cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
System identification of high impact resistant structures

The main purpose of this paper is to develop numerical models for predicting and analyzing highly nonlinear behavior of integrated structure-control systems subjected to high impact loading. A time-delayed adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (TANFIS) is proposed for modeling complex nonlinear behavior of smart structures equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers under high impact forces. Experimental studies are performed to generate sets of input and output data for training and validating the TANFIS models. The high impact load and current signals are used as the input disturbance and control signals while the acceleration responses from the structure-MR damper system are used as the output signals. Comparisons of the trained TANFIS models with the experimental results demonstrate that the TANFIS modeling framework is an effective way to capture nonlinear behavior of integrated structure-MR damper systems under high impact loading.
Fracture of Glass/Poly(vinyl butyral) (Butacite®) Laminates in Biaxial Flexure

Glass-polymer laminates designed as safety glazing for automotive and architectural applications demonstrate a rich variety of deformation and failure modes due to the complex stress fields developed on loading and the statistical nature of glass fracture. This complexity in stress development results from the large modulus mismatch between float glass and typical polymers used in safety glazing (E glass /E polymer ≃10 3 -10 5 ). We investigate stress development and the sequence of glass-ply fracture in model two-ply glass-poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB; Butacite®) laminates during loading in biaxial flexure using a circular (upper) punch on three-point (lower) support. The experiment is analyzed using a three-dimensional finite-element model with a viscoelastic constitutive model of plasticized PVB deformation. The stress analysis shows that the maximum biaxial stress shifts location from one glass ply to the other as a function of loading rate and/or temperature and the loading-support dimensions. We identify two primary modes for the initiation of failure associated with changes in maximum stress location: (1) first crack initiated in upper, ring-loaded, glass ply (at the internal glass-polymer interface) and (2) first crack initiated in lower, supported, glass ply (outer glass surface). The sequence of glass ply fracture is seen to depend strongly on loading rate and temperature: high temperatures, relative to the polymer-glass transition temperature, and/or slow loading rates bias first cracking to the upper ply; low temperatures and/or high loading rates promote lower ply first cracking. We present a method to compute the probability of first cracking by combining the finite-element-based stress analysis with a Weibull statistical description of glass fracture. The test protocol and stress analysis presented can form the basis of a laboratory-scale test for laminates and can be readily extended to describe load-bearing capacity of laminate plates used in large-scale commercial applications.
The ADAR protein family

Adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process by which adenosines are selectively converted to inosines in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) substrates. A highly conserved group of enzymes, the adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) family, mediates this reaction. All ADARs share a common domain architecture consisting of a variable number of amino-terminal dsRNA binding domains (dsRBDs) and a carboxy-terminal catalytic deaminase domain. ADAR family members are highly expressed in the metazoan nervous system, where these enzymes predominantly localize to the neuronal nucleus. Once in the nucleus, ADARs participate in the modification of specific adenosines in pre-mRNAs of proteins involved in electrical and chemical neurotransmission, including pre-synaptic release machineries, and voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels. Most RNA editing sites in these nervous system targets result in non-synonymous codon changes in functionally important, usually conserved, residues and RNA editing deficiencies in various model organisms bear out a crucial role for ADARs in nervous system function. Mutation or deletion of ADAR genes results in striking phenotypes, including seizure episodes, extreme uncoordination, and neurodegeneration. Not only does the process of RNA editing alter important nervous system peptides, but ADARs also regulate gene expression through modification of dsRNA substrates that enter the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway and may then act at the chromatin level. Here, we present a review on the current knowledge regarding the ADAR protein family, including evolutionary history, key structural features, localization, function and mechanism.
Embryogenesis and Development of Epimenia babai (Mollusca Neomeniomorpha)

Neomenioid aplacophorans (= Solenogastres) constitute one of the main lineages of molluscs. Developmental data of early embryogenesis and larval development of neomenioids are available for some species based on histological sections. I used other techniques to study the development of Epimenia babai Salvini-Plawen, 1997, and here I report new data on neomenioid development. The embryos of E. babai are lecithotrophic and cleavage is spiral, unequal, and holoblastic. Two polar lobes are formed, one at the first cleavage stage and one at the second cleavage stage. No evidence of external metameric iteration is visible through scanning electron microscopy or histology at any stage. A ciliated foot, a pedal pit, and aragonitic spicules develop from the definitive ectoderm. A spicule begins as a solid tip, continues to an open-ended hollow spicule, and finally becomes a closed-ended hollow spicule. The free-swimming trochophore larvae of E. babai have been considered unusual in lacking the characteristic neomenioid cellular test, an outer locomotory structure within which the entire definitive adult body develops. However, through the use of scanning electron and light microscopy, semithin sections, Hoechst nuclear staining, and programmed cell death staining to study the ontogeny and fate of the apical cells, I show that the entire pre-oral sphere (the apical cap) of the larvae is similar to the test of the other neomenioids. The results suggest that the test of the neomenioid larvae is an enlarged pre-oral sphere of a trochophore. The test morphologies of neomenioid larvae are compared to those of pericalymma larvae of protobranch bivalves, and the homology and evolution of molluscan larval tests is discussed.
Magnetic Phenomena and Their Interpretation—Classical Approach

We stated in the last chapter that different types of magnetism exist, and that they are characterized by the magnitude and the sign of the susceptibility (see Table 14.1).
Watching Children Describing the Use of Baby Monitors on Epinions.com

Popular culture today characterizes middle-class parents as being consumed with anxiety about their children. Drawing on more than 100 consumer reviews of baby monitors published on Epinions.com, the author examines how parents respond to that anxiety. Although Epinions.com reviewers are not representative of the population at large, they do represent married, well-educated women. The author demonstrates that in their discussions of monitors, parents normalize parental anxiety and that they depict the baby as both fragile (and thus in need of care) and mischievous (and thus in need of control). In addition, the author shows that as parents adapt to the anxieties associated with parenting by monitoring their babies, they gain some forms of freedom while accepting tethering and that they gain the new skills of interpretation through technology. In the conclusion, issues are raised about the links between parental monitoring of babies and increasing surveillance in contemporary society.
Convergence of Indirect Adaptive Asynchronous Value Iteration Algorithms

Reinforcement Learning methods based on approximating dynamic programming (DP) are receiving increased attention due to their utility in forming reactive control policies for systems embedded in dynamic environments. Environments are usually modeled as controlled Markov processes, but when the environment model is not known a priori, adaptive methods are necessary. Adaptive control methods are often classified as being direct or indirect. Direct methods directly adapt the control policy from experience, whereas indirect methods adapt a model of the controlled process and compute control policies based on the latest model. Our focus is on indirect adaptive DP-based methods in this paper. We present a convergence result for indirect adaptive asynchronous value iteration algorithms for the case in which a look-up table is used to store the value function. Our result implies convergence of several existing reinforcement learning algorithms such as adaptive real-time dynamic programming (ARTDP) (Barto, Bradtke, & Singh, 1993) and prioritized sweeping (Moore & Atkeson, 1993). Although the emphasis of researchers studying DP-based reinforcement learning has been on direct adaptive methods such as Q-Learning (Watkins, 1989) and methods using TD algorithms (Sutton, 1988), it is not clear that these direct methods are preferable in practice to indirect methods such as those analyzed in this paper.
Effects of Friction in Ceramic Coating/Fiber Composites

The effect of frictional interaction at a weakly bonded or unbonded coating/ fiber interface is analysed by studying a single fiber with a finite length of uniform coating on its central region. Residual thermal stresses and applied tensile loads at the fiber ends are considered. The effects of the coefficient of friction at the interface and the thermo mechanical mismatch of the system on the stress transfer from the fiber to the coating are revealed. Through the analysis, a method to predict the residual thermal stress and to eval uate the coefficient of friction is suggested. The possibility of extending this method to evaluate general residual stresses is also addressed.
Low plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 permit increased tumor angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and blocking this process might be a valid tool for the control of cancer growth. We showed previously that tumor angiogenesis in integrin α1-null mice is reduced compared to that of wild type animals and that over-expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in the α1-null and consequent generation of angiostatin (an inhibitor of endothelial cell growth) from circulating plasminogen was implicated in the mechanism of tumor inhibition. Our findings suggested that secretion of excess MMPs generates inhibitors of endothelial cell proliferation, including but not necessarily limited to angiostatin, resulting ultimately in auto-inhibition of angiogenesis. Thus MMP inhibitors used as anti-tumor drugs might in fact cause a paradoxical increase in tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. In order to determine whether MMP-9 expression was directly involved in the regulation of tumor growth, we specifically inhibited or enhanced MMP-9 synthesis in vitro and in vivo, and subsequently analysed primary endothelial cell proliferation and angiostatin synthesis, as well as tumor vascularization and development. We provide evidence that reduction of plasma levels of MMP-9 in either normal or integrin α1-null mice leads to decreased synthesis of angiostatin and consequent increased tumor growth and vascularization. In contrast, specifically enhancing MMP-9 expression in vivo caused a reduction in tumor vascularization. These findings are the opposite to other studies suggesting a pro-tumorigenic role for MMP-9, and may account for some of the recently observed failures of anti MMP therapy in tumor treatment.
High Dietary Fat Intake Increases Renal Cyst Disease Progression in Han:SPRD-cy Rats

The effect of a high level of dietary fat on renal cyst disease was examined in the Han:SPRD-cy rat model of polycystic kidney disease. Control and diseased rats at 4 wk of age were fed either a low fat or high fat diet (5 or 20 g/100 g diet) for 6 wk. In rats with kidney disease fed the high fat rather than the low fat diet, kidneys were 17% larger, renal fluid content was 19% higher and cyst scores were 30% higher, indicating greater disease progression. In diseased rats fed the high fat diet, serum urea was 25% higher, indicating worsened renal function. Serum creatinine was 49% higher only in males. To examine whether high dietary fat worsened renal cyst disease by altering sex hormone concentrations, serum testosterone and estrogen concentrations were determined. In normal compared with diseased male rats, serum testosterone concentrations were one to three times higher. Serum testosterone concentrations were higher in normal male rats fed the high compared with the low fat diet, but were not affected by diet in diseased rats. Serum estrogen concentrations were unaffected by dietary fat levels or by disease state. Although it remains to be elucidated how dietary fat influences sex hormone concentrations in this disease, the current study demonstrates that a high dietary fat intake increases kidney disease progression in Han:SPRD-cy rats.
A Multimodal Interaction Scheme between a Blind User and the Tyflos Assistive Prototype

This paper presents the multimodal interaction scheme (visual and audio) used by the Tyflos prototype. Tyflos is a wearable prototype that provides reading and navigating assistance for visually impaired users. In particular, the Tyflos prototype integrates a wireless portable computer, cameras, range and GPS sensors, microphones, natural language processor, text-to-speech device, an ear speaker, a speech synthesizer, a 2D vibration vest and a digital audio recorder. Data collected by the Tyflos sensors is processed by appropriate modules, each of which is specialized in one or more tasks. In this paper we also present a Stochastic Petri-net model of the multimodal interaction scheme for both of the Tyflos capabilities, reading and navigation. Simple illustrative examples from reading and navigation cases are also presented to demonstrate the multimodal interaction.
Analyzing the Subject of a Picture: A Theoretical Approach

This paper suggests a theoretical basis for identifying and classifying the kinds of subjects a picture may have, using previously developed principles of cataloging and classification, and concepts taken from the philosophy of art, from meaning in language, and from visual perception. The purpose of developing this theoretical basis is to provide the reader with a means for evaluating, adapting, and applying presently existing indexing languages, or for devising new languages for pictorial materials; this paper does not attempt to invent or prescribe a particular indexing language.
Levels of Cytokines and Immune Activation Markers in Plasma in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Quality Control Procedures

Procedures for quality control (QC) in a laboratory that concentrates on cytokine and soluble marker measurements in biological fluids are outlined. Intra-assay, interassay, and interlaboratory experiences are presented. Plasma and serum β2-microglobulin (β2M) and neopterin test data are presented in greatest detail, along with substantial tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), gamma interferon, soluble interleukin-2 receptor-α (sIL-2Rα), sTNF-RII, IL-4, and IL-6 data. Recommended QC procedures for cytokine and soluble-marker testing include replicate testing of two or more reference samples provided by the kit manufacturer, replicate testing of in-house frozen reference QC samples that represent normal and abnormal analyte contents, retesting 15 to 20% of randomly selected samples, and comparing normal reference ranges each year. Also, eight cytokines and soluble markers were evaluated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative and HIV-seropositive individuals stratified on the basis of CD4 T-cell numbers. Levels of some but not all cytokines in serum increased in HIV infection. There was a tendency for cytokines to increase with more advanced disease, defined by reduced CD4 T-cell numbers. Cytokine changes did not relate closely to CD4 level, indicating that separate information was provided by the measurements of TNF-α, sTNF-RII, sIL-2Rα, β2M, and neopterin. Serum IL-4 and TNF-α levels were not increased. The quality of laboratory data can impact on clinical relevance. Interlaboratory comparisons revealed substantial differences at some sites and documented the need for external proficiency-testing quality assurance programs.
Discovery of a New Class of Non-β-lactam Inhibitors of Penicillin-Binding Proteins with Gram-Positive Antibacterial Activity

Infections caused by hard-to-treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a serious global public-health concern, as MRSA has become broadly resistant to many classes of antibiotics. We disclose herein the discovery of a new class of non-β-lactam antibiotics, the oxadiazoles, which inhibit penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) of MRSA. The oxadiazoles show bactericidal activity against vancomycin- and linezolid-resistant MRSA and other Gram-positive bacterial strains, in vivo efficacy in a mouse model of infection, and have 100% oral bioavailability.
Second Generation Client/Server Computing

Client/server revisited: today's technology why client/server remains important client/server options client/server in action. Client/server components: intelligent clients multi-purpose servers the network the standards communication between client and server middleware client/server. Approach: applying the client/server approach data management middleware application partitioning choices operating in the client/server environment. Client/sever applications and their development: applications best suited for the current client/server advances in the client/server development tools application development tools. What to expect in the year 2000L future of hardware future of software.
Phase II Trial of Sorafenib in Advanced Thyroid Cancer

Purpose Given the molecular pathophysiology of thyroid cancer and the spectrum of kinases inhibited by sorafenib, including Raf kinase, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and RET tyrosine kinases, we conducted an open-label phase II trial to determine the efficacy of sorafenib in patients with advanced thyroid carcinoma. Patients and Methods Eligible patients with metastatic, iodine-refractory thyroid carcinoma received sorafenib 400 mg orally twice daily. Responses were measured radiographically every 2 to 3 months. The study end points included response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and best response by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Results Thirty patients were entered onto the study and treated for a minimum of 16 weeks. Seven patients (23%; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.42) had a partial response lasting 18+ to 84 weeks. Sixteen patients (53%; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.72) had stable disease lasting 14 to 89+ weeks. Seventeen (95%) of 19 patient...
Indicator-assisted evaluation and funding of research: visualizing the influence of grants on the number and citation counts of research papers

This article reports research on analyzing and visualizing the impact of governmental funding on the amount and citation counts of research publications. For the first time, grant and publication data appear interlinked in one map. We start with an overview of related work and a discussion of available techniques. A concrete example- grant and publication data from Behavioral and Social Science Research, one of four extramural research programs at the National Institute on Aging (NIA)--is analyzed and visualized using the VxInsight® visualization tool. The analysis also illustrates current existing problems related to the quality and existence of data, data analysis, and processing. The article concludes with a list of recommendations on how to improve the quality of grant-publication maps and a discussion of research challenges for indicator-assisted evaluation and funding of research.
Predicting the likelihood of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) occurrence using landscape characteristics

Abstract Yellow starthistle is an invasive plant species common in the semiarid climate of central Idaho and other western states. Early detection of yellow starthistle and estimation of its infestation potential in semiarid grasslands have important scientific and managerial implications. Weed detection and delineation of infestations are often carried out by using ground survey techniques. However, such methods can be inefficient and expensive in detecting sparse infestations. The distribution of yellow starthistle over a large region may be affected by various landscape variables such as elevation, slope, and aspect. These exogenous variables may be used to develop prediction models to estimate the potential for yellow starthistle invasion into new areas. A nonlinear prediction model has been developed using a polar coordinate transformation of landscape characteristics to predict the likelihood of yellow starthistle occurrence in north-central Idaho. The study region included the lower Snake River and...
Dirty Work at the Intersections of Gender, Class, and Nation: Liberian Market Women in Post-Conflict Times

This study explored how market women rework meanings of dirty work and gender, class, and nation in post-conflict Liberia. I used African feminist theory as a lens, which nuances a simplistic and Western-centered reading of market women's empowerment. In this study, the notion of empowerment is connected to the principle of negotiation or the ability to compromise and strategically capitalize on situations. The women used three main strategies to rework market work: appropriating stigmatizing features, aligning with the oppositional discourse, and creating new meanings. The study contributes to dirty work scholarship by debunking the idea that meanings of dirty work have inherently positive or negative impacts on workers’ agency. Instead, my African feminist lens foregrounds the importance of situation and how workers leverage positive or negative meanings in different contexts. This intersectional framework allows us to reframe dirty work as a culturally situated concept by considering nation alongside g...
Ability of cleaning-disinfecting wipes to remove bacteria from medical device surfaces.

Background Nosocomial infections are a serious problem in health care facilities. Bacteria can be transferred from patient to patient via contaminated reusable medical devices and equipment. Methods An anesthesia machine and objects representative of smooth and ridged machine knobs were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus atrophaeus spores, and Clostridium sporogenes spores. The ability of 5 commercially available cleaning-disinfecting wipes to remove bacteria was compared with gauze soaked with water or bleach. Gauze soaked with water was used to determine the optimal wetness for bacteria removal, which was then used to evaluate the efficacy of the wipe ingredients. Results All of the wipes cleaned the device surfaces significantly better than the no wipe control. Some wipes performed equally well as gauze with water, whereas others performed worse. Overall, the wipe containing sodium hypochlorite was the most effective at removing bacteria. When the wipe ingredients were re-evaluated using the determined optimal wipe wetness on gauze, their effectiveness at cleaning S aureus , but not spores, significantly improved. Conclusion Physically removing bacteria from device surfaces with water was often as effective as the cleaning-disinfecting wipes. Of the wipe active ingredients evaluated, sodium hypochlorite was the most effective overall. The wetness of the wipes may also play a role in their effectiveness.
Sensitivity to desertification of a high productivity area in Southern Italy

Calabria (Southern Italy) is one of the Italian regions most affected by desertification phenomena. This study presents a detailed analysis of the sensitivity to desertification of an economically important agricultural area in the province of Crotone. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas methodology, developed during the European Union MEDALUS project, has been applied by means of a consistent set of pedological, vegetation, climatic and management data of the study area. Analysis of 15 biophysical and social-economic indicators and an evaluation of 4 Quality Indices allowed the classification of the study area into potential, fragile and critical areas in relation to desertification. The main result is a pronounced sensitivity to desertification of the area: about 46% of the land emerges as being already affected by degradation phenomena, falling within the worst class (‘critical’), while about 39% of the area belongs to the ‘fragile’ class.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations and Experiments of Meltblown Fibrous Media: New Die Designs to Enhance Fiber Attenuation and Filtration Quality

The meltblowing process employs high-speed hot air jets to attenuate polymer streams injected from a die head. In this study, we examine design strategies to control the air flow field below the polymer injection point to achieve higher fiber attenuation and meltblown webs with smaller fiber diameters. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for new die configurations show that vertical or inclined air constrictors around the primary air jets keep the centerline air velocity and temperature at their maximum values for 10–15 mm longer below the die face than the reference die. Polymer streams are kept near their melting temperatures at higher air velocities for a longer period, resulting in higher fiber attenuation. The underlying mechanisms leading to such behavior are discussed. Experimental results show reduction in fiber diameter and pore size, validating the simulation. Improved filtration properties are also obtained from the nonwovens webs.
Transgenerational Family Therapy: A Case Study of a Couple in Crisis

Transgenerational family therapy invites counselors to examine the interactions of clients across generations as a mechanism for understanding and explaining current problems within the family, as ...
Histoplasmosis: Recognition and Treatment

Histoplasmosis has become an important mycosis in regions of endemicity in North and Central America. Traditionally, treatment has been reserved for patients with disseminated or chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis. The availability of safe and effective oral regimens, however, has offered alternatives to amphotericin B. Administration of amphotericin B is highly effective as therapy and produces a rapid clinical response; it remains the treatment of choice for patients with severe or moderately severe manifestations of histoplasmosis. Ketoconazole and itraconazole are well tolerated and are effective alternatives to amphotericin B for treatment of patients with milder illnesses or for use following response to amphotericin B. The determination of fluconazole's role in therapy for histoplasmosis awaits completion of ongoing trials. Continued research is needed to develop better-tolerated fungicidal alternatives to amphotericin B and oral agents with better absorption and drug interaction profiles than those of itraconazole and ketoconazole. Preventive strategies should be explored to reduce the frequency of histoplasmosis among individuals from regions of endemicity who are at high risk for more severe manifestations of histoplasmosis.
Analysis on epidemic characteristics of A and B category infectious diseases in Liuhe district of Nanjing,2005-2010

Objective To analyze the epidemic characteristics of A and B category infectious diseases in Liuhe district,and to provide a scientific basis for establishing prevention and control policy.Methods The incidence data of A and B category infectious diseases were obtained from China Information System for Diseases Control and Prevention.A descriptive epidemiological study was used to analyze the epidemic characteristics of A and B category infectious diseases.Results During 2005-2010,a total of 6 733 of A and B category infectious diseases were reported,with an annual incidence of 153.13 per 100 000.The overall incidence decreased with an average decline rate of 14.17%.Respiratory transmitted infectious diseases,blood-borne and sexually transmitted infectious diseases accounted for 53.15% and 32.49%,respectively.Tuberculosis,viral hepatitis,gonorrhea,syphilis,dysentery and measles were the most common infectious diseases.Conclusion A remarkable achievements has been made on the prevention and control of infectious diseases in Liuhe.However,the situation of prevention and control of infectious disease is still critical and the prevention and control strategies should be adjusted appropriately so as to further strengthen the efforts in the future.
Nutrition and women's health: challenge for the 21st century

The recent release of Healthy People 2010 and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans were significant events, especially for the nutritional health of women. Given the number of women diagnosed with nutrition-related diseases and the increasing cultural diversity of the US population, implementing the dietary recommendations poses challenges for women clinicians. Clinicians must recognize and respect the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and traditions of their female patients if the goals of a healthy diet are to be achieved. And culturally sensitive interventions are needed to reduce women's risk of developing nutrition-related diseases over the next decade.
The Geometry of the Flux

Let φ t ∈ Diff c ∞ (M) be an isotopy (with φ0 = id M ). We defined in 1.1 a family of vector fields \(\dot \varphi = {\xi _t}\) on M by: $$\frac{{d{\varphi _t}}}{{dt}}\left( x \right) = {\xi _t}\left( {{\varphi _t}\left( x \right)} \right)$$ (1) We get back the isotopy φ t by integrating the time dependent ordinary differential equations above defining ξ t .
Oral Life Review in Older Adults: Principles for the Social Service Professional

The opportunity to tell one’s life story, share personal wisdom, and leave a spoken legacy for the future can be a powerful intervention for the well-being of just about any older adult. Social service professionals hear many stories from older clients, yet few take the time to pursue these to the level of a life review. Facilitation of the life review process is not “rocket science” but there is an art to it and important ground rules to follow. This chapter reviews the theoretical basis for “life review in aging” and introduces key concepts for professionals interested in incorporating a “life review sensibility” into their daily practice with older clients.
Der Raum – ein Gemeingut?

Der folgende Beitrag nutzt eine anthropologische Rekonstruktion des Begriffs der Aneignung, um die Privatisierung und Kommodifizierung des stadtischen Raumes mit grundsatzlichen Fragen und Anfragen zu verknupfen. Die Ausfuhrungen kreisen um einen paradoxen Zusammenhang, bei dem Aneignungspraktiken sowohl die Basis fur das Problem als auch fur die Losung sind. Indem Menschen sich Raume aneignen, grenzen sie diese auch ein und von anderen ab. Gated communities konnen als eine Form dieser Praxis verstanden werden. Aneignungen mussen aber nicht in ‚undurchlassigen‘ Abgrenzungen munden. Das Scharnier fur die Losung bildet der Vorschlag, das Paradigma der individuellen Aneignung zu relativieren und die Bedeutung von kollektiven Aneignungsprozessen hervorzuheben. Gemeinguter werden als ein Ergebnis dieser Praxis gedeutet. Werte wie Selbstbestimmung, Entscheidungshoheit, Kontrolle und Souveranitat, die ublicherweise als Basis und Ergebnis von Privateigentum gelten, werden in ein soziales und relationales Beziehungsgeflecht eingeordnet. Das auf Henry Lefebvre zuruckgehende ‚Recht auf die Stadt‘ kann daher als ein kollektives Recht verstanden werden. Die Entschlusselung dieses Bedeutungszusammenhangs fuhrt zu der Erkenntnis, dass es nicht ausreichend ist, die Grenzen des Marktes zu definieren. Nicht ob ein Raum die Eigenschaft eines offentlichen Gutes hat, ist dann die entscheidende Frage, sondern ob Burger sich als kollektive Eigentumer des stadtischen Raumes verstehen und fur seine (Wieder-)Aneignung kampfen.
Risk factors for failed reactivation of a labor epidural for postpartum tubal ligation: a prospective, observational study.

Abstract Study objective To determine specific risk factors that increase the failure rate of labor epidurals reactivated for use as a surgical block for postpartum tubal ligation. Design Prospective, observational study. Setting Labor and delivery suite and operating rooms at the Women and Infants Center. Patients One hundred patients undergoing postpartum tubal ligation with an existing labor epidural that is documented to be within 2 cm of initial placement. Measurements Body mass index, patient satisfaction with her epidural during labor and delivery, time from delivery to reactivation for tubal ligation, depth to loss of resistance, and the need for top-ups during labor were recorded preoperatively. Failure to reactivate was recorded and defined as any patient that (1) did not achieve a T 6 level to pinprick, (2) had perceived pain (pain score >3) that required administration of an intravenous opioid or local anesthetic infiltration, or (3) required conversion to general anesthesia. Main results The overall success rate of reactivation was 78%. Significant risk factors for failure to reactivate were (1) poor patient satisfaction ( P = .016), (2) increased time from delivery to reactivation ( P = .044), and (3) the need for top-ups during labor and delivery ( P = .032). Conclusion Poor satisfaction score of the epidural during labor and delivery, increasing time from delivery to epidural reactivation for tubal ligation, and the need for top-ups during labor and delivery increase the incidence of reactivation failure. No correlation was found with body mass index or loss of resistance and failure to reactivate.
Treatment of hepatitis B virus: an update

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a global health concern as it affects over 240 million people worldwide and an estimated 686,000 people die annually as a result of complications of the disease. With the development of newer antiviral drugs, viral suppression of HBV is achievable, however elimination of HBV from infected individuals (functional cure) remains an issue. Due to persistence of HBV DNA (cccDNA) in infected cells, chronically infected patients who discontinue therapy prior to HBsAg loss or seroconversion are likely to relapse. Several novel therapeutic strategies are being researched and studied in clinical trials. Here we review these novel strategies to achieve sustained cure or elimination of HBV. These strategies include the targeting of the host or viral factors required for viral persistence as well as therapeutic vaccines.
Religiosity and Health Through the Decades: Is There a Gender Difference?

Purpose:An empirical examination of the long-term association, disaggregated by gender, between religiosity and self-rated health with reference to demographic shifts in labor force participation, education, and income.Design:General Social Survey data.Setting:United States, 1974 to 2012.Participants:A total of 23 353 respondents.Measures:Self-assessed health; 2 key religiosity variables: attendance and intensity of belief; income, labor market variables, education, standard demographic variables, household size, region, and time dummies.Analysis:Probit estimation conducted for the aggregate sample by gender as well as by decades to examine possible gender differential changes over time.Results:Attendance has declined overall with a much greater decline for women. The overall positive association between religiosity and health masks considerable heterogeneity across gender and time; higher and stable for males, there is no longer a significant association for females. Increased education, income, and labo...
Accounting for Strategic Response in an Agent-Based Model of Financial Regulation

Due to complex interactions in financial markets, financial regulations can sometimes produce unexpected outcomes, and fail to achieve their macroeconomic goals. We replicate a previous agent-based simulation study which showed that the Basel banking regulations may increase financial instability, counter to their intended purpose. Our replication confirms that this is the case, following the original study's assumption that the financial firms' behaviors are fixed. We then extend the model to account for a possible strategic response, where financial firms adapt to the regulatory regime. Using empirical game-theoretic analysis, we derive equilibria with and without regulation. We find that in the new Basel-regulated equilibria, more funds stay out of default and banks lose less capital. The overall effect of regulation on financial stability becomes benign on most measures when accounting for the strategic adaptation of agents.
Gender, Occupational Segregation, and the Cultural Divide: Are Red States Different than Blue States?

This paper examines geographic differences in occupational segregation by sex in male-dominated, high-education STEM and non-STEM occupations to determine if labor market conditions for women vary according to red-state/blue-state patterns. Controlling for state demographic variables, economic factors, and labor market characteristics, our results show that there are indeed differences in labor market outcomes along red-state/blue-state lines, with blue states showing more integrated labor market outcomes than red states. Our results suggest that there may indeed be important differences in labor market outcomes for women associated with values differences in red versus blue states.
Abstract 139: Relative Improvements in Country-level Measures of Stroke Mortality, Incidence, and Disability From 1990 to 2010 are Associated With Higher Baseline Gross National Income Per Capita

Background: Age-standardized mortality and disability burden from stroke has been improving on a global level, but these improvements have been uneven across nations. Hypothesis: Higher gross national income per capita is strongly associated with relative improvements in stroke indicators on a national level. Methods: We conducted an ecological analysis using estimates of age-standardized stroke indicators (Global Burden of Disease Study 1990 and 2010), non-communicable disease risk factor data (WHO Global Health Observatory), and gross national income per capita estimates (World Bank). We generated choropleth maps to highlight outliers with changes that differed from global trends. We evaluated the association between gross national income per capita and changes in risk factors burden and age-standardized mortality, incidence, mortality incidence ratio, and DALY losses from stroke over 20 years. Results: Of the 186 countries with available data, most experienced a decrease in age-standardized stroke mortality (164; 88%; mean decrease 23%), mortality incidence ratio (175; 94%; mean decrease 25%), and stroke DALY losses (168; 90%; mean decrease 27%) but not stroke incidence (76; 40%; mean increase 10%) over 20 years (Figure). Relative improvements in mean systolic blood pressure (p Conclusion: Incidence, mortality, and DALY burdens from stroke are higher in low-income countries, but the greatest relative improvements in these indicators over the past 20 years have been in high-income countries.
Tobacco Exposure as Determined by Serum Cotinine and Subclinical Myocardial Injury in Individuals Free from Cardiovascular Disease.

Tobacco exposure including second-hand smoke is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Serum cotinine, a highly sensitive and specific biomarker for tobacco exposure, is a more accurate measure of tobacco exposure than self-reported smoking status. Although the harmful effect of tobacco exposure on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (e.g., atherosclerosis) or hard CVD outcomes (e.g., myocardial infarction) is well established, its effect on intermediate outcomes such as subclinical myocardial injury (SMI), especially in nonsmokers, is not clear. Therefore, we examined the risk of SMI, defined as a Cardiac Infarction/Injury Score of ≥10 points on the 12-lead electrocardiogram with abnormal serum cotinine levels (>15 ng/ml) in 6,264 smokers and nonsmokers who were free from CVD enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. SMI was more common in those with abnormal compared with normal serum cotinine levels (25.9% vs 19.6%, respectively; p
Production of Textbooks and Instructional Materials in the United States.

This survey found a wide range of capabilities and issues regarding the production of textbooks and instructional materials for students with visual impairments in 42 states. Shortages of qualified...
The Defective Arginine-Nitric Oxide Pathway in Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common genetic hemoglobinopathy affecting nearly 100,000 people in the United States and millions worldwide. Cardinal features of SCD include severe painful crises, anemia, and potentially life-threatening complications, such as bacterial sepsis, splenic sequestration, acute chest syndrome, stroke and chronic organ damage, including pulmonary hypertension. These clinical complications result largely from interactions of vasoocclusion, endothelial dysfunction, and tissue damage occurring during hemolysis. Endothelial dysfunction arising in SCD is linked in part, to low l -arginine and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, which is the focus of this chapter. Intravascular hemolysis of erythrocytes releases cell-free hemoglobin, which contributes oxidant stress, consumes NO directly, and also releases arginase, metabolizing the obligate NO synthase substrate l -arginine and thereby limiting NO synthesis. Free oxygen radicals also consume NO, contributing to an overall state of NO resistance and chronic vasculopathy. Over the last 15 years, a paradigm has matured, linking hemolysis to vasculopathy in SCD, with implications to other hemolytic conditions including malaria, thalassemia, and even iatrogenic hemolytic processes like the transfusion of aged stored blood. Insights into the dysregulation of the arginine-NO pathway in SCD will open the door to innovative approaches that target this mechanism.
The fact of experience: rethinking political knowledge and civic competence

In the study of political knowledge, the emphasis on facts is misplaced. Evidence has grown that predispositions and social contexts shape how individuals are exposed to and interpret facts about politics, and the ready availability of information in the contemporary media environment may exacerbate these biases. We reexamine political knowledge from the bottom up. We look at what citizens themselves treat as relevant to the task of understanding public affairs and how they use this information. We draw upon our research in three different projects involving observation of political talk and elite interviews to do so. We observe that people across a range of levels of political engagement process political information through the lens of their personal experience. Failing to acknowledge this aspect of the act of using political information presents an incomplete empirical understanding of political knowledge. We propose an Expanded Model of Civic Competence that presents an alternative interpretation for what it means to be an informed citizen in a democracy. In this model, the competence of listening to and understanding the different lived experiences of others cannot be considered separately from levels of factual knowledge.
Linguistic Economies: Commentary on Language Policy Special Issue “Policing for Commodification: Turning Communicative Resources into Commodities”

Although the relationship between language and economic activity has long been a topic of scholarly research, much of it building on the work of Raymond Williams and Pierre Bourdieu, recent attention to the commodification of language and its relationship to global economies and late capitalism moves this conversation in new directions. The articles in this special issue of Language Policy advance this line of inquiry through their shared focus on what happens to languages and their speakers as they move into the realm of commodification. Many of the articles build from Duchene and Heller’s seminal work theorizing the transformation in how language is valued in the context of new economies. My discussion contextualizes these pieces by linking them to ongoing conversations within linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, and aligned fields about the changing role of and potentials for language to be an economic object as well as practice. The growth of neoliberal ideologies and policies has facilitated transformations in the relationships of speakers to their languages, and moved much linguistic activity into the realm of exchange. Building from the specific cases included here, which in large part focus on the moments in which languages and their speakers enter into the market (or fail to), this discussion piece focuses on how linguistic value is produced in moments of production, contexts of circulation, and processes of production, in order to highlight the importance of documenting and analyzing the shifting political economic conditions within which speakers and languages are caught up as well as the choices that face them as they negotiate this complex terrain.
Molecular haplotyping vs. statistical inference: Example of paraoxonase 1 (PON1)

4067 Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an enzyme with multiple activities, including detoxification of organophosphates. It is believed to be important in preventing neurotoxic damage, and has also been implicated in atherosclerosis. The PON1 gene contains three common promoter polymorphisms, three in the promoter (-909G>C, -162A>G, -108C>T) and two in the coding region (M55L, Q192R) with varying but incomplete linkage disequilibrium. In a previous study, we have imputed PON1 haplotypes using two widely used programs, PHASE and tagSNPs, which yielded very similar results. In this study, we have developed a molecular approach, linking emulsion PCR (LE-PCR), to physically determine the PON1 haplotypes; results from this determination can be used to test the accuracy of the statistical inference of haplotypes. Linking emulsion PCR (LE-PCR) enables formation of minichromosomes preserving phase information of two polymorphic loci, thus the haplotype. Emulsion PCR confines amplicons of two linked polymorphic sites on a single template molecule to one aqueous-phase droplet. Linking PCR uses external primers in excess over biotinylated, overlapping linking primers to connect these amplicons. Unlinked amplicons are removed on streptavidin-coated magnetic beads, and runoff products are capped by primer extension on partially complementary 3’-blocked oligonucleotides. Quantitative allele-specific PCR can then be used to ascertain the haplotypes of the two polymorphic loci on the minichromosomes. In a total population of 378 individuals, we determined PON1 molecular haplotypes at three loci (-909g>c, L55M, Q192R) in 165 individual who were compound heterozygotes for -909g>c/L55M (n=89), -909g>c/Q192R (n=77) or L55M/Q192R (n=68). Twenty-four of the 165 individuals showed different molecular haplotypes than the inferred haplotypes (15% disconcordancy); 14 of these were -909g>c/Q192R compound heterozygotes, possibly due the lower degree of linkage between the two loci. We also observed a strong association between PON1 substrate specificity (measured as paraoxon/phenylacetate substrate activity ratios) and 909g>c/Q192R haplotype. We have demonstrated here a powerful molecular haplotyping technology that can be applied in population studies. Meanwhile, a ∼15% “error rate” suggests caution in the use of statistical inference for haplotypes.