cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental immunotherapies for multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS) principally in young adults. Although its etiology is as yet unknown current evidence suggests that tissue damage is mediated by autoimmune T cells. The examination of an experimental animal model for MS, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), has demonstrated that myelin basic protein (MBP)- or proteolipid protein (PLP)-specific T cells mediate the destruction of CNS myelin. In recent years, elegant studies in EAE have shown that encephalitogenic T cells recognize short peptides of MBP or PLP in the context of MHC/HLA-class II molecules, express a restricted number of T cell receptor (TCR) molecules and secrete interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-a/β. Understanding the pathogenetic steps in lesion development at the molecular level led to highly specific immunotherapies for EAE targeting each individual molecule. It has been the hope of many investigators that immunological events resembling those in EAE can be found in patients with MS and that the specific immunotherapies effective in EAE could also be applied to MS. However, to date, the evidence for a unique immunological abnormality in MS is notstrong. Although MBP- and PLP-specific T cells with properties similar to those that are encephalitogenic in animals can be isolated from patients, they are not specific for MS and occur with similar frequency in controls. In addition, the variability in specificity and TCR usage has raised questions regarding the relevance of these cells in patients. The importance of the T cell responses to myelin antigens in MS may not be established until the effects of abrogating their activity through specific therapies targeting the trimolecular complex (TMC) have been demonstrated. Consequently, attention has begun to focus on modifying the biology of the MS lesion rather than targeting the initiating event at the level of the TMC, and the success of this approach is reflected by the effect of interferon-β on lesion development in MS. The recent approval for the use of interferon-β for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS has raised great interest in examining novel strategies for immunotherapies in MS. The basic concepts as well as the current candidates for such new immunotherapies will be outlined in this short review.
Effects of type of responding on memory/visual search: responding just "yes" or just "no" can lead to inflexible performance.

Interactions of stimulus consistency and type of responding were examined during perceptual learning. Subjects performed hybrid memory-visual search tasks over extended consistent and varied mapping practice. Response conditions required subjects to respond to both the presence and absence of a target, only when a target was present or only when a target was not present. After training, the subjects were transferred to a different response condition. The results indicate that: (1) performance on search tasks with stimuli that are variably mapped show no qualitative changes attributable to manipulation of response format; (2) improvement due to consistent mapping (CM) practice is attenuated in the no-only response condition; (3) yes-only CM training attenuates the subjects ability to transfer to no-only responding; and (4) yes/no CM training leads to the greatest improvement and transfer when compared with other responding conditions. The practice and transfer data support and extend previous research investigating effects of response set in memory/visual search and help to delineate factors that facilitate or inhibit reduction of load effects in memory and visual search.
Bidirectional Unbiased Procedures

Abstract When the hypothesis H 0: θ = θ0 is tested against the alternative Ha: θ ≠ θ0, θ a real-valued parameter, it would often be more appropriate to make simultaneous tests of the two hypotheses 1 H 0: θ ≤ θ0 (with alternative 1 Ha: θ > θ0) and 2 H 0: θ ≥ θ0 (with alternative 2 Ha: θ < θ0). The criterion of unbiasedness in choosing an optimal test of H 0 is inapplicable for choosing an optimal simultaneous procedure for testing 1 H 0 and 2 H 0. A bidirectional unbiased procedure is defined and its properties enumerated. In many important applications such a procedure for testing 1 H 0 and 2 H 0 is essentially equivalent to an “equal tails” test of H 0.
Cellular mechanisms involved in the vascular myogenic response

By definition, the myogenic response is the contraction of a blood vessel that occurs when intravascular pressure is elevated and, conversely, the vasodilation that follows a reduction in pressure. Over the last several decades numerous investigators have demonstrated the importance of the myogenic response in the local regulations of blood flow, capillary pressure, and in the generation of basal vascular tone. Despite the considerable information obtained from these investigations, information about the cellular mechanisms that underlie this response has been slow to accumulate. Because of the physiological significance of the myogenic response, its mechanistic basis represents an important subject for research. Currently, there are several broad hypotheses concerning the sequence of events that couple changes in intravascular pressure or stretch with alterations in vascular smooth muscle activation. These hypotheses include 1) altered membrane properties leading to activation of ion channels; 2) modulation of biochemical cell-signaling pathways within vascular smooth muscle; 3) length-dependent changes in contractile protein function; and 4) endothelial-dependent modulation of vascular smooth muscle tone. This review summarizes current work relative to each of these hypotheses and describes a possible sequence of events to account for myogenic activation of vascular smooth muscle.
Performance Modeling and Tuning Strategies of Mixed Mode Collective Communications

On SMP clusters, mixed mode collective MPI communications, which use shared memory communications within SMP nodes and point-to-point communications between SMP nodes, are more efficient than conventional implementations. In a previous study, we proposed several new methods that made mixed mode collective communications significantly faster than the pure point-to-point ones. However, the optimal performance required the tuning of many parameters, which was done by testing every possible setting and was very time consuming. In this study, we propose a new performance model that considers the special characteristics of mixed mode collective communications. The model provides good predictions to reduce most settings without testing by execution. It considers both shared-memory and point-to-point communications, while existing performance models only consider the point-to-point ones. Based on this model, we develop a number of tuning strategies that reduce the overall tuning time to only 10% of previous tuning time.
Fourier-Stieltjes Transforms which vanish at infinity off certain sets

In this paper G is a nondiscrete compact abelian group with character group Г and M ( G ) the usual convolution algebra of Borel measures on G . We designate the following subspaces of M ( G ) employing the customary notations: M a ( G ) those measures which are absolutely continuous with respect to Haar measure; M S ( G ) the space of measures concentrated on sets of Haar measure zero and M d ( G ) the discrete measures.
Deposition and Long-Shore Transport of Dredge Spoils to Nourish Beaches: Impacts on Benthic Infauna of an Ebb-Tidal Delta

Abstract Dredged materials from maintenance and deepening of inlets on coastal barriers are typically transported for disposal in deep water or on land. An alternative is to treat dredged materials as a resource, placing them on the ebb-tidal delta or subtidal shoals at depths where they are retained within the long-shore transport system and can nourish eroding down-drift beaches. Deposition of sediments onto subtidal shoals may, however, bury and selectively kill populations of benthic invertebrates, or indirectly alter assemblages by modifying sediment characteristics. Core sampling of the eastern (control) and western (disturbed) sides of Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, twice before and once 8 months after a large (660,000 m3) disposal revealed significant coarsening of sediments and associated changes to assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in response to the perturbation. Impacts to sediments and macroinverte-brates were closely correlated and, although greatest where sediment was directly depo...
Cellular neural network architecture for Gibbs random-field-based image segmentation

We describe a novel cellular connectionist neural network model for the implementation of clustering-based Bayesian image segmentation with Gibbs random-field spatial constraints. The success of this algorithm is largely due to the neighborhood constraints modeled by the Gibbs random field. However, the iterative enforcement of the neighborhood constraints involved in the Bayesian estimation would generally require tremendous computational power. Such computational requirement hinders the real-time application of the Bayesian image segmentation algorithms. The cellular connectionist model proposed aims at implementing the Bayesian image segmentation with real-time processing potentials. With a cellular neural network architecture mapped onto the image spatial domain, the powerful Gibbs spatial constraints are realized through the interactions among neurons connected through their spatial cellular layout. This network model is structurally similar to the conventional cellular network. However, in this new cellular model, the processing elements designed within the connectionist network are functionally more versatile to meet the challenging needs of Bayesian image segmentation based on the Gibbs random field. We prove that this cellular neural network does converge to the desired steady state with a properly designed update scheme. Examples of CT volumetric medical image segmentation are presented to demonstrate the potential of this cellular neural network for a specific image segmentation application.
An algorithm for detecting a change in a stochastic process

The problem of detecting a change from one given stationary and ergodic stochastic process to another such process is considered. It is assumed that both stochastic processes are processes with memory and that they are mutually independent. A sequential test is proposed and analyzed. It is proved that the proposed test is asymptotically optimal in a mathematically precise sense.
Adaptation and resilience: responding to a changing climate

Adaptation and resilience are two concepts originally developed in dissimilar problem contexts but which are of significant importance for our ability to respond to a changing climate. While both concepts encompass processes of change they differ in several important areas. This article discusses the relationship between the two concepts and highlights three issues concerned with our ability to respond to and manage change. First, although adaptation responses can help to build resilience, they just as easily can undermine resilience. Second, the magnitude of change may be outside our abilities to adapt, and thus it is not always possible to maintain system resilience. Finally, resilience is not a normative concept. The desirability of a resilient system, or community, must be considered in light of social goals and how benefits and risks are distributed. Better appreciation of the relationship between the concepts of adaptation and resilience will provide more effective tools to plan for, and respond to, current and future change. WIREs Clim Change 2011 2 113–120 DOI: 10.1002/wcc.91 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website
TextMOLE: text mining operations library and environment

The paper describes the first version of the TextMOLE (Text Mining Operations Library and Environment) system for textual data mining. Currently TextMOLE acts as an advanced indexing and search engine: it parses a data set, extracts relevant terms, and allows the user to run queries against the data. The system design is open-ended, robust, and flexible. The tool is designed to quickly analyze a corpus of documents and determine which parameters will provide maximal retrieval performance. Thus an instructor can use the tool to demonstrate information retrieval concepts in the classroom, or use the tool to encourage hands-on exploration of concepts often covered in an introductory course in information retrieval or artificial intelligence. Reseachers will find the tool useful when a `quick and dirty' analysis of an unfamiliar collection is required.
Making the Smart Choice: a systemic response to school‐based violence

This paper reports on a school-based intervention in which a family therapist, serving as a consultant to a high school, worked with that school to reduce the level of school-based violence. The primary intervention reported in this paper is a conflict skills training programme called ‘Making the Smart Choice’. While designed for the families of students suspended for physical violence, this intervention also impacts upon the school's disciplinary system and the climate of the school itself. The context or responses to school-based violence, the strategy to gain access to the school, the politics of developing such a programme, the programme itself and the infrastructure needed to maintain it are described. For four years, suspensions for school-based violence were halved compared to the four years prior to the start of the programme.
The response of microbial populations from oil-brine contaminated soil to gradients of NaCl and sodium p-toluate in a diffusion gradient chamber

Microbial populations from soil contaminated with oil-brine were examined for their response to two-dimensional gradients of NaCl (10–25%) and sodium p-toluate (0–10 mM) in a diffusion gradient chamber (DGC). In the DGC, growth of cells in the mixed population began at the lowest concentrations of NaCl and toluate and then spread slowly towards higher concentrations of these compounds, indicating that NaCl and toluate were mutually antagonistic to cell growth. Nevertheless, a number of halophilic, toluate-utilizing bacteria could be isolated from such enrichments. In pure culture, none of the strains grew above 10% NaCl in the presence of toluate, nor did they grow well at toluate concentrations above 3 mM at any NaCl concentration; however, most of the strains could grow in a glucose minimal medium containing up to 20% NaCl. Two numerically dominant strains, H1102 and I1101, each identified as Pseudomonas nautica by the Biolog® system and closely related to each other on the basis of cellular fatty acid composition and repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences, responded to gradients of toluate and NaCl in a manner similar to that of the whole community. However, they could be distinguished from each other by distinctive differences in their growth patterns in the DGC. These results reveal the usefulness of diffusion gradient systems for enriching and isolating microorganisms while gaining important information about their behavior and physiology.
A Spring Foundation Model for Mode I Failure of Laminated Composites Based on an Energy Criterion

A beam on a nonlinear spring foundation was used to model experimental results obtained from DCB type fracture specimens. The entire thickness of the beam specimen was used as spring length, and a nonuniform strain distribution throughtout the spring length was utilized, based on the 2D asymptotic solution of the stress field near a crack tip. The failure condition of the spring foundation is based on an energy criterion
Femoral artery complications associated with the Mynx closure device.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Devices to close a femoral arteriotomy are frequently used after catheterization for interventional radiology and cardiac procedures to decrease the time to hemostasis and ambulation and, potentially, to decrease local complications. The Mynx vascular closure device uses a sealant designed to occlude the access tract, resulting in hemostasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all cases in which the Mynx device was used and for which follow-up angiography was available. A total of 146 devices were deployed in 135 patients. A follow-up vascular study visualizing the femoral artery was performed in 26 patients (27 studies). RESULTS: There were 5 (5/27, 18%) cases of intravascular Mynx sealant on follow-up vascular imaging. Three pseudoaneurysms (3/27, 11%) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In this small study, intravascular sealant and pseudoaneurysms were found frequently after femoral arterial closure with the Mynx vascular closure device.
Crosstalk model with impedance discontinuity for high speed interconnects

This paper presents a crosstalk model base on even-odd mode analysis. It demonstrates that crosstalk analysis needs to look at the aspect of the timing delay between even and odd mode and the multiple reflections that occurred in a system. This concept is validated further by measurement result.
Isolation and characterization of a baculovirus associated with the insect parasitoid wasp, Cotesia marginiventris, or its host, Trichoplusia ni.

A multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (MNPV) was isolated from Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae that had been stung by the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The wild type virus was plaque purified by infecting a Heliothis subflexa (BCIRL- HsAM1) cell line and isolating several clones. The mean estimated genomic size of this virus based on PstI, BstEII, StyI, HindIII restriction profiles was estimated to be 106 ± 2.5 kbp (mean±SE). A clone designated as TnMNPV/CmBCL9 was used in bioassays against several lepidopteran pests and in comparative studies with the baculoviruses AcMNPV, AgMNPV, AfMNPV, PxMNPV and HzSNPV of Autographa califomica, Anticarsia gemmatalis, Anagrapha falcifera, Plutella xylostella, and Helicoverpa zea, respectively. Infectivity studies showed that TnMNPV/CmBCL9 was highly infectious for Heliothis subflexa and T. ni, with an LC50 value 0.07 occlusion bodies/mm2 in both species and also infectious for H. zea and Heliothis virescens with LC50 values of 0.22 and 0.27 occlusion bodies/mm2, respectively. Restriction endonuclease analysis of the isolate and selected baculoviruses revealed profiles that were very similar to AfMNPV but different from the restriction endonuclease profiles of the other baculoviruses. Hybridization studies suggest that the TnMNPV/CmBCL9 was closely related to AfMNPV and AcMNPV-HPP. Further support for this comes from a phylogenetic analysis employing a split-graphs network, comparing the polh, egt, and p10 genes from TnMNPV/CmBCL9 with those from other baculoviruses and suggests that this virus is closely related to the AcMNPV variants, AfMNPV and RoMNPV of Rachiplusia ou.
Evaluations of Single‐ and Repeated‐Play Gambles

Choices and evaluations of risky prospects often violate norms of expected utility theory and the underlying normative principles of rational decision-making. However, when risky prospects are represented as being repeatedly instantiated, choices and evaluations often change to conform more closely to the long-run perspective reflected in normative models. Differences between responses for single and repeated gambles have been analyzed normatively, explored empirically, and evaluated theoretically. Normative analyses have argued both for and against changing behavior for single and repeated gambles. Empirically, shifts in behavior for single and repeated risky prospects are found to be common, stronger when outcomes are perceived as fungible, and stronger when the repeated outcome distribution is displayed. Furthermore, these shifts have been found to occur in both laboratory and real-world settings and have been considered a possible moderator of violations of expected utility theory. A variety of theoretical explanations are posited to explain this behavior, including those that emphasize consequences of loss aversion as well as those that implicate alternative bases for evaluating single and repeated cases. Keywords: EU theory; expected value; binomial distribution; Samuelson's bet; normative analyses; repeated gambles; loss aversion
Transcatheter Embolization for Delayed Hemorrhage Caused by Blunt Splenic Trauma

Although the exact benefit of adjunctive splenic artery embolization (SAE) in the nonoperative management (NOM) of patients with blunt splenic trauma has been debated, the role of transcatheter embolization in delayed splenic hemorrhage is rarely addressed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SAE in the management of patients who presented at least 3 days after initial splenic trauma with delayed hemorrhage. During a 24-month period 4 patients (all male; ages 19-49 years) presented with acute onset of pain 5-70 days after blunt trauma to the left upper quadrant. Two had known splenic injuries that had been managed nonoperatively. All had computed axial tomography evidence of active splenic hemorrhage or false aneurysm on representation. All underwent successful SAE. Follow-up ranged from 28 to 370 days. These cases and a review of the literature indicate that SAE is safe and effective for NOM failure caused by delayed manifestations of splenic arterial injury.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder in youth: diagnostic considerations†

Background: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in youth is characterized by excessive worry across domains for Z6 months, an inability to stop worrying, and at least one physiological symptom. This study examined the multiple domains that optimally distinguish (1) GAD youth from nonanxiety-disordered youth and (2) GAD youth from other anxiety-disordered youth. Methods: Receiver operating characteristic analyses examined a sample of youth (N 5180) aged 7–13 (M 510.10; 52% male), to determine optimal cut scores to distinguish GAD youth from (1) nonanxiety-disordered youth and (2) other anxiety-disordered youth. The diagnostic efficiency of worries and physiological symptoms was also examined. Results: By parent report, three worries and four physiological symptoms had favorable cut scores, and several specific worries possessed high diagnostic efficiency. Children endorsed fewer GAD symptoms. Conclusions: Recommendations are made regarding the criteria for GAD in youth and interview sequencing of symptom queries. Depression and Anxiety 28:173–182, 2011. r r 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Capacity to Consent to Sexual Acts: Understanding the Nature of Sexual Conduct

In North Dakota v. Mosbrucker , 758 N.W.2d 663 (N.D. 2008), the Supreme Court of North Dakota affirmed a conviction of gross sexual exploitation on the grounds that the victim, due to a mental disease or defect, was incapable of understanding the nature of engaging in sexual intercourse. The court
Apocalypse Not Now? The Argentine Party System after the 2001-2002 Crisis

In The Crisis of Democratic Representation in the Andes, Mainwaring, Bejarano & Pizarro Leongomez define party system collapse as a rejection of not just particular parties but of most parties due to a break in the ties between principal and agent. Argentina experienced a situation that not only can be described in those terms, but that also reached its zenith in the political and economic crisis of 2001-2002. The party system was affected, but did not collapse. This case study argues that the reasons for that outcome are a political culture that still prizes democracy despite skepticism towards parties, the continued influence of Peronism over party politics as exemplified by aspects such as its extensive patronage machinery, and the appearance of partisan alternatives that are palpably weak but are nevertheless loyal to the political system and have campaigned on issues related to the crisis of democratic representation. In short, Mainwaring, Bejarano & Pizarro Leongomez’s definition of party system collapse is not an entirely accurate description of what occurred to the Argentine party system as a result of the crisis.
Class-Chord: Efficient Messages to Classes of Nodes in Chord

Security Information Event Management (SIEM) systems are used to monitor large networks for malware infestations, DDoS attacks, and many other types of network intrusions. Typical SIEMs are centrally managed with information flowing in from across the enterprise. In this architecture, as the enterprise grows, the SIEM must also scale proportionally. In our research we are working to create a Peer-to-Peer distributed SIEM system to leverage the power of all the devices in the network for monitoring. The system scales naturally, as the enterprise grows, more devices come into the peer-to-peer network (P2P). The added devices increase the SIEM's processing power and storage ability. A P2P SIEM will drastically reduce upfront hardware costs and provide an increased processing power for advanced analytics. In this paper, we present Class-Chord which is a P2P network fabric designed to support a P2P SIEM. We have modified the well known Chord DHT to support efficient 1-n messaging that is required to enable SIEM administrators to query subsets of the network rather than flooding queries to all nodes. Class-Chord uses a modified Chord ID and a new message type that enables administrators to send messages to network subsets using complex class matching specifiers. We analyze theoretical models for the system and present experimental results from a live system deployed across 300 physical nodes. The results attest that Class-Chord is more efficient than traditional communication mechanisms used in SIEM systems.
A Revision of the American Species of Diceratosmia (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)

The genus Diceratosmia is closely related to the large and well known genus Osmia . It has been separated, however, by recent authors (Sandhouse, 1939; Michener, 1941, 1944) largely on the basis of the longitudinal carina along the inner ventral angle of each posterior coxa. There are also certain other generic characters, as detailed by Michener (1941).
No Girls Allowed: Television Boys’ Clubs as Resistance to Feminism

This article analyzes the male-only spaces present in four television series, FX’s The Shield, Nip/Tuck , Rescue Me, and ABC’s Boston Legal, which each include a gendered territory as a recurring feature. I argue that these homosocially segregated environments enforce boundaries against women and shelter intense bromance relationships that foreclose romantic relationships of any kind, acting as physical incarnations of troubling retrograde sexual politics and ideologies. I also assert that the “boys’ clubs” in which these narratives take place, enabled and empowered by the aesthetic dimensions of architecture and design, help establish workplace patriarchy as commonplace, reasonable, and benign. This article reveals that in these television boys’ clubs, problematic gender ideologies are protected and celebrated, misogyny is naturalized, and patriarchal beliefs and behaviors legitimized.
The survival impact of plasma to red blood cell ratio in massively transfused non-trauma patients

Purpose High ratios of Plasma to Packed Red Blood Cells (FFP:PRBC) improve survival in massively transfused trauma patients. We hypothesized that non-trauma patients also benefit from this transfusion strategy.
Characters of Repeated Infection of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease

Objectives To investigate the laboratory and epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) among repeated infection populations in Guangdong Province and to provide foundation for developing strategies for HFMD prevention and control.Method Reported HFMD cases from Jan 1,2009 to December 31,2011 were collected from the "China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention"for epidemiological analysis.All of the collected records were sorted by ping-yin characters and equally divided into 10 segments.One of the ten segments was randomly selected as sample after excluding the repeated report items.Repeated infection cases within the sample segment were also determined.Descriptive analysis was employed to determine the epidemiological characteristics,while consistency coefficient was used to examine the pathogenic characteristics of repeated HFMD infection.Results 57549 record items were obtained according to sampling rules.2.09% of the reported cases experienced repeated infection within 3 years since the first onset of disease,with a median interval between two disease onsets of 9.8 months(1-34.5 months).Children below 3-year-old accounted for 82.10% of all repeated infection cases.Mean age of first HFMD onset was 1.94 year.The proportion of repeated infection cases of the Pearl River Delta region was 2.38%,the other region was 1.45%;The proportion of repeated infection cases of urban was 2.28%,the proportion of rural was 1.86%.Conclusions Due to the diversity of pathogens causing HFMD and lack of cross immunity,approximately 2% of the infected population experienced a later repeated HFMD infection within 3 years.The proportion of repeated infection cases of Pearl River Delta region higher proportion of other regions.The proportion of repeated infection cases of Urban areas higher proportion of Rural areas.
Guideline on the need for carcinogenicity studies of pharmaceuticals in China

The objectives of carcinogenicity studies are to identify tumorigenic potential in animal and to assess relevant risk in human,and further to protect subjects and patients by risk management plan,labeling,clinical monitoring,and post-marketing surveillance.State Food and Drug Administration released guideline on the need for carcinogenicity studies of pharmaceuticals,which derived from ICH S1A.In this article,we discussed the background information for the guideline,differences between the guideline and ICH version,principal technology issues,and consideration points for next step.
Epilepsy misconceptions and stigma reduction: Current status in Western countries.

Abstract Objective This systematized literature review identified reports describing epilepsy misconceptions in the developed Western countries and research interventions focused on reducing these misconceptions. Materials and methods English language publications from January 2004 to January 2015 that described original research conducted in Europe, North/Central/South America, or Australia on misconceptions about epilepsy among the general public were used for this review. Results Eighty-one publications were selected. Most studies were conducted in the Americas (N = 30) and Europe (N = 31). Misconceptions and attitudes about epilepsy were assessed among clinical providers (N = 9), family members of people with epilepsy (PWE) (N = 5), teachers (N = 11), students (N = 22), and the general public (N = 25). Most studies used structured questionnaires, sometimes adding open-ended questions. Misconceptions reflected socially exclusionary attitudes directed at PWE, ignorance about treatment, and overgeneralizations that are stigmatizing when applied to all PWE. Misconceptions were more prevalent in those with less education, lower socioeconomic status, and no exposure to PWE. There were only 12 intervention studies. While intervention studies were generally effective in improving attitudes, many were targeted to healthcare and education settings, were time-intensive, and impractical for broad general population implementation. None incorporated newer technology-based strategies regarding effective health communication approaches. Conclusions Types of epilepsy misconceptions were similar in reports published over the last decade, although most referred to misconceptions that have already been previously described. Existing questionnaires may fail to identify more subtle forms of current misconceptions and negative attitudes. Few interventional studies specifically target epilepsy stigma. Practical and broad scalable approaches to destigmatize epilepsy may help reduce misconceptions.
Social, Ethical, and Regulatory Concerns

The use of biological material and the extracted DNA raises important ethical issues. This chapter is focused on exposing the user to the two alternative “goods” that must be considered when using DNA. On one side, DNA can identify criminal perpetrators. On the other side, many courts, and most citizens believe in a firm right to privacy. There are three major forensic DNA databases of individuals convicted of a crime: CODIS (Combined DNA Indexing System), which is maintained by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) DNA database; and the Interpol Standard Set of Loci (ISSOL) database maintained by Interpol. Responses to the expansion of the CODIS and United Kingdom National DNA Database (NDNAD) databases range from excitement about DNA’s potential and fear regarding its use. As the databases have been expanded and their uses extended, concerns about the ethical and social implications of those decisions have amplified.
What do we owe refugees: jus ad bellum, duties to refugees from armed conflict zones and the right to asylum

ABSTRACTIn this paper I focus on duties we owe refugees from conflict zones. I argue that it is important to distinguish between two types of duties one might have with respect to refugees from conflict zones. Belligerents from wars that resulted in excess numbers of refugees, I argue, have a stringent duty to remedy past harms and provide for resulting refugees. Other states have a duty to aid which is context-dependent and can be in some cases as stringent as the duty to remedy past harms. I argue that making a distinction between the grounds and types of duties different actors have with respect to refugees from conflict zones has significant consequences both for just war theory (and in particular proportionality calculations ad bellum and in bello), but also for practical questions about how best to discharge our duties to refugees from conflict zones.
Introduction: German community – German nationality? Baltic German perceptions of belonging in the nineteenth and twentieth century

ABSTRACTThe aim of this special issue is to explore whether the term “National Indifference” can be applied to the Baltic region, and in particular to the Baltic Germans. In the second half of the nineteenth century and during World War I, their rootedness in German culture and language brought them into conflict with national perceptions of “Russianness” in the Russian Empire. After becoming citizens of interwar Estonia and Latvia, their national affiliation continued to be questioned by nationalists. The authors of this volume investigate Baltic Germans’ perceptions of belonging during the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth Century. The articles explore aspects of national flexibility and identity perceptions beyond the national paradigm in an era when the nation-state became the norm.
Attosecond Absorption Spectroscopy

Photoabsorption spectroscopy with isolated attosecond pulses provides a means for all-optical time-domain measurement of ultrafast dynamics in bound and quasi-bound states of atoms and molecules, as well as near absorption edges in condensed matter systems. Due to the strong oscillator strength in atoms and molecules in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectral regions as well as the high detection efficiency of the transmitted photon signal, attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy is an attractive alternative to traditional photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. We present measurements of the laser-perturbed photoabsorption of helium 1snp singly excited states and quasi-bound autoionizing states of argon with a few-femtosecond autoionization lifetime. In both systems, we observe laser-induced changes in the photoabsorption spectrum which evolve on the single-femtosecond timescale, faster than the laser light oscillation period.
Bell's Palsy

The renowned Scottish anatomist and physiologist Sir Charles Bell studied the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) and its innervation to the muscles of facial expression. The most common form of facial paralysis, Bell's Palsy, results from damage to this nerve.
VET Connect: an emerging peer leadership program for Veterans on campus

Currently, more than 1 million US Veterans are receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits to pursue college diplomas, advanced degrees, or vocational training. As increasing numbers of military members return home, colleges and universities must be prepared to support their transition to non-military educational and occupational settings. The VET (Veterans Embracing Transition) Connect Peer Leadership Program was designed to support student Veterans and assist them in transitioning to campus life. This study used a qualitative approach to examine the effects of VET Connect on Peer Leaders. Findings reveal that the program reduced participants' sense of isolation by connecting student Veterans to faculty and staff, to other student Veterans, and to the general student population. Participants reported that VET Connect promoted self-growth and integration, allowing them to transition to campus and civilian life. They reported developing skills such as public speaking and knowledge of campus resource...
Price Volatility, Tariff Structure and the Special Safeguard Mechanism

Abstract Specific tariffs, which are levied per unit of imports, have often been shown to be discriminatory against poor countries; it is because they export low-value goods that face a higher tariff burden in ad valorem terms than high-value goods for the same specific tariff. However, specific tariffs also have a positive aspect of being able to insulate the domestic economy from global price volatility. The Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) is a proposed policy in the World Trade Organization (WTO) that is intended to help poor countries to be able to shield their domestic agriculture from low import prices by giving them flexibility to increase tariffs; however, the SSM causes an increase in price volatility. Therefore, specific tariffs may reduce the price volatility effects of the SSM. Aiming to test this hypothesis, our work implements the SSM and specific tariffs in a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling framework. We find decreased variability of producer prices, import prices, and output in most developed and developing countries when specific tariffs are accounted for. This work illustrates the potentially stabilizing effects of specific tariffs in the presence of the SSM, and highlights the importance of tariff regime modeling when considering the economic effects of international trade policy measures.
On The Alleged Falsity of the Null Hypothesis

Consideration is given to the contention by Bakan, Meehl, Nunnally, and others that the null hypothesis in behavioral research is generally false in nature and that if the N is large enough, it will always be rejected. A distinction is made between self-selected-groups research designs and true experiments, and it is suggested that the null hypothesis probably is generally false in the case of research involving the former design, but is not in the case of research involving the latter. Reasons for the falsity of the null hypothesis in the one case but not in the other are suggested.
Adult attachment and drinking context as predictors of alcohol problems and relationship satisfaction in college students.

ABSTRACTBackground: Evidence suggests that for young adults, intimate partners influence each other’s drinking patterns. Therefore, exploration of variables related to intimate partner relationships (such as attachment style) could broaden the current understanding of risk factors for alcohol problems in this demographic. Objectives: The current study examined the role of drinking context in the relationships among insecure attachment, alcohol problems, and relationship satisfaction. A path model was hypothesized where the relationship between insecure attachment and alcohol problems would be explained via two distinct drinking contexts (i.e., drinking with one’s partner and drinking away from one’s partner). It was also hypothesized that the relationship between insecure attachment and relationship satisfaction would be explained via these same two drinking contexts. Methods: Participants were 194 undergraduate students ages 18–25 who reported being in a monogamous intimate partner relationship for at le...
Raíces y ramas al viento: experiencias colombianas de migración y prácticas de información

Este articulo presenta los hallazgos en Colombia de un estudio mas grande que explora las practicas de informacion (busqueda, uso y distribucion de la informacion) de los migrantes latinos, en particular de aquellos que estan indocumentados, en tres contextos distintos: en la frontera entre Mexico y EE.UU., en Seattle, Washington y en Cali, Colombia. En el contexto colombiano las experiencias de migracion de los participantes oscilan entre echar raices y alzar vuelo, entre quedarse e irse, entre aqui y alla. Muchas de estas experiencias buscan construir futuro para quedarse, para no tener que migrar, las cuales contrastan con las experiencias de vulnerabilidad y transitoriedad en la frontera entre Mexico y EE. UU., y en Seattle, Washington, analizadas en Gomez (2016). A traves de la fotografia participativa y entrevistas no estructuradas, exploramos las vivencias y las practicas de informacion de comunidades marginadas, y las relacionamos con como vivencian la transitoriedad a lo largo de las distintas etapas de la experiencia migratoria. Tambien discutimos como las etapas de la migracion pueden no ser suficientes para dar cuenta de los constantes cambios e iteraciones en las experiencias de los migrantes que estudiamos.
Use of quality improvement (QI) methodology to decrease length of stay (LOS) for newborns with uncomplicated gastroschisis

Abstract Purpose Gastroschisis is a congenital defect of the abdominal wall leading to considerable morbidity and long hospitalizations. The purpose of this study was to use quality improvement methodology to standardize care in the management of gastroschisis that may contribute to length of stay (LOS). Methods A gastroschisis quality improvement team established a best-practice protocol in order to decrease LOS in infants with uncomplicated gastroschisis. The specific aim was to decrease median LOS from a baseline of 34days. We used statistical process control charts including rational subgroup analysis to monitor LOS. Results From December 2008 to December 2016, 119 patients with uncomplicated gastroschisis were evaluated. Retrospective data were obtained on 25 patients prior to protocol implementation. Ninety-four patients with uncomplicated gastroschisis comprised the prospective process stage. The median LOS for this retrospective cohort was 34days (IQR: 30.5–50.5), while the median LOS for the prospective cohort following implementation of the protocol decreased to 29days (IQR: 23–43). Conclusions With the use of quality improvement methodology, including standardization of care and a change in surgical approach, the median LOS for newborns with uncomplicated gastroschisis at our institution decreased from 34days to 29days. Level of evidence 3.
Postpartum Depression: What Do Pediatricians Need to Know?

1. Natasha K. Sriraman, MD, MPH* 2. Do-Quyen Pham, MD† 3. Reeti Kumar, MD‡ 1. *Division of General Academic Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters; Department of Pediatrics, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 2. †Division of Adolescent Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 3. ‡Division of Nephrology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH * Abbreviations: EPDS: : Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale PPD: : postpartum depression and anxiety SSRI: : selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor TCA: : tricyclic antidepressant Although pediatricians are aware of the effect of postpartum depression on their patients, it is seldom screened for in the setting of the well-child visit. After completing this article, readers should be able to 1. Describe the different types and phases of postpartum depression and anxiety (PPD). 2. List the risk factors for developing PPD. 3. Detail the different types of validated screening tools to detect PPD. 4. Describe the effects of PPD on the mother-infant dyad interaction. 5. Discuss the different treatment options available for mothers experiencing PPD. 6. List available resources to help mothers, fathers, and their families. Postpartum depression and anxiety (PPD), also known as postpartum mood and anxiety disorders , is a common medical condition that can significantly affect the health and well-being of mothers, infants, and family units. PPD affects 10% to 25% of mothers, making it the most common underdiagnosed obstetric complication. Nationally, it is estimated that every year, more than 400,000 infants are born to mothers who are depressed. Although pediatricians are aware of this condition, it may not be the foremost thought in their minds at the well-child visit. However, pediatricians have the greatest opportunity of encountering the infant and caregivers regularly. Therefore, we have a responsibility to screen mothers for PPD and offer the most appropriate resources. (1) The postpartum spectrum of psychiatric syndromes can be classified into 3 major categories: postpartum blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis (Fig 1). (2) Postpartum blues are a common emotional experience for women after delivery that affects 30% to 80% of women. Symptoms include emotional lability, difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite, and excessive anxiety. The onset is typically in …
Spousal, Family and Gender Effects on Expected Retirement Age for Married Pre-retirees

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which retirement is a contextually embedded, family decision rather than an individualized, male-centric one. Using data from a 2010 survey of married pre-retirees ages 35–70 in Michigan, US, we created a General Linear Model to predict expected retirement age. The model incorporated the effect of spousal and family variables on expected retirement age, and because the work/family interface is highly gendered, we explored interactions with gender. The study used a life course perspective in its framing and analysis, and found that expected retirement age was related to both personal and family characteristics and that the relationship of spousal and family factors were gendered and complex.