cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minority Group, Majority Space: Negotiating Jewish Identity in a Southern Christian Context

Based on an ethnographic study of young-adult Jews in a Southern community, this article examines strategies for the protection of self when minority groups navigate terrain that is perceived to be hostile. Although few of the participants of this study had experienced any explicitly anti-Jewish behavior directly, almost all experienced a feeling of unease living in an environment in which a public Christian identity was normative. This unease was grounded in the historical persecution of Jews (and the never-again credo with which many post-Holocaust generation Jews have been raised) and in direct experience with their neighbors' and coworkers' ignorance about Judaism and Jewish life. Study participants used a variety of emotion-work strategies, including compartmentalizing their Jewish identities, distancing themselves emotionally from coworkers, and using humor to deflect potential identity-based insults to sustain a sense of safety.
FDA Adverse Event Reports on Statin-Associated Rhabdomyolysis

OBJECTIVE:To determine the number of cases of statin-associated rhabdomyolysis reported to the Food and Drug Administration for 6 statins and to profile the cases.METHODS:A retrospective analysis of all domestic and foreign reports of statin-associated rhabdomyolysis between November 1997 and March 2000 was conducted. Outcome measures included the total number of reports (initial plus follow-up), the number of unique cases, age, gender, percentages of report codes and role codes, and frequencies of concomitant interacting drugs that may have precipitated rhabdomyolysis, outcomes codes, and report source codes.RESULTS:There were 871 reports of statin-associated rhabdomyolysis in the 29-month time frame examined, representing 601 cases. The following number of cases were associated with each of the individual statins: simvastatin, 215 (35.8%); cerivastatin, 192 (31.9%); atorvastatin, 73 (12.2%); pravastatin, 71 (11.8%); lovastatin, 40 (6.7%); and fluvastatin, 10 (1.7%). Drugs that may have interacted with t...
Providing Honeybees with Water

This is the first comprehensive publication on bees' requirements for water and on its provision in the beekeeper's management programme through the year. This is a most important part of beekeeping practice, and so much information is available that the second part of the article must be held over until the next issue.
Strand spaces: proving security protocols correct

A strand is a sequence of events; it represents either an execution by a legitimate party in a security protocol or else a sequence of actions by a penetrator. A strand space is a collection of strands, equipped with a graph structure generated by causal interaction. In this framework, protocol correctness claims may be expressed in terms of the connections between strands of different kinds. Preparing for a first example, the Needham-Schroeder-Lowe protocol, we prove a lemma that gives a bound on the abilities of the penetrator in any protocol. Our analysis of the example gives a detailed view of the conditions under which it achieves authentication and protects the secrecy of the values exchanged. We also use our proof methods to explain why the original Needham-Schroeder protocol fails. Before turning to a second example, we introduce ideals as a method to prove additional bounds on the abilities of the penetrator. We can then prove a number of correctness properties of the Otway-Rees protocol, and we clarify its limitations. We believe that our approach is distinguished from other work by the simplicity of the model, the precision of the results it produces, and the ease of developing intelligible and reliable proofs even without automated support.
Talisman: fast and accurate multicomputer simulation

Talisman is a simulator that models the execution semantics and timing of a multicomputer. Talisman is unique in combining high semantic accuracy, high timing accuracy, portability, and good performance. This good performance allows users to run significant programs on large simulated multicomputers. The combination of high accuracy and good performance yields an ideal tool for evaluating architectural trade-offs. Talisman models the semantics of virtual memory, a circuit-switched internode interconnect, I/O devices, and instruction execution in both user and supervisor modes. It also models the timing of processor pipelines, caches, local memory buses, and a circuit-switched interconnect. Talisman executes the same program binary images as a hardware prototype at a cost of about 100 host instructions per simulated instruction. On a suite of accuracy benchmarks run on the hardware and the simulator, Talisman and the prototype differ in reported running times by only a few percent.
Multicentre proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging of primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Multicentre baseline proton magnetic resonance spectro scopic data on primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients are acquired and analysed, using automatic analysis software. The metabolite ratios did not differ from centre to centre. The average N-acetylaspar tate/creatine (NA A/C r) ratio in PPMS was significantly lower compared to normal controls. No significant differences were observed in this ratio between lesion-containing regions (LC R) and normal-appearing tissues (NAT). Strong lipid resonances, even in the absence of lesions, are observed in the both grey and white matter in these patients. These observations suggest extensive diffuse and/or microscopic pathology in PPMS. No significant correlation between any of the metabolite ratios and the Extended Disability Scale Score (EDSS) or with other MR measures such as lesion burden and enhancement volumes is observed.
Mycophenolate mofetil is effective in reducing disease flares in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a retrospective study

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is effective in the treatment of patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We sought to evaluate its efficacy in reducing the number of disease flares in adults with SLE. For this retrospective study, all patients seen at our institution over a six year period, 1999-2005, with the diagnosis of SLE treated with MMD were identified. Data regarding lupus flare was obtained for patients at least one and up to two years prior to starting MMF. The number of flares prior to MMF therapy was compared to the number of lupus flares in the one to two year period after starting MMF. Clinical assessment was performed with the SELENA-SLEDAI instrument. Differences between groups were compared using the signed rank test. The rate of flares (flares per person-year), before and after the introduction of MMF were compared assuming the occurrence of flares followed a Poisson distribution. In the evaluable 67 patients, the mean time period of followup prior to starting MMF was 14.1 months (range 0.3-24), mean time period of follow-up after starting MMF was 14.8 months (range 1.5-24); and mean MMF dose was 1328 mg/day (range 250-3000). The mean flare rate was reduced from 8.9 to 5.3 per 10 personyears and the mean prednisone dose was reduced on average 7.3 mg/day after starting MMF therapy. MMF treatment significantly reduced the total number of lupus flares and prednisone requirements. Even with the reduction in mean daily prednisone dose, both the SLEDAI and physican global assessment also improved during MMF therapy.
Prenylated Flavanones from Derris laxiflora

Abstract A new prenylated flavanone 1 [laxiflorin (2S)-5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-6-(β-hydroxyethyl)-8-(γ,γ-dimethylallyl)flavanone] and four known flavanones (6,8-diprenyleriodictyol, hiravanone, senegalensein and lupinifolin) were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Derris laxiflora. Laxiflorin with a β-hydroxyethyl group at C-6 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against protein-tyrosine kinase.
Targeting Mucosal Addressin Cellular Adhesion Molecule (MAdCAM)-1 to Noninvasively Image Experimental Crohn’s Disease

Background & Aims Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the second most common chronic inflammatory disorder worldwide; however, a noninvasive means of accurately assessing the severity and extent of intestinal inflammation is currently not available. The aim of the present study was to develop a noninvasive imaging modality to detect and evaluate ileitis in SAMP1/YitFc (SAMP) mice. Methods An image-enhancing ultrasound (US) contrast agent, consisting of encapsulated gaseous microbubbles (MB), was developed specifically to bind mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), a mucosal-restricted addressin up-regulated during gut inflammation. MAdCAM-1-targeted MB (MB M ) were tested for binding specificity on MAdCAM-1 protein and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-stimulated SVEC4-10 endothelial cells using an in vitro flow chamber assay and for their ability to detect and quantify ileitis by intravital microscopy and transabdominal US. Results Under in vitro flow conditions, a 100-fold increase in MB M binding was observed on MAdCAM-1 protein compared with nonspecific MB ( P M vs nonspecific MB ( P P M specifically accumulated in focal areas of ileal inflammation and produced stronger acoustic echoes, measured by average video intensity, in SAMP vs uninflamed AKR mice ( P P M -specific video intensity showed a strong positive correlation with total ileal inflammatory scores (R 2 = 0.92). Conclusions We have developed a novel intravascular US contrast agent targeting MAdCAM-1 that specifically detects and quantifies intestinal inflammation in experimental ileitis, providing the potential for a reliable, noninvasive means to diagnose and monitor disease in patients with IBD.
Sex under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol: Common for Men in Substance Abuse Treatment and Associated with High-Risk Sexual Behavior

Sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol is associated with high-risk sexual behavior. Heterosexual men (n = 505) in substance abuse treatment completed a computer-administered interview assessing sexual risk behaviors. Most men (73.3%) endorsed sex under the influence in the prior 90 days, and 39.1% endorsed sex under the influence during their most recent sexual event. Sex under the influence at the most recent event was more likely to involve anal intercourse, sex with a casual partner, and less condom use. Patients might benefit from interventions targeting sexual behavior and substance use as mutual triggers. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1-9).
Imitation and the dynamics of norms

Abstract In the model, each person in a large population has a probability of adhering to some behavior, such as a social norm. At random, people observe each other and adjust their adherence probabilities in an imitative direction. In a main case of the model, there are high and low stable equilibria; the distribution of adherence probabilities evolves upward or downward, depending on initial conditions, until the population is in strong conformity with the norm or in strong rejection of the norm. In other cases of the model, there is a single stable equilibrium. Equilibria may be fragile. Small differences in initial conditions may lead otherwise similar populations to opposite equilibria, and social shocks may tip a population from one equilibrium to another or change the number of equilibria.
Identification of materials from construction site images using content based image retrieval techniques

The capability to automatically identify shapes, objects and materials from the image content through direct and indirect methodologies has enabled the development of several civil engineering related applications that assist in the design, construction and maintenance of construction projects. Examples include surface cracks detection, assessment of fire-damaged mortar, fatigue evaluation of asphalt mix es, aggregate shape measurements, velocimentry, vehicles detection, pore size distribution in geotextiles, damage detection and others. This capability is a product of the technological breakthroughs in the area of Image and Video Processing that has allowed for the development of a large number of digital imaging applications in all industries ranging from the well established medical diagnostic tools (magnetic resonance imaging, spectroscopy and nuclear medical imaging) to image searching mechanisms (image matching, content based image retrieval ). Content based image retrieval techniques can also assist in the automated recognition of materials in construction site images and thus enable the development of reliable methods for image classification and retrieval. The amount of original imaging information produced yearly in the construction industry during the last decade has experienced a tremendous growth. Digital cameras and image databases are gradually replacing traditional photography while owners demand complete site photograph logs and engineers store thousands of images for each project to use in a number of construction management tasks. However, construction companies tend to store images without following any standardized indexing protocols, thus making the manual searching and retrieval a tedious and time-consuming effort. Alternatively, material and object identification techniques can be used for the development of automated, content based, construction site image retrieval methodolog y. These methods can utilize automatic material or object based indexing to remove the user from the time-consuming and tedious manual classification process. In this paper, a novel material identification methodology is presented. This method utilizes content based image retrieval concepts to match known material samples with material clusters within the image content. The results demonstrate the suitability of this methodology for construction site image retrieval purposes and reveal the capability of existing image processing t echnologies to accurately identify a wealth of materials from construction site images.
Ertapenem compared to combination drug therapy for the treatment of postpartum endometritis after cesarean delivery

Objective: Ertapenem is a broad spectrum carbapenem approved for the treatment of postpartum endometritis. Data regarding clinical outcomes after treatment with ertapenem for endometritis after cesarean delivery are limited. Our objectives were to compare clinical outcomes and cost of ertapenem versus a multi-drug regimen for treatment of endometritis after cesarean delivery. Methods: Retrospectively, patients with endometritis after cesarean delivery who were treated with ertapenem (group A) were compared to those treated with a combination regimen (group B). Mann–Whitney U and Fisher’s Exact were used for statistical analysis with p value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Sixty-three patients were included: 31 in group A and 32 in group B. Demographics and intrapartum characteristics did not differ. Number of administered doses (A: 3, B: 11.5 p < 0.0001), cost (A: $156.63, B: $54.48 p < 0.0001) and nursing time in minutes (A: 6.6, B: 25.3 p < 0.0001) were different between both groups...
Thickness of the chemical weathering zone and implications for erosional and climatic drivers of weathering and for carbon-cycle feedbacks

Quantitative understanding of variability in weathering fluxes on the modern Earth is limited because little is known about where the most important weathering reactions take place. This is partly because the locus of weathering is difficult to measure empirically. Inverse analysis of a parametric model presented here provides first-order constraints on variability in the thickness of the zone of active weathering. Results suggest that the effective thickness of the weathering zone varies relatively little across several orders of magnitude of denudation rate. At low to moderate denudation rates, reactions in soils may dominate weathering fluxes at the catchment scale, but the contribution from soil weathering decreases at higher denudation rates. Consequently, increased erosion leads to higher weathering fluxes, sustained by progressively greater contributions from weathering in bedrock. The effect of climate (temperature and runoff) on weathering fluxes is apparently weaker at low denudation rates than at high denudation rates, such that erosion, and potentially associated bedrock weathering, may be important for maintaining climate-stabilizing feedbacks in Earth’s carbon cycle.
In vivo hydraulic conductivity of muscle: effects of hydrostatic pressure.

We and others have shown that the loss of fluid and macromolecules from the peritoneal cavity is directly dependent on intraperitoneal hydrostatic pressure (Pip). Measurements of the interstitial pressure gradient in the abdominal wall demonstrated minimal change when Pip was increased from 0 to 8 mmHg. Because flow through tissue is governed by both interstitial pressure gradient and hydraulic conductivity (K), we hypothesized that K of these tissues varies with Pip. To test this hypothesis, we dialyzed rats with Krebs-Ringer solution at constant Pip of 0.7, 1.5, 2.2, 3, 4.4, 6, or 8 mmHg. Tracer amounts of 125I-labeled immunoglobulin G were added to the dialysis fluid as a marker of fluid movement into the abdominal wall. Tracer deposition was corrected for adsorption to the tissue surface and for local loss into lymphatics. The hydrostatic pressure gradient in the wall was measured using a micropipette and a servo-null system. The technique requires immobilization of the tissue by a porous Plexiglas plate, and therefore a portion of the tissue is supported. In agreement with previous results, fluid flux into the unrestrained abdominal wall was directly related to the overall hydrostatic pressure difference across the abdominal wall (Pip = 0), but the interstitial pressure gradient near the peritoneum increased only approximately 40% over the range of Pip = 1.5-8 mmHg (20-28 mmHg/cm). K of the abdominal wall varied from 0.90 +/- 0.1 x 10(-5) cm2.min-1.mmHg-1 at Pip = 1.5 mmHg to 4.7 +/- 0.43 x 10(-5) cm2.min-1.mmHg-1 on elevation of Pip to 8 mmHg. In contrast, for the same change in Pip, abdominal muscle supported on the skin side had a significantly lower range of fluid flux (0.89-1.7 x 10(-4) vs. 1.9-10.1 x 10(-4) ml.min-1.cm-2 in unsupported tissue). The differences between supported and unsupported tissues are likely explained in part by a reduced pressure gradient across the supported tissue. In conclusion, the in vivo hydraulic conductivity of the unsupported abdominal wall muscle in anesthetized rats varies with the superimposed hydrostatic pressure within the peritoneal cavity.
The High Yield Synthesis of Benzaldehydes from Benzylic Alcohols using Homogeneously Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation in Acetic Acid

The kinetics and yields for the formation of benzaldehydes from benzylic alcohols via aerobic oxidation using homogeneous catalysts in acetic acid are reported. For compounds of the type X-C 6 H 4 CH 2 OH where X = H, 4-CH 3 , 4-OCH 3 , 4-Cl, 4-COOH the observed yields were 84, 78, 57, 88 and 52 mol %, respectively. These yields are comparable to those reported for the stoichiometric Co(III)/Br oxidation of these same benzylic alcohols. These results are limited to benzylic alcohols. The high yields are possible for two reasons: 1) the rate of reaction exhibits two maxima in which the benzaldehyde is predominately being generated in the first phase and the carboxylic acid in the second and 2) the competing esterification of the benzylic alcohol with the acetic acid solvent is an order of magnitude slower. A variety of other catalysts were also evaluated which give lower yields mainly because they are less active and the competing esterification reaction becomes more important. Water addition to the acetic acid increased the rate of acetylation of the alcohol, contrary to expectation. The oxidation of the benzaldehyde appears to be inhibited by the presence of the benzylic alcohol. Even though the rate of oxidation of the benzaldehyde, by itself, is equally reactive as the benzylic alcohol, the benzaldehyde does not significantly react until the benzylic alcohol concentration is very low. Two possible reasons, using a free-radical chain mechanism, are suggested to explain this behavior. A mechanism demonstrating why the stoichiometric and catalytic reactions give similar yields is given.
Effects of Particle Size and Fines Content on Thermal Conductivity of Quartz Sands

The thermal properties of soil have drawn great research attention in recent years. Thermal conductivity is the most important such property, particularly for the design of shallow geothermal systems such as energy piles and borehole thermal energy storage. A newly developed thermo–time domain reflectometry probe was used to measure the thermal conductivity of quartz sands with the peak value method. Three rounded quartz sands with different particle sizes were used in experiments to investigate the effects of particle size and fines content on thermal conductivity. Results revealed that thermal conductivity increased with increasing particle size for uniform sands. The thermal conductivity was lower in fine sands than in coarse sands under dry conditions but higher in fine sands than in coarse sands at low moisture contents. The thermal conductivity of coarse sands was increased to peak value by increasing the fine sands content to the critical fines content corresponding to maximum thermal conductivity....
Christian Apologists and “the Fall of the Angels”: An Attack on Roman Imperial Power?*

Justin, a philosopher converted to Christianity, addresses these words to the Roman senate as he protests a recent case of arbitrary arrest and execution of Christians. Although outraged by the verdict, he cannot fault the judge, Urbicus, praetorian prefect of Rome, and personal friend of the imperial family. Justin knows that Urbicus only followed orders in pronouncing the mandatory death sentence against those convicted of atheism as evinced by their refusal to worship the gods or to sacrifice to the divine genius of the emperor. Instead Justin invokes the story of Genesis 6—the story of the fall of the angels—to indict the whole system of imperial power, and to attack the divine pantheon that supports it as a false government, a form of demonic tyranny.
“We’re Going to Make Lemonade Out of Lemons” Urban Principals, Emotion, and Race to the Top Implementation

This study reports on four urban middle- and high school principals’ emotionally shaped sense making of Race to the Top policies and their ability to balance the competing demands of teachers’ emot...
Intake and Airframe Characterization through Composite CFD

In this paper the computed flow and performance characteristics of an integrated diverterless supersonic inlet and its effects on the aerodynamic behavior of a supersonic aircraft are presented. Typically aircraft and intake analysis are carried out separately, however the modeling and mesh size of the intake model is relatively simple and small as compared to that of complete aircraft. Therefore in the current study the aircraft model and intake model have been integrated to carryout composted analysis and their mutual behavior is investigated. The characteristics are evaluated at both subsonic (0.6 and 0.8 Mach) and supersonic (1.5 Mach) fight regimes with low to moderate AOA range (-40 to 120 with increment of 40) and varying intake mass flow rates. Salient features observed during the study were that as the engine mass flow rate (through the intake) is decreased, the overall lift of the aircraft increases. Once mass flow rate is increased, the interference drag also increases. In supersonic regime these effects are less pronounced due to the formation of shock waves which dominate the flow characteristics. The effect of mass flow rate on intake performance in terms of intake pressure recovery is also evaluated, which generally follows established trends in the subsonic and supersonic regimes.
Jerubaal, Jacob and the Battle for Shechem: A Tradition History

The Bible alludes to three different versions of the conquest/destruction of Shechem. The Jerubaal-Abimelech cycle, the conquest of Shechem by Jacob, and the Dinah story. The (later) Jacob story overtook the (earlier) Jerubaal story, a phenomenon I dub tradition cannibalism, as Jerubaal became identified with Gideon and shed his own story. When the idea of a conquering patriarch fell out of favor, the account reemerged as the Dinah story, with Simeon and Levi as the conquerors of Shechem.
Rapid electrochemical enzyme assay with enzyme-free calibration

The internally calibrated electrochemical continuous enzyme assay (ICECEA, patent pending) was developed for the fast determination of enzyme activity unit (U). The assay depends on the integration of enzyme-free preassay calibration with the actual enzyme assay in one continuous experiment. Such integration resulted in a uniquely shaped amperometric trace that allowed for the selective picomolar determination of redox enzymes. The ICECEA worked because the preassay calibration did not interfere with the enzyme assay allowing both measurements to be performed in succession in the same solution and at the same electrode. The method displayed a good accuracy (relative error, <3%) and precision (relative standard deviation (RSD), <3%) when tested with different working electrodes (carbon nanotubes/chitosan, glassy carbon, platinum) and enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase, ADH; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH; xanthine oxidase, XOx; glucose oxidase, GOx). The limit of detection for the ADH, LDH, XOx, and GOx was equal ...
“Xenogeneic Resistance” to Rat Bone Marrow Transplantation I. The Basic Phenomenon

SummaryA phenomenon termed “xenogeneic resistance” to hemopoietic repopulation by rat bone marrow was found to exist in supralethally irradiated (1000-1100 R) C57BL/6 mice and their F1 hybrids, but not in mice of 5 other strains, studied by means of the spleen colony method. The similarities of this phenomenon to the phenomena known variously as “hybrid resistance,” “CFU repression,” or “poor growth phenomenon” suggest that these may all represent different manifestations of a single mechanism.
Localization of sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase in sheep myocardium by immunoelectron microscopy

Immunohistochemical localization of sodium and potassium dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase) employing polyclonal antibodies was carried out on sheep myocardium. The tissue was fixed with glutaraldehyde or a paraformaldehyde/lysine/periodate combination fixative and embedded in different embedding media. Ultrathin sections were labeled with rabbit anti-sheep Na,K-ATPase antiserum followed by sheep anti-rabbit immunoglobulin complexed with colloidal gold. Glycol methacrylate embedded tissue provided good structural preservation and showed specific immunohistochemical labeling. Analysis of the gold particle distribution showed a significantly higher number of Na,K-ATPase immunoreactive sites associated with cell membrane and T-tubules.
ISBD and DCRM into RDA: An Opportunity for Convergence?

ABSTRACTRare materials catalogers have always been engaged in the development of rules for descriptive cataloging. In addition to the contributions made toward rules for mainstream cataloging, the rare materials community has developed a series of manuals called Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials. The fundamental principles underlying these manuals are shared with the international community and its efforts to create a common rare materials cataloging code. With the adoption of Resource Description and Access as an international standard for descriptive cataloging, the time has to come to reevaluate the potential to work toward developing common rare materials cataloging rules.
Public policy options

Public policy measures can do much to accelerate deployment of carbon mitigation measures, and there are basically three options. One approach is to put a price on emissions, which can be done through a cap-and-trade system or an outright tax. The approach is motivated by the following premise: if the goal is to put a large dent in GHG emissions, a price tag must be put on the emissions. A second approach is to mandate reductions through the regulatory process. Forms of government regulation could include corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for automotive transportation, renewable portfolio standards (RPS) for power production, and efficiency standards for buildings and home appliances. The third approach is to provide financial incentives to ease the cost of mitigation. Incentives can be provided as outright grants, tax credits for producing carbon-free energy, or preferential treatment for sale of the energy. In each of the three approaches, a critical issue, both politically and economically, is cost management. If costs are too high, economic growth is stifled; if they are too low, emission reductions and innovation are stifled. Cap-and-trade Lawmakers are generally averse to increasing taxes. Hence, if they believe that a price should be placed on carbon emissions, they're inclined to favor a cap-and-trade system, even though, like a tax, the cost of implementation is ultimately borne by the consumer. In principle, the system works as follows. Governments impose caps (limits) on GHG emissions from large central sources such as power plants, oil refineries, natural gas producers, and manufacturers of energy-intensive products such as concrete, steel, and glass. Initially, the caps are high to allow time for adjustment but are gradually reduced until atmospheric GHG concentrations drop to desired levels. Commensurate with a prescribed cap, permits (allowances) are granted and/or auctioned to the emitting entities, with one permit corresponding to a unit of annual emissions such as 1 t-CO 2eq . Whether auctioned or granted, permits are traded on a market, which can be regional, national, or international. Permits are sold by those able to economically reduce emissions below their cap and bought by those finding such purchases to be a more cost-effective approach to compliance.
The Chinese Collection of the Freer Gallery of Art | Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Library

The library of the Freer Gallery of Art | Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is considered one of the finest East Asian art research collections in the United States. The development and progress of the library’s Chinese Collection has mirrored the historical changes in the field of Chinese art studies in the last one hundred years. Today, the library collection has more than 90,000 volumes, including 17,437 Chinese language monographs and 836 serials in over 25,000 volumes. In a landscape of changing scholarship, technology and user demands, the library is balancing the use of printed materials and digital resources and collaborating with other libraries to continue to meet the needs of curators, researchers and visitors.
Influence of Micellar Microenvironments on Redox and Kinetic Properties of Radical Ions

The effects of micellar microenvironments on the redox properties of solubilized substrates and on the kinetic properties of their corresponding radical ions have been examined in anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactant systems. Relative to the value observed in the absence of surfactants, the differential pulse voltammetric peak potential for the monoelectronic oxidation of 10-methylphenothiazine (MPTH) to the cation radical (MPTH+·) is not significantly altered by the presence of either cationic CTAB or nonionic Brij-35 micellar systems. In anionic SDS media, however, the formal potential for the oxidation of MPTH is shifted to less anodic values with increasing SDS concentration up to the CMC of this surfactant. This behavior is indicative of preferential stabilization of the cation radical by the anionic dodecylsulfate (DS−) monomer. Analysis of the voltammetric data provides definitive evidence for the formation of an associated species involving one MPTH+· and one DS−. The formation constant for this associate is found to be 2.0 × 103 M −1. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of MPTH+· in SDS media show that above the CMC, the MPTH+·/DS− associate is an integral part of the micelle assembly. UV spectral data indicate that the site of residence of the cation radical is in the Stern region of the micellar phase. While cationic and non-ionic micelles are found to catalyze the hydrolysis of MPTH+·, SDS micelles retard this process due to the strong associative interaction between the cation radical and the anionic surfactant.
Fronts and Interfaces

Fronts and Interfaces - furnishes analytical treatment of gasdynamic effects produced by shock and detonation fronts, as well as by interfaces (impermeable fronts) and simple waves that act as borders between different state regimes.
Lossless compression of ultrasound RF data

We propose an efficient algorithm for lossless compression of ultrasound sensor data. The algorithm is primarily designed to operate on the transducers RF data after the analog-to-digital converter and before the receiver beamformer. Nevertheless, it could be used after the beamformer if high correlation exists between successive channels. The proposed algorithm exploits the redundancy in the transducers data to significantly reduce the data throughput. It could be implemented in a low-power mode which does not require any multiplications. The effectiveness of the algorithms is established using simulated ultrasound signals.
Online load balancing and correlated randomness

This paper looks at online load balancing, in a setting where each job can only be served by a subset of the servers. The subsets are revealed only on arrival, and can be arbitrary. The cost of an allocation is the sum of cost for each server, which in turn is a convex increasing function of the number of jobs allocated to it. There are no departures. A natural class of policies are those which always put a job into one of its servers that has the least load at the time of arrival. However, it turns out that not all (randomized) ways of breaking ties is the same. We propose an algorithm — TIERED RANKING — that breaks ties in a very particular, correlated random way; it is inspired by the online matching work of Karp, Vazirani and Vazirani. We show that it is optimal (in terms of competitive ratio) in the above class, for all convex cost functions that grow slower than ex (which includes all l p norms). We also prove it strictly outperforms any deterministic algorithm; simulations show that it also visibly outperforms the naive randomized algorithm, that breaks ties among lowest-loaded servers uniformly at random.
Internatural Activists and the “Blackfish Effect”: Contemplating Captive Orcas’ Protest Rhetoric through a Coherence Frame

The documentary film Blackfish (2013) follows Tilikum, a captive SeaWorld prisoner-orca responsible for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau and two others. The film has had a profound effect on public perceptions of orca captivity creating the “Blackfish Effect.” Our critical analysis of the film engages Plec’s (2013) internatural communication categories of complicity, implication, and coherence. We argue that the film illustrates the flawed hierarchy within the binary/dualistic system. In deconstructing a dualism, we must recognize the physical power and actions of captive orcas that could be seen as a form of protest rhetoric. The case example of orcas in captivity as a whole illustrates that regarding orcas as unique actors with intelligible behaviors offers a way of understanding how to listen to the more-than-human world. Our article has been one attempt to illustrate how captive orcas can be heard as extrahuman citizens who participate, and even instigate, policy making.
Cracking the neural code, treating paralysis and the future of bioelectronic medicine

The human nervous system is a vast network carrying not only sensory and movement information, but also information to and from our organs, intimately linking it to our overall health. Scientists and engineers have been working for decades to tap into this network and ‘crack the neural code’ by decoding neural signals and learning how to ‘speak’ the language of the nervous system. Progress has been made in developing neural decoding methods to decipher brain activity and bioelectronic technologies to treat rheumatoid arthritis, paralysis, epilepsy and for diagnosing brain-related diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. In a recent first-in-human study involving paralysis, a paralysed male study participant regained movement in his hand, years after his injury, through the use of a bioelectronic neural bypass. This work combined neural decoding and neurostimulation methods to translate and re-route signals around damaged neural pathways within the central nervous system. By extending these methods to decipher neural messages in the peripheral nervous system, status information from our bodily functions and specific organs could be gained. This, one day, could allow real-time diagnostics to be performed to give us a deeper insight into a patient's condition, or potentially even predict disease or allow early diagnosis. The future of bioelectronic medicine is extremely bright and is wide open as new diagnostic and treatment options are developed for patients around the world.
Immunotherapy for Malignant Gliomas

Cancer immunotherapy aims to harness the innate ability of the immune system to recognize and destroy malignant cells. Immunotherapy for malignant gliomas is an emerging field that promises the possibility of highly specific and less toxic treatment compared to conventional chemotherapy. In addition, immunotherapy has the added benefit of sustained efficacy once immunologic memory is induced. Although there are numerous therapeutic agents that boost general immune function and facilitate improved antitumor immunity, to date, immunotherapy for gliomas has focused primarily on active vaccination against tumor-specific antigens. The results of numerous early phase clinical trials demonstrate promising results for vaccine therapy, but no therapy has yet proven to improve survival in a randomized, controlled trial. The major barrier to immunotherapy in malignant gliomas is tumor-induced immunosuppression. The mechanisms of immunosuppression are only now being elucidated, but clearly involve a combination of factors including regulatory T cells, tumor-associated PD-L1 expression, and CTLA-4 signaling. Immunomodulatory agents have been developed to combat these immunosuppressive factors and have demonstrated efficacy in other cancers. The future of glioma immunotherapy likely lies in a combination of active vaccination and immune checkpoint inhibition.
Variation in Bariatric Surgery Episode Costs in the Commercially Insured: Implications for Bundled Payments in the Private Sector

Objective To describe hospital-level variation in roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in Michigan. Background Bariatric surgery is an increasingly prevalent elective surgical procedure that will likely be considered for future bundled payment programs, both public and private. Past research in the Medicare population found that the index hospitalization is responsible for the majority of payment variation among hospitals. However, this research largely excluded SG, now the most commonly performed bariatric surgery procedure nationally. Methods We used data from a state-wide quality collaborative to calculate the average risk and price-adjusted 30-day episode payment for patients undergoing RYGB and SG procedures at Michigan hospitals between January 2009 and October 2014. We organized hospitals into quintiles and compared the variation in payments between highest and lowest-cost quintiles, and also the payment categories that drove this variation. Results We identified 9035 patients undergoing RYGB (n = 4194) or SG (n = 4841) procedures at 31 hospitals. The average price and risk-adjusted episode payment ranged from $11,874 in the lowest hospital quintile to $13,394 in the highest quintile, representing a difference of $1519 (12.8%). Payments for the index hospitalization accounted for the largest share of total episode costs for both procedure types. Despite representing 2.7% to 6.0% of payments across quintiles, postdischarge payments explained 22.6% of hospital variation in SG. Similarly, readmissions explained 24.5% of payment variation for SG episodes, despite representing between 1.2% and 4.4% of payments. Conclusions Collectively, our findings suggest that there are previously underappreciated differences in episode payment variation between bariatric surgery procedures. SG may be more amenable to cost containment under bundled payment initiatives by virtue of the greater share of variation explained by readmission and postdischarge payments, components of episode payment more likely to be influenced by provider discretion.
The Stokes-Einstein equation and the diffusion of ferrocene in imidazolium-based ionic liquids studied by cyclic voltammetry: Effects of cation ion symmetry and alkyl chain length

Abstract The diffusion of ferrocene (Fc) molecules in ionic liquids (ILs) was studied using cyclic voltammetry. The symmetric ILs 1,3-dialkylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]amide ([(CN/2)2im][NTf2] with N = 4, 6, 8, and 10) and non-symmetric ILs 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]amide ([CN−1C1im][NTf2] with N = 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10) were used to examine the effect of the symmetry of alkyl substitution on the cation and the role of alkyl chain length on the diffusion of Fc. The diffusion coefficient D of Fc was determined by applying the Randles-Sevcik equation to the peak current in the cyclic voltammograms. The diffusion coefficient was found to be higher in a symmetric IL than in a non-symmetric IL with the same number of alkyl carbon atoms N, with the difference decreasing with increasing N. The diffusion of Fc in these ILs is well described by the Stokes-Einstein equation with slip boundary conditions, but with an effective hydrodynamic radius of 0.23 ± 0.01 nm, which is less than the 0.27 nm crystallographic radius of Fc, in agreement with previous studies of the diffusion of solutes in ILs that show the hydrodynamic radius to be less than the van der Waals radius of the solute.
Corneal Transplantation: Penetrating Keratoplasty

Traditionally, the most common form of corneal transplantation is penetrating keratoplasty (PK). In PK, the entire thickness of the cornea is removed and replaced with a full thickness donor cornea.
Nurturing promotes the evolution of reinforcement learning in changing environments

An agent interacting with its environment may learn to perform complex tasks through reinforcement learning. Reinforcement learning requires exploration of unfamiliar situations, which necessarily involves unknown and potentially dangerous or costly outcomes. Various sorts of external support for the learning agent are possible through investments of time or other resources. Nurturing, one individual investing in the development of another individual with which it has an ongoing relationship, is widely seen in the biological world, often with parents nurturing their offspring. In artificial intelligence, nurturing can be seen as an opportunity to develop both better machine learning algorithms and robots that assist or supervise other robots. Although research into robot-to-robot nurturing is at a very early stage, the hope is that this approach can result in more sophisticated learning systems. The research presented here demonstrates the effectiveness of nurturing through the evolution of the parameters of a reinforcement learning algorithm that is capable of finding good policies in a changing environment.
Quantifying the supply chain for Near Eastern Antiquities in times of war and conflict

Abstract This paper provides the first systematic analysis of a particular norm at major antiquities auctions: selling items in groups. The analysis decomposes large auction lots of Near Eastern antiquities into their constituent items and examines the provenance of items individually. This provides insight into the known supply chain, or provenance, for thousands of items from a region in which archaeological looting has become a particular concern. The analysis shows that items sold in groups constitute a large source of revenue on the market, but are small and come with poor documentation, making them problematic in several ways. A variety of additional analyses show that the market does not price provenance in a way that generates incentives to improve these problematic aspects of the trade. The paper contributes to the understanding of the end market for Middle Eastern cultural heritage, and concludes with implications for public policy, law, and heritage preservation.
Climate Doesn’t Stop at the Border

Climate studies frequently make use of data stored in national data centers, and by national origin. Of course, rainfall or temperature patterns and the climatic processes that cause them are distributed across the earth system independently of political boundaries. Yet, much of the observation-based research into the nature and causes of climate variability uses data sets defined by climatologically arbitrary political boundaries. This is true of many projects and published papers covering the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trends and Issues: The Consumption and Sustainability of Digital Media in the Modern Global Economy.

This essay articulates some of the ways in which a unique form of digital media, online videogames, have shaped and have been shaped by social, technological, and economic influences, which have secured the relative sustainability of specific games in the global marketplace over time. Based on trends observed from a review of previous empirical research, corporate press releases, user-generated wiki content, and interviews with professional videogame producers, it is argued that innovators, or makers of new artifacts, of online videogames are likely to sustain a durable trajectory of innovation within corporate contexts when they are able to continually adapt to sociological, technological, and economic changes over time. The implication is that successful and well-designed online videogames, particularly massively multiplayer online (role-playing) games, require a workforce that is able to engage in the practice of innovation with a persistent awareness of consumer needs and the availability of technological and financial resources.
Advances in Diabetes for the Millennium: Chronic Microvascular Complications of Diabetes

Hyperglycemia and microvascular complications of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy are shared by type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These complications seem to be uniquely associated with the diabetic state in humans and animals; they are not seen in nondiabetic humans or animals. Intervention trials aimed at achieving lower blood glucose levels as reflected in a lower HbA1c value have shown reductions in the rate of development of those complications when HbA1c is lower in one group compared with a matched group with less good control. Currently, 3 schools of thought have been championed to explain elevated blood glucose. Each is discussed here, as are interventions aimed at the various metabolic derangements rather than at correction of the hyperglycemia.
Manufacture of Pharmaceutically Relevant Materials by Mechanochemistry Using Twin Screw Extrusion

Mechanochemistry broadly refers to the class of chemical reactions that are induced by the application of mechanical force. In the context of pharmaceutical materials, mechanochemistry has been described in the literature for the preparation of cocrystals, salts, and amorphous complexes. In almost all these examples, laboratory-scale mills have been used to demonstrate the production of the aforementioned materials. While laboratory-scale mills demonstrate the utility of the mechanochemical concept, they typically produce small quantities of material and are not considered scalable processes. In this chapter, the application of twin-screw extrusion (TSE) in the production of cocrystals, salts, and amorphous complexes is described. Unlike other mechanical mixing procedures, TSE is a continuous process and lends itself to scalability. TSE can be considered an efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly process for the consistent manufacture of pharmaceutically relevant systems.