cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short term fluctuations in air pollution and hospital admissions of the elderly for respiratory disease.

BACKGROUND--Several recent studies have reported associations between short term changes in air pollution and respiratory hospital admissions. This relationship was examined in two cities with substantially different levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2) but similar levels of airborne particles in an attempt to separate the effects of the two pollutants. Significant differences in weather between the two cities allowed the evaluation of that potential confounder also. METHODS--Daily counts of admissions to all hospitals for respiratory disease (ICD 9 460-519) were constructed for persons aged 65 years and older in two cities - New Haven, Connecticut and Tacoma, Washington. Each city was analysed separately. Average daily concentrations of SO2, inhalable particles (PM10), and ozone were computed from all monitors in each city, and daily average temperature and humidity were obtained from the US weather service. Daily respiratory admission counts were regressed on temperature, humidity, day of the week indicators, and air pollution. A 19 day weighted moving regression filter was used to remove all seasonal and subseasonal patterns from the data. Possible U-shaped dependence of admissions on temperature was dealt with using indicator variables for eight categories each of temperature and humidity. Each pollutant was first examined individually and then multiple pollutant models were fitted. RESULTS--All three pollutants were associated with respiratory hospital admissions of the elderly. The PM10 associations were little changed by control for either ozone or SO2. The ozone association was likewise independent of the other pollutants. The SO2 association was substantially attenuated by control for ozone in both cities, and by control for PM10 in Tacoma. The magnitude of the effect was small (relative risk 1.06 in New Haven and 1.10 in Tacoma for a 50 micrograms/m3 increase in PM10, for example) but, given the ubiquitous exposure, this has some public health significance. CONCLUSIONS--Air pollution concentrations within current guidelines were associated with increased respiratory hospital admissions of the elderly. The strongest evidence for an independent association was for PM10, followed by ozone. These results are consistent with other studies and suggest that lowering air pollution concentrations would have some impact on public health.
Prospective study of atrial fibrillation termination during ablation guided by automated detection of fractionated electrograms.

Introduction: Complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) may identify critical sites for perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and provide useful targets for ablation. Current assessment of CFAE is subjective; automated detection algorithms may improve reproducibility, but their utility in guiding ablation has not been tested. Methods and Results: In 67 patients presenting for initial AF ablation (42 paroxysmal, 25 persistent), LA and CS mapping were performed during induced or spontaneous AF. CFAE were identified by an online automated computer algorithm and displayed on electroanatomical maps. A mean of 28 ± 18 sites/patient were identified (20 ± 13% of mapped sites), and were more frequent during persistent AF. CFAE occurred most commonly within the CS, on the atrial septum, and around the pulmonary veins. Ablation initially targeting CFAE terminated AF in 88% of paroxysmal AF, but only 20% of persistent AF (P < 0.001). Subsequently, additional ablation was performed in all patients (PV isolation for paroxysmal AF, PV isolation + mitral and roof lines for persistent AF). Minimum follow-up was 1 year. One-year freedom from recurrent atrial arrhythmias without antiarrhythmic drug therapy after a single procedure was 90% for paroxysmal AF, and 68% for persistent AF. Conclusions: Ablation guided by automated detection of CFAE proved feasible, and was associated with a high AF termination rate in paroxysmal, but not persistent AF. As an adjunct to conventional techniques, it was associated with excellent long-term single procedure outcomes in both groups. Criteria for identifying optimal CFAE sites for ablation, and selection of patients most likely to benefit, require additional study.
From Nanoparticles to Health Effects

Nanoparticles, or ultrafine particles in the submicrometer range, are omnipresent in urban air. The particles originate predominantly from the combustion of fossil fuels from automobiles, home heating and power generation. Human exposure to these particles is therefore almost unavoidable and several health impacts have been associated with such exposure. Among them are the increased risk for lung cancer, mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and an increase in asthma incidence. This paper aims to provide a short overview of current knowledge of air pollution related health effects stretching from the exposure, via biological targets, to the question of personal susceptibility and risk. Special emphasis will be placed on the hypothesized link between nanoparticles and lung cancer.
Genetic analysis of extracellular matrix in C. elegans.

INTRO DUCTION . ... . . . ..... . . .. . .. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . 95 CU TICLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 97 Structure and Composition . .. . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . .. ... . . 97 Cuticle Collagens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Mutations in Cuticle Collagens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Cuticle Surface Molecules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Other Genes of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IDS BA SE MEN T MEMBRANE S . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . ... 106 Type IV Collagen. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Proteog/yean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 SPARC .. . . ..... . . . .... . . . ..... . ..... . . . . .... . . . . .... . . . . ... . . . . . .. . . 110 Unc·6 .... . . . .... . . . . . . . . ..... . . ... . . . . . . .... . . .... . . . . .... . . . .. ... . . 110 Matrix Receptors ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 1 1 1 Matrix and Muscle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 CONC LU SION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . ... . . . 112
Atomic-scale structural evolution of Ta–Ni–Si amorphous metal thin films

Abstract We investigated the thermal stability of a new ternary amorphous metal thin film, Ta 2.4 Ni 2.2 Si, and assessed its suitability as a Cu diffusion barrier for semiconductor device applications. Transmission electron microscopy was coupled with atom probe tomography to provide a detailed understanding of the atomic-scale evolution of both structure and composition as a function of annealing temperature. We show that the amorphous structure is stable up to >800 °C under ultrahigh vacuum, while annealing to 900 °C induces nano-crystallization of a single ternary phase in an amorphous matrix. The implications of crystallization and solute partitioning are examined in the context of high-temperature stability to aid in the design and understanding of this new class of thin film materials.
Potential Infection Risk From Thyroid Radiation Protection

Objectives:Thyroid shields that are worn for personal radiation protection in the operating room are often exposed above the sterile gown and are likely a bacterial source of wound infections. We would like to determine what bacteria may be present on the portion of the thyroid shield, which is faci
The legacy ofThe coming crisis: Gouldner’s contribution to social theory

In reflecting upon the lasting contr ibut ions of Gouldner 's The Coming Crisis, w e have found it useful to examine the rather curious responses the book has evoked over its twenty-year history. On the one hand, the book has been accorded the kind of attention appropriate to major works, as evidenced by this re t rospect ive assessment, as well as by extensive rev iews--a lbe i t mostly critical ones and citations. Some of the conceptual apparatus Gouldner introduced, such as "domain assumptions" and "reflexive sociology" have b e c o m e part of the lexicon of con temporary sociology. His path-breaking cri t ique of Parsons has been fol lowed by several analyses of the social contexts of social theorists, including further analyses of Parsons's functionalist theory. On the other hand, however , there is little evidence that Gouldner 's contr ibut ions to sociological theory and practice have been seriously accepted. Most popular current theory textbooks surveying the field, for example, rout inely ignore Gouldner as a substantive theorist, and he is similarly dismissed in the methodological literature, though he raised major epistemological issues. In addition, there has not developed a visible following that seeks to analyze, systematize and develop his work. Yet, our central content ion in this brief essay is that Gouldner 's work embodies significant theore t ica l -and at tendant methodologica l -cont r ibu t ions to sociology. Writ ten as critique, The Coming Crisis is not, admittedly, presented in the codification and convergence format in which general theoretical contr ibut ions are conventionally expressed. Further, Gouldner emphasized that the themes of
Cardiopulmonary Interactions in the Infant with Congenital Cardiac Disease

SUMMARY The preceding discussion focused on some of the unique aspects of cardiopulmonary interaction in the infant and child with congenital cardiac anomalies. We have extracted liberally from our previous reviews and have tried to select information from the literature that helps to elucidate mechanisms for many of the observed phenomena. Where data were not available, we attempted to draw inference from analogous conditions or speculated about the pathophysiology. We have grouped the cardiac lesions by virtue of their predominant pathophysiology. Our rationale was to provide the reader with a framework for understanding the genesis of respiratory problems caused by congenital heart disease and for anticipating untoward problems that could arise with a particular “therapeutic” maneuver. Finally, we hope to have stimulated interest in an area ripe for probing—the fascinating interdependence between the heart and the lung in the young child.
Settler colony on the Hudson: What history and theory tell us about the education crisis in East Ramapo Central School District, New York

Scholars typically frame the subgroup problem in education in terms of protecting religious minorities from majoritarian encroachment. This essay explores a different aspect of the subgroup problem: what happens when an antidemocratic religious minority becomes a local majority responsible for the promotion of the public good? This essay uses the takeover and plundering of a public school district by Hasidic Jews in New York State as a case study. The settler colonist orientation of the Hasidim uniquely situates them to take advantage of the legacies of nineteenth-century school districting laws, but that same orientation leads them to grossly antidemocratic behaviors that victimize children of color. In such a case, democracy demands state intervention into the much-cherished arena of democratic localism. For advocates of church-state cooperation in the management of public schooling, this case provides a cautionary tale about the critical importance of substantive commitments to democratic values.
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Chitin Synthesis in Larval Artemia

The cuticle of Artemia and other crustaceans contains chitin which is covalently attached to protein[1–3]. While the role of such proteins in structural support of the cuticle seems clear, the possible functions of the proteins in the biosynthesis of the cuticle are not obvious. Recent work in my laboratory has indicated that crustaceans synthesize a chitin oligosaccharide via a dolichol-linked intermediate[4]. Subsequent transfer of the oligosaccharides to either endogenous polypeptides or synthetic peptide acceptors[5] yields a chitoprotein which may serve as a substrate for chitin synthetase, the enzyme responsible for polymerization of macromolecular chitin[6]. However, the pathway of synthesis for this material within the crustacean epithelial cell is not clear; one notion is that the chitoprotein is synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), moves to the Golgi apparatus (where chitin synthetase is presumably located) and serves as a primer molecule for chitin synthetase, yielding a chitin-protein complex. The mechanism whereby this product is exported to the outside of the apical membrane and incorporated into the growing cuticle is not known.
Taking Life: Three Theories on the Ethics of Killing, by Torbjörn Tännsjö

Tannsjo's ambitious aim is to defend a comprehensive ethical stance on killing. Chapter 1 describes his method, which he terms ‘applied ethics (turned upside down)’ [1]. The method is essentially a...
SunShade: enabling software-defined solar-powered systems

The electric grid was not designed to support the large-scale penetration of intermittent solar generation. As a result, current policies place hard caps on the solar capacity that may connect to the grid. Unfortunately, users are increasingly hitting these caps, which is restricting the natural growth of solar power. To address the problem, we propose Software-defined Solar-powered (SDS) systems that dynamically regulate the amount of solar power that flows into the grid. To enable SDS systems, this paper introduces fundamental mechanisms for programmatically controlling the size of solar flows, including mechanisms to both enforce an absolute limit on solar output and a new class of Weighted Power Point Tracking (WPPT) algorithms that enforce a relative limit on solar output as a fraction of its maximum power point (MPP). We implement an SDS prototype, called SunShade, and evaluate tradeoffs in the accuracy and fidelity of these mechanisms to enforce limits on solar flows. For example, we quantify the effects of variable conditions, such as clouds, passersby, and other shading, on the fidelity of a search-based WPPT algorithm, which must periodically deviate from its cap to discover changes in the MPP that affect the cap's accuracy.
Assessment of Vulnerability to Coccidioidomycosis in Arizona and California

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to the southwestern United States, particularly Arizona and California. Its incidence has increased, potentially due in part to the effects of changing climatic variables on fungal growth and spore dissemination. This study aims to quantify the county-level vulnerability to coccidioidomycosis in Arizona and California and to assess the relationships between population vulnerability and climate variability. The variables representing exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity were combined to calculate county level vulnerability indices. Three methods were used: (1) principal components analysis; (2) quartile weighting; and (3) percentile weighting. Two sets of indices, "unsupervised" and "supervised", were created. Each index was correlated with coccidioidomycosis incidence data from 2000-2014. The supervised percentile index had the highest correlation; it was then correlated with variability measures for temperature, precipitation, and drought. The supervised percentile index was significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with coccidioidomycosis incidence in both states. Moderate, positive significant associations (p < 0.05) were found between index scores and climate variability when both states were concurrently analyzed and when California was analyzed separately. This research adds to the body of knowledge that could be used to target interventions to vulnerable counties and provides support for the hypothesis that population vulnerability to coccidioidomycosis is associated with climate variability.
Internal rate of return: Good and bad features, and a new way of interpreting the historic measure

Abstract IRR , a widely used profitability measure, is the Discount Rate that yields Net Present Value ( NPV ) = 0 for a stream of positive and negative cash flows, at least one of each sign and with no explicit financing payments. A big disadvantage is lack of parameters, such as a project finance rate or the enterprise rate ( ER ), i.e., Return on Investment of the overarching investment group to serve as a measure of opportunity cost. The coupled metrics proposed earlier by the author— NPV project and NPV % –do not suffer these disadvantages, so IRR is analyzed in terms of NPV % . Useful information can be obtained from a projection of IRR values onto the NPV % , ER plane revealing the sensitivity of IRR to risk under meaningful operating conditions.
Pollutant effects on the microbial ecosystem.

Genetic diversity of a microbial community will inevitably be affected by environmental stress. However, our understanding of the implications of these effects is limited. Genetic exchange between ...
Alternatives to Human Blood Resources

The discovery of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the 1980’s and its rapid evolution as a major concern for physicians and their patients has lead to many questions about the safety of the blood supply. The attention placed upon AIDS has resulted in new discoveries and technologies to reduce the risk of other transfusion complications such as hepatitis, bacterial contamination, and transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GvHD). Concerns about blood safety have focused much attention on alternative blood transfusion strategies such as autologous blood, viral inactivation, and artificial blood substitutes. In particular, there has been major interest in the development of alternatives to human blood resources such as blood substitutes. This paper will review the current status of human blood substitutes with particular emphasis upon red cell substitutes. The progress in the development of red cell substitutes will demonstrate that there will be some losses of functionality compared to human red cells, but some product characteristics may result in new therapeutic applications for these products.
Legal and Political Futures for American Sāmoa

This chapter will identify the political and legal relationships with other territories, affiliated, and compact states to analyze political routes that could expand American Sāmoa’s self-autonomy and preserve communal land tenure while upholding Sāmoan culture. Kruse analyzes alternative political arrangements due to the fear of American Sāmoans that if automatic citizenship is applied in American Sāmoa the federal courts will mandate that the full Constitution be applied in the territory and would invalidate the local Constitution’s express protections of nobility and alienation of land to non-American Sāmoans.
Gut-immune-brain dysfunction in Autism: Importance of sex

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social behavior deficits, stereotypies, cognitive rigidity, and in some cases severe intellectual impairment and developmental delay. Although ASD is most widely identified by its neurological deficits, gastrointestinal issues are common in ASD. An intimate and complex relationship exists between the gut, the immune system, and the brain, leading to the hypothesis that ASD may be a systems-level disease affecting the gut and immune systems, in addition to the brain. Despite significant advances in understanding the contribution of the gut and immune systems to the etiology of ASD, there is an intriguing commonality among patients that is not well understood: they are predominantly male. Virtually no attention has been given to the potential role of sex-specific regulation of gut, peripheral, and central immune function in ASD, despite the 4:1 male-to-female bias in this disorder. In this review, we discuss recent revelations regarding the impact of gut-immune-brain relationships on social behavior in rodent models and in ASD patients, placing them in the context of known or putative sex specific mechanisms.
Vestibulo-Ocular Mechanisms and Their Clinical Correlates

In humans, the eyes play an important role in the maintenance of posture. Understanding some of the basic mechanisms involved in the complex interactions between the vestibular and ocular systems i...
A change in the wind? US public views on renewable energy and climate compared

Renewable energy development is a necessary step toward climate change mitigation, so these topics have often been linked. In US public discourse, however, they have somewhat different profiles—climate change views are tied closely to partisan identity, whereas renewable energy exhibits more cross-cutting appeal, and sometimes more cross-cutting opposition as well. To what extent are such differences reflected in survey data tracking rates of change, respondent characteristics, and local or regional variations in public opinion on renewable energy and climate? We explore similarities and differences in views of renewable energy and climate change using a unique collection of 18 US national or regional surveys totaling more than 14,000 interviews, conducted between 2011 and 2017. Individual surveys varied in context, content, and goals, but all asked two common energy and climate questions, which yield comparable and strikingly consistent results. Public support for renewable energy appears broader than acceptance of anthropogenic climate change (ACC), especially in a more conservative region. Despite local controversies, support for renewable energy in recent years rose faster than ACC acceptance on two regional surveys. Political divisions remain wide on both topics, but wider regarding climate change—particularly among college-educated respondents. Renewable energy views in counties with proposed or operating wind farms are not systematically different from those in other counties. Overall, these results provide encouragement for promoting renewable energy in terms of its economic benefits, working around some of the political identity-based resistance to climate change mitigation. That approach could be most important in politically conservative regions where such resistance is strong.
Selecting Pathways: Latinxs, Choices, and Two-year Colleges

After the choice of a two-year college, more choices follow—and individuals make those choices based on a combination of knowing why (aspirations), knowing how (gaining knowledge and skills), and knowing whom (sources of information about college and careers). In this article, we unpack the relationship between two-year college students’ choices once enrolled in two-year colleges, the alignment of those choices to their projected career goals, and the sources of knowledge/knowing that inform that decision-making. Leveraging data captured from a multi-institution, multi-state administration of the College and Career Capital Survey (CCCS), we theorize the potential underestimation of Latinx students’ decision-making processes for careers while in the higher education setting. Findings suggest that despite longstanding mismatching theories, it is also possible that Latinx students know or might come to know how to leverage the two-year college pathway in ways that benefit both them and the communities they represent. We conclude with implications for future research emphasizing the development of mediational tools for students’ knowing as they enter postsecondary pathways and leverage their experiences to make such pathways purposeful and sustainable.
Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor, ... But Make Sure They Have a Green Card: The Effects of Documented and Undocumented Migrant Context on Anglo Opinion Toward Immigration

Although few controversies in our political environment are as contentious as the current debate over immigration policy, the research on public opinion toward immigration is quite limited. In particular, we know relatively little about the contextual determinants of opinions on immigration issues. We address this issue by investigating the impact of migrant context on Anglo opinions toward immigration. We find that Anglo support for increased immigration is directly related to the size of the documented migrant population. Conversely, as the relative size of the undocumented migrant population increases, Anglo support for increased immigration decreases. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance of our findings for the study of immigration opinion, in particular, and the study of intergroup relations more generally.
A deuterium-tritium ignition ramp for an advanced fuel field-reversed configuration reactor

The possibility of using small initial charges of tritium and /sup 3/He to boost a deuterium field-reversed configuration (FRC) up to temperatures at which deuterium-deuterium (D-D) ignition can take place is examined. A computer program is used to track the rates of production, reaction, and leakage of the FRC plasma's isotopic constituents as the burn progresses and the FRC's temperature, density, and volume vary. On the basis of these studies and current scaling laws, a highly attractive advanced fuel FRC reactor is outlined. It is cylindrical, 12 m long, and 3.2 m in coil outer radius, and produces 1568 MW(electric), giving it an effective core power/volume ratio as great as a pressurized water reactor. No lithium blanket is required, as the tritium needed for startup can be bred by the D-D reactions themselves.
Queue-Aware Priority Based Scheduling and Power Allocation in Full-Duplex OFDMA Cellular Networks

While helping better utilize the system's resources, full-duplex technologies have the ability to double the efficiency of wireless networks. However, these networks would suffer from added types of interferences, namely self-interference and intra-cell co-channel interference. As such, efficiently addressing scheduling and power allocation in full-duplex networks is vital. In this article, we formulate a queue-aware, fair scheduling and power allocation problem for full duplex orthogonal frequency division multiple access networks. Due to its intractability, we decompose this problem into two: a scheduling problem and a power allocation problem. We compare our proposal to the state-of-the-art, and show that it improves fairness among the user equipment at no cost in the system's performance. Simulation results show a significant increase in throughput values for full-duplex users in comparison with their half-duplex counterparts, and that power allocation saves on expenditure while improving user performance.
Quantifying the effects of various factors on the utility of design ethnography in the developing world

Ethnography, a tool traditionally used by social scientists, has been adopted by product design engineers as a tool to build empathy, understand customers and their contexts, and learn about needs for a product. This tool is particularly valuable for designers from the developed world working on products for customers in developing communities as differences in culture, language, and life experience make the designer’s intuition less reliable in these communities. This paper reports the use of design ethnography under a variety of conditions in the developing world. The data analyzed here come from field studies completed in four different developing communities on four different continents. Researchers had varying degrees of cultural familiarity, language fluency, and community partner participation in each location. Other factors were also included in the study such as the effects of gender and age of the respondents, the ethnographic activity used, and others. Some of the results are intuitive and some are surprising, but all are quantified through rigorous statistical analysis. The results of this study can help design teams of all types including NGOs, student teams, industrial teams, and any other team with an interest in product design in developing communities. These results can help teams plan their own ethnographic activities to increase the likelihood of collecting information that is useful for making product design decisions based on the conditions of their particular project.
Is feeding the new play? Examination of the maternal language and prosody used during infant feeding

Abstract The current study examined maternal language and prosody production during feeding (milk vs. solid foods) and playing with their infant compared to an adult-directed speech (ADS) baseline in 12 healthy full-term infants (6–13 months old). We recorded maternal language during 10 min of spontaneous speech across the four conditions. We further recorded maternal connected speech containing specific word targets, elicited through picture description, to attain prosodic measures. Results showed that mothers used significantly fewer verbs and more utterances per minute in the baseline condition compared to play or solid feeding conditions. Type token ratio was significantly higher during milk compared to play or solid feeding conditions and baseline was significantly higher than play. Vowel duration and peak fundamental frequency were significantly higher during play compared to ADS baseline. These findings suggest that maternal language and prosody changed across conditions, with feeding offering more lexical diversity than play. The most robust infant directed speech was observed during play and followed by the solid feeding condition, whereas it was not observed during the milk and ADS conditions. Identifying opportunities for maternal linguistic input is key to advancing infant development. These findings suggest that mealtime may provide such an opportunity for speech and language input.
Speed Tracking of Spark Ignition Engines using Higher Order Sliding Mode Control

The engine speed depends on the torque demand and load torque acting on the engine. The purpose of speed tracking is to keep the engine speed at prescribed set-points in the presence of disturbances. In this article, a speed tracking control strategy is proposed for spark ignition engines. Higher order sliding mode-based control algorithm is formulated for the speed tracking. The proposed methodology is applied to the novel first principle based engine model of the spark ignition engine instead of the mean value engine model. The fuel mass injected per combustion cycle is controlled by super-twisting algorithm based control scheme to robustly achieve the desired objective. The controller is implemented in MATLAB/Simulink and simulation results demonstrated validity of the proposed technique.
Middle school students' perceptions of school climate, bullying prevalence, and social support and coping

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine middle school students’ (N = 88) perceptions of bullying, school climate and social support and coping. Data were collected using online surveys (n = 80) and face-to-face interviews (n = 8). Quantitative analyses revealed that prevalence of teasing, victimization, and bullying experiences significantly predicted perceptions of school climate. Qualitative findings provided further insight into student perceptions of bullying indicating several overlapping themes, when examining victimization, verbal and social bullying, causes of bullying, coping, and frustration with school resources dealing with aggressive behavior. Recommendations for addressing potential detrimental outcomes of bullying behavior and for improving perceptions of school climate are provided.
Alpha synuclein in hematopoiesis and immunity.

Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative condition and intracellular deposition of Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra (SN), which can cause dopaminergic neuronal death, is the hallmark of this syndrome. α-synuclein (syn) is a small protein expressed mainly in neurons but can also be found in a number of tissues. It can be present as a soluble monomer under normal physiological conditions, but can be toxic in its oligomeric or fibrillary forms. Most of the available literature has focused on the effects of α-syn pathology in the mechanisms leading to PD. However, the normal functions of α-syn still remain to be fully elucidated. Notably, α-syn in the hematopoietic system seems to mediate important functions as indicated by anemia and incomplete cell maturation when this protein is absent. This review will summarize basic genetic and structural findings, and critical information that suggests an essential role of α-syn in the development and activation of the hematopoietic system and immunity.
Crosstalk: The diversity of melanopsin ganglion cell types has begun to challenge the canonical divide between image-forming and non-image-forming vision.

Melanopsin ganglion cells have defied convention since their discovery almost 20 years ago. In the years following, many types of these intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) have emerged. In the mouse retina, there are currently six known types (M1-M6) of melanopsin ganglion cells, each with unique morphology, mosaics, connections, physiology, projections, and functions. While melanopsin-expressing cells are usually associated with behaviors like circadian photoentrainment and the pupillary light reflex, the characterization of multiple types has demonstrated a reach that may extend far beyond non-image-forming vision. In fact, studies have shown that individual types of melanopsin ganglion cells have the potential to impact image-forming functions like contrast sensitivity and color opponency. Thus, the goal of this review is to summarize the morphological and functional aspects of the six known types of melanopsin ganglion cells in the mouse retina and to highlight their respective roles in non-image-forming and image-forming vision. Although many melanopsin ganglion cell types do project to image-forming brain targets, it is important to note that this is only the first step in determining their influence on image-forming vision. Even so, the visual system has canonically been divided into these two functional realms and melanopsin ganglion cells have begun to challenge the boundary between them, providing an overlap of visual information that is complementary rather than redundant. Further studies on these ganglion cell photoreceptors will no doubt continue to illustrate an ever-expanding role for melanopsin ganglion cells in image-forming vision.
Association of social participation, perception of neighborhood social cohesion, and social media use with happiness: Evidence of trade-off (JCOP-20-277)

Social participation and neighborhood social cohesion are positively associated with health and wellbeing. Given that in-person social interactions have generally dwindled over the past several decades at least in Western countries and social media use has become more common, in this study, we examined whether and how social media use interacts with social participation and neighborhood social cohesion in influencing happiness. Data were gathered from a representative sample of adults in Massachusetts, USA. General linear model was used to estimate the main and interaction effects of social participation, perception of neighborhood social cohesion and social media use on happiness, controlling for sociodemographics, marital status, employment, and self-rated health. Results indicated that both social participation and perception of neighborhood social cohesion were positively associated with happiness whereas social media use was not. However, there was a significant interaction effect of social media use and perception of neighborhood social cohesion on happiness. Compared with people with a high perception of neighborhood social cohesion, those with low perception were more likely to be happy as their social media use increased, suggesting that social media use may be helpful to promote happiness among people who perceive their neighborhoods as less supportive, trustworthy, and close-knit.
High Reinvasion Potential of Phragmites australis in a Delaware River (USA) Tidal Freshwater Marsh Following Chemical Treatment: the Role of the Seedbank

Management of the invasive Phragmites australis haplotype has focused on controlling its abundance in wetlands where it reduces biodiversity. However, little information is available on establishment of native communities and reinvasion by seed following removal using herbicides. The potential for reinvasion and development of native vegetation were evaluated using a seedbank assay and a vegetation survey along gradients from the channel edge to the marsh interior (0, 5 and 20 m distance) in three tidal freshwater marsh sites - Natural, treatment 6 months prior (Treated), and untreated (Phragmites). Recolonization potential from the seedbank was high with >18,500 seedlings m−2 in Treated samples. Richness and density of native species were low in the interior of Treated and Phragmites sites as compared to the Natural marsh. Few species were present in Treated site vegetation 11 months following treatment where P. australis litter comprised a large proportion of the cover. Results indicate that planting native vegetation to outcompete P. australis seedlings and total removal of P. australis to cut off the seed supply may be necessary for successful longer-term restoration and establishment of native species.
Utility of Head Computed Tomography Scans Before Outpatient Follow-up for Low-Risk Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background Neurosurgeons are frequently consulted for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) resulting in intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). After inpatient confirmation of hemorrhage stability, outpatient head computed tomography (CT) is often performed to assess for hemorrhage resolution. Our objective was to assess the practice patterns and clinical utility of routine outpatient head CT scans for patients with mild TBI (mTBI). Materials and Methods A retrospective review was performed on all adult mTBI patients with ICH who presented to a level I trauma center over a 4-year period. A combination of the patient’s initial clinical evaluation and CT findings was used to identify mTBI patients at low risk for neurologic deterioration and neurosurgical intervention. Findings from the outpatient follow-up clinical evaluation and head CT were assessed. Patients without outpatient follow-up within 3 months were excluded. Results Forty-nine patients met inclusion criteria for the study. Thirty-two had an outpatient head CT before their follow-up appointment. Twenty-one patients had at least 1 neurologic finding at the earliest follow-up appointment. All patients except those with a subdural hematoma (SDH) had smaller or resolving ICH on outpatient CT scans. Seven patients with an SDH had unchanged or expanded hemorrhage on outpatient imaging, 2 of whom had traumatic brain injury−related hospitalizations and 1 of whom underwent neurosurgical intervention due to an enlarging SDH. Conclusions Routine outpatient head CT scans before follow-up for low-risk mTBI patients without an SDH appears to have limited clinical utility. In low-risk mTBI patients with an SDH, obtaining an outpatient head CT is reasonable to monitor for resolution.
Problematising Mentoring in Open Distance Learning Teacher Education: An Action Research

Open distance learning has helped produce quality teachers and has functioned as an alternative to qualifying underqualified and unqualified educators. This article problematises the effectiveness ...
Octahedral metal carbonyls. : XIX.Kinetics of the reactions of triphenylgermyl- and triphenylstannylpentacarbonylmanganese(0) with phosphines☆

Abstract Triphenylgermylpentacarbonylmanganese(0) and triphenylstannylpentacarbonylmanganese(0) react with phosphines (L) in decalin solvent at 150–190° to give trans-(C6H5)3Mz.sbnd;Mn(CO)4(L) products according to the rate law, rate=k1[(C6H5)3MMn(CO)5]+k2[(C6H5)3M-Mn(CO)5][L]. The kinetic data suggest two competing mechanisms in which the rate-determining steps involve slow fission of MnCO bonds, and nucleophilic attack of L on the substrate. The mechanism of formation of the trans isomers, as observed, and the relationships between the observed reactivity and carbonyl stretching and related data are discussed.
Correlates of Dysmenorrhea: A Challenge to Past Stereotypes

A study was conducted to explore the relationship of demographic variables, gynecologic history variables, and menstrual attitudes to three measures of dysmenorrhea derived from the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. One hundred ninety-three women, 18 to 35 years old, from five neighborhoods in a large, metropolitan city comprised the sample population. The strongest correlates found were attitudes toward menstruation, though associations between dysmenorrhea and items reflecting traditional/feminist dimensions were absent. Further precision in defining dysmenorrhea and a comprehensive, health-oriented approach to dealing with menstrual distress is indicated. Recommendations about the nurse's role in counseling dysmenorrheic women and promoting more positive menstrual attitudes are discussed.
Possible triggering of Heinrich events by ice-load-induced earthquakes

North Atlantic sediments dating from the last ice age contain layers of rock fragments from northeastern Canada (so-called Heinrich layers)1. Like modern iceberg-borne sediments from Greenland, these layers have been attributed to ice-rafting episodes1,2,3. Six Heinrich layers have been documented and correlated with climate changes4,5,6,7,8. The layers, which are several centimetres thick, contain negligible amounts of foraminifera (which accumulate at a few millimetres per century), implying that they were deposited over just a few years. These ice-rafting Heinrich events are separated by progressively shorter intervals from about 40 to 6 kyr (ref. 9), and it has been suggested10 that they are related to the Milankovitch cycles in the Earth's orbital parameters11. Alternatively, they may be generated by forcing mechanisms arising from the internal dynamics of the Laurentide ice sheet12. Here we suggest the possibility that the Heinrich events were precipitated by ice-load-induced earthquakes, analogous to those produced by reservoir water loads13. We suggest that near its edge, the Laurentide ice sheet sheared the Earth's crust, inducing repeated failure that released the ice rafts. This region (along Canada's northeastern seaboard) shows evidence of both current14,15 and past seismic activity owing to postglacial rebound. Our model accounts for the intervals between both the Heinrich events and the evidence of palaeoseismicity, and can be tested by studying local sedimentary relationships.
Ethanol preference following the sucrose-fading initiation procedure

Lever responding maintained with ethanol reinforcement at concentrations up to 20% (v/v) was initiated in non-food and -water deprived rats via a sucrose-fading procedure. Home cage two-bottle preference tests between water and 10% ethanol were conducted before (pre) and after (post) the ethanol initiation procedure to determine the effect of initial ethanol preference on ethanol initiation and of initiation on later ethanol preference. Initial preference testing found that the rats could be divided into two groups, animals with low ethanol preference scores (preference below 25%) and those with moderate ethanol preference scores (preference between 25% and 50%). All animals were successfully initiated with the sucrose-fading procedure to lever press with ethanol reinforcement. Following initiation, home cage preference was markedly increased for the initially low-preferring rats (from 12% to 43%), while moderate-preferring rats showed only slight increases (from 37% to 47%). The shift in ethanol preference was discussed in terms of the relation between ethanol preference and behavioral history.
Anatomical distributions of four pharmacologically distinct 3H-L-glutamate binding sites

Glutamate is thought to serve as a major excitatory neurotrans-mitter throughout the central nervous system (CNS)1,2; electrophysiological studies indicate that its action is mediated by multiple receptors. Four receptors have been characterized by their selective sensitivity to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainic acid (KA), quisqualic acid (QA) and 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB)1,3–5. Electrophysiological evidence indicates that these receptors are all present in the rat hippocampus and that the anatomically discrete synaptic fields within the hippocampus exhibit differential sensitivity to the selective excitatory amino acid agents3,6,7. Thus, we have used the hippocampus as a model system to investigate possible subpopulations of 3H-L-glutamate binding sites. By using quantitative autoradiography, the pharmacological specificity of 3H-L-glutamate binding in discrete terminal fields was determined. We report here that there are at least four distinct classes of 3H-L-glutamate binding sites which differ in their anatomical distribution, pharmacological profile and regulation by ions. Two of these sites seem to correspond to the KA and NMDA receptor classes, and a third site may represent the QA receptor. The fourth binding site does not conform to present receptor classifications. None of these binding sites corresponds to the major glutamate binding site observed in biochemical studies8–12.
Scaling and Locality with No Pomeron in Electroproduction

A recent sum rule of Brandt and Ng implies the existence of a Pomeron contribution in electroproduction. This is shown to be based on an unrealistic assumption. Therefore the conclusions drawn from it are physically unfounded. In particular, electroproduction need not have a Pomeron but can still scale in a causal model.
Formation of intrinsic factor-X activator activity, with special reference to the role of thrombin.

Summary When thrombin-activated purified human factor VIII (factor VIIIt), purified human factor IXa, lipid and calcium were combined, a very rapid reaction occurred involving the lipid and at least one of the plasma clotting factors. No other interaction between the components of intrinsic factor-X activator could be demonstrated. Full activity developed so rapidly as to suggest an instantaneous reaction. In contrast, when native factor VIII was used instead of factor VIIIt, insignificant factor-X activator was found over 15 min. Further experiments with hirudin confirmed that a preliminary activation of factor VIII is an absolute requirement for the development of human intrinsic factor-X activator activity. Both thrombin and trypsin effectively activated factor VIII, which suggests that activation results from proteolysis. Factor IXa, factor XIa, factor Xa, collagen, connective tissue, platelet fractions, plasmin and Reptilase ‘R’could not activate factor VIII within a physiologically significant time interval.