning horizons.
Effect of Hormones on Carcinogenesis by Nonhormone Chemical Agents

An early clue that the endocrine system has a significant influence on the induction of tumors by nonhormone chemical agents came from the study of Korteweg and Thomas (1) in 1939. They found that hypophysectomy increases the latent period of skin tumor induction in mice by epithelial application of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (108 to 184 days in operated mice versus 44 to 100 days in intact mice). However, Smith et al. (2) reported 3 years later that hypophysectomy has little or no effect on carcinogenesis by subcutaneous administration. Later results in the 1950s lent credence to the above divergent findings of Korteweg and Thomas (1) and Smith et al. (2). Thus, pituitary dwarf mice (which lack growth hormone [GH] and some other pituitary hormones) respond poorly to skin tumor induction by 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) (3), but respond normally to carcinogenesis by subcutaneous administration of this compound (4, 5).
EUS-Guided Therapies for Solid Pancreatic Tumors Including Drug Delivery and Brachytherapy

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has dramatically changed in last five decades of its use in the management of gastrointestinal diseases. EUS has evolved from its original intent, to image the pancreas, to enable fine-needle tissue sampling and drug delivery. With the improvement in technology, the indications for EUS will continue to expand. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the recent advances made in the field of therapeutic EUS and its use in management of solid pancreatic tumors.
A Survey on Bitcoin Cryptocurrency and its Mining

Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital decentralized cryptocurrency created by an individual under pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. In fact, it is the first digital decentralized currency. The importance of digital cryptocurrency and the concept of blockchain have been explored by several developers and organizations. It is assumed to be one of the secure and easy payment methods that can be used in the coming days. In this paper, we survey various topics under Bitcoin such as blocks, blockchains, mining process and proof of work(PoW).
PICU Early Mobilization and Impact on Parent Stress.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Early mobilization of critically ill children may improve outcomes, but parent refusal of mobilization therapies is an identified barrier. We aimed to evaluate parent stress related to mobilization therapy in the PICU. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to measure parent stress and a retrospective chart review of child characteristics. Parents or legal guardians of children admitted for ≥1 night to an academic, tertiary-care PICU who were proficient in English or Spanish were surveyed. Parents were excluded if their child’s death was imminent, child abuse or neglect was suspected, or there was a contraindication to child mobilization. RESULTS: We studied 120 parent-child dyads. Parent mobilization stress was correlated with parent PICU-related stress (rs [119] = 0.489; P ≤ .001) and overall parent stress (rs [110] = 0.272; P = .004). Increased parent mobilization stress was associated with higher levels of parent education, a lower baseline child functional status, more strenuous mobilization activities, and mobilization therapies being conducted by individuals other than the children’s nurses (all P CONCLUSIONS: Parent mobilization stress was correlated with other measures of parent stress and was associated with child-, parent-, and therapy-related factors. Parents identified positive and stressful aspects of mobilization therapy that can guide clinical care and educational interventions aimed at reducing parent stress and improving the implementation of mobilization therapies.
Effects of Time on Damping Ratio of Clays

Laboratory tests with a Hardin oscillator were used to study the time-dependent characteristics of the damping ratio of isotropically consolidated specimens of kaolinite and calcium bentonite. Damping was determined usinga steady-state method and from the decay of free vibrations. After completion of primary consolidation, the dynamic response was studied as a function of time for both drained and undrained conditions. The damping ratio decreased approximately 12 percent for kaolinite and 25 percent for bentonite per logarithmic cycle of a dimensionless time ratio during secondary compression. To evaluate the effects of time in clay soils, at least one test should be continued to five to ten times the time at the end of primary consolidation. Errors due to diffusion of air into the specimen were eliminated by using a mercury jacket around the specimen. The apparatus damping constant was found to vary significantly from test to test because of minor variations in the apparatus setup, and hence the apparatus must be recalibrated for each test.
Water‐borne and plasma corticosterone are not correlated in spotted salamanders

Water-borne hormone measurement is a noninvasive method suitable for amphibians of all sizes that are otherwise difficult to sample. For this method, containment-water is assayed for hormones released by the animal. Originally developed in fish, the method has expanded to amphibians, but requires additional species-specific validations. We wanted to determine physiological relevance of water-borne corticosterone in spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) by comparing concentrations to those taken using established corticosterone sampling methods, such as plasma. Using a mixture of field and laboratory studies, we compared water-borne corticosterone levels to other traditional methods of sampling corticosterone for spotted salamander larvae, metamorphs, and adults. Despite multiple attempts, and detecting differences between age groups, we found no correlations between water-borne and plasma corticosterone levels in any age group. Water-borne sampling measures a rate of release; whereas plasma is the concentration circulating in the blood. The unique units of measurement may inherently prevent correlations between the two. These two methods may also require different interpretations of the data and the physiological meaning. We also note caveats with the method, including how to account for differences in body size and life history stages. Collectively, our results illustrate the importance of careful validation of water-borne hormone levels in each species in order to understand its physiological significance.
Estimating price trends for residential property: A comparison of repeat sales and assessed value methods

The repeat sales methodology for estimating residential price indices is based on actual appreciation of individual properties. On the other hand, the repeat sales method wastes data, typically discarding a large percentage of all sales. This article explores two issues related to the subsample of repeat sales. First, are paired sales representative of the entire population of properties that sold? Second, is there evidence that sample selectivity biases the price trend estimates? Evidence from five metropolitan areas supports a negative answer to the first question and the second question. It appears that a “lemon” or “starter home” effect causes repeat residential sales to be a biased subsample of all transactions. Cumulative price trends for the repeat subsamples can differ from the full samples over periods ranging from two to ten quarters. While short-term price trends can differ widely, there are no systematic differences among the samples over long periods of time (e.g., three years or more).
γδ T Cells in Leprosy Lesions

Leprosy provides a useful model for understanding immunoregulatory mechanisms in man, since the disease form a spectrum in which the immunologic response of the patient correlates with the clinical and histopathologic classification. Since leprosy is predominantly a disease of skin, it provides an opportunity to study the immune response to infectious pathogens at the site of disease activity. At one end of the spectrum, patients with tuberculoid leprosy have one or several skin lesions in which bacilli can rarely be identified. CD4 + T-lymphocytes predominate in these lesions (12) and respond to Mycobacterium leprae in vitro (11). At the other end of the spectrum, patients with lepromatous leprosy have diffuse infiltration of skin and nerves with bacilli-laden macrophages. CD8 + cells predominate in lepromatous lesions and function as antigen specific T-suppressor cells in vitro (13,14). The CD4+ lymphocytes derived from these lesions are unresponsive to M. leprae in vitro.
Thermal protection systems for space vehicles: A review on technology development, current challenges and future prospects

Abstract Thermal Protection System (TPS) is an essential component of space vehicles to protect them against the aerothermal heating imposed on them during the atmospheric entry. Different types of TPS, including passive, semi-passive and active systems, have been developed and utilized in the last few decades. With the increasing demand for reusable launch vehicles (RLV) as well as new goals for interplanetary manned missions, the quest for developing effective TPS has been accelerated. This paper provides a comprehensive survey on the technology development of different classes of TPS from mid twentieth century to the present time. Application of different types of TPS for various RLVs is reviewed and the current state of the art of TPS technology is presented. Three major aspects, including mass efficient TPS materials and technology, modeling and simulation tools and techniques and TPS sensors and measurement systems are identified as current challenges pertaining TPS for future space missions, according to the most recent NASA Technology Roadmap. A detailed discussion on these challenges as well as insights regarding future prospects for different classes of TPS are presented in detail.
Managerial Ownership and Employee Risk Bearing

Executives who own a stake in the firm that they manage tend to be under-diversified and therefore have an incentive to take real actions to smooth earnings. Using a simple principal-agent model, we show that management will use variable pay to transfer risk to employees. The variability of pay used should be increasing in managerial ownership. We find support for this theory in the data: a ten percent increase in executive ownership translates to a 14 percent increase in the variability of option grants per employee and a three percent increase in the variability in employment. That is, when management ownership is higher, employees have a greater risk of being fired and greater variability in pay. Financing constraints also provide a motivation to shift risk to employees. We find that the effect of such constraints may be felt most by employees not via the mix of compensation elements, but via risk of job loss.
Shifting Boundaries: Controlling Molecular Weight Distribution Shape for Mechanically Enhanced Thermoplastic Elastomers

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on polystyrene (PS) are commonplace in society. The elastomeric properties of these materials are often sacrificed to increase mechanical properties such as st...
Nursing strategies for environmental justice: A scoping review.

Objective To describe types of strategic actions nurses take to promote environmental justice (EJ) through research, education, advocacy, and practice (REAP) reported in peer-reviewed literature. Design and sample A scoping review of literature was conducted that described EJ nursing strategies and included nurses listed as authors, subjects, partners, or organizational members. The sample consisted of 35 articles, representing 24 primary research studies and 11 nonresearch articles. Data were separately analyzed by research and nonresearch articles for a clearer understanding of evidence-based strategies within domains of REAP. Results Articles in the sample highlighted the importance of authentic community partnership and represented diversity of nursing strategies that addressed a range of environmental exposures and subsequent health and racial inequities. Climate justice, a concept that emerged from the EJ movement and intersects with planetary health, is a recent focus in professional nursing. Conclusions This scoping review establishes an understanding of the extent of nursing knowledge and research in EJ and lays the groundwork for further research on effective EJ nursing strategies. Community-Based Participatory Research/Participatory Action Research methods are fundamental for EJ research, and further theoretical development is needed to guide evaluation of EJ nursing strategies for education, advocacy, and practice.
At the Margins of the Global Market: Making Commodities, Workers, and Crisis in Rural Colombia

Contemporary scholars debate the factors driving despotic labour conditions across the world economy. Some emphasize the dominance of global market imperatives and others highlight the market's reliance upon extra-economic coercion and state violence. At the Margins of the Global Market engages in this debate through a comparative and world-historical analysis of the labour regimes of three global commodity-producing subregions of rural Colombia: the coffee region of Viejo Caldas, the banana region of Uraba, and the coca/cocaine region of the Caguan. By drawing upon insights from labour regimes, global commodity chains, and world historical sociology, this book offers a novel understanding of the broad range of factors - local, national, global, and interregional - that shape labour conditions on the ground in Colombia. In doing so, it offers a critical new framework for analysing labour and development dynamics that exist at the margins of the global market.
Association of uterine fluid metabolites with the occurrence of metritis in dairy cows

Metritis is highly prevalent (10-30%) in dairy cows leading to decreased reproductive performance and economic losses. Recent studies demonstrated that aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are present in the uterine lumen of all cows immediately after parturition. Although the etiology of uterine diseases is mainly attributed to bacterial infection, bacterial contamination alone is not sufficient for the development of metritis. Reduced immune function and impaired regulation of inflammation are other components in the pathogenesis of metritis. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the association of the uterine fluid biomarkers at the day of calving and metritis incidence within the first 2 weeks postpartum. We hypothesize that a disturbed uterine fluid metabolic landscape at the day of calving contributes to the development of metritis in dairy cows.
Teardowns, Popups, and Renovations: How Does Housing Supply Adjust?

Cities grow in layers over time. As population and land values increase, older, smaller buildings are replaced with higher density, higher value structures. However, direct costs of redevelopment and institutional barriers such as zoning may constrain replacement of older structures, leading to alternate forms of supply adjustment. In this paper, I use data on building permits in Washington DC to examine three different forms of residential investment: new construction, expansion of existing structures, and renovation. Results suggest that new construction accounts for a relatively small part of residential investment and is highly concentrated in a few neighborhoods. Expansions and alterations of existing structures are more frequent and more evenly dispersed across space. Additions and alterations are more prevalent in neighborhoods with high property values and older housing. The location of new construction is more idiosyncratic.
Experiences of reproductive genetic counselors with abortion regulations in Ohio

Since 2010, Ohio legislators have passed more than 15 legislative changes related to abortion and abortion providers, and nine procedural abortion clinics have closed. We investigated reproductive genetic counselors' perceptions, attitudes and self-reported practices regarding Ohio's current and proposed abortion regulations. We conducted five focus groups and two telephone interviews in 2019-2020, with a total of 19 reproductive genetic counselors. Participants discussed difficulties keeping current on abortion legislation and clinics' and hospitals' policies, resulting in anticipatory anxiety and leading to additional work to discuss the laws with patients. Participants articulated that practices of reproductive genetic counseling-and patient advocacy-are impeded by the legislation. Genetic counselors perceive negative impacts on patients' autonomy, particularly reflective of healthcare disparities of marginalized groups, which may contribute to frustration and anger. Ultimately, the mental and emotional burden on genetic counselors created by abortion legislation contributes to compassion fatigue and burnout. Our findings show that Ohio's abortion regulations negatively impact reproductive genetic counselors and their relationships with their patients. Repealing existing abortion regulations and preventing future restrictive legislation may ameliorate the negative effects of regulations on reproductive genetic counselors and their patients. In the event that these laws remain, innovative communication tools and proactive professional society advocacy are potential means to mitigate the negative impact on reproductive genetic counselors.
Factorization of Quasiseparable Matrices

This paper investigates some of the ideas and algorithms developed for exploiting the structure of quasiseparable matrices. The case of purely scalar generators is considered initially. The process by which a quasiseparable matrix is represented as the product of matrices comprised of its generators is explained. This is done clearly in the scalar case, but may be extended to block generators. The complete factoring approach is then considered. This consists of two stages: inner-outer factorization followed by inner-coprime factorization. Finally, the stability of the algorithm is investigated. The algorithm is used to factor various quasiseparable matrices R created rst using minimal generators, and subsequently using non-minimal generators. The result is that stability of the algorithm is compromised when non-minimal generators are present. INDEX WORDS: Structured matrices, Quasiseparable matrices, QR factorization, Fast algorithms. FACTORIZATION OF QUASISEPARABLE MATRICES
Rough sets for solving classification problems in computational neuroscience

Understanding cellular properties of neurons is central in neuroscience. It is especially important in light of recent discoveries suggesting that similar neural activity can be produced by cells with quite disparate characteristics. Unfortunately, due to experimental constraints, analyzing how the activity of neurons depends on cellular parameters is difficult. Computational modeling of biological neurons allows for exploration of many parameter combinations, without the necessity of a large number of "wet" experiments. However, analysis and interpretation of often very extensive databases of models can be hard. Thus there is a need for efficient algorithms capable of mining such data. This article proposes a rough sets-based approach to the problem of classifying functional and non-functional neuronal models. In addition to presenting a successful application of the theory of rough sets in the field of computational neuroscience, we are hoping to foster with this paper a greater interest among the members of the rough sets community to explore the plethora of important problems in that field.
Shrinking selves in synthetic sites: Onpersonhood in a Walt Disney World

In this essay we show how certain tendencies of the self are enhanced and hindered by technologically organized places. We coordinate a cognitive and behavioral technology for the control of personal identity with the technologically totalized environments that we call ``synthetic sites.'' We proceed by describing Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's strategy for intensifying experience and organizing the self. Walt Disney World is then considered as the example, par excellence, of a synthetic site that promotes ordered experience via self-shrinkage. Finally, we reflect briefly on problems and possibilities of human life lived in a world that can be described with increasing accuracy as ``an archipelago of synthetic sites.''
Simulation of the B-CDMA overlay capacity with random traffic

This paper addresses the capacity of the B-CDMA macrocellular overlay system. The B-CDMA overlay method enables cellular systems to provide wireless high speed communications. The novelty in this paper is the introduction of a new CDMA blocking model to calculate the capacity of the B-CDMA Overlay System under various AMPS and B-CDMA traffic intensities. Forward and reverse link capacities are both calculated. We show that a B-CDMA overlay can accommodate 10-22 times more users than the existing FDMA system. These results are obtained by incorporating the effects of implementation loss, APC inaccuracy due to multipath fading and spillover. Simulation results are included.
Competitive Competition Law? An Essay Against International Cooperation

This paper draws on strategic trade theory to explore the conditions under which different national competition law systems can compete. I assume that each state seeks to maximize a weighted sum of producer and consumer welfare within its territory, the weighting in turn reflecting public choice considerations. I further assume the tolerance or promotion of inefficient forms of inter-firm cooperation and monopolization discourages investment in the protected economic sector and makes it less likely that firms in that sector will innovate. Working within these assumptions, the question becomes whether states have sufficient incentives to discourage inefficient inter-firm cooperation and monopolization in cases where foreign consumers bear the lion's share of the costs of monopoly rents. In a static model, individual states should prefer such arrangements, resulting in a collective action problem due to global losses of welfare. If, however, protected economic sectors bear a sanction in the form of higher costs of capital and lower rates of innovation, the collective action problem may dissipate. The critical question thus becomes the strength of the assumption that private or state-sponsored protection reduces incentives for investment and innovation. Strategic trade theory also addresses the institutional conditions for governments to engage in successful protection. I argue that the tolerance of organizational combinations that reduce global welfare but produce local benefits is simply one aspect of such protection. The core common problem involves governmental capacity to distinguish industrial structures that advance efficiency from those that reflect rent-seeking. In trade law, one asks whether governments should protect local industries to promote positive externalities. In competition law, the symmetrical question is whether governments should sanction foreign industries to deter negative externalities. I conclude by considering governmental capacity to pick industrial winners and losers. The empirical case for governmental success at distinguishing efficiency-enhancing from rent-seeking industrial structures is mixed at best. Moreover, the instances where the distinction seems easiest to make - cartelization of primary products - more often involve greater governmental involvement in the promotion of inefficient industrial structures than in their dismantling. The implication of this evidence is that it is plausible to assume that protection resulting from competition policy, like protection produced by governmental intervention, does deter investment and innovation and thus contains its own punishment.
A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF EGG AND EGG REPLACERS ON THE PRODUCT QUALITY OF MUFFINS

ABSTRACT Five muffin formulations, liquid whole egg, dry whole egg, and three commercial egg replacers, which partially replaced egg in the formulations, were evaluated to determine differences in product qualities caused by egg and egg replacers. The products were prepared following the same procedure and other ingredient compositions, except for egg or egg replacer used in the formulation. Physical product characteristics and sensory properties of the samples were evaluated. It was found that egg, as an ingredient in the muffin formulation, is critical to obtain expected product quality characteristics. None of the commercial egg replacers produced acceptable quality muffins at 100% replacement. Partial replacement of egg with commercial egg replacers changed product characteristics altering moisture retention, bulk volume, color, texture and flavor. Some of these differences, however, were not readily detected by the sensory panelists. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This study comprehensively evaluated the effects of egg and egg replacers on final product quality, when used in pilot-scale muffin production. An array of tests were conducted on samples prepared according to respective ingredient manufacturers' recommendations – partially replacing egg with commercial egg replacers – to objectively evaluate the differences in quality and sensory attributes. The functionalities of each ingredient (egg replacer) in muffin formulations were interpreted based on the results obtained. The observations and results of this study would be important in selecting appropriate ingredients for muffin formulations to obtain desired product qualities.