cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bait and Switch: Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy

Bait and Switch: Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy. By Julie A. Mertus. New York: Routledge, 2004. 320p. 19.95 paper.In her timely book, Julie Mertus argues that the United States is one of the world's leading architects and promoters of international human rights. However, the United States, much like an unscrupulous car dealer, “uses its wealth and influence to mislead other states about its commitment to the human rights framework, appearing as universalist when actually it is applying double-standards” (p. 210). In other words, the United States relies on one set of human rights standards for itself and another set of standards to judge other states. Mertus starts out her project hoping to discover that human rights norms have become “deeply embedded,” “institutionalized,” or “internalized” into the U.S. foreign policy framework. Instead, she finds that both the executive branch and the Defense Department routinely override human rights concerns in favor of instrumental foreign policy gains. This American exceptionalism or exemptionalism of excusing itself from institutions and norms that it establishes and purports to follow has prevented human rights norms from fully embedding themselves into U.S. foreign policy. Mertus points to an inherent ambivalence and structural inability of the United States to actually follow through on its very own human rights goals. She finds some evidence to suggest that it indeed does respect and value human rights, but there is strong counterevidence to suggest that it is not able to actually translate human rights aspirations to meaningful policies.
Criteria for determining the proper level of amputation in occlusive vascular disease.

Experience with amputation in occlusive vascular disease at the Mayo Clinic for a five-year period indicates that the history of onset, the physical findings, and the ulimate prognosis should all be taken into account before one embarks on a conservative amputation. When there is a good change of rehabilitation of the patient, one may be justified in doing an amputation below the knee in less than ideal eircumstances. The fact that thirteen of twenty-two patients who had serious wound complications were able to use prostheses supports this viewpoint; in only two of these twenty-two patients was the stump incapable of supporting a prosthesis because of instability of the stump. Toe amputation can be expected to be successful only in thromboangiitis obliterans and in selected diabetic lesions. Use of a prosthesis does not unduly jeopardize the other leg.
Prediction of the Monin-Obukhov Similarity Functions from an Invariant Model of Turbulence.

Abstract The second-order, invariant modeling technique for turbulent flows as developed by Donaldson is applied to the atmospheric surface layer. The steady, high-Reynolds number equations reduce to a universal set when the variables are scaled by the shear stress and vertical heat flux as suggested by Monin and Obukhov. Numerical integration of these equations yields results for the mean velocity gradient, mean temperature gradient, Richardson number, rms vertical velocity and temperature fluctuations, and horizontal heat flux which agree favorably with experimental observations over the complete range of stability conditions.
Data Management for Graduate Students: A case study at Oregon State University

On academic campuses, graduate students produce data and that data is often being lost. This paper describes the efforts at Oregon State University to educate graduate students on the value of their data and of preserving it. Graduate students were interviewed and from this information a successful data management workshop was created and has been updated and presented each quarter in the library. Librarians at other academic institutions may be in position to help graduate students on their campuses realize the value of their data and prevent valuable data from being lost. This case study serves as one example of what libraries can provide.
Tax Policy Encourages Home Ownership

This paper examines the tax code provisions that encourage home ownership, including a discussion of some new legislation that also falls within the current administration’s economic stimulus package. It reviews tax provisions dealing with buying a home, owning a home, and selling a home, as well as tax credits and special treatment of some expenses.
User's Guide of TOUGH2-EGS. A Coupled Geomechanical and Reactive Geochemical Simulator for Fluid and Heat Flow in Enhanced Geothermal Systems Version 1.0

TOUGH2-EGS is a numerical simulation program coupling geomechanics and chemical reactions for fluid and heat flows in porous media and fractured reservoirs of enhanced geothermal systems. The simulator includes the fully-coupled geomechanical (THM) module, the fully-coupled geochemical (THC) module, and the sequentially coupled reactive geochemistry (THMC) module. The fully-coupled flow-geomechanics model is developed from the linear elastic theory for the thermo-poro-elastic system and is formulated with the mean normal stress as well as pore pressure and temperature. The chemical reaction is sequentially coupled after solution of flow equations, which provides the flow velocity and phase saturation for the solute transport calculation at each time step. In addition, reservoir rock properties, such as porosity and permeability, are subjected to change due to rock deformation and chemical reactions. The relationships between rock properties and geomechanical and chemical effects from poro-elasticity theories and empirical correlations are incorporated into the simulator. This report provides the user with detailed information on both mathematical models and instructions for using TOUGH2-EGS for THM, THC or THMC simulations. The mathematical models include the fluid and heat flow equations, geomechanical equation, reactive geochemistry equations, and discretization methods. Although TOUGH2-EGS has the capability for simulating fluid and heat flows coupled more » with both geomechanical and chemical effects, it is up to the users to select the specific coupling process, such as THM, THC, or THMC in a simulation. There are several example problems illustrating the applications of this program. These example problems are described in details and their input data are presented. The results demonstrate that this program can be used for field-scale geothermal reservoir simulation with fluid and heat flow, geomechanical effect, and chemical reaction in porous and fractured media. « less
Implementation of national practice guidelines to reduce waste and optimize patient value.

Abstract Background The financial health care crisis has provided the platform to drive operational improvements at US health care facilities. This has led to adoption of lean operation principles by many health care organizations as a means of eliminating waste and improving operational efficiencies and overall value to patients. We believe that standardized implementation of national practice guidelines can provide the framework to help to reduce financial waste. Materials and methods We analyzed our institutional preoperative electrocardiogram (ECG) ordering practices for patients undergoing elective surgery at our institution from February–March, 2012 to identify utilization and review compliance with American Heart Association guidelines. We then implemented an ECG ordering algorithm based on these guidelines and studied changes in ordering patterns, associated cost savings and hospital billing for the same period in 2013. Results From February–March 2012, 677 noncardiac surgical procedures were performed at our institution, and 312 (46.1%) had a preoperative ECG. After implementation of our evidence-based ECG ordering algorithm for the same period in 2013, 707 noncardiac surgical cases were performed, and 120 (16.9%) had a preoperative ECG. Preoperative ECG utilization dropped 63% with an annual institutional cost savings of $72,906 and $291,618 in total annual health care savings. Based on our data, US-wide implementation of our evidence-based ECG ordering algorithm could save the US health care system >$1,868,800,000 per year. Conclusions Here, we demonstrate that standardized application of a national practice guideline can be used to eliminate nearly $2 billion per year in waste from the US health care system.
An ultrasensitive bio-surrogate for nanoporous filter membrane performance metrology directed towards contamination control in microlithography applications

Contamination tolerances in semiconductor manufacturing processes have changed dramatically in the past two decades, reaching below 20 nm according to the guidelines of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. The move to narrower line widths drives the need for innovative filtration technologies that can achieve higher particle/contaminant removal performance resulting in cleaner process fluids. Nanoporous filter membrane metrology tools that have been the workhorse over the past decade are also now reaching limits. For example, nanoparticle (NP) challenge testing is commonly applied for assessing particle retention performance of filter membranes. Factors such as high NP size dispersity, low NP detection sensitivity, and high NP particle-filter affinity impose challenges in characterizing the next generation of nanoporous filter membranes. We report a novel bio-surrogate, 5 nm DNA-dendrimer conjugate for evaluating particle retention performance of nanoporous filter membranes. A technique capable of single molecule detection is employed to detect sparse concentration of conjugate in filter permeate, providing >1000- fold higher detection sensitivity than any existing 5 nm-sized particle enumeration technique. This bio-surrogate also offers narrow size distribution, high stability and chemical tunability. This bio-surrogate can discriminate various sub-15 nm pore-rated nanoporous filter membranes based on their particle retention performance. Due to high bio-surrogate detection sensitivity, a lower challenge concentration of bio-surrogate (as compared to other NPs of this size) can be used for filter testing, providing a better representation of customer applications. This new method should provide better understanding of the next generation filter membranes for removing defect-causing contaminants from lithography processes.
Effects of different analgesic methods on postoperative rehabilitation of the women after cesarean section

Objective:To compare the effects of different analgesic methods on postoperative rehabilitation among the women after cesarean section.Methods:Ninety-six women after cesarean section were selected from the hospital from June 2010 to October 2011 as study objects,then they were divided into group A and group B randomly,48 women in each group,the women in group A were treated with pethidine for analgesia,while the women in group B were treated with patient-controlled epidural analgesia;the exhausting times,the postoperative times to leave beds,the lactation times,the incidences of complications,the satisfaction rates,the heights of uterine fundus at different time periods,and VAS values in the two groups were analyzed statistically and compared.Results:The exhausting time,the postoperative time to leave beds,and the lactation time in group B were shorter than those in group A,the incidences of complications in group B were lower than those in group A,the satisfaction rate in group B was higher than that in group A,the heights of uterine fundus at different time periods and VAS value in group B were higher than those in group A,there was significant difference(P0.05).Conclusion:The effect of patient-controlled epidural analgesia for postoperative rehabilitation of the women after cesarean section is better,and the method is more helpful to the rehabilitation of the body and early lactation.
Preparation for Interactive Live Computer Performance in Collaboration with a Symphony Orchestra

This paper describes the design, implementation, and use of an interactive computer-based instrument in the context of a composition for orchestra and live electronics. We will begin with an overview of the piece from a compositional point of view, emphasizing the musical goals for the electronics aspect. Then we will discuss the extremely demanding technical requirements of integrating live electronics with a full orchestra. We will describe the interactive instrument in detail, emphasizing the novel mapping of performer's gestures to computer-generated sound events and the novel OpenSound Control-based structure of the software.
Kain v. Department of Environmental Protection

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.umt.edu/plrlr Part of the Biology Commons, Environmental Law Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, International Law Commons, Law and Society Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Legal Writing and Research Commons, Legislation Commons, Litigation Commons, Natural Law Commons, and the Natural Resources Law Commons
Think globally, engage pedagogically: Procuring and supervising international field experiences

Abstract Similar to society in general, globalization of the world economy has changed the landscape of the sport industry (Dicken, 2007; Neirotti, 2015; Thibault, 2009). As competition for the sport fan's discretionary dollar becomes more intense in America, the international market and associated financial opportunities will undoubtedly increase. As a result, it is important that sport management students gain experience both at home and abroad to be highly competitive for employment opportunities in the sport industry (Lee & Lupi, 2010). In order to prepare sport management students for the global marketplace, sport management educators to foster opportunities for students to complete international practicums, internships, and other forms of authentic experiential learning. Educators need to be aware of a variety of resources that can be used to supervise field experiences-particularly "distance" based international field experiences. The purpose of this presentation is to outline best practices associated with online supervision of international experiential learning experiences. Recommendations on creating and maintaining relationships with international partners, strategies for supervision, and methods of evaluation will be included. A step-by-step process model will be presented aimed at providing meaningful learning experiences for students and building enduring partnerships for the institution.
Effect of sodium nitrite on local control of contracting skeletal muscle microvascular oxygen pressure in healthy rats

Ischemic conditions as diverse as chronic heart failure (CHF) and frostbite inflict tissue damage via inadequate O2 delivery. Herein we demonstrate that direct application of sodium nitrite enhance...
Plant Microbiome Identification and Characterization

To fully exploit the potential of plant microbiome alterations to improve plant health, reliable methods must be used to prepare and characterize microbiome samples. The power of culture-independent studies is that they allow the characterization of novel microbial community members, but only microbial members consistently represented between different research groups are likely to become broadly applicable treatments. The identification of plant microbiome members can be affected by several experimental stages, including design, sample preparation, nucleic acid extraction, sequencing, and analysis. The protocols described here therefore aim to highlight crucial steps that experimenters should consider before beginning a plant microbiome study. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: epiphyte; endophyte; plant microbiomes; phyllosphere; rhizosphere
A note on a two-sided discrete-concave market with possibly bounded salaries

This paper deals with a many-to-many matching model with discrete-concave value functions and possibly bounded salaries. We extend the model of Fujishige and Tamura [(2007) Math. Oper. Res. 32, 136–155] by generalizing the payoff functions. We introduce weighted income and payments. To find a pairwise strictly stable outcome in our model, we propose an algorithm. We give a new method to modify salary vector in each iteration of the algorithm.
Strain Controlled Morphologies in the Two-Phase State

Phase transformation in solids usually involve crystal lattice rearrangement with the islands of the new phase inside the parent phase matrix. Crystal lattice mismatch produced by phase transformation is accomodated by elastic displacements generating the elastic strain field within the body. The elastic energy contained in the strain field may contribute considerably to the thermodynamics of the phase transformation, but the main effect of the elastic strain is far beyond the trivial renormalization of elastic energy. Unlike the “chemical” free energy depending only on the volume of phases, the elastic energy also depends on the morphology, shape, dispersion and mutual location of inclusions. In such a case the morphology of the alloy becomes an internal thermodynamic parameter that can be found from the free energy minimization. This, in fact, means that the conventional thermodynamics of phase transformations based on the free energy additivity should be questioned and validity of certain classical results has to be reexamined. To make more clear how far we can go in revising the theory of phase transformation when elastic energy is involved, it is noteworthy to look at the other cases when the bulk free energy proves to be dependent on morphology. The other cases where this situation takes place are ferromagnets and ferroelectrics whose magnetostatic and electrostatic energy also depend on shape, size and mutual location of domains. This dependence manifests itself, for example, in appearance of the so-called demagnetization factor, and it affects the ground state of ferromagnets.
Isotonic designs for phase I trials in partially ordered groups

Background/aims:Dose-finding trials can be conducted such that patients are first stratified into multiple risk groups before doses are allocated. The risk groups are often completely ordered in that, for a fixed dose, the probability of toxicity is monotonically increasing across groups. In some trials, the groups are only partially ordered. For example, one of several groups in a trial may be known to have the least risk of toxicity for a given dose, but the ordering of the risk among the remaining groups may not be known. The aim of the article is to introduce a method for designing dose-finding trials of cytotoxic agents in completely or partially ordered groups of patients.Methods:This article presents a method for dose-finding that combines previously proposed mathematical models, augmented with results using order restricted inference. The resulting method is computationally convenient and allows for dose-finding in trials with completely or partially ordered groups. Extensive simulations are done ...
Shotgun sphingolipid analysis of human aqueous humor

This protocol provides a step-by-step guide to shotgun sphingolipid analysis of aqueous humor. We describe the Bligh and Dyer crude lipid extraction method and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) coupled with MZmine 2.21 data processing for identification and ratiometric quantitation of sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingomyelin, and ceramide.
Biochemical basis for lymphocyte dysfunction in adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiencies.

Deoxypurine metabolism in human thymocytes and mature T lymphocytes differs remarkably from other cell types (1–3). When the normal pathways of deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine degradation are lacking in adenosine deaminase (ADA) and purine nucleoside Phosphorylase (PNP) deficient patients, human T cells exposed to even micromolar concentrations of the respective nucleosides progressively accumulate dATP or dGTP intracellularly. The dATP and dGTP increase to toxic levels primarily in this cell type because(i) in T cells deoxynucleoside phosphorylating activity substantially exceeds deoxynucleotide dephosphorylating activity, and (ii) nucleotides, as opposed to nucleosides, do not readily traverse cell membranes, and hence are trapped intracellularly.
An Introduction to Small Molecule Inhibitors and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

The first part of the book is concerned with the targeted treatment of cancers with small molecule inhibitors. These are inhibitors that have been designed to counter specific cellular defects that are responsible for initiating and maintaining the disease. The best studied example so far is the treatment of chronic myeloild leukemia (CML) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib, which has led to impressive treatment responses. Yet, drug-resistant tumor cells present an important barrier to successful treatment, especially in the advanced phase of the disease, and can lead to treatment failure. The dynamics of CML and the evolution of drug-resistant mutants will be investigated in detail in this part of the book, through the lens of mathematical models. The current chapter provides the necessary biological background to the mathematical models.
Mild traumatic brain injury: Is DTI ready for the courtroom?

Abstract Important advances in neuroscience and neuroimaging have revolutionized our understanding of the human brain. Many of these advances provide new evidence regarding compensable injuries that have been used to support changes in legal policy. For example, we now know that regions of the brain involved in decision making continue to develop into the mid-20s, and this information weighs heavily in determining that execution or automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole for someone younger than 18 years old, at the time of the crime, violates the 8th Amendment prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment.” The probative value of other testimony regarding neuroimaging, however, is less clear, particularly for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as concussion. There is nonetheless some evidence that new imaging technologies, most notably diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), may be useful in detecting mTBI. More specifically, DTI is sensitive to detecting diffuse axonal brain injuries in white matter, the most common brain injury in mTBI. DTI is, in fact, the most promising technique available today for such injuries and it is beginning to be used clinically, although it remains largely within the purview of research. Its probative value is also not clear as it may be both prejudicial and misleading given that standardization is not yet established for use in either the clinic or the courtroom, and thus it may be premature for use in either. There are also concerns with the methods and analyses that have been used to provide quantitative evidence in legal cases. It is within this context that we provide a commentary on the use of neuroimaging in the courtroom, most particularly DTI, and the admissibility of evidence, as well as the definition and role of expert testimony. While there is a great deal of evidence demonstrating cognitive impairments in attention, processing speed, memory, and concentration from neuropsychological testing following mTBI, we focus here on the more recent introduction of DTI imaging in the courtroom. We also review definitions of mTBI followed by admissibility standards for scientific evidence in the courtroom, including Daubert criteria and two subsequent cases that comprise the so-called Daubert trilogy rulings on the admissibility of expert testimony. This is followed by a brief review of neuroimaging techniques available today, the latter with an emphasis on DTI and its application to mTBI. We then review some of the court rulings on the use of DTI. We end by highlighting the importance of neuroimaging in providing a new window on the brain, while cautioning against the premature use of new advances in imaging in the courtroom before standards are established in the clinical arena, which are informed by research. We also discuss further what is needed to reach a tipping point where such advances will provide important and meaningful data with respect to their probative value.
MONAURAL SPEECH SEPARATION USING A PHASE-AWARE DEEP DENOISING AUTO ENCODER

Traditional deep denoising autoencoders (DDAE) use magnitude domain features and training targets to separate speech from background noise. Phase enhancement, however, has recently been shown to improve perceptual and objective speech quality. We present an approach that uses a DDAE to estimate phase-aware training targets from phase-aware input features. This network is denoted as a phase-aware deep denoising autoencoder (paDDAE). The short-time Fourier transform (STFT) of noisy speech is the network input, and the network estimates a phase-aware time-frequency mask. The proposed approach is evaluated across multiple conditions, including various signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), noise types, and speakers. The results show that the paDDAE offers improvements over traditional DDAEs in terms of objective speech quality and intelligibility.
Rapid classification of positive blood cultures: validation and modification of a prediction model.

OBJECTIVE: 1) To validate a previously developed prediction model to aid physicians in differentiating true positive blood cultures from contaminants when the laboratory first calls with a positive result, and 2) to determine whether it could be modified to make it more practical for clinical use without altering predictability.
Correction to: A single-dose indomethacin prophylaxis for reducing perinatal brain injury in extremely low birth weight infants: a non-inferiority analysis.

To evaluate whether rates of perinatal brain injury among extremely low birth weight infants are comparable between two treatments: single-dose indomethacin prophylaxis (SGL-IP) (0.2 mg/kg, given once) vs. standard-dose indomethacin prophylaxis (STD-IP) (0.1 mg/kg/day, 3 days). In this retrospective study, the primary outcome was perinatal brain injury (neuro-imaging evidence of intraventricular hemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia) or death before discharge. A non-inferior efficacy of an SGL-IP regimen compared with a STD-IP regimen was determined by calculating the adjusted difference in the risk of the primary outcome using a multivariable logistic regression model. A 10-percentage point non-inferiority margin was favored. Prevalence rates of primary outcome were 41.7% in the SGL-IP group (n = 403) and 42.5% in the STD-IP group (n = 509) (adjusted risk difference: −1.2, 95% CI: −7.6 to +5.2, p = 0.71). Use of a single prophylactic indomethacin dose was as effective as a standard regimen in preventing perinatal brain injury.
Dripping and vape tricks: Alternative e-cigarette use behaviors among adolescents.

Abstract Introduction E-cigarettes appeal to adolescents because of alternative uses, such as dripping (i.e., applying e-liquid directly on the atomizer) and conducting vape tricks (i.e., creating shapes from exhaled aerosol). However, little is known about these behaviors and adolescents who engage in these behaviors. Methods Using cross-sectional surveys from 4 high schools in Connecticut in 2017 (N = 2945), we assessed the frequency of dripping and conducting vape tricks, product characteristics (e.g., nicotine, flavor) used for these behaviors, and where adolescents learn about these behaviors. We also conducted multinomial logistic regression analysis to assess whether demographics, age of e-cigarette use onset, past-month-use of e-cigarettes, and lifetime use of other tobacco products were associated with dripping and/or vape tricks. Results Among ever e-cigarette users (N = 1047), 20.5% ever dripped and 54.9% ever conducted vape tricks. The most frequently endorsed 1) flavors used for both behaviors were fruit, candy, and mint, 2) nicotine concentrations used for dripping was 3 mg and for vape tricks was 0 mg, and 3) the top source for learning these behaviors were friends. The multinomial model showed that earlier age of e-cigarette use onset, past-month-use of e-cigarettes, and lifetime use of other tobacco products were associated with dripping and vape tricks. Discussion Engaging in dripping and vape tricks was associated with risky tobacco use behaviors (e.g., earlier age of onset, other tobacco use), and involved exposure to nicotine and flavors. Reducing appeal of dripping and vape tricks and preventing product characteristics that facilitate these behaviors may reduce harm to adolescents.
Chapter 8 – Job Search

This chapter discusses the process of searching for a humanitarian job. It provides insight on how to conduct a strategic and systematic search, and highlights the importance of keeping good records of your applications. It suggests a multipronged approach to the job search, including applying to advertised jobs, and identifies where these can be found online. It also suggests that networks can be used to identify opportunities. Other approaches covered in the chapter include: relocating to where the jobs are; getting on a roster, applying for special entry-level training programs, and creating your own opportunities. The chapter then discusses the application process, provides tips for application materials (resumes, CVs, and cover letters) and identifying references. It then provides interview tips and a reminder to maintain a positive attitude through the process. The chapter concludes with an exercise intended to help the reader be organized in their job search.
Combined Effects of Shunt and Luminescence Coupling on External Quantum Efficiency Measurements of Multijunction Solar Cells

The combined effects of shunt and luminescence coupling on the measurement artifact of external quantum efficiency (EQE) of multi-junction solar cells are studied. The EQE measurement artifact is modeled using DC and small-signal equivalent circuits under voltage and light bias conditions. The modeling results are verified with EQE measurements of a Ge bottom cell of a triple-junction solar cell. It is found that the optimal bias light intensity to minimize the EQE measurement artifact is the result of the tradeoff between the shunt and the luminescence coupling effects.
Blind C50 estimation from single-channel speech using a convolutional neural network

The early-to-late reverberation energy ratio is an important parameter describing the acoustic properties of an environment. C50, i.e., the ratio between the first 50 ms and the remaining late energy, affects the perceived clarity and intelligibility of speech, and can be used as a design parameter in mixed reality applications or to predict the performance of speech recognition systems. While established methods exist to derive C50 from impulse response measurements, such measurements are rarely available in practice. Recently, methods have been proposed to estimate C50 blindly from reverberant speech signals. Here, a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture with a long short-term memory (LSTM) layer is proposed to estimate C50 blindly. The CNN-LSTM operates directly on the spectrogram of variable-length, noisy, reverberant utterances. A feature comparison indicates that log Mel spectrogram features with a frame size of 128 samples achieve the best performance with an average root-mean-square error of about 2.7 dB, outperforming previously proposed blind C50 estimators.
Computation of minimum action paths of the stochastic nonlinear Schrödinger equation with dissipation

Using the geometric minimum action method, we compute minimizers of the Freidlin–Wentzell functional for the dissipative linear and nonlinear Schrodinger equation. For the particular case of transitions between solitary waves of different amplitudes, we discuss the relationship of the minimizer of the PDE model to the minimizer of a finite-dimensional reduction.
“Blocks of This Korl”: Substance as Feminist Symbol in “Life in the Iron-Mills”

In April 1861, The Atlantic Monthly stunned readers with the publication of Rebecca Harding Davis’s “Life in the Iron-Mills,” an industrial-themed tale that propelled Davis into the world of the li...
Communication between pregnant women and male partners about HIV testing in the United States.

Male partner uptake of HIV testing during antenatal care is poor despite women's reported desire for partner testing. This qualitative study of HIV-negative pregnant women and their partners in a h...
The importance of content and choice in a technology-based intervention to increase HIV testing

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine HIV testing in emergency departments and other facilities, many patients are never offered testing, and those who are offe...
Investigating linkages between the size-growth relationship and drought, nitrogen deposition, and structural complexity in western U.S. Forests

Abstract Understanding how stand structure responds to stresses such as drought and pollution could aid forest managers in evaluating silvicultural treatment success, predicting treatment durability, and designing adaptive management approaches. The size-growth relationship (SGR), a measure of growth partitioning among different size trees in a stand, may provide a means of linking stresses impacting individual trees to forest stand development and growth. No study to date has tested SGR’s response to drought and pollution, specifically N deposition, across landscapes. We combined Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) stand development and plot-level lichen bioindicator data on N deposition with climate data denoting moisture availability. Using linear regression, we examined SGR, stand structural complexity, individual tree growth and mortality in largely multi-aged, mixed species stands in California, Oregon, and Washington, USA, coniferous and pine-oak forests. Our goals were to determine a) the influence of moisture availability and/or N deposition on SGR, b) whether SGR translates to differences in stand structural complexity over time, and c) the extent to which SGR mediates the impacts of abiotic stress on tree growth and mortality. Consistent with previous research, our results indicated that SGR increased with stand density, indicative of larger trees possessing a disproportionate advantage in aboveground competition for light. SGR declined linearly with stand age, trending over time towards disproportionately slow large-tree growth. SGR strongly increased with low-moderate bioindicated N deposition, which is consistent with past findings that SGR increases with site quality and suggests that N deposition disproportionately increases growth in larger trees. We did not find evidence that drought stress (as indicated by the Palmer Drought Severity Index) influenced SGR. Stands that were already more structurally complex showed further gains in complexity under high SGR (disproportionately rapid large-tree growth), whereas stands that were initially structurally simpler increased in complexity under low SGR (disproportionately slow large tree growth). As such, individual-tree growth and mortality may drive changes in complexity. Our results support the utility of SGR as a predictor of how stress impacts stand structure, but only when accounting for initial structural complexity. Our findings also have implications for the design and durability of silvicultural treatments, given that silvicultural prescriptions often involve the manipulation of tree size distributions. Moreover, these findings underscore the importance of accounting for the historical influence of N deposition on stand development during treatment planning, as well as the likelihood of socioeconomic changes altering N deposition in the future.
State in Action, Political Settlement, and the Agrarian Flux

This book raised several questions. The task was to investigate state–class relations as an operating political settlement and examine the extent of state's autonomy from these classes. The way to do that was by scrutinising particular policies and their effect on classes. The book's focus has been on four fractions of rich farmers – big farmer, landlords, gentleman farmers, and capitalist farmers – and their sources of accumulation and political bargaining. The study adopted a political economy approach to understand the relations between class and state. The research drew on fieldwork in three Indian states – Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Karnataka – bringing out the richness of a comparative study. The reason for choosing agrarian and land policy was their utmost relevance for the classes under scrutiny. The aim was both to understand the differentiated effects of class on state apparatus and, therefore, on agricultural and land policy formulation, and the effects of these policies on the agrarian classes, that is, the class(es) that profited as a result of the policies. These are referred to as ‘forward’ and ‘backward’ linkages to policy, respectively. Agriculture is a state subject as per the Indian Constitution and, therefore, the unit of analysis in the study is the state. A three-state comparison has been drawn here, and the states were chosen on the basis of one overarching similarity and a crucial difference. Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Karnataka have largely been under the BJP's rule since 2000 and have had fewer years under the Congress. While there has been an ideological continuity between their state governments and politics, their economies differ substantially. While Chhattisgarh is primarily dependent on agriculture, the economies of Gujarat and Karnataka are driven by manufacturing and services sector, respectively. Theoretically, the book builds on the work of Poulantzas, Jessop, Bardhan, Mitra, and Khan. It rests on the premise that class is as much a political category as it is an economic category. Chapter 2 provided theoretical insights from these five key thinkers. Given this understanding of class, what is the influence of class interest on state functioning in India? A class which cannot exert political power is neither a class for itself nor a class as Poulantzas defined.
The Responsibility to Understand: Hermeneutical Contours of Ethical Life

Theodore George makes a novel case for a distinctive sense of responsibility at stake in the hermeneutical experiences of understanding and interpretation.
Bounds-Preserving Lax-Wendroff Discontinuous Galerkin Schemes for Quadrature-Based Moment-Closure Approximations of Kinetic Models.

The quadrature-based method of moments (QMOM) offers a promising class of approximation techniques for reducing kinetic equations to fluid equations that are valid beyond thermodynamic equilibrium. A major challenge with these and other closures is that whenever the flux function must be evaluated (e.g., in a numerical update), a moment-inversion problem must be solved that computes the flux from the known input moments. In this work we study a particular five-moment variant of QMOM known as HyQMOM and establish that this system is moment-invertible over a convex region in solution space. We then develop a high-order Lax-Wendroff discontinuous Galerkin scheme for solving the resulting fluid system. The scheme is based on a predictor-corrector approach, where the prediction step is a localized space-time discontinuous Galerkin scheme. The nonlinear algebraic system that arises in this prediction step is solved using a Picard iteration. The correction step is a straightforward explicit update using the predicted solution in order to evaluate space-time flux integrals. In the absence of additional limiters, the proposed high-order scheme does not in general guarantee that the numerical solution remains in the convex set over which HyQMOM is moment-invertible. To overcome this challenge, we introduce novel limiters that rigorously guarantee that the computed solution does not leave the convex set over which moment-invertible and hyperbolicity of the fluid system is guaranteed. We develop positivity-preserving limiters in both the prediction and correction steps, as well as an oscillation-limiter that damps unphysical oscillations near shocks and rarefactions. Finally, we perform convergence tests to verify the order of accuracy of the scheme, as well as test the scheme on Riemann data to demonstrate the shock-capturing and robustness of the method.
Mean Hilbert envelope coefficients (MHEC) for robust speaker and language identification

Abstract Adverse noisy conditions pose great challenges to automatic speech applications including speaker and language identification (SID and LID), where mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) are the most commonly adopted acoustic features. Although systems trained using MFCCs provide competitive performance under matched conditions, it is well-known that such systems are susceptible to acoustic mismatch between training and test conditions due to noise and channel degradations. Motivated by this fact, this study proposes an alternative noise-robust acoustic feature front-end that is capable of capturing speaker identity as well as language structure/content conveyed in the speech signal. Specifically, a feature extraction procedure inspired by the human auditory processing is proposed. The proposed feature is based on the Hilbert envelope of Gammatone filterbank outputs that represent the envelope of the auditory nerve response. The subband amplitude modulations, which are captured through smoothed Hilbert envelopes (a.k.a. temporal envelopes), carry useful acoustic information and have been shown to be robust to signal degradations. Effectiveness of the proposed front-end, which is entitled mean Hilbert envelope coefficients (MHEC), is evaluated in the context of SID and LID tasks using degraded speech material from the DARPA Robust Automatic Transcription of Speech (RATS) program. In addition, we investigate the impact of the dynamic range compression stage in the MHEC feature extraction process on performance using logarithmic and power-law nonlinearities. Experimental results indicate that: (i) the MHEC feature is highly effective and performs favorably compared to other conventional and state-of-the-art front-ends, and (ii) the power-law non-linearity consistently yields the best performance across different conditions for both SID and LID tasks.
Unusual Epithelial and Nonepithelial Neoplasms of the Prostate

The vast majority of prostatic neoplasms are epithelial, and the most common is conventional acinar prostatic adenocarcinoma. This chapter will focus exclusively on unusual epithelial and non-epithelial neoplasms that may involve the prostate. The unusual primary epithelial tumors of the prostate that will be discussed in this chapter are: mucinous adenocarcinoma of the prostate; prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma, intraductal carcinoma of the prostate, and squamous cell carcinoma; sarcomatoid carcinoma of the prostate; prostatic carcinoid tumor; prostatic adenocarcinoma with paneth cell-like neuroendocrine differentiation; small cell carcinoma; basal cell carcinoma; urothelial carcinoma; and mucin-producing urothelial-type adenocarcinoma (prostatic urethral adenocarcinoma). The unusual secondary epithelial tumors of the prostate that will be discussed in this chapter include: urothelial carcinoma and colorectal adenocarcinoma. The unusual primary mesenchymal tumors of the prostate included in this chapter include: stromal tumor of unknown malignant potential and stromal sarcoma. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor arising from the colorectal wall is the unusual secondary mesenchymal tumor of the prostate that will be discussed in this chapter.
Kinodynamic motion planning

This paper addresses the problem of kinodynamic motion planning for a non-holonomic bicycle system moving on a 2D plane in minimum time. As a solution to this optimization problem, we propose an algorithm for determining feed-forward control values, which in the absence of disturbances and uncertainties, provide a plan to move a system from an initial state to a goal state, in minimum-time. This algorithm provides great benefits at the actuator level, also known as the Executor. At this level, the algorithm is a planner which searches the state-space for control values that deliver minimum-time state trajectories. By finding feed-forward control values at the actuators level and by combining them with the reactive part of the system present in the feed-back control component, the control system can achieve better performance and smoother response to disturbances.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Gout at a University Hospital Emergency Department.

Background: Acute gout attacks account for a substantial number of visits to the emergency department (ED). Our aim was to evaluate acute gout diagnosis and treatment at a University Hospital ED. Methods: Our study was a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute gout seen in the ED 1/01/2004 - 12/31/2010. We documented: demographics, clinical characteristics, medications given, diagnostic tests, consultations and whether patients were hospitalized. Descriptive and summary statistics were performed on all variables. Results: We found 541 unique ED visit records of patients whose discharge diagnosis was acute gout over a 7 year period. 0.13% of ED visits were due to acute gout. The mean patient age was 54; 79% were men. For 118 (22%) this was their first attack. Attack duration was ≤ 3 days in 75%. Lower extremity joints were most commonly affected. Arthrocentesis was performed in 42 (8%) of acute gout ED visits. During 355 (66%) of ED visits, medications were given in the ED and/or prescribed. An anti-inflammatory drug was given during the ED visit during 239 (44%) visits. Medications given during the ED visit included: NSAIDs: 198 (56%): opiates 190 (54%); colchicine 32 (9%) and prednisone 32 (9%). During 154 (28%) visits an anti-inflammatory drug was prescribed. Thirty two (6%) were given no medications during the ED visit nor did they receive a prescription. Acute gout rarely (5%) led to hospitalizations. Conclusion: The diagnosis of acute gout in the ED is commonly clinical and not crystal proven. Anti-inflammatory drugs are the mainstay of treatment in acute gout; yet, during more than 50% of ED visits, anti-inflammatory drugs were not given during the visit. Thus, improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of acute gout in the ED may be required.
The potential role of stratospheric ozone in the stratosphere-ionosphere coupling during stratospheric warmings

The recent discovery of large ionospheric disturbances associated with sudden stratospheric warmings (SSW) has challenged the current understanding of mechanisms coupling the stratosphere and ionosphere. Non-linear interaction of planetary waves and tides has been invoked as a primary mechanism for such coupling. Here we show that planetary waves may play a more complex role than previously thought. Planetary wave forcing induces a global circulation that leads to the build-up of ozone density in the tropics at 30–50 km altitude, the primary region responsible for the generation of the migrating semidiurnal tide. The increase in the ozone density reaches 25% and lasts for ∼35 days following the SSW, long after the collapse of the planetary waves. Ozone enhancements are not only associated with SSW but are also observed after other amplifications in planetary waves. In addition, the longitudinal distribution of the ozone becomes strongly asymmetric, potentially leading to the generation of non-migrating semidiurnal tides. We report a persistent increase in the variability of ionospheric total electron content that coincides with the increase in stratospheric ozone and we suggest that the ozone fluctuations affect the ionosphere through the modified tidal forcing.