cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Big state, big science, big projects: The nuclear energy programme and state (un)-managerialism in India

With decolonization, the Indian state became the sole authority of the “big projects” of national development that were to modernize the country, while the political elites embraced the role of pedagogical instructors to the masses – educating them in the roles of citizenship 1 . The case of nuclear science is not very different. While India established its atomic energy commission as early as 1948, atomic energy satisfies less than 3% of its energy needs. The situation continues to be bleak despite the promises of a “nuclear renaissance” after the IndoUS nuclear deal of 2008. This paper argues that despite hailed as a “rising power,” and notwithstanding the perceived necessities of climate change, the Indian nuclear energy programme is an example of dysfunction and state (un)-managerialism, where the entry of civil nuclear business may satisfy the Indian industrial lobby, but not promote development for the people.
Cedrela odorata acts as a contraceptive in adult female mice

The researchers wanted to find a medicinal plant that could be used in the pharmaceutical world as a contraceptive due to women looking for a safer and more effective one. According to Rainforest Remedies by Dr. Michael Balick and Rosita Arvigo (1998), Mayan women would make Cedrela odorata bark into tea and drink it three times a day for three days in order to cause sterility for one cycle. Hence, the researchers felt that this needed to be researched further to determine if it could become the contraceptive women were looking for. To assess the efficacy of Cedrela odorata as an affective contraceptive, (CD-1) female mice were administered tea made from the bark three times a day for three consecutive days, followed by copulation with male mice. The tea intercepted 92% of the pregnancies in female mice among the three experimental groups when administered orally for three days with three doses of 0.15 milliliters. All of the control group mice became pregnant when administered orally for three days with three doses of 0.15 milliliters of distilled water. No mortality and changes in the behavior were observed from pre-dose days to the postcoitum days in all the control and experimental groups. The twotailed P value ≤ 0.0001 compared the number of pregnancies of the six experimental groups to the number of pregnancies of the two control groups. Findings demonstrated that there was a significant contraceptive efficacy of the Cedrela odorata bark made into tea at the dose of 0.15 milliliters. More research is needed to determine the length of sterility and the mechanism of the bark. This research will help meet the increasing need for population control due to no clear improvement in the effectiveness in contraceptives between 1995 and 2002 (Kost et al. 2008). Being of plant origin would allow for a relatively cheap and effective contraceptive that could become widely available and accepted.
Does Social Desirability Bias Distort Results on the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire or the Identity Style Inventory

This study was designed to explore the potential effect of social desirability bias on two commonly used measures of identity. Participants (N = 80) completed the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ); the Identity Style Inventory, Revised (ISI3); and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale 2(10), a brief measure of social desirability. Results suggest that social desirability bias does not appear to pose a serious threat to the validity of identity research employing either the EIPQ or ISI3. There were no significant correlations between social desirability scores and scores on either of the identity measures. Concurrently, between-groups analyses revealed no significant differences in social desirability bias score by identity status or identity style.
Cars, Cops, & Stops: Fourth Amendment in Vehicular Context

This 48-page CLE (continuing legal education) brochure is titled “Cars, Cops, & Stops: Fourth Amendment in the Vehicular Context” and was last updated in 2010. It analyzes, in the vehicular context, both as to the vehicle and as to persons associated with the vehicle, Fourth Amendment warrant issues and Fourth Amendment exceptions to the warrant requirement. Topics include (1) “stop/detention” of a vehicle based on articulable suspicion that a felony has been committed, that a crime is about to be committed, or that a safety violation exists; (2) warrant execution; (3) consent search of a person and/or a vehicle; (4) frisk of a driver and/or passenger(s), plus searching the interior of the vehicle based on reasonable suspicion that the driver and/or a passenger is presently armed and dangerous; (5) search incident to a lawful arrest of the driver and/or a passenger, plus searching the interior of the vehicle as part of “search incident”; (6) search of the entire vehicle, under the “automobile exception,” based on probable cause to believe that fruits, evidence, and/or instrumentalities of a crime are in the vehicle; and (7) inventory search of the entire vehicle. The brochure includes a 15-point checklist.
Interaction of Ionic Liquids with a Lipid Bilayer: A Biophysical Study of Ionic Liquid Cytotoxicity.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been widely considered and used as “green solvents” for more than two decades. However, their ecotoxicity results have contradicted this view, as ILs, particularly hydrophobic ones, are reported to exhibit high toxicity. Yet the origin of their toxicology remains unclear. In this work, we have investigated the interaction of amphiphilic ILs with a lipid bilayer as a model cell membrane to understand their cytotoxicity at a molecular level. By employing fluorescence imaging and light and X-ray scattering techniques, we have found that amphiphilic ILs could disrupt the lipid bilayer by IL insertion, end-capping the hydrophobic edge of the lipid bilayer, and eventually disintegrating the lipid bilayer at high IL concentration. The insertion of ILs to cause the swelling of the lipid bilayer shows strong dependence on the hydrophobicity of IL cationic alky chain and anions and is strongly correlated with the reported IL cytotoxicity.
Fluid-mediated mass transfer from a paleosubduction channel to its mantle wedge: Evidence from jadeitite and related rocks from the Guatemala Suture Zone

Abstract Jadeitites in serpentinite melanges are the product of crystallization from and/or metasomatism by aqueous fluids that transfer components from and within a subduction channel—the slab–mantle interaction volume—into discrete rock units, most commonly found within the serpentinized or serpentinizing portion of the channel or the overlying mantle rocks at high pressure (1 to > 2 GPa). Two serpentinite melanges on either side of the Motagua fault system (MFS) of the Guatemala Suture Zone contain evidence of this process. Whole rock compositional analyses are reported here from 86 samples including jadeitites and the related rocks: omphacitites, albitites and mica rocks. The predominance of a single phase in most of these rocks is reflected in the major element compositions and aspects of the trace elements, such as REE abundances tracking Ca in clinopyroxene. Relative to N-MORB all samples show relative enrichments in the high field strength elements (HFSE) Hf, Zr, U, Th, and the LILE Ba and Cs, contrasted by depletions in K and in some cases Pb or Sr. Most jadeitites are also depleted in the highly compatible elements Cr, Sc and Ni despite their occurrence in serpentinite melange; however, some omphacitite samples show the opposite. Trace elements in these jadeitite samples show a strong similarity with GLOSS (globally subducted oceanic sediment) and other terrigenous sediments in terms of their trace-element patterns, but are offset to lower abundances. Jadeitites thus incorporate a strong trace-element signature derived from sediments mixed with that from fluid derived from altered oceanic crust. Enrichment in the HFSE argues for mobility of these elements in aqueous fluids at high P/T conditions in the subduction channel and a remarkable lack of fractionation that might otherwise be expected from dissolution and fluid transport.
Joint Measurement and Trajectory Recovery in Visible Light Communication

The growing preponderance of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for lighting has motivated research into their dual use for visible light communication (VLC) and navigation. VLC extracts a bit sequence from a series of photodetector scans. Among this data is an LED ID that ensures the reliable data association in navigation and data communication. Recovering the LED data and ID requires the accurate prediction of each LED’s projected position on the photodetector array to extract efficiently and reliably the LED ON–OFF status in each photodetector scan. Estimating the LED projected position is challenging because: 1) clutter and noise corrupt the measurements; 2) the LED status will be OFF in some scans; and 3) the predicted projection location sequence depends on the estimated rover state trajectory, which is uncertain and time varying. This paper presents a method to determine the $q$ -most probable data and the LED position sequences simultaneously for a time window of data, using Bayesian multiple hypothesis tracking techniques by maximizing the posterior probabilities. This paper focuses on the VLC data and the LED position sequence extraction, which includes rover state estimation. Implementation of the multiple hypothesis tracking algorithm is illustrated by postprocessed experimental results.
Re-reading Friedrich Hayek and Karl Polanyi in the Late-Modern Condition of Fragility:

The cardinal role of complexity in Friedrich Hayek’s theory of the market has hardly gone unnoticed. Indeed, there is now a considerable corpus of literature that has established the importance of spontaneity as a central concept around which neoliberal economic theory revolves. However, as William Connolly analyzes, its closed conception of economic processes simplifies real economic volatilities and ignores both modes of self-organization and creativity found in democracy and social movements that periodically irrupt into market processes. This article builds upon this critique of neoliberalism and employs Karl Polanyi’s genealogy of modern capitalism to understand historical imbrications between the market and the social and their contribution to the fragility of capitalism. Polanyi’s notions of “(dis-)embeddedness” and the “double movement” not only show us a more “complex” view of modern political economy but also provide us with important lessons for political responses to the recent crisis of neoli...
Twelve Years After: The Berlin Wall as Will and Idea

The Berlin Wall at different times in its ignominious history has been demonized by Western opinion less because of its real paltry role in the Cold War tension in Europe than because of the fears and frustrations it generated within Europe. This is the central theme and claim of this paper. We attempt to show through an excursion of personal and institutional events how the perceptions of Soviet communist realities were refracted through the icon of the Wall as a Cold War symbol.
The Pathogenesis of Ebola Virus Disease

For almost 50 years, ebolaviruses and related filoviruses have been repeatedly reemerging across the vast equatorial belt of the African continent to cause epidemics of highly fatal hemorrhagic fever. The 2013-2015 West African epidemic, by far the most geographically extensive, most fatal, and longest lasting epidemic in Ebola's history, presented an enormous international public health challenge, but it also provided insights into Ebola's pathogenesis and natural history, clinical expression, treatment, prevention, and control. Growing understanding of ebolavirus pathogenetic mechanisms and important new clinical observations of the disease course provide fresh clues about prevention and treatment approaches. Although viral cytopathology and immune-mediated cell damage in ebolavirus disease often result in severe compromise of multiple organs, tissue repair and organ function recovery can be expected if patients receive supportive care with fluids and electrolytes; maintenance of oxygenation and tissue perfusion; and respiratory, renal, and cardiovascular support. Major challenges for managing future Ebola epidemics include establishment of early and aggressive epidemic control and earlier and better patient care and treatment in remote, resource-poor areas where Ebola typically reemerges. In addition, it will be important to further develop Ebola vaccines and to adopt policies for their use in epidemic and pre-epidemic situations.
Mammalian MAP Kinases

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the properties of the three major groups of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases that include the extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK), the p38 MAP kinases, and the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK). The ERK1 and ERK2 protein kinases are activated by phosphorylation of the Thr-Glu-Tyr motif located in the T-loop by the MAP kinases MEK1 and MEK2. The ERK1 and ERK2 protein kinases are major targets of the Ras signaling pathway. Substrates of these MAP kinases include a wide array of proteins, including the epidermal growth factor receptor, cytoplasmic phospholipase A2, and Ets family transcription factors. The ERK3/4 subgroup of MAP kinases is encoded by two genes. These protein kinases are not true members of the ERK group because they contain the sequence Ser-Glu-Gly instead of the dual phosphorylation motif Thr-Glu-Tyr. The p38 MAP kinases are activated by inflammatory cytokines and by the exposure of cells to environmental stress. The Rho family of small GTPases, rather than the Ras family of GTPases, are considered to be the critical mediators of p38 MAP kinase activation. The p38γ and p38δ MAP kinases are related enzymes that represent a separate subgroup of p38 MAP kinases. Like other members of the p38 family, the p38γ and p38δ MAP kinases contain a Thr-Gly-Tyr dual phosphorylation motif. The regulation of the p38 γ and p38 δ MAP kinases is similar to the p38α/β MAP kinases, and all four p38 MAP kinases are activated by inflammatory cytokines and exposure to environmental stress.
Instructional and Developmental Communication Theory and Research in the 1990s: Extending the Agenda for the 21st Century

In examining the state of the art in instructional and developmental communication, the authors define the scope of the Instructional and Developmental Communication Division of the International Communication Association. They then present an overview of the primary theories that have directed research in instructional communication since 1990 and identify the major areas of research, discussing representative studies within each area. Finally, they address major theoretical, conceptual, and methodological issues of importance to instructional and developmental communication researchers and, based on in-depth review of the literature in this area, recommend more research attention to (a) teacher-student interactions, as opposed to studies that examine just teacher or student communication alone; (b) student-student interactions, including collaborative learning; and (c) the impact of technology on student outcomes. Moreover, the authors note that to facilitate systematic advancement of this area, researc...
Treating Adult Survivors of Sibling Sexual Abuse: A Relational Strengths-Based Approach

Sibling sexual abuse is a far more common manifestation of family violence than is often recognized. Researchers agree that it has received less attention than other forms of child abuse trauma despite the fact that good evidence suggests it is no less injurious than child sexual abuse when a parent or other adult is the perpetrator. This paper describes a relational, strengths-based approach to psychotherapy with adult survivors of sibling sexual abuse guided by trauma-informed principles. Cultural considerations are discussed as well as an overview of the clinical research on sibling sexual abuse and its harmful effects. Clinical case material, treatment strategies and a case illustration demonstrate therapeutic principles of the approach in action.
Identification of risk factors for inappropriate and suboptimal initiation of direct oral anticoagulants

Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) require specific dosing and monitoring to ensure safe and appropriate use. The purpose of this evaluation was to identify patient- and process-related factors that correlate with increased risk of inappropriate prescribing of DOACs. A retrospective chart review was conducted in three outpatient clinics within an academic medical center to identify patients started on DOAC therapy and evaluate the appropriateness of DOAC initiation. Data collected included patient demographics, DOAC medication initiated, dose, indication, baseline laboratory values, concomitant medications, type and specialty of prescriber, and initiation setting. Appropriateness of initial dose was assessed and data were analyzed in order to identify factors correlating with inappropriate use. One-hundred sixty-seven patients initiated on a DOAC were identified. Most patients were prescribed anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (74.9 %) and most commonly prescribed rivaroxaban (62.9 %). An inappropriate dose was prescribed in 24 (14.4 %) patients. Female patients and patients over 75 years were more likely to be prescribed an inappropriate initial dose. Baseline evaluation of blood counts and organ function were often not performed: hemoglobin values had not been drawn within the month prior to initiation in 28.7 % of patients, serum creatinine in 22.8 %, alanine transaminase in 52.1 %, and total bilirubin in 64.1 %. Lack of baseline labs was more pronounced in patients initiated on a DOAC in the outpatient setting. Dosing and baseline lab collection for DOAC initiation were suboptimal in all settings analyzed. Targeted interventions are needed to ensure the safe and appropriate use of DOAC therapy.
Increased risk of disordered eating in polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective To determine the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the effects of EDs on health-related quality of life. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University practice. Patient(s) Women with PCOS (Rotterdam criteria; n=148) and controls seen for routine gynecologic care (n = 106) from 2015 to 2016. Intervention(s) Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (PCOSQ). Main Outcome Measure(s) EDE-Q and NEQ scores, prevalence of bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and night eating syndrome (NES). Result(s) Women with PCOS were at an increased risk for overall abnormal EDE-Q scores compared with controls (12.16% vs. 2.83%; odds ratio [OR], 4.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36, 16.58). Clinically significant elevated scores were noted for shape and weight concern. In unadjusted analysis, body mass index (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01, 1.11), elevated depression score (OR, 5.43; 95% CI, 1.85, 15.88), and elevated anxiety score (OR, 6.60; 95% CI, 2.45, 17.76) were associated with an abnormal EDE-Q global score. In the multivariable model, PCOS was associated with abnormal EDE-Q global score (adjusted OR, 4.67; 95% CI, 1.16, 18.80). Elevated EDE-Q scores inversely correlated with PCOSQ scores (r = −0.57). The prevalence of BN was 6.1%, of BED was 17.6%, and of NES was 12.9% in women with PCOS, with no differences compared with controls. Conclusion(s) Women with PCOS, especially those with concurrent anxiety symptoms but independent of obesity, have a significantly increased risk of abnormal EDE-Q scores. Our findings suggest the need for routine screening for ED in this population.
The Role of Translation in the Dissemination of Scientific Information

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of translation in the dissemination of scientific information. Science has traditionally depended for its progress on the activities of individual workers in many countries. An example of this is the discovery and development of the antibiotic penicillin. Prior to 1958, the National Science Foundation's activities in the scientific and technical information field were, in general, similar to those of other United States government agencies in that they were dictated largely by the Foundation's own particular mission and information interests. The problems confronting an American scientist in his attempt to keep abreast of the latest scientific achievements of his colleagues overseas, result from a combination of factors. The magnitude of the scientific information problem can be measured in terms of scientists, time, as well as on the basis of pieces of paper. At the present time, the Foundation is supporting the translations of 41 Russian scientific journals on a cover-to-cover basis and nine on a selective basis through some 20 professional scientific and technical societies.
Creep behavior of dissimilar metal weld joints between P91 and AISI 304

Abstract Dissimilar welds between ferritic creep-resistant steels and austenitic stainless steels in power plant service are known to fail prematurely due to a large difference in their thermal coefficient of expansion. To address this problem, in the current work, modified 9Cr-1Mo steel (P91) and austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) transition joints were produced using friction welding employing three interlayers: Inconel 625, Inconel 600, and Inconel 800 H. These interlayers were friction welded one over another on P91 alloy, which was finally friction welded to AISI 304. The joints produced with single and three interlayers were subjected to creep rupture tests at different temperatures and stress levels. The creep test results demonstrated that the proposed approach can help realize striking improvements in creep performance of P91/AISI 304 dissimilar metal welds. Further, analysis of creep resulted in a stress exponent (n) of 3 by incorporating the concept of threshold stress which suggested the creep deformation mechanism to be viscous glide due to solute drag. Creep rupture data was also analyzed using Monkman-Grant relationship and creep damage tolerance factor (λ). Results indicated that the damage mechanism is due to cavity growth by the combined effect of power law and diffusion creep.
Quantitative microwave impedance microscopy with effective medium approximations

Microwave impedance microscopy (MIM) is a scanning probe technique to measure local changes in tip-sample admittance. The imaginary part of the reported change is calibrated with finite element simulations and physical measurements of a standard capacitive sample, and thereafter the output ΔY is given a reference value in siemens. Simulations also provide a means of extracting sample conductivity and permittivity from admittance, a procedure verified by comparing the estimated permittivity of polytetrafluoroethlyene (PTFE) to the accepted value. Simulations published by others have investigated the tip-sample system for permittivity at a given conductivity, or conversely conductivity and a given permittivity; here we supply the full behavior for multiple values of both parameters. Finally, the well-known effective medium approximation of Bruggeman is considered as a means of estimating the volume fractions of the constituents in inhomogeneous two-phase systems. Specifically, we consider the estimation of ...
Autobiologies: Charles Darwin and the Natural History of the Self

Evolutionary theory precipitated perhaps the most radical historical shift in humans’ attempt to come to terms with their relationship to nature, and as Alexis Harley points out in Autobiologies, i...
Perception of Employment by the Veterans Participating in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games: A Survey Study

Abstract Background Employment in those with disability is an important rehabilitation goal, along with achieving some measure of functional independence and is at the same time one of the most difficult goals to achieve. The number of people with disabilities participating in adaptive sports has been increasing steadily over the years. A few studies have looked at the relationship between physical fitness and employment status in those with disability, but there have been no studies that focused on the results of organized adaptive sports events affecting employment outcome. Objective To determine whether participation in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) has a positive impact on employment in those with disability. Study Design Prospective, cross-sectional survey. Setting 2015 NVWG in Dallas, Texas (nonclinic setting). Participants A total of 338 survey participants; 36 surveys were excluded due to incompletion. Methods Veterans who participated at the 2015 NVWG were given the opportunity to complete a 2-page survey. Survey participants received $5.00 gift card as compensation. Main Outcome Measurements Percentage of those who perceived NVWG made a difference in attaining employment, risk ratio analyses. Results A total of 50% of the participants stated that the NVWG made a difference in attaining employment. Those currently working were 1.5 times more likely to say that the NVWG had a positive effect on employment than those not currently working ( P P Conclusions Our study suggests that participating in the NVWG provides psychosocial support to the veterans and may have a positive influence in employment outcomes. Level of Evidence III
Multimodality molecular imaging with activatable fluorescence and radioscintigraphy for specific and quantitative targeted cancer detection

1006 Objectives Multimodality imaging has potential for combining the advantages of different imaging methods. Nuclear imaging is quantitative but cannot separate unbound from bound signal to the specific target. In contrast, optical imaging is difficult to quantify due to its poor tissue penetration, but it is superior to nuclear imaging for target-specificity because it can employ target-specific activation leading to very high target to background ratios. In this study, multimodality imaging employing both activatable fluorescence and radioscintigraphy is demonstrated in a single targeted molecular imaging probe. Methods A monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (anti-HER2) was labeled with 111In and ICG. The immunoreactivity was tested using 3T3/HER2 cells. Fluorescence activation was investigated by a phantom study and by in vitro microscopy. The labeled antibody was tested in vivo in both HER1 and HER2 tumor bearing mice. The optical and nuclear images were obtained over 6 days after injection. Results The immunoreactivity of the dual-labeled probe was 75%. The fluorescence quenching capacity was 7.3 fold. In vitro microscopy demonstrated no fluorescence signal when the probe was bound to cell surface antigens. After the probe was internalized into the cells, it showed bright fluorescence signal. In vivo multimodality imaging revealed that only the target specific tumor was visualized by optical imaging. Meanwhile, the biodistribution profile of the injected antibody was provided by nuclear imaging. Conclusions We characterized molecular targets using activatable optical moiety, and visualized and quantified the delivery of the targeted antibody using radiolabeled moiety. We demonstrate a dual modality targeted molecular imaging probe that combines very high tumor to background ratios (optical imaging) and quantitation (radionuclide imaging) which could have broad clinical and research applications
Mechanical LINCs of the nuclear envelope: Where SUN meets KASH

Author(s): Jahed, Z; Mofrad, MRK | Abstract: The transmission of mechanical signals across the nuclear envelope is primarily mediated by linkers of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC complexes). These complexes bridge the inner and outer nuclear membrane and connect various elements of the cytoskeleton to the nucleoskeleton. Through their interaction with various cytoskeletal elements, LINC complexes repeatedly endure different types of mechanical loading. In this short review, we discuss the structural features of LINC complexes that allow them to withstand and transmit mechanical forces across the nuclear envelope, the types of mechanical forces on these complexes, and the consequences of these forces on the integrity of the nuclear envelope.
Two-point statistics of synthetic three-dimensional polycrystalline microstructures

The two-point spatial statistics of a heterogeneous material are crucial in ultrasonic attenuation and backscatter calculations. In this presentation, several common assumptions used for modeling polycrystals are examined. In most studies, the spatial and tensorial elements of the covariance function are assumed to be decoupled. Also, two-point correlation models often assume a single effective grain size for polycrystalline materials and a spatial correlation function that has an exponential decay at a rate directly proportional to the average grain diameter. This investigation uses the Dream.3D software platform to generate three-dimensional (3D) realizations of polycrystalline materials in order to study their two-point statistics. Using lognormal distributions with fixed means but different widths, a variety of different polycrystalline microstructures are simulated. The results show that the spatial correlation function is directly influenced by the grain size distribution. For a fixed mean grain size, wider distributions exhibit longer range correlations than narrower ones. The results also show that decoupling of the tensorial and spatial elements of the covariance function may not be valid for all lognormal grain size distributions. These results are anticipated to have an important impact on ultrasonic attenuation and backscatter models. [Research supported by AFRL under prime contract FA8650-15-D-5231.]The two-point spatial statistics of a heterogeneous material are crucial in ultrasonic attenuation and backscatter calculations. In this presentation, several common assumptions used for modeling polycrystals are examined. In most studies, the spatial and tensorial elements of the covariance function are assumed to be decoupled. Also, two-point correlation models often assume a single effective grain size for polycrystalline materials and a spatial correlation function that has an exponential decay at a rate directly proportional to the average grain diameter. This investigation uses the Dream.3D software platform to generate three-dimensional (3D) realizations of polycrystalline materials in order to study their two-point statistics. Using lognormal distributions with fixed means but different widths, a variety of different polycrystalline microstructures are simulated. The results show that the spatial correlation function is directly influenced by the grain size distribution. For a fixed mean grain siz...
The Electoral Impact of Local Party Organizations

Using data from a survey of 1,187 local political party chairs, we find empirical support for a model of the electoral impact of local party organizations. We find the level of local party electoral activity is positively associated with the local vote share of the party’s presidential candidate, though the relationship is not present for US House candidates. The level of local party activity is, in turn influenced by the extent to which the local party has a well-developed, mature organizational structure. This structure is shaped by the organizational culture of the broader state party.
U.S. EPA’s SF6 Emissions Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems: Results and Prospects

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a potent and persistent greenhouse gas. Over a 100-year time horizon, SF6 has a per-molecule global warming potential (GWP) 23,900 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2), the greenhouse gas of highest concentration in the atmosphere. With an atmospheric lifetime of 3,200 years, SF6 is also a very stable chemical.1
The Role of Muscle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Inflammatory Myopathy

Muscle biopsies of patients with immune-mediated inflammatory myopathies are characterized by a combination of chronic inflammatory infiltrates and muscle fiber necrosis. In addition, there are typical histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings of each type of inflammatory myopathy. Accurate classification of inflammatory myopathies is important because inclusion body myositis does not respond to immunosuppressive treatment, polymyositis is frequently part of an overlap syndrome, and dermatomyositis is associated with cancer in adults. Necrotizing myopathy without inflammation may be due to a partially treated inflammatory myopathy, a toxic myopathy, or a paraneoplastic myopathy. Metabolic myopathies and muscular dystrophies may clinically and rarely pathologically mimic inflammatory myopathy. Correct identification of these entities depends on better awareness of clinical similarities between metabolic myopathy and inflammatory myopathy; appropriate utilization of immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, biochemical, and genetic techniques on muscle samples in difficult cases; and maximizing communication between the clinician and the pathologist.
An Optimization Problem in Control Theory

The following optimization problem has arisen from the non-classical control theory: for a given continuous function f : [0, 1]4 → [0, 1] that satisfies the Lipschitz condition, compute the minimum value $${{\alpha }^{*}}(f) = \mathop{{\inf }}\limits_{{{{g}_{1}},{{g}_{2}} \in C[0,1]}} \int_{0}^{1} {\int_{0}^{1} {f({{x}_{1}},{{x}_{2}},{{g}_{1}}({{x}_{1}}),g({{x}_{2}}))d{{x}_{1}}d{{x}_{2}}.} }$$ (9.1) Intuitively, the function f may be viewed as the cost function on inputs x1, x2 ∈ [0, 1] and the corresponding decisions g1(x) and g2(x2) on these inputs. The decision functions g1 and g2 are based only on part of the input values and perform, in a sense, in the distributed manner. The goal is to find the best distributed decision functions that minimize the average cost f. The condition that f satisfies the Lipschitz condition is necessary so that the minimum value α*(f) is computable. For more about the motivations and applications of this problem, see Papadimitriou and Tsitsiklis [1982, 1986].
Pregnancy in Sjogren’s Syndrome, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, and Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) are less common disorders than systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but like SLE and RA, these disorders have a higher incidence in women. Sjogren’s syndrome predominately impacts women in their later reproductive years. Because of the older age distribution in Sjogren’s and the relative rarity of MCTD and UCTD, there is little published information on pregnancy outcome or on impact of pregnancy on maternal disease.
Imaging of thoracic hernias: types and complications

Thoracic hernias are characterised by either protrusion of the thoracic contents outside their normal anatomical confines or extension of the abdominal contents within the thorax. Thoracic hernias can be either congenital or acquired in aetiology. They can occur at the level of the thoracic inlet, chest wall or diaphragm. Thoracic hernias can be symptomatic or fortuitously discovered on imaging obtained for other indications. Complications of thoracic hernias include incarceration, trauma and strangulation with necrosis. Multiple imaging modalities are available to evaluate thoracic hernias. Radiographs usually offer the first clue to the diagnosis. Upper gastrointestinal radiography can identify bowel herniation and associated complications. CT and occasionally MR can be useful for further evaluation of these abnormalities, accurately identifying the type of hernia, its contents, associated complications, and provide a roadmap for surgical planning. In this article, we review the different types of thoracic hernias and the role of imaging in the evaluation of these hernias. • Protrusion of lung contents beyond the anatomic confines of the thorax constitutes a hernia. • Complications of thoracic hernias include incarceration, trauma and strangulation with necrosis. • Multiple imaging modalities are available to evaluate thoracic hernias. • CT is the imaging modality of choice for identifying thoracic hernias and their complications. • Imaging can provide a roadmap for surgical planning.
Using Fundamental Concepts to Determine How to Monitor Dye Penetrant Use

Dye penetration inspection (DPI) is used to detect surface-exposed cracks in objects. For example, it is used in ball grid array (BGA) microelectronics packaging reliability studies. DPI is a significant time-saver over traditional cross-sectioning when data on every solder joint are required. Wet-dye joints occur when the dye solvents do not evaporate fully after the drying step, leaving behind a dye solution that clings to the solder joints and still flows. As the BGA device is removed from the substrate or motherboard, the wet dye around the solder joint will flow across the newly formed surface, indicating a crack before separation when in fact no crack existed before separation. This behavior only happens with a dye solution that has been reused many times. Using basic concepts and readily available data, it was shown which ingredients of the commercially available dye solution are responsible for the wet-dye joint phenomena. Metrologies that analyze organic concentrations, such as FTIR, are recommended to use for quality control. Furthermore, by monitoring dye solution metrics, the reuse life can be maximized and consequently solution waste—a hazardous substance—can be minimized.
Indeterminate self: Subjectivity, body and politics in Zhuangzi:

In this article, I re-examine political subjectivity by way of looking at the canonical text of Chinese Daoist philosophy – Zhuangzi. I trace the course of how the body is conceived in Zhuangzi and...
Immunological Approaches for the Detection of DNA Modified by Environmental Agents

This volume deals with a search for biological markers that are expressed as a result of cellular transformation by carcinogenic agents. The rationale for this search is that alteration of DNA by these agents leads to changes in gene expression. It would be useful if we could detect specific changes in DNA structure that accompany the changes in gene expression, and I will discuss how this might be done using immunological procedures.
Endogenous Platelet PF4 Promotes In Vivo Activated Protein C (APC) Generation and Survival after Lethal Lipopolysaccharide Challenge in Mice: A Potential Physiologic Role for PF4.

Pharmacologic infusion of activated protein C (APC) improves survival in human sepsis and genetically induced deficiencies in APC generation increase mortality in a murine lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model of inflammation/sepsis. We have shown that the platelet α-granule-specific chemokine, platelet factor 4 (PF4), accelerates thrombin·thrombomodulin complex APC generation in vitro and in vivo when recombinant PF4 is pharmacologically co-infused in a primate thrombin infusion model system. Hypothesizing a potential physiologic role for PF4 in stimulating APC formation in vivo, we tested whether variations in the level of endogenous platelet PF4 content affect APC generation and also influence survival in the murine LPS challenge model. To stimulate APC formation and platelet PF4 release in mice, we injected murine thrombin (80U/kg IV). Ten min after thrombin injection into wildtype (WT) C57BL/6J mice, plasma APC levels, assessed by enzyme capture amidolytic assay, increased ~10-fold over basal levels. Injection of concurrent murine PF4 (7.5 mg/kg IV) further increased APC levels 2-2.6-fold. We then studied APC generation in mice that were either completely deficient in PF4 (PF4 −/− ) or transgenic mice that had 6-fold normal levels of human PF4 (hPF4 + ), both of which had been crossbred onto the same C57BL/6J background >10 times. Plasma APC generation by thrombin was 74 ± 6% in the PF4 −/− mice (n = 7) compared to WT littermates (n = 15, p + mice (n= 22, p +/− ) mice had 65 ± 21% of WT APC generation (n= 5, p= 0.05 compared to WT (n=7)), but APC generation was restored to 96 ± 6% level in hPF4 + /PC +/− mice (n= 6, p= 0.88 compared to WT (n=12)). Only PF4 −/− and PC +/− mice died during this thrombin injection trial with mortality rates of 30% and 58%, respectively. A lethal LPS challenge model (25 mg/kg IP) was used to test the susceptibility of mouse strains with varying PF4 levels. Significant numbers of WT and PF4 −/− mice died before the end of the first day [(18 of 44 (40% mortality) and 6 of 21 (28% mortality), respectively], while none of the 19 hPF4 + animals died (p
Multimodal Deep Learning Based Crop Classification Using Multispectral and Multitemporal Satellite Imagery

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations predicts that in order to meet the needs of the expected 3 billion population growth by 2050, food production has to increase by 60%. Therefore, monitoring and mapping crops accurately is essential for estimating food production during each crop growing season across the globe. Traditionally, multispectral remote sensing imagery has been widely used for mapping crops worldwide. However, single date imagery does not capture temporal characteristics (phenology) of growing crops, leading to imprecise crop maps and food estimates. On the other hand, purely temporal classification approaches also produce inaccurate crop maps as they do not account for spatial autocorrelations. In this paper, we present a multimodal deep learning solution that jointly exploits spatial-spectral and phenological properties to identify major crop types. Using a two stream architecture, spatial characteristics are captured via a spatial stream consisting of very high resolution images (single date, 1m, 3-spectral bands, USDA NAIP) with a CNN and the phenological characteristics via a temporal stream images (biweekly, 250m, MODIS NDVI) with an LSTM. Experimental results show that the proposed multimodal solution reduces prediction error by 60%.
Eighteenth-Century Women’s Writing and the Methodist Media Revolution: “Consider the Lord as Ever Present Reader”: by Andrew O. Winckles, Liverpool, Liverpool University Press, 2019, 282 pp., £90 (hardback), ISBN 978 1 789 62018 4

The pervasive influence of Methodism on British literature in the long eighteenth century features prominently in recent scholarship, and Andrew Winckles’s Eighteenth-Century Women’s Writing and th...
Descriptive analysis of the unwarranted continuation of antipsychotics for the management of ICU delirium during transitions of care: A multicenter evaluation across New Jersey.

Purpose Nearly half of intensive care unit (ICU) patients will develop delirium. Antipsychotics are used routinely for the management of ICU delirium despite limited reliable data supporting this approach. The unwarranted continuation of antipsychotics initiated for ICU delirium is an emerging transitions of care concern, especially considering the adverse event profile of these agents. We sought to evaluate the magnitude of this issue across 6 centers in New Jersey and describe risk factors for continuation. Methods This multicenter, retrospective study examined adult ICU patients who developed ICU delirium from June 2016 to June 2018. Patients were included in the study if they received at least 3 doses of antipsychotics while in the ICU with presence of either a clinical diagnosis of delirium or a positive Confusion Assessment Method score. Patients were excluded if they were on an antipsychotic before ICU admission. Results Of the 300 patients included and initiated on antipsychotics for ICU delirium, 157 (52.3%) were continued on therapy upon transfer from the ICU to another level of inpatient care. The number of patients continued on newly initiated antipsychotics further increased to 183 (61%) upon discharge from the hospital. Conclusion The continuation of antipsychotics for the management of delirium during transitions of care was a common practice across ICUs in New Jersey. Several risk factors for continuation of antipsychotics were identified. Efforts to reduce unnecessary continuation of antipsychotics at transitions of care are warranted.
Gibbs Measures and Quasi-Periodic Solutions for Nonlinear Hamiltonian Partial Differential Equations

The purpose of this expose is to present a summary of some new developments in the theory of Hamiltonian nonlinear evolution equations, more specifically, nonlinear Schrodinger equations. The themes and methods discussed are closely related to classical mechanics. The first topic is the existence of an invariant measure for the flow. This invariant measure is the (properly normalized) Gibbs measure from statistical mechanics and we establish wellposedness of the equation on its support. Those investigations are closely related to the paper [L-R-S]. Results in this direction are obtained in 1D (in the focusing and defocusing case) and in the 2D defocusing case. The second topic concerns the persistency of time periodic and quasi-periodic solutions for Hamiltonian perturbations of linear and integrable equations. We follow a method, the so-called Liapounov-Schmidt decomposition, originating from the works of [C-Wl, 2], rather than the KAM procedure (cf. [Kuk1]). The main advantage of this technique is the fact that it overcomes certain limitations of the KAM scheme, which is necessary to deal in particular with the problems in space-dimension D ≥ 2. This work is a new approach to KAM problems, also in finite dimensional phase space. Persistency results for PDE’s are obtained in the time periodic case in arbitrary dimension and for quasi-periodic solutions when D ≤ 2. The small divisor problems appearing when inverting the linearized operators are related to the works of Frolich and Spencer on the Anderson model.
Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 Regulates Myocardial Infarct Repair : Effects on Cell Proliferation, Scar Contraction, and Ventricular Function

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2, bFGF) has been proposed to regulate wound healing and angiogenesis, but skin wound healing in FGF2-knockout (FGF2-KO) animals is only slightly delayed. To determine the role of FGF2 in myocardial infarct repair, we studied the evolution of left ventricular geometry, cell proliferation, matrix content, and cardiac function in mice lacking or overexpressing (FGF2-Tg) FGF2. Despite having no effect on initial infarct size, deletion of FGF2 resulted in reduced fibroblast proliferation and interstitial collagen deposition, decreased endothelial proliferation and vascular density, and decreased cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Furthermore, FGF2-KO mice demonstrated a complete absence of scar contraction, resulting in increased final infarct size and marked increases in chamber size and infarct expansion. These deficits ultimately impaired left ventricular dP/dt compared with wild-type infarcted mice. Conversely, overexpression of FGF2 increased fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition, accelerated endothelial proliferation, and enhanced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy after infarction. These changes curbed infarct expansion and preserved left ventricular function. Thus, FGF2 is an important regulator of cell proliferation, angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, myocyte hypertrophy, scar contraction, and, ultimately, left ventricular contractile function during infarct repair. FGF2 may be more important in healing of infarcts compared with skin wounds because of the mechanical stress under which infarcts heal.