cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elbow Biomechanics of Pitching: Does Age or Experience Make a Difference?

Background:Elbow pain and elbow injuries are common in youth baseball players. It is not clear whether pitching experience and/or age creates biomechanical differences at the elbow and whether these differences place an athlete at greater risk.Hypotheses:(1) Youth pitchers will have differing elbow kinematics with regard to flexion/extension, internal/external rotation, and pronation/supination when compared with nonbaseball athletes and (2) younger youth pitchers will have differing elbow kinematics when compared with older youth pitchers.Study Design:Case-control study.Level of Evidence:Level 4.Methods:Twenty-seven healthy male youths age 10 to 18 years were recruited and divided into an experience group (n = 18 pitchers) and a no experience group (n = 9 nonbaseball athletes). The experience group was subdivided by age into the younger experience subgroup (n = 10 pitchers) and the older experience subgroup (n = 8 pitchers). Biomechanics were recorded using an electromagnetic motion tracking system. Subj...
Second Life Librarianship and the Gendered Work of Care in Technology

This paper examines the basis for the commonly expressed sentiment that librarians have been late to adopt emerging technologies for use in library and information science practice. Using insights from science and technology studies, this sentiment is shown to be inadequately empirically warranted. The trope of the technophobic librarian is examined for clues to the importance of gendered emotional labor in effective library work, under the rubric of “customer service.” These clues lead to an examination of embodiment in the virtual world Second Life, and the emerging presence of librarians there. Using Second Life librarianship as a case study, this paper argues that embodiment is an important resource for library work, and that women’s technological labor is effaced through the trope of the technophobic librarian. Deconstructive analytical moves which collapse binary categories, yoked with methods from science and technology studies, are suggested for future fine-grained accounts of library technological practice.
Fair Demand Response With Electric Vehicles for the Cloud Based Energy Management Service

Fluctuated penetration of electric vehicle (EV) loads and production capacities from distributed energy resource (DER) bring large impacts to power systems. To smooth fluctuations, financial incentives have to be maximized for customers controlling their consumption patterns. A fair demand response with electric vehicles (F-DREVs) is proposed for the cloud-based energy management service. Customers with EV, DER, storage and multiple loads form communities and obtain optimal choices (electricity usage and trading) from F-DREV. F-DREV aims to maximize incentives by minimizing global cost for each community within the given time period, and smooth fluctuations. In order to attract customers to actively participate, we propose the fairness as “customers with higher participation level can reduce their individual cost more than those with lower participation level within the same community,” which is attainable by customizing trading prices. A binary linear programming model is formulated, and performances are evaluated in experiments.
Multimodality, Transparency, and Food Safety in China

In September 2008, revelation of melamine-contaminated milk supplies in China's dairy industry rocked its manufacturing sector still reeling from highly publicized food and safety scandals in 2007. Despite state and corporate interventions, regulatory and quality management issues highlighted in these earlier scandals remained. Local government and corporate actors’ attempts to suppress information about the scandal highlighted concerns about transparency, accountability, and corruption. This article is based on ethnographic research conducted in 2009 and 2010 in Beijing and Shanghai and across 2012 and 2013 in Beijing and China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. My goals are twofold. First, I seek to move forward discussions of transparency in China, which often suffer from easy dismissals by academics, the media and the public alike. Second, I aim to broaden our understanding of transparency as not just fulfilling multiple functions but also as multimodal in that it is actively produced across different scales of experience and through diverse mechanisms. Using data focused on the production and monitoring of food safety, I describe the structural challenges that led to the 2008 scandal, the measures implemented in the industry to prevent future problems, and the broader discussions and interventions designed to improve China's overall food safety record.
The lives and sexual risk behaviours of rural, closeted men who have sex with men living in Montana

AbstractThe current study investigated the role of the rural environment in shaping men’s decisions to remain closeted about their same-sex sexual activity and the cognitive, affective and behavioural consequences of that decision. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 45 self-identified closeted men who have sex with men living in Montana. Because of the difficulty of finding closeted men, recruitment occurred using the Internet. Interviews were analysed to elicit overall themes influencing men’s lives. An Outness Inventory was administered to determine men’s perceived level of being ‘out’ to others. Men reported high levels of stress related to their need to live a double life in an attempt to conform to perceptions of masculinity within the rural cultural environment. Fear of being outed led men to seek out-of-town or out-of-state sexual partners indicating widespread sexual networks and increased risk for HIV infection. While men felt they were able to interact with their communities on ...
Ultra-Short-Course Antibiotics for Patients With Suspected Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia but Minimal and Stable Ventilator Settings

Background Many patients started on antibiotics for possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) do not have pneumonia. Patients with minimal and stable ventilator settings may be suitable candidates for early antibiotic discontinuation. We compared outcomes among patients with suspected VAP but minimal and stable ventilator settings treated with 1-3 days vs >3 days of antibiotics. Methods We identified consecutive adult patients started on antibiotics for possible VAP with daily minimum positive end-expiratory pressure of ≤5 cm H2O and fraction of inspired oxygen ≤40% for at least 3 days within a large tertiary care hospital between 2006 and 2014. We compared time to extubation alive vs ventilator death and time to hospital discharge alive vs hospital death using competing risks models among patients prescribed 1-3 days vs >3 days of antibiotics. All models were adjusted for patient demographics, comorbidities, severity of illness, clinical signs of infection, and pathogens. Results There were 1290 eligible patients, 259 treated for 1-3 days and 1031 treated for >3 days. The 2 groups had similar demographics, comorbidities, and clinical signs. There were no significant differences between groups in time to extubation alive (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16 for short- vs long-course treatment; 95% confidence interval [CI], .98-1.36), ventilator death (HR, 0.82 [95% CI, .55-1.22]), time to hospital discharge alive (HR, 1.07 [95% CI, .91-1.26]), or hospital death (HR, 0.99 [95% CI, .75-1.31]). Conclusions Very short antibiotic courses (1-3 days) were associated with outcomes similar to longer courses (>3 days) in patients with suspected VAP but minimal and stable ventilator settings. Assessing serial ventilator settings may help clinicians identify candidates for early antibiotic discontinuation.
Genomic evidence of gene flow during reinforcement in Texas Phlox.

Gene flow can impede the evolution of reproductive isolating barriers between species. Reinforcement is the process by which prezygotic reproductive isolation evolves in sympatry due to selection to decrease costly hybridization. It is known that reinforcement can be prevented by too much gene flow, but we still do not know how often have prezygotic barriers evolved in the presence of gene flow or how much gene flow can occur during reinforcement. Flower colour divergence in the native Texas wildflower, Phlox drummondii, is one of the best-studied cases of reinforcement. Here we use genomic analyses to infer gene flow between P. drummondii and a closely related sympatric species, Phlox cuspidata. We de novo assemble transcriptomes of four Phlox species to determine the phylogenetic relationships between these species and find extensive discordance among gene tree topologies across genes. We find evidence of introgression between sympatric P. drummondii and P. cuspidata using the D-statistic, and use phylogenetic analyses to infer the predominant direction of introgression. We investigate geographic variation in gene flow by comparing the relative divergence of genes displaying discordant gene trees between an allopatric and sympatric sample. These analyses support the hypothesis that sympatric P. drummondii has experienced gene flow with P. cuspidata. We find that gene flow between these species is asymmetrical, which could explain why reinforcement caused divergence in only one of the sympatric species. Given the previous research in this system, we suggest strong selection can explain how reinforcement successfully evolved in this system despite gene flow in sympatry.
Personalentwicklung im Einkauf der BASF Gruppe: Die Procurement Academy

Die BASF hat seine ‚Best Team Strategie‘ aus dem strategischen Prinzip ‚Wir bilden das beste Team‘ abgeleitet. Dabei beruht diese Personalstrategie auf den drei Dimensionen hervorragende Mitarbeiter, hervorragende Fuhrungskrafte sowie hervorragende Arbeitsbedingungen. Die BASF hat dabei versucht, einen weltweit verbindlichen Rahmen fur die Personalarbeit zu etablieren, um die ‚Best Team Strategie‘ auch erfolgreich implementieren zu konnen. Dabei steht der gesamte Talent Management-Prozess im Fokus – von der Planung, Rekrutierung bis hin zur Entwicklung von Mitarbeitern. Der kontinuierliche Aus- und Aufbau von Kompetenzen tragt nicht nur dem unternehmerischen Bedarf Rechnung, sondern fordert auch die Zufriedenheit der Mitarbeiter in der Beschaffung und erhoht den moglichen Leistungsbeitrag der Beschaffung. Im Mittelpunkt dieses Beitrags steht das Kompetenzzentrum Einkauf der BASF Gruppe und damit die Procurement Academy, um dieses Kompetenzzentrum kontinuierlich auszubauen. Der Aufbau und die Arbeitsweise der Procurement Academy werden diskutiert, relevante Jobrollen mit entsprechenden Kernprozessen sowie Kompetenzfelder im Einkauf erlautert. Die Darstellung des Trainingsportfolios der BASF und bisher gemachte Erfahrungswerte beschliesen den Beitrag.
Stoichiometric Quantification of S-Glutathionylation and Total Thiol Oxidation in Mouse Macrophages

Reversible oxidative modifications of protein thiols represent a fundamental mechanism of redox signaling by modulating enzyme activities and protein functions in a variety of cellular activities, such as signaling, metabolism, gene expression, and apoptosis. The stoichiometry (or occupancy) of oxidative modifications on specific cysteine residue is important for understanding the functional role of the modification; however, this aspect of quantification has been underexplored. Herein we report the stoichiometric quantification of both S-glutathionylation (SSG) and total oxidation in macrophages at the basal physiological conditions by applying resin-assisted quantitative redox proteomics. The stoichiometry information of SSG and total oxidation on a total of ~4,100 Cys sites was quantified. The basal average oxidation level of protein thiols was ~12%, which is consistent with the overall reducing status in vivo. The average percentage of SSG in total oxidation was 32.0% at basal, supporting that SSG is one major type of thiol modifications. Interesting, we observed that the redox potential of a cellular organelle was well correlated with the level of oxidation in the organelle. For example, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosome have much higher oxidation levels than those from reducing organelles, such as nucleus and mitochondrion. In contrast, the reducing organelles have an average higher percentage of SSG in total oxidation, suggesting SSG is the dominant modification and plays an important regulatory role in these organelles. Moreover, the integration of stoichiometric and dynamic data reveals potential evidence of inhibitory and activation sites via redox modifications
Dimorphism of Secondary Xylem in two Species of Cacti

Summary In certain cacti with dimorphic upper stems, secondary xylem is different in each type of stem. Neoraimondia rosiflora , a columnar species from Peru, has fibrous wood in long stems but nonfibrous wood in long-lived spur shoots that bear flowers. Vessels in nonfibrous secondary xylem have very scanty secondary walls. Melocactus peruvianus var. amstutziae , a small growth form from Peru, has nonfibrous secondary xylem in lower stems composed of vessel elements and vascular tracheids with scanty helical secondary thickenings, whereas in the cephalium vessel elements have fuller secondary walls and vascular tracheids are lacking. Differences in cell types probably relate to changes in growth rates of these stems, mediated through differences in growth substances
DOFETILIDE ASSOCIATED QT PROLONGATION: ACTUAL VERSUS IDEAL BODY WEIGHT TO CALCULATE DOSING

Background: Dofetilide is used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation, with recommended dosing based on the Cockcroft-Gault formula using actual body weight (ABW). Dose reduction or discontinuation may be necessary for excessive QT prolongation. We investigated whether initial dosing based on
Scattering by a metal wire inside dihedral and trihedral reflectors

The scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave by a metal wire located inside dihedral and trihedral metal reflectors is analyzed, in the phasor domain.
Specific co-ion sorption and diffusion properties influence membrane permselectivity

Abstract The apparent permselectivity of three cation exchange membranes (CEMs) was measured using four monovalent strong electrolytes (sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium nitrate and sodium perchlorate). The salt (co-ion) sorption and diffusion coefficients of a crosslinked sulfonated polymer, based on the sodium salt form of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), were measured to describe the influence of sorption and diffusion properties on apparent permselectivity. Three models were used (in conjunction with electroneutrality and thermodynamic equilibrium conditions) to probe the influence of electrostatic and dispersion energy forces on specific co-ion sorption. Dispersion forces appear to be important for capturing specific co-ion sorption properties. A model combining the Mackie and Meares hindered diffusion theory and Manning's counter-ion condensation theory was used to explore the influence of electrostatics and polymer tortuosity on co-ion diffusion. Ion-polymer complexation interactions between sodium perchlorate and the poly(ethylene oxide)-based crosslinker used in the sulfonated polymer significantly influenced sorption and diffusion properties. The occurrence of these ion-polymer complexes was supported by salt sorption measurements made on three uncharged, crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide)-containing polymers with 3, 10, or 13 ethylene oxide repeat units between crosslinks. Ion specific sorption, diffusion, and ion-polymer complexation phenomena influence apparent permselectivity properties of charged polymers, and the sorption and complexation phenomena appear to affect apparent permselectivity properties to a greater extent compared to ion specific diffusion effects other than size-based differences.
In Vivo and in Vitro Role of Gamma Interferon in Immune Clearance of Rickettsia species

Members of the genus Rickettsia are obligate intracellular bacteria, and due to the intracellular location of their growth, they present a unique challenge to the immune system. Since antibody cannot gain entrance to viable cells, it has been argued that antibody does not play a major role in the effector phase of immunity to these organisms.
Predicting Asset Returns With Expected Oil Price Changes

Market returns and industry performance are predicted by forecastable oil price movements. Although predictability can be compatible with market efficiency, these results may be more readily explained by underreaction to information about subsequent oil price changes. Some market participants appear to ignore the effect of partially anticipated oil price movements on non-oil industrial sectors. The evidence from the oil industry indicates that the asset returns of stocks explicitly dependent on the price of oil are not forecastable using the predicted component of oil price changes. The predictability of both aggregate returns and the relative performance for some industries, such as household goods, medical equipment, construction, fabricated products, mines, real estate, and finance suggests that market participants may not pay attention to the broader impact of forecastable oil price changes.
Does Nature Utilize a Common Design for Photoactive Transport and Sensor Proteins

Halobacterium halobium is a microorganism whose natural habitat is salt marshes. Its plasma membrane contains four protein pigments. All these pigments bear a chemical resemblance to the visual pigment rhodopsin yet they serve different cellular functions. Bacteriorhodopsin is a light-driven proton pump and it performs the essential function of photosynthesis by converting absorbed photon energy into chemical energy of a transmembrane proton gradient. Halorhodopsin is also a light-driven ion pump transporting chloride ions. Sensory rhodopsin and phoborhodopsin serve the function of phototaxis. Thus, bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin are transport proteins whereas phoborhodopsin and sensory rhodopsin as well as animal rhodopsin are sensor proteins. Our comparison of these retinal proteins is based on analysis of light-induced rapid charge separation and the accompanying fast photoelectric signals. We suggest that Nature might have utilized a common modular design for photoactive transport and sensor proteins.
Immunophenotypic and cytogenetic analysis of molt-3 and molt-4: human T-lymphoid cell lines with rearrangement of chromosome 7

Molt-3 and Molt-4 are T-cell lines originally derived in 1971 from a patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. An unusual T-cell antigen receptor gamma-chain gene (T-gamma) rearrangement detected by Southern blot analysis of Molt-4 prompted an in-depth study of the immunophenotype and karyotype of both cell lines. Molt-3 and Molt-4 had immunophenotypic characteristics of thymocytes with expression of CD1 and CD5. Both cell lines had a hypertetraploid karyotype with two rearranged no. 7 chromosomes: 2der(7)t(7;7)(p15;q11). The presence of a break in chromosome band 7p15 suggested the involvement of T gamma. We cloned the rearranged BamHI fragments spanning the known T-gamma constant and joining regions. Comparison with germline clones of T gamma did not suggest any of the clones included a breakpoint region. Thus the 7p15 chromosomal abnormality in Molt-3 and Molt-4 is not associated with the currently described joining and constant regions of T gamma.
Brain Life and the Argument from Potential: Affirming the Ontological Status of Human Embryos and Fetuses

The moral status of human embryos and fetuses is one of the most vexed questions in bioethics and various responses often stand or fall on the answer to the question of the ontological status of such entities: whether they count as “persons,” “potential persons,” or merely “human biological material.” The “argument from potential” is intended to support the claim that embryos and fetuses, while not yet persons, are more than mere biological material insofar as there is a high degree of probability that they will develop into persons. A stronger foundation for contending that embryos and fetuses bear the same basic right to life as persons is to establish that such entities are not potential, but actual persons due to their intrinsic potentiality to develop themselves into beings who can engage in those activities definitive of personhood. In addition to critiquing the argument from potential, those who deny that embryos and early-term fetuses count as persons charge that those who understand “whole-brain death” to be necessary and sufficient for a human person to go out of existence inconsistently deny a symmetrical criterion of “brain life” to mark the beginning of a person’s existence. We respond to this charge of inconsistency while further arguing that embryos and fetuses possess the ontological and moral status of persons due to their intrinsic potentiality to develop a brain supportive of self-conscious rational thought.
Engineering Surface Vacancy to Stabilize High-Voltage Battery Cathodes

In this issue of Chem, Cao and co-workers report a stabilization strategy for high-voltage lithium-ion battery cathodes down to the atomic scale. Using LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as a model, the authors demonstrated a protocol for precisely modulating the interstitial lattice sites on the material surface, showing the promising capability to improve electrochemical cyclability.
QTLs associated with flesh quality traits in an elite × elite watermelon population

Consumers prefer watermelon with sweet, red flesh, and the presence of lycopene, citrulline and arginine phytochemicals helpful for human health is an additional bonus. Breeders often select fruit with desirable flesh characteristics based on soluble solids content (Brix) and visual flesh color. Although marker assisted selection (MAS) of flesh traits would advance germplasm selection efficiency, the low heritability of Brix and lycopene content in red fleshed watermelon has hampered marker development. Here we describe the identification of QTLs associated with lycopene content, the amino acids citrulline and arginine, and the content of individual sugar (sucrose, glucose, fructose) in an elite × elite recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Brix was most highly correlated with total sugars and glucose content, lycopene content was correlated with sucrose content, and citrulline and arginine content showed no correlation. A region on chromosome 5 was associated with sucrose, glucose, and fructose accumulation, while stable arginine content QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2 and 5.
Changes in Fast Food Outlet Availability Near Schools: Unequal Patterns by Income, Race/Ethnicity, and Urbanicity.

Introduction Previous research has observed income or racial/ethnic inequalities in fast food restaurant availability near schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in fast food restaurant availability near schools between 2000 and 2010 by school neighborhood income, race/ethnicity, and urbanicity. Methods Using data from 7,466 California public schools, negative binomial regression models estimated the relative ratios to evaluate the income gradient in fast food restaurant availability, examine differences in the income gradient in fast food restaurant availability between 2000 and 2010, and investigate if fast food restaurant availability changed in 2010 versus 2000, stratified by race/ethnicity and urbanicity. The analyses were conducted in 2018 and early 2019. Results In urban areas, there was a negative school neighborhood income gradient in fast food restaurant availability in both 2000 and 2010, and across all race/ethnic groups, except majority African American schools. The income gradient in fast food restaurant availability was steeper in 2010 relative to 2000 among Latino majority urban schools. Fast food restaurant availability increased in 2010 relative to 2000 among majority African American, majority Latino, and majority Asian schools in the least affluent neighborhoods. Among majority white schools in similar neighborhoods the availability of fast food restaurants did not change but declined in the most affluent school neighborhoods. In nonurban areas, the income patterns in fast food restaurant availability were less clear, and fast food restaurant availability increased among majority white and Latino schools within the middle neighborhood income tertile. Conclusions These findings suggest the need for future interventions to target schools in low-income urban neighborhoods. Additionally, reducing child health disparities and improving health for all children requires monitoring changes in the food environment near schools.
A protocol for preparing explicitly solvated systems for stable molecular dynamics simulations

Before beginning the production phase of molecular dynamics simulations, i.e., the phase that produces the data to be analyzed, it is often necessary to first perform a series of one or more preparatory minimizations and/or molecular dynamics simulations in order to ensure that subsequent production simulations are stable. This is particularly important for simulations with explicit solvent molecules. Despite the preparatory minimizations and simulations being ubiquitous and essential for stable production simulations, there are currently no general recommended procedures to perform them and very few criteria to decide whether the system is capable of producing a stable simulation trajectory. Here, we propose a simple and well-defined ten step simulation preparation protocol for explicitly solvated biomolecules, which can be applied to a wide variety of system types, as well as a simple test based on the system density for determining whether the simulation is stabilized.
Can Telementoring Reduce Urban-Rural Disparities in Utilization of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents?

Background: Expanding access to direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the national goal for HCV elimination, but important urban-rural disparities ...
Is Our Food Safe from Pesticides

Growers of the food supply have adopted the use of integrated pest management (IPM) because it is no longer possible to rely solely on chemical pesticides to prevent unacceptable crop losses. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), IPM is the coordinated use of pest and environmental information and available pest control methods to prevent unacceptable levels of damage by the most economical means with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. Scientific IPM strategies give the grower economic incentives for sustaining long-term crop protection with minimal disruption to the environment. The agricultural community typically will use pesticides sparingly as part of the IPM strategy whenever proven alternatives are not available for pest control. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Frederick M. Fishel, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, March 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi230
Interference Characterization in FMCW radars

As the penetration levels of Automotive radars increase so will the problem of mutual interference. It is important to understand how this will affect the performance of current radar technology. The aim of this paper is the statistical characterization of interference in the context of fast chirp FMCW radar. We focus on two categories of interference: ‘Parallel’ and ‘Sweeping’. Through analysis and simulation we provide an insight into the mechanism of interference and also the inbuilt resilience of FMCW radars which help in interference mitigation. Monte Carlo simulations (of multiple radars at randomized distances) are used to provide a sense of radar performance in real-life scenarios. We discuss the performance difference between real and complex base-band FMCW architectures. For comparison we also present simulation results for PMCW radars.
Exploring Self-Regulated Learning Through Flipped Instruction with Digital Technologies: An Intermediate Spanish Course

The chapter reports on a study that explored the affordances and challenges of the flipped classroom model for self-regulated learning, involving the implementation of a four-skill integration approach and the use of various digital tools. Twenty-two intermediate Spanish language students from a large public university in the Northeast of the United States participated in the study over the course of one semester. Students carried out a variety of homework assignments, including interviews with native speakers using self-access learning modules in Canvas to prepare them for in-class activities. Data from post-surveys, reflective essays and focus-group interviews along with the student coursework were collected and analyzed. The findings revealed that most students demonstrated the capacity to take charge of their own learning using prior knowledge and self-regulation skills to learn course content independently prior to class. In addition, they showed a positive attitude toward the flipped model because it gave them agency over their learning and engaged them in interaction with their peers and the instructor. The study suggests that well-designed tasks are vital, and that instructor scaffolding is needed to guide students to learn autonomously. The study contributes a new model of flipped instruction that facilitated the development of intermediate language students’ interpretive, interpersonal and presentational skills in a meaningful way to promote autonomous learning.
Bacteriophages and their potential for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases

Although bacteriophages have been overshadowed as therapeutic agents by antibiotics for decades, the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and a better understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in human health and disease have brought them back into focus. In this Perspective, we briefly introduce basic phage biology and summarize recent discoveries about phages in relation to their role in the gut microbiota and gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and chronic liver disease. In addition, we review preclinical studies and clinical trials of phage therapy for enteric disease and explore current challenges and potential future directions.
Impact Dynamics of Multibody Mechanical Systems and Application to Crash Responses of Aircraft Occupant/Structure

Analytical evaluation of the performance of multibody mechanical systems becomes rapidly unmanageable as the complexity of the systems increase. For problems that involve intermittent motion due to an impact, prediction of the responses is even more difficult. In an impact, nonlinear contact forces of unknown nature are created, which act and disappear over a short period of time. In this paper, different contact force models are formulated, with which a continuous analysis method is developed for a simple two-particle impact. The procedure is then generalized to impact in multibody systems using the concept of effective mass. A piecewise analysis method is discussed, which is based on a canonical form of the system impulse/momentum equations. The suitability of these methods are discussed by application of these procedures to some examples. An optimization methodology is then discussed for the selection of proper parameters in a given contact force model. The use of this technique in the selection of the most suitable materials, which are impact-resistant, is also discussed.
Immigration and Mental Health

This paper is concerned with mental health and migration; an area of interest for practitioners and researchers alike. The purpose of the presentation is threefold: first, to describe salient points of both immigration and interpersonal development, related as they appear to be within the framework of mental health; second, to elaborate on specific issues of adjustment within the context of the interpersonal and intrapersonal experience; and third, to attempt some formulations about the totality of the immigrating experience. The entirety of the experience for the individual is not easily understood outside the interpersonal realm, yet researchers and practitioners alike can be caught within an area of specificity that is indicative only of one portion of the problem.
RNA-Seq versus oligonucleotide array assessment of dose-dependent TCDD-elicited hepatic gene expression in mice

Dose-dependent differential gene expression provides critical information required for regulatory decision-making. The lower costs associated with RNA-Seq have made it the preferred technology for transcriptomic analysis. However, concordance between RNA-Seq and microarray analyses in dose response studies has not been adequately vetted. We compared the hepatic transcriptome of C57BL/6 mice following gavage with sesame oil vehicle, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, or 30 μg/kg TCDD every 4 days for 28 days using Illumina HiSeq RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) and Agilent 4×44 K microarrays using the same normalization and analysis approach. RNA-Seq and microarray analysis identified a total of 18,063 and 16,403 genes, respectively, that were expressed in the liver. RNA-Seq analysis for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) varied dramatically depending on the P1(t) cut-off while microarray results varied more based on the fold change criteria, although responses strongly correlated. Verification by WaferGen SmartChip QRTPCR revealed that RNA-Seq had a false discovery rate of 24% compared to 54% for microarray analysis. Dose–response modeling of RNA-Seq and microarray data demonstrated similar point of departure (POD) and ED50 estimates for common DEGs. There was a strong correspondence between RNA-Seq and Agilent array transcriptome profiling when using the same samples and analysis strategy. However, RNA-Seq provided superior quantitative data, identifying more genes and DEGs, as well as qualitative information regarding identity and annotation for dose response modeling in support of regulatory decision-making.
Identification, quantitation, and purification of a 36 kDa circulating protein associated with active pars planitis.

Purpose. To establish a correlation between the presence of a 36 kDa protein in the blood ofpatients with pars planitis and to characterize and purify this protein.Methods. Blood samples were obtained from patients with pars planitis and other types ofuveitis and from various controls. Samples were treated with polyethelene glycol and proteinA and were analyzed on 10% SDS-PAGE for the presence of a 36 kDa protein. Quantitativeestimation of the level of this protein was determined by densitometric tracing of the stainedgels. Polyclonal antibodies were raised by immunizing New Zealand White rabbits with amixture of the gel fragment containing the 36 kDa protein (p-36) and complete Freund'sadjuvant. These antibodies were used in the immunoafnnity purification of this protein.Results. The levels of p-36 were sixfold to eightfold higher in 81% of the patients with activepars planitis than in controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of this protein correlatedwith disease activity. A partial amino terminal sequence analysis revealed that p-36 may be anovel protein. It has been purified from the patient's blood using affinity chromatography.Conclusions. A 36 kDa protein (p-36) is found in elevated concentrations in the blood of manypatients with active pars planitis. Its putative role in the etiopathogenesis of pars planitis isunknown. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1996;37:1870-1876.A. leading cause of blindness in the United States isuveitis.
The Intersection of Race and Bisexuality: A Critical Overview of the Literature and Past, Present, and Future Directions of the “Borderlands”

Abstract There has been significant growth in the past two decades in the psychological literature exploring sexual orientations from gay, lesbian, and bisexual perspectives, as well as the role of culture and ethnicity on human development. However, the research on sexual orientation has been predominantly focused on gays and lesbians from an overwhelmingly White, middle-class population. Additionally, the research on ethnic minority groups rarely acknowledges differences in sexual orientation of group members. Despite the expanding empirical research, scant attention has been given to bisexuals who are members of ethnic minority groups. Hence, there has been a lack of research in the exploration of the complex interaction between a bisexual identity and ethnic identity development. Sexual identity research on ethnic minorities has outlined how a person of color establishes a dual identity as a sexual minority and as a person of color. However, surprisingly little research has investigated the influences...
Kinetic characterization of the Ca2+-pumping ATPase of cardia sarcolemma in four states of activation.

Abstract The Ca2+ dependence of the Ca2+-pumping ATPase of bovine cardiac sarcolemma was studied for four states of activation: (a) unactivated, (b) cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP protein kinase C-subunit)-activated, (c) calmodulin (CAM)-activated, and (d) CAM plus cAMP protein kinase C-subunit-activated. Analysis of the Ca2+ dependence of active transport gave the following Vmax (nanomoles Ca2+/(mg x min], Km (nM) for Ca2+, and Hill coefficient values for the four states at pH 7.4, 37 degrees C: (a) 1.7 +/- 0.3, 1800 +/- 100, 1.6 +/- 0.1; (b) 3.1 +/- 0.5, 1100 +/- 100, 1.7 +/- 0.1; (c) 15.0 +/- 2.5, 64 +/- 1.4, 3.7 +/- 0.2; and (d) 36.0 +/- 6.5, 63 +/- 1.7, 3.7 +/- 0.1. CAM has the most dramatic effect, increasing the apparent Ca2+ affinity by a factor of 28, increasing the Hill coefficient 2.0 units to a value approaching 4 and increasing the Vmax by a factor of 9 or 12. The effective Ca2+ concentration (EC50) for the Ca2+-induced activation of the enzyme in the presence of 5 microM calmodulin is close to the Km for Ca2+ for the CAM-activated state (64 nM). Activation by cAMP protein kinase C-subunit had only minor effects on the Km and Hill coefficient, but increased the Vmax of both the unactivated and the CAM-activated forms of the pump by factor of 1.8 and 2.4, respectively. Analysis suggests that CAM activation is the result of direct binding of Ca2-CAM or high complexes, conferring higher Ca2+ affinity to the enzyme. Analysis suggests that regulatory phosphorylation (cAMP protein kinase C-subunit) increases the rates of processes subsequent to or distinct from Ca2+ binding. The CAM-activated form of the pump was further characterized. Unexpectedly, this form of the enzyme is stimulated a factor of 1.9 by ADP, with half-maximal stimulation between 0.4 and 0.7 mM. Analysis of the progress curves for uptake show that the CAM-activated enzyme is highly resistant to inhibition by transported Ca2+, with an IC50 of 32 mM. The implications of these findings for the pump mechanism and for its role in the regulation of cardiac contractility are discussed.
Comparative primate atherosclerosis. I. Tissue cholesterol concentration and pathologic anatomy.

Abstract Stump-tailed macaques ( Macaca arctoides ), African green monkeys ( Cercopithecus aethiops ), squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri sciureus ), and woolly monkeys ( Lagothrix lagothricha ) were fed control, solid atherogenic (1 mg cholesterol/cal) or liquid diets containing 0, 0.5, or 1 mg cholesterol/cal. Stump-tailed macaques fed the solid atherogenic diet had the highest tissue and serum cholesterol concentration (about 700 mg/dl) and the most extensive atherosclerosis. These monkeys appeared to respond differently to diets containing 1 mg cholesterol/cal. Those animals fed the liquid diet had higher liver cholesterol concentration but lower serum cholesterol concentration than animals fed the solid diet. African green monkeys fed the solid atherogenic diet had serum cholesterol concentrations of about 450 mg/dl. A greater percentage of the abdominal aorta was covered by plaque than the thoracic aorta. Coronary artery atherosclerosis was focal with the largest plaques being found in the left main coronary artery. The microscopic appearance of these plaques was similar to that of plaques from people. Squirrel monkeys fed the atherogenic diet were the most variable group. The average serum cholesterol concentration averaged about 450 mg/dl (range: 291 to 716). The percentage of aorta covered by plaque ranged from 0 to 55% with more thoracic than abdominal aortic atherosclerosis. There were findings consistent with hemorrhage in plaques from two animals. These monkeys, like stump-tailed macaques but unlike African green monkeys had relatively high liver cholesterol concentrations. Woolly monkeys appeared to develop atherosclerosis when fed 1 mg cholesterol/cal but did not have greatly elevated serum cholesterol concentrations.
Automatic complexity analysis of logic problems

This dissertation describes research toward automatic complexity analysis of logic programs and its applications. Automatic complexity analysis of programs concerns the inference of the amount of computational resources consumed during program execution, and has been studied primarily in the context of imperative and functional languages. This dissertation extends these techniques to logic programs so that they can handle nondeterminism, namely, the generation of multiple solutions via backtracking. We describe the design and implementation of a (semi)-automatic worst-case complexity analysis system for logic programs. This system can conduct the worst-case analysis for several complexity measures, such as argument size, number of solutions, and execution time. This dissertation also describes an application of such analyses, namely, a runtime mechanism for controlling task granularity in parallel logic programming systems. The performance of parallel systems often starts to degrade when the concurrent tasks in the systems become too fine-grained. Our approach to granularity control is based on time complexity information. With this information, we can compare the execution cost of a procedure with the average process creation overhead of the underlying system to determine at runtime if we should spawn a procedure call as a new concurrent task or just execute it sequentially. Through experimental measurements, we show that this mechanism can substantially improve the performance of parallel systems in many cases. This dissertation also presents several source-level program transformation techniques for optimizing the evaluation of logic programs containing finite-domain constraints. These techniques are based on number-of-solutions complexity information. The techniques include planning the evaluation order of subgoals, reducing the domain of variables, and planning the instantiation order of variable values. This application allows us to solve a problem by starting with a more declarative but less efficient program, and then automatically transforming it into a more efficient program. Through experimental measurements we show that these program transformation techniques can significantly improve the efficiency of the class of programs containing finite-domain constraints in most cases.
Interrelationships Between Platelet Activity and the Immunoinflammatory Response to Severe Injury

Background: Critical injury causes alterations in coagulation and inflammation. Activation of these systems is critical to counteract the initial threats of hemorrhage and infection; however prolonged propagation is associated with poor outcomes. How coagulation and inflammation interact is an area of keen interest. The aim of this study is to correlate changes in circulating inflammatory mediators with coagulation in trauma (ISS>15) and burn patients. Methods: Blood samples were drawn from trauma (n=10) and burn (n=10) patients and healthy volunteers (HV; n-10). Coagulation parameters (sCD40L, D-Dimers), cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-17a, TNFα) and inflammatory markers (HSP-72) were assessed. Results: The subjects were predominately male (85%) and ~44 years of age. A marked increase in IL-6 and IL-10 was observed in both injury groups, whereas only the trauma group showed an increase in IL-17a and TNFα compared with HV. HSP-72 levels were 3-fold higher in the trauma group, but not elevated in the burn group...
Reason and Legitimate Expectations in Criminal Trials

Is an explained jury verdict a legitimate expectation of a modern democracy especially in light of Human Right Conventions? Should our criminal justice system invest time and energy in enhancing trial experience by reflecting the needs to know the reasons behind a verdict? To answer these questions, this paper explores International Conventions and the legal systems in the USA, South Africa, France, Belgium and Scotland and compares these to that of England. The emerging jurisdictions of both Spain and Russia in terms of trial by jury are also explored and attention focuses on an English translation of the Spanish Constitution.This paper argues that a necessary nexus exists between a fair trial process and reasoned judgment as a legitimate expectation of participants in a jury trial. These actors include the defendant, the victim and the criminal justice system. It further argues that the fulfillment of such expectation, far from constituting harm, will invest the criminal justice system with much needed legitimacy and re-enforce our notion of participatory democracy.
Exploiting causes and effects of wireless link correlation for better performance

Contradicting the widely believed assumption of link independence, recently the phenomenon of reception correlation among nearby receivers has been revealed and exploited for varieties of protocols [3], [8], [17], [21], [23], [24]. However, despite the diversified correlation-aware designs proposed up to date, they commonly suffer from a shortcoming where link correlation is inaccurately measured, which leads them to sub-optimal performance. In this work we propose a general framework for accurate capturing of link correlation, enabling better utilization of the phenomenon for protocols lying on top of it. Our framework uses SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio) to detect correlations, followed by modeling the correlations for in-network use. We show that our design is light-weight, both computation and storage-wise. We apply our model to opportunistic routing and network coding on a physical 802.15.4 test-bed for energy savings of 25% and 15%.
On the limits of GPU acceleration

This paper throws a small "wet blanket" on the hot topic of GPGPU acceleration, based on experience analyzing and tuning both multithreaded CPU and GPU implementations of three computations in scientific computing. These computations--(a) iterative sparse linear solvers; (b) sparse Cholesky factorization; and (c) the fast multipole method--exhibit complex behavior and vary in computational intensity and memory reference irregularity. In each case, algorithmic analysis and prior work might lead us to conclude that an idealized GPU can deliver better performance, but we find that for at least equal-effort CPU tuning and consideration of realistic workloads and calling-contexts, we can with two modern quad-core CPU sockets roughly match one or two GPUs in performance. Our conclusions are not intended to dampen interest in GPU acceleration; on the contrary, they should do the opposite: they partially illuminate the boundary between CPU and GPU performance, and ask architects to consider application contexts in the design of future coupled on-die CPU/GPU processors.