cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An effective LS-SVM-based approach for surface roughness prediction in machined surfaces

An effective least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM)-based approach was developed to predict the surface roughness in machined surface. The real AISI4340 steel and AISID2 steel data set was used to conduct the experiments. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to validate the assumption of normal distribution, as well as the independent distribution of the errors. For the neural networks model, with 70%, 15%, and 15% of data as training, validation, and testing data, respectively, the best validation error is 0.0097343. The training error is 9.08888e-4 and the testing error is 1.09510e-1 accordingly. NN methods also discovered the correlation between the predicted surface roughness (Ra) and the actual surface roughness in the form of predicted Ra � 0.41*Actual Ra+0.2. The LS-SVM performance was also compared to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method, and neural networks model trained by Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The experimental results showed that the proposed LS-SVM algorithm produced a determination coefficient of =0.9439, which is higher than the ANOVA and NN results of 0.1917 and 0.7266.
brlA requires both zinc fingers to induce development.

Abstract Expression of the Aspergillus nidulans brlA gene induces a developmental pathway leading to the production of asexual spores. We have introduced mutations into brlA that are expected to disrupt either or both Cys2-His2 Zn(II) coordination sites postulated to exist in the BrlA polypeptide. The resultant brlA alleles fail to induce either the asexual reproductive pathway or the expression of development-specific genes. These data support the hypothesis that brlA encodes a nucleic acid-binding protein whose activity requires each of two zinc fingers.
Status and grand challenges in achieving true color, high contrast, large size, high definition displays

We summarize the state-of-the-art in achieving full color, large-size high definition television displays with fully warrantied lifetimes and at low-cost. Grand challenges that exist in present display technologies, including realizing sufficient brightness, color quality, contrast, and manufacturability will be presented.
Assembly of nanomaterials using polymers and biomaterials: Sensing and electronic applications

The hybrid assembly of inorganic nanomaterials upon chemical and biological bonding has occupied attentions to yield manifold optical and electromagnetic properties. Nanomaterials that can be virtually conjugated with any other nanomaterials by ligand-receptor / antigen-antibody reactions, polymer tethering, and DNA hybridization are of importance for fundamental comprehension of electronic process in nano-scale regime as well as for development of advanced sensing and imaging devices. Semiconducting nanoparticles(NPs)/ nanowires(NWs) like CdTe that have compatibly narrow range of strong photoluminescence (PL) with broad range of absorbance band stand in the spotlight of imaging and sensing materials. Optical effects in noble metallic NPs such as Au and Ag have been worth noticing due to localized surface plasmons. These optical modes lead to highly localized electromagnetic fields outside the particles that take advantage of the development of novel system such as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and highly compacted optoelectronic devices and sensors. In particular, it is known that metallic NPs has stronger plasmon field than the surface of bulky metals, leading to potent interactions to adjacent materials in secured conjugated superstructures that induce non-linear optical properties. In this report, we review on a novel biological / polymeric inspired hybrid superstructures between semiconducting CdTe nanowires and Au or Ag nanoparticles. This superstructure demonstrates remarkable optical effects i.e., PL en-hancement of NWs, sensing application for temperature and solvents stemming from SERS-like collective interactions of NPs and NWs., and light harvest from Forster resonance energy tra-nsfer (FRET).
Resistance Training for Pediatric Female Dancers.

Resistance training is a critical component of dance training for pediatric female dancers. Many concerns currently exist surrounding resistance training in this population, including the potential for injury to the immature skeleton and diminishing dancers’ aesthetic appearance, as well as questions related to the effectiveness of such training for increasing dancer strength and muscle endurance. Many forms of dance demand sufficient muscle strength and endurance for prolonged periods of high intensity dance, power generation during leaps and jumps, and stabilization of the lower extremity to prevent injury. The benefits of resistance training for the pediatric female dancer are multiple, including improved muscle strength and bone health and decreased risk for stress related injuries to the actively growing skeleton. Understanding the biomechanical changes that occur during growth that may predispose the female dancer to injury is important, in conjunction with initiating individualized resistance training protocols early in training that may serve to improve performance and prevent future injuries.
Evidence for a serotonin uptake system in isolated bovine pinealocyte suspensions.

Serotonin uptake was investigated in bovine pinealocyte suspensions. Pinealocytes were disaggregated from calf pineal glands by enzymatic treatment with papain followed by mechanical disruption of the tissue fragments. Cells were resuspended in Hank’s balanced salt solution which contained 12.5 µM nialamide to inhibit monoamine oxidase activity present in the pinealocytes. The uptake of radiolabeled serotonin as a function of concentration exhibited saturation phenomena when high (10 µM-5 mM) concentrations of serotonin were used. Estimates of the fraction of serotonin bound to the cell membrane were attempted by three methods: (1) lysing cells by exposing them to a hypotonic medium after incorporation of radiolabeled serotonin in standard medium; (2) exposing cells to media of increasing osmolarity in the presence of radiolabeled serotonin; and (3) displacing radiolabeled serotonin from nonspecific binding sites on the cell membrane by cold serotonin. Estimates of the fraction of uptake of serotonin contributed by simple diffusion were made by adding an excess of unlabeled serotonin to 0.76µM radiolabeled serotonin to saturate specific carrier sites and nonspecific membrane binding sites. Tissue-to-medium ratios exceeded 1 with all concentrations of serotonin used.
An Environmental Systems Biology Approach to the Study of Asthma

Recent advances in biology in the post genomic era have yielded an appreciation of systems approaches to understand mechanisms of human diseases that reductionist science has failed to elucidate. Systems biology is a new way to look at the multiple interacting factors in the onset and progression of environmentally caused human disease. Asthma is an important environmental disease. It is estimated that on a global basis approximately 300,000 million people have asthma. Asthma is the most prevalent childhood disease, and the leading cause of childhood hospitalizations. When humans are exposed to triggers of asthma, a network of cytokines, and interconnected biochemical pathways in the cell is activated. Those pathways interact as a system to trigger sympthomatic presentation of the disease. Interactions of the cytokines and biochemical pathways involved in inflammatory processes are discussed. Application of the methods of systems biology to environmental diseases to yield new information on the mechanism of disease and inform new strategies for public health intervention and prevention approaches are discussed.
Non-human primate models of SIV infection and CNS neuropathology

Non-human primate models of AIDS and neuroAIDS are the premiere model of HIV infection of the CNS and neuropathogenesis. This review discusses current SIV infection models of neuroAIDS emphasizing findings in the last two years. Consistent in these findings is the interplay between host factors that regulate immune responses to virus and viral replication. Several rapid models of AIDS with consistent CNS pathogenesis exist, each of which modulates by antibody treatment or viruses that cause rapid immune suppression and replicate well in macrophages. Consistent in all of these models are data underscoring the importance of monocyte and macrophage activation, infection and accumulation in the CNS.
Anterior Mitral Leaflet Augmentation for Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Performed Via a Right Thoracotomy Approach.

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) after myocardial infarction is associated with poor long-term survival, and the optimal treatment strategy remains debated. The most common repair technique used ...
Diagnosis and clinical features of common optic neuropathies

Summary Disorders of the optic nerves (optic neuropathies) are some of the most common causes of visual loss, and can present in isolation or with associated neurological or systemic symptoms and signs. Several optic neuropathies—especially inflammatory optic neuropathies—are associated with neurological disorders and thus are often diagnosed and treated by neurologists. The mechanisms underlying optic neuropathies are diverse and typically manifest with decreased visual acuity, altered colour vision, and abnormal visual field in the affected eye. Diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical history and clinical examination, of which several aspects are particularly important, including the mode of onset of visual loss, the presence of pain with eye movements, the visual acuity, and the retention of colour vision. Advances in optic nerve imaging—particularly retinal digital photography, optical coherence tomography, and MRI techniques—have revolutionised the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with an optic neuropathy. Furthermore, improvement and generalisation of some ancillary tests, such as diagnostic antibodies for neuromyelitis optica, allows better phenotyping of the heterogeneous inflammatory optic neuropathies.
Validation of a Pretransplantation Assessment of Mortality (PAM) Score for Predicting Risk of Death in the First Two Years after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in a Tertiary Transplant Center.

Mortality rates after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for hematological malignancies remains high. Recently, a 50-point pretransplantation assessment of mortality (PAM) score was developed by clinical investigators at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center utilizing eight pre-transplant clinical variables including age, donor type, disease risk, conditioning regimen, percentage of predicted FEV1, percentage of predicted DLCO, serum creatinine level and serum ALT level. The PAM score performed well to predict risk of death in the first two years after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The objective of our study was to validate the PAM score in a retrospective cohort of patients that underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation at Hahnemann University Hospital from 1986 until 2006. 400 patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation from 1986 to 2006. 170 patients were found to be eligible for retrospective analysis since pre- transplant serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were not available for the remaining 230 patients. The PAM score was calculated for each patient using the scoring system outlined in the original article. The patients were categorized into four cohorts with scores ranging from 9 to 16 for category 1 (probability of death, 25%), from 17 to 23 for category 2 (probability of death, 25% to 50%), from 24 to 30 for category 3 (probability of death, 50% to 75%), and from 31 to 44 for category 4 (probability of death, 75%). Kaplan- Meier survival curves were generated for each of the four categories. Overall mortality was 62.9% at 2 years. PAM scores ranged from 11 to 36. 41 patients were grouped into category 1, 71 into category 2, 48 patients into category 3 and 10 patients into category 4. Mortality at 2 years was 39% in category 1, 56.3% in category 2, 85.4% in category 3 and 100% in the high-risk category. Compared to the low risk group, group 2 had a hazard ratio of 1.64 (p = 0.092, CI: 0.92 to 2.94); group 3 had a hazard ratio of 3.996 compared to the low risk group (p < 0.001, CI: 2.23 to 7.16) and group 4 had a hazard ratio of 6.73 versus the low-risk group (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 3.01 to 15.04). In conclusion, the PAM score successfully classified patients into distinct survival groups (p < 0.001 for the comparison by log-rank test). Higher PAM scores were associated with progressively increased risk of death. ![Figure][1] Figure [1]: pending:yes
A Kagome fiber based, high energy delivery laser scalpel system for laser microsurgery

We present the development of a 5 mm, piezo-actuated, ultrafast laser scalpel that delivers upwards of 1 μJ at the target surface. Experiments show fast and effective surface ablation of tissue tens of microns deep.
Cultural Exchange, Appropriation and Physical Culture: Strongman Eugen Sandow in Colonial India, 1904–1905

AbstractThis paper examines the eight-month 1904–1905 Indian tour of world-renowned strongman and physical culture pioneer Eugen Sandow, which occurred as nationalism surged and Japan shockingly defeated Russia during the Russo-Japanese War. Using Sandow’s writings, numerous newspaper accounts and several fascinating Indian texts it penetrates beyond Sandow’s claims that he ‘learnt little’ in the subcontinent to explore processes of cultural exchange despite the power imbalances inherent in the colonial context. The paper provides details about Sandow’s itinerary, shows and reception in key cities such as Calcutta, Bombay and Madras between October 1904 and June 1905, when the strongman headed further east to the Straits Settlements and China, but it also reveals the voices of Indian physical culture practitioners, including wrestlers and pahlwans such as Ramamurti Naidu – the ‘Indian Sandow’ – who repeatedly challenged Sandow. The paper suggests that through the careful reading of a variety of sources it...
Design and implementation of a modular communication system for the synthesis of atomically thin nanomaterials

High quality atomically thin nanomaterials synthesis by Chemical Vapor Deposition method is a research area in current development. The resulting material depends intimately on the parameters used for the growth, with each material having its own unique process space. In this work, a Modular Communication System has been designed and developed to solve challenges in the synthesis of a wide variety of nanomaterials. Through this modular automation approach, reducing time and cost to optimize material properties, facilitate the data analysis for a more comprehensive understanding of how the process parameters affect the growth, crystallinity and thickness of the synthesized nanomaterials.
Transparent lattice characterization with gated turn-by-turn data of diagnostic bunch train

Methods of characterization of a storage ring's lattice have traditionally been intrusive to routine operations. More importantly, the lattice seen by particles can drift with the beam current due to collective effects. To circumvent this, we have developed a novel approach for dynamically characterizing a storage ring's lattice that is transparent to operations. Our approach adopts a dedicated filling pattern which has a short, separate diagnostic bunch train (DBT). Through the use of a bunch-by-bunch feedback system, the DBT can be selectively excited on demand. Gated functionality of a beam position monitor system is capable of collecting turn-by-turn data of the DBT, from which the lattice can then be characterized after excitation. As the DBT comprises only about one percent of the total operational bunches, the effects of its excitation are negligible to users. This approach allows us to localize the distributed quadrupolar wakefields generated in the storage ring vacuum chamber during beam accumulation. While effectively transparent to operations, our approach enables us to dynamically control the beta beat and phase beat, and unobtrusively optimize performance of the National Synchrotron Light Source-II accelerator during routine operations.
Service Learning: A Useful Pedagogy to Engage Community Health Education Students in a Resource Management and Grant Writing Course:

Individuals in the health and social service arena are often required to obtain programmatic funds through grant and proposal writing; however, in this highly competitive era, these funding avenues...
Attenuated cutaneous microvascular function in healthy young African Americans: Role of intradermal l-arginine supplementation

Abstract It has been established that endothelial function in conduit vessels is reduced in young African Americans (AA) relative to Caucasian Americans (CA). However, less is known regarding endothelial function in microvasculature of young AA. We hypothesized that microvascular function in response to local heating of skin is attenuated in young AA relative to age-matched CA due largely to the lack of NO bioavailability, which is in turn improved by intradermal l -arginine supplementation and/or inhibition of arginase. Nine AA and nine CA adults participated in this study. Participants were instrumented with four microdialysis membranes in the cutaneous vasculature of one forearm and were randomly assigned to receive 1) lactated Ringer's solution as a control site; 2) 20 mM NG-nitro- l -arginine ( l -NAME) to inhibit NO synthase activity; 3) 10 mM l -arginine to local supplement l -arginine; or 4) a combination of 5.0 mM (S)-(2‑boronoethyl)- l -cysteine-HCL (BEC) and 5.0 mM Nω-hydroxy-nor- l -arginine (nor-NOHA) at a rate of 2.0 μl/min to locally inhibit arginase activity. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated as red blood cell flux divided by mean arterial pressure. All CVC data were presented as a percentage of maximal CVC (%CVCmax) that was determined by maximal cutaneous vasodilation induced by 44 °C heating plus sodium nitroprusside administration. The response during the 42 °C local heating plateau was blunted in the AA at the control site (CA: 84 ± 12 vs. AA: 62 ± 6 vs. %CVCmax; P l -arginine site (Control: 62 ± 6 vs. l -arginine: 70 ± 18%CVCmax; P P = 0.91). In addition, the AA group had an attenuated NO contribution to the plateau phase during 42 °C local heating relative to the CA group (CA: 56 ± 14 vs. AA: 44 ± 6 Δ %CVCmax; P l -arginine, but not arginase inhibition, improves cutaneous microvascular responses to local heating in young AA relative to CA.
At What Cost to Clinical Trial Enrollment? A Retrospective Study of Patient Travel Burden in Cancer Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND Recent literature suggests that living in a rural setting may be associated with adverse cancer outcomes. This study examines the burden of travel from home to cancer center for clinical trial (CT) enrollees. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients from the University of California San Francisco Clinical Trial Management System database who enrolled in a cancer CT for a breast, genitourinary, or gastrointestinal malignancy between 1993 and 2014 were included. Cancer type, household zip code, race/ethnicity, phase of study, study sponsor, and year of signed consent were exported. Distance traveled from home to center was calculated using a GoogleMaps application programming interface. The relationships of distance with phase of CT, household income, and race/ethnicity were examined. RESULTS A total of 1,600 patients were enrolled in breast (55.8%), genitourinary (29.4%), or gastrointestinal (14.9%) cancer CTs. The overall median unidirectional distance traveled from home to study site was 25.8 miles (interquartile range [IQR] 11.5-75.3). Of the trial sponsors examined, principal investigator (56.4%), industry (22.2%), cooperative group (11.6%), and National Institutes of Health (NIH; 9.8%), the longest distance traveled was for NIH-sponsored trials, with a median of 39.4 miles (p < .001). Phase I (8.4%) studies had the longest distance traveled, with a median of 41.2 miles (IQR 14.5-101.0 miles; p = .001). White patients (83%) traveled longer compared with black patients (4.4%), with median distances of 29.9 and 13.9 miles, respectively (p < .001). Patients from lower-income areas (n = 799) traveled longer distances compared with patients from higher-income areas (n = 773; 58.3 vs. 17.8 miles, respectively; p < .001). A multivariable linear model where log10 (distance) was the outcome and adjusting for the exported variables and income revealed that cancer type, year of consent, race/ethnicity, and income were significantly associated with distance traveled. CONCLUSION This study found that the burden of travel is highest among patients enrolled in NIH-sponsored trials, phase I studies, or living in low-income areas. These data suggest that travel burden for cancer CT participants may be significant. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study is one of the first to measure travel distance for patients in cancer clinical trials using a real-world GoogleMaps calculator. Out-of-pocket expenses such as travel are not typically covered by health care payers; therefore, patients may face considerable cost to attend each study visit. Using a single-center clinical trials enrollment database, this study found that the burden of travel is highest for patients enrolled in National Institutes of Health-sponsored trials and phase I studies, as well as for patients living in low-income areas. Results suggest that a significant proportion of patients enrolled in clinical trials face a substantial travel burden.
Correction: The asymmetric syntheses of cryptocaryols A and B.

Correction for ‘The asymmetric syntheses of cryptocaryols A and B’ by Alhanouf Zakaria Aljahdali et al., Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 3428–3435.
Hard Labor and Hostile Encounters: What Human Remains Reveal about Institutional Violence and Chinese Immigrants Living in Carlin, Nevada (1885–1923)

This article identifies activity-related changes to, traumatic injuries on, and pathological conditions of the human remains of the Chinese immigrants from Carlin, Nevada, who were interred between 1885 and 1923. Chinese males came to the Americas to work as railroad laborers and miners, and when the railroad was completed many went home, but some found work in small towns. In Carlin, Chinese immigrants were employed as merchants, shopkeepers, cooks, laundry workers, and a variety of other occupations. Within this immigrant group, there were differences in the degree of physical labor each individual experienced. According to historical records, this was a time of increasing anti-Chinese sentiments, and there are accounts of intergroup conflict with the politically dominant settlers. However, little is known about the biological correlates of this sociopolitical inequality. An analysis of these correlates is assessed as a means for understanding patterns of social, economic, and political inequality between these immigrants and the local population. The findings demonstrate that socioeconomic and political inequality experienced by the Carlin individuals resulted in high rates of activity-induced changes, trauma, and pathological conditions. Furthermore, examination of the relationship between cranial trauma and other types of skeletal injuries supports research that has shown trauma to the head can predispose people to other types of trauma (accidental or deliberate). The results support the historical accounts of the time that indicate hard physical labor, accidental or deliberate trauma, and interpersonal conflict were part of the life history of this group of Chinese immigrants.
Palaeobiological Research in the Cibao Valley of the Northern Dominican Republic

Contents1.1 Introduction 11.2 Overview of Past Palaeobiological Research in the Cibao Valley 21.3 Review of Chapters in this Volume 7 1.3.1 Geology, Paleoenvironment and Taphonomy 7 1.3.2 Species-Level Patterns of Evolutionary Stasis and Change 9 1.3.3 Stability and Change in Coral and Mollusc Assemblages 11 1.3.4 Education and Infrastructure 121.4 Goals of this Book 14References 15
rHUG-CSF for the treatment of severe chronic neutropenia

Severe chronic neutropenia (SCN) is a general term used to describe patients with blood neutrophil counts either chronically or cyclically less than 500 neutrophils per cubic millimeter (i.e., <0.5 × 109/L). Many causes for this condition are known, both hereditary and acquired diseases. The common feature is that low blood neutrophil counts predispose patients to develop fever, ulcerations along the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, and recurrent infections.
A GCM Study of the Climatic Effect of 1979–1992 Ozone Trend

The climatic effeet of the column ozone trend derived from TOMS data is investigated using an updated Version of GENESIS general circulation model (GCM). The GCM employs a newly constructed ozone climatology that includes longitudinal Variation. In the perturbed Simulation, the O3 trend is assumed to be confined to the lower stratosphere, and imposed in transient from January 1979 to December 1992 to incorporate both seasonal variations and linear year to year changes.
Statistical Learning and Data Mining

A major objective in data analysis is to identify interesting features or structure in the data. In this chapter, we consider the use of some of the tools and measures discussed in Chapters 9 and 10 to identify interesting structure. The graphical methods discussed in Chapter 8 are also very useful in discovering structure, but we do not consider those methods further in the present chapter. There are basically two ways of thinking about “structure”. One has to do with counts of observations. In this approach, patterns in the density are the features of interest. We may be interested in whether the density is multimodal, whether it is skewed, whether there are holes in the density, and so on. The other approach seeks to identify relationships among the variables. The two approaches are related in the sense that if there are relationships among the variables, the density of the observations is higher in regions in which the relationships hold. Relationships among variables are generally not exact, and the relationships are identified by the higher density of observations that exhibit the approximate relationships. An important kind of pattern in data is a relationship to time. Often, even though data are collected at different times, the time itself is not represented by a variable on the dataset. A simple example is one in which the data are collected sequentially at roughly equal intervals. In this case, the index of the observations may serve as a surrogate variable. Consider the small univariate dataset in Table 16.1, for example. A static view of a histogram of these univariate data, as in Figure 16.1, shows a univariate bimodal dataset. Figure 16.2, however, in which the data are plotted against the index (by rows in Table 16.1), shows a completely different structure. The data appear to be sinusoidal with an increasing frequency. The sinusoidal responses at roughly equal sampling intervals result in a bimodal static distribution, which is the structure seen in the histogram. Interesting structure may also be groups or clusters of data based on some measure of similarity, as discussed in Section 9.2 beginning on page 383. When there are separate groups in the data, but the observations do not contain an element or an index variable representing group membership, identifying nearby elements or clusters in the data requires some measure of similarity (or, equivalently, of dissimilarity).
Association of Dietary Habits with Severity of Acute Pancreatitis

Background The effect of diet on risk of acute pancreatitis (AP) has been suggested by prior studies, but the association of dietary habits with severity of AP has not been previously evaluated. Objective The objective of the study was to assess differences in reported dietary habits in patients with severe AP compared with those with mild or moderate AP. Methods A prospectively maintained cohort of patients with AP was utilized. A brief questionnaire on dietary habits was implemented. Dietary habits were categorized based on the overall type of diet, fruit/vegetable servings, fat content, dairy consumption, dessert/sweets consumption, and fluid intake. Patients were grouped into mild/moderate and severe AP. Multivariate analysis was used to determine whether dietary habits have an independent association with AP severity. Results 407 patients with AP were studied. Mean patient age was 51 y, and 202 (50%) were men. 29% of patients were smokers and 46% actively consumed alcohol. 225 patients had mild AP, 103 moderate AP, and 79 developed severe AP. The 3 groups were comparable in race, body mass index, etiology of AP, and comorbidities. Dietary factors were overall comparable between the groups except for diet type: subjects with severe AP had a higher percentage of consuming a meat-rich diet (84%) than patients with mild AP (72%) and moderate AP (67%) (P = 0.04). Based on multivariable logistic regression, the OR of developing severe AP was 2.5 (95% CI: 1.24-5.32, P = 0.01) between patients who eat a meat-rich diet and those who consume a vegetable-based diet. Conclusions A meat-rich diet is independently associated with the development of persistent organ failure (severe disease) in patients with AP. These findings require further evaluation and could be useful for patient counseling, risk stratification, and disease prevention. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03075605.
Ecuador, Argentina, and Paraguay: At Last Immunity to Authoritarian Rule?

Venezuela continues to sink deeper into dictatorship, but in the aftermath of chaos and dictatorship, dramatic democratic developments in Ecuador and Paraguay and the 2015 presidential election in Argentina may finally signal immunity to authoritarian rule in these three South American countries. Puzzled by the political parties and questions of human rights in these multiparty representative democracies, the author spent weeks in Guayaquil, Buenos Aires, and Asuncion, where she spoke with remarkable individuals, among them authors, students, workers, professionals, politicians, and civic leaders.
Measuring the Frequency Response of Metallic Nanolasers

The frequency response of metallic nanolasers are evaluated theoretically and experimentally. The predicted modulation bandwidth is $\sim 289$ GHz, and the experiments show an effective modulation current efficiency factor (MCEF)of $\sim 143.8\text{GHz}/\text{mA}^{1/2}$ . © 2019 The Author(s)
The FDA authorization of direct-to-consumer genetic testing for three BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants: a twitter analysis of the public’s response

Objectives In March 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its authorization of a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic test for three pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants. We sought to determine to whether social media discussion increased following the authorization, who was driving social media conversations, and what topics were discussed. Methods Using Crimson Hexagon, we described tweets before, during, and after the FDA announcement authorizing 23andMe to return BRCA1/2 results (3/4/18-3/10/18). We conducted qualitative coding of a subset of 605 tweets to better understand Twitter communication. Results We identified 11 055 twitter posts across the week of FDA's announcement. Twitter discourse about 23andMe and the FDA authorization peaked the day following the FDA's press release. Most tweets (48.6%) were informational and 26.3% were either expressing opinions (about 23andMe and/or FDA authorization, 14.9%) or testimonials (personal experiences with genetic testing, 11.4%). The types of tweets varied over the week-long period (P < .001). Discussion Twitter discussion about the FDA's authorization of DTC for three pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants increased immediately following the announcement. As more genetic technologies are brought to the DTC market, social media sites, like Twitter, will play a role in disseminating this information, providing a platform for information exchange, consumer testimonials, opinion pieces, and research.
Exploring the Interlinkages Between Gender, Power, and Health in the Entertainment Establishment Settings in Kathmandu Nepal:

This article explores the ways in which gender inequalities are reproduced and reinforced within entertainment establishments, and in turn the ways in which it affects health of the women working i...
Armed combative traditions of Latin America and the Caribbean: a hoplological overview

Over the last few decades, there has been a resurgent interest in New World martial art traditions. The bulk of the attention has focused on African and African diasporic traditions. Many well-researched books and articles have resulted from this focus. Yet, there is much less interest regarding other combative modalities brought to the shores of the New World. For centuries immigrant communities have brought with them sophisticated combative systems that persist to this day. As part of a broader hoplological project, this article seeks to identify and document the diverse armed combative systems still extant and practiced in South America and the Caribbean that have not transformed into solely institutionalized sports or recreational pastimes. With few exceptions these arts continue to be taught, practiced, and used in a variety of informal situations to ensure one’s property or public reputation or as part of an economic strategy in the informal economy. At times paralleling and overlapping these more pragmatic goals, these arts also persist as a way of preserving older cultural moralities, ethics, and forms of masculinity.
Novel Prioritization Mechanism to Enhance Long-Term Performance Predictions for Bridge Asset Management

AbstractCurrent strategies for prioritizing bridge preventive maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement (MRR) include predicting future conditions by delineating depreciation rates from existing ...
Comparison of analytical, empirical, and finite-element modeling of weld metal cooling as function of plate orientation, thickness, and heat input

Abstract Common shipbuilding practice for calculating weld metal cooling rate uses an equation derived from experiments conducted on plates considered semi-infinite (in length and width dimensions) in terms of thermal conduction. Similar assumptions are made with the classical two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) analytical models for weld metal cooling. These assumptions inherently limit the classical models’ ability to correctly evaluate common shipbuilding welding configurations, such as initial layers in deep groove joints, root passes, and plate edge build-up welds. Unlike the empirical and analytical equations, finite-element analysis (FEA) methods enable transient heat source simulation with consideration given to plate geometry, joint orientation, and temperature-dependent material parameters. This study uses FEA methods to predict weld metal cooling rates for plate edge build-up scenarios on thick- and thin-plate steel under various heat inputs. The FEA results were verified using physical testing and compared to the empirical and analytical cooling rate calculations. The FEA method predicted a much slower cooling rate than the empirical and analytical models for all variations of plate orientation and heat input investigated in this work. These results demonstrate that analytical and empirical methods, while useful for rapid screening and quality assurance-type assessments of cooling rates, can only be relied upon when they are applied to welding conditions similar to those under which they were derived. Improper application of simplified weld cooling models can have important structural implications when weld metal strength is inferred from the calculated cooling rates.
Implications of Confirmation of the LSND ν¯μ→ν¯e Oscillation Signal

Neutrino oscillations have been observed in solar and atmospheric neutrinos, and in the LSND accelerator experiment. The Standard Model cannot accommodate all three positive results. The solar and atmospheric results have been confirmed. An oscillation signal seen by MiniBooNE will validate the oscillation signal seen by LSND. The question then becomes one of refining the Standard Model to allow for these three results. Four theories which can accommodate all three oscillation observations are the existence of sterile neutrinos, CP(T) violation, the existence of variable mass neutrinos, and small Lorentz violations. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), located at Oak Ridge Laboratories, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will provide an ideal site to test these hypotheses. The SNS, due to turn on in 2008, will supply a high intensity neutrino source of known flux and energy spectrum. This source permits experiments to probe the high Δm 2 region for measurements, where a positive signal from MiniBooNE would lie.
Unexpected Events Activate a Frontal-Basal-Ganglia Inhibitory Network: What Is the Role of the Pre-Supplementary Motor Area?

We often encounter unexpected events in the environment and must decide on the most appropriate course of action as we react. For example, if a pitcher throws a curveball after throwing fastballs, the batter must rapidly decide whether to swing (action) or to not swing (inhibition). The theory of [
Causeless complicity

I argue, contrary to standard claims, that accomplice liability need not be a causal relation. One can be an accomplice to another’s crime without causally contributing to the criminal act of the principal. This is because the acts of aid and encouragement that constitute the basis for accomplice liability typically occur in contexts of under- and over-determination, where causal analysis is confounded. While causation is relevant to justifying accomplice liability in general, only potential causation is necessary in particular cases. I develop this argument through the example of the role of U.S. legal officials in abetting the acts of unlawful interrogation that have taken place since 2001. I also suggest that there may be a limited justification for ex post ratificatory accomplice liability.
Stent-assisted coiling of cerebral aneurysms: Head to head comparison between the Neuroform Atlas and EZ stents.

BackgroundThe Neuroform Atlas stent is thought to have features allowing for an improved stent delivery system. We aimed to provide a comparison of the Atlas and Neuroform EZ stents in patients tre...
Th1, Th2 and Th17 inflammatory pathways synergistically correlate with cardiometabolic processes. A case study in COVID-19.

A predominant source of complication in SARS-CoV-2 patients arises from the cytokine storm, an elevated expression of inflammatory helper T-cell associated cytokines that can lead to tissue damage and organ failure. The high inflammatory burden of this viral infection often results in cardiovascular comorbidities. A better understanding of the interaction between the cytokine storm and cardiovascular proteins might inform medical decisions and therapeutic approaches. We hypothesized that all major helper T-cell inflammatory pathways (Th1, Th2 and Th17) synergistically contribute to cardiometabolic modifications in serum of COVID-19 patients. We proved our hypothesis by integrating Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines to predict expression of cardiometabolic proteins profiled by OLINK proteomics.
Twenty-First Century Pragmatism and Social Justice: Problematic Situations and Occupational Reconstructions in Post-Civil War Guatemala

John Dewey’s perspective on the relationship between situations and occupations has immediate relevance to the way that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work for human rights and social justice on the ground. In this chapter, I examine occupational reconstruction in Guatemalan civil society since the Peace Accords of 1996, focusing on the role of transnational NGOs. I present a brief description and analysis of three NGOs currently working in Guatemala. I discuss parallels with pragmatist reform approaches during the progressive era in the United States, circa 1890–1920, while contemporary features and innovations are also noted. From large to small, these NGOs and their projects—Common Hope, located just outside Antigua; Long Way Home, in San Juan Comalapa; and the KIDS Restaurant, in San Gaspar Vivar—use occupations as a model for social transformation. The NGOs are discussed and evaluated with regard to their occupational capacity. Concepts of point of entry, occupational capital, and occupational cascades are further proposed to expand upon Dewey’s vision for complex situations at the start of the twenty-first century.
The role of pain-related catastrophizing in outcomes and recovery from minimally invasive and surgical procedures for treating temporomandibular disorders

THE ROLE OF PAIN-RELATED CATASTROPHIZING IN OUTCOMES AND RECOVERY FROM MINIMALLY INVASIVE AND SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR TREATING TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS By Aaron Michael Martin, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013. Major Director: Stephen M. Auerbach, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology The current study examined the ability of pain-related catastrophizing to predict outcomes following non-surgical and surgical intervention for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The interpersonal context of pain-related catastrophizing, referred to as the communal coping model, was also examined to determine if patient perceptions of punishing and solicitous responses from significant others would moderate or mediate relations between pain catastrophizing and outcomes. The role of pain duration as a moderator of the relation between pain-related catastrophizing and perceived significant other responding was also examined. A total of 94 patients were identified for which 65 had follow-up outcomes that could be examined. Patient follow-up data were obtained at approximately two to three weeks, two to three months, and six months post-intervention. Results showed that pain-related catastrophizing was predictive of greater pain severity at all three follow-up time points after controlling for baseline levels of pain severity, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance, and pain duration. Pain-related catastrophizing was predictive of poorer range of motion (ROM) at the initial follow-up after controlling for baseline levels of ROM, gender, and form of intervention. Pain-related catastrophizing was not associated with ROM at the second and third post-intervention follow-ups. There was no interaction between pain-related catastrophizing and perceptions of either solicitous or punishing responses in predicting post-intervention pain severity or ROM and any time point. Perceptions of significant other responses also did not mediate the relation between pain-related catastrophizing and post-intervention outcomes at any time point. Additionally, the interaction between pain duration and pain-related catastrophizing in the prediction of post-intervention pain severity or ROM was not significant at any follow-up time point. The findings indicate that painrelated catastrophizing is an important predictor of pain severity following non-surgical and surgical interventions for TMDs both initially and in the long-term. Pain-related catastrophizing is related to ROM outcomes only in the short term. Perceptions of punishing and solicitous responses from significant others do not appear to play a role in these associations. The results suggest that patients with high levels of pre-intervention catastrophizing may benefit from adjunctive cognitive-behavioral intervention to attenuate post-intervention pain severity.
Through an Un-Weeded Garden. Teaching the Unsustainable Hamlet

One of the most famous lines from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is Marcellus’ observation at the end of the fourth scene that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1. 4. 67). 1 Marcellus’ conclusion has given generations of students an interpretive platform from which to enter the play. What does Marcellus mean? What is rotten? What causes this rottenness? How far does the rot go? Who or what is ultimately to blame for the decaying world in which Hamlet finds himself? These are useful questions, and there are good reasons why teachers of Shakespeare, myself included, have spent many class periods trying to answer them. But as we talk about the rottenness in Hamlet, we rarely consider it in environmental terms, in terms of trophic levels and the larger ecosystem of Elsinore—the system within which rot properly belongs. Shakespeare himself places rot within just such a system by using terms he draws from the natural world around him. Shakespeare’s use of nature and of wilderness provides us with the opportunity for a reading of this play that engages with our students’ interest in the environment and in ecologically sustainable ways of thinking and living. I would not go so far as to argue that Hamlet itself is inherently an environmental play. But in it Shakespeare constructs for us a system that calls to mind our own understanding of ecology. The world of Elsinore has been damaged by human action; it is an unsustainable world, and we see the consequence of that unsustainability in the tragedy that ends the play and leaves the stage littered with the dead. What I propose in the following discussion is a way to lead students through Hamlet by focusing on Shakespeare’s systemic use of the natural world: the agriculture and wilderness that surrounded and was so important to Elizabethan society. We can use that focus to introduce issues of sustainability in Hamlet. Though sustainability is, admittedly, a late twentieth and early twenty-first century environmental concept, it can serve us here in two ways: 1) as a means to engage our students in the study of Shakespeare by drawing upon issues currently important to them and their world; 2) as a theory that can teach us something about Shakespeare’s plays in its own right (much as other nineteenth and twentieth century intellectual
The toxins of William B. Coley and the treatment of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas.

In 1891, William B. Coley injected streptococcal organisms into a patient with inoperable cancer. He thought that the infection he produced would have the side effect of shrinking the malignant tumor. He was successful, and this was one of the first examples of immunotherapy. Over the next forty years, as head of the Bone Tumor Service at Memorial Hospital in New York, Coley injected more than 1000 cancer patients with bacteria or bacterial products. These products became known as Coley's Toxins. He and other doctors who used them reported excellent results, especially in bone and soft-tissue sarcomas. Despite his reported good results, Coley's Toxins came under a great deal of criticism because many doctors did not believe his results. This criticism, along with the development of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, caused Coley's Toxins to gradually disappear from use. However, the modern science of immunology has shown that Coley's principles were correct and that some cancers are sensitive to an enhanced immune system. Because research is very active in this field, William B. Coley, a bone sarcoma surgeon, deserves the title "Father of Immunotherapy."
Going "All-In" for Deep Collaboration

Regular collaboration can be defined at its most basic level as two or more people working together to achieve some end result. As a tool, collaboration has gained wide acceptance with abundant literature, and with a general sense within the profession that by collaborating we are following a future-directed, logical path during austere times. This perception of collaboration is summarized by Gajda who sees collaboration as way to achieve results that are not possible by an organization working alone. He say, “in an age of scare resources, competition, and complex community issues – organizational collaboration is essential.” I would argue that if collaboration is a good choice, then deeper collaboration might well be a better one. I am not alone in this opinion, as quoted in this journal before, William Jordan recently summed up this sentiment as “libraries have a choice, we can collaborate or we can die!”