cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No Last Resort: Pitting the Right to Die Against the Right to Medical Self-Determination

Many participants in debates about the morality of assisted dying maintain that individuals may only turn to assisted dying as a ‘last resort’, i.e., that a patient ought to be eligible for assisted dying only after she has exhausted certain treatment or care options. Here I argue that this last resort condition is unjustified, that it is in fact wrong to require patients to exhaust a prescribed slate of treatment or care options before being eligible for assisted dying. The last resort condition effectively pits one right of patients, their right to refuse medical treatment or interventions, against another patient right acknowledged by advocates of assisted dying, the right to die. Drawing on an analogy with the legal notion of an unconstitutional condition, I argue that the last resort condition unjustly demands that an arguably more fundamental right—the right to refuse medical treatment or intervention—be foregone in order to acquire a less fundamental right—the right to die. I then address three rationales for the last resort condition and find that they subject individuals to arbitrarily stringent standards for exercising the right to die, standards to which those who seek to end their lives by voluntarily ending life-sustaining treatments are not subject. Subjecting those who seek assisted dying to the last resort condition therefore wrongfully infringes on their right to refuse medical treatment or interventions.
Progression of left ventricular hypertrophy in children with early chronic kidney disease: 2-year follow-up study

Objective To determine the prevalence and incidence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and LV geometry and identify variables associated with LV mass (LVM) growth and development of LVH in children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Study design A 2-year longitudinal study of children with CKD (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] 15-89 mL/minute/1.73m 2 ). Thirty-one subjects had baseline and repeated echocardiography. Results Six (19%) of 31children had LVH at baseline; the prevalence of LVH increased to 39% at 2-year follow-up. Eccentric LVH was the most common geometric pattern throughout the study. Among 25 children with initially normal LVM index, 8 (32%) developed new LVH. Children with incident LVH had significantly higher mean parathyroid hormone (iPTH), lower hemoglobin and calcium levels at baseline, and significantly larger increase in iPTH during a follow-up than children with normal LVM index. Stepwise regression analysis showed that lower initial LVM index and hemoglobin level and interval increase in iPTH and nighttime systolic blood pressure (SBP) load during a follow-up independently predicted interval increase in LVM index. Conclusions LVH progresses in children during early stages of CKD. More aggressive control of anemia, BP, and hyperparathyroidism might be important in preventing the development of LVH in these patients.
Analysis of gas absorption by turbulent liquid jets

A predictive method is provided for liquid phase mass transfer coefficients when a gas is absorbed by a turbulent liquid jet. The proposed correlation has been verified using the available experimental data. The universal character of the correlation has been demonstrated for a strikingly different flow situation involving gas absorption into freely falling turbulent liquid films. On presente une methode de prevision des coefficients de transfert de masse en phase liquide, dans le cas ou un gaz est absorbe par un jet liquide turbulent. On a verifie la correlation proposee au moyen des resultats experimentaux disponibles. On a demontre le caractere universel de la correlation en utilisant le cas d'un ecoulement bien different a savoir l'absorption d'un gaz par des films liquides turbulents tombant librement.
PHENOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA SUSCEPTIBILITY IN SWINE GENOTYPED AS HOMOZYGOUS OR HETEROZYGOUS FOR THE RYANODINE RECEPTOR MUTATION

We have examined the phenotypic expression of several parameters associated with malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility in three groups (homozygous normal, homozygous abnormal and heterozygous) of Yorkshire/Duroc swine genotyped by a mutation in the ryanodine receptor. Subgroups of homozygous abnormals were classified further by the appearance or absence of muscle rigidity on prolonged in vivo challenge with halothane and suxamethonium. Four swine heterozygous for the proposed MH mutation were indistinguishable from five homozygous normal swine in temperature, heart rate, lactate concentrations, base excess and pH determined during the prolonged halothane and suxamethonium challenge. Resting creatine kinase concentrations, the in vivo barnyard challenge, the in vitro contracture response of skeletal muscle to 3% halothane and the threshold for Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release were also similar for subgroups of homozygous normals and heterozygotes. Therefore, inheritance of only one allele carrying the defect in the ryano dine receptor does not significantly alter phenotypes associated with MH susceptibility in this strain of swine. As four swine homozygous for the proposed MH defect did not exhibit rigidity and three of these had no other signs of MH on prolonged halothane and suxamethonium challenge, we conclude that the reported mutation in the ryanodine receptor may be necessary, but is not sufficient, for consistently eliciting the malignant hyperthermia syndrome. These findings suggest that a modulator of the syndrome may explain variability within indiv iduals in human MH.
The Correlation Between the Tear Film Lipid Layer and Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, can be due either to insufficient tear production or excessive tear evaporation, both resulting in tear hyperosmolarity that leads to symptoms of discomfort and ocular damage. Additionally, the severity of dry eye symptoms appears to be correlated to lipid layer thickness. It is now generally recognized that increased evaporation due to a compromised lipid layer is one of the most common etiologies for hyperosmolarity of the tear film. Thus, therapies targeted at replenishing or stabilizing the lipid layer are key to the treatment of dry eye, either as monotherapy or in conjunction with therapies designed to enhance aqueous production.
Increase in plasma esterified F2-isoprostanes following intravenous iron infusion in patients on hemodialysis.

Increase in plasma esterified F 2 -isoprostanes following intravenous iron infusion in patients on hemodialysis. Background In epoetin-treated dialysis patients, currently iron is administered by the intravenous route to maintain optimum erythropoiesis. However, rapid infusion of iron in excess of transferrin binding capacity can lead to the availability of unbound iron that can theoretically catalyze peroxidation of lipids, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which when oxidatively modified is proinflammatory and promotes atherogenesis. Methods To address this issue, our study used one of the most specific measures of lipid peroxidation available, namely gas chromatography/mass spectometry (GC/MS) analysis of F 2 -isoprostanes. Using a prospective design, blood samples were collected 15 minutes before (pre) and 30 minutes after (post) a one-hour infusion of 700mg bolus of intravenous iron in 22 adult home-hemodialysis patients on a non-hemodialysis day. Results With iron-dextran infusion, serum iron markedly increased (mean ± SE, 42 ± 4 vs. 311 ± 92 μg/dL, P P 2 -isoprostanes did not change significantly following infusion of iron (pre 40 ± 5 vs. post 39 ± 6 pg/mL). However, levels of F 2 -isoprostanes esterified in plasma lipoproteins increased significantly in the postinfusion samples (pre 199 ± 19 vs. post 233 ± 25 pg/mL, P 2 -isoprostanes ( r = 0.56, P = 0.008), which persisted in the postinfusion period ( r = 0.43, P = 0.04). However, there was no correlation between esterified F 2 -isoprostanes and serum ferritin levels. In the last four patients in whom blood samples were collected five hours after the intravenous iron infusion, there were further increases in esterified F 2 -isoprostanes that very closely correlated with postinfusion serum iron levels ( r = 0.99, P = 0.013). In a control study, the in vitro addition of iron dextran to blood samples did not increase free or esterified F 2 -isoprostanes, suggesting that the increase in esterified F 2 -isoprostanes seen in vivo after iron infusion in patients is not due to a procedural artifact. Conclusion Collectively our data suggest that high levels of serum iron appearing soon after a large bolus of iron infusion is associated with significant, albeit modest, increases in levels of F 2 -isoprostanes esterified in plasma lipoproteins that tended to increase with time. Although it is uncertain whether this degree of lipid peroxidation may have deleterious effects, it may be sagacious to explore whether this can be prevented by slow infusion of frequent smaller doses of iron and, if necessary, along with administration of antioxidants.
Cyberinfrastructures: Bridging the Divide between Scientific Research and Software Engineering

Cyberinfrastructures--scientific research environments that span multiple institutions--require careful crafting and collaboration among domain specialists and software engineers, but several factors impede this collaboration. Recognizing five rules of thumb can help facilitate successful cyberinfrastructure creation and accelerate science in the disciplines they support.
Performance analysis for optical wireless communication systems using subcarrier PSK intensity modulation through turbulent atmospheric channel

This paper compares the performance of on-off keying (OOK) modulation and subcarrier phase shift keying (PSK) modulation through an optical wireless channel. The bit error rate (BER) for a turbulent channel is derived for optical wireless communication systems employing OOK or subcarrier BPSK. A lower bound is derived for BER performance when fixed-threshold OOK is used. It is also shown that the BER performance of the optical wireless communication system, employing subcarrier PSK modulation, is more than 3 dB better than that of a compatible system employing fixed-threshold OOK modulation at BER=10/sup -6/ and with turbulence parameter /spl sigma/=0.1. When /spl sigma/ is 0.2 and fixed-threshold OOK is employed, the BER performance never falls down to 10/sup -4/. The BER performance degradation of optical wireless communication systems employing subcarrier BPSK between /spl sigma/=0.1 and /spl sigma/=0.2 is only 2.5 dB at BER=10/sup -6/.
Reasoning about benefits, costs, and risks of chemical substances: mapping different levels of sophistication

The ability to evaluate options and make informed decisions about problems in relevant contexts is a core competency in science education that requires the use of both domain-general and discipline-specific knowledge and reasoning strategies. In this study we investigated the implicit assumptions and modes of reasoning applied by individuals with different levels of training in chemistry when engaged in a task that demanded the evaluation of the benefits, costs, and risks (BCR) of using different chemical substances. We were interested in identifying and characterizing different levels of sophistication in the use of chemistry concepts and ideas in BCR reasoning. Our qualitative study elicited reasoning patterns that ranged from intuitive to mixed to normative, with students mostly in mid-undergraduate years demonstrating reasoning that was a mixture of intuitive and chemical ways of thinking. Intuitive reasoning was governed primarily by affective impressions about the substances under evaluation. Consideration of compositional, structural, and energetic features of substances was observed with increased training in chemistry, with a tendency to mix particle-level explanations with intuitive assumptions. Normative thinking shifted toward proactive use of appropriate disciplinary knowledge, recognition of a need for more data about bulk properties particularly on large scales, and consideration of pros, cons, and trade-offs. Implications are discussed for ways to improve the undergraduate chemistry curriculum so that students gain proficiency in making productive judgments and informed decisions.
How we eat what we eat: identifying meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary factors among young adults

Objective: (i) To examine associations between young adults’ meal routines and practices (e.g. food preparation, meal skipping, eating on the run) and key dietary indicators (fruit/vegetable, fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage intakes) and (ii) to develop indices of protective and risky meal practices most strongly associated with diet. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, Minnesota (USA). Subjects: A diverse sample of community college and public university students (n 1013). Results: Meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy dietary patterns were related to home food preparation (i.e. preparing meals at home, preparing meals with vegetables) and meal regularity (i.e. routine consumption of evening meals and breakfast). In contrast, factors most strongly associated with poor dietary patterns included eating on the run, using media while eating and purchasing foods/beverages on campus. A Protective Factors Index, summing selected protective meal routines and practices, was positively associated with fruit/vegetable consumption and negatively associated with fast-food and sugarsweetened beverage consumption (P<0·001). A Risky Factors Index yielded significant, positive associations with fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (P<0·001). The probability test for the association between the Risky Factors Index and fruit/vegetable intake was P=0·05. Conclusions: Meal routines and practices were significantly associated with young adults’ dietary patterns, suggesting that ways in which individuals structure mealtimes and contextual characteristics of eating likely influence food choice. Thus, in addition to considering specific food choices, it also may be important to consider the context of mealtimes in developing dietary messaging and guidelines.
‘ICH BIN GENAUSO DEUTSCH WIE KAFKA’: GERMAN LINGUISTIC IDENTITY IN THE NOVELS OF TERÉZIA MORA

Terezia Mora, the translingual author of Alle Tage, Der einzige Mann auf dem Kontinent and Das Ungeheuer, demands an unqualified place within German literature, claiming ‘Ich bin genauso deutsch wie Kafka’. With Kafka, Mora chooses an author who shows the importance of Eastern European influences on German literature and how ‘the foreign’, especially the geographically close Eastern European, is, and always has been, part of ‘Germanness.’ I argue that Mora's protagonists seek a form of the German language which allows the expression of specific experience and emotion, and that this flexibility within language is necessary for a more complex contemporary German identity. Only through the openness of Darius Kopp to his wife's translingualism does this protagonist of Mora's latest two novels – and the most emphatically ‘German’ of her characters – come closer to an emotionally meaningful use of the German language, as she returns Kopp to aspects of his identity that he has lost. Terezia Mora, die translinguistische Autorin von Alle Tage, Der einzige Mann auf dem Kontinent und Das Ungeheuer, behauptet sie sei ‘genauso deutsch wie Kafka’ und ebenso sehr beteiligt an der deutschen Literatur. Moras Erwahnung von Kafka zeigt die Wichtigkeit des osteuropaischen Einflusses auf die deutsche Literatur. ‘Das Fremde’, besonders das geographisch nahe Osteuropaische, ist, und war immer, Teil des Deutschen. In dieser Arbeit behaupte ich, dass Moras Figuren eine Sprache suchen, die ihre besonderen Erfahrungen und Emotionen ausdrucken kann, und dass diese Flexibilitat der Sprache fur eine erweiterte heutige deutsche Identitat notwendig ist. Nur durch die offene Haltung gegenuber der translinguistischen Sprache seiner Frau findet Darius Kopp (Moras Hauptfigur in den letzten zwei Romanen) eine emotional bedeutsame Sprache, da er durch sie zu verlorenen Aspekten seiner Identitat zuruckfindet.
Advances in discriminative dependency parsing

Achieving a greater understanding of natural language syntax and parsing is a critical step in producing useful natural language processing systems. In this thesis, we focus on the formalism of dependency grammar as it allows one to model important head-modifier relationships with a minimum of extraneous structure. Recent research in dependency parsing has highlighted the discriminative structured prediction framework (McDonald et al., 2005a; Carreras, 2007; Suzuki et al., 2009), which is characterized by two advantages: first, the availability of powerful discriminative learning algorithms like log-linear and max-margin models (Lafferty et al., 2001; Taskar et al., 2003), and second, the ability to use arbitrarily-defined feature representations. This thesis explores three advances in the field of discriminative dependency parsing. First, we show that the classic Matrix-Tree Theorem (Kirchhoff, 1847; Tutte, 1984) can be applied to the problem of non-projective dependency parsing, enabling both log-linear and max-margin parameter estimation in this setting. Second, we present novel third-order dependency parsing algorithms that extend the amount of context available to discriminative parsers while retaining computational complexity equivalent to existing second-order parsers. Finally, we describe a simple but effective method for augmenting the features of a dependency parser with information derived from standard clustering algorithms; our semi-supervised approach is able to deliver consistent benefits regardless of the amount of available training data. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
A structured custom logic-design methodology

The authors describe a custom logic-circuit design methodology for CMOS circuit technologies where design time and cost are drastically reduced by efficiently using computer-aided design tools. Also described is a hierarchical chip-design methodology where the design is logically partitioned into self-contained timetable design units. >
On non-linear characterization of tissue abnormality by constructing disease manifolds

Tissue deterioration as induced by disease can be viewed as a continuous change of tissue from healthy to diseased and hence can be modeled as a non-linear manifold with completely healthy tissue at one end of the spectrum and fully abnormal tissue such as lesions, being on the other end. The ability to quantify this tissue deterioration as a continuous score of tissue abnormality will help determine the degree of disease progression and treatment effects. We propose a semi-supervised method for determining such an abnormality manifold, using multi-parametric magnetic resonance features incorporated into a support vector machine framework in combination with manifold regularization. The position of a tissue voxel on this spatially and temporally smooth manifold, determines its degree of abnormality. We apply the framework towards the characterization of tissue abnormality in brains of multiple sclerosis patients followed longitudinally, to obtain a voxel-wise score of abnormality called the tissue abnormality map, thereby obtaining a voxel-wise measure of disease progression.
An artificial intelligence approach to PLA optimization

Programmable-logic-array (PLA) optimization can be achieved by using heuristic two-level switching-function minimization algorithms. The authors introduce a novel approach to the heuristic-switching-function minimization, formulating the problem as a state-space search. Several heuristic evaluation functions are used to guide the search, which is realized by constructing a binary decision tree. >
Reed’s Syndrome

Multiple cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis (MCUL), also known as Reed’s syndrome, is an autosomal dominant genetic condition. Affected individuals have an increased predisposition to develop benign smooth muscle tumors (leiomyomas) in the skin and uterus. Affected females frequently develop uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) that are larger and more numerous and emerge earlier than those in the general population. Subsets of these patients are at risk for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and have been determined to have mutations in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene. In individuals or families without RCC, the syndrome may be referred to as multiple cutaneous leiomyomatosis (MCL) or MCUL. The term hereditary leiomyomatosis and RCC (HLRCC) refers to families with an increased prevalence of smooth muscle tumors and RCC as a result of the FH genetic defect. Since cutaneous leiomyomas are not exceptionally common, their presence—whether single or in multiplicity—should raise suspicion of underlying uterine leiomyomas and the possibility of real disease. Increased clinical awareness is important due to the association between coexisting cutaneous and systemic diseases.
Determination of oxycodone in plasma and identification of a major metabolite

An electron-capture GLC method is described for oxycodone and its major metabolite, noroxycodone, in plasma and urine. The method involves extraction of the two substances into benzene-isopropranol at pH 10.4, followed by back-extraction into 0.1 N HCl. The acid phase is washed with hexane and made alkaline prior to reextraction into benzene-isopropanol. The solvent is removed by evaporation, and the heptafluorobutyryl derivatives of the test substances are formed. After removal of excess reagent, oxycodone and noroxycodone are quantitated by GLC. The characteristics of both substances, with respect to plasma levels in dogs and analgesic activity in mice, are reported. Isolation of noroxycodone from human urine and its identification by TLC, GLC, and mass spectrometry are described.
Hand movements reflect competitive processing in numerical cognition.

Traditional models of numerical cognition are based on the computer-based metaphor of cognition that assumes numerical judgments are stage-based and independent of bodily effectors. However, recent studies have indicated that the traditional metaphor may be inadequate for describing the processes involved in numerical decisions. In the present study, I provide further evidence that number processing proceeds in a continuous, competitive manner tightly coupled with feedback from the motor system. Forty-five adult participants’ hand movements were recorded as they used a computer mouse to choose the correct parity (odd/even) for single-digit numerals. Distributional analyses of these hand movements indicated that responses resulted from competition between parallel and partially active mental representations rather than occurring in discrete stages.
Obstacles on the Road to Gender Justice: The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as Object Lesson

Although unlawful, violence against women continues to be employed as a deliberate tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, and instill fear in embattled communities, as recently noted by the Security Council in Resolution 1820. Even where such acts are not the result of an express governmental or group policy, gender violence is regularly tolerated by authorities as a way to reward exhausted fighters and further terrorize, punish, or humiliate an enemy community. Although the substantive law outlawing such gender violence is now well established, significant obstacles remain to ensuring a robust system of gender justice in international criminal law. These obstacles are less visible than defects in positive law, because they emerge in the practice of international criminal law at crucial yet shrouded stages of the penal process: investigation, charging, pre-trial plea negotiations, trial preparation, the provision of protective measures, and appeals. Most importantly, strong positive law is irrelevant where a commitment to gender justice does not infuse all stages of the development and implementation of a prosecutorial strategy. Although gender violence in Rwanda did not receive the levels of media attention focused on similar crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia, the Rwandan statistics - inherently approximate - are stunning. Estimates range from 250,000 to 500,000 rapes during the short period of the genocide (April-June 1994). Yet, the results of the cases before the ICTR do not reflect the high levels of gender violence in Rwanda during the genocide. In fact, the systemic lack of gender violence charges and the high number of acquittals for what charges were brought generates the opposite impression. This disconnect lies at the heart of this paper, which will discuss the many ways in which gender justice can be neglected or sidelined in international criminal law with a particular focus on the history of gender justice prosecutions before the ICTR and the decisions and practices of that Tribunal's Office of the Prosecutor. This study makes clear that where gender violence is not central to a prosecutorial strategy, potential charges become dispensable and charged crimes result in acquittals when subjected to the adversarial criminal justice process. Although it is largely too late for the women of Rwanda, this paper presents ways in which the ICC - whose constitutive statute contains groundbreaking and enlightened structural, procedural, and substantive provisions to ensure gender justice - can generate better results for women victims elsewhere and ensure that the missteps, carelessness, and neglect characterizing gender justice before the ICTR are not repeated.
Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Two-Phase Alloys Based on NbCr(2)

A two-phase, Nb-Cr-Ti alloy (bee+ C15 Laves phase) has been developed using several alloy design methodologies. In effort to understand processing-microstructure-property relationships, diffment processing routes were employed. The resulting microstructure and mechanical properties are discussed and compared. Plasma arc-melted samples served to establish baseline, . . . as-cast properties. In addition, a novel processing technique, involving decomposition of a supersaturated and metastable precursor phase during hot isostatic pressing (HIP), was used to produce a refined, equilibrium two-phase microstructure. Quasi-static compression tests as a ~ function of temperature were performed on both alloy types. Different deformation mechanisms were encountered based upon temperature and microstructure.
Diel variability in seawater pH relates to calcification and benthic community structure on coral reefs.

Community structure and assembly are determined in part by environmental heterogeneity. While reef-building corals respond negatively to warming (i.e. bleaching events) and ocean acidification (OA), the extent of present-day natural variability in pH on shallow reefs and ecological consequences for benthic assemblages is unknown. We documented high resolution temporal patterns in temperature and pH from three reefs in the central Pacific and examined how these data relate to community development and net accretion rates of early successional benthic organisms. These reefs experienced substantial diel fluctuations in temperature (0.78°C) and pH (>0.2) similar to the magnitude of ‘warming’ and ‘acidification’ expected over the next century. Where daily pH within the benthic boundary layer failed to exceed pelagic climatological seasonal lows, net accretion was slower and fleshy, non-calcifying benthic organisms dominated space. Thus, key aspects of coral reef ecosystem structure and function are presently related to natural diurnal variability in pH.
New insights into bacterial acquisition of phosphorus in the surface ocean.

Since 1958 when Alfred C. Redfield (1) recognized the similarity between the ratios of elements in living biomass and those dissolved in the surrounding seawater, we have understood that microorganisms largely control the concentrations, distribution, and molecular makeup of nutritional resources in the ocean. The primary elemental ingredients for life, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), are assembled, disassembled, transformed, and consumed by marine microorganisms, resulting in a steady cycling of elements between intracellular, inorganic, and organic reservoirs. Of these pools, dissolved organic matter (DOM) represents the largest C, N, and P reservoir in the surface ocean of most marine habitats, greatly exceeding the respective concentrations of inorganic pools or that found in living organisms. DOM is a source of energy and elements, fueling heterotrophic and autotrophic growth alike (2), yet we understand very little about the biomolecular strategies marine microbes employ to use organic substrates in the global ocean. What is the molecular composition of organic matter, where do these compounds originate, and how much of this is bioavailable? How do microbes hydrolyze and transport constituents of DOM into the cell? What are the factors that regulate enzyme expression and control the decomposition of organic matter? These are but a few of the questions that must be addressed to fundamentally and mechanistically understand how microorganisms assimilate, transform, and turn over elemental resources in the ocean. In this issue of PNAS, Luo et al. (3) use a bioinformatics approach to investigate the diversity and localization of bacterial phosphatases, enzymes specialized for the hydrolysis of a reactive fraction of DOM, P-linked esters. Most notably, their study indicates that a significant fraction of bacteria may transport intact organophosphate compounds across the cell membrane for intracellular depolymerization, a finding counter to the prevailing concept of phosphatases as being largely extracellular. These disparate …
Evaluating the transformation from a monocentric to a polycentric city.

A population density model is presented for urban areas containing multiple centers. Utilities of this model include evaluating time series for a transformation from monocentricity to polycentricity and testing the assumption of monocentricity at any point in time. Following a discussion of the method of calibrating this model, a case study of Toronto is presented. The major finding from 1971 and 1976 Toronto data is that no transformation is yet detectable. Interpretation of the model is exemplified in this empirical exercise.
Beard and Holmes on Constitutional Adjudication

What is the connection, if any, between the external perspective of the historian or political scientist and the internal perspective of lawyers and judges? That is the puzzle for constitutional law posed by Charles Beard’s classic, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (1913). Beard challenges us either to reconcile our external and internal perspectives on constitutionalism, or else conceivably to declare them irreconcilable.I begin by showing that standard approaches to constitutional adjudication – originalism and Dworkinian moralism – are resolutely internal and thus have little use for the external standpoint of Beardian scholarship. I then describe a strategy of reconciliation offered by Justice Holmes, one that connects external and internal perspectives by means of a nonideal theory of constitutional judging under political constraints. The theory holds that the rational judge chooses the course of action that, at lowest possible cost, adjusts constitutional law and policy to match “the actual equilibrium of force in the community – that is, conformity to the wishes of the dominant power[].” In this framework, Beardian scholarship offers external analysis of the shape and force of the political constraints that the Holmesian judge should take into account when making constitutional law. External Beardian scholarship helps to delineate the feasible political options or possibilities for constitutional law, a critical datum from the internal but nonideal perspective of the Holmesian judge.
Maximizing the Thermo-Optic Tuning Range of Silicon Photonic Structures

We demonstrate 20 nm thermo-optic tuning in silicon microring resonators with 16 nm free spectral range (FSR), the largest reported full-FSR thermal tuning, with a tuning efficiency of 28 muW/GHz, enabling telecom microphotonic tunable filters.
Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques in iterative detectors: a novel approach based on Monte Carlo integration

We present a novel soft-in soft-out (SISO) detection scheme based on Markov-chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) simulations. The proposed detector is applicable to both synchronous multiuser and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. Unlike previous publications on the subject, we use Monte Carlo integration technique to arrive at the receiver structure. The proposed multiuser/MIMO detector is found to follow the Rao-Blackwell formulation and found to result in much more reliable systems than those reported so far in the literature. In particular, through computer simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed receiver can easily handle the cases of overloaded systems, i.e. when in a multiuser set-up the number of users is larger than the spreading gain, or when in a MIMO set-up there are more transmit antennas than receive antennas.
A situated perspective on bilingual development: preschool Korean–English bilinguals’ utilization of two languages and Korean honorifics

In spite of the increasing Korean population, there is still a paucity of studies examining emergent Korean bilingual children's dual-language development within their social contexts. In particular, no existing study has paid attention to the honorific system of Korean, which is one of the most important features in learning the Korean language. In order to address the research gap, this qualitative case study explores how four-year-old, Korean–English bilingual children utilize Korean and English and Korean honorifics depending on social contexts. With a sociocultural theoretical framework, data were collected for seven months by observations, interviews, children's artifacts, and audio- recordings, and analyzed based on thematic and sociolinguistic analysis. The results suggest that dual-language learning for early bilingual learners is a dynamic social and cultural process, involving multilayered decision-making. The findings of this study will be beneficial not only for early bilingual educators but ...
Variable Patch Times and the Functional Response of Leptopilina boulardi (Hymenoptera: Eucoilidae)

The functional response of Leptopilina boulardi Barbotin et al. to variations in density of its major natural host, Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, was examined in the laboratory. A behavioral criterion was used to assess attempts by parasitoid females to leave experimental arenas; a patch visit was considered terminated whenever a searching female left the host medium for over 5 min. The results demonstrate density-dependent oviposition behavior in L. boulardi , apparently stemming from a tendency by parasitoid females to spend longer periods of time in patches containing higher densities of hosts, and to emigrate quickly from patches of low host density. However, the form of the functional response was ambiguous. Allowing parasitoid search times to vary among patches changes the spatial frame of functional response measurements and complicates their interpretation; a number of these complications are discussed.
Spatial Metaphors for Morality: A Perspective from Chinese

ABSTRACTThis study aims to contribute to the research on spatial metaphors for morality from the perspective of Chinese. It outlines the linguistic patterns in Chinese that manifest the putative underlying spatial subsystem of moral metaphors, which can be summarized by a central metaphor “MORALITY IS SPATIALITY.” In doing so, it focuses on 17 spatial words that instantiate in real-life discourses five pairs of moral–spatial metaphors in their positive and negative valence. The total of 10 metaphors under study forms a cluster as the spatial metaphor subsystem operating in conjunction and connection with other metaphor subsystems in our moral cognition. It is suggested that the 10 conceptual metaphors emerge from four image schemas: UP-DOWN, BALANCE, PATH, and OBJECT. A unified schematic configuration is proposed to lay out the spatial elements and relations represented by the four image schemas in a single diagram. Based on its linguistic analysis, the study also provides a list of prototypical target as...
Management issues for the neonatal patient.

Immediate management needs of the neonate are defined in terms of the physiology of maternal-fetal gas transport and the oxyradical hypothesis of cellular injury as it pertains to hypoemic-isch- emic encephalopathy. Resuscitation, stabilization, and assessment needs are defined as related to outcome and factors of information systems. Psychosocial and legal issues are included as factors in neonatal management.
Student Perceptions of Teachers’ Mindset Beliefs in the Classroom Setting

Academic Mindset is a collection of 4 beliefs that directly impacts student academic perseverance, academic behaviors and academic performance (Farrington et al., 2012). Research suggests teachers and students hold beliefs about the stability/malleability of ability (Dweck, 2006); however, little is known about the nature of the relationship between student ability beliefs and teacher ability beliefs in classroom settings. The current research explores the nature of Student Mindset beliefs (n=359) (SM), Students’ Perception of Teacher Mindset beliefs (SPTM) and Teacher Mindset (TM) beliefs. Results suggest that Student Mindset (SM) is related to Teacher Mindset (TM) and fully mediated by Student Perception of Teacher Mindset (SPTM). Implications for educators are discussed.
A comparison of approaches for stratifying on the propensity score to reduce bias

Rationale, aims, and objectives Stratification is a popular propensity score (PS) adjustment technique. It has been shown that stratifying the PS into 5 quantiles can remove over 90% of the bias due to the covariates used to generate the PS. Because of this finding, many investigators partition their data into 5 quantiles of the PS without examining whether a more robust solution (one that increases covariate balance while potentially reducing bias in the outcome analysis) can be found for their data. Two approaches (referred to herein as PSCORE and PSTRATA) obtain the optimal stratification solution by repeatedly dividing the data into strata until balance is achieved between treatment and control groups on the PS. These algorithms differ in how they partition the data, and it is not known which is better, or if either is better than a 5-quantile default approach, for reducing bias in treatment effect estimates. Method Monte Carlo simulations and empirical data are used to assess whether PS strata defined by PSCORE, PSTRATA, or 5 quantiles is best at reducing bias in treatment effect estimates, when used within a marginal mean weighting framework (MMWS). These estimates are further compared to results derived using inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW). Results PSTRATA was slightly better than PSCORE in balancing covariates and reducing bias, while both approaches outperformed the 5-quantile approach. Overall MMWS using any stratification method outperformed IPTW. Conclusions Investigators should routinely use stratification approaches that obtain the optimal stratification solution, rather than simply partitioning the data into 5 quantiles of the PS. Moreover, MMWS (in conjunction with an optimal stratification approach) should be considered as an alternative to IPTW in studies that use PS weights.
Structural Gender Equality and Federal Sentencing Outcomes: A Test of the Ameliorative and Backlash Hypotheses:

While previous research has examined gender disparities in sentencing, most explanations focus on individual-level differences. We argue that structural gender equality has an important influence o...
Predictive Characteristics of Elevated 1-Hour Glucose Challenge Test Results for Gestational Diabetes.

Objective The objective was to estimate the optimal screen-positive 1-hour 50 g glucose challenge test (GCT) threshold for gestational diabetes (GDM) and predictive characteristics of increasing screen-positive GCT threshold values (135–199 mg/dL) for GDM. Study Design It is a secondary analysis of a multicenter mild GDM study. At 24 to 30 weeks' gestation, women with elevated GCT (135–199 mg/dL) completed a diagnostic 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A novel change-point analysis method was used to compare the GDM rates for the adjacent GCT values, delineating categories of changing risk such that values within categories have equal risk for GDM. Positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values for GDM were computed for increasing GCT cut-offs. Results In 7,280 women with both GCT (135–199 mg/dL) and OGTT results, 4 GDM risk-equivalent GCT categories were identified with escalations at 144, 158, and 174 mg/dL (all p-values Conclusion Elevated GCT cut-off values between 135 and 143 mg/dL may carry equivalent GDM risk. No threshold GCT value
Colectomy in refractory Crohn's colitis improves nutrition and reduces steroid use

Abstract Background Pediatric patients with severe refractory Crohn's colitis (CC) may require total colectomy (TC) or diverting loop ileostomy (DLI). Our understanding of outcomes (postoperative complications, nutrition and restoration of intestinal continuity) is currently limited. Methods Pediatric patients with severe CC who underwent TC or DLI were identified. Demographics, pre and postoperative anthropometric and biochemical data, surgical complications and medication requirements were recorded. Results Twenty-seven patients (TC=22, DLI=5) with a median age of 15.0years (range 3–18) were identified, 64% male with a median follow-up of 45months (range 3–120). Mean weight and BMI improved for TC patients by 1year postoperatively – weight z-score from −1.08 to −0.54 (p=0.02), BMI z-score from −0.83 to −0.38 (p=0.04), with a non-significant height change from - 0.79 to −0.65 (p=0.07). Mean hemoglobin and albumin both also improved - 9.88g/dl to 11.76g/dl (p=0.003) and 3.44g/dl to 4.03g/dl (p=0.004) respectively. These measures did not significantly improve after DLI. Most TC patients (59%) had attempted restoration of intestinal continuity with 45% in continuity at end of follow-up. One DLI patient underwent ileostomy takedown but subsequently needed re-diversion. Conclusions In severe CC, TC offers an opportunity to improve nutrition and growth, with a reasonable likelihood of restoring intestinal continuity. Level of evidence Level IV – Case series
Trajectory Optimization for Dynamic Grasping in Space Using Adhesive Grippers

Spacecraft equipped with gecko-inspired dry adhesive grippers can dynamically grasp objects having a wide variety of featureless surfaces. In this paper we propose an optimization-based control strategy to exploit the dynamic robustness of such grippers for the task of grasping a free-floating, spinning object. First, we extend previous work characterizing the dynamic grasping capabilities of these grippers to the case where both object and spacecraft are free-floating and comparably sized. We then formulate the acquisition problem as a two-phase optimization problem, which is amenable to real time implementation and can handle constraints on velocity, control, as well as integer timing constraints for grasping a specific target location on the surface of a spinning object. Conservative analytical bounds for the set of initial states that guarantee feasible grasping solutions are derived. Finally, we validate this control architecture on the Stanford free-flyer test bed—a 2D microgravity test bed for emulating drift dynamics of spacecraft.
Carbon Taxation in Europe: Expanding the EU Carbon Price

The current pricing mechanism for carbon in the EU, the EU emissions trading system, only covers 40 percent of emissions. Carbon taxation currently plays no role. The Commission has recently proposed to revise the energy tax system in the EU to include a carbon tax component. This paper evaluates the Commission proposal and considers the possible expansion of the EU carbon pricing base either by expanding emissions trading to cover more sectors or by enacting a carbon tax. It concludes that there are strong arguments for expanding the carbon pricing base, as suggested by the Commission. Nevertheless, expanding the base should done through a unified system, such as expanding the coverage of the emissions trading system or enacting an economy-wide carbon tax rather than through having side-by-side taxes and trading, as in the Commission proposal.
The Cuticle of Arthropods

The present review is intended to cover the major advances that have taken place since the appearance of the author’s monograph in 1951. But with the publication of the recent excellent review by Wigglesworth [170], the treatment has been modified to make the present review supplementary in so far as possible. Frequent reference will be made to both of the above.
American Discourses of the Digital Divide and Economic Development: A Sisyphean Order to Catch Up?

Discourses about technology and its role in development have been constant themes within IFIP Working Group 8.2 (see the Barcelona proceedings—Wynn et al. 2002). In this paper, we examine how strands of discourse—institutionalized ways of thinking and speaking—shape debate about the digital divide and urban poverty in America. As research is widely esteemed as a wellspring of new ideas, we are especially interested in how discourses inform scholarly inquiry into urgent social problems. As information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly hailed as drivers of industry and commerce, we believe that it will be instructive to examine economic development discourse, which strongly informs the case for bridging the digital divide.
Populism in the United States

In the United States, populism has made brief but important appearances throughout history. Populism has a particular appeal to Americans, as the ideas of popular sovereignty and equality of opportunity are highly valued. Whenever inequality becomes a dominant issue or when a class of people is viewed as getting “something for nothing,” populism can enjoy success at the polls. Throughout history, populism’s appeal has been toward the makers of US society, while the takers are those who are viewed as abusing the system. But the history of US populism is a checkered one. As populism gains ascendancy, assertions over who is to blame for the country’s problems often degenerates into name-calling and race-baited politics that signal populism’s inevitable decline. Donald Trump is the latest manifestation of populism’s political impulses. His rise to the presidency was fuelled by the grievances of blue-collar workers over stagnant wages, a rising immigrant population, and a feeling that elites in Washington, D.C., were not looking out for their interests. That being said, his deeply troubled presidency provides a strong hint that the manifestation of populism in American politics is, once more, headed toward an inevitable historical ebb.
The remarkable crystal chemistry of the Ca14AlSb11 structure type, magnetic and thermoelectric properties

Abstract Yb14MnSb11 is a member of a remarkable structural family of compounds that are classified according to the concept of Zintl. This structure type, of which the prototype is Ca14AlSb11, provides a flexible framework for tuning structure-property relationships and hence the physical and chemical properties of compounds. Compounds within this family show exceptional high temperature thermoelectric performance at temperatures above 300 K and unique magnetic and transport behavior at temperatures below 300 K. This review provides an overview of the structure variants, the magnetic properties, and the thermoelectric properties. Suggestions for directions of future research are provided.
Current Status of Robotic Surgery in Pediatric Urology.

Abstract Introduction: Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) has been increasingly embraced in the fields of adult and pediatric urology, especially in North America and Europe. The advantages...