cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open Content and Open Educational Resources: Enabling universal education

The role of distance education is shifting. Traditionally distance education was limited in the number of people served because of production, reproduction, and distribution costs. Today, while it still costs the university time and money to produce a course, technology has made it such that reproduction costs are almost non-existent. This shift has significant implications, and allows distance educators to play an important role in the fulfillment of the promise of the right to universal education. At little or no cost, universities can make their content available to millions. This content has the potential to substantially improve the quality of life of learners around the world. New distance education technologies, such as OpenCourseWares, act as enablers to achieving the universal right to education. These technologies, and the associated changes in the cost of providing access to education, change distance education's role from one of classroom alternative to one of social transformer.
Noncompliance in cancer screening trials

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials evaluating new cancer screening technologies may underestimate the efficacy of screening to reduce cancer mortality if study participants are noncompliant. Participants may fail to comply with the screening itself or fail to obtain appropriate diagnostic follow-up and treatment. Noncompliance with screening has drawn wide attention, but little attention has been paid to noncompliance with diagnostic follow-up and treatment. PURPOSE: To examine the importance of noncompliance with screening, follow-up, and treatment in cancer screening trials. METHODS: The unique problems associated with noncompliance in screening trials are described and provide an example illustrating the potential impact of noncompliance in a screening trial. I discuss issues that arise with measurement of follow-up and therapeutic noncompliance, and the benefit of collecting information on health system and participant characteristics associated with noncompliance. RESULTS: The estimate of the efficacy of a screening program on cancer mortality can be adjusted for screening, follow-up, and treatment noncompliance. Noncompliance needs to be measured in a rigorous, systematic manner across all arms of the trial. Information on health system and participant characteristics associated with compliance may also be incorporated into statistical models to estimate screening effects with full compliance, plan interventions to increase compliance, and extrapolate results of screening trials from one population to another. LIMITATIONS: Measuring compliance with follow-up and treatment can be difficult when these occur outside the trial, and when there is variation among providers in follow-up and treatment practices. CONCLUSIONS: Noncompliance may alter the estimate of a screening effect on cancer mortality in clinical trials. It is possible to adjust screening efficacy estimates for noncompliance using existing statistical techniques. It is important that data describing compliance with screening, follow-up, and treatment are collected as part of standard data collection in cancer screening trials.
Biotechnology-derived foods from animals.

Abstract American agriculture is being challenged to produce food in a way that is environmentally sound, that enhances human health, is safe, and whose cost is competitive internationally. The tools of biotechnology offer new techniques for modifying biological traits in a much more directed way than is possible with conventional animal breeding and enables us to ask questions and find answers in a way that was not possible in the past. The new tools facilitate disease diagnosis and prevention, help design foods with improved nutritional characteristics, and increase production efficiency. Full realization of the potential of biotechnology will depend upon our ability to deal with public perceptions of “genetic engineering”, support for research, and policy issues such as patenting of animals.
Transactional consistency in user modeling systems

It is widely accepted that the consistency of adaptive interfaces is crucial for their usability. Many threats for consistency in adaptive applications have been reported in the literature so far (e.g., consistency of adaptation methods and techniques, consistency of the user model). In this paper we argue that many, if not all, user modeling systems that have been developed so far are substantially threatening consistency by offering no adequate means for communicating consistency contexts. This is especially the case for user modeling servers, which are supposed to serve several applications in parallel. In order to prevent consistency problems in user modeling systems, we introduce basic concepts and techniques from transaction management. User modeling systems that adhere to the principles of transaction management can be expected to provide a reliable source of user information for adaptive applications, especially in real world settings.
Remaking a World: Violence, Social Suffering, and Recovery

Remaking. World: Violence, Social Suffering, and Recovery. Veena Das. Arthur Kleinman. Margaret Lock. Mamphela Ramphele. and Pamela Reynolds. eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. viii. 294 pp.
Simple diffuser for production of laser speckle.

A passive optical element that is a simple, inexpensive, and effective way for producing laser speckle is described. The optical element, a random phase plate, was developed in our laboratory. The statistics of the speckle pattern it produces were measured and are discussed in this paper. The phase plate was used to produce a speckled beam using a 5-mW cw He–Ne laser with a Gaussian beam profile and using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a nonuniform intensity profile for which the mean intensity was 109 W/cm2.
EFFECT OF OSMOTIC SHOCK ON PROTEIN SYNTHESIS OF OYSTER HEMOCYTES IN VITRO

Abstract Because marine bivalves are osmoconformers, their cells may be exposed to widely fluctuating osmolality in some habitats. In vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of changes in salinity on protein synthesis of oyster hemocytes. Increasing salinity from a control value of 20–25 ppt to 32–98 ppt decreased the rate of incorporation of amino acid into protein, but did not qualitatively alter the pattern of protein synthesis. On the other hand, decreasing salinity to 3.5–4 ppt not only decreased the rate of protein synthesis, but also altered the types of protein produced. At least a third of the cells remained viable at low salinity and resumed the control pattern of protein synthesis within hours after return to the normal medium. The response to hypoosmotic shock was different from the response to a hyperthermic shock, each stressor inducing expression of a characteristic set of proteins. Preferential synthesis of these proteins may represent an adaptation to preserve or restore oyster cell functions under adverse conditions.
The antiandrogen withdrawal syndrome. Experience in a large cohort of unselected patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Background. Flutamide withdrawal has been reported to be therapeutically efficacious for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, with a reported prostate specific antigen (PSA) response rate of 29%. Methods. to evaluate the results of flutamide withdrawal in a large group of unselected patients, the medical records of 107 consecutive patients with metastatic prostate cancer who developed progressive disease while receiving flutamide therapy were reviewed retrospectively. Flutamide withdrawal was undertaken at the time of disease progression. Results. Eighty-two patients were evaluable. Of these, three had a >80% fall in PSA value, and another nine had a >50% decrease, for a response proportion of 14.6% (95% confidence interval 7.8%–24.2%). The median response duration was 3.5 months (range, 1–12+ months). Eight of patients treated with combined androgen blockade at the time of diagnosis of metastatic disease had a response (14%), whereas 4/25 responses (16%) were noted in patients in whom flutamide was added later, at the time of first progression. When patients who responded were compared with patients who did not respond, there was not a significant difference in age, pretreatment PSA level, type of gonadal androgen deprivation, or the likelihood of prior combined androgen blockade versus late addition of flutamide. The duration of prior therapy with flutamide was longer in patients who responded (21.5 vs. 12.0 months). Conclusions. These findings confirm the flutamide withdrawal phenomenon in a large group of unselected patients, although its frequency is not as high as previously reported. In contrast to earlier reports, whether patients have had initial hormonal therapy with combined androgen blockade or monotherapy does not appear to be predictive of the likelihood of response to antiandrogen withdrawal.
Milk Flow Rates of Individual Quarters of Dairy Cows

Abstract Twenty-four lactating Holstein cows were used to obtain milk flow rates at 60-second intervals for an adjustment of 7 days and an experimental period for 21 days. Treatments consisted of (a) controls which were milked by recommended milking practices; (b) a 5min delay between milk letdown and application of teatcups; (c) removal of the teatcups 4 minutes after application; and (d) intramuscular injection of 20 USPU of oxytocin prior to teatcup application. A 5-minute delay between stimulation of the udder and application of the milking machine decreased maximum flow rates during 60 seconds at which maximum flow occurred and quarter milk yields. The 4-minute milking reduced time to reach maximum flow and quarter milk yields, and post-treatment residual milk yields were greatly increased. Twenty USPU of oxytocin injected intramuscularly reduced maximum flow rates and times at which maximum flow occurred, and decreased post-treatment residual milk yields. For all treatments correlation coefficients were positive between maximum flow rates and milk yields.
Sorption and Abiotic Transformation of Aniline and α-Naphthylamine by Surface Soils

Improving the assessment and subsequent remediation of sites contaminated with aromatic amines requires differentiating between reversible and irreversible sorption processes and quantifying the controlling parameters. The interaction of aniline and {alpha}-naphthylamine with five surface soils from CaCl{sub 2} electrolyte solutions was studied for a 2 month equilibration period using a batch equilibration method. Soils varied in pH, cation exchange capacity, and organic carbon content. Reversible sorption processes reached equilibrium within the first day of equilibration for all soil-solute combinations while irreversible binding and transformation proceeded for much longer times. After 1 day, increases over time in the ratio of reversibly sorbed concentrations to solution concentrations were shown to primarily result from nonlinear sorption coupled to decreasing aqueous solute concentrations from irreversible binding/transformation. Dimer formation hypothesized to be mineral catalyzed was confirmed with GC/MS and UV-vis detection for {alpha}-naphthylamine, but was not observed for aniline. Fast reversible sorption processes reduced aromatic amine concentrations in solution and retarded irreversible reactions indicating processes occur in parallel.
A canonical covariance-based method for generalized joint signal representations

Generalized joint signal representations extend the scope of joint time-frequency representations to a richer class of nonstationary signals. Cohen's marginal-based generalized approach is canonical from a distributional viewpoint, whereas, in some other applications, for example, in a signal detection framework, a covariance-based formulation is needed and/or more attractive. We present a canonical covariance-based recipe for generating generalized joint signal representations. The method is highlighted by its simple characterization and interpretation, and naturally extends the concept of the corresponding linear representations.
Programmable shaders for deformation rendering

In this paper, we present a method for rendering deformations as part of the programmable shader pipeline of contemporary Graphical Processing Units. In our method, we allow general deformations including cuts. Previous approaches to deformation place the role of the GPU as a general purpose processor for computing vertex displacement. With the advent of vertex texture fetch in current GPUs, a number of approaches have been proposed to integrate deformation into the rendering pipeline. However, the rendering of cuts cannot be easily programmed into a vertex shader, due to the inability to change the topology of the mesh. Furthermore, rendering smooth deformed surfaces requires a fine tessellation of the mesh, in order to prevent self-intersection and meshing artifacts for large deformations. In our approach, we overcome these problems by considering deformation as a part of the pixel shader, where transformation is performed on a per-pixel basis. We demonstrate how this approach can be efficiently implemented using contemporary graphics hardware to obtain high-quality rendering of deformation at interactive rates.
Low-Energy Electron Diffraction Studies of Clean and Overlayered Surfaces

Low-energy electron diffraction is the most natural tool for surface crystallography. The surface unit mesh is readily and unambiguously determined. Analysis of diffracted intensities is required to determine atomic coordinates within the unit mesh. This can be done either by dynamic-theory calculations or data-reduction methods.
A Geometric Classification of Jaw Deformities.

In the United States, the most widely used classification system for jaw deformities is the one provided by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Center for Health Statistics. This classification is part of the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-CM), a taxonomy scheme that is based on the World Health Organization’s ICD, the world’s standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management, and clinical care. 1 The most recent iteration of ICD-CM, the Tenth Revision (ICD-10-CM), sorts jaw deformities according to geometry into 3 groups: anomalies of jaw size, anomalies of the relation between the jaw and the cranial base, and unspecified (Table 1). 2 However, these deformities can affect 6 different geometric attributes: size, position, orientation, shape, symmetry, and completeness. In clinical practice and in teaching, the authors have found the ICD-CM classification to be incomplete and disjointed. With this in mind, the authors have developed a better classification system. The purpose of this report is to present it.
Can I Get a Witness

(1992). Can I Get a Witness? The Black Scholar: Vol. 22, The Clarence Thomas Confirmation, pp. 56-58.
CRT-400.17 Impact Of Aortic Annulus Size and Valve Type on Valve Hemodynamics and Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortic annulus size can impact surgical prosthetic valve hemodynamics. The impact of annulus size on hemodynamics and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with balloon-expandable (BEV) vs. self-expanding valves (SEV) is not known. 193 consecutive
Relationships between duplex findings and quality of life in long-term follow-up of patients treated for chronic venous disease.

Objective Relationships between duplex findings and data on health-related quality of life (QoL) to assess long-term results of treatment of varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) are not well known. The goal of this review was to correlate duplex findings and QoL assessments in clinical studies with long-term follow-up. Methods A review of the English language literature on PUBMED revealed 17 clinical studies, including 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 6 prospective, and 2 retrospective studies that included patients with at least 5-year follow-up after endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS), and traditional superficial venous surgery. Results At 5 years, great saphenous vein (GSV) occlusion rate on duplex ultrasound ranged from 66% to 82% for EVLA, from 62% to 92% for RFA, from 41% to 58% for UGFS and from 54% to 85% for surgery. Freedom from GSV reflux rates were 82% and 84%, respectively for EVLA and surgery, and ranged between 84% and 95% for RFA. Significant improvements were observed in several domains of generic QoL and in most domains of venous disease-specific QoL, irrespective of the treatment. In at least one RCT, CIVIQ scores correlated well with abnormal duplex findings in patients who underwent treatment with UGFS. In another RCT, long-term AVVQ was significantly better after surgery as compared with UGFS similar to results of duplex findings. Conclusions Analysis of the available literature confirmed that all four techniques were effective in the abolishment of reflux or obliteration of the GSV. Moreover, well-designed RCTs with large sample size are needed to produce robust long-term data on clinical outcome after treatment of varicose veins and CVI and to better understand the relationships between duplex-derived data and QoL assessments.
Solar photovoltaic design tool for non-residential buildings: From blueprints to arrays

In the United States, approximately 65 × 109 square-feet of underutilized rooftop space could be appropriated for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems. Although several programs are available that assist in designing a photovoltaic (PV) system, a planning tool that can take an adaptive modeling approach towards capitalizing on the complex geometry of a rooftop does not exist. We therefore focus on the development of a parametric planning tool for retrofitting rooftops with solar photovoltaic systems. The solar planning tool exploits the existing blueprint of a building's rooftop, and via image processing, the layouts of the solar photovoltaic arrays are developed based on the building's geographical location and typical weather patterns. The resulting energy generation of a PV system is estimated and is utilized to determine the leveled energy costs. The advantage of incorporating image processing in the design of a PV system not only reduces the time required for performing a robust solar PV analysis but also enables a high-level of dimensional precision when modeling the solar arrays, thus making a rooftop solar photovoltaic system installation ultimately more cost-effective. This paper demonstrates the planning tool and verifies the output array layout, sizing of the balance of system components, and expected energy generation with the existing rooftop photovoltaic systems.
Application of GPS in the Military Logistic Support

The modern information-based wars need that the military logistic support is accurate,fast,safe,controllable,and GPS can exactly make logistic support satisfy these needs.Currently,GPS has been extensively applied to foreground in the military logistic support,can not only improve logistic transportation efficiency,can but also guarantee the logistic support and support need with GPS. In this paper, firstly the form and characteristics of GPS are introduced,then GPS in the military logistic support of influence,concrete application and main advantage are presented.Finally the limitations of the GPS in the military realm applied at our country are pointed out,and some suggestion is put forward.
Sports and Sports-Related Injuries in the Growing Spine

Sports-related injuries are a common cause of back pain and spinal pathology in the growing athlete. We discuss common etiologies of pain, radiculopathy, stress fractures, and spinal cord injuries in addition to on field management of injuries, physical examination, imaging studies, and current evidence for both treatment and return to play.
The Benefits of a Weight Loss Contest in Overweight and Obese College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a weight loss contest would result in changes in body composition in college students. Students were invited to participate in a semester-long weight loss contest. Monthly “weigh-ins” included body weight, body mass index (BMI), percent fat, and circumference measurements. Thirty-nine participants registered for the contest. Only 41% of the original participants attended at least four weigh-ins (n = 16). Those participants who attended at least four weigh-ins attended more education and exercise sessions than the other participants and significantly reduced their weight, BMI, percent fat, waist, and waist-to-hip ratio over the semester-long contest. Percent change in weight was associated with education (r = −.39) and exercise sessions attended (r = −.41). In conclusion, campus-based weight loss contests can be successful in promoting weight loss, although additional studies are needed to determine what factors increase adherence and whether such programs p...
Search for the decay K2o → π- + π+ + γ

Abstract The upper limit (85% confidence) for the decay mode K2o → π- + π+ + γ is R = Rate ( K o 2 → π - + π + + γ) Rate (K o 2 → all decay modes ) -3 based on an investigation of 3300 K2o decays in flight in a spark chamber experiment.
Threshold dose for behavioral discrimination of cigarette nicotine content in menthol vs. non-menthol smokers.

The lowest threshold content (or “dose”) of nicotine discriminated in cigarettes may differ due to menthol preference. Menthol and non-menthol Spectrum research cigarettes differing in nicotine content were used to determine discrimination thresholds. Dependent smokers preferring menthol (n = 40) or non-menthol (n = 21) brands were tested on ability to discriminate cigarettes (matched for their menthol preference) with nicotine contents of 16–17, 11–12, 5, 2, and 1 mg/g, one per session, from an “ultra-low” cigarette with 0.4 mg/g. Controlled exposure to each cigarette was four puffs/trial, and the number of sessions was determined by the lowest nicotine content they could discriminate on >80% of trials (i.e., ≥5 of 6). We also assessed subjective perceptions and behavioral choice between cigarettes to relate them to discrimination responses. Controlling for Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence score, discrimination thresholds were more likely to be at higher nicotine content cigarettes for menthol vs. non-menthol smokers (p < .005), with medians of 16 vs. 11 mg/g, respectively. Compared to the ultra-low, threshold and subthreshold (next lowest) cigarettes differed on most perceptions and puff choice, but menthol preference did not alter these associations. Notably, threshold cigarettes did, but subthreshold did not, increase choice over the ultra-low. Threshold for discriminating nicotine via smoking may be generally higher for menthol vs. non-menthol smokers. More research is needed to identify why menthol smoking is related to higher nicotine thresholds and to verify that cigarettes unable to be discriminated do not support reinforcement.
Long-term metabolic persistence of gram-positive bacteria on health care-relevant plastic.

Background Health care-associated opportunistic pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium persist on dry environments and can contribute to organism transmission through contact. These organisms can be monitored on surfaces by culture, molecular methods, or metabolic assays. This study was designed to determine the kinetics of bacterial persistence on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a plastic commonly used in the manufacture of bedrails. Materials and methods Polymerase chain reaction for genomic DNA was used to confirm the presence of bacteria cells on this plastic irrespective of viability. Bacterial viability was measured by culture, ATP quantification, and a metabolic assay at time points up to and longer than 1 year. Results Polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of bacteria on the plastic for the entire time period studied. However, S aureus culturability was reduced after 3 and 7 weeks; neither organism was culturable after 1 year. At 7 weeks, ATP levels were reduced for both organisms, paralleling S aureus culturability but indicating that ATP quantification did not predict E faecium culturability. S aureus-reducing potential was reduced after 7 weeks, whereas E faecium-reducing potential reached the level of fresh inoculum after 12 hours in broth culture. Low but significant levels of metabolic activity were detected for each organism after 1 year. Conclusions S aureus and E faecium cells may retain viability on plastic for longer than 1 year.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: All wheat attack is not celiac

Currently, 1% of the United States population holds a diagnosis for celiac disease (CD), however, a more recently recognized and possibly related condition, "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" (NCGS) has been suggested to affect up to 6% of the United States public. While reliable clinical tests for CD exist, diagnosing individuals affected by NCGS is still complicated by the lack of reliable biomarkers and reliance upon a broad set of intestinal and extra intestinal symptoms possibly provoked by gluten. NCGS has been proposed to exhibit an innate immune response activated by gluten and several other wheat proteins. At present, an enormous food industry has developed to supply gluten-free products (GFP) with GFP sales in 2014 approaching $1 billion, with estimations projecting sales to reach $2 billion in the year 2020. The enormous demand for GFP also reflects a popular misconception among consumers that gluten avoidance is part of a healthy lifestyle choice. Features of NCGS and other gluten related disorders (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome) call for a review of current distinctive diagnostic criteria that distinguish each, and identification of biomarkers selective or specific for NCGS. The aim of this paper is to review our current understanding of NCGS, highlighting the remaining challenges and questions which may improve its diagnosis and treatment.
Monte Carlo simulations of three-dimensional electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model sources

This article presents a method to simulate a three-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic Gaussian-Schell model (EGSM) source with desired characteristics. Using the complex screen method, originally developed for the synthesis of two-dimensional stochastic electromagnetic fields, a set of equations is derived which relate the desired 3D source characteristics to those of the statistics of the random complex screen. From these equations and the 3D EGSM source realizability conditions, a single criterion is derived, which when satisfied guarantees both the realizability and simulatability of the desired 3D EGSM source. Lastly, a 3D EGSM source, with specified properties, is simulated; the Monte Carlo simulation results are compared to the theoretical expressions to validate the method.
Reliability of the balance error scoring system in a population with protracted recovery from mild traumatic brain injury.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the Balance Error Scoring System’s (BESS) intraclass reliability in a cohort of patients with prolonged symptoms using variance component analysis and intrac...
A Critical Review of the Behavioral Research in Argumentation and Forensics

(1974). A Critical Review of the Behavioral Research in Argumentation and Forensics. The Journal of the American Forensic Association: Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 147-155.
One-Dimensional Models

One-dimensional models might appear in quantum mechanics in two, in a way, diametrically opposite situations. In one case, you can pretend that the potential energy of a particle changes only in one direction, such as a potential energy of a uniform electric field. Classically, this would mean a motion characterized by acceleration in one direction and constant velocity in perpendicular directions. By choosing an appropriate inertial coordinate system, you can always eliminate the constant velocity component and consider this motion as straightlinear. Quantum mechanically, this situation has to be described in the coordinate representation, and the respective coordinate wave function can be presented in the form
A note on issues in meta-analysis for behavioral genetic studies using categorical phenotypes.

Meta-analysis of behavioral genetic studies would provide (i) tighter confidence intervals around parameter estimates, (ii) clarification of apparently discrepant study findings, and (iii) a mechanism for analyzing systematic causes of between-study differences. We examined some key issues that arise in the meta-analysis of categorical phenotypes. Data were simulated under a multifactorial threshold model that assumed an underlying normal liability distribution, and summary statistics (probandwise concordance rate, recurrence risk ratio, odds ratio, kappa) compared for given values of the liability correlation between relatives and given population prevalence. Although the odds ratio and kappa statistic performed well at moderate to high values of the population prevalence (15–50%), at low values all of these statistics were sensitive to overall prevalence. In cases where the assumption of a multifactorial threshold model is reasonable, direct estimation of genetic and environmental parameters from the summary statistics from all studies appears to be a preferable strategy. For cases where data from non-randomly ascertained samples are used, the impact of misspecification of the model for ascertainment was examined. For some parameter values, such misspecifications led to quite serious biases to estimates of genetic and environmental parameters. These biases varied in complex ways as a function of research design and of the true causes of variation in the population, so that the same misspecification could lead to an overestimate of the importance of genetic influences in twin data but an underestimation in adoption data or to an overestimate of the importance of genetic effects from twin data if shared environmental as well as genetic influences were simulated but an underestimate of genetic effects if shared environmental effects were assumed unimportant. These complexities emphasize the importance of being sensitive to the effects of misspecifying ascertainment corrections in any meta-analysis of behavioral genetic data.
Acquired Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Infancy

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be acquired in infants secondary to exclusive breastfeeding in deficient mothers. In this series of seven infants with acquired vitamin B12 deficiency, clinical features included developmental impairment/regression, faltering growth, feeding difficulties, somnolence, irritability, microcephaly, seizures, and abnormalities on brain magnetic resonance imaging. All had methylmalonic aciduria, other investigation findings were low serum cobalamin and hyperhomocysteinemia. Treatment brought about improvement in growth, behavior, and development; however, development remained impaired in some. We recommend early detection by screening in infants with suggestive clinical presentations, using urine methylmalonic acid/plasma homocysteine as screening tools, maternal screening during pregnancy, and long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up.
Medien und Partizipation: zwischen Distributionsapparat und partizipativer Propaganda

Dieser Betrag untersucht den Begriff der Partizipation im medialen Kontext, indem er ihn mit seinem Schattenbegriff „Propaganda“ in Dialog bringt. Propaganda bildet dabei den Gegenpol zu einem demokratiepolitischen Verstandnis von Partizipation. Ausgangspunkt ist die scheinbare Abwesenheit von Partizipation im Kontext der klassischen Massenkommunikationstheorie, die jedoch von ihrem ursprunglichen kulturpessimistischen Verstandnis der Masse zusehends abrucken musste, um Raum fur einen aktiveren und komplexeren Publikumsbegriff zu schaffen. Parallel dazu hat sich ein Theoriestrang gebildet, der Partizipation als Eigenschaft des medialen Apparats sieht, also des technischen Mediums selbst und der sozialen Struktur seiner Produktion. Beide Theoriestrange konvergieren im Kontext der digital vernetzten Medien, wo Propaganda und Partizipation in eine neue Beziehung zueinander und zu den Nutzer_innen eintreten, in der die Trennung der beiden Begriffe ihre Selbstverstandlichkeit verliert.
The impact of a brief, bullying bystander intervention on internalizing symptoms: Is gender a moderator of intervention effects?:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a brief, bystander bullying intervention on reducing internalizing symptoms among students (N = 65). Although witnessing bullying is associ...
Context-dependent scaling of kinematics and energetics during contests and feeding in mantis shrimp

Measurements of energy use, and its scaling with size, are critical to understanding how organisms accomplish myriad tasks. For example, energy budgets are central to game theory models of assessment during contests and underlie patterns of feeding behavior. Clear tests connecting energy to behavioral theory require measurements of the energy use of single individuals for particular behaviors. Many species of mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda: Crustacea) use elastic energy storage to power high-speed strikes that they deliver to opponents during territorial contests and to hard-shelled prey while feeding. We compared the scaling of strike kinematics and energetics between feeding and contests in the mantis shrimp Neogonodactylus bredini We filmed strikes with high-speed video, measured strike velocity and used a mathematical model to calculate strike energy. During contests, strike velocity did not scale with body size but strike energy scaled positively with size. Conversely, while feeding, strike velocity decreased with increasing size and strike energy did not vary according to body size. Individuals most likely achieved this strike variation through differential compression of their exoskeletal spring prior to the strike. Post hoc analyses found that N. bredini used greater velocity and energy when striking larger opponents, yet variation in prey size was not accompanied by varying strike velocity or energetics. Our estimates of energetics inform prior tests of contest and feeding behavior in this species. More broadly, our findings elucidate the role behavioral context plays in measurements of animal performance.
Modeling charging behavior of battery electric vehicle drivers: A cumulative prospect theory based approach

Abstract The behavior of drivers in charging a battery electric vehicle (BEV) can be influenced by psychological factors such as personality and risk preference. This paper proposes a cumulative prospect theory (CPT) based modeling framework to describe the charging behavior of BEV drivers. CPT captures an individual’s attitude and preference toward risk in the decision-making process. A BEV mass-market scenario is constructed using the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data. This paper applies the CPT-based charging behavior model to study the battery state-of-charge (SOC) when drivers decide to charge their vehicles, charging timing and location choices, and charging power demand profile under the mass-market scenario. In addition, sensitivity analyses are used to examine the drivers’ risk attitudes and public charger network coverage. BEV drivers who display a higher degree of risk-seeking tend to charge vehicles at a lower SOC. Some home charging shifts to workplace and public charging as the public charger network expands, but home charging still plays the most significant role in BEV use. The power demand from public chargers increases significantly with BEV expansion and has a larger impact on the power grid. The time-of-use (TOU) electricity rate can shift peak power demand to off-peak periods from midnight to early morning.
Reducing adhesion energy of nano-electro-mechanical relay contacts by self-assembled Perfluoro (2,3-Dimethylbutan-2-ol) coating

To enable energy-efficient electronic devices for the future, nano-electro-mechanical (NEM) relays are promising due to their high ON/OFF current ratio and potential for low operating voltage. To minimize hysteresis and, consequently, relay operating voltage, it is imperative to reduce the relay contact adhesion, which can be achieved by coating the contacts with anti-stiction self-assembled monolayers. Herein we report a 71% reduction in hysteresis voltage by utilizing a branched perfluorocarbon antistiction molecule: Perfluoro (2,3-Dimethylbutan-2-ol) (PDB) on top of the tungsten contact surfaces. Experimental results show the operation of a PDB-coated NEM relay with abrupt switching, undetectably low OFF-state current, hysteresis voltage as low as 20 mV, and a large ON/OFF current ratio (>107).
Hypertension secondary to renal hypoplasia presenting as acute heart failure in a newborn

Neonatal hypertension is defined as persistent systolic and/or diastolic blood pressures above the 95th percentile compared to other infants of similar gestational age and size. Neonatal hypertension is a rare condition, occurring in only 0.2–3.0% of neonates. The most common etiology of neonatal hypertension is renal vascular or parenchymal disease, and it is usually detected on routine examination in an asymptomatic child. However, it may present in a variety of manners, including acute heart failure, renal dysfunction, feeding difficulties, failure to thrive, tachypnea, apnea, lethargy, irritability, or seizures. A term female was born via repeat caesarean section with vacuum extraction. On day of life (DOL) 3, the baby presented to the emergency department with poor feeding and lethargy. Initial laboratory tests indicated severe metabolic acidosis and the patient was transferred to our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). During the hospital stay, the patient had intermittently high blood pressures. An echocardiogram was ordered, which demonstrated a severely decreased ejection fraction of 33%, but no signs of coarctation of the aorta. The low ejection fraction and constellation of symptoms were consistent with the diagnosis of acute heart failure, so treatment with milrinone was initiated. Further labs demonstrated elevated renin and aldosterone, and a computed tomography scan showed right kidney hypoplasia with reduced perfusion. This suggested a renovascular etiology of hypertension causing the initial presentation of acute heart failure. The patient was started on enalapril and clonidine for blood pressure control and was discharged with a home blood pressure monitoring system. At 5 months of life, this patient was still on enalapril and amlodipine as well as home blood pressure monitoring. Acute heart failure is a rare presentation of neonatal hypertension, and prompt recognition and treatment for the underlying systemic hypertension is necessary to provide the best possible outcomes for patients. Due to the lack of sufficient evidence, treatment of hypertension in newborns is often anecdotal in nature. Further awareness of neonatal hypertension and research determining ideal methods of diagnosis and treatment would benefit physicians and their affected patients.
The transcriptional legacy of developmental stochasticity

Genetic variation, epigenetic regulation and major environmental stimuli are key contributors to phenotypic variation, but the influence of minor perturbations or "noise" has been difficult to assess in mammals. In this work, we uncover one major axis of random variation with a large and permanent influence: developmental stochasticity. By assaying the transcriptome of wild monozygotic quadruplets of the nine-banded armadillo, we find that persistent changes occur early in development, and these give rise to clear transcriptional signatures which uniquely characterize individuals relative to siblings. Comparing these results to human twins, we find the transcriptional signatures which define individuals exhibit conserved co-expression, suggesting a substantial fraction of phenotypic and disease discordance within mammals arises from developmental stochasticity.
Blood–brain barrier targeted nanoparticles

Abstract Blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a protective barrier that plays a pivotal role in protection of brain. However, it has been a major biological obstacle that prevents the entry of manifold therapeutic compounds. Multifarious brain-targeted nanomaterials in use currently not only show some promise in brain drug delivery but also repose a few hitherto unresolved issues such as systemic toxicity and nonspecific targeting. This chapter throws light on BBB-targeted nanoparticles, their efficacy, and shortcomings. It also reviews a few possible innovative strategies that can be of considerable importance in neuroscience research and enhance drug delivery to the brain to ameliorate neurodegenerative disease symptoms.
The Effects of a Shoulder Roll During Laryngoscopy in Infants: A Randomized, Single-Blinded, Crossover Study.

Background The use of a shoulder roll to view the glottic opening during direct laryngoscopy in infants has been recommended but is not evidence based. Methods Twenty infants with normal airways, Results Twenty infants completed the study without complications. The vertical distance did not differ significantly whether the shoulder roll was placed first or second, and there was no evidence of a differential carryover effect in the crossover design (P = .268). The main effect of the shoulder roll on the mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) vertical distances without 47.8 cm (43.5-52.1) and with the shoulder roll 37.2 cm (33.3-41) yielded a mean (95% CI) vertical difference of 10.6 cm (9.3-11.79; P = .0001). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) POGO scores without 100 [86.2, 100] and with the shoulder roll 97.5 [80, 100] did not differ (median difference [95% CI]: 0 [-20 to 0]; P = .39). Conclusions A 2-inch shoulder roll lowers the line of sight of the glottic opening compared with no shoulder roll, without affecting the view of the glottic opening during laryngoscopy in infants.
A system identification analysis of optogenetically evoked electrocorticography and cerebral blood flow responses.

Objective The main objective of this research was to study the coupling between neural circuits and the vascular network in the cortex of small rodents from system engineering point of view and generate a mathematical model for the dynamics of neurovascular coupling. The model was adopted to implement closed-loop blood flow control algorithms. Approach We used a combination of advanced technologies including optogenetics, electrocorticography, and optical coherence tomography to stimulate selected populations of neurons and simultaneously record induced electrocorticography and hemodynamic signals. We adopted system identification methods to analyze the acquired data and investigate the relation between optogenetic neural activation and consequential electrophysiology and blood flow responses. Main results We showed that the developed model, once trained by the acquired data, could successfully regenerate subtle spatio-temporal features of evoked electrocorticography and cerebral blood flow responses following an onset of optogenetic stimulation. Significance The long term goal of this research is to open a new line for computational analysis of neurovascular coupling particularly in pathologies where the normal process of blood flow regulation in the central nervous system is disrupted including Alzheimer's disease.
Teachers’ unions, collective bargaining, and the response to covid-19

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, school districts worked quickly to roll out distance learning plans in the spring. Sometimes these plans impinged upon or were directly in conflict with provisio...
Destination marriage? The diagnostic role of rituals in dating relationships:

The decision to marry is complex, often with seemingly innocuous events impacting a partner’s marriage eligibility. Engaging in rituals is one area where couples have the opportunity to see their p...
Firm size populations modeled through competition-colonization dynamics

The Firm Ecosystem Model is a dynamical model based on the empirical finding that firm characteristics, such as the tendency to innovate and competitive advantages, vary according to firm size. Firm dynamics leading to various population distributions are considered as a competition-colonization scenario in a spatially defined market, where firms of differing sizes are treated as separate species with different competition and colonization characteristics. Smaller firms, given adequate investment funds to innovate, are able to colonize available space more quickly than larger firms, and larger firms are assumed to have stronger competition characteristics and are able to outcompete smaller firms for occupied space. With startup and mortality parameters determined empirically, firm populations reach equilibria dependent on the values of the capital investment parameters. The model predictions provide a good qualitative fit to empirical data from the Business Dynamics Statistics database. Finally, we explore how alternative mortality or investment conditions affect the firm size distributions.
Genetically encoded ratiometric biosensor for probing lysosomal pH in mammalian cells and C. elegans

ABSTRACT Lysosomes are important sites for macromolecular degradation, defined by a profoundly acidic lumenal pH of ~4.5. To better understand lysosomal pH, we designed a novel, genetically encoded, fluorescent protein-based pH biosensor called FIRE-pHLy (Fluorescence Indicator REporting pH in Lysosomes). This sensor was targeted to lysosomes with LAMP1 and reported lumenal pH between 3.0 and 6.0 with monomeric teal fluorescent protein 1 (mTFP1), a bright cyan FP variant with a pKa of 4.3. Ratiometric quantification was enabled with cytosolically oriented mCherry using high-content imaging. We expressed FIRE-pHLy in several cellular models as well as the multicellular organism C. elegans and quantified its alkalinizing response to bafilomycin A1, a specific V-ATPase inhibitor. In summary, we have engineered FIRE-pHLy, a specific, robust and versatile lysosomal pH biosensor that has broad applications for investigating pH dynamics in aging and lysosome-related diseases, as well as in lysosome-based drug discovery.
Development of cake mix with reduced fat and high practicality by adding chia mucilage

Abstract The busy modern lifestyle, marked by the scarcity of time for food preparation, makes the industry focus on the production of fast-prepared, more practical, and better nutritional value foods. In this sense, one of the products that is highly used is pre-ready cake mixes, which during its preparation still needs the addition of other ingredients. Therefore, combining the practicality of preparation and better nutritional characteristics, this study aimed to develop a ready-made cake mix using dry chia mucilage as a fat substitute and requiring only the addition of water in its preparation. The ready-made mix was developed with wheat flour, sugar, powder milk, dehydrated whole egg, baking powder, and dry chia mucilage. Besides, these formulations were compared with a commercial cake mix through proximal composition and technological and physical characteristics. The ready-made cake mix developed with chia mucilage was easier and faster to prepare than the other formulations, due not the necessary addition of others ingredients. The formulations of the new mix had a lower lipid content than the commercial one, with emphasis on the pre-ready mix added with chia mucilage which showed a 60.4% reduction in the lipid content about the same pre-ready mix but added with margarine. Besides, this formulation showed cakes with higher protein content, and higher carbohydrate content since chia mucilage is mainly composed of fibers. Although the ready-made cake mix new was firmer than the others, the total score was acceptable. In this way, the cake mix was produced with better nutritional properties and easy preparation.