cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the temporal inconsistencies of Linnean taxonomic ranks

The inconsistency problem in systematics refers in part to the fact that disparate taxa of identical Linnean rank are not necessarily similar or even readily comparable in any other specifiable biological feature. This shortcoming led to a ‘temporal banding’ proposal in which extant clades associated with particular taxonomic ranks would be standardized according to a universal metric: the absolute time of evolutionary origin. However, one underexplored possibility is that same-level taxa in disparate organismal groups already might be similar (fortuitously so) in evolutionary age. In the present study, we explicitly address this possibility by reviewing published molecular inferences about the known or suspected origination dates of taxonomic genera, families, and orders in diverse organismal groups. Our findings empirically confirm that currently recognized taxa are far from temporally standardized, thereby adding support for the contention that this kind of taxonomic inconsistency should ultimately be rectified in our biological classifications. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102, 707–714.
Effects of sildenafil on maternal hemodynamics and fetal growth in normal rat pregnancy

It has been suggested that the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor sildenafil may be useful in the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy. However, we have reported a selective increase in renal inner medullary PDE5 that participates in the sodium retention of pregnancy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether oral sildenafil treatment impairs maternal plasma volume expansion and/or fetal growth during rat pregnancy. Rats received sildenafil (10 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1), 50 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1), or 90 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) or vehicle on days 4-20 of pregnancy. On days 14-19, rats were housed in metabolic cages for collection of urine and measurement of food and water intake. Terminal hemodynamic and fetal measurements were taken on day 20. None of the sildenafil doses lowered blood pressure, and although all doses increased plasma cGMP concentrations, only the highest dose increased aortic and inner medullary cGMP content. Sildenafil had no effect on maternal weight gain; however, the highest dose decreased both plasma volume and renal sodium retention. The pup number and size were similar among the groups. Therefore, these studies suggest that low doses of systemic sildenafil may be safe during pregnancy in the rat, but higher doses may interfere with the physiological sodium retention and volume expansion of pregnancy. The effects of systemic sildenafil on blood pressure and sodium retention during hypertension in human pregnancy remain to be examined.
The confidential memorial system of the Ch'ing dynasty reconsidered

Students of traditional Chinese political institutions cannot afford to disregard the importance of the Ch'ing confidential memorial system. Essentially, this dynastic institution had existed for centuries, but it reached maturity only in the Ch'ing dynasty. Under this system, government officials in various positions from many regions outside the capital submitted confidential memorials which reached the imperial desk through special channels. After reading and commenting on them in vermilion ink, the ruler returned the memorials to their authors confidentially via the same channels. This system resulted in direct communication between ruler and officials, and under the vigilant Ch'ing emperors, it enhanced imperial autocratic power in several ways In the traditional Chinese state the ruler, however enlightened or benevolent, was an autocrat. His words were law; his decisions final. Without his sanction, no state affairs or government plans could proceed. His authority could only be circumvented or manipulated within the bureaucratic procedure and for this reason he worked hard to safeguard his authority by keeping a close eye on his officials throughout the empire.
Stresses in Narrow Regions

A method for calculating the stress distribution in a narrow region of an elastic plate is presented. It consists in treating the narrow region by beam theory, treating the rest of the plate by any computational or analytical method, and matching the results of these two calculations. It is illustrated by finding the stress distribution in the narrow region of a plate, between a straight edge and a nearby hole, when the plate is under tension. The same method can be applied to three-dimensional bodies with thin plate-like or shell-like regions.
The Music Apperception Test

The Music Apperception Test (MAT) asks respondents to “tell a story to the music.” Brief compositions portray basic emotions followed by 30-s silent periods. The MAT relies on the emotional import of music, so narratives vary for content, settings, and outcomes. Stories are recorded and transcribed for coding. Thirty-seven MAT variables in ten categories of response are described: Fluency, Latency, Time to Termination, Pace, Content, Interaction, Off-Task Response, Voice, Narrative Style, and Affective Fit. Provisional norms for children, adolescents, and adults, are based on 2,016 responses of 168 individuals. Split-half and test–retest reliabilities for quantitative variables, latency and fluency, exceed .90. Current research is summarized, clinical application is discussed, and recommendations are made for future research.
Wnt signaling regulates mitochondrial physiology and insulin sensitivity

Mitochondria serve a critical role in physiology and disease. The genetic basis of mitochondrial regulation in mammalian cells has not yet been detailed. We performed a large-scale RNAi screen to systematically identify genes that affect mitochondrial abundance and function. This screen revealed previously unrecognized roles for >150 proteins in mitochondrial regulation. We report that increased Wnt signals are a potent activator of mitochondrial biogenesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, leading to DNA damage and acceleration of cellular senescence in primary cells. The signaling protein insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), shown here to be a transcriptional target of Wnt, is induced in this setting. The increased level of IRS-1 drives activation of mitochondrial biogenesis; furthermore, in insulin-responsive cell types, it enhances insulin signaling, raising the possibility that Wnt proteins may be used to modulate glucose homeostasis. Our results identify a key component of the mitochondrial regulatory apparatus with a potentially important link to metabolic and degenerative disorders.
Comprehensive Evaluation of an Educational Software Engineering Simulation Environment

Software engineering educational approaches are often evaluated only anecdotally, or in informal pilot studies. We describe a more comprehensive approach to evaluating a software engineering educational technique (SimSE, a graphical, interactive, customizable, game-based software engineering simulation environment). Our method for evaluating SimSE went above and beyond anecdotal experience and approached evaluation from a number of different angles through a family of studies designed to assess SimSE's effectiveness and guide its development. In this paper, we demonstrate the insights and lessons that can be gained when using such a multi-angled evaluation approach. Our hope is that, from this paper, educators will: (1) learn ideas about how to more comprehensively evaluate their own approaches, and (2) be provided with evidence about the educational effectiveness of SimSE.
dmd-3, a doublesex-related gene regulated by tra-1, governs sex-specific morphogenesis in C. elegans

Although sexual dimorphism is ubiquitous in animals, the means by which sex determination mechanisms trigger specific modifications to shared structures is not well understood. In C. elegans, tail tip morphology is highly dimorphic: whereas hermaphrodites have a whip-like, tapered tail tip, the male tail is blunt-ended and round. Here we show that the male-specific cell fusion and retraction that generate the adult tail are controlled by the previously undescribed doublesex-related DM gene dmd-3, with a secondary contribution from the paralogous gene mab-3. In dmd-3 mutants, cell fusion and retraction in the male tail tip are severely defective, while in mab-3; dmd-3 double mutants, these processes are completely absent. Conversely, expression of dmd-3 in the hermaphrodite tail tip is sufficient to trigger fusion and retraction. The master sexual regulator tra-1 normally represses dmd-3 expression in the hermaphrodite tail tip, accounting for the sexual specificity of tail tip morphogenesis. Temporal cues control the timing of tail remodeling in males by regulating dmd-3 expression, and Wnt signaling promotes this process by maintaining and enhancing dmd-3 expression in the tail tip. Downstream, dmd-3 and mab-3 regulate effectors of morphogenesis including the cell fusion gene eff-1. Together, our results reveal a regulatory network for male tail morphogenesis in which dmd-3 and mab-3 together occupy the central node. These findings indicate that an important conserved function of DM genes is to link the general sex determination hierarchy to specific effectors of differentiation and morphogenesis.
Note on the Theory of Topographically Forced Planetary Waves in the Atmosphere

Abstract Estimates of the mean vertical motions at the earth's surface associated with airflow over topography are presented for Northern Hemisphere winter and summer conditions, and the implications of these estimates for the theory of mean stationary waves in the atmosphere are discussed.
Bearing Burdens: Religious Accommodations That Adversely Affect Coworker Morale

This Article addresses the conflict that arises when accommodating an employee’s religious beliefs threatens coworker morale. Research overwhelmingly shows morale is crucial to both individual and organizational performance. Because perceptions of equity and fairness greatly influence morale, an accommodation that affords an employee preferential treatment can cause resentment, jealousy, and anger among coworkers — particularly if the accommodation negatively impacts the working conditions of other employees. Despite the unequivocal importance of coworker morale, some courts are hesitant to acknowledge it as a legitimate basis for denying a religious accommodation. Consequently, the case law is uneven and confusing. To ensure courts give coworker morale the protection it warrants, I argue courts should: (1) distinguish between valid and invalid reasons why an accommodation threatens morale; (2) accept harm to employee morale as a sufficient basis to deny an accommodation without requiring further proof of how lowered morale hurts an employer’s business; and (3) allow an employer to establish undue hardship based on the reasonable likelihood an accommodation would harm morale. These changes will help strike the appropriate balance between an individual’s freedom of religious expression, an employer’s right to maintain a high-morale workplace, and coworkers’ expectations of performing their jobs without undue interference.
Image-guided percutaneous disc sampling: impact of antecedent antibiotics on yield.

Aim To evaluate the effect of antecedent antimicrobial therapy on diagnostic yield from percutaneous image-guided disc-space sampling. Materials and methods A retrospective review of the electronic health records of all patients who underwent image-guided percutaneous sampling procedures for suspected discitis/osteomyelitis over a 5-year period was performed. One hundred and twenty-four patients were identified. Demographics, medical history, and culture results were recorded as well as duration of presenting symptoms and whether antecedent antibiotic therapy had been administered. Results Of the 124 patients identified who underwent image-guided percutaneous disc-space sampling, 73 had received antecedent antibiotic treatment compared with 51 who had not. The overall positive culture rate for the present study population was 24% ( n =30). The positive culture rate from patients previously on antibiotics was 21% ( n =15) compared with 29% ( n =15) for patients who had not received prior antibiotic treatment, which is not statistically significant ( p =0.26). Eighty-six percent ( n =63) of patients who had antecedent antibiotics received treatment for 4 or more days prior to their procedure, whereas 14% ( n =10) received treatment for 1–3 days prior to their procedure. The difference in culture positivity rate between these two groups was not statistically significant ( p =0.43). Culture results necessitated a change in antibiotic therapy in a third of the patients who had received antecedent antibiotic therapy. Conclusion Antecedent antibiotic therapy, regardless of duration, did not result in significantly diminished diagnostic yield from percutaneous sampling for suspected discitis/osteomyelitis. The present results suggest that percutaneous biopsy may nonetheless yield positive diagnostic information despite prior antimicrobial therapy. If the diagnostic information may impact choice of therapeutic regimen, percutaneous biopsy should still be considered in cases where there is a history of prior antimicrobial therapy.
U.S. Dental School Deans’ Perceptions of the Rising Cost of Dental Education and Borrowing Pressures on Dental Students: Report of Survey Results

This report presents findings from a survey of U.S. dental school deans designed to capture their perceptions regarding the rising cost of dental education and its impact on borrowing by dental students to finance their education. The survey included questions about factors influencing the cost of dental education, concerns about dental student borrowing, and financial awareness resources for students. The survey was distributed to the deans of all 63 U.S. dental schools in January 2013; 42 deans responded, for a 67% response rate. The results indicate that, according to the responding deans, new clinical technologies, technology costs, and central university taxes are the main factors that contribute to the increasing cost of dental education. Coupled with reduced state appropriations at public dental schools and declines in private giving at all dental schools, dental school deans face a perplexing set of financial management challenges. Tuition and fees are a primary source of revenue for all dental schools; however, many deans do not have total control over the cost of attending their schools since tuition and fees are often tied to mandates and policies from the parent university and the state legislature. The findings of this study indicate that U.S. dental school deans are aware of and concerned about the impact of increases in tuition and fees on dental student debt and that they are using a variety of strategies to address the growth in dental student borrowing.
Human neuroblastoma cell culture: effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on morphological differentiation and levels of neural enzymes.

Summary5-Bromodeoxyuridine (5-BrdU) caused morphological “differentiation” of human neuroblastoma cells in culture, as shown by the formation of long neurites. This clone had a high level of choline acetyltransferase (ChA), however, 5-BrdU treatment allowed the expression of TH and COMT without any change in the cyclic AMP level. The addition of an equimolar of thymidine together with 5-BrdU did not reduce the BrdU-effects on morphological differentiation and TH level. The ChA activity decreased in BrdU-treated cells. This study indicates that the ChA and TH activities can be expressed in the same neuron.This paper was supported by DRG-1182 from Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research and by U.S. Public Health Service IP-CA-12247–01AL. We thank Ms. April Montgomery for technical help.
Predictions of middle-ear and passive cochlear mechanics using a finite element model of the pediatric ear

A finite element (FE) model was developed based on histological sections of a temporal bone of a 4-year-old child to simulate middle-ear and cochlear function in ears with normal hearing and otitis media. This pediatric model of the normal ear, consisting of an ear canal, middle ear, and spiral cochlea, was first validated with published energy absorbance (EA) measurements in young children with normal ears. The model was used to simulate EA in an ear with middle-ear effusion, whose results were compared to clinical EA measurements. The spiral cochlea component of the model was constructed under the assumption that the mechanics were passive. The FE model predicted middle-ear transfer functions between the ear canal and cochlea. Effects of ear structure and mechanical properties of soft tissues were compared in model predictions for the pediatric and adult ears. EA responses are predicted to differ between adult and pediatric ears due to differences in the stiffness and damping of soft tissues within the ear, and any residual geometrical differences between the adult ear and pediatric ear at age 4 years. The results have significance for predicting effects of otitis media in children.
An Analysis of Index Option Writing with Monthly and Weekly Rollover

This paper analyzes the performance of the two CBOE PutWrite Indexes through the end of 2015. The two PutWrite indexes are found to have had strong performance in several areas: 1) Annual premium income: From 2006 to 2015, the average annual gross premium collected was 24.1 percent for the PUT Index and 39.3 percent for the WPUT Index. While a one-time premium collected by the weekly WPUT Index usually was smaller than a one-time premium collected by the monthly PUT Index, the WPUT Index had higher aggregate annual premiums because premiums were collected 52 times, rather than 12 times, per year. 2) Lower risk: Over the last 10 years, since the launch of Weeklys options, the WPUT Index had a lower standard deviation than the PUT and S&P 500 Indexes. The maximum drawdowns were 24.2 percent for the WPUT Index, 32.7 percent for the PUT Index and 50.9 percent for the S&P 500 Index. 3) Higher long-term returns with lower volatility: Looking longer-term with the PUT Index, since mid-1986, the annual compound return of the PUT Index was 10.13 percent, compared with 9.85 percent for the S&P 500 Index. The standard deviation of the PUT Index was substantially lower as well, 10.16 percent versus the S&P 500 Index’s 15.26 percent.
Analysis about Influencing Factors of Capacitor Voltage Transformer Measurement in the Harmonic Conditions

The measurement accuracy of capacitor voltage transformer( CVT) affect the accuracy of electric energy measuring and reliability of relay protection action. In order to study the accuracy of CVT measurements under the harmonic conditions,and to improve the measurement accuracy of the CVT to provide reference,this paper has obtained some conclusions based on the equivalent circuit model of CVT. The expression of CVT measurement ratio under the harmonic conditions is derived,and the effect of excitation impedance and capacitance divider ratio of the measurement accuracy under harmonic conditions has been researched and been verified by simulation analysis.
Impact on Frequency Regulation of Power System from Wind Power with High Penetration

There have all along been two opposite opinions on the impact on power system frequency regulation from wind power.To improve the current research,the mutual behavior of conventional units and load is taken into account in focusing on quantitative analysis of the impact on multi-time scale frequency regulation from high proportion wind power.The probabilistic combined power fluctuation model of power system with different ratios of wind power is derived prior to finding out the function with given confidence interval of those key indices used to estimate frequency control performance,including the maximum frequency control error,static frequency control error,primary/secondary frequency control speed,and reserve.Accordingly,a method for analyzing the impact of wind power on power system frequency regulation is proposed,providing a provincial grid with useful advice by simulation.
Cost-effectiveness of directly observed chemoprophylaxis of tuberculosis among drug users at high risk for tuberculosis.

CADRE : Programme de traitement a la methadone avec soins medicaux sur place dans le quartier de Bronx a New York. OBJECTIF : Determiner si les couts lies a une therapie preventive directement supervisee de la tuberculose (DOPT) sont justifies par nombre de cas de tuberculose prevenus et leurs couts, parmi les personnes a risque eleve de maladie active. SCHEMA: Des donnees detaillees ont ete rassemblees sur les drogues en traitement en ce qui concerne l'infection et la maladie due au virus de l'immunodeficience humaine (VIH) et tuberculose, les couts du depistage, de la chimioprophylaxie, de la supervision directe et du traitement des maladies actives. L'on a elabore un modele cout-efficacite de l'administration de la chimioprophylaxie directement supervisee a ces populations. RESULTATS : Nous avons evalue l'impact de l'administration de DOPT a 151 sujets eligibles. En supposant une efficacite de 65% de l'isoniazide et en incorporant les couts du depistage de la chimioprophylaxie supervisee et du monitoring clinique, on note une economie nette des couts hospitaliers en rapport avec la tuberculose de $285 284 (soit $563 par personne depistee) grâce au DOPT qui coute lui meme $10274 par cas evite. La supervision directe de la chimioprophylaxie montre un bon rapport cout-efficacite si elle est associee avec une augmentation fut-ce de 10% de l'efficacite globale de l'isoniazide par comparaison avec la chimioprophylaxie auto-administree. Les couts de DOPT par cas de tuberculose evite reste inferieurs aux couts d'hospitalisation d'un seul cas de maladie a germes sensibles, et ce, dans toute une serie d'hypotheses concernant les parametres intervenant dans les couts. CONCLUSIONS: L'administration directement supervisee de la chimioprophylaxie est une intervention dont le rapport cout-efficacite est tres eleve chez les drogues en traitement. La recherche de ressources additionnelles necessaires pour le DOPT devrait etre prioritaire pour cette population ainsi que pour d'autres, elles aussi a risque eleve de tuberculose.
A fully monolithically integrated 4.6 GHz DC-DC converter

This paper presents the design and measurement of a proof-of-concept fully monolithically integrated DC-DC converter operating at 4.6 GHz. The converter is designed in Qorvo's 0.15 µm GaN on SiC process and has a total area of 2.5mm × 3.8 mm. The distributed class-E2 converter does not use any external inductors or other lumped elements. The maximum efficiency achieved by the converter is 48% at 0.6W output power. The converter can also operate in self-synchronous mode without rectifier gate drive, albeit with a drop in performance.
Remote Sensing and the Estimation of Ecosystem Parameters and Functions

Remote sensing provides the synoptic views needed to study ecosystem dynamics occurring at landscape, regional and global scales. The type of biophysical attributes sensible from space will determine how widely ecological extrapolations can be implemented. Monitoring large scale biological processes is contingent on two factors. First, key structural and physiological characteristics of ecosystems must be identified which can be directly linked to underlying processes. Second, the capability to measure these characteristics remotely must exist. Successful estimation of parameters such as absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), canopy chemistry, and canopy water content will provide insights on changes in seasonal photosynthesis and photosynthate allocation, the susceptibility of plants to disease, rate of litter decomposition, and other changes related to environmental stress. Linkage between small-scale ecological understanding and large-scale dynamics is important and can be accomplished through characterization of reflectance properties at the leaf, canopy, and landscape scales.
Rosemary Polyphenols as a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives: Implications for cancer chemoprevention

T Mediterranean diet has long been attributed with a variety of health promoting properties for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. One aspect that has not received enough attention is the benefits of Mediterranean herbs. Specifically, rosemary and its polyphenolic diterpenes (carnosic acid and carnosol) are known to possess anti-oxidant activity that is beneficial as a food preservative. In fact, the European Union has even adopted the use of standardized rosemary extracts as food preservatives into its legislation. Another potential benefit of these diterpenes is that they may be beneficial in cancer control. Herein, we describe the in vitro and in vivo studies carried out towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of carnosic acid and carnosol leading to inhibition of prostate cancer. The reported findings suggest that these polyphenols target multiple signaling pathways involved in cell cycle modulation and apoptosis. Using a xenograft tumor model we have observed individual phytochemicals to suppress tumor growth compared to mice receiving placebo. These results are especially significant as it is becoming more likely that individuals will be consuming standardized rosemary extracts that are a part of a natural preservative system in various food preparations. Taken a step further, it is possible that the potential benefits that are often associated with a “Mediterranean Diet” in the future may begin to extend beyond those consuming a traditional Mediterranean diet.
The dark side of meaning-making: How social exclusion leads to superstitious thinking

Abstract This paper tests a meaning-making model of conspiratorial thinking by considering how one's search for meaning mediates between social exclusion and the endorsement of conspiratorial (Study 1) and superstitious (Study 2) beliefs. In Study 1, participants first wrote about a self-selected personal event that involved a social interaction, they then indicated how socially excluded they felt after the event, and, finally, they rated their endorsement of three well-known conspiracy theories. In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned to a Social Inclusion, a Social Exclusion, or a Control condition, after which they indicated the association between improbable events in three scenarios. In addition, both studies mechanistically tested the relation between social exclusion and conspiratorial/superstitious thinking by measuring the participants' tendency to search for meaning. Both Study 1 (correlational) and Study 2 (experimental) offer support for the hypothesis that social exclusion is associated with superstitious/conspiratorial beliefs. One's search for meaning, correlational analyses revealed, mediated this relation. We discuss the implication of the findings for community-wide belief dynamics and we propose that social inclusion could be used to diminish the dissemination of superstitious beliefs and conspiracy theories.
Comparing the Thermo-Physical Properties of Rice Husk and Rice Straw as Feedstock for Thermochemical Conversion and Characterization of their Waste Ashes from Combustion

The thermogravimetric characterization and gas emission properties during the pyrolysis of rice husk (RH) and rice straw (RS) were compared, and the properties of waste rice husk ash (RHA) and rice straw ash (RSA) from the combustion process were investigated. The results showed that the pyrolysis of RH and RS followed a four-step mechanism. Comparing the emission properties of small molecule bio-syngas in the pyrolysis of these two biomass wastes implied that RS was more suitable for use as feedstock for thermochemical conversion. Chemical and phase analysis results indicated that the RSA was rich in K, Ca, and P and had good potential for use as a soil amendment or as a material for silicate ceramics. The RHA was rich in SiO2 and could be an ideal silica source for silicon compound preparation or a pozzolan source for blended cement concrete production. Morphology analysis on the ash samples revealed that the high content of alkali metals may cause the higher agglomeration tendency of RSA with respect to RHA. The contrast in pore properties of biomass char wastes isolated from the ashes indicated that the char wastes recovered from RHA would be better used as a low-cost precursor in activated carbon production.
Dynamic Load Balancing for Ordered Data-Parallel Regions in Distributed Streaming Systems

Distributed stream computing has emerged as a technology that can satisfy the low latency, high throughput demands of big data. Stream computing naturally exposes pipeline, task and data parallelism. Meeting the throughput and latency demands of online big data requires exploiting such parallelism across heterogeneous clusters. When a single job is running on a homogeneous cluster, load balancing is important. When multiple jobs are running across a heterogeneous cluster, load balancing becomes critical. The data parallel regions of distributed streaming applications are particularly sensitive to load imbalance, as their overall speed is gated by the slowest performer. We propose a dynamic load balancing technique based on a system artifact: the TCP blocking rate per connection. We build a function for each connection based on this blocking rate, and obtain a balanced load distribution by modeling the problem as a minimax separable resource allocation problem. In other words, we minimize the maximum value of these functions. Our model achieves local load balancing that does not require any global information. We test our model in a real streaming system, and demonstrate that it is able to detect differences in node capacities, determine the correct load distribution for those capacities and dynamically adapt to changes in the system.
A Review of "Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance."

Considering the separation of state and church policy, the idea of teaching religion in education has been a controversial topic, especially in the current educational system. Linda K. Wertheimer i...
Scape goats, silver bullets, and other pitfalls in the path to sustainability

This paper draws from The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin to highlight some of the most likely pitfalls on the political road to a sustainable planet. Through the literary device of dreams that can change the world, Le Guin explores how the individual’s egoistic desire to save humanity can be twisted by the limitations of our psyche and our society, turning an already uncomfortable future Earth into a devastated planet. It is a stinging critique of answers handed down from above, and a call to action for those of us who just get by here below. Her story warns of the ancient “road to hell”, paved and trodden by would be saviors with the best intentions but also points to the license that public apathy provides to the powerful when the costs of environmental harm are borne by the powerless. These disconnects, combined with cycles of rationalization, silver bullet mentalities, and the tendency to scapegoat others for negative side effects, can all derail sustainability transitions. Lathe provides an allegorical assessment of this process, but much more study is needed to fully understand and regulate the resulting governance treadmill.
The Relationship Between Structural Racism and Black-White Disparities in Fatal Police Shootings at the State Level.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to discern the relationship between state-level structural racism and Black-White disparities in police shootings of victims not known to be armed. Methods Using a Poisson regression, we evaluated the effect of structural racism on differences between states in Black-White disparities in fatal police shootings involving victims not known to be armed during the period from January 1, 2013 through June 30, 2017. We created a state racism index, which was comprised of five dimensions: (1) residential segregation; and gaps in (2) incarceration rates; (3) educational attainment; (4) economic indicators; and (5) employment status. Results After controlling for numerous state-level factors and for the underlying rate of fatal shootings of black victims in each state, the state racism index was a significant predictor of the Black-White disparity in police shooting rates of victims not known to be armed (incidence rate ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.50). For every 10-point increase in the state racism index, the Black-White disparity ratio of police shooting rates of people not known to be armed increased by 24%. Conclusion These findings suggest that structural racism is an important predictor of the Black-White disparity in rates of police shootings of unarmed victims across states.
Low-dose x-ray tomography through a deep convolutional neural network

Synchrotron-based X-ray tomography offers the potential for rapid large-scale reconstructions of the interiors of materials and biological tissue at fine resolution. However, for radiation sensitive samples, there remain fundamental trade-offs between damaging samples during longer acquisition times and reducing signals with shorter acquisition times. We present a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) method that increases the acquired X-ray tomographic signal by at least a factor of 10 during low-dose fast acquisition by improving the quality of recorded projections. Short-exposure-time projections enhanced with CNNs show signal-to-noise ratios similar to long-exposure-time projections. They also show lower noise and more structural information than low-dose short-exposure acquisitions post-processed by other techniques. We evaluated this approach using simulated samples and further validated it with experimental data from radiation sensitive mouse brains acquired in a tomographic setting with transmission X-ray microscopy. We demonstrate that automated algorithms can reliably trace brain structures in low-dose datasets enhanced with CNN. This method can be applied to other tomographic or scanning based X-ray imaging techniques and has great potential for studying faster dynamics in specimens
Auditor Perceptions of Audit Workloads, Audit Quality, and the Auditing Profession

In this study, we use a survey instrument to obtain perspectives from almost 800 auditors about present-day audit workloads and the relationship between audit workloads and audit quality. Our findings indicate that auditors are working, on average, five hours per week above the threshold at which they believe audit quality begins to deteriorate and often 20 hours above this threshold at the peak of busy season. Survey respondents perceive deadlines and staffing shortages as two of the primary reasons for high workloads and further believe that high workloads result in decreased audit quality via compromised audit procedures (including taking shortcuts), impaired audit judgment (including reduced professional skepticism), and difficulty retaining staff with appropriate knowledge and skills. We also find that auditors’ job satisfaction and their views on the audit profession are impacted negatively by audit workloads, particularly when the workloads are perceived as being heavy enough to impair audit quality. Overall, our findings provide support for the PCAOB’s concern regarding excessive workloads and suggest that the primary drivers of workloads (i.e., deadlines and staffing problems) might be the actual “root cause” of workload-related audit deficiencies.
The concentration of out-of-pocket expenditures on complementary and alternative medicine in the United States.

Context The most intense spenders on health services are considerably less healthy.49% report fair or poor health status compared to 15% of the general adult population and are elderly. Such findings have important implications for addressing national health-care spending because interventions targeting those people who are in poor health could theoretically generate dramatic cost savings. Although the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States is well recognized, little is known about the distribution of out-of-pocket expenditures on CAM services. Objective This study examined the distribution of out-of-pocket expenditures on CAM health services in the United States. Design The research team used data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey to examine the distribution in the United States of out-of-pocket expenditures on CAM services and the characteristics of adult (age ≥ 18 years) CAM users (n = 2972) according to spending. Outcome measures Using complex survey-design methods, the research team generated national estimates of expenditures on CAM services and used linear regression adjusted for covariates to determine whether self-reported health status predicted CAM spending. Results According to our estimates, in 2007, over 30 million adults reported out-of-pocket expenditures on CAM services, and of these individuals, 7.2 million were heavy CAM spenders with a mean annual expenditure of $1385. The highest quartile of CAM spenders accounted for $10 billion of the $13.9 billion spent nationally on CAM in 2007. Self-reported health status did not differ among groups with differing levels of CAM spending, β = 1.00 (95% CI, 0.8-1.2). Conclusions Out-of-pocket spending on CAM is concentrated. Just a quarter of CAM users account for over 70% of all expenditures on CAM services, and health status does not appear to be associated with level of CAM spending.
Signal Ensemble Classification Using Low-Dimensional Embeddings and Earth Mover’s Distance

Instead of classifying individual signals, we address classification of objects characterized by signal ensembles (i.e., collections of signals). Such necessity arises frequently in real situations: e.g., classification of video clips or object classification using acoustic scattering experiments to name a few. In particular, we propose an algorithm for classifying signal ensembles by bringing together well-known techniques from various disciplines in a novel way. Our algorithm first performs the dimensionality reduction on training ensembles using either the linear embeddings (e.g., Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multidimensional Scaling (MDS)) or the nonlinear embeddings (e.g., the Laplacian eigenmap (LE), the diffusion map (DM)). After embedding training ensembles into a lower-dimensional space, our algorithm extends a given test ensemble into the trained embedding space, and then measures the “distance” between the test ensemble and each training ensemble in that space, and classify it using the nearest neighbor method. It turns out that the choice of this ensemble distance measure is critical, and our algorithm adopts the so-called Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD), a robust distance measure successfully used in image retrieval and image registration. We will demonstrate the performance of our algorithm using two real examples: classification of underwater objects using multiple sonar waveforms; and classification of video clips of digit-speaking lips. This article also provides a concise review on the several key concepts in statistical learning such as PCA, MDS, LE, DM, and EMD as well as the practical issues including how to tune parameters, which will be useful for the readers interested in numerical experiments.
Adult Neural Stem Cells and Gliomagenesis

Gliomas are primary cancers of the brain and the most lethal cancers known to man. The recent discovery of stem cell and progenitor populations suggests that these cells residing in the postnatal brain may themselves serve as an origin of brain tumors. On the basis of CD133 expression, cancer stem cells and normal adult neural stem cells can be isolated by sorting and are shown to self-renew and exhibit multipotency. The identification of this cellular population has led to the suggestion that these cells represent the tumor-initiating fraction of human gliomas. Investigations of human neural stem cells and their potential for malignancy may finally identify a cell-of-origin for human gliomas. This, in turn, may facilitate better therapeutic targeting, identification of new markers for the progression of gliomas, earlier cancer detection, and development of new therapeutic agents.
Mutation K42E in Dehydrodolichol Diphosphate Synthase (DHDDS) Causes Recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa

A single-nucleotide mutation in the gene that encodes DHDDS has been identified by whole exome sequencing as the cause of the non-syndromic recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in a family of Ashkenazi Jewish origin in which three of the four siblings have early onset retinal degeneration. The peripheral retinal degeneration in the affected siblings was evident in the initial examination in 1992 and only one had detectable electroretinogram (ERG) that suggested cone-rod dysfunction. The pigmentary retinal degeneration subsequently progressed rapidly. The identified mutation changes the highly conserved residue Lys42 to Glu, resulting in lower catalytic efficiency. Patterns of plasma transferrin isoelectric focusing gel were normal in all family members, indicating no significant abnormality in protein glycosylation. Dolichols have been shown to influence the fluidity and of the membrane and promote vesicle fusion. Considering that photoreceptor outer segments contain stacks of membrane discs, we believe that the mutation may lead to low dolichol levels in photoreceptor outer segments, resulting in unstable membrane structure that leads to photoreceptor degeneration.
Freedom in the Grounding of Transitional Justice

The South African truth and reconciliation commission (“TRC”) during the post-apartheid era has made such commissions a staple of efforts to heal societies torn by conflict and internal strife. In this paper, I analyze the means by which TRCs help remedy such internal conflict. In particular, I focus on the tensions often noted between the role of TRCs as a means of creating population-level outcomes (such as a general reduction of conflict or violence) with the demands of justice for victims of past abuses for recompense or retribution. Such a tension is, I argue, a genuine one that cannot easily be resolved. This tension is analogous to a similar tension between what I refer to as “relational freedom” operating in many communalistic societies, and an alternative notion of freedom I refer to as “nyang.” As I present these two conceptions of freedom, the former is characterized by the ability of individuals to develop connections and relationships with others in their community, and puts a premium on the forging of consensus and the avoidance of conflict. The latter is a more individualistic notion that, among other things, stresses the importance of accommodating conflict and constructing a modus Vivendi that allows individuals with conflicting beliefs and desires to live in peace without consensus.
Learning from Making: A Design Challenge in Technical Writing and Communication

This study shares the story of a design challenge a semester-long maker project where students dedicated themselves to team-based learning, ideating, and prototyping tangible solutions for wicked problems in technical writing and communication.
Recognizing the Soft News of the Women’s Pages

The content found in the women’s pages has been categorized as focusing on the four Fs: family, fashion, food, and furnishings. Bridal news, society insights, and local columns and advice columns also peppered the pages. While these topics have been castigated as fluff by some, they were important to readers. They appreciated learning about the changes in fashion trends, food technology developments, and family news. After all, these topics were part of their everyday lives.
Stimulation of fatty acid synthesis in vitro by gonadotrophin-induced testicular ribonucleic acid

RNA from testes of hypophysectomized rats treated with follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone markedly stimulates in vitro the incorporation of acetate and malonate (as CoA derivatives) into polyunsaturated fatty acids. The system in vitro contains the components necessary for both protein and fatty acid synthesis. That the RNA is a hormone-induced messenger type that causes enzyme synthesis that then causes fatty acid synthesis is supported by the following observations: (1) the stimulation of RNA synthesis by follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone is decreased by injection of the animals with actinomycin D; (2) puromycin in the system in vitro decreases the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids; (3) the activity of the RNA preparation is destroyed by digestion with ribonuclease; in fact, the digest is inhibitory, which is a characteristic of messenger-RNA-mediated protein synthesis; (4) protein that might be denatured enzyme is virtually absent from the effective RNA preparations.
A scalable framework for adaptive computational general relativity on heterogeneous clusters

We present a portable and highly-scalable framework that targets problems in the astrophysics and numerical relativity communities. This framework combines together the parallel Dendro octree with wavelet adaptive multiresolution and an automatic code-generation physics module to solve the Einstein equations of general relativity in the BSSNOK formulation. The goal of this work is to perform advanced, massively parallel numerical simulations of binary black hole and neutron star mergers, including Intermediate Mass Ratio Inspirals (IMRIs) of binary black holes with mass ratios on the order of 100:1. These studies will be used to study waveforms for use in LIGO data analysis and to calibrate approximate methods for generating gravitational waveforms. The key contribution of this work is the development of automatic code generators for computational relativity supporting SIMD vectorization, OpenMP, and CUDA combined with efficient distributed memory adaptive data-structures. These have enabled the development of efficient codes that demonstrate excellent weak scalability up to 131K cores on ORNL's Titan for binary mergers for mass ratios up to 100.
The “Other” Mixed Race: The Nisei in Perspective

Military basing in Okinawa brought forth a significant number of intermarriages among Okinawan women and the Occupying Forces during the immediate post-war years. These unions produced children called “hāfu”. Among them are the Amerasian or offspring of Okinawan women and American servicemen and the “Other” to the Amerasian—individuals born to Okinawan women and Filipino men. The presence of these “mixed race” offspring challenges the concepts of racial and ethnic “purity” in Japan and Okinawa. These individuals of Okinawan and Filipino parentage—who call themselves Nisei—engage in boundary-making processes to claim a “half-Okinawan” identity, seen as a form and a source of empowerment as they negotiate their mixed ethnicity with notions of being “Japanese” (and Okinawan) in contemporary Okinawan society.