cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 310: Inhibition of Class I Histone Deacetylase Activity Improves Left Ventricular Contractile Function and Cardiac Strain in Coronary Artery Occlusion-Induced Myocardial Infarction

Protection from coronary heart disease-induced damage of the myocardium during myocardial infarction (MI) injury has been a target of investigation for the development of innovative cardioprotective therapies. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a class of enzymes that affect the transcriptional regulation of genes during pathological conditions. We observed that class I/IIb HDAC activity was nearly 5 times greater in the 7-day post-MI LV when compared to the sham ventricles. In vitro inhibition studies indicated that the majority of increased activity was due to class I HDACs. Therefore we hypothesized that suppression of class I HDACs would prevent the pathophysiological changes occurring during MI, thus improving LV pump function in post-MI myocardium. CD-1 mice were administered with the a class I HDAC inhibitor pimelic diphenylamide (PD106) or vehicle immediately after induction of MI and the treatment continued every other day for 7 days post MI. LV end-diastolic volumes, expressed as change from pre-MI values, was significantly lower in the PD106 treated mice compared to vehicle treated mice. Further, the post-MI reduction in LV ejection faction was significantly attenuated in the PD106-treated mice compared to the MI alone group. Similarly, echo cardiac strain analysis showed improved LV strain and better coherence in contractile function among infarct and border zones in PD106 MI group compared to MI only. These unique findings demonstrate that class I HDAC inhibitors may provide a novel therapeutic means to attenuate adverse post-MI LV remodeling.
Companions and competitors: Joint metal-supply relationships in gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc mines

Firms that extract and produce multiple metals are an important component of mineral supply. The reaction of such firms to changes in their relevant output prices is tested econometrically for five metals using a panel representing more than 100 mines across the time period 1991–2005. The estimation strategy is drawn from joint production theory, namely a flexible form, dual revenue approach with seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) estimation. The results indicate that multi-product mines respond (in the short run) to higher prices of a particular metal by reducing output of that metal (indicative of low-grading behavior) and increasing and/or decreasing output of joint metal products (indicative of substitutes and complements in supply). The price responses are not readily explained by a metal's classification as a by-product or main product based on revenue.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act Essential Health Benefits: Threats and Obstacles.

An editorial discusses the federal legislative proposals and efforts by the executive branch to repeal the United States Affordable Care Act. Topics include efforts by individual states to maintain insurance benefits and coverage, a failure to predict the insurance pool of covered individual, and efforts by Republicans in congress and President Donald Trump to limit essential health benefits.
Promoting Afterschool Quality and Positive Youth Development: Cluster Randomized Trial of the Pax Good Behavior Game

This randomized trial tested a strategy originally developed for school settings, the Pax Good Behavior Game (PAX GBG), in the new context of afterschool programs. We examined this approach in afterschool since 70% of all juvenile crime occurs between the hours of 3–6 pm, making afterschool an important setting for prevention and promotion. Dual-career and working families need monitoring and supervision for their children in quality settings that are safe and appropriately structured. While substantial work has identified important features of afterschool programs, increasing attention is being given to how to foster quality. PAX GBG, with its focus on shared norms, cooperative teams, contingent activity rewards, and liberal praise, could potentially enhance not only appropriate structure and supportive relationships, but also youth self-regulation, co-regulation, and socio-emotional development. This study examined the PAX GBG among 76 afterschool programs, serving 811 youth ages 5–12, who were diverse in race-ethnicity, socio-economic status, and geographic locale. Demographically matched pairs of afterschool programs were randomized to PAX GBG or treatment-as-usual. Independent observers conducted ratings of implementation fidelity and program quality across time; along with surveys of children’s problem and prosocial behavior. Interaction effects were found using hierarchical linear models such that experimental programs evidencing higher implementation fidelity demonstrated better program quality than controls, (i.e., less harshness, increased appropriate structure, support, and engagement), as well as reduced child-reported hyperactivity and intent-to-treat effects on prosocial behavior. This study demonstrates that best practices fostered by PAX GBG and implemented with fidelity in afterschool result in higher quality contexts for positive youth development.
Intestinal challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in pigs, and nutritional intervention to prevent postweaning diarrhea

Abstract Gut health of nursery pigs immediately after weaning is tightly associated with their growth performance and economic values. Postweaning diarrhea (PWD) is one of the major concerns related to gut health of nursery pigs which often is caused by infections of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), mainly including F4 (K88) + and F18 + E. coli. The main virulence factors of ETEC are adhesins (fimbriae or pili) and enterotoxins. The common types of fimbriae on ETEC from PWD pigs are F18 + and F4 + . Typically, PWD in pigs is associated with both F18 + and F4 + ETEC infections whereas pre-weaning diarrhea in pigs is associated with F4 + ETEC infection. Enterotoxins including heat-labile enterotoxins (LT) and heat-stable peptide toxins (ST) are associated with causing diarrhea in pigs. At least 10 9 to 10 10 ETEC are required to induce diarrhea in nursery pigs typically lasting 1 to 5 days after ETEC infection. Antibiotics used to be the most effective way to prevent PWD, however, with the increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics, alternatives to the use of antibiotics are urgently needed to prevent PWD. Immunopropylaxis and nutritional intervention of antimicrobial minerals (such as zinc oxide and copper sulfate), organic acids, functional feedstuffs (such as blood plasma and egg yolk antibodies), direct fed microbials, phytobiotics, and bacteriophage can potentially prevent PWD associated with ETEC. Some other feed additives such as nucleotides, feed enzymes, prebiotic oligosaccharides, and clay minerals can enhance intestinal health and thus indirectly help with preventing PWD. Numerous papers show that nutritional intervention using selected feed additives can effectively prevent PWD.
Towards Functional Mobile Magnetic Microrobots

This chapter covers some fundamental work towards realizing functional mobile magnetic microrobots. First, the theoretical fundamentals of electromagnetism are presented. Second, an electromagnetic testbed design for controlling mobile magnetic microrobots is described. It is utilized to perform benchmarking tests on a simple I-bar shaped magnetic microrobot design. After benchmarking, the critical aspects for micro scale robots and two specific microrobot designs are developed addressing the application needs of biomedical and micro manufacturing tasks. They exhibit tumbling and crawling locomotion mechanisms, respectively. Finally, a magnet microrobot body and vision-based force sensor end-effector combination illustrates an approach for combining different technologies together to create the truly functional mobile magnetic microrobots of the future.
Risk factors for dementia in the Cardiovascular Health Study cognition study

Se cree que varios factores geneticos y predisposicionales estan implicados en la etiologia de la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA). Con excepcion de la edad, no hay consenso entre los investigadores sobre los factores que pueden predecir la aparicion de la EA. Algunos estudios han encontrado que la edad avanzada en mujeres, los factores de riesgo cerebrovasculares (hipertension, enfermedad coronaria isquemica, diabetes mellitus) y la presencia del alelo 4 de la apolipoproteina E (APOE-4) son factores que estan asociados con el desarrollo de la demencia y de la EA. Sin embargo, estudios poblacionales a gran escala que han introducido la neuroimagen ?resonancia magnetica (RM)? en el analisis de los factores de riesgo de la demencia han encontrado que las alteraciones estructurales cerebrales tienen una gran importancia como factor predictor de demencia. El Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study (CHS-CS) evaluo los determinantes del riesgo de la demencia, diagnosticada entre 1998 y 1999, entre 3.608 participantes mayores de 65 anos, a quienes se les hizo una RM cerebral entre 1991 y 1994. En esta cohorte hubo 480 casos de demencia, y 330 de ellos se diagnosticaron como EA. El CHS encontro que la edad, la puntuacion en el modified mini-mental state examination de los sujetos que no cumplian los criterios de demencia en 1991-1994, el tamano ventricular cerebral, la gravedad de las lesiones de la sustancia blanca cerebral, el numero de infartos cerebrales detectados a traves de una RM y la presencia del APOE-4 eran factores pronosticos de la demencia. Este estudio ha mostrado la importancia de controlar los hallazgos de las neuroimagenes en el estudio de los factores de riesgo de la demencia. La puntuacion de las medidas cognitivas globales, la presencia del alelo APOE 4 y los hallazgos en una RM cerebral constituyeron factores pronosticos muy significativos de la demencia y la EA.
Complications of Chronic Venous Insufficiency

The major complications of chronic, uncompensated venous insufficiency w encompass a distinctive series of dermatologie changes usually developing in the skin and subcutaneous tissues of the lower leg and ankle. These changes develop slowly over a period of years and include ulceration, liposclerosis, edema, pigmentation, eczematoid dermatitis and white atrophy. Symptoms of intense itching, stinging, burning, aching, throbbing and actual pain may accompany the anatomic changes.
Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy and a practical algorithmic approach for the diagnosis of renal masses by FNA.

BACKGROUND The classification of renal neoplasms is essential for oncologic risk stratification and clinical management, and an accurate pretreatment pathologic diagnosis can provide useful guidance for active surveillance, minimally invasive ablative therapy, or surgical resection and can reduce the incidence of overtreatment. Previous studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and core-needle biopsy (CNB) for renal masses are limited and show variable results. METHODS Two hundred forty-seven renal FNA cases with or without concurrent CNB performed and/or reviewed at the Stanford University School of Medicine over the course of 20 years were identified. Cytohistopathologic correlation was performed for 77 cases with subsequent resection specimens. All available case materials were reviewed, and select cases were worked up further and reclassified as necessary. RESULTS Cytohistopathologic correlation showed 96% diagnostic specificity and 83% sensitivity for renal FNA with or without concurrent CNB. Discordant cases were mostly attributed to sampling errors or suboptimal specimens (79%) and also included 2 non-renal cell carcinoma entities (1 case of angiomyolipoma and 1 case of a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor) and 1 case involving misclassification of the renal cell carcinoma subtype. CONCLUSIONS There is considerable value in FNA/CNB for the initial diagnosis of renal masses because of the high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. Sensitivity is predominantly dependent on sufficient sampling, and additional potential diagnostic pitfalls include nonepithelial and rare entities. Judicious use of ancillary techniques is encouraged, especially when one is presented with a limited specimen, and this article presents a practical algorithmic approach to the diagnosis of renal masses using salient morphologic features and results from ancillary studies. Fine-needle aspiration is an accurate method for the diagnosis of renal masses. A practical diagnostic algorithm, based on salient morphologic and ancillary findings, is presented.
The Migration-Crime Nexus and the Press in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

This article explores the link between migrants and crime as portrayed in the European press. Examining conservative newspapers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2016, the study situates the press coverage in each individual country within a comparative perspective that contrasts the frequency of the crime narrative to that of other prominent narratives, as well as to that in the other countries. The article also charts the prevalence of this narrative over time, followed by a discussion of which particular aspects of crime are most commonly referenced in each country. The findings suggest that while there has been no steady increase in the coverage of crime and migration, the press securitizes migration by focusing on crime through a shared emphasis on human trafficking and the non-European background of the perpetrators. However, other frames advanced in these newspapers, such as fraud or organized crime, comprise nationally distinctive characteristics.
Assessing the Difference in Clinical and Radiologic Outcomes Between Expandable Cage and Nonexpandable Cage Among Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Interbody Fusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Minimally invasive transforaminal interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) has been shown to have excellent outcomes for surgical management of degenerative disc disease. However, the challenge is in addressing coronal imbalance and restoring lumbar lordosis and sagittal alignment. Use of expandable cages in MIS-TLIF has been hypothesized to circumvent this disadvantage. An indirect meta-analysis of the evidence is presented comparing outcomes from expandable cages with those from nonexpandable cages, in patients undergoing MIS-TLIF. Methods PRISMA guidelines were used to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the clinical and radiologic outcomes of expandable cages and nonexpandable cages in patients undergoing MIS-TLIF. Results Twelve studies (706 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The mean increase in disc height was found to be significantly greater for the nonexpandable cages group than for the expandable cages group (1.33 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–1.38 vs. 1.14 mm,; 95% CI, 1.06–1.23; P Conclusions Our results indicate that there may not be a significant difference in clinical and radiologic parameters between expandable cages and nonexpandable cages among patients undergoing MIS-TLIF, and it is unclear if the higher cost of the expandable cages is justified.
Crisis perceptions, relationship, and communicative behaviors of employees: Internal public segmentation approach

Abstract This study examines when and why employees engage in external communicative behaviors during the periods of a corporate crisis. Combining a cross-situational factor (i.e., pre-crisis relationship quality) and a situational factor (i.e., crisis-specific perceptions), this study segments internal publics to understand employees’ motivations of becoming advocates for or adversaries of their organization. The results of an online survey demonstrated that employees’ pre-crisis relationship to their organization plays a critical role in encouraging them to advocate for their company; meanwhile, their crisis-perception—whether they feel fewer constraints in solving a crisis—is more likely to make them share negative information externally. Segmented groups of employees with high levels of both relationship and activeness are most likely to engage in both positive and negative external communication behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications for public relations and internal crisis communication are suggested.
Vitamin D deficiency: prevalence and association with liver disease severity in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

To determine associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)-D) concentrations and histologic nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) severity. Clinical, laboratory, and histology data were collected retrospectively in a pediatric cohort with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD. Serum 25(OH)-D concentrations were used to define vitamin D deficiency (≤20 ng/ml), insufficiency (21–30 ng/ml), and sufficiency (≥31 ng/ml). In all, 234 patients (78% non-Hispanic, median age 14 years) were included. The majority (n = 193) were either vitamin D insufficient (50%) or deficient (32%). Eighty-four patients (36%) reported taking vitamin D supplements at the time of biopsy; serum 25(OH)-D concentrations were not higher in those supplemented. There were no differences in the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the three vitamin D status groups. Severity of steatosis, ballooning, lobular/portal inflammation, and NAFLD activity score were also not different between the groups. The proportion of patients with significant fibrosis (stage ≥ 2) was higher in those with insufficiency (29%) compared to those who were sufficient (17%) or deficient (15%, p = 0.04). After controlling for important covariates selected from age, body mass index, ethnicity, vitamin D supplementation, and season, the insufficient group had increased odds of a higher fibrosis score compared to the sufficient group (adjusted OR, 2.04; 95%CI, 1.02–4.08). Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common in children with NAFLD, but not consistently related with histologic disease severity. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to determine optimal dosing strategies to achieve sufficiency and to determine whether adequate supplementation has an impact on histology.
Molecular evolution of the meiotic recombination pathway in mammals.

Meiotic recombination shapes evolution and helps to ensure proper chromosome segregation in most species that reproduce sexually. Recombination itself evolves, with species showing considerable divergence in the rate of crossing-over. However, the genetic basis of this divergence is poorly understood. Recombination events are produced via a complicated, but increasingly well-described, cellular pathway. We apply a phylogenetic comparative approach to a carefully selected panel of genes involved in the processes leading to crossovers-spanning double-strand break formation, strand invasion, the crossover/non-crossover decision, and resolution-to reconstruct the evolution of the recombination pathway in eutherian mammals and identify components of the pathway likely to contribute to divergence between species. Eleven recombination genes, predominantly involved in the stabilization of homologous pairing and the crossover/non-crossover decision, show evidence of rapid evolution and positive selection across mammals. We highlight TEX11 and associated genes involved in the synaptonemal complex and the early stages of the crossover/non-crossover decision as candidates for the evolution of recombination rate. Evolutionary comparisons to MLH1 count, a surrogate for the number of crossovers, reveal a positive correlation between genome-wide recombination rate and the rate of evolution at TEX11 across the mammalian phylogeny. Our results illustrate the power of viewing the evolution of recombination from a pathway perspective.
New directions of activity-based sensing for in vivo NIR imaging

In vivo imaging is a powerful approach to study biological processes. Beyond cellular methods, in vivo studies allow for biological stimuli (small molecules or proteins) to be studied in their native environment. This has the potential to aid in the discovery of new biology and guide the development of diagnostics and therapies for diseases. To ensure selectivity and an observable readout, the probe development field is shifting towards activity-based sensing (ABS) approaches and near-infrared (NIR) imaging modalities. This perspective will highlight recent in vivo ABS applications that utilize NIR imaging platforms.
La narconarrativa después del “juicio del siglo”

The present article examines the contradictions, fantasies and mythifications of the trial against the Mexican trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, which took place in New York City between Nov. 5, 2018 and Feb. 12, 2019. Drawing from the works of Antonio Gramsci and Ernesto Laclau, I analyze the hegemonic imaginary of the “war against drugs” which legitimized the judicial process and its implications for the fields of cultural production and the “national security” agenda in the current government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. I argue how that imaginary has been originally articulated by U.S. institutions generating a “narconarrative” which mediates in the national comprehension of the phenomenon, which in turn conditions the strategy of pacification set forth by the Lopez Obrador government.
Practical Applications of Organic Chemistry: Improving Student Knowledge of GC–MS through Qualitative Analysis of Nicotine in Electronic Cigarette Vapors

Given student familiarity with electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), this lab uses a student-built smoke collection apparatus to collect e-cig vapors to teach students about gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Students in a second semester, introductory organic chemistry course spent 1 week collecting e-cig vapors and 1 week qualitatively analyzing the data collected. In the real-world, the amount of nicotine inhaled by the consumer from an e-cig is going to depend on many variables including the vaping device used, inhalation rate, and voltage applied by the e-cig. This experiment allows students to simplify the vaping process and focus on the collection of nicotine in the e-cig vapor. Students compared the retention time of nicotine with an injection standard, quinoline, whose structural similarities provided strong discussions about the role of polarity and boiling points in chromatography. This injection standard ensured that all students would minimally be able to compare the retention time of two structurally similar compounds. Each lab group analyzed different e-cig liquids. Students improved upon their ability to interpret mass spectrometry data by predicting fragmentation patterns for both nicotine and quinoline. This lab experiment serves as a connection between lecture and lab material, while promoting student engagement and learning. The students who performed this experiment increased their knowledge of GC–MS and built foundational chemistry skills that can be applied to solve other real-world questions.
Current clinical utilization of risk assessment tools in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a descriptive survey of facilitation strategies, patterns, and barriers to use in the United States:

Practice guidelines suggest that treatment decisions in pulmonary arterial hypertension be informed by periodic assessment of patients' clinical risk. Several tools, well validated for risk discrimination, such as the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management calculator, were developed to assess pulmonary arterial hypertension patients' risk of death based on multiple parameters, including functional class, hemodynamics, biomarkers, comorbidities, and exercise capacity. Using an online survey, we investigated the use of risk assessment tools by pulmonary hypertension healthcare providers in the United States. Of 121 survey respondents who make treatment decisions, 59% reported using risk assessment tools. The use of these tools was lower for non-physicians (48% vs. 65% physicians) and for practitioners at centers with 1 to 100 pulmonary arterial hypertension patients compared with centers with >100 patients (47% vs. 64%). Risk was most frequently assessed by decision makers at the time of diagnosis (cited by 54%) and at the time of worsening symptoms (cited by 42%), suggesting that use of pulmonary arterial hypertension risk assessment tools remains low. In our survey, non-physicians compared with physicians cited two major barriers to increased tool use: lack of education and training (20% vs. 4%) and lack of clarity on the best tool to use (30% vs. 18%). Information technology tools, such as electronic medical record integration and web or phone-based risk calculating applications, were cited most frequently as ways to increase the use of risk assessment tools.
Reduction of structural vibration and radiated noise using acoustic resistive volume

Undesirable noise levels and shell vibrations from pipes and cavities with internal pulsating pressures is a common problem for HVAC, automobiles and airplanes. This study is concerned with providing effective noise control solutions without affecting overall system performance. Acoustic impedance optimization is carried out using a Fluid-Structure-Interaction FEA solver to reduce radiated noise by adjusting the acoustic impedance in the pipes and cavities to avoid excitation of internal acoustic modes. Porous materials with high porosity (>0.9) and with hole sizes much smaller than the viscous penetration depth are introduced inside the pipe and cavities to create resistance volumes to increase acoustic dissipation. In this way, acoustic traveling waves are promoted and the formation of standing waves is minimized. This in turn reduces surface vibration levels of the pipes thereby reducing radiated noise.
Experimental considerations to study Li-excess disordered rock salt cathode materials

Cation-disordered rock salt materials have attracted much interest as high energy density cathode materials due to their anionic electrochemical activity, providing them extra capacity, along with their lower cost. They are, however, still the subject of numerous studies as they suffer from poor cyclability and relatively slow kinetics compared to traditional intercalation materials. In this work, several important experimental considerations, that must be taken into account when studying Li-excess cation disordered rock salt cathode materials, are introduced. First, the key synthesis parameters were identified to enable a lower-temperature, morphology-controlled synthesis of the Li3NbO4-based disordered rock salt cathodes Li1.3TM0.4Nb0.3O2 (TM = Fe, Mn), using nano-sized precursors. After evaluating the influence of the morphology on the cyclability of the electrode, two key challenges that hinder the practical implementation of these systems are revealed – ambient air-induced surface contamination and electrolyte compatibility. Thermal gravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction on the nano-sized cathodes confirmed that prolonged air exposure generates a large amount of surface species, responsible for the large decrease in the first discharge capacity. Moreover, the influence of the electrolyte on the evolution of the cathode–electrolyte interphase was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that cation-disordered rock salt cathodes go through significant Li-salt degradation and develop thick cathode–electrolyte interphase with the electrolytes compatible with Li-excess layered cathode materials Li[Li0.144Ni0.136Co0.136Mn0.544]O2, highlighting the importance of evaluating and finding compatible battery chemistries.
Increased Misuse of Nitrous Oxide: No Laughing Matter

Yet another consequence of the devastating coronavirus pandemic, increased misuse of nitrous oxide, has generated alarm in a recent issue of The New York Times (Marcus, 2021). Long known for its ab...
Dietary Energy Density and Fertility: Results from the Lifestyle and Fertility Study.

Background Diet is a modifiable lifestyle factor linked with fertility in a growing number of studies. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between dietary energy density (ED), a summary measure of diet quality that estimates the amount of energy per unit food (kcal/g) consumed, and conception and pregnancy outcomes. Methods A prospective cohort study of couples planning their first pregnancy was conducted in the Northeast region of the USA. Dietary data were collected prior to conception via 3 unannounced interviewer-administered 24-h dietary recalls. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression (ORs and Cox proportional hazards models [RR] and 95% CIs) were estimated for continuous and categorical (tertile [T]) variables of dietary ED. Results The majority of women (n = 80; 61%) achieved clinical pregnancy. Median time to conception of a clincal pregnancy(TTC) for those who conceived was 4.64 mo with an IQR of 4.37 mo. ED modeled as a continuous variable was not associated with clinical pregnancy, live birth, or TTC after controlling for race, physical activity, and male partner's ED. When ED was categorized to consider nonlinear associations, 60%, 73%, and 50% of the participants in the tertiles (from lowest ED to highest) achieved clinical pregnancy. In multivariable logistic analyses with the middle group as the referent (ED = 1.37-1.60), membership in the highest ED group (ED >1.60) was associated with lower odds of clinical pregnancy (OR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.81, P = 0.02). In Cox proportional hazards analyses, membership in the highest ED group was associated with significantly longer TTC compared with the middle category (HR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.21,0.82, P = 0.01). Conclusions These results suggest that high dietary ED is associated with reduced fertility.This study evaluated associations between dietary energy density and the probability of conceiving clinical pregnancy, having a live birth, and the time to conception among couples planning pregnancy.
Changes in Census Data Will Affect Our Understanding of Infant Health

Descriptions of the effect of the implementation of a new disclosure avoidance system (DAS), which relies on differential privacy, emphasize the impact of our understanding of contemporary social a...
A General Common-Bus Architecture for Multiple-Interface Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Studies

Power hardware-in-the-loop provides a safe and relatively small test platform to a wide range of power devices. The limits of the technique are constantly being pushed, with faster real-time simulations, higher bandwidth amplifiers, and more complex systems. A particular way that the complexity of the system can be increased is through the inclusion of multiple power hardware-in-the-loop interfaces between the simulated system and the physical devices. The intricacy of multiple interfaces increases the chances of inaccuracy and instability of the system however, as each new interface can potentially add unwanted distortions. Therefore, it is important that the behavior of the system is well understood. In this paper, an approach to analyze a general common-bus architecture for multiple-interface power hardware-in-the-loop simulations is proposed. This approach allows for an easy and quick method to obtain analytical solutions to the stability and accuracy of a commonly found configuration in PHIL simulations.
Physics-Driven Learning of Wasserstein GAN for Density Reconstruction in Dynamic Tomography

Object density reconstruction from projections containing scattered radiation and noise is of critical importance in many applications. Existing scatter correction and density reconstruction methods may not provide the high accuracy needed in many applications and can break down in the presence of unmodeled or anomalous scatter and other experimental artifacts. Incorporating machine-learned models could prove beneficial for accurate density reconstruction particularly in dynamic imaging, where the time-evolution of the density fields could be captured by partial differential equations or by learning from hydrodynamics simulations. In this work, we demonstrate the ability of learned deep neural networks to perform artifact removal in noisy density reconstructions, where the noise is imperfectly characterized. We use a Wasserstein generative adversarial network (WGAN), where the generator serves as a denoiser that removes artifacts in densities obtained from traditional reconstruction algorithms. We train the networks from large density time-series datasets, with noise simulated according to parametric random distributions that may mimic noise in experiments. The WGAN is trained with noisy density frames as generator inputs, to match the generator outputs to the distribution of clean densities (time-series) from simulations. A supervised loss is also included in the training, which leads to improved density restoration performance. In addition, we employ physics-based constraints such as mass conservation during network training and application to further enable highly accurate density reconstructions. Our preliminary numerical results show that the models trained in our frameworks can remove significant portions of unknown noise in density time-series data.
Tissue-specific Mechanisms of Bile Acid Homeostasis and Activation of FXR-FGF19 Signaling in Preterm and Term Neonatal Pigs.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The tissue specific molecular mechanisms involved in perinatal liver and intestinal FXR-FGF19 signaling are poorly defined. Our aim was to establish how gestational age and feeding status affect bile acid synthesis pathway, bile acid pool size, ileal response to bile acid stimulation, genes involved in bile acid-FXR-FGF19 signaling and plasma FGF19 in neonatal pigs. Methods Term (n=23) and preterm (n=33) pigs were born via cesarean section at 100% and 90% gestation, respectively. Plasma FGF19, hepatic bile acid and oxysterol profiles, and FXR target gene expression was assessed in pigs at birth and after a bolus feed on day 3 of life. Pig ileal tissue explants were used to measure signaling response to bile acids. Results Preterm pigs had smaller, more hydrophobic bile acid pools, lower plasma FGF19, and blunted FXR-mediated ileal response to bile acid stimulation than term pigs. GATA-4 expression was higher in jejunum than ileum, and was higher in preterm than term pig ileum. Hepatic oxysterol analysis suggested dominance of the alternative pathway of bile acid synthesis in neonates, regardless of gestational age and persists in preterm pigs after feeding on day 3. Conclusion These results highlight the tissue-specific molecular basis for the immature enterohepatic bile acid signaling via FXR-FGF19 in preterm pigs and may have implications for disturbances of bile acid homeostasis and metabolism in preterm infants.
Networks of Empire: Forced Migration in the Dutch East India Company

1. Networks of empire and the imperial diaspora 2. The company's imperial legal realm and forced migration 3. Crime and punishment in mid-eighteenth century Batavia 4. The Cape cauldron: tales of a trans-oceanic past 5. Cross-circuits in the Indian Ocean: the VOC and Dar al Islam 6. Social webs at the Cape of Good Hope 7. Disintegrating imperial networks.
Civil Rights, Labor, and the Politics of Class Action Jurisdiction

Class actions — once the modus operandi of civil rights litigation — recently underwent sweeping changes as a result of the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. Civil rights groups vehemently opposed the Act, joining forces at various times with consumer, environmental, and labor groups in an effort to defeat the bill. The most controversial provision of the Act subjects many state law class actions to federal court jurisdiction, allowing these actions to be originally filed in federal court or removed from state to federal court. On the eve of CAFA’s passage, civil rights groups in conjunction with labor organizations sought unsuccessfully to exclude state law civil rights and employment actions from this extraordinary expansion of federal jurisdiction. Yet this aspect of the legislation’s history and its consequences remain unexamined, rendering CAFA largely absent from conversations about the direction of civil rights advocacy in the courts. This Article fills the void by analyzing the history of the failed “civil rights exemption” to CAFA and its ramifications for the civil rights and employment actions it aimed to address. This examination reveals that scores of state law employment class actions have been removed to federal court pursuant to the Act, resulting in the federalization of single-state employment classes — a striking departure from the national class actions originally targeted by CAFA. For the labor movement, which has steadily relied less on the National Labor Relations Act and more on complex legal and public relations strategies to build union strength, the federalization of state employment class actions may be an unfortunate development. By contrast, few state civil rights class actions have been removed to federal court. Though firm conclusions must await further research, there are several possible explanations for the dearth of state law civil rights class actions in federal court post-CAFA. This Article reflects on the role of the class action device in a post-CAFA era for civil rights and employment advocacy. While class action remains an important impetus for institutional change, CAFA and other recent limitations on the device illustrate the need to critically consider its role among the tools increasingly employed by civil rights and employment advocates.
The End of the Solidly Democratic South: The Impressionable-Years Hypothesis

The partisan realignment of the White South, which transformed this region from being solidly Democratic to being the base of the Republican Party, has been the focus of much scholarship. Exactly how it occurred is unclear. Widespread individual-level attitude changes would be contrary to the well-known within-person stability of party identification. However, according to the impressionable-years hypothesis, events that occur during adolescence and early adulthood may have a lasting impact on later political attitudes. This would suggest that cohort replacement may be driving partisan realignment. We test this possibility using data from the American National Election Studies from 1960 to 2008. Consistent with the impressionable-years hypothesis, Southern Whites from the pre-Civil Rights cohort (born before 1936) maintained their Democratic Party identification longer than their younger counterparts. However, all cohorts in the South have changed their partisan attitudes at comparable rates over time, contrary to the impressionable-years hypothesis. These data suggest that the partisan realignment of the South was driven by both cohort replacement and within-cohort attitude change. More targeted case studies of older cohorts living through the civil rights era, and of younger cohorts in the post-Reagan era, yield results generally consistent with the impressionable-years hypothesis. More generally, our findings suggest that very large scale events are required to disrupt the normal continuity of party identification across the life span.
Ruling on the Profession: Interior Design in the Courts

This paper uses the legal story of an interior design practitioner, Florence Karasik, as a basis for a broader discussion of the professionalization of interior design. The Karasik case will demonstrate three things: (1) that law, which is largely neglected in histories of professionalism, is an important barometer for shifting opinions about what it means to be a profession; (2) that everyday people, like Florence Karasik, had their own, popular conceptions of interior design as a profession; and (3) that popular and legal conceptions of the professionalization of interior design did not always align. The Karasik case, which disclosed a dynamic legal and popular conversation about what it meant to be a professional interior designer, highlights the increasingly decisive role the state would play in the second half of the twentieth century in determining the professional status of interior design.
Atmospheric composition, radiative forcing, and climate change as a consequence of a massive methane release from gas hydrates

[1] The massive perturbation to global climate and the carbon cycle during the Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) (approx. 55.5 Ma) may have been forced by a catastrophic release of methane gas (CH4) from hydrate deposits on the continental slope. We investigate whether reported PETM paleotemperature and paleo-CO2 proxies are consistent with this hypothesis by considering the impact of large increases in CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. Significant effects on atmospheric chemistry and CH4 lifetime are seen for a range of plausible emission rates (1500 Gt carbon over 500–20,000 years). The resulting peak anomalous radiative forcing is 1.5–13.3 W/m2 depending on the emission scenario. The scenarios most closely matched to the PETM carbon isotope excursion have peak forcing of around 3 W/m2, which translates to peak temperature changes as a function of latitude that are a reasonable match to derived estimates. High CH4 levels and enhanced stratospheric water vapor amounts persist for as long as do the emissions and are responsible for more of the peak radiative forcing than CO2 levels, although results are sensitive to the background climate state and base CH4 concentration.
Bridging the Digital Divide in Carribean Group Decision Making

Caribbean organizations, like their counterparts in developed countries, engage in countless group decision meetings that require structuring mechanisms to help produce effective outcomes. However, no such meeting support was available to the breakout sessions at the January 2003 meeting of The United Nations information and communication technologies (UNICT) task force to discuss the digital divide as it affects Caribbean community and common market (CARICOM) countries. Whereas group support systems (GSS) have been widely discussed in the literature, there is no evidence of their use in the English-speaking Caribbean, a situation which may be classified as another instance of the digital divide. Against this backdrop, we examine the process of organizational decision-making within groups, the factors influencing group behaviors and interaction and the advantages and disadvantages of structuring mechanisms such as the technology-enabled GSS and the manual, nominal group technique (NGT). The paper concludes that it is desirable for Caribbean nations to acquire GSS technology to reap some of the benefits that other developing countries have experienced. However, despite its runner-up status (to GSS), NGT provides similar assistance to that offered by GSS, is implementation-friendly, inexpensive, and outperforms other manual techniques in creative decision-making; it is therefore a viable alternative for Caribbean nations struggling to bridge the digital divide.
Dopant location identification in Nd 3 + -doped Ti O 2 nanoparticles

Large band gap semiconductors are typically doped in order to enhance their photocatalytic, photovoltaic, and other chemical and optoelectronic properties. The identification of dopant position and its local environment are essential to explore the effect of doping. X ray techniques, including extended x ray absorption fine structure, x ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x ray diffraction, were performed to analyze the Nd $(0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}1.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{at.}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}%)$ dopant location and the structural changes associated with the doping in anatase $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ nanoparticles, which were synthesized by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Nd ions were determined to have a trivalent chemical state and substitute for ${\mathrm{Ti}}^{4+}$ in the $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ structure. The substitutional ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ ions cause anatase lattice expansion along $c$ direction with a maximum value of $0.15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{\AA{}}$ at 1.5 % Nd doping level and the local structure of the dopants changes towards rutile like configuration. The lengths of the nearest neighbor $\mathrm{Nd}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{O}$ and $\mathrm{Nd}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Ti}$ bonds increase by $0.5--0.8\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{\AA{}}$ compared to their counterparts in the pure $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ host structure. The substitutional nature of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ dopants explains why they are efficient not only for charge carrier separation but also for visible light absorption in $\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$.
Variable response to treatment of the polycystic ovary.

Abstract Twenty-two patients with polycystic ovary syndrome were treated during 6 years. Nineteen had wedge resection of the ovary of whom only 10 developed regular ovulatory menses. Three of the 22 patients were treated by prednisone without operation and resumed regular menses. Two patients of the 10 treated successfully by operation had subsequent recurrence of symptoms. The patients were similar in age at treatment, age at menarche, duration of symptoms, 17-ketosteroid excretion, and ovarian histology. No explanation for differences in response to treatment is apparent.
Aesthetic analysis in rhinoplasty: surgeon vs. patient perspectives: A prospective, blinded study☆☆☆

Abstract Objective To determine how patients seeking cosmetic rhinoplasty analyze themselves compared to their surgeon's analysis. Simply stated, “Does your surgeon view your nose the same as you?” Study design Prospective, blinded study. Methods All primary rhinoplasty consultations completed a nasal analysis questionnaire. The patients’ facial plastic surgeons completed an identical questionnaire. The results were compared and analyzed. Results Data underwent statistical analysis and subsequent factor analysis was performed. 132 patients participated in the study. Questions were grouped together based on factors: overall appearance, skin quality, tip dimensions, straightness, nostril show, and width. The only factor with reasonable surgeon/patient correlation was factor 1, overall appearance, with correlation 0.6473, p Conclusions Surgeons and patients are in agreement with the overall appearance of the nose, but differ in their analysis regarding the details. This information can be used to guide future discussions during consultations and most importantly help to better gauge and manage patient expectations.
What about secular people

For at least 100 years, the social sciences have been studying religion. Anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists have trained their lenses, tape recorders, notepads, surveys, interview sch...
Eye CNG channel is modulated by nicotine.

Abstract The cyclic-nucleotide gated channel (CNG channel) of the rod outer segment of the retina (ROS) has its closed conformation stabilized by nicotine. Calcium and cGMP influence the Ki of the channel current to nicotine. Calcium lowers the Ki and cGMP increases it, giving a range of Ki between 10−11 and 10−8 M.
Long Lives for Homozygous Trembler Mutant Mice Despite Virtual Absence of Peripheral Nerve Myelin

Nervous system functions are dependent on point-to-point communication of signals along neuronal axons, and axonal insulation by myelin is thought to speed such conduction. Loss of previously formed myelin or lack of myelin formation can have serious, even fatal, consequences. Mice homozygous for the trembler mutation make virtually no peripheral nervous system myelin, yet have long and functional lives. This result calls into question the view that peripheral nervous system myelin plays a vital role, at least in this species.
Fragmentation dynamics and energy disposal in photodissociation of (N2O)2+ in the 458–660 nm wavelength range

Abstract The nitrous oxide dimer cation (N2O)2+ has been studied in the visible wavelength range by photodissociation of a mass-selected high-energy ion beam followed by energy analysis of the charged photofragments. Information on the angular anisotropy of the fragmentation process has been obtained by rotating the polarization direction of the laser light. The results allow conclusions to be drawn about the lifetime of the optically accessed excited electronic state and on the energy disposal in the photofragmentation event.