cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Duration of humoral immunity to common viral and vaccine antigens.

We performed a longitudinal analysis of antibody titers specific for viral antigens (vaccinia, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella–zoster virus, and Epstein–Barr virus) and nonreplicating antigens (tetanus and diphtheria) in 45 subjects for a period of up to 26 years. In addition, we measured antigen-specific memory B cells by means of limiting-dilution analysis, and we compared memory B-cell frequencies to their corresponding serum antibody levels. Results Antiviral antibody responses were remarkably stable, with half-lives ranging from an estimated 50 years for varicella–zoster virus to more than 200 years for other viruses such as measles and mumps. Antibody responses against tetanus and diphtheria antigens waned more quickly, with estimated half-lives of 11 years and 19 years, respectively. B-cell memory was long-lived, but there was no significant correlation between peripheral memory B-cell numbers and antibody levels for five of the eight antigens tested. Conclusions These studies provide quantitative analysis of serologic memory for multiple antigens in subjects followed longitudinally over the course of more than one decade. In cases in which multiple exposures or repeated vaccinations were common, memory B-cell numbers did not correlate with antibody titers. This finding suggests that peripheral memory B cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells may represent independently regulated cell populations and may play different roles in the maintenance of protective immunity.
Theory of quasiparticle energies: Band gaps and excitation spectra in solids

A first-principles theory for the band gaps and electronic excitation energies in crystals is described. Optical and photoemission spectra are properly interpreted as transitions between quasiparticle states of the many-electron system. The theory requires adequate treatment of the Coulomb interaction between the electrons including exchange and dynamical correlation effects. The nonlocal energy-dependent electron self-energy operator is evaluated from first principles using the full dielectric matrix and the dressed Green's function. Quasiparticle energies for materials covering a wide range of metallicity and ionicity are presented. With no empirical input, the calculated band gaps, optical transition energies, and band dispersions are all within a few percent of experimental values. For semiconductors and insulators, we find that local field effects in the screening of the Coulomb interaction and dynamical renormalization are both crucial for accurate results. The present method also extends beyond the case of bulk crystals, e.g., to surfaces. Results on the surface state energies of the Ge(111):As and Si(111):As surface are discussed and compared with experiment. 34 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.
Why does electron sharing lead to covalent bonding? A variational analysis

Ground state energy differences between related systems can be elucidated by a comparative variational analysis of the energy functional, in which the concepts of variational kinetic pressure and variational electrostatic potential pull are found useful. This approach is applied to the formation of the bond in the hydrogen molecule ion. A highly accurate wavefunction is shown to be the superposition of two quasiatomic orbitals, each of which consists to 94% of the respective atomic 1s orbital, the remaining 6% deformation being 73% spherical and 27% nonspherical in character. The spherical deformation can be recovered to 99.9% by scaling the 1s orbital. These results quantify the conceptual metamorphosis of the free-atom wavefunction into the molecular wavefunction by orbital sharing, orbital contraction, and orbital polarization. Starting with the 1s orbital on one atom as the initial trial function, the value of the energy functional of the molecule at the equilibrium distance is stepwise lowered along several sequences of wavefunction modifications, whose energies monotonically decrease to the ground state energy of H. The contributions of sharing, contraction and polarization to the overall lowering of the energy functional and their kinetic and potential components exhibit a consistent pattern that can be related to the wavefunction changes on the basis of physical reasoning, including the virial theorem. It is found that orbital sharing lowers the variational kinetic energy pressure and that this is the essential cause of covalent bonding in this molecule. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 28: 391-410, 2007
Cardiopulmonary Bypass after 50 Years

A little more than 50 years ago the heart–lung machine was invented. Dr. L. Henry Edmunds describes how it was not recognized that the heart–lung machine was among the major culprits causing suboptimal results.
Social Network Analysis in Transnational Settings: The Case of Mexico City’s AIDS CBOs

Using a case study approach, I show how transnational civil society networks both help and hinder community-based HIV/AIDS organizations by providing opportunities for community-state partnerships that favor some local organizations over others, and (re)produce intra-organizational stratification at the local level. In the case of Mexico City, transnational ties encourage community-based AIDS organizations to develop formal organizational forms and strategies (negotiating fronts) which often enhance organizational sustainability and draw organizations into a closer relationship with the state institutionalized sphere. However, such ties also create divisions (political fronts) between outsider and insider organizations that compromise local inter-organizational collaboration and service delivery. As a result, transnational networks and resources solidify outsider-insider conflicts and balkanize service provision along political lines. The conclusions of this research are helpful to international health practitioners and social scientists seeking to understand how transnational networks and resources shape global civil society, and can both challenge and reproduce existing community-state power regimes and health inequities at local and transnational levels.
Early referral and its impact on emergent first dialyses, health care costs, and outcome

Early referral (ER) to nephrologists of patients with chronic renal failure was assessed for its impact on the incidence of emergent first dialyses and choice of dialysis modality (hemodialysis [HD] or peritoneal dialysis [PD]), and survival. We reviewed events preceding first dialyses of 238 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) starting dialysis between January 1990 and April 1997, with follow-up extending through November 1997. Patients referred more than 1 month before needing dialysis (early referral [ER]) were compared with patients presenting within 30 days of needing dialysis (late referral [LR]). The need for emergent HD was significantly less among ER (29%) as compared with LR (90%) (P < 0.0001). Initial modality chosen was similar among ER patients (59% for HD v 41% for PD), a finding that contrasts with national percentages, which approximate 85% and 15%, respectively. Whereas most patients had not changed modality at 4 months, significantly more had changed from HD to PD (36 of 160 or 23%) than from PD to HD (7 of 78 or 9%) (P < 0.0001). Despite starting out on HD, ER and LR patients were amenable to ultimately changing to PD. ER and LR groups had similar numbers of Medicaid patients and patients living 1 hour or more distant to tertiary medical care. Furthermore, no difference was observed in the incidence of emergent HD when ER and LR living more than 1 hour away were compared. LR was not associated with lack of insurance or distance from referral site, although these patients more often required emergent HD, with its higher attendant medical care costs. Controlling for age and cause of ESRD, there was no statistically significant difference in long-term survival when ER patients were compared with LR patients or when patients who had received emergent HD were compared with those who had not. Despite the lack of difference in long-term survival, the financial costs of emergent HD alone merit greater promotion of ER and the psychosocial preparation and modality choice it allows.
The Case for Performance Management In Public Works and Infrastructure

This article serves as the introduction for the four articles in this symposium issue on performance measurement and management for public works and public infrastructure. The effective management of performance in public works organizations has received an inadequate amount of study in the academic literature and it is hoped that this symposium will provide the impetus for more research on the important of performance measurement and management in public works organizations. The complexity of and challenges to performance measurement and management in public works organizations, themes that cut across all the symposium articles, are outlined and discussed in this introduction article.
Vitamin D3 as a novel regulator of basic fibroblast growth factor in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis

Background The immunopathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is largely unknown, but it is thought that different inflammatory profiles are responsible for the different CRS subtypes. 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25-VD3) has been shown to alter inflammatory mediators in other disease processes and 25VD3 deficiency is associated with CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), but it is unknown if 25VD3 levels impacts local inflammation in CRS. This study investigated the correlation between plasma 25-VD3 and sinonasal mucus MCP-1, RANTES and bFGF levels in patients with CRS.
A real-time and robust approach for short-term multiple objects tracking

A real-time and robust approach for short-term multiple objects tracking is proposed in this paper. In this method, motion detection is used to detect moving objects in fixed scenes. A special and efficient method of morphological operation is applied to filter noise and connect split objects by a window with user defined size. Object matching is done by nearest neighbor method based on distance associated with position, color histogram and gradient orientation histogram. A simple but efficient tracking method is also proposed. The experiment results demonstrate that our method is very robust to track objects and handle short-term occlusion. And, the computation cost of our approach is very low that high-level features can be added to our tracking method to enhance the tracking performance when long-term occlusion.
Inferring landscape effects on gene flow: a new model selection framework

Populations in fragmented landscapes experience reduced gene flow, lose genetic diversity over time and ultimately face greater extinction risk. Improving connectivity in fragmented landscapes is now a major focus of conservation biology. Designing effective wildlife corridors for this purpose, however, requires an accurate understanding of how landscapes shape gene flow. The preponderance of landscape resistance models generated to date, however, is subjectively parameterized based on expert opinion or proxy measures of gene flow. While the relatively few studies that use genetic data are more rigorous, frameworks they employ frequently yield models only weakly related to the observed patterns of genetic isolation. Here, we describe a new framework that uses expert opinion as a starting point. By systematically varying each model parameter, we sought to either validate the assumptions of expert opinion, or identify a peak of support for a new model more highly related to genetic isolation. This approach also accounts for interactions between variables, allows for nonlinear responses and excludes variables that reduce model performance. We demonstrate its utility on a population of mountain goats inhabiting a fragmented landscape in the Cascade Range, Washington.
Patterns of Human Uterine Contractions: Implications for Clinical Practice

p re term birth accounts for approximately 10% of all deliveries, 1 but is associated with over 80% of newborn deaths and more than 95% of major newborn morbidity. 2 Despite the wide availability and use of labor-inhibiting agents, the most recent data document a 13% increase in the pre te rm birth rate during the past decade. Strategies proposed to reduce the incidence of pre term birth include both prevention and inhibition of premature labor. The first approach has been limited by inability to accurately predict the patient destined to develop pre term labor. The second approach has been equally unsuccessful, partly because o f lack of efficacy of currently available tocolytics and partly because of delayed diagnosis and intervention. Attempts to improve therapy have spurred efforts to improve early recognition of preterm labor, 3 including the widespread use of home uterine activity monitoring (HUAM). This controversial technology is typically used in patients suspected to have unrecognized uterine contractions 4 in hopes that recognit ion o f "crescendo" uterine contraction patterns before the onset of frank labor may afford time for effective intervention. Although some studies suggest that HUAM is effective in this regard, 5'6 findings of other conflicting studies, 71~ coupled with the high expense of HUAM, have left the clinician in a difficult position. Of additional concern is the lack of normative data regarding human uterine contraction patterns in normal pregnancy against which to judge data obtained with HUAM in patients at risk for pre term delivery. Although investigations in high-risk populations suggest that contract ion frequency increases as gestation advances, ~1 the precise norms have been unavail-
Information use and illness representations: Understanding their connection in illness coping

According to Leventhal’s Common Sense Model of illness regulation, people approach and deal with their illnesses differently depending on their cognitive representations of them. Thus, understanding people’s illness representations can be invaluable when assisting them to develop lifestyle modifications that improve their health. What role does information use play in this equation? This is the crucial question addressed by this two-part study. Part 1 hypothesizes a model of how information use at different timepoints may affect illness representations, and then tests this model. The study found that a number of information use type and time pairings (e.g., information used to consult healthcare practitioners at symptom onset) were significantly associated with present-day level of personal control. The results suggest that it is not merely type or timing of information use alone that is helpful in illness coping, but the coupling of the two; this has several implications for the design of patient education programs. Part 2 examines how information use and illness representations differ based on the way an individual participates in online health forums and social media sites. The following four different participation styles were investigated: nonuser, only reading (“lurker”), posting occasionally but largely reading (“infrequent poster”), and reading and posting (“poster”). Differences in both information use and illness perceptions were found, and the implications of these are discussed.
Steady separated flow in a linearly decelerated free stream

Numerical methods are used to investigate the separated flow over a finite flat plate when the flow at large distances is given by the stream function ψ_∞ = -xy and the plate is situated on the x axis from - 1 to 1. The range of nominal Reynolds number is 10-800. Reduced-mesh calculations are used for fine resolution of the flow field in the immediate vicinity of the separation point. Streamlines, equivorticity lines, and shear stress and pressure gradient at the plate surface illustrate the overall structure of the flow. In each case the streamwise pressure gradient is less than that for undisturbed potential flow and the position of separation is consequently downstream of that predicted by classical boundary layer theory. The boundary-layer structure in the vicinity of the separation point shows a direct transition between the regular upstream behaviour and Dean’s (1950) solution right at separation with no sign whatever of intermediate singular behaviour of the type predicted by Goldstein (1948). The implications of these results for the structure of high Reynolds number, steady, laminar flow are discussed.
Teaching Business Students about HIV and AIDS in the Workplace: Curriculum and Resources.

The significant and increasing number of people in the U.S. and global work-forces who are infected with HIV or who have AIDS must be managed differently from those who are not infected and those who have other life-threatening diseases. Business schools can prepare their MBA students to effectively, legally, and compassionately manage people with HIV infection or AIDS and to deal with all other workers who are affected by these conditions by offering a short, noncredit or one-credit, required course about how to do so. This article describes one such course that teaches students how to develop a workplace HIV/AIDS program, including policy development, manager and labor leader training, and employee and family education. Presentation options other than a stand-alone course for MBA students are considered as well.
Towards a Data Literate Citizenry

We believe that data literacy should be a skill not just for scientists, but for all citizens. We make the case by considering literatures on various kinds of literacy, and using a number of examples to explore some of the challenges that emerge from trying to move to a more data literate citizenry. We consider the opportunities arising from developing technologies to help individual communities and intermediaries in understanding how data should inform personal and societal decision-making.
Graded Effects of Spatial and Featural Attention on Human Area MT and Associated Motion Processing Areas

Beauchamp, Michael S., Robert W. Cox, and Edgar A. DeYoe. Graded effects of spatial and featural attention on human area MT and associated motion processing areas. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 516–520, 199...
Modification of the Epidermal Growth Factor Response by Ammonia in Renal Cell Hypertrophy

Abstract. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) causes proliferation in renal tubular cells but, when it is combined with transforming growth factor-β1, it causes hypertrophy by a mechanism that requires the activity of the retinoblastoma family of proteins. In contrast, ammonia causes hypertrophy by decreasing lysosomal proteolysis; in some cell types, it also decreases cellular proliferation. These studies were designed to determine whether ammonia, like transforming growth factor-β1, could convert EGF-induced hyperplasia to hypertrophy. Cultured NRK-52E cells were incubated with EGF and/or ammonia and the protein/DNA ratio was measured, as a marker of hypertrophy. Addition of ammonia to EGF-treated NRK-52E cells converted EGF-induced hyperplasia to hypertrophy, because of a decrease in DNA synthesis. The mechanism involved no change in EGF-induced protein synthesis. Inhibition of lysosomal function with a proton pump inhibitor or lysosomal protease inhibitors also converted the response of EGF-treated cells to hypertrophy. Expression of the human papilloma virus 16 E7 protein (which inactivates all members of the retinoblastoma family) prevented ammonia from converting EGF-induced hyperplasia to hypertrophy. It is concluded that ammonia converts EGF-induced hyperplasia to hypertrophy by a mechanism that involves suppression of lysosomal function and this response can be blocked by inhibiting the activity of the retinoblastoma family of proteins.
Stem cells and spinal fusion--are we there yet?

Commentary On Wheeler DL, Fredericks DC, Dryer RF, Bae HW. Allogeneic mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) combined with an osteoconductive scaffold to promote lumbar interbody spine fusion in an ovine model. Spine J 2016:16:389–99 ( in this issue ).
Burnout experienced by recent pharmacy graduates of Mercer University.

The degree of burnout experienced by graduates of the Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy from 1973 to 1983 was studied. Questionnaires were mailed to 1000 alumni, representing 850 Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and 150 Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) graduates. Three components of burnout--emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement--were measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory to determine relationships between burnout and primary work setting, primary work activity, and type of degree (Pharm.D. or B.S.). The response rate was 41%. The respondents experienced a moderate degree of burnout. Those pharmacists working primarily in community chain store settings reported greater levels of burnout than those working in hospital or institutional pharmacies, independent community pharmacies, academia, and home health care. Respondents who performed primarily nondistributive duties (direct patient care, drug information, teaching or research, and management or administration) experienced lower levels of burnout than those involved primarily in drug distribution. Pharmacists holding the Pharm.D. degree were involved to a greater extent in nondistributive positions and experienced a lower degree of burnout than the pharmacists holding a B.S. degree only. Pharmacists in nondistributive roles appear to be less affected by burnout than pharmacists performing traditional distributive activities.
A Modest Proposal Regarding the Matching Principle

Professor Seago, with apologies to Jonathan Swift, makes the modest proposal that the matching principle of financial accounting should play a role in the determination of whether the taxpayer's accounting method clearly reflects income. Contrary to the conclusions in a recent law review article, Professor Seago concludes that the matching principle is (as it should be) still used by Congress, the courts, and the Internal Revenue Service as an important consideration in evaluating accounting methods. According to Professor Seago, the previously unacknowledged benefit of matching is that it is consistent with a system of annual accounting and progressive tax rates. Matching, when combined with progressive rates, produces a good measure of the taxpayer's ability to pay.
The Control Measures for Welding Deformation on Automobile Frame Body

According to the problems that welding deformation are easily existing in the special shaped tube parts of automobile frame body, the deformation were strictly controlled from the design of welding pieces, welding technology and machinery correction etc. As a result, it has ensured that the dimension precision to reach the assembly requirements.
A Bayesian Race Model for Recognition Memory

ABSTRACTMany psychological models use the idea of a trace, which represents a change in a person’s cognitive state that arises as a result of processing a given stimulus. These models assume that a trace is always laid down when a stimulus is processed. In addition, some of these models explain how response times (RTs) and response accuracies arise from a process in which the different traces race against each other. In this article, we present a Bayesian hierarchical model of RT and accuracy in a difficult recognition memory experiment. The model includes a stochastic component that probabilistically determines whether a trace is laid down. The RTs and accuracies are modeled using a minimum gamma race model, with extra model components that allow for the effects of stimulus, sequential dependencies, and trend. Subject-specific effects, as well as ancillary effects due to processes such as perceptual encoding and guessing, are also captured in the hierarchy. Predictive checks show that our model fits the ...
Rutgers' 1870 Centennial Celebration and Other Charter-related Puzzles

As Rutgers celebrates its 250th anniversary, this article looks back at other moments of celebration in its history, particularly its centennial celebration and the first Charter Day. It discusses how, after celebrating the centennial in the "wrong" year, the Rutgers community came to have a better understanding of its own founding and history. This article examines how Charter Day came into being, and demonstrates the impact of Rutgers' acquisition of a contemporaneous copy of its second charter (from 1770).
Self Heating in Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors at Cryogenic Temperatures

Piezoresistive pressure transducers are being used in cryogenic environments for measuring dynamic and absolute pressures without the use of capillary tubes. A common type of piezoresistive pressure transducer is constructed on a micromachined silicon diaphragm that has an implanted resistance bridge on its surface. It is well known that these transducers have temperature dependent properties that are regular and reproducible and which can be accommodated via standard calibration techniques. However, we have found that at temperatures below 30 K some of these sensors display secondary effects caused by self heating. Self heating in a piezoresistive pressure sensor operating at cryogenic temperatures causes calibration errors due to the thermally dependent sensitivity changes of the transducer (about 1%/K). A similar calibration problem occurs when the sensors are used to measure pressure fluctuations in a cryogenic gas that is also changing temperature, especially below 30 K. Although the self heating problem can be avoided by the use of very low excitation currents, the problem of measuring pressure fluctuations in a gas undergoing temperature changes is much more difficult and less tractable.
From Nation-Building to Crisis

The Character of Mexican Nationalism: Nation-building and State-building The discourse of Mexican nationalism has been of significant functional value to the state-building projects of liberal elites, offering a means of creating a unified citizenry from a divided and unequal society, nation-building. This doctrine evolved in a tense relationship with the economic liberalism espoused by those self-same elites, because of a structural characteristic of Mexican capitalist development: inequality. A key question raised by the examination of nationalism in Mexico is to what extent national identity can be seen as a justificatory fiction constructed by elites in the pursuit of socio-political change; or as a causative agent in its own right that embodies the social and cultural realities propelling that change. An examination of Mexican history suggests that the relationship between nationalism and elite projects has been influenced by the former's value in providing the terms for the construction of a shared nationality in a heterogeneous and divided society. In this context, the state is of central importance in understanding the evolution and fate of nationalism in Mexico. The development of nationalist ideology commonly has been traced alongside the efforts of literate elites to consolidate an autonomous central political authority in circumstances of internal division and external threat, that is, as an adjunct to state-building; it has also been analysed as part of a modernizing or industrializing formula, as a mobilizing force, or as a unifying, integrating and hence legitimizing ideology.
Replication of a heteroplasmic population of normal and partially-deleted human mitochondrial genomes

Large populations of deletions of human mitochondrial DNA (δ-mtDNAs), often associated with sporadic Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS), are thought to arise as a clonal expansion of an initial mutation event occurring early in oogenesis or embryogenesis. This hypothesis implies that a single mutated molecule is amplified during the lifespan of the patient, perhaps because δ-mtDNAs, which are smaller than wild-type genomes (wt-mtDNAs), have a replicative advantage over wt-mtDNAs. To address this question, we compared the rates of completion of mtDNA circles in fibroblasts containing a heteroplasmic population of 16.6-kb wt-mtDNAs and partially-deleted 9.1-kb δ-mtDNAs (i.e. a 7.5-kb deletion). We found essentially no difference in the rate of completion of δ-mtDNAs as compared to wt-mtDNAs (i.e. equal numbers of wt-mtDNA and δ-mtDNA circles were completed per unit time). Thus, the massive proliferation of δ-mtDNAs in KSS muscle is likely not due simply to differential rates of duplication of smaller genomes.
Long-Time Asymptotics for Solutions of the NLS Equation with a Delta Potential and Even Initial Data: Announcement of Results

We consider the one-dimensional focusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLS) with a delta potential and even initial data. The problem is equivalent to the solution of the initial/boundary problem for NLS on a half-line with Robin boundary conditions at the origin. We follow the method of Bikbaev and Tarasov which utilizes a Backlund transformation to extend the solution on the half-line to a solution of the NLS equation on the whole line. We study the asymptotic stability of the stationary 1-soliton solution of the equation under perturbation by applying the nonlinear steepest-descent method for Riemann–Hilbert problems introduced by Deift and Zhou. Our work strengthens, and extends, the earlier work on the problem by Holmer and Zworski.
A blind Adaptive Stimulation Artifact Rejection (ASAR) engine for closed-loop implantable neuromodulation systems

In this work we propose an energy-efficient, implantable, real-time, blind Adaptive Stimulation Artifact Rejection (ASAR) engine. This enables concurrent neural stimulation and recording for state-of-the-art closed-loop neuromodulation systems. Two engines, implemented in 40nm CMOS, achieve convergence of p-p by 49.2dB, without any prior knowledge of the stimulation pulse. The LFP and Spike ASAR designs occupy an area of 0.197mm2 and 0.209mm2, and consume 1.73µW and 3.02µW, respectively at 0.644V.
A commentary on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation stability in climate models

Abstract The stability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) in ocean models depends quite strongly on the model formulation, especially the vertical mixing, and whether it is coupled to an atmosphere model. A hysteresis loop in AMOC strength with respect to freshwater forcing has been found in several intermediate complexity climate models and in one fully coupled climate model that has very coarse resolution. Over 40% of modern climate models are in a bistable AMOC state according to the very frequently used simple stability criterion which is based solely on the sign of the AMOC freshwater transport across 33° S. In a recent freshwater hosing experiment in a climate model with an eddy-permitting ocean component, the change in the gyre freshwater transport across 33° S is larger than the AMOC freshwater transport change. This casts very strong doubt on the usefulness of this simple AMOC stability criterion. If a climate model uses large surface flux adjustments, then these adjustments can interfere with the atmosphere–ocean feedbacks, and strongly change the AMOC stability properties. AMOC can be shut off for many hundreds of years in modern fully coupled climate models if the hosing or carbon dioxide forcing is strong enough. However, in one climate model the AMOC recovers after between 1000 and 1400 years. Recent 1% increasing carbon dioxide runs and RCP8.5 future scenario runs have shown that the AMOC reduction is smaller using an eddy-resolving ocean component than in the comparable standard 1° ocean climate models.
Working and Living Conditions and Psychological Distress in Latino Migrant Day Laborers

Background. Little research has been conducted on relations between challenging working and living conditions and psychological distress in Latino migrant day laborers (LMDLs), a particularly marginalized Latino population in the United States. Aims. Consistent with a structural-environmental framework of LMDL vulnerability to health and mental health problems, this study tests a model of hypothesized pathways between working and living conditions and multiple forms of psychological distress. Method. Structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model with 344 LMDLs who participated in a cross-sectional survey in the San Francisco Bay Area. Results. As hypothesized, results reveal pathways between (1) working and living conditions; (2) working and living conditions and depression, as well as desesperacion (desperation), the latter a Latino cultural idiom of distress frequently expressed by LMDLs; and (3) between living conditions and alcohol use. Discussion. Findings increase understanding regarding how challenging working and living conditions contribute to the same, as well as different, forms of psychological distress in LMDLs. Conclusions. Implications for mitigating structural vulnerability to psychological distress can be addressed at multiple social-ecological levels ranging from community-based support for enhancing LMDL employment (e.g., via day labor centers) to expanding the availability of work authorization for undocumented workers.
Quantitative determination of beta-cyclodextrin in a powder insulin formulation for nasal delivery using hydrophilic interaction chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection

This study demonstrated the first application of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) for the analysis of beta-cyclodextrin in a peptide...
The Pol β variant containing exon α is deficient in DNA polymerase but has full dRP lyase activity.

DNA polymerase (Pol) β is a key enzyme in base excision repair (BER), an important repair system for maintaining genomic integrity. We previously reported the presence of a Pol β transcript containing exon α (105-nucleotide) in normal and colon cancer cell lines. The transcript carried an insertion between exons VI and VII and was predicted to encode a ~42 kDa variant of the wild-type 39 kDa enzyme. However, little is known about the biochemical properties of the exon α-containing Pol β (exon α Pol β) variant. Here, we first obtained evidence indicating expression of the 42 kDa exon α Pol β variant in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The exon α Pol β variant was then overexpressed in E. coli, purified, and characterized for its biochemical properties. Kinetic studies of exon α Pol β revealed that it is deficient in DNA binding to gapped DNA, has strongly reduced polymerase activity and higher Km for dNTP during gap-filling. On the other hand, the 5′-dRP lyase activity of the exon α Pol β variant is similar to that of wild-type Pol β. These results indicate the exon α Pol β variant is base excision repair deficient, but does conduct 5′-trimming of a dRP group at the gap margin. Understanding the biological implications of this Pol β variant warrants further investigation.
Pericardial Effusion after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Is Associated with Poor Survival

Background Pericardial effusion (PE) is a rare but life-threatening complication that can occur following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT). The incidence in pediatric post-HCT population has been reported to be between 9%-37%. The underlying etiology is unclear and small studies have reported high morbidity and mortality in patients who develop PE post-HCT. Various studies have attempted to analyze the risk factors associated with occurrence of PE after HCT but detailed analysis is limited due to low incidence. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the University of Minnesota's Blood and Marrow Transplant database for occurrence of PE after HCT in patients less than 18 years between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2018. Data was analyzed to compare the overall survival (OS) in patients who developed PE with those who did not. Risk factors analyzed included age, graft versus host disease (GVHD), type of conditioning regimen, graft source, underlying disease and human leukocyte antigen matching using univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression model. Results A total of 770 patients underwent HCT during the study period, of which 162 (21%) developed PE. The median age of transplant for patients who developed PE was 8 years with about 60% males (n=98). Median time to development of PE after HCT was 69 days. Children who developed PE post-HCT had a significantly poor survival (2-year OS of 66%, confidence interval (CI): 58-73% vs 78%, CI: 75-81% in controls; p Conclusion Pericardial effusion after HCT is associated with a higher mortality and higher risk of severe acute GVHD. The high-risk group (underlying malignancy, receiving myeloablative conditioning and UCB transplant) should be monitored closely for development of PE.
A Meta-Analysis Examining the Effect of E-Book Use on Literacy Outcomes for Students in Grades K-12.

To better understand the impact of using e-books on students’ reading outcomes, we conducted a meta-analysis of 14 studies with students in grades K–12 published between 2007 and 2018. Findings rev...
Dual-Class Stock Structures and Society: How Unequal Voting Rights Affect Innovation, Insiders, Investors, and the Public

Publicly traded stocks often have less legal rights attached to them (in terms of voting, for example) than the class of stocks held by company insiders. This paper analyzes the winners and losers of such structures with multiple classes of stocks, and whether regulation is appropriate. I argue that governmental regulation would cause more harm than good, and that self-regulation within the industry--which itself is made up of opposing interests--is more appropriate.
Mastering the Use of Control Variables: the Hierarchical Iterative Control (HIC) Approach

There has been growing criticism of the established practice of automatically including control variables into analyses, especially with survey studies. Several authors have explained the pitfalls of improper use and have provided some best practice advice. I build upon this foundation in suggesting a programmatic approach to the use of control variables that can provide evidence to support or refute feasible explanations for why two or more variables are related. The hierarchical iterative control (HIC) approach begins by establishing a connection between two or more variables and then hierarchically adds control variables to rule in or out their possible influence. The HIC approach involves conducting a series of studies to iteratively test relationships among target variables, utilizing a variety of control variable strategies involving multiple methods. A 7-step programmatic approach is described beginning with development of the research question and background literature review and then conducting empirical tests in a hierarchical (within a study) and iterative (across studies) manner.
BBSome Component BBS5 Is Required for Cone Photoreceptor Protein Trafficking and Outer Segment Maintenance.

Purpose To identify the role of the BBSome protein Bardet-Biedl syndrome 5 (BBS5) in photoreceptor function, protein trafficking, and structure using a congenital mutant mouse model. Methods Bbs5-/- mice (2 and 9 months old) were used to assess retinal function and morphology. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of retinal sections was performed to visualize histology. Electroretinography was used to analyze rod and cone photoreceptor function. Retinal protein localization was visualized using immunofluorescence (IF) within retinal cryosections. TUNEL staining was used to quantify cell death. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to examine retinal ultrastructure. Results In the Bbs5-/- retina, there was a significant loss of nuclei in the outer nuclear layer accompanied by an increase in cell death. Through electroretinography, Bbs5-/- mice showed complete loss of cone photoreceptor function. IF revealed mislocalization of the cone-specific proteins M- and S-opsins, arrestin-4, CNGA3, and GNAT2, as well as a light-dependent arrestin-1 mislocalization, although perpherin-2 was properly localized. TEM revealed abnormal outer segment disk orientation in Bbs5-/-. Conclusions Collectively, these data suggest that, although BBS5 is a core BBSome component expressed in all ciliated cells, its role within the retina mediates specific photoreceptor protein cargo transport. In the absence of BBS5, cone-specific protein mislocalization and a loss of cone photoreceptor function occur.
Religion, classification struggles, and the state’s exercise of symbolic power

The capacity to classify social groups legally is a central characteristic of modern states. Social groups, however, often resist the classificatory schemas of the state. This raises the following question: how do modern states exercise symbolic power in social fields beset by acute classification struggles? While existing scholarship has demonstrated that states exercise symbolic power, there has not been a concomitant effort to systematize and theorize the various strategies through which they do so. This article addresses this lacuna through examining classification struggles centered on a number of “heterodox” religious groups that have historically been perceived as deviant from mainstream religions. Specifically, it looks at Falun Gong in China, Mormons in the United States, and Baha’is in Egypt. The analysis draws attention to three strategies through which states exercise symbolic power: coercive classification, wherein the deviant group is forcibly fixed as such in law; juridical normalization, whereby the deviant group is allowed to enter the mainstream by shedding “problematic” ritual practices; and legal erasure, whereby the deviant group is kept out of the official classificatory system so that it becomes a legal non-entity. In summary, this article both identifies the religious field as a critical domain in which states of various ideological orientations exercise symbolic power and deploys this analysis to identify distinct strategies through which they do so.
Militancia femenina contra la dictadura de Pinochet: Legitimación memorística de La mujer metralleta

This essay analyzes the representation of female activism in La mujer metralleta , a documentary by Chilean Francisco Lopez Ballo that reconstructs the biography of Marcela Rodriguez Valdivieso, a guerrilla who has succumbed to the oblivion in Chile. It is necessary to highlight her anti-dictatorial fight in order to recover her name and that of so many other militants. My study aims to eliminate the prevailing silence around the exiles who also contributed to the redemocratization processes in Chile and participated in the resistance against Pinochet. Despite their constant political activism, women have been excluded from official historiography. This essay claims a place in the world to one of the many activists who experienced the process of Chilean exile and whose biography contributes to a better understanding of female activism. This documentary offers a new approach to the past is constructed that questions the relations between the State and the revolutionary position of women, despite the fact that women have historically played a marginal role in war conflicts. My paper points out the relevance of this guerrilla, how this documentary contributes to reconstructing history and how exile affects the transmission of memories.
Breeding at higher latitude is associated with higher photoperiodic threshold and delayed reproductive development in a songbird

Many seasonally breeding animals exhibit a threshold day length (critical photoperiod; CPP) for gonadal growth, and populations breeding at higher latitudes typically have a higher CPP. Much less is known about latitudinal variation in CPP in migratory population that winter away from their breeding range and must time their reproduction to match favorable conditions at their destination. To address the relationship between migration, breeding latitude, and CPP, we held two closely related songbird populations in a common environment. One population is resident (Junco hyemalis carolinensis), the other winters in sympatry with the residents but migrates north to breed (Junco hyemalis hyemalis). We gradually increased photoperiod and measured indices of readiness to migrate (fat score, body mass) and breed (cloacal protuberance volume, baseline testosterone, and gonadotropin releasing hormone challenged testosterone). To estimate breeding latitude, we measured hydrogen isotopes in feathers grown the preceding year. As we predicted, we found a higher CPP in migrants than residents, and a higher CPP among migrants deriving from higher as opposed to lower latitudes. Migrants also terminated breeding earlier than residents, indicating a shorter breeding season. To our knowledge, this is a first demonstration of latitudinal variation in CPP-dependent reproductive timing in bird populations that co-exist in the non-breeding season but breed at different latitudes. We conclude that bird populations appear to exhibit local adaptation in reproductive timing by relying on differential CPP response that is predictive of future conditions on the breeding ground.
Building Criminal Capital vs. Specific Deterrence: The Effect of Incarceration Length on Recidivism

In evaluating the efficacy of most modern criminal justice systems, a vital relationship to understand is that between incarceration length (and likelihood) and recidivism. Because most previous attempts to estimate this relationship suffer from omitted variables bias, even the sign is unknown. In this paper, I build on previous work identifying substantial heterogeneity in attorney ability in a public defender office with random case assignment. I make use of this variation to address the omitted variables problem by instrumenting for sentence length and incarceration rate using the randomly assigned public defender. A negative relationship between recidivism and sentence length goes away when instrumenting for sentence. Similarly, a positive and statistically significant relationship between recidivism and incarceration becomes insignificant in the IV regressions. However the regression results do not reveal the full story, as the relationships are rather nonlinear. A graphical examination reveals a negative relationship between recidivism and sentence length and also recidivism and incarceration rate, particularly for shorter sentences and lower incarceration rates. In addition, longer sentences tend to lead to more severe crimes upon offender release. Put together, these findings provide some evidence for a mild specific deterrent effect, but one that rapidly diminishes.
Music Education Opportunities in Ohio K–12 Public and Charter Schools:

The purpose of this study was to examine which Ohio schools offered curricular music courses and the rates at which students participated in those courses. The analysis involved descriptive statist...
Method for in situ and in operando cavity loaded Q extraction in superconducting rf accelerators

A novel method has been developed that allows extracting the loaded quality factor of particle accelerating radio-frequency cavities at any time during beam operation from acquired control system process parameters without the need of additional measurement equipment. Concurrently it assesses the attenuation in a cavities' power transmission line for any rf generator to rf cavity mismatch condition, and thus can correct calibration inaccuracies of measured forward and reflected power levels. The mathematical formalism is described. It is specifically derived for cryogenically cooled superconducting cavities for which the loaded quality factor can be equated with the external quality factor of the input power coupler. The described method has been applied for 418 superconducting cavities in operation at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The validation of the method as well as its beneficial use as a diagnostic tool is demonstrated for a finite number of examples utilizing process variables archived during a period in the past when the linac beam current was ramped up multiple times. The method is in the process of being implemented in the machines' control system for an in situ and in operando evaluation of the power coupler's external quality factor.